ddrg/super_eurlex huggingface dataset:
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2003/99

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

(9 November 1999)

Subject: Community Interreg III initiative

How does the Commission intend to consolidate and manage European spatial planning under the Community's Interreg III initiative?

What impact are current transnational interregional cooperation projects for the large European areas covered by Interreg II C likely to have in the future in the context of Interreg III?

Will these geographical areas be amalgamated for the new Interreg III initiative in the same way that they were for Interreg II C?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(8 December 1999)

The draft guidelines for the Community Interreg III Initiative(1), approved by the Commission on 13 October 1999, state in points 6 and 12 that the objective of this new Initiative is to promote balanced development of the EU territory, aiming to promote a higher degree of territorial integration across large groupings of European regions, with a view to achieving sustainable, harmonious and balanced development in the European Union.

In point 14, the guidelines specify that the measures must underpin an integrated territorial approach that responds to common problems and that programmes should take account of the recommendations for territorial development of the European Spatial Development Perspective (ESDP).

Point 14 of the draft also states that the transnational cooperation proposals should build on the experience of Interreg IIC. The Commission will therefore ask the Member States to give priority to continuing the cooperation arrangements which proved fruitful under Interreg IIC and to set up those for which the initial study phase is finished. It is indeed desirable that recommendations made under Interreg IIC should be translated into action and take concrete form under Interreg III.

On the basis of experience gained in particular with Interreg IIC, the Commission has made a proposal for geographical groupings in the guidelines. It is up to the Member States to make specific, duly motivated and justified proposals on this basis according to their priorities.

(1) COM(1999) 479 final.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2009/99

by Ulpu Iivari (PSE) to the Commission

(9 November 1999)

Subject: The role of libraries in modern society

On 15 May 1998, at the request of the Conference of Presidents, the President of Parliament announced that Parliament's Committee on Culture, Youth, Education and the Media had been authorised to table a report on the role of libraries in modern society. The committee appointed Mirja Ryynänen MEP, rapporteur. The own-initiative report was adopted in plenary at the October 1998 part-session(1). The discussion on the report was said to have reached the Green Paper stage.

The Commission has decided to issue a communication on this topic and to offer for further discussion significantly more detailed information than was contained in the report. This communication has been awaited for a year now.

What stage has the Commission reached in the drafting of this communication? What progress is the Commission making, and what is its timetable for further action, on the subject of libraries?

(1) OJ C 341, 9.11.1998, p. 373.

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(3 December 1999)

The report to which the Honourable Member refers is important, raising significant issues for libraries in the modern world. The Commission recognises too that libraries exist in a wider context with archives and museums, the other cultural institutions, in providing and safeguarding citizens' access to knowledge and culture in a modern networked information society.

While fully supportive of the committee's work, the Commission is considering whether and how best to take account of this wider context, in particular in the light of the work being undertaken in the field of the information society under the Fifth framework programme and with a view to producing concrete frameworks for coordination and cooperation between the various memory institutions in the coming months.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1885/99

by Esko Seppänen (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(29 October 1999)

Subject: The Commission's information material

The Commission has produced a press release dated June 1999 entitled Four years of the structural funds in Finland 1995-1999. This document is full of inaccuracies and contains many factual errors. How does the Commission propose to correct the content of this material, and does it intend to produce more reliable press releases in future?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(6 December 1999)

The Honourable Member complains of inaccuracies in the figures quoted in the Infopress and of misleading comparisons between the budgets for the current and new periods of the structural funds in Finland.

The Directorate general for regional policy publishes Infopress brochures on the structural funds for each Member State holding the Union presidency. They are meant as short guides for the general public. Although one mistake was made in the figures quoted in the Finnish brochure that of 2 200 million for the approximate expenditure by the structural funds in Finland in the new period, instead of the actual figure which was nearer 2 100 million this was largely due to the unclear situation at the time the brochure was written about the allocation for Community initiatives. The Commission does not accept that the comparisons made between the current and new periods were misleading for the general reader for whom such brochures are intended.

All regulations, decisions and guidelines concerning the structural funds and their finances in the new period are published in extenso on the Commission's Internet websites. In 2000, after the structural fund programmes have been adopted, it will publish more detailed brochures on the various programmes.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2352/99

by Freddy Thielemans (PSE) to the Commission

(13 December 1999)

Subject: Food quality

Is the Commission aware that Parmigiano-Reggiano and Grana Padana cheeses apparently contain large quantities of copper up to 20 times as much as is permitted in quality cheeses with a protected denomination of origin? It is a well-known fact that the copper salts which are probably used in cheese-making to prevent the milk from fermenting are highly toxic. Is the Commission planning to activate the rapid alert system?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(24 January 2000)

The Commission is aware of the facts reported by the Honourable Member. Already during a mission of the Commission's food and veterinary office carried out in March 1999, this situation was brought to the attention of the Commission and the Member States. The report of that mission (report no XXIV/1099/99) can be consulted at internet (http://europa.eu.int/comm/dg24/health/vi/reports/index_en.html).

Since all Member States received this report, which is also available on the Internet, it is no longer appropriate to transmit again the same information through the rapid alert system for food.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1987/99

by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Council

(9 November 1999)

Subject: Action to combat corruption

In the light of alarming indications of corruption on the part of leading figures in Russia, a recent G7 decision decreed a freeze on loans to Russia after calling for quarterly information about the state of accounts as a condition for restoring the flow of funds to the former Soviet empire.

Would the Council set up a committee of inquiry concerning the destination of Community funds allocated to Russia under the cooperation agreements with that country?

Reply

(31 January 2000)

The Honourable Member asks whether the Council would set up a committee of inquiry concerning the destination of Community funds allocated to Russia under the cooperation agreements with that country.

The Council does not have the power to set up a committee of enquiry. Furthermore, under Article 274 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, responsibility for implementing the general budget of the Communities falls on the Commission. Similarly, loans from by the European Investment Bank, even if they are subsidised or guaranteed under the Community budget, are granted under the Bank's primary responsibility. Finally, it should be stressed that Russia is a sovereign State.

Nevertheless, the Council uses the powers conferred on it by the treaties to ensure the greatest possible control of the use made of Community funds, particularly in Russia.

In particular, the Council specified in Regulation (EC) 2802/98(1) of 17 December 1998, organising the distribution in Russia of 1 850 000 tonnes of foodstuffs for a sum of EUR 470 million, that a memorandum concluded by the Commission and the Russian authorities should make it possible for monitoring, auditing, control and evaluation to be carried out on Russian territory, in particular by the Court of Auditors or by outside bodies delegated by the Commission for the purpose. The Council also decided on 26 November 1999, during the second reading of the budget for 2000, to increase the appropriations for controlling the delivery of this aid from EUR 12,4 to 20,4 million. The particularly high proportion of financial means allocated to monitoring the operation demonstrates the importance that the Council attaches to this issue.

Furthermore, the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) now has, under Regulation No 1073/99(2) of the European Parliament and of the Council, general powers to protect the financial interests of the Communities, whether these consist of funds from the general budget of the Communities or loans granted by the European Investment Bank.

(1) OJ L 349, 24.12.1998, p. 12.

(2) OJ L 136, 31.5.1999, p. 1.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2362/99

by Stephen Hughes (PSE) to the Commission

(13 December 1999)

Subject: Criminal record disclosure of job applicants

1. Research cited by the European Offender Employment Forum reveals wide variations between different EU countries in the regulations for disclosure of past criminal record information to potential employers. Has the Commission made any assessment of the impact of these variations on either the free movement of labour within the EU or the employment prospects of ex-offenders?

2. The European Offender Employment Forum estimates that half a million people leave prisons in the EU every year and that many face acute problems in reintegrating back into the labour market. What measures is the Commission taking to support training and employment initiatives for ex-offenders and to tackle discrimination against them in employment?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(18 January 2000)

The variations between different Member States' regulations on disclosure of past criminal record information to potential employers have such an indirect link with the free movement of labour that the Commission considers that these variations are not of particular relevance to the right to free movement.

Within the European employment strategy, ex-offenders' particular difficulties in acquiring relevant skills and in gaining access to the labour market are under guideline 9. This guideline recommends Member States to give special attention to the needs of the disabled, ethnic minorities and other groups and individuals who may be disadvantaged, and to develop appropriate forms of preventive and active policies to promote their integration into the labour market.

Furthermore, social and economic re-integration of ex-offenders might also be covered by the incentive measures mentioned in Article 137 (ex Article 118) of the EC Treaty and designed to encourage co-operation between Member States through initiatives aimed at improving knowledge, developing exchanges of information and best practice and promoting innovative approaches. The Commission is currently preparing a draft programme on the basis of this article.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2134/99

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Council

(29 November 1999)

Subject: Abolition of tax-free shopping and the impact on jobs

On 1 July 1999 sales of duty-free goods in tax-free shops finally came to an end. These shops sold certain products (e.g. perfume, cigarettes and alcohol) tax-free to passengers on international flights. The ban followed a decision by the European Summit in Cologne on 3 and 4 June 1999 to apply Article 12 of the Sixth Council directive on VAT No 77/388/EEC(1) of 17 May 1977 in full. The article in question permitted intra-Community sales free of tax until 30 June 1999.

For a variety of reasons there was considerable opposition to the abolition of tax-free shopping in the European Union, e.g. because of the negative effect on jobs. The Commission and the Council have always argued that the ban on tax-free shopping would not lead to a loss of jobs. However, the evidence emerging from the industry is different. For example, sales at Sky Shops in Zaventem have fallen by a quarter since 30 June 1999. Management have been obliged to make 60 full-time employees redundant.

1. How many persons were employed full-time in tax-free shops in the European Union on 1 January 1999?

2. How many persons were employed full-time in tax-free shops in the European Union on 1 June 1999?

3. How many persons were employed full-time in tax-free shops in the European Union on 1 July 1999?

4. How many persons were employed full-time in tax-free shops in the European Union on 1 October 1999?

5. On the basis of the answers to questions 1 to 4, does the Council acknowledge that the number of full-time jobs in tax-free shops in the European Union has fallen?

6. Does the Council feel that these job losses are due to the abolition of tax-free shopping in the European Union? If so, is the Council prepared to review the ban on tax-free shopping? If not, to what does the Council attribute the loss of jobs in the tax-free shops sector?

(1) OJ L 145, 13.6.1977, p. 1.

Answer

(24 January 2000)

According to the Council's basic decision from 1992, tax-free sales for intra-community travellers did not fit in with the concept of an internal market without fiscal frontiers. Nevertheless, the Council decided in 1992 to maintain the situation of duty-free shops on a temporary basis until the end of June 1999.

The Council has repeatedly pointed out that at a first stage it is up to Member States to alleviate both the social repercussions in the sector concerned and the regional difficulties in border regions which might arise from the abolition of tax-free sales. The Community instruments available to Member States to address possible consequences of the abolition of those sales are outlined in a Communication from the Commission to the Council of 17 February 1999(1).

(1) OJ C 66, 9.3.1999, p. 6.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1615/99

by Caroline Jackson (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(15 September 1999)

Subject: Bison meat and premium payments under EU beef regime

Can the Commission state whether there is any possibility that it will agree to extend the system of premium payments under the EU beef regime to bison meat? If not, why not?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(8 October 1999)

The Commission is not competent to extend the system of premiums in the beef and veal sector to include bison. Clearly, neither the current basic regulation on beef and veal (Regulation (EEC) No 805/68)(1), nor the new common organisation of the market as set out in Council Regulation (EC) No 1254/1999(2)

under the Agenda 2000 package, provides for the grant of premiums for bison. Indeed, in the case of live animals, the definition of bovine animals in Article 1(2) of Regulation (EEC) No 805/68 (and the corresponding Article of Regulation (EC) No 1254/1999) covers only live animals of the domestic bovine species described in the Combined Nomenclature (CN)(3). In practice this means that aid for domestic bovine animals cannot be paid in respect of other bovine animals (including bison).

Two kinds of problem would arise if bison were to be included in the support scheme for domestic bovine animals. Firstly, a greater number of animal species would enjoy Community support. Member States have on a number of occasions been unwilling to accept such an increase. The matter was raised again during the Agenda 2000 discussions, when it was decided not to change the legal status of bison and their eligibility for beef premiums. The second problem arises in the context of the Community's international relations. A fresh round of international trade negotiations (WTO talks World Trade Organisation) starts in November 1999, when the Community's partners are likely to challenge the direct aid it grants under the common agricultural policy. In these circumstances, therefore, it would not be appropriate to extend the scope of this aid to include more species.

(1) OJ L 148, 28.6.1968.

(2) OJ L 160, 26.6.1999.

(3) See explanatory notes in OJ C 287, 15.9.1998.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2221/99

by Christopher Huhne (ELDR) to the Commission

(1 December 1999)

Subject: Promotions in the Commission and in the Member States

Would the Commission please indicate the proportion of employees of the Commission who have been promoted by one grade, two grades and three grades in the last five-year period and provide comparisons for the civil services of the five largest Member States?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(9 December 1999)

A table with the details of the total number and proportion of Commission employees who have been promoted by one grade, two grades and three grades in the five year period from 1994-1998 is being sent directly to the Honourable Member and to Parliament's Secretariat.

The Commission does not have comparable figures for the civil services of Member States or the legal authority to require provision of such statistics.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1554/99

by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission

(1 September 1999)

Subject: Crisis in the pig farming sector

Can the Commission confirm whether overproduction in the above sector is at around 20 %?

If so, does it believe that this is the main reason for the crisis proclaimed by the pig farming associations, or does it consider that there are other reasons? If so, what are they?

Could the Commission limit overproduction by introducing Community ceilings?

Does it not believe that a level playing field could be achieved for all if uniform environmental and health legislation were adopted throughout the EU?

Why does the Commission not match each importation of zero duty pigs from non-member states with an exportation of equal quantities of processed pigmeat to markets outside the Community?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(11 October 1999)

Production of pigmeat in the Community has increased during recent years. Total production in 1997 was 16,25 million tonnes and in 1998 production increased by 8 % to 17,56 million tonnes. During 1999 production is still expected to increase by around 2 %, the increase being mainly in the first half of the year. In the second half of 1999 and through the first half of 2000 production is forecasted to decline. The exports of pigmeat to third countries, which were aided by export refunds, amounted to 743 000 tonnes in the General agreement on tariffs and trade (GATT) year 4 (1 July 1998 to 30 June 1999), which represents 4 % of the total production and which could be regarded as oversupply.

Oversupply of pigs was definitely one of the major reasons for very low producer prices in the second half of 1998 and in the first half of 1999. Pig markets have a cyclical nature with high production and, consequently, low price periods recurring every three to five years. However, there were also other reasons. Economic crises in main importing countries and increased competition from other exporting countries added difficulties for the European pig industry.

The Commission has discussed with Member States possible measures to limit production on several occasions, but these measures have received little support from the majority of Member States. In these meetings the Commission has also stressed that Member States should fully implement Community and national legislation on environmental issues, which should help preventive excessive production peaks.

The quotas for zero duty imports for GATT year 1998-1999 were 7 000 tonnes. However, only 2 500 tonnes were imported. For the same GATT year the Community had a ceiling for subsidised pigmeat exports of 483 000 tonnes, which was fully used. Therefore, the Community exports were many times the zero duty imports.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1764/99

by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission

(11 October 1999)

Subject: Crisis in the fish market and unfair competition on the part of Greece

The crisis which has been affecting the market in certain species of fish (sea bass and gilthead sea bream) since the beginning of 1999 has worsened during the summer. Italian fish-breeders are finding it difficult to sell their fish, which has remained in the fish farms for months. On the other hand, products from Greece, which are undoubtedly less fresh than Italian products, have been driving market prices down to below actual production costs, LIT 8 000 per kilo for gilthead sea bream and LIT 9 000 per kilo for sea bass.

Since the costs of feed, fry and transport are higher than in Italy, one can only suppose that the Greeks are practising dumping. The reason for this might be that the largest Greek fish producers are quoted on the stock exchange and are therefore more interested in the volume of turnover, in order to show an apparent profit to the stock market, than in a genuine operating profit.

Can the Commission say:

1. whether it does not consider the above constitutes a threat of dumping;

2. whether it does not consider an inquiry should be launched to ascertain a possible infringement of the principles of free competition;

3. whether it does not consider it appropriate to ascertain that there has not been an infringement of Community regulations (and exploitation of Community funds) with adverse consequences for employment)?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(23 November 1999)

The Commission is aware of the current market difficulties for sea bass and sea bream linked to the rapid growth in the cultivation of these species which has overtaken growth in market demand. Total Community production in 1988 was 2 801 tonnes, the figure for 1998 is an estimated 60 188 tonnes.

Given the experience of the salmon sector which has experienced a series of marketing crises over the past decade, due to supply outstripping the growth in the market, the Commission is concerned that the same difficulties do not befall the sea bass and sea bream sector. The lesson has to be learned that effective marketing is a prerequisite if this important part of the Mediterranean aquaculture is to consolidate and grow. This is primarily an industry responsibility, but assistance from the Financial instrument for fisheries guidance (FIFG) is available and has been used for this purpose already in some Member States.

The question of dumping does not arise between Member States but predatory pricing or abuse of a dominant market position, if proven, may be addressed under competition rules. The Commission will intensify its monitoring of the current market situation and consider whether any further action may be required to prevent production running ahead of market growth.