ddrg/super_eurlex huggingface dataset:
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1957/99

by Gerhard Hager (NI) to the Commission

(5 November 1999)

Subject: Alitalia

The Italian airline Alitalia offers its passengers a free transfer from Milan to Malpensa airport. 53 % of Alitalia shares are owned by IRI which in turn is owned by the Italian state.

In view of this, can the Commission answer the following questions:

1. Is the Commission aware of this?

2. Does the Commission consider that the Alitalia offer constitutes an illegal state aid pursuant to Article 87 of the EC Treaty?

3. If not, how does the Commission justify its interpretation of the provisions?

4. If so, what legal steps does the Commission intend to take to curtail this practice?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(3 January 2000)

The Commission is aware that Alitalia has entered into an agreement with the Malpensa Express company to offer its passengers free rail transport between the city of Milan and Malpensa airport. This is a commercial arrangement designed to offset the inconvenience for Alitalia's customers of the new airport

being located 50 kilometres from Milan. The Italian authorities have said that the other airlines operating at Malpensa are free to take the same commercial step and enter into a similar arrangement with Malpensa Express.

The Commission is unable, on the basis of the information currently available to it, to determine whether the contract includes elements of State aid favouring one or other of the parties.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1843/99

by Jorge Hernández Mollar (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(13 October 1999)

Subject: Rising crime on the Costa del Sol (Andalusia, Spain)

In the last few months there has been a sharp rise in crime on the Costa del Sol as a result of the activities of highly organised criminal groups involved in drug trafficking, money laundering, the white slave trade, etc.

What measures could the Commission take, given that the Treaty of Amsterdam establishes a fresh common policy in an area of freedom, security and justice?

Is Europol responding to this alarming rise in crime, by stepping up its efforts to combat crime on the Costa del Sol?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(1 December 1999)

The Spanish authorities have identified 170 groups of organised criminals with a total of approximately 5 200 members operating on their territory. Most of these groups are located on the Mediterranean coast, and organised criminals use the shipping facilities to set up illegal international traffic. More specifically, the Spanish coast attracts a huge yachting set from all over the world and several million tourists each year.

Title VI of the Treaty on European Union, as amended by the Treaty of Amsterdam, lays down the provisions on police and judicial co-operation in criminal matters with the objective to provide citizens with a high level of safety within an area of freedom, justice and security through the development of common action among Member States in the fields of police and judicial co-operation. The Commission is fully associated with the work in these areas. The action plan of the Council and the Commission on how best to implement the provisions of the Treaty of Amsterdam concerning an area of freedom, security and justice(1), adopted by the Justice and Home Affairs Council of 3 December 1998 in Vienna, provides for a comprehensive and detailed package of measures over two and five-year periods.

The abovementioned action plan comprises also various measures to be taken in the field of police co-operation. As far as the Costa del Sol region is concerned, it is up to the Spanish authorities to transmit the relevant operational data on such criminal organisations to Europol and to ask Europol for further analysis. Basing itself on the appropriate intelligence and analytical results, and following the provisions of Article 30 (ex Article K.2) of the Treaty on European Union, Europol will have, in the future, the authority to initiate concrete investigations on the spot and to create joint investigative teams.

(1) OJ C 19, 23.1.1999.
WRITTEN QUESTION P-2163/99

by Graham Watson (ELDR) to the Council

(19 November 1999)

Subject: Meeting of the Development Council on 11 November 1999

It is estimated that, on the eve of the new millennium, nearly one sixth of the world population will be illiterate. Given that, at the 1990 World Conference on Education For All, EU governments promised to work towards universal education by 2000, will the Council increase the current provision for education in its aid programmes?

Will the Council include a discussion on education provision to the developing world at its forthcoming meeting on 11 November?

Reply

(31 January 2000)

The Council fully shares the Honourable Member's view on the importance of efforts to reduce illiteracy. Measures to promote education constitute an essential part of the fight against poverty, which is one of the main objectives of the Community's development cooperation policy.

When it decides on Community aid programmes the Commission takes into account, inter alia, the priorities set by the beneficiary countries.

The Development Council on 11 November 1999 did not discuss support for developing countries in the field of education. Such a discussion, which has not been ruled out for a forthcoming meeting, would normally be based on a Commission communication.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1985/99

by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission

(5 November 1999)

Subject: Call for proposals published in Official Journal C 227 of 10 August 1999

The edition of the Official Journal cited above contained a call for proposals for projects under the campaign against violence against women. The deadline for the submission of proposals was 21 September. On that day an association wishing to submit a proposal, after various earlier attempts to obtain the application form (which the local Commission office knew nothing about), succeeded in obtaining it by electronic mail, after repeated telephone calls to the office of the head of the information department of DG X. The recipient was told that there was no point in sending the form, as the successful proposals would be submitted by the Netherlands and Finland.

1. Does the Commission generally know the identity of successful applicants before the proposals are submitted or before the deadline for the submission of proposals has expired?

2. Why are the Commission offices in the Member States' capital cities not capable of providing specific information about calls for proposals published in the Official Journal?

3. What are the no doubt serious and understandable reasons that prompt Commission officials to select the winning applicants before the deadline for submitting proposals?

4. If proceedings of this kind have become an unfortunate habit, is there any hope that the situation will be improved with the entry into office of the new Commission?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(16 December 1999)

This call for proposals consisted of two tranches: the first tranche was published on 7 April 1999(1) with a deadline of 21 May 1999.

In this first tranche 69 projects were submitted, and 30 were selected. The second tranche, which was justified because it was not possible to cover all Member States in the first tranche, was published on 10 August 1999 with a deadline for presentation of projects of 21 September 1999.

Item 5 of this second tranche(2), entitled Award criteria, notes that: In this second selection procedure, priority will be given to projects which provide the best cover of the Community as a whole, and the following countries in particular: Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Finland and Germany.

It is possible that the person mentioned by the Honourable Member misinterpreted this information.

The two tranches of the call for proposals were posted on the Europa site at two different addresses: http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex and http://europa.eu.int/comm/dg10/women/index.

The Commission offices in the Member States have access to all the Official Journals and to the Europa site.

The Commission sent out 333 forms in response to the requests it received. The selection was carried out in accordance with the rules and deadlines given in the call for proposals.

(1) OJ C 94, 7.4.1999.

(2) OJ C 227, 10.8.1999.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2125/99

by Nelly Maes (Verts/ALE) and Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Council

(29 November 1999)

Subject: Financial aid to the European oil industry

There is considerable movement in the oil sector: large companies are merging, OPEC meetings can lead to a rise in the price of crude oil and there are regular press reports of new oil fields. The crisis atmosphere of 1973 seems definitely to be a thing of the past.

In the last two decades the Commission's energy policy has been increasingly concentrated on three aspects:

(a) adequate energy supplies;

(b) environmental friendliness, and

(c) consolidating a competitive position.

1. Following the 1973 oil crisis did the Council draw up financial support measures for the European oil industry?

2. If not, has the Council given the sector support in any other form? What initiatives were involved?

3. If the Council did draw up support measures, what financial aid has been given to the European oil industry since 1973 (broken down by programmes and companies)?

4. What are the Council's reasons for such financial aid to the European oil industry?

5. Does the Council believe that financial aid to the oil industry is compatible with measures to prevent CO2 emissions?

Reply

(31 January 2000)

The Council is aware of the heavy dependency of the Community on hydrocarbon fuels and believes that there is a need for vigilance in both the short and the long term.

A significant part of Community actions in this context is contained in programmes which aim at contributing to the achievement of the priority goals of energy policy: security of supply, competitiveness and protection of the environment. Such programmes complement national energy policies through Community actions proposed by the Commission.

Since 1975, financial aid has been granted to the hydrocarbons sector mainly in the context of the Thermie Programme, in order to achieve safe, clean and efficient exploitation of hydrocarbons. With regard to the detail of such support measures, the Honourable Members are invited to address their question to the Commission which is responsible for the implementation and management of these programmes.

The Council is fully aware that the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions requires adequate responses in the energy sector. It is why in its conclusions on climate change of May 1998(1), it noted the need for a sustained commitment to energy efficiency and energy saving and for the reduction of the environmental impact of the use of energy sources with high carbon content.

(1) Doc. 8357/98 Presse 136.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2330/99

by Marietta Giannakou-Koutsikou (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(13 December 1999)

Subject: Private companies forwarding documents and parcels

The forwarding of documents and parcels from one country to another using private despatching companies and couriers appears to in practice offer little guarantee of the safety of the consignment or its arrival with the intended recipient. The problem arises mainly from the fact that consignments are forwarded using an outside company which, in turn, may entrust the transport and the delivery thereof to yet other natural or legal persons, a process which offers

no protection at all to the interests of the sender, particularly in view of the conditions binding upon him with regard to the receipt and forwarding of parcels and documents by the companies concerned.

What view does the Commission take of this and in particular the absence of any provisions protecting the interests of those sending cross-border consignments of documents or parcels?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(24 January 2000)

There exists no Community-wide regulation with respect to the safety of the consignment of documents and parcels transported by public or private companies or their delivery to the intended recipient. This matter falls under national law.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1906/99

by Raffaele Costa (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(29 October 1999)

Subject: Philoxenia Programme (1997-2000)

Will the Commission state what agencies (public or private), institutions, companies, cooperatives and individuals have been allocated funding (specifying whether payments have already been made) under Philoxenia, the first multiannual programme for European tourism (1997-2000) (budget ECU 25 million, equal to LIT 48 billion) and how much each of them has been granted?

Has it checked how the amounts have actually been used and whether the proposed measures have been successfully implemented?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(22 November 1999)

As the Commission's proposal for a Council Decision on a first multiannual programme to assist European tourism Philoxenia (1997-2000)(1), has not been agreed by the Council, the question of the use of budgetary credits does not arise.

(1) COM(96) 168 final, modified by COM(96) 635 final.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2470/99

by Daniela Raschhofer (NI) to the Commission

(16 December 1999)

Subject: Prodi's comments on cracks in European solidarity

According to newspaper reports, the gains made by the right in elections in Austria, Italy and Switzerland prompted the Commission President to warn, during a public appearance in Marzobotto, Italy, of cracks in European solidarity.

Can the Commission answer the following:

- Would it be possible to obtain a copy of the original speech?

- How are we to interpret this warning?

- Which right-wing parties was the President referring to?

- Are the parties concerned democratic parties?

- What makes the Commission President think that the election results in Austria mean Europe is facing a crisis?

- Could the President define more precisely the crisis referred to?

- How is this crisis manifested?

- What information does the President have which would suggest that the election results in Austria are giving rise to cracks in European solidarity?

- What makes the Commission President think that the election results in Austria are giving rise to cracks in European solidarity?

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(28 January 2000)

Unfortunately, there is no copy of the speech to which the Honourable Member refers, as it was not based on a written text.

Although it is not up to the Commission as a rule to intervene in the domestic affairs of Member States, it is instructive here to recall the principle of solidarity enshrined in the preamble to the Treaty on European Union. It is also useful to recall Article 6(1) of the Treaty: The Union is founded on the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law, principles which are common to the Member States. Mr Prodi is very attached to the principle of solidarity, and the speech to which the Honourable Member refers must be interpreted in this light.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2040/99

by Helena Torres Marques (PSE) to the Commission

(3 November 1999)

Subject: The Commission and tourism

Tourism is a vital economic activity in the European Union and a major source of jobs.

As a horizontal activity, it is heavily interdependent with other sectors, such as transport, communications, basic amenities, safety standards and cultural, environmental, financial and monetary policies.

Will the Commission therefore specify:

- how tourism is to be dealt with under its current reorganisation plans?

- what type of coordination is planned within the institution between the various areas connected with tourism?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(21 December 1999)

As from 1 January 2000 the unit dealing with tourism within the Enterprise directorate-general will be part of a newly created directorate with responsibility for services, commerce, tourism. This arrangement will allow tourism to benefit from the synergies arising from its association with other major services sectors within the same directorate, and will ensure that the contribution of European tourism to the achievement of Community objectives is fully recognised.

It will be among the responsibilities of the tourism unit to ensure effective co-ordination in relation to Community measures affecting tourism. The approach to be taken will focus in particular on the areas in which close co-operation between the Commission services can lead to progress on issues identified in the Council conclusions of 21 June 1999, in relation to tourism and employment, namely facilitating the exchange and dissemination of information, improving training, improving the quality of tourist products, and promoting environmental protection and sustainable development in tourism. In that context particular account will be taken of the contribution of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1776/99

by Christoph Konrad (PPE-DE) to the Council

(12 October 1999)

Subject: The CentrO Affair and EU Special Co-ordinator Bodo Hombach

1. Does the Council know that Mr Bodo Hombach has been accused of neglecting to verify the allocation of EU monies when he chaired a committee of inquiry in the North Rhine-Westphalia Land Parliament?

2. Does the Council also know that, according to a European Court of Auditors audit report, there have been irregularities in accounting for European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) monies in connection with the CentrO shopping and leisure centre in Oberhausen (unlawful settling of DEM 60 million in EU assistance monies) and that this has been examined by the committee of inquiry referred to above?

3. What action does the Council propose to take if the accusation by the European Court of Auditors is substantiated in a statement to be delivered to the Court by the North Rhine-Westphalia Minister for Economic Affairs, Peer Steinbrück, by 15 October 1999?

4. Does the Council take the view that Bodo Hombach can continue to occupy the office of EU Special Co-ordinator for the Stability Pact for South-East Europe in spite of the debate on the private financial affairs with which he has been linked and that his term of office, which ends on 31 December 1999, should be extended?

Joint answer to Written Questions E-1693/99, E-1694/99 and E-1776/99

(14 February 2000)

The Council is aware of the allegations made in the German press on the activities undertaken by Mr Hombach prior to his appointment as EU Special Representative and Special Coordinator of the Stability Pact.

In light of the clarifications given by Mr Hombach to the Presidency on the questions concerning him and in the absence of any conviction by a court of law, the Presidency and the Council continue to support him in performing the role entrusted to him.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1852/99

by Jaime Valdivielso de Cué (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(13 October 1999)

Subject: Health and consumer protection

On 7 September 1999 the 59th World Pharmacy Congress attended by over 3 000 delegates from all over the planet, took place in Barcelona. The Congress's conclusions included a denunciation of Internet sales of over 20 000 medicines without a doctor's prescription and no information whatever as to dosage, secondary effects or reactions with other pharmaceutical products.

What measures is the Commission taking to eradicate this illegal trading, which poses a serious threat to the health of large numbers of Community citizens?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(22 November 1999)

The Commission is aware of the problems relating to the sale of medicinal products via Internet.

According to Council Directive 92/28/EEC of 31 March 1992 on the advertising of medicinal products for human use(1), Internet-selling of prescription drugs, narcotics and medicinal products without marketing authorisation must be regarded as illegal in the Community. Article 14 of Directive 97/7/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 20 May 1997 on the protection of consumers in respect of distance contracts(2), contains a Minimal clause, providing that Member States may introduce or maintain a ban, in the general interest, on the marketing of certain goods or services, particularly medicinal products, within their territory by means of distance contracts, with due regard for the EC Treaty.

Even though the above legislation provides a clear legal basis to combat illegal practices in the Community, the Commission is aware that the global character of the Internet raises the question of how enforceable that legal framework is in practice.

Following a proposal from the Commission, the pharmaceutical committee, at its 48th meeting on 27-28 September 1999, established an ad-hoc working group on the implications of electronic commerce on the delivery of pharmaceuticals to patients and asked this working group to consider the effectiveness of existing means of safeguarding public health in the light of the increased potential offered by the Internet for access to pharmaceuticals from outside the Community and potential developments within the Community in information technology. The working group will seek to prepare concrete lines of action for discussion at the pharmaceutical committee and to reflect on the role and position to be taken by the Community vis-à-vis third countries and in international organisations such as the World Health Organisation.

The working group will be made up of representatives from European institutions, Member States and representatives from other interested parties including patient and consumer associations, physician and pharmacist associations and industry associations. Following receipt of all nominations, a first meeting will be convened in early 2000.

(1) OJ L 113, 30.4.1992.

(2) OJ L 144, 4.6.1997.