WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3620/97 by David THOMAS to the Commission. Commission proposals on animal welfare
Date: 1997-11-10
Institutions: European Parliament, THOMAS
Subjects: European Commission, animal welfare, intensive livestock farming, proposal (EU), slaughter of animals, transport of animals

25. 5. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 158/165

(98/C 158/220)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3618/97

by Carmen D(cid:14)·ez de Rivera Icaza (PSE) to the Commission

(10 November 1997)

Subject: Degree courses in music in universities

The teaching of arts such as music remains outwith the university system in certain Member States.

Can  the  Commission  tell  me  whether  it  intends  to  push  for  the  introduction  of  music  as  a  university  degree
subject in the Member States?

Answer given by Mrs Cresson on behalf of the Commission

(11 December 1997)

The  Honourable  Member  will  be  aware  that  the  Member  States  alone  are  reponsible  for  the  structure  and
functioning of their education systems and that the Commission has no power to intervene to change them.

Nevertheless,  the  Commission  does  have  some  scope  for  intervention  in  educational  matters  through
encouraging cooperation between Member States, and this could apply to degree courses in music.

More precisely, the Socrates/Erasmus programme now has a new initiative under the title (cid:145)thematic networks(cid:146),
one of which is an (cid:145)arts-music(cid:146) network. This network consists of eleven Member States, plus Iceland, Norway
and three countries of Central and Eastern Europe. In all of these countries, music is taught in higher education.

The aim of these networks is to review the situation in the area of study in question, improve the level of teaching
and  learning,  and  identify  and  disseminate  examples  of  good  practice.  In  this  context  there  is  no  doubt  that,
through cooperation between universities, the Socrates/Erasmus action could have a positive impact on Member
States where music cannot as yet be studied at university level.

(98/C 158/221)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3620/97

by David Thomas (PSE) to the Commission

(10 November 1997)

Subject: Commission proposals on animal welfare

Can the Commission confirm whether they intend to honour their promise to bring forward proposals on the
welfare  of  laying  hens,  the  welfare  of  animals  during  slaughter  and  the  welfare  of  breeding  animals  during
transport in 1997?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(16 December 1997)

Article 9 of Directive 88/166/EEC laying down minimum standards for the protection of laying hens kept in
battery cages (1) requires the Commission to submit a report on scientific developments regarding the welfare of
hens  under  various  systems  of  rearing  and  on  the  provisions  in  the  Annex,  accompanied  by  any  appropriate
adjustment proposals. It is the intention of the Commission to present to the Council and the Parliament the report
together with the proposals relevant to the report(cid:146)s conclusions at the begining of 1998.

Article 13 of Directive 93/119/EC on the protection of animals at the time of slaughter or killing (2) requires the
Commission to submit to the Council a report drawn up on the basis of an opinion from the scientific veterinary
committee together with appropriate proposals concerning the use of free bullet pistols or gases or combinations
thereof  for  stunning  or  killing  and  other  scientifically  recognized  procedure  for  stunning  or  killing.  It  is  the
intention of the Commission to present the report together with appropriate proposals to the Council during the
course of the first half of 1998.