do-me/EUR-LEX huggingface dataset:
WRITTEN QUESTION No. 975/98 by Carlos ROBLES PIQUER to the Council. Political prisoners in Cuba
Date: 1998-03-31
Institutions: European Parliament, ROBLES PIQUER
Subjects: Cuba, EU relations, civil rights, democratisation, dissidence, freedom of expression, judicial reform, political prisoner, political rights, technical cooperation













EUR-Lex - 91998E0975 - EN






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91998E0975

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 975/98 by Carlos ROBLES PIQUER to the Council. Political prisoners in Cuba  


Official Journal C 304 , 02/10/1998 P. 0162 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-0975/98 by Carlos Robles Piquer (PPE) to the Council (31 March 1998)Subject: Political prisoners in CubaRegarding the Council's reply to my written question E-3519/97 ((OJ C 158, 25.5.1998, p. 138. )) on relations with Cuba, I should like to know whether the phased dialogue beginning at technical level referred to will strictly observe the conditions laid down in the current Joint Position with regard to the Cuban Government; and whether there has been a request that the political prisoners released in tribute to his holiness Jean Paul II should include Felix Antonio Boné Carcasses, René Gómez Manzano, Vladimiro Roca Antúnez and Mrs Marta Beatriz Roque Cabello, all of whom are being held in prison for the simple crime of having written that 'the motherland belongs to everybody'?Answer (8 June 1998)The European Union's common position on Cuba of 2 December 1996 states that in order to facilitate peaceful change in Cuba, the Union will encourage the reform of internal legislation concerning political and civil rights, including the Cuban criminal code. It is against this background, and at a technical level, that was organized the mission of legal experts which the Commission sent to Cuba in accordance with the Presidency's recommendations which the Council approved on 8 December 1997. The report on this mission will be analysed by the Council and will constitute one of the elements to be taken into consideration at the next evaluation of the common position which is due to take place in June 1998. In accordance with the provisions of paragraph 4 of the common position, it is as the Cuban authorities make progress towards democracy that the Union will lend its support to that process and will examine the appropriate use of the means at its disposal for that purpose.As for the second question put by the Honourable Member, the Council would like to point out that on 24 February 1998 the Presidency made a declaration on behalf of the European Union in which it welcomes the Cuban Government's decision to release immediately a certain number of prisoners in response to the Pope's appeal and in which it urges the authorities to liberate and fully reintegrate into society all who have been imprisoned for having peacefully expressed their political views, including the four leading members of the Internal Dissidence Working Group.
Commission Regulation (EC) No 727/98 of 31 March 1998 suspending certain concessions provided for in Regulations (EC) No 1898/97 and (EC) No 1899/97 laying down rules of application in the pigmeat sector and in the poultrymeat and egg sectors respectively for the arrangements covered by Council Regulation (EC) No 3066/95
Date: 1998-03-31
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Czechia, customs duties, import licence, import policy, pigmeat, poultrymeat

1. 4. 98

‹

EN

‹

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 100/49

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 727/98

of 31 March 1998

suspending certain concessions provided for in Regulations (EC) No 1898/97 and
(EC) No 1899/97 laying down rules of application in the pigmeat sector and in
the poultrymeat and egg sectors respectively for the arrangements covered by
Council Regulation (EC) No 3066/95

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 3066/95 of
22 Decmeber 1995 establishing certain concessions in the
form of Community tariff quotas for certain agricultural
products and providing for the adjustment, as an autono-
mous and transitional measure, of certain agricultural
concessions provided for in the Europe Agreements to
take account of the Agreement on Agriculture concluded
during the Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negoti-
ations (1),
amended by Regulation (EC) No
1595/97 (2), and in particular Article 8 thereof,
Whereas Council Regulation (EC) No 703/98 (3), sus-
pending certain concessions set out in Regulation (EC)
No 3066/95 suspends certain concessions
regarding
certain pigmeat products
and certain poultrymeat
products; whereas provisions should accordingly be made
for derogations from the detailed rules of application laid
down in Commission Regulations (EC) No 1898/97 (4), as

last

as

amended by Regulation (EC) No 618/98 (5), and (EC) No
1899/97 (6);

Whereas the measures provided for in this Regulation are
in accordance with the opinion of the relevant manage-
ment committees,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

The lodging of applications
reduced
customs duty pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1898/97
and for the groups 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24 pursuant to
Regulation (EC) No 1899/97 for products from the Czech
Republic shall be suspended from 1 April 1998.

licences at

for

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on 1 April 1998.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member
States.

Done at Brussels, 31 March 1998.

For the Commission

Franz FISCHLER

Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 328, 30. 12. 1995, p. 31.
(2) OJ L 216, 8. 8. 1997, p. 1.
(3) OJ L 98, 31. 3. 1998, p. 1.
(4) OJ L 267, 30. 9. 1997, p. 58.

(5) OJ L 82, 19. 3. 1998, p. 35.
(6) OJ L 267, 30. 9. 1997, p. 67.
98/329/EC: European Parliament Decision of 31 March 1998 giving discharge to the Commission in respect of the financial management of the sixth European Development Fund for the financial year 1996
Date: 1998-03-31
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: European Commission, European Development Fund, European Parliament, budgetary discharge, financial year, implementation of the budget

L 146/26

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

16. 5. 98

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

of 31 March 1998

giving discharge to the Commission in respect of the financial management of the
sixth European Development Fund for the financial year 1996

(98/329/EC)

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT,

(cid:190) Having regard to the EC Treaty,

(cid:190) Having regard to the third ACP-EEC Convention (1),

(cid:190) Having regard to the balance sheets and revenue and expenditure accounts of the sixth and
seventh European Development Funds for the 1996 financial year (SEC(97) 0938 (cid:190)
C4-0274/97),

(cid:190) Having regard to the report and the Statement of Assurance of the Court of Auditors

concerning the financial year 1996 and the replies of the institutions (2),

(cid:190) Having regard to the Recommendation of the Council of 9 March 1998 (C4-0167/98),

(cid:190) Having regard to the report of the Committte on Budgetary Control and the opinion of the

Committee on Development and Cooperation (A4-0091/98),

1. Gives discharge to the Commission in respect of the financial management of the sixth
European Development Fund for the financial year 1996 on the basis of the following
amounts:

BALANCE SHEET OF THE SIXTH EDF AT 31 DECEMBER 1996

ASSETS

(ECU 1 000)

SITUATION
AS AT 31 DECEMBER 1996

Grants
Loans
Stabex
Sysmin
Administrative costs

Liquid assets
Other current assets
Items under verification

LIABILITIES

Contributions called up
Other income
Transfers to the seventh EDF
Amount due to the sixth EDF
Other debtors (interest under verification)

SUBTOTAL

4 130 078
924 402
1 451 123
95 855
2 340

6 603 798

402 493
879 573
33 816

TOTAL

7 919 680

7 560 000
539 838
– 180 158
(cid:190)
(cid:190)

TOTAL

7 919 680

(1) OJ L 86, 31. 3. 1986.
(2) JO C 348, 18. 11. 1997 (Volume I, Chapter 12 and Volume II, Part II).

16. 5. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 146/27

USE OF RESOURCES (cid:190) SIXTH EDF AT 31 DECEMBER 1996

Breakdown of funds

Initial
appropriation

Resources
or reductions
at 31 December 1996

Resources
or reductions
during 1996

New
situation

Total ACP

Total OCT

7 400 000 000,00

380 554 371,58

35 599 450,38

7 816 153 821,96

100 000 000,00

3 526 646,39

0,00

103 526 646,39

Total

7 500 000 000,00

384 081 017,97

35 599 450,38

7 919 680 468,35

2. Records its observations in the resolution which forms part of this Decision;

3.

Instructs its President to forward this Decision and the resolution containing its observations
to the Commission, the Council, the Court of Auditors and the European Investment Bank
and to have them published in the Official Journal of the European Communities (L series).

The Secretary-General

Julian PRIESTLEY

The President

Jos(cid:130) Mar(cid:146)a GIL-ROBLES
WRITTEN QUESTION No. 859/98 by Ursula SCHLEICHER to the Council. Implications of the ban on tobacco advertising
Date: 1998-03-31
Institutions: European Parliament, SCHLEICHER
Subjects: advertising, application of EU law, approximation of laws, competence of the Member States, directive (EU), health policy, public health, single market, tobacco industry

C 323/86

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

21. 10. 98

(98/C 323/116)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0857/98

by Ursula Schleicher (PPE) to the Council

(31 March 1998)

Subject: Implications of the ban on tobacco advertising

The directive prohibits the naming of new brands of cigarettes after other products or services once a transitional
period has expired. Does this mean that, before any new brand of cigarettes is introduced in the future, a check
must  be  made  to  determine  whether  the  planned  brand  name  is  being  used  for  some  product  (or  service)
somewhere in the world?

Any free distribution that has the direct or indirect effect of advertising a tobacco product is also prohibited.

Does this also apply to the commercial distribution of samples of non-tobacco products (e.g. such cosmetic

1.
articles as Davidoff shaving lotion)?

2. May the Member States admit as evidence the contention that the free distribution of non-tobacco products
does not result in the promotion of sales of tobacco products in individual cases?

(98/C 323/117)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0858/98

by Ursula Schleicher (PPE) to the Council

(31 March 1998)

Subject: Implications of the ban on tobacco advertising

The directive explicitly does not apply to advertising at sales outlets, presentation or the indication of prices.
The Member States may therefore lay down their own rules on these aspects. Does this apply only to tobacco
products themselves or › especially › to non-tobacco products with the same brand name?

Similarly, the directive does not apply to tobacco advertising in third-country publications.

Does this mean that the Member States are free to permit such advertising or to prohibit it and so to erect

1.
new trade barriers?

2.

Does this arrangement also apply to the advertising of non-tobacco products?

How consistent with the provisions of Article 100a(4) of the EC Treaty is the right granted in the directive to the
Member States to lay down stricter requirements?

(98/C 323/118)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0859/98

by Ursula Schleicher (PPE) to the Council

(31 March 1998)

Subject: Implications of the ban on tobacco advertising

It is generally acknowledged that the directive pursues an important health policy objective.

1. Why, then, is Article 129 of the EC Treaty not cited as the legal basis?

2. Why do the recitals of the version contained in the common position focus far less on health protection than
the Commission(cid:146)s proposal?

(98/C 323/119)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0860/98

by Ursula Schleicher (PPE) to the Council

(31 March 1998)

Subject: Implications of the ban on tobacco advertising

Given the considerable scope it leaves the Member States to lay down special rules, can the directive really be
regarded as suitable for harmonizing the legal situation?
Decision on the common position adopted by the Council with a view to adopting a Council Recommendation on a parking card for people with disabilities (C4-0033/98 95/0353(SYN))
Date: 1998-03-31
Institutions: Committee on Transport and Tourism, European Parliament
Subjects: disabled person, facilities for people with disabilities













EUR-Lex - 51998AP0098 - EN






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51998AP0098

Decision on the common position adopted by the Council with a view to adopting a Council Recommendation on a parking card for people with disabilities (C4-0033/98 95/0353(SYN))  


Official Journal C 138 , 04/05/1998 P. 0026 





A4-0098/98Decision on the common position adopted by the Council with a view to adopting a Council Recommendation on a parking card for people with disabilities (C4-0033/98 - 95/0353(SYN))(Cooperation procedure: second reading)The European Parliament,- having regard to the common position of the Council, C4-0033/98 - 95/0353(SYN),- having regard to its opinion at first reading (( OJ C 20, 20.1.1997, p. 386.)) on the Commission proposal to the Council, COM(95)0696,- having been consulted by the Council pursuant to Article 189c of the EC Treaty,- having regard to Rule 67 of its Rules of Procedure,- having regard to the recommendation for second reading of the Committee on Transport and Tourism (A4-0098/98),1. Approves the common position;2. Instructs its President to forward this decision to the Council and Commission.
Commission Regulation (EC) No 725/98 of 31 March 1998 adjusting agrimonetary compensatory aid paid in Ireland
Date: 1998-03-31
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Ireland, agri-monetary policy, aid to agriculture, monetary compensatory amount, revaluation

1. 4. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 100/45

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 725/98

of 31 March 1998

adjusting agrimonetary compensatory aid paid in Ireland

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 724/97 of
22 April 1997 determining measures and compensation
relating to appreciable revaluations
farm
incomes (1), and in particular Article 7 thereof,

that affect

Whereas Commission Regulation (EC) No 806/97 of 2
May 1997 fixing the maximum amounts of compensatory
aid relating to appreciable revaluations of the Irish pound,
the pound sterling and the Italian lira occurring prior to
31 March 1997 (2), as amended by Regulation (EC) No
1219/97 (3), inter alia fixes the maximum aid for the
appreciable revaluation of the Irish pound on 29 March
1997;

Whereas the second subparagraph of Article 4(4) of Regu-
lation (EC) No 724/97 lays down that the second and
third tranches of compensatory aid are to be reduced in
proportion to the effect on incomes of the movement of
agricultural conversion rates up until the beginning of the
month preceding the first month of the relevant tranche;

the first month of the second tranche; whereas, given the
rate of exchange reached, the second tranche of aid for
Ireland should be cancelled;

Whereas the measures provided for in this Regulation are
in accordance with the opinion of the relevant Manage-
ment Committees,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

The second tranche of compensatory aid for Ireland
provided for by Regulation (EC) No 806/97 for the appre-
ciable revaluation of 29 March 1997 is hereby cancelled.
Payment of the third tranche of the aid will be examined
in the light of the effects of monetary movements up
until the beginning of March 1999.

Article 2

Whereas the conversion rate for the Irish pound increased
on several occasions between the date of its appreciable
revaluation and the beginning of the month preceding

This Regulation shall enter
into force on the day
following its publication in the Official Journal of the
European Communities.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member
States.

Done at Brussels, 31 March 1998.

For the Commission

Franz FISCHLER

Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 108, 25. 4. 1997, p. 9.
(2) OJ L 115, 3. 5. 1997, p. 16.
(3) OJ L 170, 28. 6. 1997, p. 56.
Commission Regulation (EC) No 718/98 of 31 March 1998 altering the export refunds on white sugar and raw sugar exported in the natural state
Date: 1998-03-31
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: export refund, raw sugar, white sugar

1. 4. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 100/11

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 718/98

of 31 March 1998

altering the export refunds on white sugar and raw sugar exported in the natural
state

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 1785/81
of 30 June 1981 on the common organization of the
markets in the sugar sector (1), as last amended by Regula-
tion (EC) No 1599/96 (2), and in particular the second
subparagraph of Article 19 (4) thereof,
Whereas the refunds on white sugar and raw sugar
exported in the natural state were fixed by Commission
Regulation (EC) No 610/98 (3), as amended by Regulation
(EC) No 666/98 (4);
Whereas it
follows from applying the detailed rules
contained in Regulation (EC) No 610/98 to the informa-
tion known to the Commission that the export refunds at

present in force should be altered to the amounts set out
in the Annex hereto,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

The export refunds on the products listed in Article 1 (1)
(a) of Regulation (EEC) No 1785/81, undenatured and
exported in the natural state, as fixed in the Annex to
amended Regulation (EC) No 610/98 are hereby altered
to the amounts shown in the Annex hereto.

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on 1 April 1998.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member
States.

Done at Brussels, 31 March 1998.

For the Commission

Franz FISCHLER

Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 177, 1. 7. 1981, p. 4.
(2) OJ L 206, 16. 8. 1996, p. 43.
(3) OJ L 82, 19. 3. 1998, p. 5.
(4) OJ L 93, 26. 3. 1998, p. 12.

L 100/12

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

1. 4. 98

to the Commission Regulation of 31 March 1998 altering the export refunds on white sugar
and raw sugar exported in its unaltered state

ANNEX

Product code

1701 11 90 9100
1701 11 90 9910
1701 11 90 9950
1701 12 90 9100
1701 12 90 9910
1701 12 90 9950

Amount of refund

(cid:190) ECU/100 kg (cid:190)

38,91
36,51

38,91
36,51

(1)
(1)
(2)
(1)
(1)
(2)

(cid:190) ECU/1 % of sucrose (cid:253) 100 kg (cid:190)

1701 91 00 9000

0,4230

1701 99 10 9100
1701 99 10 9910
1701 99 10 9950

(cid:190) ECU/100 kg (cid:190)

42,30
42,30
42,30

(cid:190) ECU/1 % of sucrose (cid:253) 100 kg (cid:190)

1701 99 90 9100

0,4230

(1) Applicable to raw sugar with a yield of 92 %; if the yield is other than 92 %,
the refund applicable is calculated in accordance with the provisions of
Article 17a (4) of Regulation (EEC) No 1785/81.

(2) Fixing suspended by Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2689/85 (OJ L 255, 26. 9.
1985, p. 12), as amended by Regulation (EEC) No 3251/85 (OJ L 309, 21. 11.
1985, p. 14).
Decision of the EEA Joint Committee No 23/98 of 31 March 1998 amending Annex VI (Social security) to the EEA Agreement
Date: 1998-03-31
Institutions: EEA Joint Committee
Subjects: European Economic Area, administrative formalities, agreement (EU), form, migrant worker, social security

19.11.98

EN

Official  Journal  of  the  European  Communities

L  310/3

DECISION  OF  THE  EEA  JOINT  COMMITTEE

No  23/98

of  31  March  1998

amending  Annex  VI  (Social  security)  to  the  EEA  Agreement

THE  EEA  JOINT  COMMITTEE,

Having  regard  to  the  Agreement  on  the  European  Economic  Area,  as  adjusted  by  the  Protocol
adjusting  the  Agreement  on  the  European  Economic  Area,  hereinafter  referred  to  as  ‘the
Agreement’,  and  in  particular  Article  98  thereof,

Whereas Annex VI to the Agreement was amended by Decision of the EEA Joint Committee No
82/97  of  12  November  1997 (1);

Whereas  Decision  No  158  of  27  November  1995  on  the  model  forms  necessary  for  the
application  of  Council  Regulations  (EEC)  No  1408/71  and  (EEC)  No  574/72  (E  201  to  E
215) (2),  adopted  by  the  Administrative  Commission  of  the  European  Communities  on  Social
Security  for  Migrant  Workers,  is  to  be  incorporated  into  the  Agreement,

HAS  DECIDED  AS  FOLLOWS:

Article  1

The  following  indent  shall  be  added  in  point  3.23  (Decision  No  130)  in  Annex  VI  to  the
Agreement:

‘—  396  D  0732:  Decision  No  158  of  27  November  1995  (E  201  to  E  215)  (OJ  L  336,

27.12.1996,  p.  1).’

The texts of Decision No 158 in the Icelandic and Norwegian languages, which are annexed to
the  respective  language  versions  of  this  Decision,  are  authentic.

Article  2

This  Decision  shall  enter  into  force  on  1  April  1998,  provided  that  all  the  notifications  under
Article  103(1)  of  the  Agreement  have  been  made  to  the  EEA  Joint  Committee.

Article  3

This  Decision  shall  be  published  in  the  EEA  section  of,  and  in  the  EEA  supplement  to,  the
Official  Journal  of  the  European  Communities.

Article  4

Done  at  Brussels,  31  March  1998.

(1)  OJ  L  134,  7.5.1998,  p.  11.
(2)  OJ  L  336,  27.12.1996,  p.  1.

For  the  EEA  Joint  Committee

The  President

F.  BARBASO
WRITTEN QUESTION No. 867/98 by Armelle GUINEBERTIERE to the Council. Netherlands' bill on the treatment of prostitution and procuring
Date: 1998-03-31
Institutions: European Parliament, GUINEBERTIERE
Subjects: Netherlands, government bill, prostitution, trafficking in human beings

C 304/160

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

2. 10. 98

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro on behalf of the Commission

(26 March 1998)

Compliance with democratic principles and the rule of law in Togo require any presidential election there to be
completely above board and the lead-up to it open and fair.

In reply to the Honourable Member(cid:146)s question, a specialist was sent out earlier this month to determine whether
and how support could be given to the belatedly established national electoral commission in light of the fact that
the first round of presidential elections is set for June this year.

The Commission intends to continue very close monitoring of the elections in conjunction with the Member
States. It is supporting campaigns by Togolese NGOs to inform the public of the elections and will assist with a
training programme for those bodies involved in the electoral process.

(98/C 304/244)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0854/98

by Lyndon Harrison (PSE) to the Commission

(11 March 1998)

Subject: Responsibility for fire

The responsibility for fire falls across many directorates-general of the European Commission. In what way does
the Commission ensure that these matters are dealt with in a coherent and focused manner?

Answer given by Mr Santer on behalf of the Commission

(8 April 1998)

The Commission is collecting the information it needs to answer the question. It will communicate its findings as
soon as possible.

(98/C 304/245)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0867/98

by Armelle Guinebertie‘re (UPE) to the Council

(31 March 1998)

Subject: Netherlands(cid:146) bill on the treatment of prostitution and procuring

The attention of the Council of Justice Ministers is drawn to a bill tabled by the Netherlands government in that
country concerning the treatment of prostitution and procuring.

This bill lifts the ban on brothels, sets out a female sex workers(cid:146) charter for so-called voluntary prostitutes and
decriminalizes procuring. If it is passed, the bill is likely to set a European precedent.

Can the Council of Minister of the European Union accept legislation which undermines the inviolability and
inalienability of the human body and repudiates the UN Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons
and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others of December 1949?

The Council is not competent to comment on bills submitted by the Member States(cid:146) governments.

Answer

(4 June 1998)