ddrg/super_eurlex huggingface dataset:
WRITTEN QUESTION E-3489/01

by Glenys Kinnock (PSE) to the Commission

(8 January 2002)

Subject: Gypsies and travellers

Is the Commission aware that there are currently no EU funded programmes aimed at developing and improving the education and training of gypsies and travellers?

Would the Commission agree that the rights and equal opportunities of these highly marginalised communities are currently being ignored?

What plans does the Commission have to ensure that the educational needs of travelling communities are, at least, represented in its programmes?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(15 February 2002)

Under the current phase of Socrates (2000-2006) this target group has been made one of the main priorities for support in the programme.

Within Comenius in particular, the programme action more specifically concerned with school education, the education of Gypsies and Travellers is a priority in projects between schools, the training of educational staff and the new networks action.

Within Grundtvig, considerable emphasis is given to supporting activities designed to address the educational needs of hard-to-reach social groups, including Travellers, who do not generally tend to take part in adult education or lifelong learning initiatives, in order to increase their capacity to play a full and active role in society, to improve their employability by acquiring or updating their general skills and to enhance their capacity to enter or re-enter formal education.

A number of projects targeting Gypsies have also been funded over the years within the framework of the Leonardo Da Vinci and Youth Programmes.

The Commission therefore does not share the views of the Honourable Member that the rights of those communities are ignored as far as Community funded educational activities are concerned.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-3195/01

by James Provan (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(20 November 2001)

Subject: Funding for the European Federation of Journalists

Will the Commission state whether the European Federation of Journalists or the International Federation of Journalists receive funding or support in any way from the European Commission?

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(18 December 2001)

Neither the European Federation of Journalists nor the International Federation of Journalists receive any general financial support from the Commission.

The International Federation of Journalists has, however, this year received support for two specific projects which will improve the information available to journalists who work in/or visit Brussels to cover European affairs.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2431/01

by Eryl McNally (PSE) to the Commission

(7 September 2001)

Subject: 6th VAT Directive

The 6th VAT Directive provides a reduced rate of VAT for energy saving materials, which is applicable where individuals pay to have these materials installed in their homes. However, the reduced rate does not apply when individuals purchase such materials in order to install them in their homes themselves.

Would the Commission please comment on whether consideration is being given to the removal of this anomaly from the 6th VAT Directive?

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(29 October 2001)

The situation under current Community VAT legislation is that category 9 of Annex H of the sixth VAT Directive 77/388/EEC of 17 May 1977 on the harmonization of the laws of the Member States relating to turnover taxes Common system of value added tax: uniform basis of assessment(1) covers the process of the supply, construction, renovation and alteration of housing provided as part of social policy. Member States may therefore allocate a reduced VAT rate of no less than 5 % to these services.

Energy saving materials, once incorporated into this process, are automatically covered by this provision, as will be all building materials when supplied as a part of a service provided by a building contractor. Whereas the same goods when bought across the counter by an individual are considered to be supplies of goods, and therefore the standard rate applies.

As the Honourable Member will know, the new VAT strategy(2) foresees that a review and rationalisation of the rules and derogations applying to the definition of reduced VAT rates will be considered in the medium term. Particular attention will be paid to such issues.

(1) OJ L 145, 13.6.1977, p. 1. Directive as last amended by Directive 2001/41/CE (OJ L 22, 24.1.2001) et corrigendum (OJ L 26, 27.1.2001).

(2) COM(2000) 348 final.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-3039/01

by Anna Karamanou (PSE) to the Commission

(30 October 2001)

Subject: Appeal to end bombing and send humanitarian aid

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, has warned of a new tragedy in Afghanistan as a result of the constant bombing and the likelihood of mass slaughter in the feuding within the country. Mrs Robinson also appealed for an end to the bombing to enable humanitarian aid to be sent to the refugees on a massive scale.

What is the Commission's position in regard to the UN High Commissioner's warning and appeal?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(19 December 2001)

The Union has noted the appeal for a bombing pause made by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

After their meeting in Ghent on 19 October 2001, the Heads of Government of the Union and the President of the Commission issued a declaration which set out Union support for the international coalition's objective of the elimination of the Al Quaida terrorist organisation.

The process of achieving this objective by military means is now in progress, through the targeted elimination of Taliban and Al Quaida positions and assets. The Union believes that the international coalition makes every effort to ensure that the effects of military action on civilians are minimised.

The Commission shares the concern expressed by others union actors about the humanitarian situation inside Afghanistan and about the risk of food shortages in parts of the country as winter sets in. United Nations agencies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), with the assistance of neighbouring states are making efforts to reach at risk groups in all parts of the country. Aid continues to be delivered through dedicated and competent local staff remained in the country with a remote control from expatriates re-located in neighbouring countries around Afghanistan. The Community through European Community's Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO) has provided a further 25 million for projects mainly inside the country as the massive exodus towards neighbouring countries has not materialised as yet. Most projects are directed to populations located in drought stricken areas as well as to Internally Displaced People which already totalled 700 000 prior to 11 September 2001. This allocation comes on top of the 23,3 million allocated by ECHO prior to the events for 2001. The total Community contribution to Afghanistan through various budgetary lines comes to 100 million in 2001.

The Commission sees the provision of relief inside Afghanistan as the highest humanitarian priority in the region. Consequently, it is vital that access for aid to all areas of the country is maintained and that humanitarian assistance should be provided to crisis victims, wherever they are, on an impartial and neutral basis.
WRITTEN QUESTION P-3524/01

by Wilhelm Piecyk (PSE) to the Commission

(20 December 2001)

Subject: EU/Kaliningrad transport links following enlargement to the east

At the end of October 2001, the Scandinavian airline SAS closed its Kaliningrad-Copenhagen route. The discontinuation of the only scheduled air service from Kaliningrad to Scandinavia, and hence to Germany and western Europe, will have substantial adverse effects on economic activity and tourism, which are just beginning to develop. Not only are transport links between the Kaliningrad region and the European Union, especially the countries around the Baltic, essential for the region's economic development, for they are also an urgent requirement as far as the political development of the region, which is part of Russian territory, is concerned. After its forthcoming enlargement to the east, the European Union will have external borders with Kaliningrad.

Has the Commission already examined the special situation of Kaliningrad, which is surrounded geographically by two candidate countries, Poland and Lithuania, and how does it assess that situation in terms of links to the European Union?

How does it propose to ensure that the Kaliningrad region has transport links to the European Union?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(29 January 2002)

The Commission's analysis of the specific situation of Kaliningrad is presented in the Communication on The European Union and Kaliningrad of January 2001(1). This was prepared to provide a basis for discussions within the Union as well as with Russia, and those candidate countries for accession that are most interested, in particular Poland and Lithuania.

Transport issues have been recognised in the Communication and appropriate technical assistance is provided to Poland and Lithuania as well as to Russia for making the transit of goods to and from Kaliningrad faster and more efficient.

Two of the Pan-European Transport Corridors link Kaliningrad with Poland and Lithuania. Both are multi-modal transport links for road and rail. The Commission attaches particular importance to the relevant sections of the Corridors and provides assistance for their completion.

The provision of air transport links between Kaliningrad and destinations in the Union is a matter for the operators, whose decisions will be taken on the basis of economic considerations. The Commission does not subsidise air links with third countries.

(1) COM(2001) 26 final.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-3679/01

by Astrid Thors (ELDR) to the Commission

(17 January 2002)

Subject: The needs of blind people when travelling

A Finnish citizen, Lotta Lamminen, participated in an event organised in connection with the October session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

As a blind person, Ms Lamminen is normally entitled to bring her guide dog with her into the cabin of the plane and keep it with her throughout the flight. However, this time the ground staff of Air France in Strasbourg refused to accept this arrangement. It was only after lengthy discussions with the staff of the flight company and a conversation with the manager of the airport that Ms Lamminen was entitled to bring her dog along with her.

The experience of travelling in a box in cargo would most probably have been frightening for the dog and prevented it from helping Ms Lamminen according to its normal capacities for several days.

Has the Commission taken any measures to ensure that blind people's needs when travelling are taken into due consideration by flight companies?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(20 February 2002)

The Commission attaches great importance to ensuring that disabled people, including blind people, can travel like any other citizen

It has pushed Community airlines to prepare and adopt a voluntary commitment on service to passengers, which includes meeting the needs of disabled people. Under this schemes airlines commit themselves, among other things, to carry certified guide dogs in the cabin free of charge, subject to importation and other regulation. Air France is among the companies that have signed the commitment and will begin implementation in February 2002.

Valuable as such commitments are, the Commission believes that the rights of disabled people are so basic that they must be guaranteed by law. It intends later this year to present proposals for legislation on airlines' contracts with passengers that, among other things, would create rights for disabled people. This paper will discuss, among other things, how best to meet the needs of blind and other disabled people. Before proposing this legislation, the Commission will consult interested parties by means of a consultation paper, that will naturally be made available to the Parliament
WRITTEN QUESTION E-3305/01

by Jonas Sjöstedt (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(28 November 2001)

Subject: Gambling monopoly in Sweden

Foreign gaming companies have long attempted to break into the Swedish gambling market. The London-based gaming company, SSP, has lost around ten cases in the Swedish courts. Ladbrokes, one of the biggest gaming companies in the world, is also trying to break into the Swedish market. The objective is to be established on the market by 2005. Swedish customers can in fact already place bets with SSP and Ladbrokes via the Internet, in which case the money goes directly to the UK.

Has the Commission examined the Swedish monopoly on gambling and is it considered to be consistent with the principle of freedom of movement on the internal market?

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(12 April 2002)

The Honourable Member asks whether the Commission has examined the Swedish monopoly and whether it is considered to be consistent with the principle of free movement enshrined in the EC Treaty. The Commission has not had occasion to examine the workings of the Swedish monopoly in all its details and implications. In the context of its work on an Internal Market Strategy for services, a number of interested parties including Member States' lottery operators have indicated that legal clarity is required at the European level for gambling services. The Commission will be considering this issue in the context of its work on the Internal Market for services. In so doing, it will take due account of existing jurisprudence of the European Court of Justice which has indicated that Member States' restrictions to cross-border provision of certain forms of gambling services are compatible with the EC Treaty in the absence of a Community framework.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-3055/01

by Anna Karamanou (PSE) to the Commission

(5 November 2001)

Subject: Sectarian riots in Nigeria

In the wake of the American air raids on Afghanistan at least 200 persons have been killed over the last few days in sectarian riots in northern Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are leaving the region owing to the activities of gangs of Muslim fighters.

What measures does the Commission intend to take to help put an end to these sectarian killings of civilians? Does it intend to assist the Nigerian Government to address the current crisis and to give humanitarian aid to the civilians who are forced to abandon their homes?

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(7 January 2002)

The principal contributing factor to the cycles of violence that have affected Nigeria is seen as poverty, combined with the unfulfilled expectations of the younger generation. Unscrupulous political and religious elders may also exploit the frustrations of the young. This view would seem to be shared by the Nigerian authorities and these points were identified by their representatives at a donor meeting held in Brussels on the 19-20 November 2001, as key issues to be taken into consideration by donors.

The Commission has programmes in place or under preparation to alleviate poverty in the short and longer term. In the short term a programme is under implementation and has earmarked some 65 million for micro projects and job creation in the Niger Delta, one of the states worst affected by the crisis. In addition there is a small project underway to strengthen institutional capacity and provide support to civil society and media training in Northern Nigeria. In the longer term the Country Support Strategy, which will soon be completed, has as its overall objective poverty alleviation in six key states. The detailed programme will aim to tackle the root causes of poverty, including facilitating access to services and resources, as well as employment generation, and will be backed by funds amounting to 552 million. There are also plans underway to identify confidence building measures in the short term in those areas seriously affected by insecurity.

In general terms the Commission, through the European Community's Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO), only intervenes in countries where the national and local authorities are unable to cope with natural or man-made disasters, and where the authorities request outside help. So far this has not been the case in Nigeria, where local authorities have more or less coped with the growing number of internally displaced people.

At the same time a lot of the problems in Nigeria can be considered structural, and short-term humanitarian aid is not the best instrument to tackle this. Nevertheless the Commission considers it important to monitor latest developments directly on the ground, and consequently is planning to send an ECHO mission to Nigeria to perform a risk mapping exercise.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2096/01

by Pat Gallagher (UEN) to the Commission

(13 July 2001)

Subject: Long-term management plans for important Community fish stocks

In the conclusions to its meeting of 18 June 2001 the Fisheries Council invited the Commission to develop long-term management plans for important Community stocks. Will the Commission indicate how it is following up this request from the Council, and will it state what contacts it is pursuing with representatives of the fishing industry in the Member States with regard to this matter?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(6 September 2001)

A number of long-term management plans are already in place. In particular, there are plans agreed with Norway for stocks of cod, haddock, saithe, plaice and herring in the North Sea and for mackerel in the north-east Atlantic. Similarly, there are already long-term plans, evolved within the International Baltic Sea Fisheries Commission, for the management of cod, sprat and salmon in the Baltic. A management plan for Baltic herring is still under discussion.

The essential elements of all these plans is to make decisions about the appropriate long-term fishing mortality rate which corresponds to a long-term sustainable fishing. TACs will then be selected in each future year to be in accordance with these fishing mortality rates.

The Commission wishes to spread this concept to other major fish stocks autonomous to the Community, including stocks such as cod and hake that will be the subject of long-term recovery plans.

The Commission has recently issued a Communication on the rebuilding of cod and hake stocks, which is intended to serve as a basis for discussion both with the fishing industry and the Member States before the Commission finalises its proposals at the end of this year.

It should also be noted that the recently-established emergency measures and other related measures for cod and hake in Community waters have been undertaken in close contact with industry and the Commission intends to continue this process in similar close contact.

To further the Commission's thinking on this topic, the Commission has initiated further scientific research, the results of which will be available in the near future.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2936/01

by Juan Naranjo Escobar (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(24 October 2001)

Subject: Aeroplanes displaying the EU logo

Certain airlines in certain Member States display the European Union logo on their planes, although most of them continue to ignore this identifying symbol which contributes so effectively to propagating a sense of EU identity.

It is obvious that the display of the logo will not become standard practice as long as this is left up to the discretion of the airlines. Some other way of ensuring that all the Union's airlines display the Community symbol is therefore called for.

Does the Commission believe that it should submit a legally binding proposal which would, when adopted by the relevant Community authority, oblige Community planes to carry the European symbol?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(29 November 2001)

The Commission shares the Honourable Member's view that the Union's logo, i.e. the flag with yellow stars, helps in a positive manner and in many different contexts to make the European identity known throughout the world. The Commission is therefore pleased to see a number of airlines displaying the logo on their aircraft.

However, as the Commission has already pointed out in previous answers, the Commission does not take the view that the use of the Union's logo by European airlines should be made compulsory.

Moreover, the use of the logo is in all cases subject to prior authorisation in accordance with the agreement concluded between the European Community and the Council of Europe which is the legal owner of the logo.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2966/01

by Graham Watson (ELDR) to the Commission

(25 October 2001)

Subject: Taxi levied on personal belongings moved within Member States

Unrestricted movement of people and goods within the Member States is one of the fundamental principles of the European Union.

Does the Commission have any plans to investigate payment of taxes on personal belongings moved between Member States, should Europeans choose to reside elsewhere within the Union?

Would it be possible to ascertain exactly how much has been paid to the Spanish authorities in the form of import taxes levied in this way?

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(14 December 2001)

As regards personal belongings moved between Member States by European citizens changing residence from one Member State to another, taxes on importation between the Member States have to a large extent been eliminated through Community legislation, in particular the harmonised VAT and excise duty systems and, as concerns other consumption taxes, Council Directive 83/183/EEC(1).

The Commission is not aware of any import taxes levied by Spain. The Member States themselves are in the best position to provide information of the kind requested by the Honourable Member.

(1) Council Directive 83/183/EEC of 28 March 1983 on tax exemptions applicable to permanent imports from a Member State of the personal property of individuals (OJ L 105, 23.4.1983), as last amended by Council Directive 92/12/EEC of 25 February 1992, OJ L 76, 23.3.1992.