do-me/EUR-LEX huggingface dataset:
WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1580/96 by Jannis SAKELLARIOU to the Commission. Rejection of EU nationals as law assessors
Date: 1996-06-24
Institutions: European Parliament, SAKELLARIOU
Subjects: Bavaria, EU national, Italy, anti-discriminatory measure, application of EU law, competence of the Member States, equal treatment, interpretation of the law, lay magistrate, power to appoint













EUR-Lex - 91996E1580 - EN






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91996E1580

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1580/96 by Jannis SAKELLARIOU to the Commission. Rejection of EU nationals as law assessors  


Official Journal C 356 , 25/11/1996 P. 0061 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-1580/96 by Jannis Sakellariou (PSE) to the Commission (24 June 1996)Subject: Rejection of EU nationals as law assessorsIn Bavaria citizens were recently called on to apply to become lay assessors. A citizen with Italian nationality was refused inclusion on the list because the office of lay assessor is reserved for German nationals.Does the Commission consider that this practice is in line with the idea of European citizenship?Is this practice compatible with the principle of non-discrimination against nationals of EU Member States?Are steps being taken if necessary to halt such inequalities?Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission (5 September 1996)Law assessors perform a judicial role in that they exercise the State's power to administer justice. Accordingly, the manner in which this function is to be carried out is exclusively the responsibility of the Member State in question.Furthermore, even within the scope of the EC Treaty, certain specific activities of the public service, where those involve the exercise of public authority, may be reserved exclusively for citizens of the Member State in question. This does not constitute discrimination against citizens of other Member States but is a derogation laid down by Community law. ((Freedom of movement of workers and access to employment in the public service of the Member States - Commission action in respect of the application of Article 48(4) of the EEC Treaty (OJ C 72, 18.3.1988). ))Accordingly, the Commission takes the view that the Bavarian law is compatible with Community law where it reserves the function of law assessor solely for German nationals.
WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1616/96 by Richard HOWITT to the Commission. Crisis prevention in Latin America
Date: 1996-06-24
Institutions: European Parliament, HOWITT
Subjects: EU aid, EU relations, Latin America, development aid, economic recession, political crisis, public safety













EUR-Lex - 91996E1616 - EN






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91996E1616

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1616/96 by Richard HOWITT to the Commission. Crisis prevention in Latin America  


Official Journal C 322 , 28/10/1996 P. 0095 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-1616/96 by Richard Howitt (PSE) to the Commission (24 June 1996)Subject: Crisis prevention in Latin AmericaIn its advice to the Council, could the Commission identify the areas of conflict or potential conflict it is concerned about where crisis prevention action is currently desirable in Latin America?Answer given by Mr Marín on behalf of the Commission (10 July 1996)In the general guidelines for EC-Latin American cooperation for the period 1996-2000 submitted to the Council and approved on 4 December last year, the Commission highlighted, as clearly conducive to stability, the considerable progress achieved in Latin America in both the political and the economic spheres.Politically, the Commission pointed to the greater mobilization of civil society behind the rule of law and consolidation of democratic institutions. The protracted conflicts in Central America have given way to pacification and the resettlement of displaced persons, returnees and demobilized soldiers. New strength and pragmatism have been infused into integration schemes at subregional level.On the economic front a period of recession and instability has been succeeded by an upturn, creating the conditions for development and growth. Prospects for an economic recovery in Latin America are therefore good, though the resumption of growth is not yet universal and social problems in particular remain.Both politically and economically, however, recent events such as the conflict between Peru and Ecuador, the situation in Paraguay and Colombia and the problems of the Mexican economy demonstrate that societies may still be at risk.In the circumstances, therefore, the Commission is keen to step up cooperation and provide backing for growth and reform as a way of reducing the social tensions which breed instability. Measures have also been adopted in the context of the dialogue with the Rio Group to build mutual confidence and security.
WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1637/96 by Glenys KINNOCK to the Commission. Urban community initiative programme
Date: 1996-06-24
Institutions: European Parliament, KINNOCK
Subjects: Structural Funds, United Kingdom, action programme, administrative formalities, fund (EU), project management, town planning













EUR-Lex - 91996E1637 - EN






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91996E1637

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1637/96 by Glenys KINNOCK to the Commission. Urban community initiative programme  


Official Journal C 345 , 15/11/1996 P. 0092 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-1637/96 by Glenys Kinnock (PSE) to the Commission (24 June 1996)Subject: Urban community initiative programmeWhen does the Commissioner expect the UK Urban programmes to start and what impact will a late start have on the performance of the programme and on the take-up of funding?Answer given by Mrs Wulf-Mathies on behalf of the Commission (5 July 1996)The approval of the Urban programmes for Great Britain is dependent upon agreement being reached with the United Kingdom authorities about administrative arrangements for their implementation. The Commission hopes that such an agreement will be reached soon.The late start to these programmes - which has been due to a number of factors - should not have a major impact on their performance or on the take-up of funding. The reasons for this are twofold.Firstly, the Urban programming period runs until the end of 1999, and allows spending of European structural funds until the end of 2001. The Commission foresees that funding will be fully taken up by this date, provided that, as usual, matching funding is available from the programme partners.Secondly,the Commission believes that people living in the target areas should have a real stake in the development of local Urban plans. This process and the resulting capacity building within the target communities will have a beneficial influence on programme performance.
WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1624/96 by Richard HOWITT to the Commission. Delays in agreeing development projects in Latin America
Date: 1996-06-24
Institutions: European Parliament, HOWITT
Subjects: Latin America, action programme, administrative procedure, administrative structures, cooperation policy, development aid, development plan, free service, project management













EUR-Lex - 91996E1624 - EN






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91996E1624

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1624/96 by Richard HOWITT to the Commission. Delays in agreeing development projects in Latin America  


Official Journal C 322 , 28/10/1996 P. 0096 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-1624/96 by Richard Howitt (PSE) to the Commission (24 June 1996)Subject: Delays in agreeing development projects in Latin AmericaWhich EU development project in Latin America agreed in the last year experienced the longest delay from the time of first application to the Commission, and what was the length of that delay?Which further EU development project in Latin America agreed in the last year required the highest number of signatures of approval and what was this number?Does the Commission have any proposals to improve efficiency, flexibility and decentralised decision-making in relation to its development cooperation in the region?Answer given by Mr Marín on behalf of the Commission (15 July 1996)The Commission is aware of the timescale involved in processing development projects, the causes of which are twofold: first, the administrative procedures for project assessment, which are designed to guarantee that the projects approved by the Commission are of the requisite quality and comply with the rules on rational and transparent management of Community funds; second, the limited number of staff available to meet the demand for cooperation, which has grown exponentially over the past few years.The Commission's general guidelines for cooperation with Latin America from 1996 to 2000 ((COM(95) 495 final. )) set out a strategy for a more innovative, flexible type of cooperation. This will involve reviewing project management procedures on a regular basis and placing greater emphasis on annual horizontal programmes that provide for decentralized management. With the same objective in mind, the Commission delegations in Latin America will be asked to play a greater role in the management of projects and programmes at local level.
WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1655/96 by Mihail PAPAYANNAKIS to the Commission. Development of the Community's railways
Date: 1996-06-24
Institutions: European Parliament, PAPAYANNAKIS
Subjects: EC Directive, EC opinion, European Commission, Greece, action for failure to fulfil an obligation, common transport policy, privatisation, rail transport













EUR-Lex - 91996E1655 - EN






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91996E1655

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1655/96 by Mihail PAPAYANNAKIS to the Commission. Development of the Community's railways  


Official Journal C 365 , 04/12/1996 P. 0015 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-1655/96 by Mihail Papayannakis (GUE/NGL) to the Commission (24 June 1996)Subject: Development of the Community's railwaysArticle 15 of Directive 91/440/EEC ((OJ L 237, 24.8.1991, p.25.)) on the development of the Community's railways provides that Member States shall adopt the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive not later than 1 January 1993.Bearing in mind that, with a view to the development of the Community's railways, the Directive provides that Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that railway undertakings have independent status as regards management, administration and internal control over administrative, economic and accounting matters, will the Commission say:1. What measures Greece has taken at national level to develop Greek railways?2. Whether Greece has notified it of these measures and, if so, when?3. What measures it intends to take if it finds that the relevant Greek authorities have not taken adequate action to implement this Directive?Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission (31 July 1996)Greece has not yet notified national implementing measures for Council Directive 91/440/EEC on the development of the Community's railways. As Member States had to implement the directive by 1 January 1993, the Commission has begun proceedings against Greece under Article 169 of the EC Treaty. In November 1995, it delivered a reasoned opinion to Greece. The Commission is presently in contact with the Greek authorities about their plans to implement the directive. Depending on the result of these contacts, it will decide whether or not to bring the case before the Court of justice.
WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1649/96 by Hiltrud BREYER to the Commission. Unauthorized subsidies by the Hamburger Elektrizitäts Werke (HEW)
Date: 1996-06-24
Institutions: BREYER, European Parliament
Subjects: European Commission, Germany, State aid, electrical energy, exchange of information, industrial building, iron and steel industry, supply













EUR-Lex - 91996E1649 - EN






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91996E1649

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1649/96 by Hiltrud BREYER to the Commission. Unauthorized subsidies by the Hamburger Elektrizitäts Werke (HEW)  


Official Journal C 356 , 25/11/1996 P. 0076 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-1649/96 by Hiltrud Breyer (V) to the Commission (24 June 1996)Subject: Unauthorized subsidies by the Hamburger Elektrizitäts Werke (HEW)1. Is the Commission aware that HEW (in which the City of Hamburg is a majority shareholder) is selling electricity to companies such as the Hamburger Stahlwerke and the Vereinten Aluminiumwerke at dumping prices, under a special tariff for large customers?2. Have these subsidies been duly notified?3. Does the Commission see a case for proceedings in view of infringement of the subsidy rules laid down in Articles 91 and 92 of the EC Treaty?Answer given by Mr Van Miert on behalf of the Commission (17 July 1996)1. The Commission has not received any notification concerning state aid in favour of Vereinte Aluminiumwerke and Hamburger Stahlwerke GmbH in the form of abnormally low energy charges for the supply of electrical energy by Hamburgische Electricitätswerke.2. Neither does the Commission have any indication of the existence of a hidden state aid constituted by special prices charged for electricity supplied to these two enterprises.3. Following the Honourable Member's question the Commission will ask for further information in order to investigate the issue, and, if appropriate, it will take the necessary action.
WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1609/96 by Richard HOWITT to the Commission. ERDF and people with disabilities
Date: 1996-06-24
Institutions: European Parliament, HOWITT
Subjects: EU aid, European Regional Development Fund, European Social Fund, disabled person, fight against unemployment, job access, vocational training













EUR-Lex - 91996E1609 - EN






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91996E1609

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1609/96 by Richard HOWITT to the Commission. ERDF and people with disabilities  


Official Journal C 356 , 25/11/1996 P. 0067 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-1609/96 by Richard Howitt (PSE) to the Commission (24 June 1996)Subject: ERDF and people with disabilitiesCould the Commission outline which studies, consultations or other initiatives have taken place concerning the benefit of European Regional Development Fund actions to unemployed disabled people?Could the Commission outline how many disabled people are being trained or supported in Objective One and Two Programmes this year and what proportion of infrastructure investment is being used to create an accessible workplace environment in which disabled people are able to work?Does the Commission plan any initiatives in this respect?Answer given by Mrs Wulf-Mathies on behalf of the Commission (16 July 1996)The European Regional Development Fund may be used to finance investment in productive enterprises or infrastructure benefiting people with disabilities or catering to their needs. However, support for projects aimed directly at people with disabilities is primarily the task of the European Social Fund, and in particular the 'Horizon' Community Initiative.
WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1648/96 by Hiltrud BREYER to the Commission. Implementation of the bird protection directive in the Federal Republic of Germany
Date: 1996-06-24
Institutions: BREYER, European Parliament
Subjects: EC Directive, Germany, application of EU law, degree of pollution, exchange of information, protected area, wildlife













EUR-Lex - 91996E1648 - EN






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91996E1648

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1648/96 by Hiltrud BREYER to the Commission. Implementation of the bird protection directive in the Federal Republic of Germany  


Official Journal C 356 , 25/11/1996 P. 0076 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-1648/96 by Hiltrud Breyer (V) to the Commission (24 June 1996)Subject: Implementation of the bird protection directive in the Federal Republic of Germany1. Can the Commission list the bird protection areas designated in the Federal Länder, broken down by Land? If so, can it provide me with a copy of the list?2. Does the Commission regard this as satisfactory implementation of the bird protection directive, 70/409/EEC? ((OJ L 103, 25.4.1979, p. 1. ))3. If not, where does the Commission see evidence that implementation has been inadequate?Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission (30 July 1996)1. The Commission regularly produces a report listing all special protection areas (SPAs) classified by Member States and officially notified by them pursuant to Article 4 of the birds Directive (79/409/EEC). A new list for 1996 is in preparation and will be available in the late autumn 1996. The 1994 list, including for Germany all SPAs by Länder, is sent directly to the Honourable Member and to the Parliament's Secretariat.2. and 3. The Commission continually assesses the progress made by the Member States towards creating a coherent network of SPAs for annex 1 species and migratory bird species (see Natura 2000 newsletter of May 1996 for Natura 2000 barometer assessing the situation).The Commission estimates that, with the exception of Belgium and Denmark which have largely classified their 'most suitable territories', all Member States should classify further SPAs to meet their obligations under Article 4 of the Directive 79/409/EEC. The Commission is using, as a reference, scientific inventories of important bird areas.
WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1691/96 by Amedeo AMADEO to the Commission. European Observatory for SMEs
Date: 1996-06-24
Institutions: AMADEO, European Parliament
Subjects: activity report, business policy, dissemination of information, exchange of information, single market, small and medium-sized enterprises, statistics













EUR-Lex - 91996E1691 - EN






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91996E1691

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1691/96 by Amedeo AMADEO to the Commission. European Observatory for SMEs  


Official Journal C 385 , 19/12/1996 P. 0025 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-1691/96 by Amedeo Amadeo (NI) to the Commission (24 June 1996)Subject: European Observatory for SMEsThe main part of the Observatory's report concerns developments in the SME Internal Market Monitor, which is designed to assess the effects of completion of the internal market on small and medium-sized enterprises. Completion of the internal market has had an impact on both the performance of SMEs and the environment in which they operate.In looking at the report, it is clear that:1. there is still a lack of comparable statistics, which makes analysis difficult; will the Commission therefore make a greater effort to provide a clear and reliable statistical framework as soon as possible?2. it is vital to have very rapid updates of analyses of business trends and this will be impossible if the report continues to adopt its present broad structure, when it would be more useful to have more specific updates.Answer given by Mr Papoutsis on behalf of the Commission (16 September 1996)The Commission shares the Honourable Member's views about the importance of having good quality and appropriate statistical information on the number, size, structure and population of enterprises, particularly in order to successfully carry out its own work on devising and assessing policy initiatives in favour of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).In accordance with the provisions of Council Decision 93/379/EEC of 14 June 1993 ((OJ L 161, 2 July 1993. )), the Commission is actively involved in improving both the quality and quantity of statistics on SMEs. In particular, the collection of data which began in 1988 has developed through the involvement of more and more Member States, sectors of activity and variables. A number of statistical projects and programmes have been drawn up, and work on these will continue, with the emphasis being put on improving the scope and relevance of the data and making use of all the information available, rather than burdening enterprises with new requests for data.In addition, the Commission will endeavour to promote changes in the structure of the annual reports from the European Observatory for SMEs by lightening them with more concise updates, particularly as regards assessing aspects relating to the environment and the performance of enterprises in the internal market. At the same time, efforts will be made to ensure that future reports continue to provide an appropriate basis for discussing horizontal issues concerning SMEs, without, however, calling into question the independent nature of the analyses carried out by the Observatory.
WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1583/96 by Marianne ERIKSSON to the Commission. Radioactive waste
Date: 1996-06-24
Institutions: ERIKSSON, European Parliament
Subjects: European Commission, North Sea, Sweden, United Kingdom, application of EU law, dumping of waste, free service, marine pollution, public health, radioactive waste













EUR-Lex - 91996E1583 - EN






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91996E1583

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1583/96 by Marianne ERIKSSON to the Commission. Radioactive waste  


Official Journal C 356 , 25/11/1996 P. 0062 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-1583/96 by Marianne Eriksson (GUE/NGL) to the Commission (24 June 1996)Subject: Radioactive wasteThe UK Atomic Energy Authority is planning to expand the processing of radioactive waste, the result of which will be an increase in radioactive discharges at Dounreay. Sea currents will carry these radioactive discharges to the Swedish and other coasts causing further damage to health, the environment, tourism etc. The west coast of Sweden is already suffering badly from North Sea pollution.The expanded operations may take radioactive waste from Russia for processing, which would have to be shipped either through the Baltic Sea or via Murmansk. An accident would be a disaster for the Baltic environment and the surrounding countries.This issue is of international concern as other countries would be exposed to environmental and health hazards as well as radioactive pollution.What measures will the Commission take to prevent the plans to increase the amount of radioactive waste processed at Dounreay from becoming a reality?Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission (1 August 1996)Discharges from the Dounreay site are controlled within the terms of an authorization issued under the United Kingdom's radioactive substances Act. The terms of that authorization are presently under review. It is understood that, in respect of liquid discharges, authorised limits from the site are unlikely to be increased. The United Kingdom authorities are required to ensure that the doses received by the most exposed members of the local population will remain within the limits laid down in the Community legislation. On this basis it is clear that any radiological impact on the west coast of Sweden will be negligible.Furthermore, the Commission seeks to ensure that Member States comply with the terms of the basic safety standards, under Council Directive 80/836/Euratom ((OJ L 246, 17.9.1980. )). There is no evidence that the United Kingdom is failing in its obligations under that Directive in respect of discharges from the Dounreay site.
WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1679/96 by Raymonde DURY to the Council. Living on campsites
Date: 1996-06-24
Institutions: DURY, European Parliament
Subjects: Belgium, European social policy, camping, housing policy, legal domicile, non-governmental organisation, poverty, residence













EUR-Lex - 91996E1679 - EN






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91996E1679

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1679/96 by Raymonde DURY to the Council. Living on campsites  


Official Journal C 356 , 25/11/1996 P. 0083 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-1679/96 by Raymonde Dury (PSE) to the Council (24 June 1996)Subject: Living on campsitesIn Belgium, and in the Wallonia region in particular, poor people are currently to be found living on campsites.According to the Commission, this issue has been dealt with in reports by non-governmental organizations (see answer to Written Question P-0973/96) ((OJ C 217, 26.7.1996, p. 131. )).Can the Council state whether this issue will be addressed at the next Council of Housing Ministers, to be held in Ireland in October 1996?Reply (10 October 1996)The question raised by the Honourable Member does not fall within the Council's competence.