do-me/EUR-LEX huggingface dataset:
WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2715/98 by Leonie van BLADEL to the Council. Fear of a crime wave involving the euro
Date: 1998-09-01
Institutions: European Parliament, VAN BLADEL
Subjects: European Central Bank, Europol, exchange of information, monetary union, organised crime, paper money













EUR-Lex - 91998E2715 - EN






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91998E2715

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2715/98 by Leonie van BLADEL to the Council. Fear of a crime wave involving the euro  


Official Journal C 118 , 29/04/1999 P. 0156 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-2715/98by Leonie van Bladel (UPE) to the Council(1 September 1998)Subject: Fear of a crime wave involving the euro1. Is the Council aware that European intelligence services fear an increase in crime when the euro is introduced?2. What measures is the Council planning to take to ensure that nothing jeopardizes the security of the euro as legal tender?3. Is the Council aware that a hologram plate designed to protect the new euro banknote against forgery disappeared without trace on a flight between Paris and Munich?4. Can the Council give a guarantee that that hologram did not fall into the hands of a criminal organisation and that it cannot be misused?5. In what way can the Council guarantee that the average European citizen will be able to differentiate between genuine and counterfeit euros?Reply(30 November 1998)The Council would first of all recall its conclusions of 19 May 1998 in which it underlined the importance of the introduction of an effective system of protection throughout the Monetary Union, once euro notes and coins are introduced. Europol will have an important role to play in this field. The Council noted the work undertaken by the Commission to protect the Monetary Union and the euro. Both organisations will continue to cooperate closely with each other and with the European Central Bank, in compliance with the division of powers embodied in the Maastricht Treaty, to develop mechanisms for information exchange and other arrangements to ensure close and regular cooperation to prevent and combat counterfeiting, it being understood that the actual fight against counterfeit notes and coins belongs to Member States.Since then, work at expert level has continued. As part of the wider brief to be conferred on it, Europol will support Member States' activities to prevent and combat counterfeiting, in particular counterfeiting of the euro, through improved exchange of information between the relevant authorities of the Member States and the pooling and centralised use of police intelligence. At the same time the ECB (which has sole power to issue euro bank notes) will concentrate on the technical prevention of counterfeiting.The disappearance during transport of a test matrix for hologram production trials on 12 May 1998 will not affect the secure manufacture of euro bank notes. Immediately after the May incident, test matrixes with a completely different design were produced. Bank note prototypes are at present produced on the basis of these new matrixes.
WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2704/98 by Graham WATSON to the Commission. Maldives
Date: 1998-09-01
Institutions: European Parliament, WATSON
Subjects: Christianity, Islam, Maldives, UNO, freedom of religious beliefs, human rights, religious discrimination, religious group

8.4.1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 96/137

Answer given by Mrs Bonino on behalf of the Commission

(17 September 1998)

Immediately after the tidal wave struck Papua New Guinea on 17 July 1998, the Commission forwarded to the
affected area emergency relief items that were on their way to the island of Bougainville under another relief
operation. This first aid included medicine and reconstruction packs, clothes and other articles of primary
necessity.

In addition, the Commission made available humanitarian aid worth ECU 500 000 for the victims of the disaster.
The aid was to enable European non governmental organisations (NGOs) to provide further emergency relief
items such as medicines, food and clean water.

There was, however, a quick and overwhelming international response to this natural disaster from governments
(in particular Australia, New Zealand, France and Japan), non-governmental organisations and private
individuals. In a report published at the end of July, the United Nations Office for the co-ordination of
humanitarian affairs and their team that was sent to Papua New Guinea declared that all immediate relief needs
had already been met. This information was confirmed by many other sources.

In view of the changing circumstances as a result of the extraordinarily generous international response, and after
consultation with the NGOs that were to implement the Community financed assistance, with the relevant United
Nations bodies and with its delegation in Papua New Guinea, the Commission decided to reallocate the funds that
had been made available to other, more urgent crises elsewhere in the world.

Regarding the rehabilitation and reconstruction work to be carried out in the area hit by the tidal wave, the
Commission will give due consideration to any concrete request that may be made by the government of Papua
New Guinea.

(1999/C 96/196)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2701/98

by Marie-Paule Kestelijn-Sierens (ELDR) to the Commission

(1 September 1998)

Subject: Registration fees

Can the Commission provide a breakdown of the registration fees payable in the fifteen Member States of the
European Union on the purchase of real estate?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(21 September 1998)

Registration taxes on immovable property are a matter for the Member States, and there is no plan to harmonise
them at Community level.

The Commission does not, therefore, possess the detailed information sought by the Honourable Member.

(1999/C 96/197)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2704/98

by Graham Watson (ELDR) to the Commission

(1 September 1998)

Subject: Maldives

On 18 June 1998 and the days following, the Maldivian authorities began to arrest and interrogate Christian
believers living on the island. Reliable sources estimate that as many as 50 Maldivians suspected of being
Christian believers have been arrested since that time.
WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2658/98 by Ernesto CACCAVALE to the Commission. Infringement of rules on public service contracts by the firm Multiservizi of Catania
Date: 1998-09-01
Institutions: CACCAVALE, European Parliament
Subjects: Sicily, award of contract, free competition, infringement of EU law, invitation to tender, provision of services, public contract, services company













EUR-Lex - 91998E2658 - EN






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91998E2658

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2658/98 by Ernesto CACCAVALE to the Commission. Infringement of rules on public service contracts by the firm Multiservizi of Catania  


Official Journal C 096 , 08/04/1999 P. 0129 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-2658/98by Ernesto Caccavale (UPE) to the Commission(1 September 1998)Subject: Infringement of rules on public service contracts by the firm Multiservizi of CataniaAt the suggestion of the municipal executive, the city council of Catania decided in 1997 to set up a semi-public company called Multiservizi S.p.A to be responsible for cleaning, caretaking and security services, without issuing a call to tender to offer an equal opportunity to all firms which might be suitable to carry out such work. This operation, which was supposed to provide new jobs, has actually led to a significant reduction in the number of people employed and an increase in the overall cost of the service. Multiservizi S.p.A. has not complied with the clauses designed to protect workers - which were in the past imposed on the winning firms when calls to tender were issued - providing for the direct transfer of employees, and has instead meant that workers have had to resign from the firms which supplied the services previously, in the hope that they would be reemployed.1. Can the Commission therefore say: if it does not consider it necessary and appropriate to ascertain the regularity of the procedure followed by the city council in assigning this contract; and2. whether it does not consider that there are sufficient reasons for suspecting that there has been an infringement not only of Community legislation on free competition, but also of Directive 92/50/EEC(1) relating to the coordination of procedures for the award of public service contracts, which obliges contracting authorities to adhere to criteria of economic advantageousness, transparency and publicity?Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission(23 September 1998)The Commission will contact the Italian authorities in order to ascertain the necessary points of law and of fact so that it can check whether the contracting-out by the municipality of Catania of cleaning, caretaking and security services to the company Multiservizi S.p.A. was done in compliance with the Community public procurement rules.(1) OJ L 209, 24.7.1992, p. 1.
WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2754/98 by Olivier DUPUIS to the Commission. Sicilian Regional Assembly law on hunting
Date: 1998-09-01
Institutions: DUPUIS, European Parliament
Subjects: Sicily, bird, directive (EU), hunting, hunting regulations, protected species, protection of animal life, wildlife

C 13/158

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.1.1999

(1999/C 13/226)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2754/98

by Olivier Dupuis (ARE) to the Commission

(1 September 1998)

Subject: Sicilian Regional Assembly law on hunting

On 20 August 1998 the Sicilian Regional Assembly passed a law on the protection of wild fauna and and on
hunting, the provisions of which infringe Italy(cid:146)s national legislation and Constitution. In including among the
species that may be hunted the rock partridge (Sicilian subspecies), the law also infringes a specific European
directive, 79/409/EEC (1) and successive amendments to the latter, which lists the bird in Annex I of species for
special protection at European level. In view of the foregoing, what steps does the Commission intend to take to
ensure that the law › and European directives -are upheld?

(1) OJ L 103, 25.4.1979, p.1.

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission

(2 October 1998)

The Commission will make the necessary contacts in order to obtain all available information on the matter
described. It will not hesitate to initiate the procedure provided in Article 169 of the EC Treaty, should this prove
necessary.
Commission Regulation (EC) No 1874/98 of 1 September 1998 establishing the standard import values for determining the entry price of certain fruit and vegetables
Date: 1998-09-01
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: citrus fruit, fruit vegetable, grape, import price, pip fruit, stone fruit

2. 9. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 243/1

I

(Acts whose publication is obligatory)

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1874/98

of 1 September 1998

establishing the standard import values for determining the entry price of certain
fruit and vegetables

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,
Having regard to Commission Regulation (EC) No 3223/
94 of 21 December 1994 on detailed rules for the applica-
the import arrangements for fruit and veget-
tion of
ables (1), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1498/
98 (2), and in particular Article 4 (1) thereof,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 3813/92
of 28 December 1992 on the unit of account and the
conversion rates to be applied for the purposes of the
common agricultural policy (3), as last amended by Regu-
lation (EC) No 150/95 (4), and in particular Article 3 (3)
thereof,
Whereas Regulation (EC) No 3223/94 lays down,
pursuant to the outcome of the Uruguay Round multilat-
eral trade negotiations, the criteria whereby the Commis-
sion fixes the standard values for imports from third

countries, in respect of the products and periods stipu-
lated in the Annex thereto;

Whereas, in compliance with the above criteria, the stand-
ard import values must be fixed at the levels set out in the
Annex to this Regulation,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

The standard import values referred to in Article 4 of
Regulation (EC) No 3223/94 shall be fixed as indicated in
the Annex hereto.

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on 2 September
1998.

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

Done at Brussels, 1 September 1998.

For the Commission

Karel VAN MIERT

Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 337, 24. 12. 1994, p. 66.
(2) OJ L 198, 15. 7. 1998, p. 4.
(3) OJ L 387, 31. 12. 1992, p. 1.
(4) OJ L 22, 31. 1. 1995, p. 1.

L 243/2

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

2. 9. 98

to the Commission Regulation of 1 September 1998 establishing the standard import values
for determining the entry price of certain fruit and vegetables

ANNEX

CN code

0702 00 00

0709 90 70

0805 30 10

0806 10 10

0808 10 20, 0808 10 50, 0808 10 90

0808 20 50

0809 30 10, 0809 30 90

0809 40 05

Third country
code (1)

Standard import
value

(ECU/100 kg)

060
999
052
999
388
524
528
999
052
064
400
624
999
388
400
508
512
524
528
804
999
052
064
388
528
999
052
400
512
999
052
060
064
066
093
999

46,4
46,4
53,9
53,9
79,7
53,1
69,4
67,4
77,0
87,8
175,8
155,8
124,1
61,1
58,3
59,0
64,2
39,4
81,6
67,8
61,6
94,8
61,5
107,8
107,9
93,0
120,1
126,6
86,8
111,2
55,5
59,8
62,3
71,2
84,7
66,7

(1) Country nomenclature as fixed by Commission Regulation (EC) No 2317/97 (OJ L 321, 22. 11. 1997, p. 19). Code

‘999' stands for ‘of other origin'.
WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2722/98 by Leonie van BLADEL to the Council. Doubts about the safety of a nuclear power plant in Cuba
Date: 1998-09-01
Institutions: European Parliament, VAN BLADEL
Subjects: Cuba, environmental protection, inter-company cooperation, ionising radiation, nuclear power station, nuclear safety, public health, radiation protection

C 135/104

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

14.5.1999

(1999/C 135/122)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2722/98

by Leonie van Bladel (UPE) to the Council

(1 September 1998)

Subject: Doubts about the safety of a nuclear power plant in Cuba

1.
Is the Council aware that work has been resumed on the construction of a nuclear power plant in
Juragua, Cuba, which was begun in 1981 and stopped in 1992, although the building was described as
ramshackle in a recent report in ‘The Independent’?

Is the Council prepared to seek information as to the safety of both the building and the reactors

2.
which, it is claimed, will be ready to go on stream within four years?

3. What prospects does Cuba’s observer status under the Convention of Lomé offer for the finding of a
solution to this issue which will be satisfactory and safe for Cuba in particular and for the region and the
world in general, and is the Council prepared to make use of this new political relationship between the EU
and Cuba?

Reply

(16 November 1998)

1.

The question raised by the Honourable Member has not been discussed by the Council.

In any case, such a question could be discussed in the framework not of Euratom but of the
2.
Convention on Nuclear Safety, to which Cuba (having signed the Convention on 20 September 1994) and
the Member States of the EU are party.

The objectives of that Convention are:

i)

ii)

to achieve and maintain a high level of nuclear safety worldwide through national measures and
international cooperation;

to establish and maintain effective defences in nuclear installations against potential radiological
hasards in order to protect individuals, society and the environment from harmful effects of
ionizing radiation from such installations;

iii) to prevent accidents with radiological consequences and to mitigate such consequences should

they occur.

Article 5 states that ‘each Contracting Party shall submit for review, prior to each meeting referred to in
Article 20, a report on the measures it has taken to implement each of the obligations of this Convention’.

Neither the existing Lomé Convention nor the negotiating proposal for a future Lomé Convention

3.
contain provisions on this matter.

It is also pointed out to the Honourable Member that Cuba’s observer status at the forthcoming
negotiations is without prejudice to any future decision on its accession to the Lomé Convention.

(1999/C 135/123)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2724/98

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

Subject: Protection of cultural monuments of Kosovo

(1 September 1998)

Large numbers of Orthodox and Muslim monuments in Kosovo are under serious threat of destruction as a
result of the armed hostilities in the region. Since the EU regards the protection of the cultural heritage of
WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2707/98 by Anne McINTOSH to the Council. Diabetic drivers
Date: 1998-09-01
Institutions: European Parliament, MCINTOSH
Subjects: European driving licence, United Kingdom, approximation of laws, diabetes, medical data, medical examination, road safety, traffic regulations













EUR-Lex - 91998E2707 - EN






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91998E2707

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2707/98 by Anne McINTOSH to the Council. Diabetic drivers  


Official Journal C 096 , 08/04/1999 P. 0138 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-2707/98by Anne McIntosh (PPE) to the Council(1 September 1998)Subject: Diabetic driversWould the President-in-Office agree that the United Kingdom's ban on newly-registered insulin-dependent diabetic drivers is discriminatory, given that insulin-dependent diabetic drivers from other EU countries can drive as visitors in Britain?What action does the Council propose to take to eliminate this discrimination?Reply(9 November 1998)On 29 July 1991 the Council adopted Directive 91/439/EEC on driving licences, which entered into force on 1 July 1996(1).The Directive lays down harmonised conditions for the issue and renewal of licences, including "Minimum standards of physical and mental fitness for driving a power-driven vehicle" (Annex III). The Council would point out that, for the issue or renewal of driving licences to diabetic drivers in groups 1 and 2, the minimum Community standards applicable are set out in points 10 and 17.2 of Annex III.Furthermore, point 5 of Annex III stipulates that the standards set by Member States for the issue or any subsequent renewal of driving licences may be stricter than those set out in that Annex.Under point 10 of Annex III, licences may be issued to, or renewed for, applicants or drivers suffering from group 1 diabetes, subject to authorised medical opinion and regular medical check-ups appropriate to each case.Under point 10.1 of Annex III, it is for each Member State to decide on the scope of the very exceptional cases, duly justified by authorised medical opinion and subject to regular medical check-ups, in which driving licences may be issued to, or renewed for, drivers in group 2. It is therefore for the relevant medical authority to deliver its opinion case by case on the basis of the provisions laid down by national legislation.A Member State may thus lay down, following the guidelines set by the Community Directive, stricter provisions for the issue or renewal of driving licences for diabetic drivers than those laid down by another Member State.The Council would point out that the above Community provisions can be harmonised at a later date only on the basis of a Commission proposal.(1) OJ L 237, 24.8.1991, p. 1, as last amended by Directive 97/26/EC (OJ L 150, 7.6.1997, p. 41).
WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2558/98 by José APOLINÁRIO to the Commission. The NUTS and Agenda 2000
Date: 1998-09-01
Institutions: APOLINARIO, European Parliament
Subjects: Cohesion Fund, Structural Funds, United Kingdom, administrative reform, eligible region, local government, regional government, statistical nomenclature

C 96/116

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

8.4.1999

(1999/C 96/162)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2558/98

by JosØ ApolinÆrio (PSE) to the Commission

(1 September 1998)

Subject: The NUTS and Agenda 2000

Can the Commission confirm the geographical distribution of the areas eligible under NUTS 2 for the UK,
following the submission of Agenda 2000?

Answer given by Mr de Silguy on behalf of the Commission

(13 October 1998)

The Commission presented its proposals for Agenda 2000 (1) in July 1997. Its proposals for new regulations
relating to the structural funds and the Cohesion fund for the period 2000-2006 were published in March 1998.

In mid-1995, the Statistical office of the Community (Eurostat) was informed by the Office for national statistics
(ONS) of the United Kingdom that following a comprehensive reform in regional and local administration,
significant changes would be proposed to the nomenclature of territorial units for statistics (NUTS) system.

The first draft proposal for reform of the NUTS in the United Kingdom was forwarded to the Commission for
comment in mid-1996, followed by a formal proposal in June 1997. After examination of the technical merits of
the proposals in the light of the underlying principles of the NUTS system, a new NUTS classification for the
United Kingdom was agreed in June 1998. It involved very minor changes at the NUTS 1 level, a significant
revision of the NUTS 3 regions with related changes at the NUTS 4 level, as well as more limited changes at the
NUTS 2 level.

(1) COM(97) 2000 final.

(1999/C 96/163)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2567/98

by Peter Truscott (PSE) to the Council

(1 September 1998)

Subject: Respite and shared care for disabled adults

Could the Council please clarify the following points about respite and shared care for disabled adults in the EU.
What EU regulations relate to the standards for respite and shared care for disabled adults across Europe? What
regulations exist for standards in day care facilities for disabled adults? And finally, how does the standard of
provision compare between Member States?

Reply

(22 October 1998)

The Council would like to inform the Honourable Member that there is no legislation at Community level in the
fields to which his question refers. The Commission has not submitted any proposals on that subject to the
Council.

(1999/C 96/164)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2570/98

by Patricia McKenna (V) to the Commission

(1 September 1998)

Subject: Environment statistics database

I am informed that the European Commission now has a new environment statistics database which is currently
only available for use by the Commission and cannot be accessed by the European Parliament.