ddrg/super_eurlex huggingface dataset:
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1488/96 by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission (12 June 1996)

Subject: Athens tops league of 15 European cities for air pollution

An EU-subsidized survey of 15 European cities carried out under the 'Environment 1991-1994' programme has found that Athens has the highest levels of nitrogen dioxide and ozone.

The average nitrogen dioxide level is 206 microgrammes in the summer and 170 microgrammes in the winter (in second place is Barcelona with 127 mgr in summer and 114 mgr in winter), while ozone levels reach 186 mgr in summer and 82 in winter (in second place comes Rotterdam with 122 and 52 respectively).

1. Can the Commission provide the detailed comparative findings of the research and data on the effectiveness of existing measures to combat smog, and

2. where those measures are deemed to be ineffective, can it say what other methods could be used to deal with this complex problem?

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission (30 July 1996)

The detailed comparative data from the survey to which the Honourable Member refers, which shows particularly high levels of pollution in Athens, is currently being analysed. It should be published in the 'Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health' by the end of this year.

However, the figures can only confirm that Athens, because of both geographical and economic factors, is the European city with the most serious pollution problems.

The study on air quality undertaken under the auto-oil programme, looking into ways of reducing road traffic emissions, showed that measures adopted at Community level had a more limited effectiveness in Athens compared with other cities studied under the programme.

By way of illustration, the measures already adopted will lead to a reduction in nitrogen oxides emitted by road traffic averaging 35% for European cities between 1990 and 2010. However, mainly due to the slow process of replacing vehicles with the oldest technology with more recent vehicles, forecasting models indicate that nitrogen oxide emissions would increase in Athens over the same period. The proposals adopted following the auto-oil programme would give a further reduction in nitrogen oxide emissions of 39% compared with the base figure, averaged over European cities. The reduction would be only 19% in Athens, although a 50% cut is needed to achieve Community air quality targets.

Clearly, to achieve these objectives, the Greek authorities will have to supplement Community measures with local measures, such as improved public transport, the marketing of special reformulated fuels or general measures to update the vehicle fleet. All these measures can be implemented in ways which are both economical, effective and compatible with Community rules.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1239/96 by Amedeo Amadeo (NI) to the Commission (23 May 1996)

Subject: Asbestos pollution

The Luzzati district, a suburb to the east of Naples, two kilometres from the city centre, is flanked by scores of railway sidings. There are many wagons, too many to be counted, full of asbestos, left on the sidings a few metres from the houses, and more arrive every day without any controls; on top of this the Italian state railways are unclear as to who gave the order for the asbestos to be parked next to a residential area.

Asbestos is apparently not dangerous in its solid state but becomes fatal and carcinogenic when it is broken up, shattered or when it 'drips' at high temperatures. An environmental bomb was thus set off when a wagon was burned while some workers were dissembling it.

Can the Commission verify the facts set out above and take the matter up with the Italian state railways, the Commune and the competent local health authority, in order to establish where responsibility lies and to avert the serious risk of pollution?

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission (2 July 1996)

The Commission shares the Honourable Member's concerns as regards the facts that he has just described concerning the environmental nuisances in the Luzzati district of surburban Naples.

Since the situation could constitute an infringement of Directive 91/689/EEC on dangerous wastes, ((OJ L 377, 31.12.1991. )) the Commission will contact the Italian authorities and ask for their comments.
WRITTEN QUESTION P-1789/96 by Nikitas Kaklamanis (UPE) to the Commission (20 June 1996)

Subject: Funding of NGOs in Turkey

It has been reported that the Turkish authorities are exerting pressure on the Commission to cease funding certain NGO activities in the field of human rights.

Will the Commission say:

Are the reports correct? If so what is its response? Has the Commission ever been subject to this kind of pressure in any other country?

Answer given by Mr Van den Broek on behalf of the Commission (17 July 1996)

The Turkish authorities contacted the Commission's representation in Ankara to point out the activities of some non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Turkey which went beyond the bounds of human rights.

The Commission will continue to appraise projects from all Turkish NGOs on the basis of their merits and their contribution to improving the human rights situation.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1147/96 by Jan Mulder (ELDR) to the Commission (15 May 1996)

Subject: The use of raw materials of agricultural origin for industrial purposes (repeat question)

In response to the Commission's answer to my written question E-0678/96 ((OJ C 280, 25.9.1996, p.62. )), I hereby retable the questions in another form, since the Commission obviously preferred not to reply to the majority of the questions I asked on the first occasion.

The Commission takes the view that the use of agricultural raw materials for industrial purposes should be promoted. The environmental movement periodically voices criticisms to the effect that the environmental gains from the use of raw materials of agricultural origin are lost because of the intensive cultivation methods used for these agricultural products. In the case of energy production the Commission states that the precise environmental effect has still to be investigated.

1. Is the Commission prepared to finance such investigations or to share their financing with other appropriate bodies?

Other products which can be made from raw materials of agricultural origin are plant-based lubricants, biodegradable plastics and fibres of plant origin.

2. Does the Commission have figures showing the environmental gains from the use of such products?

3. If not, is the Commission prepared to fund or co-fund such investigations so that the advantages and disadvantages of the use of such products can be more clearly understood?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (14 June 1996)

The honourable member is referred to the answer the Commission gave to his written question E-678/96, which stated that research into the precise environmental impact of growing crops as an energy resource was still in progress and that it would therefore be premature to draw conclusions.

As part of the Fair agricultural research programme, the Commission is part-financing research into the cultivation and processing of non-food crops. Two calls for tender under the 1995-98 Fair programme resulted in the selection of a number of research projects on topics including the environmental impact of cultivating and processing non-food crops.

Two more calls for tender are planned, for December 1996 and December 1997. The report on environmental impact will play a key role in the selection of future research projects.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1188/96 by Glenys Kinnock (PSE) to the Commission (15 May 1996)

Subject: European funding for organizations working in southern Africa

Could the Commission identify which organizations are funded by the EU in an effort to promote understanding of southern Africa issues in Member States? Which organizations organize both conferences and monitoring of elections in southern Africa states, and how much total funding does each of the individual organizations identified in response to the above receive from the Commission?

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro on behalf of the Coommission (11 July 1996)

The organisations funded out of the Community budget since 1994 are STD Afrika Kontakt; Holland committee on South Africa (3 actions); Zimbabwe Trust, World wildlife fund, Bureau Européen pour la conservation et le développement; Association of European parliamentarians for Southern Africa (AWEPA), Consiglio internazionale per gli refugiati, Conselho Portugués para os refugiados; Vluchtelingenwerk Nederland; Dritte Welt Haus, Bielefeld; Médecins sans frontières; Koordinierungskreis Mozambik; AWEPA (3 actions); and European network for information and action on Southern Africa.

The organisations that organise both conferences and monitoring of elections in Southern African states which were financed out of the Community budget are AWEPA and the African European institute (AEI). The Gesellschaft für technischen Zuzammenarbeit was the implementing organisation which dealt with the administration of the 1994 Community observer missions for the electoral process in Mozambique. Total funding for AWEPA/AEI in 1995 and 1996 was 1.62 MECU broken down as follows:

1995:

Series of conferences, seminars and workshops in Europe and Southern Africa: ECU 400 000

Mozambique: training of parliamentarians and staff in their legislative role: ECU 625 000

1996:

Angola: programme of activities related to the peace process: ECU 600 000
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1408/96 by Gianni Tamino (V) to the Council (18 June 1996)

Subject: Allocation of the PDO designation to mushrooms

The Council is due to discuss a Commission proposal for a regulation drawing up a list for the allocation of the PDO (protected designation of origin) to various European products. The list also includes mushrooms (such as the boletus mushrooms Boletus edulis, Boletus aestivalis, Boletus pinophilus and boletus aereus) which are supposed to be 'typical' of certain areas, but which do not appear in the annexes to the earlier Regulation No 2081/92. Mushrooms of this kind are not products which can be grown by man, but grow wild all over the world. Furthermore, it has not been possible as yet to find a scientific method for determining the geographical origin of a boletus, which goes to show that the same mushroom has the same characteristics everywhere.

The allocation of the PDO to certain areas where these mushrooms are picked would seriously damage those areas for which an application has not been submitted to the Commission, even if the mushrooms concerned have the same characteristics.

Does the Council consider that this kind of mushroom is a product suitable for the allocation of a PDO on the basis of the criteria set out in Regulation No 2081/92 ((OJ L 208, 24.7.1992, p. 1. ))? What characteristics must a mushroom have to be included in the list?

How is the origin of mushrooms to be checked in order to prevent fraud?

What instruments exist to prevent excessive use of the PDO from jeopardizing the principles of competition?

Reply (14 October 1996)

By Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92 the Council established a Community system on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs.

In that Regulation the Council entrusts the management of the system to the Commission. In accordance with Article 17(2) the Commission recently registered the names communicated by the Member States and legally protected at national level or established by custom.

The procedure established for stopping the registration of these names requires a regulatory committee to deliver an opinion on the Commission draft. Failing a favourable opinion from the committee, the Commission is obliged to submit its proposal to the Council.

In the case in point the Commission submitted to the Council on 15 March 1996, pursuant to the above procedure, a proposal for the registration of 318 products under geographical indications and designations of origin.

At its meeting on 20 and 21 May 1996 the Council noted that it was unable to adopt or to amend the Commission proposal. In that case the procedure provides for the measures to be adopted by the Commission after a period of three months.

The Council is therefore unable to intervene in respect of a specific product which, in accordance with the Council Regulation, has been assessed by the Commission and has undergone the approval procedure.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1896/96 by Jaak Vandemeulebroucke (ARE) to the Commission (11 July 1996)

Subject: Age limits in applications for posts

Where applicants for posts are subject to an age limit, the latter may be exceeded by the period during which the applicant was completing his national service.

Can the Commission say if it makes allowances where applicants opted for a longer period of community service?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission (5 September 1996)

As a rule notices of open competitions provide that in the case of applicants who have completed compulsory military service or any other form of compulsory service the age limit can be extended by the period of service completed. Periods of service performed voluntarily in addition to the period of compulsory service are not taken into consideration.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1324/96 by Encarnación Redondo Jiménez (PPE) to the Commission (3 June 1996)

Subject: European Union imports of wine from third countries

Is the Commission aware of the sheer scale of wine imports from third countries into the European Union? What measures should be taken to control this situation and guarantee Community preference rights?

Joint answer to Written Questions E-1280/96, E-1324/96 and E-1328/96 given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (18 June 1996)

The Commission has also noted that imports of wine from non-Community countries, and especially from Argentina to Spain, have increased considerably in the last year.

The Commission learnt from the press of rumours according to which certain irregularities had been committed in this respect. It would point out that Member States are responsible for import checks and that it has reminded them on a number of occasions of the need for national supervisory bodies to monitor imports closely.

Although to date the Commission has not received any official complaint concerning fraudulent imports, it has contacted the national supervisory bodies to draw their attention to these imports in particular and the subsequent use of the wine in the trade chain. The supervisory bodies have also been instructed to conduct a survey of these imports, the results of which are still pending.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1666/96 by Juan Colino Salamanca (PSE) and Jesús Cabezón Alonso (PSE) to the Commission (24 June 1996)

Subject: Beef intervention spending

What has been the increase in intervention spending on beef in the wake of the obvious negative repercussions of the 'mad cow' crisis?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (19 July 1996)

In the initial budget for 1996, intervention purchases of beef were expected to amount to 150 000 tonnes (ECU 221 million).

Given the fall in consumption as a result of the bovine spongiform encephelopathy (BSE) crisis, this quantity was increased to 300 000 tonnes (ECU 662 million) in preliminary draft supplementary and amending budget No 1/196.

By the end of June, some 180 000 tonnes had been bought in by tendering procedure.

In the preliminary draft budget for 1997, intervention purchases are put at 220 000 tonnes (ECU 469 million). Any further quantities must be covered from the ECU 505 million set aside for BSE.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1931/96 by Luigi Florio (UPE) to the Commission (16 July 1996)

Subject: Number of directives currently in force

How many European directives are currently in force in the EU?

Joint answer to Written Questions E-1931/96 and E-1932/96 given by Mr Santer on behalf of the Commission (29 July 1996)

The Honourable Member will find details of Community legislation in force in the directory published twice yearly by the Office for Official Publications of the European Communities. Legislative acts included in this directory are selected from the Celex database, which has been open to the public since 1981. Currently, Celex contains 1587 directives and 3188 Commission regulations in force.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1468/96 by Hiltrud Breyer (V) to the Commission (12 June 1996)

Subject: Eosinophilia myalgia syndrome (EMS) after the ingestion of L-tryptophan contaminated during genetic engineering

1. Is the Commission aware that, after ingesting L-tryptophan contaminated during genetic engineering, some people suffer from muscle and nerve degeneration (EMS), which makes them incapable of work and so turns them into welfare recipients?

2. What measures can be taken to avoid such unfortunate conditions as EMS in the EU in the future?

3. What practical assistance can EMS sufferers claim as regards

(a) confirmation of the diagnosis from a medical and legally relevant viewpoint,

(b) offers of information from sufferers and experienced therapists,

(c) opportunities for therapy through the training of interested doctors by means of information meetings, databases and presentations?

4. What status are EMS sufferers to be assigned in the EU?

5. What transitional assistance is planned to compensate EMS sufferers?

6. What method of compensation is possible for EMS sufferers?

7. Is it possible for mutual relief funds to be established by the pharmaceutical industry, governments and health insurance carriers?

Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission (30 July 1996)

1. The Commission is aware of the reports of adverse reactions to which the Honourable Member refers. This syndrome has been attributed to 'health food products' and medicinal products containing L-Tryptophan. Member States took the necessary measures in the early nineties and no new cases have been reported.

2. Although the mechanism of this reaction has never been clarified, it might be related to a change in the purification process of L-Tryptophan. In order to have a better control over this step of manufacture of starting materials, the Commission is currently preparing a draft directive on inspections and control of starting materials manufacturing. In addition, the Commission is currently setting up a telematic network between pharmacovigilance centres in the Member States and the European medicines evaluation agency with a view to identify signals much earlier and improve co-ordination of Member States' strategy.

3. to 7. The issues raised to by the Honourable Member are for the authorities of the Member States to consider.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1920/96 by Wolfgang Kreissl-Dörfler (V) to the Commission (16 July 1996)

Subject: Animal consignments - Bavaria: haulage undertakings carrying consignments of animals for slaughter

1. By what haulage undertakings are consignments of animals for slaughter carried?

2. Where do the different undertakings have their registered offices?

3. Who are the operators of the haulage undertakings?

4. What capacities do the haulage undertakings have?

Joint answer to Written Questions E-1917/96, E-1918/96, E-1920/96 and E-1922/96 given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (1 August 1996)

The Commission does not have sufficient, up-to-date information and is therefore unable to answer the questions put. This being the case, the Commission recommends that the Honourable Member approach the German authorities, including those of the Free State of Bavaria, which are more competent to answer this question.
WRITTEN QUESTION P-1542/96 by Jaime Valdivielso de Cué (PPE) to the Commission (6 June 1996)

Subject: Regulation and control of criminal pornographic material and apologias for terrorism on the Internet

As use of the Internet spreads, so do messages constituting an apologia for terrorism, pornographic material, violations of intellectual property rights and individual privacy and other criminal activities.

What steps does the Commission plan to take in order to examine the scale of the problem and find a solution to it?

Giving the international nature of the problem, will the Commission draw up a report to enable the Council to seek technical and legal solutions at European and world level and via the OECD?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission (12 July 1996)

The Commission attaches considerable importance to the issues raised by the Honourable Member and, more generally, to the analysis of the regulatory requirements brought about by the dissemination of information society services on account of the eminently cross-border connotations of such services.

Since the forms, nature and content of the new services are at present not sufficiently known or foreseeable, it is too early to undertake immediate wide-ranging harmonization at Community level of the relevant substantive law.

Furthermore, the new services are not developing within a legal vacuum since they remain subject to the legal principles in force both at the level of Community law (Treaty and secondary legislation) and at the level of national law (notably civil and criminal law).

The Commission has already begun or is planning several studies of certain matters inherent in the development prospects for the new on-line services. These studies include the Green Papers - already adopted - on 'Copyright and related rights in the information society', ((COM(95) 382 final. )) on 'Legal protection for encrypted services in the internal market' ((COM(96) 76 final. )) and on 'Commercial communications in the internal market' ((COM(96) 192 final. )) and the forthcoming Green Paper on the new audiovisual services.

The Commission is also following very closely the numerous studies undertaken at national level with a view to ascertaining how existing rules and regulations can be adapted to the special features of these new services.

It will be possible, in the light of all these activities, to make a wide-ranging and in-depth analysis of the issues of general interest referred to by the Honourable Member, so as to identify the regulatory needs at Community level and to map out future Commission activity within the competent international bodies, including the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, with which it is already cooperating.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1196/96 by Richard Howitt (PSE) to the Commission (15 May 1996)

Subject: Toxic and hazardous waste at Westwick tip, Canvey, Essex

Is the Commission aware of the potential health threat caused by toxic and hazardous waste in the Westwick landfill site at Canvey Island, Essex, which was dumped there prior to the existence of regulations controlling such sites? Will the Commission investigate this problem, including possible leakage into the adjacent coastal waters, and state precisely which aspects of European law apply to the treatment of such a site and which European funding programmes might be available to assist in financing such work?

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission (11 July 1996)

The Commission is not aware of the existence of the tip referred to by the Honourable Member. It has therefore written to the British authorities to ask for more detailed information on the situation and on the way in which the provisions of Directive 75/442/EEC on waste, ((OJ L 194, 25.7.1975. )) as amended by Directive 91/156/EEC, ((OJ L 78, 26.3.1991. )) and of Directive 76/464/EEC concerning pollution caused in the aquatic environment of the Community, ((OJ L 129, 18.5.1976. )) are being applied in this particular case.

The Commission will be able to give a more detailed answer once it has this information.

The only Community fund which could be used in this case is the Cohesion Fund; however, the United Kingdom is not eligible for this.