AnswergivenbyMrByrneonbehalfoftheCommission
(22October2003)
WithreferencetothequestionraisedbytheHonourableMember,theCommissionwouldliketoreferto
itsproposalforaCouncilDirectiveonCommunitymeasuresforthecontroloffoot-and-mouthdisease,
whichwasadoptedon13December2002(1).
AfterintensivediscussionsonthisdocumentinCouncilworkinggroups,takingintoaccounttheopinions
oftheParliament,theCommitteeoftheRegionsandtheEuropeanEconomicandSocialCommitteeandfollowing the political agreement by the Agricultural Council of 12June 2003 in Luxembourg, theDirectivewasformallyadoptedbytheCouncilinSeptember2003(
2).
ThenewDirectiveconfersmoreresponsibilityonMemberStatestochoosethemostefficientstrategyfor
thecontrolofanoutbreak,includingscenariosforemergencyvaccination.
InMarch2003theUnitedKingdompublisheditsrevisedcontingencyplanforfoot-and-mouthdisease.
Theplan,stillbasedonDirective85/511/EEC(3),isconsideredanoperationaldocumentandprovidesa
frameworkforanemergencyresponsetoafoot-and-mouthdiseaseoutbreak.Itaimsataproportionateresponse to any future outbreak, including the use of emergency vaccination and better controls oncompliancewithanimalwelfarelegislation.
(1) COM(2002)736final.
(2) http://register.consilium.eu.int/pdf/en/03/st12/st12430-ad01en03.pdf
(3) CouncilDirective85/511/EECof18November1985introducingCommunitymeasuresforthecontroloffoot-and-
mouthdisease,OJL315,26.11.1985.
(2004/C58E/220) WRITTENQUESTIONE-2806/03
byErikMeijer(GUE/NGL)totheCommission
(19September2003)
Subject:Eliminationofobstaclestoclaimingpensionentitlementswhereworkershaveinthepastworked
inanotherMemberState
1. DoestheCommissionrecallthatinthe1950s,’60sand’70s,manyresidentsofSpain,Portugal,Italy
andGreeceworkedinGermany,theNetherlands,Belgium,Luxembourgandothernorth-westernStateswhichatthetimeweremoreaffluentandwereshortofmanpowerfordirty,dangerousandunpleasantwork,andthatafteranumberofyearsmanyofthemreturnedtotheircountriesoforigin?
2. IstheCommissionawarethat,whiletemporarilyworkingabroad,manyofthesepeopleaccumulated
entitlementstoauniversalStatepension,e.g.2%perannumofafullpensionintheNetherlands,andalsoentitlementstooccupationalpensions,andthatinmanycasestheydidnotcommutetheirentitlementsforalump-sumpaymentuponreturningtotheircountriesoforigin,sothattheyareentitledtopaymentofthesepensionsuponreachingtheageof65orwhatevertheapplicableagemaybe?
3. HowmanypeopleperMemberStatearenowentitledtopaymentofapartialStatepensionor
occupationalpensionbuthavenotyetclaimeditbecausetheyarenotawareoftheirrightsoroftheformalitieswhichhavetobecompletedinordertoobtainpayment?
4. DoestheCommissionagreethatitisunacceptablethatinpracticepeopleintheEUcannotobtain
payment ofthe pensions towhich they are entitled because their entitlementsaccrued in a differentMemberStatetothatoftheir nationalityandthatwheretheycurrentlyresideandbecausetheylackinformationabouttheextentoftheirentitlementsandhowtheycanclaimthem?
5. WhatwilltheCommissiondotoimprovebothinformationaboutaccumulatedpensionentitlements
andwaysofclaimingthemquicklyandeasily,sothatinfutureallpensionentitlementscanbeclaimed?C58E/204 EN6.3.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
AnswergivenbyMrsDiamantopoulouonbehalfoftheCommission
(21October2003)
The Commission would like to inform the Honourable Member that there are two regulations at
Communitylevel,Regulations(EEC)No1408/71(1)and574/72(2),whichcoordinatetheMemberStates’
variousstatutorysocialsecuritysystemsandaimtoprovidesocialprotectionforthosemovingwithintheEuropeanUnion.
Claimsforretirementpensionsmust,inprinciple,besubmittedinthestateofresidence(Articles36to38
ofRegulation(EEC)No574/72).Theinstitutionoftheplaceofresidencewillinvestigatetheclaim,unlesstheinsuredhasnotcompletedanyinsuranceperiodsinthestateofresidence,inwhichcasetheinstitutionoftheplaceofresidenceforwardstheclaimtotheinstitutionoftheMemberStatetowhoselegislationthe
claimantwaslastsubject(Article36,paragraphs1and2,ofRegulation(EEC)No574/72).Theinstitution
whichistoinvestigatethepensionclaim(referredtoastheinvestigatinginstitution)willuseformE-202toinformtherelevantinstitutionsintheotherMemberStatesconcernedoftheclaimforaretirementpension(Article41ofRegulation(EEC)No574/72).
TheCommissionhaspublishedtwoguidestoCommunityprovisionsonstatutorysocialsecurityschemes.
ThefirstexplainsEuropeancitizens’socialsecurityentitlementswhentheymovewithintheEuropean
Union.ThesecondguidegivesageneraldescriptionofthestatutorysocialsecurityschemesinallMemberStatesandinIceland,NorwayandLiechtenstein,andalsocontainstheaddressesofthesecountries’socialsecurityinstitutions.PaperversionsofthesebrochuresareavailablefromtheCommissionandelectronicversions are available on the Web (http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/soc-prot/schemes/index_en.htm).
Inaddition,on11December2002theCommissionadoptedaCommunication(
3)entitled‘Freemovement
ofworkers:achieving thefullbenefitsandpotential’,which describesinpractical termstheproblemswhich migrant workers may encounter and how the Commission addresses these problems. ThisCommunication is also available in electronic format on the Web (http://europa.eu.int/comm/employ-ment_social/news/2002/dec/com2002_694_en.html).
As the coordination system provided for in the above Regulations relates only to statutory pension
schemes,theCounciladoptedadirective(
4)on29June1998whichisintendedtosafeguardtherightsof
membersofsupplementarypensionschemeswhomovefromoneMemberStatetoanother.ThisDirectiveobliges Member States to take the necessary measures to ensure that employers, trustees or othersresponsible for the management of supplementary pension schemes provide adequate information toschememembers,whentheymovetoanotherMemberState,astotheirpensionrightsandthechoiceswhichareavailabletothemunderthescheme(Article7).TheCommissionwillsubmitareportevaluatingtheapplicationofthisDirectivetotheEuropeanParliament,theCouncilandtheEconomicandSocialCommitteein2004(Article10(3)).
(1) Regulation(EEC)No1408/71oftheCouncilof14June1971ontheapplicationofsocialsecurityschemesto
employedpersonsandtheirfamiliesmovingwithintheCommunity,OJL149,5.7.1971.
(2) Regulation(EEC)No574/72oftheCouncilof21March1972fixingtheprocedureforimplementingRegulation
(EEC)No1408/71ontheapplicationofsocialsecurityschemestoemployedpersonsandtheirfamiliesmoving
withintheCommunity,OJL74,27.3.1971.
(3) COM(2002)694final.
(4) Council Directive 98/49/EC onsafeguarding the supplementary pensionrights of employedandself-employed
personsmovingwithintheCommunity,OJL209,25.7.1998.
(2004/C58E/221) WRITTENQUESTIONE-2821/03
byGeoffreyVanOrden(PPE-DE)totheCommission
(19September2003)
Subject:Electricpoweredbicycles
DoestheCommissionhaveanyplanstoinitiateregulationsonelectricpoweredbicycles,specificallywith
regardtowhethersuchbicyclescancontinuetousetwistgripcontrolstooperatethepowerorwhethertheymustbepedalledatalltimes?6.3.2004EN C58E/205 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion