ddrg/super_eurlex huggingface dataset:
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1162/97 by Richard Howitt (PSE) to the Commission (26 March 1997)

Subject: Representation from Age Concern (Essex)

What response will the Commission make following representations made to me by seven local pensioners' groups who are part of Age Concern (Essex) protesting that the freezing of the Pensioners' Action Programme is bloocking European funding for local groups like themselves? Can the Commission identify alternative sources of European funding available to local pensioners' groups, and will it take further steps to ensure interim funding opportunities pending the judgment in the European Court of Justice?

Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission (5 May 1997)

The legality of budget spending in the area of older people has been challenged by the United Kingdom government. On 24 September 1996 the President of the European Court of Justice gave an order which authorised the Commission to sign agreements in 1996 but not to make any payments until the date of the final judgement, and then only if the judgement should be in its favour.

The Commission very much shares the concern of both the Parliament and non-governmental organisations (NGO) at all levels across Europe at the impasse reached on this matter. The Commission will do its utmost to ensure that the interests of older people are not dropped from the Community political agenda.

Alternative sources of European funding available to local pensioners' groups exist only for specific measures such as Alzheimer's disease, telematics for improving the quality of life of disabled and elderly persons (TIDE) and co-operation with the NGO-sector.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0865/97 by Amedeo Amadeo (NI) to the Commission (12 March 1997)

Subject: Helios II

With regard to budget heading B3-4102: Helios II (the integration of the disabled), can the Commission say whether subsidies have been granted for Italy and, if so, for which organizations and for which activities?

Joint answer to Written Questions E-0858/97, E-0859/97, E-0860/97, E-0861/97, E-0862/97, E-0863/97, E-0864/97, E-0865/97, E-0866/97, E-0867/97, E-0868/97, E-0869/97, E-0870/97 and E-0871/97 given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission (25 April 1997)

The Commission is collecting the information it needs to answer the question. It will communicate its findings as soon as possible.
WRITTEN QUESTION P-1121/97 by Bartho Pronk (PPE) to the Commission (19 March 1997)

Subject: German proposal to include a 'churches clause' in the revised Maastricht Treaty

During the current IGC the Ministers of Foreign Affairs have been discussing how best to protect fundamental rights and freedoms in the new Treaty. The German delegation wants to include a 'churches clause' in the revised

Maastricht Treaty. The wording of the German proposal is as follows: 'The Union regards the constitutional position of the religious communities in the Member States as both an expression of the identity of the Member States and their culture and as part of their common cultural heritage'.

1. Is the Commission aware of the nature of the German proposal at the IGC to include a 'churches clause' in the revised Treaty?

2. Does the Commission agree with the substance of the German proposal that the constitutional position of religious communities is part of the common cultural heritage of the Union?

3. Is the Commission of the opinion that including this proposal in the revised Maastricht Treaty offers a sound guarantee of protection of the fundamental rights and freedoms of citizens?

Answer given by Mr Santer on behalf of the Commission (18 April 1997)

The question put by the Honourable Member concerns the protection of the fundamental rights and freedoms of the citizen.

Fundamental rights are covered by Article F.2 of the Treaty on European Union, according to which 'The Union shall respect fundamental rights, as guaranteed by the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms signed in Rome on 4 November 1950 and as they result from the constitutional traditions common to the Member States, as general principles of Community law'.

The Intergovernmental Conference is examining various proposals concerning the accession of the Union to the Human Rights Convention or the extension of respect for fundamental rights to those resulting from other international conventions. Article 9(1) of the ECHR notably stipulates that 'everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion'.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0536/97 by Florus Wijsenbeek (ELDR) to the Commission (20 February 1997)

Subject: VAT arrangements for coach operators

Is the Commission aware that discrepancies in VAT legislation in the different EU Member States can frequently cause problems for undertakings that supply cross-border goods or services and are therefore required to pay VAT in other Member States?

The discrepancies in payment deadlines on completion of a quarter-year for which VAT is due can in particular pose huge administrative problems for coach operators, since they supply cross-border services almost exclusively. Bus undertakings providing through travel services in Germany, for example, are expected to meet their commitments monthly withing ten days, a requirement that does not apply to undertakings from that country, which can establish a current account.

Does the Commission not agree that this gives rise to a distortion of competition between different bus services?

Does the Commission not therefore consider that in a Union where free movement of persons, services and goods is possible, fiscal legislation should also be harmonized so as to preclude situations in which bus companies - which, by the nature of their operations, necessarily supply a high frequency of cross-border services - find it impossible to operate efficiently?

Can the Commission submit proposals under which rules on VAT payments in the tourist sector, in particular those applicable to coach operators, would be harmonized so as to ensure that no distortions of competition would arise and undertakings in that sector would not be subjected to commercially unrealistic settlement deadlines?

If so, how? If not, why not?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission (3 April 1997)

The Commission thanks the Honourable Member for bringing this particular issue to its attention. The Commission is aware of this type of discrepancy and of the potential distortions of competition. The necessary harmonisation of these aspects of value added tax (VAT) legislation is foreseen as part of the Commission's proposal for a new common system of VAT, as set out in its 1996 work programme ((COM(96) 328 final. )).
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1007/97 by Pierre Bernard-Reymond (PPE) to the Commission (19 March 1997)

Subject: Establishment of a European volunteer service for young people in the field of humanitarian aid

In its resolution of November 1993 (A3-0327/93) ((OJ C 329, 6.12.1993, p. 381. )), the European Parliament called on the Commission to consider ways of establishing and organizing a European volunteer service at Community level.

In a further resolution of September 1995 (B4-1127/95) ((OJ C 269, 16.10.1995, p. 232. )), Parliament also called on the Commission to launch pilot programmes for the exchange of volunteers in various fields including the promotion of international solidarity.

Can the Commission state the stage reached in plans to set up a European volunteer service in the fields of development and humanitarian aid?

Answer given by Mrs Cresson on behalf of the Commission (24 April 1997)

At the beginning of 1996, the Commission launched a pilot scheme in respect of European voluntary service for young people, under budget heading B3-1011, with the aim of promoting transnational voluntary service within the Community and laying the foundations for gradually extending the scheme to third countries. In the light of the initial experiments, a proposal for a multiannual European voluntary service programme ((COM(96) 610. )) was presented by the Commission to the Council and Parliament in December 1996.

The proposal contains a section on third countries, aimed at enabling young people between the ages of 18 and 25 to participate in activities which contribute to the common good and to the development of a local community in the social, environmental and cultural spheres within a third country, including developing countries. Voluntary service is not intended, a priori, as a vehicle for development or humanitarian aid, but rather as a means of promoting active citizenship, solidarity and intercultural understanding.

The pilot project is now well under way. As far as third countries are concerned, the projects approved in 1996 have made it possible for 90 young volunteers to get involved in local projects in 12 countries of Central and Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean, Latin America and Africa. More detailed information on activities in third countries is contained in the activity report which is being forwarded direct to the Honourable Member and to the Secretariat of Parliament.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0313/97 by Michèle Lindeperg (PSE) to the Council (14 February 1997)

Subject: Council's policy on the right of asylum

Everyone agrees that asylum procedures must be harmonized.

Some decisions have already been taken, including those on 'manifestly unfounded applications', the concept of 'safe third countries', 'minimum guarantees on asylum', the 'harmonized application of the definition of refugee in Article 1A of the Geneva Convention', etc.

However, those decisions have two things in common:

- their content is almost exclusively repressive;

- the legal instruments used are often ineffective since they are not binding.

The results speak for themselves:

- The number of applications is in free fall, and at the same time there has been a steep drop in the proportion of cases in which asylum granted.

- As a result, cases of human tragedy are on the increase, which is particularly true for people persecuted by non-State groups (Somalis, Liberians or Algerians in France).

It has reached the point where recent judgments of European and national courts have repudiated measures adopted by the Member States:

- The report of 15 October 1996 of the European Commission of Human Rights deals with three cases involving the United Kingdom, Austria and France. If its arguments are upheld by the Court, more protection would be given to asylum-seekers fleeing persecution by non-State groups.

- The judgment of 18 December 1992 of the French Conseil d'Etat (State Council) calls into question France's interpretation of 'manifestly unfounded applications' and the concept of 'safe third country' and at the same time rejects the administration's arguments based on the 1992 London resolutions on the ground that they are 'devoid of normative value'.

Is the Council going to wait for judicial decisions of this kind to multiply and create difficulties for it, or is it going to seize the initiative and adopt binding decisions to guarantee protection in the EU - in a form still to be determined - for persons who are genuinely persecuted, even if the persecution does not emanate from State authorities?

Answer (30 May 1997)

The Treaty on European Union confirms the commitment of the Member States of the European Union to the Geneva Convention. The decisions of the Council to which l'Honourable Parliamentarian refers are aimed only at clarification of the interpretion of the Geneva Convention. The changes in the proportion of asylum seekers accepted as refugees under the Geneva Convention are a reflection of migration pressures and trends, not of the quality of interpretation of the Geneva Convention. The position on persecution by non-state groups is set out in the Council's common position of 4 March 1996 ((OJ L 63, 13.03.1996. )), which does not rule out a Member State providing wider protection.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0560/97 by Anita Pollack (PSE) to the Commission (24 February 1997)

Subject: Battery hens

In view of the decision of 1988 in Sweden to prohibit the use of battery cages for rearing poultry from 1 January 1999, will the Commission bring forward proposals for similar progress in the EU in the interests both of animal welfare and to guarantee a level playing field in the internal market?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (4 April 1997)

The Commission is aware that the Swedish government decided in 1988 to ban battery cages after a transitional period of 10 years, and now proposes to prolong this transitional period in respect of some housing systems.

Council Directive 88/166/EEC ((OJ L 74, 19.3.1988 )) lays down minimum standards for the protection of laying hens kept in battery cages and it is open to Member States to adopt more generous standards, subject to the general requirements of Community law.

If, for example, a Member State decided to phase out battery cages completely, it would not be permitted to restrict entry of eggs coming from Member States which respect the minimum standards laid down in the Directive.

Concerning the progress towards up-grading the minimum Community standards, the Honourable Member is referred to the Commission's reply to written question E-3488/96 by Mr Gahrton ((OJ C 83, 14.3.1997 )).
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1532/97 by Hiltrud Breyer (V) to the Commission (5 May 1997)

Subject: Information on EC assistance granted to the Rhineland-Palatinate from January to December 1996

In what amounts and for what measures did the Rhineland-Palatinate receive Community resources in 1996 from:

1. the European Social Fund,

2. the Fourth Framework Research Programme,

3. the European Regional Development Fund,

4. the Community environment and energy programmes,

5. the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund, Guidance and Guarantee Sections,

6. other Community programmes?

Joint answer to Written Questions E-1530/97, E-1531/97 and E-1532/97 given by Mr Santer on behalf of the Commission (28 May 1997)

The Commission is collecting the information it needs to answer the question. It will communicate its findings as soon as possible.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0306/97 by Amedeo Amadeo (NI) to the Commission (13 February 1997)

Subject: Research and technological development

According to the chapter on research and technological development in the Court of Auditors' annual report for the financial year 1995 ((OJ C 340, 12.11.1996. )), the action plan for the introduction of advanced television services, adopted in 1993, is designed to promote the introduction of the wide format with a width/height ratio of 16:9 in normal definition or high definition. A budget of ECU 228 million was provided for this purpose over a period of four years. The appropriations may be allocated to broadcasters who provide television services in the 16:9 format and to producers of television programmes in this format.

The action plan will conclude in June 1997. If it is extended, it will be increasingly difficult to speak of start-up aid and clearly permanent financing must be avoided, as it may paralyse rather than mobilize the economic agents concerned.

What steps will the Commission take and how will it provide support for independent producers?

Answer given by Mr Bangemann on behalf of the Commission (1 April 1997)

The action plan for the introduction of advanced television services in Europe will indeed end on 30 June 1997, as stipulated in Council Decision 93/424/EEC of 22 July 1993 ((OJ L 196, 5.8.1993. )).

The Commission will in due course examine the full and independent evaluation of the programme results, one purpose of which is to determine whether it would be useful to extend the plan for a limited period. The Commission will take full account of the observations of the Court of Auditors and of considerations such as those raised by the Honourable Member, particularly the participation of independent programme producers.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0065/97 by Jaime Valdivielso de Cué (PPE) to the Council (24 January 1997)

Subject: The effective management of products confiscated in line with rules on Community fraud

The regulation on protecting trade marks and intellectual property rights has been in force for 7 years, and its scope has been extended to cover copyright, utility models and logos. Checks have been carried out by means of customs instruments enabling over 1 460 cases of fraud to be detected and proceedings to be instigated in three Member States.

There does not appear to be any policy on tackling the problem of what to do with such confiscated products. For the time being, the solution is the systematic destruction of these products. This is both costly and ineffective.

There are some rather poignant examples:

60 000 leather footballs have been confiscated in Germany. Their destruction would entail high economic and environmental costs. Who is to pay such costs - the Commission or the Member State? Has the Council considered the possibility of donating these footballs to children of developing countries in receipt of humanitarian and food aid (such as the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda, Zaire, etc.)?

33 000 packs of underwear have been confiscated in Spain. Cannot some imaginative use be made of these by donating them to charities or humanitarian organizations such as Caritas or the Red Cross?

Would the Council consider the possibility of establishing some legal system for disposing of confiscated goods? Does it intend to draw up a regulation aimed at finding a use for these goods?

Answer (16 May 1997)

The customs checks to which the Honourable Member refers are based on Regulation No 3295/94 laying down measures to prohibit the release for free circulation, export, re-export or entry for a suspensive procedure of counterfeit and pirated goods. The Regulation extends the scope of action by the customs authorities to all intellectual property rights except patents.

Article 8 provides that "Member States shall adopt the measures necessary to allow the competent authorities:

(a) as a general rule, and in accordance with the relevant provisions of national law, to destroy goods found to be counterfeit ... or dispose of them outside commercial channels ...

(b) to take ... any other measures which effectively deprive the persons concerned of the economic benefits of the transaction.¨

The manner in which the Member States destroy counterfeit goods or dispose of them outside commercial channels is left to national law. Once the goods have been withdrawn from economic channels, there is nothing to stop the competent authorities from offering them to charitable organizations.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1125/97 by Carmen Díez de Rivera Icaza (PSE) to the Commission (24 March 1997)

Subject: Noise and alarm systems

Have any Member States recently been granted exemptions allowing the continued installation of security alarms on the outside of buildings, the noise from which causes a disturbance to those living nearby?

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission (28 April 1997)

There is no Community legislation concerning the installation and the use of security alarms. Neither is there any legislation concerning the noise emission of these installations. These are issues where the responsibility lies with the Member States.
WRITTEN QUESTION P-1675/97 by Glenys Kinnock (PSE) to the Commission (7 May 1997)

Subject: Humanitarian aid to North Korea

Would the Commission please clarify whether there are plans to increase humanitarian aid to North Korea?

Answer given by Mrs Bonino on behalf of the Commission (5 June 1997)

Throughout the last two years, the Commission has monitored attentively the development of the political and humanitarian situation on the Korean Peninsula. To this day, the Commission has granted almost 10 MECU for humanitarian assistance and food aid programmes.

Following the alarming reports on the humanitarian situation in North Korea issued by various observers during the last months, the Commission sent an independent team of external experts to assess the humanitarian needs in the country.

On the basis of this mission and reports of international experts such as the World food programme (WFP), a coordinated action has been prepared which includes substantial food aid to be provided in the Commission's food security programme and humanitarian aid related to public health issues.

The food aid operation, which is specifically designed as a humanitarian action, will be delivered in a two-pronged approach. First, in agreement with the WFP, a re-allocation of residues from the Commission's 1996 multi-lateral agreement with WFP combined with non-programmed 1997 quantities will amount to approximately 65 000 tonnes of food products valued at 21.3 MECU. Second, a new Commission decision from the 1997 budget to provide a further 90 000 tonnes of food aid valued at 25 MECU will be handled bilaterally by WFP in North Korea on behalf of the Commission. The public health action valued at 9.5 MECU will be implemented via multinational agencies and non-governmental organisations.

Thus, while continuing its policy of non-recognition of North Korea, the Commission is preparing an active response to the recent alarming developments, on top of the resources already committed by the Community.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1186/97 by Arlindo Cunha (PPE) to the Commission (3 April 1997)

Subject: EAGGF transfers to Portugal

Can the Commission state, as a matter of urgency, the total amounts paid in transfers by each of the two sections of the EAGGF to Portugal, for 1995 and 1996 respectively?

If no definitive statistics are available, can the Commission provide provisional figures or estimates?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (22 April 1997)

The payments to Portugal from each of the two sections of the EAGGF in 1995 and 1996 are as follows:

(in MECU)

>TABLE>

(*) These figures are provisional.