ddrg/super_eurlex huggingface dataset:
WRITTEN QUESTION E-3937/97 by Gordon Adam (PSE) to the Commission (12 December 1997)

Subject: Player transfer restrictions imposed by the British Ice Hockey Association Ltd (BIHA) and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF)

The British Ice Hockey Association Ltd, as the governing body of the sport of ice hockey for the United Kingdom, under the authority of the international Ice Hockey Federation of which it is a member, imposes a range of fees for the registration of players from Ice Hockey Associations other than those from the United Kingdom in addition to the fees which are charged for the registration of United Kingdom players.

The fee for players from other European Union countries is increased depending upon the country with which they have first registered.

The BIHA also asks for an International Transfer Card (ITC) fee which varies depending on the charge levied by the country of origin of the player.

Are the fees imposed compatible with the Treaty of Rome, since they restrict young people from other European Union countries from playing recreational and professional ice hockey in the United Kingdom?

Does the Bosman case have implications for sports other than football, and in particular for ice hockey?

Joint answer to Written Questions E-3937/97 and E-3950/97 given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission (30 January 1998)

Following the information provided to the Commission by the Honourable Member, the Commission considers that special fees imposed on ice hockey players who are not members of the United Kingdom ice hockey association when they are recruited by a British club amount to a discrimination contrary to the EC Treaty.

Where such ice hockey players wish to practise ice hockey as a professional activity, the transfer fee and the registration fee would constitute obstacles to free movement of workers and would directly contravene Article 48 of the EC Treaty, in line with the Bosman ruling. Furthermore, when hockey is played as a non-professional activity, either by a family member of a European worker or by a European citizen residing in the United Kingdom, the fee for non-British players may also constitute a discrimination against European citizens and may contravene the EC Treaty.

Finally, the Commission wishes to confirm that the Bosman ruling does not only concern professional football, but also any professional or semi-professional sports activity.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-4077/97 by Guido Podestà (UPE) to the Commission (14 January 1998)

Subject: Promotion of a 'performance bond' guarantee system in the European Union

On 21 October 1997, in response to a statement which I made in plenary regarding the Tappin report on public procurement, Commissioner Monti said that he was not opposed to the introduction of new instruments designed to guarantee punctual performance of public contracts, such as 'performance bonds', but that it was necessary to avoid discriminating against and penalizing SMEs.

Can the Commission state whether it intends to conduct studies into the feasibility and arrangements for the introduction of such guarantee instruments and, if so, when?

If it does not intend to carry out such studies, would it state its reasons for not doing so?

If it does, will it be able to draw up a proposal for the introduction into Community law of such public contract performance guarantees, and how long does it think this will take?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission (10 March 1998)

As indicated by the Commission in response to a question asked by the Honourable Member during the debate about the Tappin report on the public procurement green paper ((COM(96) 583 final. )), performance bonds can play an important role in facilitating the opening-up of public procurement in the construction sector. The study into the impact and effectiveness of the single market ((COM(96) 520 final. )) programme which was undertaken for the Commission in 1996 demonstrated that public procurement in this area has not yet been opened up to a significant degree. The Commission is convinced that this is due mainly to a lack of actual competition and welcomes therefore any measures which can favour an increase in competition.

In addition to initiatives taken by the Commission such as the mandate which has been given to the European Committee for standardisation (CEN) and the European Committee for electrotechnical standardization (Cenelec) to develop a qualification standard, initiatives from the private sector are certainly needed. The development of performance bonds would seem to be a very promising example of such initiatives. The Commission follows such initiatives very closely but does not think that its intervention is needed at this stage. It will, however, closely monitor this and similar developments. If this reveals that an important contribution to the success of the initiatives can be made by the Commission, it will take appropriate decisions based on the information available to it at the time.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-4175/97 by Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna (PPE) to the Commission (21 January 1998)

Subject: Cohesion policy and culture

Can the Commission say what cultural pilot projects were cofinanced during the programming period 1989-1993 and during the current programming period (1994-1999) under Article 10 of the ERDF Regulation, specifying the countries involved, the regional objective under which each project came, the total cost of execution and the amount cofinanced by the Community?

Answer given by Mrs Wulf-Mathies on behalf of the Commission (5 March 1998)

Pilot projects on inter-regional cultural cooperation under Article 10 of the European Regional Development Fund Regulation ((OJ L 193, 31.7.1993. )) were first launched in the 1994-99 programming period.

The main reason for launching such pilot projects was that disadvantaged parts of the Community often have a significant cultural heritage which is sometimes poorly exploited and could be put to better effect by networking with other local and regional authorities, with a view to improving experience, exchanging know-how and promoting economic development in those areas in the cultural field.

The pilot inter-regional cooperation projects in the cultural field thus constitute an element of cohesion policy.

A call for proposals (No 95/C 253/11) was published in the Official Journal in September 1995 ((OJ C 253, 29.9.1995. )). The Commission subsequently selected 32 projects out of the 265 proposals received.

The cooperation networks had to include partners from the local or regional authorities in three to six different regions and at least three Member States. The number of objective areas 1, 2, 5b and 6 participating in a network could not be a minority in relation to the total number of participants. Total funding of ECU 15 million was provided for this pilot scheme with a maximum Community contribution of ECU 600 000 per project.

The projects selected mainly focussed cooperation on enhancing the value of the cultural heritage, exchanges of know-how with a view to carrying out restoration work, devising cultural itineraries and using new information technologies in the creation of a virtual museum.

In terms of the geographical origin of the network leaders, the pilot projects are distributed as follows:

>TABLE>

The 32 pilot projects were launched on 1 January 1997 for a two-year period.

An Internet site has been created at the Commission's proposal, providing a list of the 32 pilot projects, the sphere of cooperation, the network partners and the main funding figures. This site may be consulted at the following address: http:\\www.aeidl.be\art10\.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-4045/97 by Raimo Ilaskivi (PPE), Marjo Matikainen-Kallström (PPE) and Jyrki Otila (PPE) to the Commission (14 January 1998)

Subject: EHEC bacterium and cattle slaughter

The EHEC (Enterohaemorrhagic escherichia coli) bacterium which has been observed in cattle in Finland has made it necessary to slaughter cattle to prevent the spread of the disease. There is good reason for this slaughter, since people have died and there have been cases of 'bleeding belly disease'.

How does the Commission propose to make sure that infected meat is not being used for human and animal consumption? The slaughter of cattle causes enormous financial losses to farmers; how does the Commission intend to compensate the farmers for their losses?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (9 February 1998)

The production and marketing of fresh meat is governed by the rules of Directive 64/433/EEC on health problems affecting intra-Community trade in fresh meat ('Fresh Meat Directive') as consolidated by Directive 91/496/EEC laying down the principles governing the organisation of veterinary checks on animals entering the Community from third countries and amending Directives 89/662/EEC, 90/425/EEC and 90/675/EEC ((OJ L 268, 24.9.1991. )) and amended by Directive 95/23/EC on conditions for the production and marketing of fresh meat ((OJ L 243, 11.10.1995. )). According to these rules Member States must ensure that the official veterinarian declares unfit for human consumption meat which is contaminated or affected by any disease. Therefore this meat cannot come into the human food chain. If this meat is rendered and used as feed it has to be treated in such a way that any infection or spread of disease is impossible.

Council Decision 90/424/EEC of 26 June 1990 on expenditure in the veterinary field ((OJ L 224, 18.8.1990. )), commonly known as the 'veterinary fund', lays down detailed rules on Community contributions.

Firstly, under Title III, Chapter 2 (Articles 29, 32 and 33) of Decision 90/424/EEC the Community can contribute to a national plan to control animal diseases. No plan covering EHEC has so far been approved.

Secondly, Article 4(3) of the Decision provides for emergency assistance should there be an outbreak of one of the diseases referred to in Council Directive 92/117/EEC of 17 December 1992 concerning measures for protection against specified zoonoses and specified zoonotic agents in animals and products of animal origin in order to prevent outbreaks of food-borne infections and intoxications ((OJ L 62, 15.3.1993. )), provided that the outbreak is an immediate risk to human health. No funding has so far been granted on this basis.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-4096/97 by Peter Truscott (PSE) to the Commission (16 January 1998)

Subject: Funding for Hertfordshire in 1994-1997 from the MEDIA II and town-twinning funds

Would the Commission please inform me of the amount of funding Hertfordshire has received from the MEDIA II and town-twinning funds in 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997?

Answer given by Mr Oreja on behalf of the Commission (13 March 1998)

As the MEDIA II programme was not launched until 1 January 1996, no assistance was granted before that date.

In 1996 no company located in Hertfordshire received any assistance under the MEDIA II programme.

In 1997 Arrow Film Distributors Ltd, a company based in Radlett, received ECU 25 000 in assistance.

Hertfordshire was awarded grants under the Commission's town-twinning scheme (budget heading A 3021) in 1994 (ECU 5 898), in 1995 (ECU 5 427), in 1996 (ECU 14 201) and in 1997 (ECU 11 036).
WRITTEN QUESTION E-4017/97 by Niels Sindal (PSE) to the Commission (14 January 1998)

Subject: Stowaways

What action is the Commission proposing to take as regards the problems concerning the treatment of stowaways on vessels in European waters?

Answer given by Mrs Gradin on behalf of the Commission (27 February 1998)

The Commission is aware of the problem of stowaways, both in the framework of maritime transport policy and of questions which are currently dealt with under Title VI of the Treaty on European Union.

As the proposal on a convention on the monitoring of persons crossing the external frontiers of the Member States ((OJ C 128, 9.5.1994. )) was not adopted by the Council, there are no binding legal provisions on this matter.

When the Treaty of Amsterdam comes into force, questions relating to the crossing of external borders will come under the first pillar, specifically Article 73(2)(a) on the rules and procedures to be applied by Member States when carrying out checks on persons crossing external borders, with the proviso that, during a transitional period of five years following the entry into force of the Treaty of Amsterdam, the Council shall act unanimously on a proposal from the Commission or on the initiative of a Member State and after consulting the European Parliament.

Compatibility and consistency with international maritime law must be sought. Specific international rules on stowaways on ships have been established. In this framework, a draft legal instrument aimed at combating illegal immigration by sea routes has been submitted by Italy to the International Maritime Organisation. The Commission is cooperating with the IMO on this matter.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-4203/97 by José García-Margallo y Marfil (PPE) to the Commission (21 January 1998)

Subject: Agenda 2000 and Objective 1: investment 1993-1997

At the end of November the Director-General of Regional Policy and Cohesion, Eneko Landäburu, suggested, in the presence of press representatives, that 11 European regions, including Valencia (Spain), were to lose their Objective 1 status under the terms of the Commission proposals to reduce the Structural Funds before the accession of new Member States.

Mr Landäburu's calculations were based on the provisional data currently available to the Commission. However, in the specific case of Valencia, official Eurostat statistics show that, in 1993, the Valencia Autonomous Community's GDP was 74.9% of the European average and that, in 1994, the figure was even lower (73.6%). The threshold for Objective 1 eligibility is 75%, hence there are no grounds for supposing that Valencia is going to fail the eligibility test in the near future.

Should the average income of the various regions during the 1993-1997 period be taken as the criterion for calculating GDP, it is important that the macro-economic data for each region should be known for all of the years concerned.

In 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997, how much was invested in the following regions under ERDF Objective 1:

- Anatolia, Macedonia, Thessaly, Crete, Pelopennese, Central Greece, Ipiros, Attica, Ionian Islands, Aegean, Sterea (Greece)

- Hainaut (Belgium)

- Thuringia, Brandenburg, East Berlin, Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony, Munster (Germany)

- Galicia, Extremadura, Castilla la Mancha, Castilla y Leon, Ceuta and Melilla, Valencia Autonomous Community, Asturias, Andalusia, Canary Islands, Murcia (Spain)

- Valenciennes, Avesnes, Douai, Overseas Departments (France)

- Ulster, Connaught, Leinster (Ireland)

- Molise, Apulia, Sicily, Basilicata, Sardinia, Calabria, Campania (Italy)

- Flevoland (Netherlands)

- Burgerland (Austria)

- Northern Region, Alentejo, Algarve, Lisbon, Tagus Valley, Central Region (Portugal)

- Western Isles, Highlands, Merseyside, Northern Ireland (United Kingdom)?

Joint answer to Written Questions E-4202/97 and E-4203/97 given by Mrs Wulf-Mathies on behalf of the Commission (26 February 1998)

Because of the length of the answer, which includes a number of tables, the Commission is sending it direct to the Honourable Member and to Parliament's Secretariat.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-4132/97 by Reimer Böge (PPE) to the Commission (21 January 1998)

Subject: Baltic fisheries policy

Will the Commission indicate what conventions or agreements on fisheries policy in the Baltic exist between the EU or EU Member States and EU partner States.

In addition to these, are there private-sector agreements covering parts of the EU fleet, in respect of waters belonging to non-EU States bordering the Baltic, of which the Commission is aware?

What ideas does the Commission have, as part of the pre-accession strategy, regarding the integration of the States bordering the Baltic or regarding the conclusion of fisheries agreements with the Baltic States, Poland and Russia?

Answer given by Mrs Bonino on behalf of the Commission (10 February 1998)

The Community has concluded in 1996 new fisheries agreements with Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. These new agreements superseded the existing agreements concluded earlier by the Community, Sweden and Finland respectively. The Community is involved in a process of negotiating similar agreements with Poland and the Russian Federation. Pending the outcome of these consultations, the agreements concluded by Sweden and Finland respectively with these countries previous to enlargement are managed by the Community, pursuant to the 1994 act of accession. Fisheries arrangements on quota exchanges have been concluded on the basis of these agreements with each of the five countries for 1996, 1997 and 1998.

Private arrangements are being made outside the above mentioned fisheries agreements. The contracting parties to the International Baltic sea fishery commission (IBSFC) have agreed (fishery rule 2.1) that vessels fishing under such private arrangements should have a specific authorization for a defined fishing activity from the official authorities of the flag state and of the country where the fishing takes place. For monitoring purposes, the authorising contracting party in whose waters the fishing takes place shall also, prior to the commencement of the fishery, communicate to the IBSFC secretariat such specifications as the species, quantities, period and the name of vessels. The IBSFC circulates this information to the contracting parties.

The Commission is convinced that such regional and bilateral co-operation contributes to economic integration in general and will have positive effects on the next enlargement negotiations.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-3593/97 by Yves Verwaerde (PPE) to the Commission (13 November 1997)

Subject: High-level group of experts on the social and societal aspects of the information society

Would the Commission supply me with an initial summary of the findings of the high-level group of experts on the social and societal aspects of the information society.

Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission (9 January 1998)

The high-level group of experts on the social and societal aspects of the information society has completed its work. It recently produced a final report, a copy of which is being sent directly to the Honourable Member and to the General Secretariat of the Parliament.

A summary of the additional analyses which are mentioned in the annex to the final report and were carried out in parallel with the group's work is being prepared and will become available at the beginning of this year.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-4084/97 by Wolfgang Kreissl-Dörfler (V) to the Commission (16 January 1998)

Subject: Mapping of indigenous territories in the Amazon region

A number of projects to map indigenous territories and protected areas in the Amazon region have been carried out on the instructions of the European Commission.

Does the European Commission share the view that the protection of indigenous peoples is an international duty? Does the Commission consider it appropriate for a map to have been created showing details of indigenous territories and protected areas - not least in the light of the new tropical forests directive?

Joint answer to Written Questions E-4084/97, E-4085/97 and E-4086/97 given by Mr Marín on behalf of the Commission (3 February 1998)

The Community has financed numerous projects in Amazonia involving the mapping of indigenous territories, through the tropical forest budget line. These projects aim to establish the limits of indigenous territories with the primary intention of encouraging the conservation and sustainable development of tropical forests, so that such groups can chose to continue to practise their traditional ways of life wherever feasible and sustainable given competing demands from other land-users.

The Commission was invited to assist developing countries establish an accurate overall view of indigenous lands in their territories. In this context the Commission is preparing a working document on support for indigenous people in development cooperation.

The Commission has assisted the Instituto socio-ambiental (ISA) in Brazil to prepare accurate, up-to-date maps of indigenous territories in that country, and to set up a network linking similar organisations in Latin America to share experience and coordinate transboundary activities. This work is continuing in a second phase which is just getting under way, that will incorporate other geographical information such as vegetation types, into a single GIS (geographic information system). ISA has thus become the national repository of information on indigenous territories in Brazil, to the extent that government organisations such as National foundation of support to the indigenous (FUNAI), turn first to ISA for maps and to help resolve land conflict issues involving indigenous people. ISA has also got strong links with the G7 pilot programme, particularly the 'Indigenous lands' project, which has been demarcating the legal boundaries of recognised indigenous groups in the Brazilian Amazon with support from the German government and the Community (through the Rainforest trust fund).

In Brazil, ISA maintains very close contact with the government, especially FUNAI, the federal department responsible for indigenous affairs.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-3550/97 by Giuseppe Rauti (NI) to the Commission (12 November 1997)

Subject: Abandonment of teaching of geography in Italy

Is the Commission aware that the Italian Ministry of Education's pilot project relating to the first two years of 'higher secondary' teaching, which has already been introduced in 150 establishments, does not include any geography. This has a whole series of serious implications for the teaching profession since many teachers of geography are being forced to 'quit'.

1. Does the Commission agree that this will greatly undermine educational standards?

2. Does it agree that the Italian Ministry's decision is at odds with the policy of promoting the 'cultural value' of geography which applies in all equivalent education systems in the European Union?

3. Will the Commission ask the Italian Government to annul this alarming decision?

Joint answer to Written Questions E-3550/97 and E-3802/97 given by Mrs Cresson on behalf of the Commission (10 December 1997)

The Commission takes note of the fact that in its draft proposal for the revision of the curriculum of the first two years of secondary school the Italian ministry of Education has not introduced the teaching of geography.

The Commission refers the Honourable Members to Article 126 of the EC Treaty which defines the action of the Community in the field of education as 'fully respecting the responsibility of the Member States for the content of teaching and the organisation of education systems'.

The revision of the curriculum, the choice of subjects and their distribution over the years of schooling are all domains under national competence.