WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3454/98 by Undine-Uta BLOCH von BLOTTNITZ Standing Working Group on the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material
Date: 1998-11-09
Institutions: BLOCH VON BLOTTNITZ, European Parliament
Subjects: access to information, committee (EU), consultation of information, radioactive materials, radioactive waste, report, self-employed person, transport of dangerous goods

C 320/50

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

6.11.1999

(1999/C 320/065)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3445/98

by Amedeo Amadeo (NI) to the Commission

(24 November 1998)

Subject: Rules for participation in research and the dissemination of results

With reference to the proposal for a Council decision concerning the rules for the participation of
undertakings, research centres and universities and for the dissemination of research results pursuant to the
Treaty establishing the European Community, and to the proposal for a Council decision concerning the rules
for the participation of undertakings, research centres and universities pursuant to the Treaty establishing the
European Atomic Energy Community (COM(97) 587 final/2-97/0309 SYN / 97/0310 CNS) (1), and whereas
SMEs have difficulty in defining their actual needs as regards technology, could the Commission provide them
with additional measures to enable them to take part in the research and technological development
framework programme, particularly in the form of rules which will enable intermediaries to have access to
the programme as ‘technological mediators’ and a strengthening of the advisory and back-up role of the
information networks in the area?

(1) OJ C 40, 7.2.1998.

Answer given by Ms Cresson on behalf of the Commission

(28 January 1999)

The 5th Framework Programme of research and technological development takes special account of the needs
of small businesses (SMEs), by introducing measures (such as exploratory awards and CRAFT cooperative
research schemes) specifically designed to help them.

The Member States and Associated States have also been asked to designate CRAFT ‘national contact points’,
whose job it is to inform SMEs and help them take part in the Framework Programme and the ‘thematic’
programmes.

This assistance network will be coordinated by the Commission, which is responsible for training and
informing the network members. The Commission will thus be able to finance the trans-national activities,
with the coordinated assistance of the network members appointed by the different countries.

In particular, the ‘horizontal’ theme entitled ‘Innovation and encouragement of SME participation’ provides for
economic and technological information schemes under which the national contact points will co-operate
together and with other intermediaries to target information and assistance at SMEs in certain sectors of
industry or certain regions of Europe. They will thus be able to play the role of ‘technological mediator’ to
which the Honourable Member refers.

(1999/C 320/066)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3454/98

by Undine-Uta Bloch von Blottnitz (V) to the Commission

(9 November 1998)

Subject: Standing Working Group on the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material

In 1982, at the request of the European Parliament (1), the Commission set up a standing working group to
deal with the transport of radioactive material. The Commission regularly publishes communications on the
reports of that working group, the most recent of which appeared in April 1998. These communications do
not, however, provide sufficient information about the matters discussed in the working group. Following the
scandal concerning the transport of such material in the spring of 1998, the European Parliament repeatedly
requested the Commission to forward to it the minutes of the standing working group’s meetings.

1. Where are the minutes of the standing working group’s meetings kept?

2. When and how will the Commission at last meet the European Parliament’s demand to be allowed to see
those minutes?

(1) OJ C 40, 15.2.1982, p. 42.