do-me/EUR-LEX huggingface dataset:
WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3226/98 by Elena MARINUCCI to the Commission. The URBAN Community Initiative
Date: 1998-10-19
Institutions: European Parliament, MARINUCCI
Subjects: EU financing, EU initiative, Northern Ireland, peacekeeping, settlement of disputes













EUR-Lex - 91998E3226 - EN






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91998E3226

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3226/98 by Elena MARINUCCI to the Commission. The URBAN Community Initiative  


Official Journal C 207 , 21/07/1999 P. 0041 





WRITTEN QUESTION P-3226/98by Elena Marinucci (PSE) to the Commission(19 October 1998)Subject: The URBAN Community InitiativeCan the Commission say:1. whether it is true that, in response to the Cardiff European Council and in order to assist the peace process in Ireland, it intends to find the necessary funding by taking Community Initiative funding which has not been used and, if so,2. on what current legislation this decision is based?Answer given by Mrs Wulf-Mathies on behalf of the Commission(19 November 1998)The Commission has proposed to the Member States that the peace and reconciliation initiative be funded in 1999 by adjusting the indicative financial allocations for those Community initiatives which are performing below expectations. This would respond to the European Council's request at the Cardiff summit in June 1998 that the Commission finds ways of supporting the fresh opportunities which the Northern Ireland peace agreement brings and would answer Parliament's request to consider as a matter of urgency how the peace agreement can be supported in practical terms. It would also comply with the orientations of the 1999 draft budget, that an additional ECU 100 million for the peace initiative should be provided by reprogramming the other Community initiatives and meet Parliament's request to make reallocations within the Community initiatives to ensure their appropriate financial implementation.The modifications to the indicative allocations will be made by amending the Commission decisions of 13 July 1994 and 8 May 1996 which established, respectively, the original indicative allocation to the Community initiatives and the distribution of the Community initiative financial reserve.
WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3243/98 by Anna KARAMANOU Exploitation of child labour
Date: 1998-10-19
Institutions: European Parliament, KARAMANOU
Subjects: International Labour Organisation, Italy, Türkiye, child labour, child protection, children's rights, clothing industry, patents licence, signature of an agreement, subcontracting

11.10.1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 289/29

brought into conformity with this Directive by Decree 94/96 adopted on 17 July 1996. The Commission is
satisfied that the Portuguese decree fully meets the requirements of the Directive, and has no reason to doubt
that the decree is being fully applied.

(1) OJ L 247, 5.10.1993.

(1999/C 289/038)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3243/98

by Anna Karamanou (PSE) to the Commission

(19 October 1998)

Subject: Exploitation of child labour

Dervish Kaplan, a leading member of the Istanbul trade union movement, claimed recently that children
between the ages of 9 and 13 are employed throughout the chain of production making articles of clothing for
the Italian company Benetton at particularly low wages.

The exploitation of child labour is a widespread phenomenon. According to a recent study by the International
Labour Office, some 250 million children worldwide between the ages of 5 and 14 are working in harsh
conditions with appallingly low wages, while 120 million children are forced to leave school in order to work.

What measures is the Commission taking to combat the callous exploitation of child labour by multinational
companies and to ensure that children’s rights are protected?

Answer given by Mr van den Broek on behalf of the Commission

(10 November 1998)

The Commission has also recently learnt about the facts mentioned by the Honourable Member. Child labour
in Turkey has in particular been the subject of several criticisms by the International Labour Office.

According to information collected by the Commission Benetton has just signed a memorandum with the
Turkish agent holding its licence in Turkey with a view of abolishing any contractual relationship with
subcontracting companies in the country that use children who are less than fifteen years old as part of their
workforce.

The Commission for its part during the last few years has undertaken numerous actions and initiatives in the
field of child labour (see the Commission staff paper services document updated to 11 May 1998 which the
Commission is sending direct to the Honourable Member and to Parliament¢s General Secretariat.

(1999/C 289/039)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3250/98

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(20 October 1998)

Subject: Food aid for Russia

The EU intends to send food aid to Russia so as to enable this country to meet its food needs. However, it has
been reported that this aid will consist mainly of animal products (meat and milk) and cereals; Mediterranean
products such as citrus fruits, horticultural produce and olive oil will not be included or, if they are, it will be
only on a very limited scale.
98/603/EC: Council Decision of 19 October 1998 amending Decision 95/408/EC on the conditions for drawing up, for an interim period, provisional lists of third-country establishments from which Member States are authorised to import certain products of animal origin, fishery products or live bivalve molluscs
Date: 1998-10-19
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: fishery product, fresh meat, health control, import, mollusc, third country

L 289/36

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

28. 10. 98

II

(Acts whose publication is not obligatory)

COUNCIL

COUNCIL DECISION

of 19 October 1998

amending Decision 95/408/EC on the conditions for drawing up, for an interim
period, provisional lists of third-country establishments from which Member
States are authorised to import certain products of animal origin, fishery prod-
ucts or live bivalve molluscs

(98/603/EC)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to Council Decision 95/408/EC of 22 June
1995 on the conditions for drawing up, for an interim
period, provisional lists of third-country establishments
from which Member States are authorised to import
certain products of animal origin, fishery products or live
bivalve molluscs (1) and in particular Article 9 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (2),

Whereas the interim period opened by Decision 95/
408/EC ends on 31 December 1998; whereas,
for
administrative reasons, the drawing up of the lists of
third-country establishments from which Member States
are authorised to import certain products in accordance
with the Directives on health rules applicable to those
products has been delayed;

Whereas, in order to prevent any disruptions in tradi-
tional trade patterns, the interim period during which a
simplified system may be applied to third-country estab-
lishments exporting certain products of animal origin,

fishery products or
extended,

live bivalve molluscs

should be

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

In Article 9 of Decision 95/408/EC the date ‘31
December 1998' shall be replaced by ‘31 December 2000'.

Article 2

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Luxembourg, 19 October 1998.

For the Council

The President

W. MOLTERER

(1) OJ L 243, 11. 10. 1995, p. 17. Decision as amended by

Decision 97/34/EC (OJ L 13, 16. 1. 1997, p. 33).

(2) OJ C 215, 10. 7. 1998, p. 20.
WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3164/98 by Mathieu GROSCH to the Commission. Care insurance
Date: 1998-10-19
Institutions: European Parliament, GROSCH
Subjects: Germany, free movement of persons, free movement of workers, health insurance, residence, social security, social-security benefit, transfer of pension rights













EUR-Lex - 91998E3164 - EN






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91998E3164

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3164/98 by Mathieu GROSCH to the Commission. Care insurance  


Official Journal C 142 , 21/05/1999 P. 0100 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-3164/98by Mathieu Grosch (PPE) to the Commission(19 October 1998)Subject: Care insuranceIn the "Molenaar" judgment of 5 March 1998 (A3 - C160/96) the Court of Justice ruled that Regulation (EEC) 1408/71(1) which covers statutory sickness was applicable to German care insurance. The Court denied that care benefits were benefits in kind and said they were sickness benefits which had to be granted in other Member States. A judgment by the Court creates law which is immediately applicable. It has an immediate effect on existing legal arrangements, with the result that if parties insured under German care visit or reside in countries of the EU or the EEA they can receive care benefits for a period of six weeks. Transposition does not require an implementing act by the national parliaments.1. Is it true that persons in receipt of two different pensions from two different EU Member States are excluded from claiming care payments in other countries?2. If so, what is the legal basis for this?Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission(15 December 1998)In the Molenaar case (C-160/96), the Court of Justice regarded the care benefits in question as sickness benefits in kind.This interpretation means that all persons who receive only a German pension and reside in another Member State may benefit from the right to export care benefits (Article 28 of Council Regulation (EEC) 1408/71 of 14 June 1971 on the application of social security schemes to employed persons, to self-employed persons and to members of their families moving within the Community(2)). In the case of a person in receipt of two or more pensions, the first issue is to decide which Member State is responsible for sickness benefits in kind. If a person resides in a Member State which pays him or her a pension, it is that Member State which is responsible (Article 27).If a person resides in a Member State without being entitled to a pension there, the Member State in which he or she has been insured the longest must provide sickness benefits in kind (Article 28).Under these circumstances, it cannot be ruled out that a person who receives a German pension but, for example, resides in and receives a pension from his or her Member State of origin may not be entitled to export German care benefits.(1) OJ L 149, 5.7.1971, p. 2.(2) OJ L 149, 5.7.1971.
WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3155/98 by Felipe CAMISÓN ASENSIO to the Council. Natural gas consumption
Date: 1998-10-19
Institutions: CAMISON ASENSIO, European Parliament
Subjects: atmospheric conditions, climate, consumer survey, energy consumption, household consumption, natural gas, socioeconomic conditions

C 135/174

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

14.5.1999

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission

(12 November 1998)

Wind farms may cause environmental damage by spoiling the landscape and creating noise and are
therefore included in the infrastructure covered by Annex II to Council Directive 97/11/EC of 3 March
1997 amending Directive 85/337/EEC on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private
projects on the environment. (1) Annex II projects are subject to environmental impact assessment based
on criteria or requirements to be laid down by the Member States regarding their size, location and specific
characteristics.

The new Directive must be transposed by the Member States by 14 March 1999 at the latest.

Moreover, certain wind farms are covered by the provisions of the present Annex II(3)(a) to Directive
85/337/EEC if they are ‘industrial installations for the production of electricity’.

(1) OJ L 73, 14.3.1997.

(1999/C 135/217)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3155/98

by Felipe Camisón Asensio (PPE) to the Council

(19 October 1998)

Subject: Natural gas consumption

Recent data shows that the consumption of natural gas is being reduced significantly in Member States
such a Germany,
is increasing
significantly in Greece and Spain. Does the Council know of any socio-economic reasons for this
difference? In this connection also, what are the Council’s forecasts with regard to the consumption of
natural gas in the region of Extremadura?

the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Finland and Austria, while it

Reply

(20/21 December 1998)

Consumption of natural gas has varied over the years and will continue to do so due to different factors,
including weather. However, the general trend in the European Community indicates a steady growth. The
Council expects this trend to be reinforced by the entry into force of the Directive on natural gas.

The Council has not discussed the consumption of natural gas in any specific region.

(1999/C 135/218)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3167/98

by Anita Pollack (PSE) to the Commission

(27 October 1998)

Subject: Safety checks on amusement park attractions

In its reply to Question H-0669/97 (1) the Commission stated it had given a mandate to the European
Standardization Organisations to draw up a European standard for technical specifications for fairground
equipment. Has this now been done, and does the Commission not agree, that technical specifications are
fine as far as they go, but the crux of the matter which needs to be addressed is minimum standards for
regular inspection of these attractions to ensure safety is observed at all times?

(1) European Parliament debates (September 1997).
WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3152/98 by Glenys KINNOCK to the Commission. Eradication of polio
Date: 1998-10-19
Institutions: European Parliament, KINNOCK
Subjects: Community budget, European Development Fund, World Health Organisation, developing countries, financial aid, health policy, infectious disease, public health, vaccination

C 142/94

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

21.5.1999

Will the Commission take the initiative to develop such a comprehensive strategy, bearing in mind that
climate change is likely to increase the risk of fires in the Mediterranean?

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission

(27 November 1998)

For several years the Commission has been supporting the Member States in the fight against forest fires.
In the southerly Member States, in particular, self-training workshops have been held which enable
experience to the exchanged and, since 1996, there has been a system enabling experts to be exchanged;
Moreover, a system enabling information on risk levels to be exchanged between Member States every
summer has been set up with Commission support.

The Commission was able to further the expansion of mutual aid between Member States in the event of
forest fires when, in 1994, it was possible, thanks to its support, to finalise an administrative agreement on
the common use of airborne fire-fighting equipment between Italy and France.

As part of the Community’s current action programme on civil defence the Commission is prepared to
provide additional support and to back-up any action enabling that mutual cooperation among the Member
States to be improved in order to boost its effectiveness and reduce the impact of those disasters.

(1999/C 142/114)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3152/98

by Glenys Kinnock (PSE) to the Commission

(19 October 1998)

Subject: Eradication of polio

In 1998 the World Health Organization launched an initiative to eradicate polio by the year 2000.
Although there has been a 90 % reduction in the number of cases of polio the ultimate target is still to be
reached.

Will the Commission therefore set out its approach to tackling polio in the developing world, and indicate
what financial commitments it has so far made towards solving this problem?

(1999/C 142/115)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3282/98

by Gary Titley (PSE) to the Commission

(26 October 1998)

Subject: EU funding for immunisation programmes

How much money does the EU currently spend on programmes of immunisation against diseases such as
polio in Europe and the rest of the world?

Does the EU have any plans to increase its funding of polio immunisation to help achieve the aim of the
1990 World Summit on Children to eradicate polio by the year 2000?
Commission Regulation (EC) No 2244/98 of 19 October 1998 establishing the standard import values for determining the entry price of certain fruit and vegetables
Date: 1998-10-19
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: agri-monetary policy, citrus fruit, fruit vegetable, grape, import price, pip fruit

20. 10. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 282/1

I

(Acts whose publication is obligatory)

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 2244/98

of 19 October 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 20 October
1998.

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

Done at Brussels, 19 October 1998.

For the Commission

Franz FISCHLER

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 282/2

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

20. 10. 98

to the Commission Regulation of 19 October 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

Third country
code (1)

Standard import
value

(ECU/100 kg)

204
999
052
999
052
388
524
528
999
052
064
400
999
060
064
388
400
404
512
800
804
999
052
064
999

94,2
94,2
95,6
95,6
57,6
88,4
62,4
50,0
64,6
109,5
69,2
209,1
129,3
37,5
41,0
16,6
63,8
76,1
45,5
154,9
96,2
66,4
96,6
59,9
78,3

(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. 3227/98 by David MARTIN to the Commission. Use of baboons in xenotransplantation research in the UK
Date: 1998-10-19
Institutions: European Parliament, MARTIN DAVID
Subjects: United Kingdom, animal experimentation, medical research, monkey, organ transplantation, protected species, protection of animals, wildlife

21.5.1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 142/107

(1999/C 142/131)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3216/98

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(26 October 1998)

Subject: Proceedings against Greece for failure to implement Directive 96/42/EC

The Fifteenth Annual Report monitoring the application of Community law in 1997 indicates that
proceedings have been initiated against Greece in relation to Directive 96/42/EC concerning taxation of
floricultural products. Will the Commission say:

1. what exactly the infringement by Greece consists of, and

2. what the substance of the Commission’s arguments is?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(11 December 1998)

According to Article 2 of Council Directive 96/42/EC of 25 June 1996 amending Directive 77/388/EEC on
the common system of value added tax, (1) Member States are obliged to communicate to the Commission
the provisions of domestic law that they adopt in connection with reduced VAT rates on floricultural
products and wood used as firewood.

Greece was already applying the reduced rate to cut flowers and other floricultural products, as well as to
wood used as firewood, prior to the adoption of the Directive. Nevertheless, under its provisions, Greece is
obliged to comply with the requirement to communicate the measure to the Commission, even if there is
no need for it to adopt any new measures.

In spite of this, Greece has failed to communicate to the Commission the measures which transpose
Directive 96/42/EC.

(1) OJ L 170, 9.7.1996.

(1999/C 142/132)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3227/98

by David Martin (PSE) to the Commission

(19 October 1998)

Subject: Use of baboons in xenotransplantation research in the UK

Is the Commission aware that wild baboons have been used in xenotransplantation (animal-to-human
transplantation) research in the United Kingdom? Does the Commission consider that this is compatible
with the provisions of Article 7(3), second indent, of Directive 86/609/EEC (1)?

(1) OJ L 358, 18.12.1986, p. 1.

Answer given by Mrs Cresson on behalf of the Commission

(24 November 1998)

The Commission is aware that wild caught baboons have been used for xenotransplantation research in the
United Kingdom. The use of animals for experimentation in the United Kingdom is regulated by
the Animal Act of 1986 in accordance with Council Directive 86/609/EEC of 24 November 1986 on the
approximation of laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States regarding
the protection of animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes (1), and it is the responsibility
of the national authorities − and not that of the Commission − that the provisions of the Animal Act are
respected.