WRITTEN QUESTION No. 412/98 by Petrus CORNELISSEN , Raphaël CHANTERIE to the Commission. Treatment of lorry drivers
Date: 1998-02-24
Institutions: CHANTERIE, CORNELISSEN, European Parliament
Subjects: EU law - national law, Sweden, cruel and degrading treatment, drivers, fundamental rights, human rights, protection of freedoms, transport authorisation

17. 7. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 223/171

(98/C 223/222)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0364/98

by Fernando Ferna·ndez Mart(cid:14)·n (PPE) to the Council

(19 February 1998)

Subject: Proposal for a regulation in the field of employment creation and support to small and micro-enterprises

in the Mahgreb countries

The proposal for a regulation in the field of employment creation and support to small and micro-enterprises in
the  Mahgreb  countries  (COM(94)  0289) (1)  was  submitted  to  the  European  Parliament  in  August  1994.  The
proposal required the application of the cooperation procedure, and for this reason the European Parliament gave
it a first reading on 28 October 1994, submitting its amended proposal to the Commission on 22 December 1994.
The Council(cid:146)s common position, which has been awaited since that date, has not been forthcoming.

What  is  the  situation  within  the  Council  regarding  this  proposal  for  a  regulation,  and  what  is  preventing  the
Council from reaching a common position?

Why is the proposal blocked?

Is there any indication of what the Council(cid:146)s common position might be?

(1)  OJ C 214, 4.8.1994, p. 26.

Answer

(11 May 1998)

The  Council  began  examining  the  proposal  for  a  Regulation  to  which  the  Honourable  Member  refers  in  his
question, but did not complete it because it became unnecessary.

In  fact,  in  the  light  of  the  conclusions  of  the  Corfu  and  Essen  European  Councils  on  the  priority  strategic
importance  of  the  Mediterranean  region  and  the  establishment  of  a  Euro-Mediterranean  partnership  which
should receive substantial financial assistance, the Commission proposed a new form of financial partnership
through  the  MEDA  Regulation.  That  Regulation  was  adopted  by  the  Council  after  consulting  the  European
Parliament twice.

In  its  initial  proposal,  the  Commission  specifically  referred  in  the  recitals  to  the  proposal  mentioned  by  the
Honourable Member, and to other Council Regulations concerning financial cooperation with Mediterranean
countries, to indicate that the new draft Regulation replaced them.

In  fact,  Annex  II  to  the  MEDA  Regulation,  which  sets  out  the  objectives  and  procedures  for  the  support
measures, provides for support to small and medium-sized enterprises in the Mediterranean countries.

(98/C 223/223)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0412/98

by Petrus Cornelissen (PPE) and Raphae¤l Chanterie (PPE) to the Commission

(24 February 1998)

Subject: Treatment of lorry drivers

1.
Is  the  Commission  aware  of  press  reports  that  a  Belgian  lorry  driver  and  his  mate  spent  55  days  in  a
Swedish prison cell › the first 48 hours naked and then several weeks in solitary confinement › because while
the waybill said that they were carrying fruit juice the lorry was laden with alcohol?

2.

Can the Commission confirm the accuracy of these reports?

If so, what is the Commission(cid:146)s view of this treatment which is redolent of the Middle Ages, not least in

3.
view of the acquittal of the drivers by the court in Malmo¤?

Reference: A number of newspaper reports and the Belgian TV programme (cid:145)de 7de dag(cid:146) ((cid:145)the seventh day(cid:146))
broadcast on 18 January 1998.