ddrg/super_eurlex huggingface dataset:
WRITTEN QUESTION E-3128/96 by Bernie Malone (PSE) to the Commission (22 November 1996)

Subject: Human rights in Ethiopia

Could the Commission indicate what action it has taken or is planning to take with the Ethiopian Government regarding the disappearance of Ethiopian student Teshome Bimerew on the night of 10 November 1995 in Addis Ababa and reports of his alleged detention in Mailekawi prison in Addis Ababa since them?

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro on behalf of the Commission (9 December 1996)

The Commission is not aware of the case raised by the Honourable Member.

The head of the Commission delegation in Addis Ababa has been asked to take action, in coordination with the other Member States' heads of mission in Ethiopia, in order to obtain information on the case of Mr Teshome Bimerew.

On the basis of the information obtained the Commission will examine the matter in conjunction with the Member States' heads of mission in Addis Ababa, in order to identify which further action would be the most appropriate.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2651/96 by Nuala Ahern (V) to the Council (10 October 1996)

Subject: Implications of MOX plutonium fuel fabrication at Sellafield

The British Parliament was informed in a Ministerial written reply on 2 July 1996 (official report column 398) that the Department of the Environment was preparing a submission under Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty covering the environmental implications of the new MOX plutonium fuel fabrication plant at Sellafield.

Considering the Union-wide and international implications of increasing the global trade in nuclear explosive materials such as plutonium, has the Council considered the planned expansion in the plutonium trade?

Answer (30 January 1996)

1. The Council confirms that, as required by Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty, the United Kingdom has provided the Commission with the general data relating to the plant to which the Honourable Member refers. The Commission has not yet given its opinion.

2. The Council would like to stress the importance of the current Community legislation on nuclear materials.

Chapter 3 of the Euratom Treaty provides for the implementation of the relevant health and safety measures. In that context the Council adopted, on 13 May 1996, Council Directive 96/29/EURATOM ((OJ L 159, 29.6.1996, p. 1. )) laying down basic safety standards for the protection of the health workers and the general public against the dangers arising from ionizing radiation, safety standards which strengthen those currently in force.

In addition, Chapter 7 of the Euratom Treaty guarantees the application of safeguards, which are an important factor in the trade in nuclear materials.

3. The Council would also draw attention to the fact that the International Atomic Energy Agency recently approved stricter standards for the transport of nuclear materials, standards which every State is to incorporate into its national law.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2912/96 by Salvador Garriga Polledo (PPE) to the Commission (31 October 1996)

Subject: Integrated system of aid

The Commission's report (COM(96)0174) on the application of the integrated system of aid refers to a number of different systems for identifying live animals (especially bovines).

The Commission provides for three types of identification, of which the most efficient is also the most expensive.

The possible consequences at the present moment, in the midst of the 'mad cow' crisis, of an inadequate system of identification of bovine animals and controls over their movements, would be disastrous.

Does the Commission intend to recommend to the Member States that they adopt the most efficient (although most expensive) system of identification?

Has the additional cost of adopting this system been estimated?

Would any recommendation or requirement in this sense be advisory or binding?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (25 November 1996)

The Commission has submitted to the Council a proposal for a regulation obliging Member States to establish a comprehensive identification and registration system for bovine animals ((Doc. COM(96) 460 final. )). The proposed system provides for double tagging of animals, a central computerized data base in each Member State which records details of the animals as well as their movements, a passport for each animal and registers of animals kept on each holding. Whilst the type of system proposed in the regulation may be the most costly option identified in its report ((Doc. COM(96) 174. )) the Commission considers that such a complete system is necessary for the effective monitoring of premium payments, the control of diseases and the rapid tracing of animals in the event of an outbreak of diseases and for fraud prevention. Community co-cinancing of expenditure incurred in putting such systems into place is not foreseen.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2622/96 by Gerardo Fernández-Albor (PPE) to the Commission (14 October 1996)

Subject: European Union aid for the district of Albaicín, Granada

The district of Albaicín, Granada, which was declared a world heritage site in December 1994, is in a deplorable state of repair, as its municipal authorities have acknowledged. The Director-General of UNESCO has just warned that, if urgent action is not taken to restore Albaicín, it may cease to be a world heritage site.

As has been recognized, the problem of Albaicín is not a lack of ideas but of investment. The amount needed is believed to be at least Ptas 3 m and the European Union has been asked to provide Ptas 400 m.

Does the Commission believe it should assist the restoration of Albaicín, with both moral and financial support, so that it preserves its existence as a world heritage site, which is currently under threat?

Answer given by Mrs Wulf-Mathies on behalf of the Commission (3 December 1996)

A plan for the restoration of the historic centre of Albaicín has been submitted in response to the call for urban pilot project proposals ((OJ C 319, 30.11.1995. )) under Article 10 of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Regulation ((OJ L 193, 31. 7.1993. )), which in all elicited more than 500 replies, including 97 from Spain. A selection procedure is now under way and it is not possible therefore to express an opinion at this stage on the Albaicín proposal.

It is worth pointing out that Community aid for the region of Andalusia is tied in mainly with the operational programmes and other forms of assistance for the implementation of the relevant Community support framework (CSF). On 9 December 1994 the Commission approved an operational programme for the region of Andalusia for the period 1994-99. Among the measures included in the programme are schemes for the upgrading of the architectural heritage and tourism assets. Within the programme, responsibility for proposing projects, including possibly the one referred to by the Honourable Member, rests with the Member State, which notifies the programme Monitoring Committee.

The Commission, furthermore, recently laid down guidelines for the operational programmes which Member States are invited to present in the framework of the Community Urban Initiative ((OJ C 200, 10. 7.1996. )). Spain may consider submitting an application in this context too for part-financing for the purposes referred to by the Honourable Member.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1928/96 by Gianni Tamino (V) to the Council (17 July 1996)

Subject: Discrepancies in translations of the most recent provisions on BSE

Following the EU's imposition of an embargo on exports from the UK of beef and veal and their derivatives and the events relating to the spread of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), it was decided on 11 June 1996 that the embargo on imports of gelatine derived from bovine tissue should be lifted (Decision 96/362/EC) ((OJ L 139, 12.6.1996, p. 17. )). The major disparities found in the various language versions of that directive could have extremely serious consequences. The Italian version states that gelatin may be produced from 'pelli, carnicci, tendini e nervi' (skins, fleshings, tendons and nerves) while all the other language versions refer only to 'hides, skins and tendons'. Nerve tissue and fleshings are believed to carry with them a high risk of contagion from BSE.

Is the Council aware of the above situation?

Which language version is authentic?

Does the Council believe that the words added were simply a mistake on the part of the translator or that, given the economic interests at stake, they were actually a deliberate misrepresentation of the original text?

Joint answer to Written Questions E-1928/96, E-1947/96 and E-1949/96 (17 January 1997)

The Honourable Member's questions relate to Commission Decision 96/362/EC of 11 June 1996 ((OJ L 139, 12.6.1996, p. 17. )).

The Decision was finally adopted by the Commission after a III(b) committee procedure as provided for in Article 18 of Directive 89/662/EEC ((OJ L 395, 30.12.1996, p. 13. )).

Under this procedure the Commission submitted draft measures to the Standing Veterinary Committee. As a qualified majority did not exist within the Committee, the Commission submitted the draft to the Council on 23 May 1996. The Council had fifteen days in which to take a decision. Unless the Council decided against the measures by a simple majority, the Commission was free to adopt them after that period.

The draft Decision submitted by the Commission was voted on by the Council at its meeting on 3 and 4 June 1996. The Council was unable to establish a qualified majority in favour of the draft and noted that a simple majority against the proposed measures did not exist.

In these circumstances, the draft was adopted by the Commission on 11 June 1996 in accordance with the procedure.

Any questions concerning the substance of the Decision, including its scientific basis and the various language versions, should therefore be addressed to the Commission. Questions relating to the financial aspects are the responsibility of the budgetary authority.

Moreover, the attribution of implementing powers to the Commission on public health matters is subject to prior receipt of scientific advice from the competent scientific committee. It is the Commission's responsibility to ensure that the scientific advice provided for by Community legislation is properly given and is taken into account.
WRITTEN QUESTION P-3490/96 by Ursula Schleicher (PPE) to the Commission (29 November 1996)

Subject: Platinum pollution of the soil

According to recent press reports - e.g. in the Bonn General Anzeiger of 9/10 November 1996 - platinum pollution of the soil has risen drastically since the introduction of catalytic converters in cars in the Federal Republic. Calculations from the GSF research centre for the environment and health in Munich indicate that concentrations of platinum have increased from 12 micrograms per kilogram of street dust in 1990 to peak levels of up to 250 micrograms per kilogram of street dust today. Although scientists consider that there is as yet no cause for concern:

1. Is the Commission aware of these figures?

2. Are there comparable findings from other Member States?

3. Are there studies which indicate the levels at which there is a danger for health and the environment?

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission (20 December 1996)

Existing Community legislation on the environment in general and soil pollution in particular does not give the Commission the means to monitor the figures mentioned by the Honourable Member. The Commission cannot, therefore, provide any information on comparable findings in other Member States.

At the moment, very little information is available on levels of exposure to platinum compounds. According to information currently available, the levels of platinum in the air are at least three orders of magnitude lower than those which have been shown to have any harmful effect. It should also be noted that the World Health Organization (WHO) has not recommended a guideline value for platinum in ambient air.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2667/96 by Amedeo Amadeo (NI), Spalato Belleré (NI) and Gastone Parigi (NI) to the Commission (15 October 1996)

Subject: Oilseeds

The reduction in compensatory payments for arable crops will exacerbate the increasing imbalance between the various products in this sector, to the detriment of oilseeds and non-food commodities as a whole.

While recognizing that the EC must bring the Community budget back into balance to ensure that the costs arising from the crisis in the beef sector can be met and the need to draw on the solidarity of the agricultural sector, it is not fair that the main arable sector should be singled out to bear the financial burden. The oilseed sector has already sustained a loss of competitiveness compared to cereals, because the aid allocated to it is adjusted to take account of trends in market prices, while aid to the cereal sector is not.

Would the Commission reconsider its proposal, reviewing the various levels of aid and extend to the cereal sector this system of adjusting them?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (2 December 1996)

The proposal for a Regulation amending Regulation (EEC) No 1765/92 establishing a support system for producers of certain arable crops ((COM(96) 422 final. )) provides for a balanced reduction in compensatory payments for the arable crops concerned. The gross receipts from oilseeds and cereals are reduced by the same amount expressed in ecus per hectare.

The Council at its meeting on 28 to 30 October 1996 rejected the proposal.

The different natures of the two markets make it inappropriate to transfer the mechanism applied to oilseeds to cereals; unlike cereals, oilseeds do not benefit from protection at borders or intervention prices.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2799/96 by Sebastiano Musumeci (NI) to the Commission (25 October 1996)

Subject: Fraud against the European Union in Sicily

In view of the fact that the Italian authorities (the Bolzano Anti-Fraud Service of the Customs Department) have recently uncovered yet another fraud at the expense of the European Union, committed between October and December 1995, which involved a huge amount of sugar destined for Malta and unloaded in Sicily to be used to adulerate wine; and in view of the fact that those responsible for this fraud against the customs authorities were able to take advantage of over half a billion lire in Community funds, would the Commission announce what practical measures it intends to take to combat fraud to prevent further serious incidents of this kind, which are used to finance illegal activities and large-scale underworld organizations?

Answer given by Mrs Gradin on behalf of the Commission (12 December 1996)

It is the Commission itself which initiated research into this matter when it became aware in May 1995 of a possible fraud involving sugar exports to Malta. The Commission delegation in Malta confirmed discrepancies between exports from Italy and imports in Malta. Contacts with the Italian authorities revealed that two Italian companies simulated sugar export operations to Malta in 1995. Up to now, the investigations have revealed that over 480 tonnes of sugar claimed for export were irregularly introduced on the Sicilian market. A German company was also indicated as having received export refunds in relation to these false exports of sugar. The use of this sugar to adulterate wine has not been established. Inquiries are continuing with the active support of the Commission.

The Commission will carefully examine the results of these inquiries to see what further action is appropriate.

The Commission's strategy in the fight against fraud and its priority actions are set out in its 1996 anti-fraud annual work programme ((COM(96) 17 final. )).
WRITTEN QUESTION E-3663/96 by Jean-Yves Le Gallou (NI) to the Commission (3 January 1997)

Subject: Community financing for the Languedoc-Roussillon region

Can the Commission indicate the total Community financing for the Languedoc-Roussillon region and the specific financing for each objective under the Structural Funds and the EAGGF guidance section?

Joint answer to Written Questions E-3645/96, E-3646/96, E-3647/96, E-3648/96, E-3649/96, E-3650/96, E-3651/96, E-3652/96, E-3653/96, E-3654/96, E-3655/96, E-3656/96, E-3657/96, E-3658/96, E-3659/96, E-3660/96, E-3661/96, E-3662/96, E-3663/96, E-3664/96, E-3665/96, E-3666/96, E-3667/96, E-3668/96 and E-3669/96 given by Mrs Wulf-Mathies on behalf of the Commission (7 February 1997)

In view of the length of its answer, the Commission is sending it direct to the Honourable Member and to Parliament's Secretariat.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2797/96 by Cristiana Muscardini (NI) to the Commission (21 October 1996)

Subject: Torturing horses to make equestrian competitions more exciting

The Italian press reports that in the US, in some equestrian competitions, horses are tortured with nails and barbed riding whips to make them jump higher.

Would the Commission check that similar tortures are not inflicted on animals competing in such events in the countries of the European Union?

Would it also ascertain whether Europeans taking part in competitions in America are forced to accept these cruel practices?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (29 November 1996)

The Commission deplores all cruel treatment of animals. In its legislative proposals on the protection of animals, the Commission has always sought to achieve the highest possible level of protection. However, methods of training for competitions are not covered by Community law.

Furthermore, in relation to horses, Directives 90/426/EEC ((OJ L 224, 18.8.1990. )), 90/427/EEC1 and 90/428/EEC1 have laid down Community rules in relation to animal health conditions for trade and import, zootechnical requirements and conditions of participation in competitions.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2530/96 by Amedeo Amadeo (NI) to the Commission (8 October 1996)

Subject: State aids

According to the fourth survey of state aids in the European Union, published in 1995, the overall amount of aid provided at national level fell between 1990 and 1992. However, given an annual average for the Community of approximately ECU 94 billion, the overall level is still too high for the Commission's objectives to be achieved, particularly in the richer Member States. Rather than boosting competitiveness, large amounts of state aid delay restructuring, distort competition between companies and regions, and are a burden on public finances.

Would the Commission not agree that it is vital to ensure that the adverse impact of state aids - which are provided under derogations - on competition and trade between the Member States is kept to a minimum and that it should be offset by the attainment of goals which are in the general interest of the Community?

Answer given by Mr Van Miert on behalf of the Commission (8 November 1996)

The Commission has already stressed, notably in its latest report on competition policy, ((COM(96) 126. )) that it regards the overall level of state aid in the Community as still too high. It continues to strive for a reduction in aid levels.

Its monitoring efforts and the rules it has adopted are intended precisely to ensure that the adverse effects of aid on competition and trade are limited to what is strictly necessary in order to achieve objectives that are in the Community interest and cannot be brought about by market forces alone.

The Commission is opposed in particular to forms of aid which are granted on a permanent basis or which maintain the status quo in the recipient firm and are therefore liable to delay the adjustment of European industry to new competitive conditions. For example, the Community guidelines on state aid for rescuing and restructuring firms in difficulty lay down strict conditions for the approval of such aid: among other things, the firm must implement a restructuring plan enabling its long-term viability to be restored within a reasonable timescale, and the aid must be limited to the strict minimum needed to enable restructuring to be undertaken.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-3657/96 by Jean-Yves Le Gallou (NI) to the Commission (3 January 1997)

Subject: Community financing for the Poitou-Charentes region

Can the Commission indicate the total Community financing for the Poitou-Charentes region and the specific financing for each objective under the Structural Funds and the EAGGF guidance section?

Joint answer to Written Questions E-3645/96, E-3646/96, E-3647/96, E-3648/96, E-3649/96, E-3650/96, E-3651/96, E-3652/96, E-3653/96, E-3654/96, E-3655/96, E-3656/96, E-3657/96, E-3658/96, E-3659/96, E-3660/96, E-3661/96, E-3662/96, E-3663/96, E-3664/96, E-3665/96, E-3666/96, E-3667/96, E-3668/96 and E-3669/96 given by Mrs Wulf-Mathies on behalf of the Commission (7 February 1997)

In view of the length of its answer, the Commission is sending it direct to the Honourable Member and to Parliament's Secretariat.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-3009/96 by Carlos Robles Piquer (PPE) to the Commission (11 November 1996)

Subject: Diseases in frogs

A report from the United States (Washington Post Service, published in the International Herald Tribune on 2 October 1996) gives an account of deformities found among frogs in several States.

A number of universities and other research centres have studied the problem which is of particular interest given that frogs are a 'sentinel species' whose metabolic functions are very similar to that of human beings.

Does the Commission know of any such reported cases in any of the Member States? Is there some scientific committee drawing up contingency plans to cope with what might turn out to be a degradation of the environment due to chemical pollution?

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission (9 December 1996)

Amphibian deformities have been familiar for a long time. The capacity of such organisms to grow new fingers or even amputated limbs is due to their cellular neoformation system, which remains active throughout their life and, as generally occurs, is not restricted to the embryonic and post natal period.

The presence of deformities in a certain cohort may have several causes. The best known is the increase in temperature during the embryonic period. Although less well known, other possible causes are radiation and all forms of contamination. It is difficult to give an opinion on the possible causes without knowing whether those alterations occur in species inhabiting the same area and specific regions. It would likewise be unwise to extrapolate that type of data to other countries.

None of these changes has recently been described in Europe. Although there is no specific group for this type of question within the Community there is nevertheless a group of specialists on the protection of amphibians under the Bern Convention (Council of Europe) which is engaged in studying and protecting that class of vertebrates. If a case of this type took place within one of that Convention's member states that group of experts would be prompted to deal with those questions.