WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2801/98 by Christof TANNERT to the Council. Code of Conduct for European companies operating in third countries
Date: 1998-09-18
Institutions: European Parliament, TANNERT
Subjects: European undertaking, agency abroad, code of conduct, human rights, third country, working conditions

29.4.1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 118/147

Finally, the Council fully supports implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1160, including its
provisions calling for measures to stop the flow of external support to UCK in Kosovo, including the
supply of arms and training.

(1999/C 118/183)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2801/98

by Christof Tannert (PSE) to the Council

(18 September 1998)

Subject: Code of Conduct for European companies operating in third countries

In paragraph 20 of its resolution (A4-400/96) (1) of 12 December 1996 on human rights throughout the
world in 1995-1996 and the Union(cid:146)s human rights policy, Parliament (cid:145)calls on the Commission and the
Council rapidly to submit a proposal on a Code of Conduct for European companies operating in third
countries which obliges them to respect human rights in all their forms (civil, social, economical,
environmental), including mechanisms of control and sanction on the grounds of the existing OECD
proposal(cid:146).

What steps has the Council taken in this respect?

(1) OJ C 20, 20.1.1997, p. 161.

Reply

(27 November 1998)

The Council duly noted the European Parliament(cid:146)s Resolution of 12 December 1996 on (cid:145)human rights
throughout the world in 1995-1996 and the Union(cid:146)s human rights policy(cid:146).

The Council reaffirms its commitment to ensuring that European companies respect human rights within
the Union and in third countries. However, no specific proposal for the adoption of a Code of Conduct for
European companies, which obliges them to respect human rights including control and sanction
mechanisms, has yet been put to the Council.

(1999/C 118/184)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2808/98

by Bernard Lehideux (PPE) to the Commission

(9 September 1998)

Subject: European directives preventing the recognition of hospital pharmacy as a discipline in its own

right

Despite the many specific tasks assigned to it › manufacturing medicines from blood products,
supervising clinical trials, epidemiology, sterilisation, chemical pharmacy and so forth › hospital
pharmacy has not been granted the recognition as a discipline in its own right accorded to branches of
medicine, surgery or biology.

Hospital pharmacists would like to see eligibility to practise pharmacy in hospitals or clinics restricted to
holders of a special diploma. As matters stand, at the end of their internship they receive a university
degree, the DES (Dipl(cid:244)me d(cid:146)(cid:201)tudes SupØrieures), yet other branches of the medical profession are still
entitled to practise hospital pharmacy.

The French Ministry of Health and the trade unions concerned apparently support granting hospital
pharmacy more specialised status. However, France(cid:146)s National Trade Union Federation of Pharmacy
Interns contends that certain European directives stand in the way of such a move.