WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2226/98 by Kirsi PIHA to the Commission. Problems with battery chickens
Date: 1998-07-16
Institutions: European Parliament, PIHA
Subjects: European standard, Finland, animal nutrition, animal welfare, intensive livestock farming, laying poultry, protection of animals, technical standard

C 118/44

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

29.4.1999

covered by Council Directive 92/51/EEC (1), which deals with qualifications below higher-education
diplomas awarded on completion of professional education and training of three years(cid:146) duration.

Moreover, in the field of dietetics and nutrition, there exists in Spain a medical speciality that is covered by
Council Directive 93/16/EEC (2) to facilitate the free movement of doctors and the mutual recognition of
their diplomas, certificates and other evidence of formal qualifications. That speciality, which is referred
to in Article 7 of the Directive under the heading of endocrinology, carries the designation (cid:145)endocrinolog(cid:237)a
y nutrici(cid:243)n(cid:146).

According to the information provided by the Honourable Member, the (cid:145)Diplomatura en Nutrici(cid:243)n
Humana(cid:146) constitutes a purely academic qualification which does not entitle its holder to practise. The
Commission is not at present aware of a new diploma which would provide access to the profession of
dietician in Spain.

As for the questions put by the Honourable Member, Articles 126 and 127 of the EC Treaty state that the
Community must fully respect the responsibility of the Member States for the content and organisation of
teaching and vocational training. Each Member State is free to determine the rules on training for, access
to and practice of an activity. Several different forms of training can provide entitlement to practise the
same activity or two different activities. The rules in force in a Member State must not prevent a fully
qualified member of a profession from another Member State wishing to practise from exercising there the
rights conferred under the general system for the recognition of diplomas (3).

(1) OJ L 209, 24.7.1992.
(2) OJ L 165, 7.7.1993.
(3) Directives 89/48/EEC (OJ L 19, 24.1.1989) and 92/51/EEC.

(1999/C 118/051)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2223/98

by John McCartin (PPE) to the Commission

(16 July 1998)

Subject: Enterprise zone › Upper Shannon

Has the Commission yet completed its consideration of the proposal by the Irish Government to grant tax
concessions to businesses in the Upper Shannon region under the proposed scheme for rural renewal?

Answer given by Mr Van Miert on behalf of the Commission

(3 September 1998)

The Commission has not received as yet any notification by the Irish authorities, on the basis of Article
93 (3) of the EC Treaty, in relation to a (cid:145)rural renewal(cid:146) aid scheme providing tax concessions to businesses
in Upper Shannon, Ireland.

(1999/C 118/052)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2226/98

by Kirsi Piha (PPE) to the Commission

(16 July 1998)

Subject: Problems with battery chickens

In recent days, the Finnish media have given much coverage to problems associated with the bad
conditions in which battery chickens are kept. On account of the financial straits in which chicken farmers
find themselves, chickens have been subjected, inter alia, to shortages of feed and confinement in
inhumanely small cages where, according to research, they suffer from very high levels of stress and fear
in comparison with deep-litter chickens.