WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3940/98 by Carlos ROBLES PIQUER Assessing the various consequences of abandoning the International Space Station
Date: 1999-01-04
Institutions: European Parliament, ROBLES PIQUER
Subjects: EU programme, European Space Agency, European Union, Russia, budget, international cooperation, research and development, shareholding, space research, space station

12.11.1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 325/39

(1999/C 325/045)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3920/98

by Armelle Guinebertière (UPE) to the Commission

(4 January 1999)

Subject: Extension of European Union regulations on organic production of agricultural products to livestock

production without consultation of the European Parliament on the new proposal

The European Parliament delivered an opinion in May 1997 on the Commission’s proposal for a European
regulation on organic livestock production. A new proposal is to be submitted to the Council on 14 December
of this year, but it has still not been placed on the European Parliament’s agenda, although it includes measures
which are contested by the relevant professional associations at European level.

Under these circumstances can the Commission prevent the Council from taking too rapid a decision, which
would be made without the European Parliament having given its opinion on the new proposal?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(20 January 1999)

In response to Parliament’s opinion of 14 May 1997 on the Commission’s proposal (1) bringing livestock
production within the scope of Council Regulation (EEC) 2092/91 of 24 June 1991 on organic production of
agricultural products and indications referring thereto on agricultural products and foodstuffs (2), the
Commission prepared a new proposal (3) incorporating the amendments proposed by Parliament that it
agreed to.

This proposal was submitted to the Council, which is continuing to examine it under Article 43 of the EC
Treaty, this being the legal basis for it.

(1) OJ C 293, 5.10.1996.
(2) OJ L 198, 22.7.1991.
(3) COM(97) 747 final.

(1999/C 325/046)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3940/98

by Carlos Robles Piquer (PPE) to the Commission

(4 January 1999)

Subject: Assessing the various consequences of abandoning the International Space Station

The first section of the International Space Station was launched successfully from Baikonur (Kazakhstan) on
20 November 1998. It is designed to turn into reality things that have for decades been science-fiction dreams.
On 3 December the module Zarya (Sunrise) will be joined by the connecting module Unity launched from the
United States. There have already been delays owing to economic problems in Russia, but the most serious
problem is that there is a new timetable for Russia’s launching of the service module, now scheduled for July
1999. In the meantime there is growing criticism. A significant example is the editorial in the 14 November
issue of The Economist, which says ‘With Russia’s contribution to the project fast dwindling to nothing, the
station is now losing even symbolic value..., should it be going ahead at all? The answer is no.’ Nothing is said
about assessing the consequences of abandoning the project.

All this is symptomatic of the growing difficulties of
international cooperation in various fields of
megascience, space, nuclear fusion, etc. Can the Commission say what the European position is and what
is at stake for the European Space Agency and its members?