ddrg/super_eurlex huggingface dataset:
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0987/98 by Cristiana Muscardini (NI), Amedeo Amadeo (NI), Roberta Angelilli (NI), Spalato Belleré (NI), Marco Cellai (NI), Sebastiano Musumeci (NI), Gastone Parigi (NI), Salvatore Tatarella (NI) and Antonio Trizza (NI) to the Council (31 March 1998)

Subject: Pre-accession negotiations with Slovenia

Fifty years after the end of the war, Slovenia's ambassador to Italy has stated that the time has not yet come for reconciliation between Italy and Slovenia. As is well known, there are still outstanding issues in the field of bilateral relations between the two countries (the return of property confiscated from the exiles forced to abandon their homes in 1947 and recognition of the brutal massacres carried out in the 'Foibe' limestone chasms), and for some time the two parties have been making diplomatic efforts to reach satisfactory solutions to these and other problems. The ambassador's remarks contrast sharply with these efforts, and are hardly consistent with his country's desire to accede to the EU, which stands for peace and harmony in international relations.

In view of the foregoing,

1. What is the Council's opinion of the statement in question, in view of the forthcoming opening of pre-accession negotiations with Slovenia?

2. Does it agree that, regardless of questions that fall within the province of bilateral relations, this hostile stance is incompatible with the friendly relations, based on mutual respect, that prevail between Member States of the Union?

3. Does it agree that this imprudent and unacceptable attitude, which indicates contempt for human rights in respect of the two unresolved questions referred to above, could jeopardize the smooth progress and objective nature of the negotiations?

4. Does it agree that, as a useful and necessary preliminary to embarking on pre-accession negotiations with Slovenia, that country should be asked to clarify its position with regard to reconciliation with Italy?

Answer (6 July 1998)

The statement in the press, to which the Honourable Members refer, has been disclaimed both by Slovenia's Ambassador to Italy and by the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Ljubljana.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0361/98 by Mihail Papayannakis (GUE/NGL) to the Commission (24 February 1998)

Subject: Cosmetics

Council directive 76/768/EEC ((OJ L 262, 27.9.1976, p. 169. )) lays down the composition characteristics to which the cosmetic products must conform and prescribes rules for their labelling and packaging in all Member States.

Council directive 96/45/EEC ((OJ L 213, 22.8.1996, p. 8. )) is concerned with methods of analysis necessary for checking the composition of cosmetic products.

Can the Commission say how many and which Member States are infringing Council Directive 76/768/EEC and its amendments and Directive 96/45/EEC and what measures will it take to ensure that the Member States take the necessary measures to embody within their national law Community legislation concerning cosmetics and to ensure that they implement the measures correctly?

Answer given by Mr Bangemann on behalf of the Commission (6 May 1998)

The rules on cosmetic products consist of a set of texts comprising a basic Directive - Council Directive 76/768/EEC of 27 July 1976 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to cosmetic products ((OJ L 262, 27.9.1976. )) - which has been amended by the Council on six occasions, most recently by Council Directive 93/35/EEC of 14 June 1993 ((OJ L 151, 23.6.1993. )), and clarified by the Commission on 23 occasions, including by Commission Directive 96/45/EC of 2 July 1996 relating to methods of analysis necessary for checking the composition of cosmetic products ((OJ L 213, 22.8.1996. )).

The Commission ensures that these rules are properly applied at the right time in all the Member States. To this end it regularly organises visits to the national authorities to check on transpositions. These bilateral meetings are generally effective and help avert many infringement cases. Nonetheless, several infringement proceedings are currently under way, usually for failure to transpose directives, but sometimes for improper application of texts. The procedure laid down in Article 169 of the EC Treaty has been applied in all of these cases.

With regard to Directive 96/45/EC, which had to be transposed by 30 September 1997, infringement proceedings are under way against six Member States.
21. 10. 98 EN C 323/37 Official Journal of the European Communities
Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission
(14 April 1998)
The Commission believes that the Community rules relating to groundhandling services and, consequently the
national regulations implementing Directive No 96/67/EC, do not apply to the services to which a reference ismade, if they are provided by the air traffic authority. However, it is necessary for national regulations to reflectthe provisions of the Directive by including a reference to these specific services, not only for application in caseof a change in the provider, but also to allow the users a right of appeal if they are not convinced of the identity ofthe supplier.
In compliance with Article 23 of the Directive, the Commission is informed of the provisions of national law
which are adopted by Member States in the field covered by the Directive and therefore has the possibility toguarantee uniform implementation of Community rules if necessary by using the procedure foreseen underArticle 169 of the EC Treaty. However, the prime responsability for ensuring the application of those rules, onceimplemented at national level, is with Member States.
(98/C 323/46) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0423/98
by Graham Watson (ELDR) to the Commission
(24 February 1998)
Subject: The Millenium Bug
What work has been done to ensure that the European Central Bank will be millenium bug compliant?
Supplementary answer
given by Mr de Silguy on behalf of the Commission
(8 May 1998)
According to information received from the European monetary institute (EMI) (as the pre-cursor to the
European central bank (ECB)), this institute is building the systems that will be used by the ECB.
In that it is a new institution with very few legacy systems, which are the main cause for concern with regard to
year 2000 compliance, the EMI is in a different position to that of the majority of financial institutions acrossEurope. Nonetheless, the EMI has taken the potential problem of year 2000 compliance extremely seriously. Tothis end it has started a project encompassing five major phases; inventorising current systems and applications,analysis of level of current compliance, installation of fixes etc leading to certification of year 2000 compliance,testing on an individual and integrated system basis, and monitoring of the situation to ensure continuedcompliance. The completion of this project will result in the assurance that both the internal systems of the futureECB, and the systems to facilitate communications within the European system of central banks (ESCB), arecompliant with the requirement of year 2000.
The EMIs year 2000 compliance project is progressing on schedule. Given the systematic approach taken, and
the continuing work on the compliance issues, the future ECB will be fully millenium compliant by the requireddate.
(98/C 323/47) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0442/98
by Ian Paisley (NI) to the Commission
(27 February 1998)
Subject: Aid to farmers
Can the Commission give details of the amount of European grant aid given to farmers in the Irish Republic to
help them diversify from traditional farming methods into greyhound breeding?
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1136/98 by José Apolinário (PSE) to the Commission (24 April 1998)

Subject: EAGGF-Guarantee/Azores

In view of the specific nature of Portugal's Azores region (an extremely remote region which, as such, has a special status enshrined in the EU Treaty), would the Commission give details of the amount of Community support received by the region from the EAGGF-Guarantee Section during the 1994-1999 financial period? What does the Commission envisage as regards the support to be made available during the 2000-2006 financial period?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (8 May 1998)

Generally speaking, the Commission does not possess national figures broken down by region.

As for expenditure actually incurred in the period 1994-99, Portugal exemplifies this general rule. All expenditure is centralised at the 'Instituto national de intervenção e garantia agricola' (INGA), the only approved paying agency. As a result, the Commission is unable to provide the Honourable Member with the information he asks for in respect of the Azores only.

As regards future expenditure, the Commission can only provide forecasts of funds needed in respect of the Azores in 1999 under the Poseima programme (agriculture section), which puts these at ECU 20.65 million, broken down as follows: ECU 7.1 million in aid for supplies to the Azores and ECU 13.55 million in other aid.
WRITTEN QUESTION P-1484/98 by Andrea Manzella (PSE) to the Commission (7 May 1998)

Subject: Conviction of General Oviedo

With regard to the present situation in Paraguay, can the Commission say what views have been expressed and what moral suasion has been exercised with regard to the current electoral process? There are strong doubts about its regularity because of the arrest and conviction, under dubious circumstances and without proper guarantees, of General Luis Oviedo, the candidate who received the highest number of votes in the primary elections, recognized as legitimate by the competent judicial authority, and is by far the most popular candidate according to all the opinion polls.

Can it say, in particular, on the basis of the Paraguayan Government's official records, what the charges were, whether they were well-founded and whether the sentence passed on General Oviedo was in proportion to the offence?

Answer given by Mr Marín on behalf of the Commission (25 May 1998)

The EU gave its position on Paraguay's electoral process in the European Council statement of 19 November 1997, which the Commission supported.

The judicial process against Mr Lino Oviedo for his abortive attempt at a coup d'état in April 1996 was conducted first before the military court and then before Paraguay's Supreme Court of Justice, as requested by the defence. The Supreme Court confirmed the sentence passed by the military court, which condemned Mr Oveido to ten years' imprisonment and military disqualification and thus deprived him of his civic and political rights.

The interpretation and application of Paraguay's democratic constitution and accompanying legislation are within the competence of Paraguay's judges and courts only. They are the sole guarantors of legality and their decisions are outside the Commission's remit.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1600/98 by Ana Miranda de Lage (PSE) to the Council (25 May 1998)

Subject: State of disrepair of former frontier posts

The abolition of the internal frontiers can be seen as one of the great achievements of the European Union. The physical disappearance of barriers between countries, viewed at the outset with incredulity, is today seen as something quite natural which helps to foster a greater sense of European citizenship.

However, at some former frontier posts (Puente de Santiago, Behobia, Biriatou, etc. between France and Spain) the old buildings which used to house customs services are still standing. The state of disrepair into which these have fallen because of lack of maintenance and neglect on the part of the authorities is offensive and disgraceful. Windows have been broken, rubbish is piling up, doors have been torn from their hinges, and so on.

In conclusion, the state of the former frontier posts could hardly be more deplorable, undermining the most high-profile political decision ever taken as part of the building of Europe.

What measures will the Council promote to remove the physical frontiers once and for all?

Should this prove impossible, who should be responsible for maintaining and looking after these buildings?

Is the Council aware of any other frontier posts in the same conditions as those described above?

Answer (20 July 1998)

It is not for the Council to discuss the demolition or conversion of buildings previously used as frontier posts between Member States; these are matters for national customs authorities.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2037/98 by Klaus Hänsch (PSE) to the Commission (7 July 1998)

Subject: Allocation of EU resources to the district (Kreis) of Mettmann, North Rhine- Westphalia

Regarding the allocation of EU resources to the district (Kreis) of Mettmann in North Rhine-Westphalia, can the Commission indicate:

1. the sum of EU structural resources received and their breakdown by Funds and the various Community programmes and initiatives and of EU resources allocated to the district (Kreis) of Mettmann from other budget lines since 1994 for pilot projects, measures or - as direct allocations - universities, research establishments, undertakings and other bodies,

2. the number of jobs created or preserved with the aid of these resources?

Answer given by Mr Santer on behalf of the Commission (6 July 1998)

The Commission is collecting the information it needs to answer the question. It will communicate its findings as soon as possible.
WRITTEN QUESTION P-2120/98 by Antonios Trakatellis (PPE) to the Commission (30 June 1998)

Subject: Violations, omissions and shoddy workmanship in connection with the implementation of projects in Greece under the Second CSF and the Cohesion Fund and responsibility for these failings

The report by the joint steering committee and recent press reports raise important questions about the proper implementation of projects undertaken in Greece within the framework of the Second Community Support Framework and the Cohesion Fund. In particular these reports note a number of violations, omissions and cases of shoddy workmanship by the construction companies and attribute responsibility for projects worth a total of Drs 2 billion to the supervising bodies and the relevant ministries; the possibility of recovering the money is also being considered. Will the Commission say:

1. What violations, omissions and cases of shoddy workmanship is it apprised of or have been otherwise detected, and which projects are concerned?

2. How is the implementation of projects monitored and to what extent is this monitoring adequate and effective?

3. Which bodies are responsible for the violations and what sanctions are provided for?

4. What measures are being proposed specifically to rectify omissions and also to avoid similar incidents in future?

5. How will it ensure the proper use of the funds set aside in the Community budget for the implementation of projects?

Answer given by Mrs Wulf-Mathies on behalf of the Commission (8 July 1998)

The Commission is conducting a detailed investigation of the problem raised by the Honourable Member and will inform him of the outcome as soon as possible.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0864/98 by Anita Pollack (PSE) to the Commission (26 March 1998)

Subject: Convention on biodiversity COP4, Bratislava, May 1998

In the light of the Kyoto Climate Change Agreement, will the Commission make every effort at COP4 of the CBD in Bratislava to stress the importance of forest conservation for carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation?

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission (12 May 1998)

Article 4.2 of the United Nations framework convention on climate change requires Annex 1 parties to protect and enhance greenhouse gas sinks and reservoirs in general. In order to achieve their greenhouse gases emissions limitation or reduction targets, existing sink categories are limited under Article 3.3 of the Kyoto Protocol to the effect of direct human induced activities with respect to afforestation, reforestation and deforestation. In this context, the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol may indeed have important implications for biodiversity.

The recently adopted communication to the Council and to the Parliament on a Community biodiversity strategy ((COM(98) 42 final. )) defines the policy of the Commission on this subject. It sets as Community objectives, inter alia, the following:

'to ensure that, while promoting a net increase in forest extension as a means of maximising their carbon sink function to combat climate change, afforestation is conducted in a manner that does not negatively affect ecologically interesting or noteworthy sites and ecosystems'

'to promote sustainable management of forests which respects the ecological characteristics of the areas affected and to promote the restoration and regeneration of areas that have suffered deforestation. Native species and local provenances should be preferred where appropriate. Wherever introduced species are used to replace local ecosystems, sufficient action should be taken at the same time to conserve native flora and fauna'

'to promote international research into the impact of possible climate change on forests ecosystems, the possible adaptation of forests ecosystems to climate change and the mitigation of adverse effects of climate change by forests ecosystems as detailed in Resolution No 4 of the Helsinki Ministerial Conference on the protection of Forests in Europe'.

The Commission is pursuing these objectives in every relevant forum, including in the context of the forthcoming fourth conference of the parties to the Convention on biological diversity in Bratislava.
WRITTEN QUESTION P-0824/98 by Esko Seppänen (GUE/NGL) to the Commission (11 March 1998)

Subject: Charges similar to taxes, double taxation and freedom of movement

In its reply to my oral question H-0045/98 ((Debates of the European Parliament (February 1998). )), the Commission requested further information about the charges similar to taxes which do not fall within the scope of the agreement for the avoidance of double taxation.

In Finland in 1998, health insurance contributions are being levied as follows: on all earned income, 1.5%; on pensions an additional 2.7%; on earned income in excess of FIM 80 000, 1.95%. The maximum rate of these contributions is 6.05%. They are not taken into account as deductions from pensions received from Sweden.

Together with Esko-Juhani Tennilä, Member of the Finnish Parliament, I have sent a letter to the Commission drawing attention to the way in which this problem hampers the free movement of persons.

Will the Commission deal with this matter and take measures to eliminate the de facto obstacle to freedom of movement which exists here?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission (8 May 1998)

The Commission is conducting a detailed investigation of the problem raised by the Honourable Member and will inform him of the outcome as soon as possible.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0674/98 by Antoni Gutiérrez Díaz (GUE/NGL) to the Commission (10 March 1998)

Subject: Conditions for upgrading the Spanish 'Ingeniero Técnico' engineering qualification in comparison with others

Is it true that the Commission has expressed its concern to the Spanish authorities that making holders of the Spanish 'Ingeniero Técnico' qualification eligible for A/LA category posts will mean having to do the same for holders of qualifications obtained from three-year courses in other Member States? Does that justify rejecting applications from holders of the Spanish 'Ingeniero Técnico' qualification?

Joint answer to Written Questions E-0635/98, E-0636/98, E-0637/98, E-0638/98, E-0639/98, E-0640/98, E-0641/98, E-0642/98, E-0643/98, E-0644/98, E-0645/98, E-0669/98, E-0670/98, E-0671/98, E-0672/98, E-0673/98, E-0674/98, E-0675/98, E-0676/98, E-0677/98, E-0678/98, E-0679/98, E-0724/98, E-0725/98, E-0726/98, E-0727/98 and E-0728/98 given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission (21 April 1998)

The Commission feels that most of the information requested by the Honourable Member is contained in its answers to written questions E-2749/97 by Ms Garcia Arias ((OJ C 82, 17.3.1998. )) and E-4186/97 by Ms Dührkop Dührkop ((OJ C 304, 2.10.1998, p. 15. )). The Commission would accordingly refer the Honourable Member to these answers, where it gave a full statement of its general approach to qualifications giving access to A/LA posts in the European public service and more specifically to qualifications held by Spanish technical engineers.

The correct translation of 'diploma universitario' into German is 'abgeschlossenes Hochschulstudium', and that is the term used on the notice of competition COM/A/1047 (97/C 145 A/02) published in the Official Journal. With regard to Competition COM/A/720 and COM/A/821, the Commission would refer the Honourable Member to the judgment given on 3 March 1994 by the Court of First Instance in Case T-82/92 Cortés Jiménez v Commission.

The Commission would draw the attention of the Honourable Member to the fact that the candidate at competition COM/A/104 has brought an action, registered at the Registry of the Court of First Instance under number T-299/97 on 1 December 1997. Accordingly the Commission cannot give an answer because the matter is sub judice.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0906/98 by Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna (PPE) to the Commission (26 March 1998)

Subject: Fishing for swordfish in the Atlantic by vessels flying flags of convenience

Given the alarming increase in the irregular and unrestricted activity of fleets flying flags of convenience or of third countries which are not subject to ICCAT quotas, and which are engaged in catching swordfish, particularly south of 5° North, urgent intervention by the Commission is absolutely essential in order to curb the irreversible depletion of stocks and the severe imbalances caused on those Community markets on which these catches are sold, the result of which is unfair competition for the Community fleet which operates in the area and abides scrupulously by ICCAT measures and recommendations.

Is the Commission aware of the gravity of the situation?

Can the Commission provide information on the measures it envisages adopting in order to mitigate the grave consequences arising out of this situation?

Would the Commission be prepared to propose trade measures and sanctions at ICCAT against fleets from third countries and those flying flags of convenience engaged in unrestricted fishing for swordfish in the area?

Answer given by Mrs Bonino on behalf of the Commission (21 April 1998)

The Commission is fully aware of the problem, which has been the subject of major discussions and decisions within the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). The Commission has been representing the Community in ICCAT since it became a member of the organisation in November 1997 and has taken an active part in the discussions.

The Council has adopted Regulation (EC) No 65/98 of 19 December 1997 ((OJ L 12, 19.1.1998. )) setting catch limitations for swordfish in the North Atlantic, in accordance with the recommendations of ICCAT. Steps are being taken also to incorporate into Community law the total allowable catch (TAC) for swordfish in the South Atlantic, as recommended also by ICCAT.

Regarding the adoption of retaliatory trade measures against countries which grant flags of convenience, the Commission is aware that the action plan on swordfish adopted by ICCAT makes provision for measures of this type. At the appropriate time, and on the basis of the information that will be presented at the next annual meeting (16 to 23 November 1998), the Commission will be in a position to discuss this matter. In any event, it should be pointed out that ICCAT has already recommended trade measures for certain non-member countries regarding fishing for bluefin tuna. Proposals for measures concerning Honduras and Belize have been adopted already by the Commission ((COM(98) 48 final. )) and forwarded to the Council for adoption.