WRITTEN QUESTION No. 47/98 by Mark WATTS to the Commission. References on correspondence
Date: 1998-01-29
Institutions: European Parliament, WATTS
Subjects: European Commission, administrative formalities, data processing, document, exchange of information, provision of documents

C 187/140

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

16. 6. 98

Would  the  Commission  also  set  out  what  financial  and  technical  assistance  is  being  made  available  to  the
Algerian Government by the EU and any conditions which are placed on the delivery of this assistance? Would
the Commission in particular explain why no humanitarian assistance is currently being provided to the Algerian
people?

Answer given by Mr Mar(cid:14)·n on behalf of the Commission

(4 February 1998)

The  Commission  participated  fully  in  the  troika(cid:146)s  mission  to  Algeria  on  19  and  20  January  1998  and  in  the
discussion on the situation in Algeria at the General Affairs Council meeting of 26 January. The Commission
agrees with the Council(cid:146)s conclusions which answer the question put by the Honourable Member of which a
copy is sent direct to the Honourable Member and the Secretariat General of the Parliament.

(98/C 187/215)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0047/98

by Mark Watts (PSE) to the Commission

(29 January 1998)

Subject: References on correspondence

Would the Commission agree to adopt the practice of quoting references on replies to correspondence? I am sure
that this would greatly assist Members to locate the appropriate papers when a reply is received.

Answer given by Mr Santer on behalf of the Commission

(20 February 1998)

The Commission readily agrees that it is desirable for references to be quoted in reply to correspondence. The
Commission(cid:146)s secretariat manual, and its dataprocessing arrangements, make provision for quoting references.
Any inconvenience to the Honourable Member from a failure to quote a reference is regretted.

(98/C 187/216)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0074/98

by Ste·phane Buffetaut (I-EDN) and Fran(cid:231)oise Seillier (I-EDN) to the Council

Subject: New Article 13 (ex 6A) of the Draft Treaty

(30 January 1998)

The new Article 13 of the Draft Treaty on European Union lays down that (cid:145)the Council ... may take appropriate
action to combat discrimination based on ... sexual orientation(cid:146).

At a time when crimes of a sexual nature, particularly against children, and the sexual exploitation of human
beings are justly condemned and action is being taken to combat them, particularly by the European Parliament
in its recent resolutions (B4-0954, 0968, 0980 and 0990/97 of 20 November 1997; A4-0306/97 of 6 November
1997 and A4-0372/97 of 16 December 1997), does the Council consider it wise to create an imprecisely defined
protected category which might be relied upon by persons who are suspected, for example, of paedophilia and
who have been banned, at least temporarily, from all contact with children?

Since this same article provides for measures to combat discrimination based on sex, what were the Council(cid:146)s
reasons for adding this new wording?

Does the Council propose to correct the imprecision of the term (cid:145)sexual orientation(cid:146) in this context or to leave
things as they are?