ddrg/super_eurlex huggingface dataset:
(2004/C58E/020) WRITTENQUESTIONE-0484/03
byTheresaVilliers(PPE-DE)totheCommission
(20February2003)
Subject:ExportofsheepfromaccessioncountriestotheEuropeanUnion
Howmany(i)lambsagedsixmonthsorlessand(ii)adultsheepwereexportedfromeachaccession
countrytoeachEuropeanMemberStatein(a)2000and(b)2001?
AnswergivenbyMrFischleronbehalfoftheCommission
(21March2003)
TheHonourableMemberwillfindenclosedtheinformationthatisavailablefromtheCommission.Atable
whichissentdirecttotheHonourableMemberandtoParliament’sSecretariatgivestheexportoflambsuptooneyearold.Unfortunately,thestatisticsdonotprovideinformationonlambsagedsixmonthsorless.Additionally,theCommissionprovidesalsothestatisticsonlivegoats.
Only four countries are mentioned. There is no export from the other Accession Countries to the
Community.
(2004/C58E/021) WRITTENQUESTIONE-0524/03
byIldaFigueiredo(GUE/NGL)totheCommission
(24February2003)
Subject:WTOnegotiationsontheGeneralAgreementonTradeinServices(GATS).
TheGeneralAgreementonTradeinServicesiscurrentlybeingnegotiatedwithintheWTO,followingon
fromtheconclusionsoftheWTOministerialmeetinginDoha.The‘offer’phase,asitistermed,isduetoendon31March2003.
1. Whatspecificproposalshavebeensubmitted,bothbyEUMemberStatestonon-membercountries
andbynon-membercountriestoEUMemberStates?
2. HowdoestheCommissionviewanewadvanceintheliberalisationofservices(bearinginmindthe
specificproposalsbeingnegotiated),notleastasregardsitseconomic,social,environmental,andpoliticalimpact, especially in terms of curbs on national sovereignty and the growing impoverishment ofdemocracy?
3. In the light ofthe demandsbeing put forward by political, workers’ social, environmental, and
developmentcooperationorganisations,whatwouldbetheCommission’sattitudeto:
/dash suspensionofthenegotiationsandamoratoriumontheprocessesunderwaytoliberaliseservices?
/dash serious,exhaustivepublicdebatetogaugetheconsequencesoftheliberalisationpoliciesimplemented
todateandtheimpactofthecurrentrulesandthenewGATSproposalsin,forexample,restricting
the freedom of countries endeavouring to provide or develop free, universal public sectors and
services?
4. HowdoestheCommissionviewexclusionofpublicservices(includingeducation,health,energy,
water,transport,communications,andsanitation)fromthescopeoftheGATSnegotiations,asisbeingcalledforbypolitical,workers’,social,environmental,anddevelopmentcooperationorganisations?6.3.2004EN C58E/19 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
(2004/C58E/061) WRITTENQUESTIONE-1159/03
byRobertaAngelilli(UEN)totheCommission
(1April2003)
Subject:UseoffundsfromtheEuropeanAgriculturalGuidanceandGuaranteeFundbythemunicipalityof
Livorno
InSeptember2002,themonitoringcommitteeoftheItalianMinistryforEconomicAffairsissuedareport
onthespendingofEUfunds.
ThereportrevealsthealarmingslownessandinefficiencywithwhichEUfundsareallocatedtoprojectsby
someregionalauthorities.
ThegraveconcernsabouttheinadequateuseofEuropeanfundsbylocalauthoritieshavefrequentlybeen
echoedbytheCommission.
Bearinginmindthatsomelocalauthorities,suchasthemunicipalityofLivorno,urgentlyneedtouse
Europeanfundsfortheprocessingandmarketingofagriculturalproductsandforruraldevelopment,
cantheCommissionstate:
1. whetherthemunicipalityofLivornohassubmittedprojectsfortheEAGGF?
2. whetherthemunicipalityofLivornohassecuredfundingfortheseprojects?
3. whetherthisfundinghasbeenused?
(2004/C58E/062) WRITTENQUESTIONE-1160/03
byRobertaAngelilli(UEN)totheCommission
(1April2003)
Subject:UseoffundsfromtheEuropeanAgriculturalGuidanceandGuaranteeFundbythemunicipalityof
Massa
InSeptember2002,themonitoringcommitteeoftheItalianMinistryforEconomicAffairsissuedareport
onthespendingofEUfunds.
ThereportrevealsthealarmingslownessandinefficiencywithwhichEUfundsareallocatedtoprojectsby
someregionalauthorities.
ThegraveconcernsabouttheinadequateuseofEuropeanfundsbylocalauthoritieshavefrequentlybeen
echoedbytheCommission.
Bearing inmindthatsomelocalauthorities,suchasthemunicipality ofMassa,urgentlyneedtouse
Europeanfundsfortheprocessingandmarketingofagriculturalproductsandforruraldevelopment,
cantheCommissionstate:
1. whetherthemunicipalityofMassahassubmittedprojectsfortheEAGGF?
2. whetherthemunicipalityofMassahassecuredfundingfortheseprojects?
3. whetherthisfundinghasbeenused?C58E/46 EN6.3.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
(2004/C58E/203) WRITTENQUESTIONE-2623/03
byGabrieleStauner(PPE-DE)totheCommission
(2September2003)
Subject:Eurostattaskforces
AccordingtoreportsintheLuxembourgpress,atleasttwoofthemainsuspectsintheEurostataffairare
membersofafreemasons’lodge.
WhatinformationdoestheCommissionhavetosuggestthatleadingofficialsinthetaskforcessetupby
theCommissionmayalsohaveconnectionswithfreemasons’lodges?
WhatstepshastheCommissiontakentoprevent‘fraternisation’betweenitsinvestigatorsandthesuspects?
AnswergivenbyMrSolbesMiraonbehalfoftheCommission
(8October2003)
UnderArticle10oftheCharteroffundamentalrightsoftheEuropeanUnion,everyonehastherightto
freedomofthought,conscienceandreligion.Thisrightincludesfreedomtochangereligionorbeliefandfreedom,eitheraloneorincommunitywithothersandinpublicorinprivate,tomanifestreligionorbelief,inworship,teaching,practiceandobservance.
Exercise of this fundamental right by its officials in a manner which does not conflict with their
obligationsundertheStaffRegulationsisnotamatterfortheCommission.
(2004/C58E/204) WRITTENQUESTIONE-2657/03
byManuelPérezÁlvarez(PPE-DE)totheCommission
(10September2003)
Subject:Healthandsafetyinsubcontractedcompanies
Inrecentmonths,themediahavebeenreportingaccidentsatworkinvolvingseriousinjuriesandeven
deaths amongst workers belonging to companies subcontracted by the main contractor, temporaryworkersandevenworkerssuppliedtothemaincontractorbyatemporaryjobcompany.
The2002-2006Communityhealthatworkstrategycoversnewformsofproductiveworkorganisationon
thebasisofsuchthingsasout-sourcing,subcontracting,etc.
Giventhesituationreferredtoabove,hastheCommissionmadeanyprovisionforsomekindofspecific
actiontopreventorreduceaccidentsinworksituationsinvolvingthepresenceandcompetitionofvarious
companiesatasingleworkplace?
AnswergivenbyMsDiamantopoulouonbehalfoftheCommission
(14October2003)
Whereseveralcompaniesareworkingonthesamepremises,effectivecoordinationisneededtoensure
protectionandpreventoccupationalrisks.Inthisregard,theCouncil’sFrameworkDirective89/391/EECof12June1989ontheintroductionofmeasurestoencourageimprovementsinthesafetyandhealthofworkersatwork(
1)requiresthedifferentemployerstocooperateinimplementingthesafety,healthand
occupationalhygiene provisionsand,takingintoaccountthenatureoftheactivities, coordinatetheiractionsinmattersoftheprotectionandpreventionofoccupationalrisks,andinformoneanotherandtheirrespectiveworkersand/orworkers’representativesoftheserisks(cf.Article6(4)).Referenceshould6.3.2004EN C58E/189 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
Bearinginmindthatsomelocalauthorities,suchasthemunicipalityofLivorno,urgentlyneedtouse
EuropeanfundstopromotethesafeuseoftheInternetandencourage,atEuropeanlevel,afavourableenvironmentforthedevelopmentoftherelevantsector,
cantheCommissionstate:
1. whetherthemunicipalityofLivornohassubmittedprojectsfortheActionPlanonpromotingsafer
useoftheInternet?
2. whetherthemunicipalityofLivornohassecuredfundingfortheseprojects?
3. whetherthisfundinghasbeenused?
(2004/C58E/041) WRITTENQUESTIONE-1082/03
byRobertaAngelilli(UEN)totheCommission
(31March2003)
Subject:UseoffundsundertheActionPlanonpromotingsaferuseoftheInternetbythemunicipalityof
Macerata
InSeptember2002,themonitoringcommitteeoftheItalianMinistryforEconomicAffairsissuedareport
onthespendingofEUfunds.
ThereportrevealsthealarmingslownessandinefficiencywithwhichEUfundsareallocatedtoprojectsby
someregionalauthorities.
ThegraveconcernsabouttheinadequateuseofEuropeanfundsbylocalauthoritieshavefrequentlybeen
echoedbytheCommission.
Bearinginmindthatsomelocalauthorities,suchasthemunicipalityofMacerata,urgentlyneedtouse
EuropeanfundstopromotethesafeuseoftheInternetandencourage,atEuropeanlevel,afavourableenvironmentforthedevelopmentoftherelevantsector,
cantheCommissionstate:
1. whetherthemunicipalityofMaceratahassubmittedprojectsfortheActionPlanonpromotingsafer
useoftheInternet?
2. whetherthemunicipalityofMaceratahassecuredfundingfortheseprojects?
3. whetherthisfundinghasbeenused?
(2004/C58E/042) WRITTENQUESTIONE-1083/03
byRobertaAngelilli(UEN)totheCommission
(31March2003)
Subject:UseoffundsundertheActionPlanonpromotingsaferuseoftheInternetbythemunicipalityof
Massa
InSeptember2002,themonitoringcommitteeoftheItalianMinistryforEconomicAffairsissuedareport
onthespendingofEUfunds.
ThereportrevealsthealarmingslownessandinefficiencywithwhichEUfundsareallocatedtoprojectsby
someregionalauthorities.
ThegraveconcernsabouttheinadequateuseofEuropeanfundsbylocalauthoritieshavefrequentlybeen
echoedbytheCommission.6.3.2004EN C58E/35 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
Bearinginmindthatsomelocalauthorities,suchasthemunicipalityofFiumicino,urgentlyneedtouse
EuropeanfundstopromotethesafeuseoftheInternetandencourage,atEuropeanlevel,afavourableenvironmentforthedevelopmentoftherelevantsector,cantheCommissionstate:
1. whetherthemunicipalityofFiumicinohassubmittedprojectsfortheActionPlanonpromotingsafer
useoftheInternet?
2. whetherthemunicipalityofFiumicinohassecuredfundingfortheseprojects?
3. whetherthisfundinghasbeenused?
(2004/C58E/037) WRITTENQUESTIONE-1078/03
byRobertaAngelilli(UEN)totheCommission
(31March2003)
Subject:UseoffundsundertheActionPlanonpromotingsaferuseoftheInternetbythemunicipalityof
Ancona
InSeptember2002,themonitoringcommitteeoftheItalianMinistryforEconomicAffairsissuedareport
onthespendingofEUfunds.
ThereportrevealsthealarmingslownessandinefficiencywithwhichEUfundsareallocatedtoprojectsby
someregionalauthorities.
ThegraveconcernsabouttheinadequateuseofEuropeanfundsbylocalauthoritieshavefrequentlybeen
echoedbytheCommission.
Bearinginmindthatsomelocalauthorities,suchasthemunicipalityofAncona,urgentlyneedtouse
EuropeanfundstopromotethesafeuseoftheInternetandencourage,atEuropeanlevel,afavourable
environmentforthedevelopmentoftherelevantsector,
cantheCommissionstate:
1. whetherthemunicipalityofAnconahassubmittedprojectsfortheActionPlanonpromotingsafer
useoftheInternet?
2. whetherthemunicipalityofAnconahassecuredfundingfortheseprojects?3. whetherthisfundinghasbeenused?
(2004/C58E/038) WRITTENQUESTIONE-1079/03
byRobertaAngelilli(UEN)totheCommission
(31March2003)
Subject:UseoffundsundertheActionPlanonpromotingsaferuseoftheInternetbythemunicipalityof
Carrara
InSeptember2002,themonitoringcommitteeoftheItalianMinistryforEconomicAffairsissuedareport
onthespendingofEUfunds.
ThereportrevealsthealarmingslownessandinefficiencywithwhichEUfundsareallocatedtoprojectsby
someregionalauthorities.
ThegraveconcernsabouttheinadequateuseofEuropeanfundsbylocalauthoritieshavefrequentlybeen
echoedbytheCommission.6.3.2004EN C58E/33 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 70/264

(2004/C 70 E/285)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3405/03

by Concepció Ferrer (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(17 November 2003)

Subject: Management of the Structural Funds

With regard to the management of Structural Fund monies for Objectives 1, 2 and 3 (2000-2006), will the Commission please state who the designated payment and management authorities are in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and Spain?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(11 December 2003)

The Commission is collecting the information it needs to answer the question. It will communicate its findings as soon as possible.
EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 70/30

(2004/C 70 E/033)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0730/03

by Rosa Miguélez Ramos (PSE) to the Commission

(11 March 2003)

Subject: ‘Prestige’: Measures for Natura 2000 network areas

In 19 December 2002, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on safety at sea and measures to alleviate the effects of the ‘Prestige’ disaster, paragraph 22 calls on the Commission, in conjunction with the Spanish authorities, to draw up special plans for the regeneration of the Natura 2000 areas affected.

On 21 November 2002, Parliament had already adopted a resolution on this issue; paragraph 14 reads:

Calls on the Commission to adopt specific measures in order to guarantee a proper ecological balance in the SCI areas of the Natura 2000 network affected by this catastrophe.

How does the Commission view these requests from Parliament?

What measures has it taken or does it intend to take in response?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(2 May 2003)

According to its Resolution of 19 December 2002, the Parliament asked the Commission to provide specific measures in order to guarantee the ecological balance of the Natura 2000 site.

The role of the Commission in relation to the Natura 2000 network is clearly established in the Habitats Directive, (Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora) (1). In this case the Commission is not responsible for the maintenance and restoration at a favourable conservation status of the Natura 2000 sites. This is a Member States responsibility. However, the Commission is aware of the exceptional circumstances of this situation.

Within the framework of Commission responsibilities the Commission has carried out the bio-geographical seminar for the Atlantic region in order to adopt the Atlantic list of sites of Community importance in order to guarantee Member States the application of provisions under Article 6(2), (3) and (4) of the Habitats Directive.

The Commission would like to refer the Honourable Member to its replies to written questions E-3661/02 (2) and P-0001/03 (3) where the possibilities of using financial instruments available at the EU level are described.

Finally, the Commission could consider — upon request — any specific measure regarding restoration activities in the framework of the Habitats Committee.

(1) OJ L 206, 22.7.1992.

(2) OJ C 242 E, 9.10.2003, p. 67.

(3) OJ C 161 E, 10.7.2003, p. 166.
EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 70/235

(2004/C 70 E/252)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3199/03

by Marianne Thyssen (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(30 October 2003)

Subject: Belgian Government takeover of the pension fund of telecommunications operator Belgacom

As the Commission knows, the Belgian Government has decided to take over the Belgacom pension fund. In return for accepting the fund's liabilities, the Government will receive EUR 5 billion in December 2003. The Government has announced that it will regard that amount as revenue for balance-of-payments calculations. Furthermore, the Belgian Government is planning to spread the EUR 5 billion payable and to be paid in 2003 over two financial years, i.e. the year in which the revenue is actually received plus the following year.

On the basis that ESA standards are an instrument for compliance with the Stability Pact and that, accordingly, strict application thereof is a prerequisite for Member State accounts to be transparent and accurate, and given that lax interpretation or application of ESA standards is tantamount to surreptitious weakening of the Stability Pact and stability programme commitments, can the Commission say:

1. whether or not it will allow the EUR 5 billion to be booked in the budget as net revenue minus the associated liabilities taken over, and why?

2. how it views the Belgian Government's plan to window-dress not one, but two budgets by spreading the ‘revenue’ over two financial years?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(8 December 2003)

Eurostat has been informed that the Belgian Government will take over the pension obligations incurred by Belgacom for its own staff.

Eurostat is considering the issue closely and will give its opinion as regards the treatment of the operation in national accounts, and notably the impact on government deficit and debt.

Eurostat has also been informed that the Belgian Government intends to record the effect of the transfer both for 2003 and 2004 fiscal years. This also requires a specific examination as regards the compliance with the European System of national and regional Accounts (ESA95) provisions relating to the ‘accrual’ principle on the time of recording of transactions.
EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 70/241

(2004/C 70 E/260)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3232/03

by Joan Colom i Naval (PSE) to the Commission

(27 October 2003)

Subject: Updated budget figures

Can the Commission supply the figures for the following:

— the financial perspective ceilings for the years 1988 to 2003 inclusive;

— the own resources ceilings expressed in euros, for the same period;

— and the budget outturn for commitment and payment appropriations for the financial years 1988 to 2002 inclusive?

These figures should:

— be updated to reflect 2004 prices;

— include, for each figure, for each year, all the changes made to the initial figure, such as technical adjustments, amendments, revisions and mobilisation of the Flexibility Instrument, with the exception of adjustments connected with implementation of heading 2.

Can it also list all the changes made to each financial perspective since 1988, taking the now defunct annual publication ‘The Community Budget: The Facts in Figures’ as a model for this?

Answer given by Ms Schreyer on behalf of the Commission

(21 November 2003)

Answering the Honourable Member's question will involve a complex operation of putting together long statistical series. The Commission is now working on this.

The information will be sent as soon as it is available.
EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 70/217

(2004/C 70 E/233)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3097/03

by Jonas Sjöstedt (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(20 October 2003)

Subject: Disclosure of resources for the EMU campaign

It is highly likely that the ‘yes’ camp had greater resources at its disposal than the ‘no’ camp during the recently concluded EMU campaign in Sweden.

Does the Commission consider it would have been an advantage if the resources available to the two camps had been made public?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(21 November 2003)

Given that the referendum held in Sweden on 14 September 2003 was an entirely domestic matter, the Commission does not have a view on whether any other resources made available to the respective campaigns should be made public or not.

The Commission has not made any financial resources available for information or communication on the euro in Sweden after the announcement of the referendum.
EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 70/56

(2004/C 70 E/059)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1705/03

by Gabriele Stauner (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(16 May 2003)

Subject: Investigations into Planistat Europe SA

On 19 March 2003, the European Anti-Fraud Office. OLAF, filed charges against Planistat Europe SA with the Paris Public Prosecutor. The company was accused of being involved in fraudulent activities which adversely affected the Community budget.

OLAF's charge is manifestly based on a report by the Internal Audit Unit of the Statistical Office, Eurostat, which was drawn up as long ago as September 1999. The report claimed that Planistat Europe SA had issued large numbers of bogus invoices and had been involved in the creation of slush funds on which Eurostat officials were subsequently able to draw.

Despite these accusations, the Commission failed to terminate its business relations with Planistat Europe SA. The Commission's answer to my Written Question E-1283/02 states that the company received EUR 670 195 from the Community budget in 2000 and EUR 1 607 118 from the 2001 budget.

Can the Commission explain why Eurostat's business relations with Planistat Europe SA were not terminated?

Can it explain why Commissioner Schreyer did not herself intervene in order to stop any further payments, once the audit referred to above had been submitted to the Directorate-General for Financial Control, which operates under her authority, in spring 2000?

Can the Commission indicate the total amount of payments received by Planistat Europe SA from Eurostat over the last ten years, as well as the additional amount paid out of the slush funds referred to above?

Can the Commission also indicate the scale of payments received by Planistat Europe SA from other Commission departments?
EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 70/266

(2004/C 70 E/290)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3538/03

by Edward McMillan-Scott (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(20 November 2003)

Subject: Pensions

Apart from Belgium, which other Member States operate a discretionary pension scheme based on means testing?

Answer given by Mme Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(15 December 2003)

All current 15 Member States have some forms of minimum income provision for older people. These may take the form of a flat-rate pension based on residency (Netherlands, Denmark), a minimum contributory pension (subject to a minimum number of contribution years) or a fully means-tested social assistance type benefit. Various provisions may co-exist within a single Member State.

The joint report of the Council and the Commission on adequate and sustainable pensions adopted in March 2003 (1) summarises in table 1 information obtained from the Member States' authorities on such minimum income guarantees for older people. The table indicates for each Member State whether the provision of such guaranteed income is conditional on a means test or not. More information can be obtained from the Missoc report 2001 ‘Social protection in the EU Member States and the EEA’, European Commission (2).

(1) Available on: http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/soc-prot/pensions/index_en.htm

(2) Available on: http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/missoc/index_en.html
EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 70/108

(2004/C 70 E/109)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2480/03

by Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(24 July 2003)

Subject: Canned tuna from Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia

The production of some types of canned tuna from Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia involves the use of hydrolysed proteins to increase the drained weight of the product, a practice which might constitute consumer fraud bearing in mind that Community processing firms producing the same types of canned tuna in the EU do not use proteins as part of the production process.

Does the Commission not believe that the use of this protein in the production of the above canned tuna and its subsequent import into the EU might constitute fraud both against consumers and the Community industry?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(26 September 2003)

Council Directive 91/493/EEC of 22 July 1991, laying down the health conditions for the production and the placing on the market of fishery products (1), states what treatments for fishery products are authorised and the procedures to authorise new treatments.

The use of substances binding excess water in fishery products, such as hydrolysed proteins, is not authorised under this Directive.

It is up to the Member States, responsible for carrying out veterinary checks on importation, to check that hydrolysed proteins are not present in fishery products imported from third countries and to take the requisite measures (such as ordering the return of the consignment to its country of origin).

(1) OJ L 268, 24.9.1991.