WRITTEN QUESTION No. 346/99 by Katerina DASKALAKI Follow-up action on the European Parliament's own- initiative report on the written press
Date: 1999-02-23
Institutions: DASKALAKI, European Parliament
Subjects: European Commission, conference proceedings, democracy, freedom of the press, information network, mass media, new technology, report, resolution of parliament

C 370/30

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

21.12.1999

(1999/C 370/039)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0332/99

by Gianni Tamino (V) to the Commission

(23 February 1999)

Subject: Council Directive 98/58 concerning the protection of animals kept for farming purposes

In Italy the ‘1998 Community Law’ was finally adopted on 28 January 1999 by the Chamber of Deputies.

Council Directive 98/58/EC concerning the protection of animals kept for farming purposes (1), Article 10
of which provides that the deadline for the transposition of that directive by each Member State into the
national legal order is 31 December 1999, is not however included in that law.

It is clear that the next Italian ‘1999 Community Law’, which is due at the end of the year and usually
provides that a directive must be transposed within one year from the date of the adoption of that law,
would not enable Italy to put into effect this important directive within the prescribed period.

Is the Commission aware of this situation, how does it view it and what measures does it intend to take?

Has the Commission begun the necessary work to comply with the deadline of 30 June 1999 laid down in
Article 8 of the abovementioned directive and does it intend also to inform Parliament of the reaction?

(1) OJ L 221, 8.8.1998, p. 23.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(9 April 1999)

The Commission was not aware of the problem mentioned. It is Commission practice to remind Member
States of the obligation to implement directives by the due date. If a directive is not implemented correctly
by that date infringement proceedings are automatically opened.

The Commission has started to prepare the report to submit to the Council before 30 June 1999 under
Article 8 of Council Directive 98/58/EC of 25 July 1998 concerning the protection of animals kept for
farming purposes (1). The Commission has requested all third countries which are allowed to export
animals or animal products to the Community to send information about any legislation or other
provisions which they apply concerning the welfare of animals kept on farms, during transport and at
the time of slaughter. Once this information has been received, it will be assessed in the light of both
Article 8 of Directive 98/58/EC and World trade organisation (WTO) obligations. The report will also be
made available to the Parliament.

(1) OJ L 221, 8.8.1998.

(1999/C 370/040)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0346/99

by Katerina Daskalaki (UPE) to the Commission

(23 February 1999)

Subject: Follow-up action on the European Parliament’s own-initiative report on the written press

In adopting Report A4-0289/97 (1), the European Parliament recognised the undisputed historical role of
the written press in promoting democracy and human rights and called on the Commission to study and
propose measures in response to the new circumstances facing the written press in the Information
Society, circumstances which necessitate a process of readjustment and development in the following areas:
distribution systems, the training and education requirements of journalists in the new technologies, tax
regimes, infrastructure spending, the role of the regional press, news agencies and the written press as a
whole as a reliable source for the information highways.