do-me/EUR-LEX huggingface dataset:
WRITTEN QUESTION No. 501/99 by James NICHOLSON to the Commission. International Year of the Older Person
Date: 1999-03-05
Institutions: European Parliament, NICHOLSON
Subjects: European social policy, elderly person, equal treatment, population ageing, public awareness campaign, social integration

15.10.1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 297/159

(1999/C 297/218)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0501/99

by James Nicholson (PPE) to the Commission

(5 March 1999)

Subject: International Year of the Older Person

What measures has the Commission undertaken to give European Union recognition to 1999 as the
International Year of the Older Person?

Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission

(24 March 1999)

The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its answer to Written Question No 0149/99 by
Mr Sisó Cruellas (1).

(1)

See page 147.

(1999/C 297/219)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0561/99

by Graham Mather (PPE) to the Commission

(12 March 1999)

Subject: Competition policy in the retailing sector

Can the Commission please provide details of any initiatives recently taken or shortly to be taken in this
sphere?

Is the Commission policy in this area being reviewed and if so, on what basis?

Answer given by Mr Van Miert on behalf of the Commission

(29 March 1999)

In 1997, following the publication of the green paper on vertical restraints (1), the Commission launched a
policy review exercise with a view to reconsidering the Community competition rules applicable to
distribution agreements, including the retailing sector. In the light of the indications arising from the wide
public consultation, the Commission adopted on 30 September 1998 a communication on the application of
Community competition rules to vertical restraints (2) which describes the policy the Commission intends to
adopt in this field.

The main aim of the proposed new policy is a shift to a more economic oriented approach, resulting in a much
broader coverage of vertical agreements by one block exemption regulation. Such a policy will lead to a
reduced regulatory burden, a simplification of the applicable rules, a reduction of the notification requirements
and a more effective control of vertical restraints implemented by companies holding significant market
power.

The Commission also follows the developments in the retailing sector, with particular reference to the
implications that the exercise of buying power may have on the application of Community competition rules.

(1) COM(96) 721 final.
(2) COM(98) 544 final.
Commission Regulation (EC) No 497/1999 of 5 March 1999 fixing the maximum export refund on wholly milled medium round grain and long grain a rice in connection with the invitation to tender issued in Regulation (EC) No 2565/98
Date: 1999-03-05
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: award of contract, export refund, rice

L 59/20

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

6. 3. 1999

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 497/1999

of 5 March 1999

fixing the maximum export refund on wholly milled medium round grain and
long grain A rice in connection with the invitation to tender issued in Regulation
(EC) No 2565/98

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 3072/95 of
22 December 1995 on the common organisation of the
market in rice (1), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No
2072/98 (2), and in particular Article 13(3) thereof,

Whereas an invitation to tender for the export refund on
rice was issued pursuant to Commission Regulation (EC)
No 2565/98 (3);

Whereas Article 5 of Commission Regulation (EEC) No
584/75 (4), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 299/
95 (5), allows the Commission to fix, in accordance with
the procedure laid down in Article 22 of Regulation (EC)
No 3072/95 and on the basis of the tenders submitted, a
maximum export
this
maximum, the criteria provided for in Article 13 of Regu-
lation (EC) No 3072/95 must be taken into account;
whereas a contract is awarded to any tenderer whose
tender is equal to or less than the maximum export
refund;

refund; whereas

in fixing

Whereas the application of the abovementioned criteria
to the current market situation for the rice in question
results in the maximum export refund being fixed at the
amount specified in Article 1;

Whereas the measures provided for in this Regulation are
in accordance with the opinion of
the Management
Committee for Cereals,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

The maximum export refund on wholly milled medium
round grain and long grain A rice to be exported to
certain third countries of Europe pursuant to the invita-
tion to tender issued in Regulation (EC) No 2565/98 is
hereby fixed on the basis of the tenders submitted from 1
to 4 March 1999 at EUR 130,00 per tonne.

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on 6 March 1999.

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

Done at Brussels, 5 March 1999.

For the Commission

Franz FISCHLER

Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 329, 30. 12. 1995, p. 18.
(2) OJ L 265, 30. 9. 1998, p. 4.
(3) OJ L 320, 28. 11. 1998, p. 46.
(4) OJ L 61, 7. 3. 1975, p. 25.
(5) OJ L 35, 15. 2. 1995, p. 8.
WRITTEN QUESTION No. 451/99 by Giuseppe RAUTI Quality of food aid for Russia
Date: 1999-03-05
Institutions: European Parliament, RAUTI
Subjects: Russia, award of contract, food aid, food inspection, foodstuff, foodstuffs legislation, intervention buying, product quality, public stock, quality standard













EUR-Lex - 91999E0451 - EN






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91999E0451

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 451/99 by Giuseppe RAUTI Quality of food aid for Russia  


Official Journal C 370 , 21/12/1999 P. 0043 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-0451/99by Giuseppe Rauti (NI) to the Commission(5 March 1999)Subject: Quality of food aid for RussiaWhat exactly was the nature of the sudden "dispute" about the food aid supplied by the European Union to Russia? Because of the dispute the aid is now suspended.According to the European press, Russia - which, as is known, was in drastic need of the aid - had asked for food that complied with the health rules in force there.Other sources ("Le Figaro", p. 3 of 10 February 1999) indicate that Russia merely wished the quality of the food aid to be equivalent to that of products delivered as part of normal trade, which seems quite legitimate.Can the Commission confirm - with full knowledge of the facts and appropriate data on the firms - that Union funds are being managed in such a way as to send the type of food in question to Russia, that no attempt has been made to force Russia to accept low-quality products and that there has been no cynical exploitation of the needs of the Russian people?Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission(20 April 1999)The Commission would ask the Honourable Member to refer to the answer given to Oral Question H-130/99 by Mr Giansily at question time during the March 1999(1) session of Parliament.As stated in the memorandum signed on 20 January 1999 between the Community and the Russian Federation, the Commission undertook to supply goods of the minimum quality required for intervention buying-in.In fact, apart from pigmeat and wholly milled rice, the products to be supplied to the Russian Federation are already held in the Community's intervention stores and must therefore have met those minimum quality requirements when bought into intervention.The operators involved are responsible only for transporting those products from intervention warehouses to ports or designated border points, and not for supplying the products. The Commission laid down the quality criteria for pigmeat and wholly milled rice in the regulations opening the invitations to tender.The surveillance companies designated by the Commission are responsible, among other things, for checking that the products from Community intervention stocks still meet the minimum quality required for intervention products and, on arrival in Russia, have not undergone any significant deterioration in quality during transport.The minimum quality required for intervention is accepted for all commercial exports. The quality required by the Russian operators was far in excess of the quality that the Community could guarantee to supply.(1) Parliamentary debates (March 1999).
Proposal for a Council Directive amending Directive 76/625/EEC concerning the statistical surveys to be carried out by the Member States in order to determine the production potential of plantations of certain species of fruit trees
Date: 1999-03-05
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: data collection, fruit-growing, member country, plantation, statistics

C 110/8

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

21.4.1999

Proposal for a Council Directive amending Directive 76/625/EEC concerning the statistical surveys
to be carried out by the Member States in order to determine the production potential of
plantations of certain species of fruit trees

(1999/C 110/07)

COM(1999) 78 final (cid:151) 1999/0051(CNS)

(Submitted by the Commission on 5 March 1999)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Economic Community, and in particular Article 43 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament,

(1) Whereas Council Directive 76/625/EEC (1), as last amended
by the Act of Accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden,
lays down the basic provisions for statistical surveys of the
area of plantations of certain species of fruit trees in order
to determine the potential and medium-term development
of Community production;

(2) Whereas Directive 76/625/EEC requires the Member States
to provide the Commission every year with annual data on
the clearing and new plantations of fruit trees, and requires
the Commission to submit annual reports to the Council
on that basis;

(3) Whereas those data are not indispensable for determining
of

and medium-term development

potential

the
Community production;

(4) Whereas

the collection and transmission of data on
clearing and new plantations and the annual reports to
be presented to the Council by the Commission should
be made optional,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE:

Article 1

The following Article 8a is inserted in Directive 76/625/EEC:

(cid:145)Article 8a

The measures provided for in Articles 5 and 6, and the
annual reports provided for in Article 8, shall be optional.(cid:146)

Article 2

This Directive shall enter into force on the twentieth day
following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the
European Communities.

Article 3

This Directive is addressed to the Member States.

(1) OJ L 218, 11.8.1976, p. 10.
Commission Regulation (EC) No 496/1999 of 5 March 1999 fixing the maximum export refund on wholly milled round grain, medium grain and long grain a rice in connection with the invitation to tender issued in Regulation (EC) No 2564/98
Date: 1999-03-05
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: award of contract, export refund, rice

6. 3. 1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 59/19

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 496/1999

of 5 March 1999

fixing the maximum export refund on wholly milled round grain, medium grain
and long grain A rice in connection with the invitation to tender issued in
Regulation (EC) No 2564/98

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 3072/95 of
22 December 1995 on the common organisation of the
market in rice (1), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No
2072/98 (2), and in particular Article 13(3) thereof,

Whereas an invitation to tender for the export refund on
rice was issued pursuant to Commission Regulation (EC)
No 2564/98 (3);

Whereas Article 5 of Commission Regulation (EEC) No
584/75 (4), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 299/
95 (5), allows the Commission to fix, in accordance with
the procedure laid down in Article 22 of Regulation (EC)
No 3072/95 and on the basis of the tenders submitted, a
maximum export
this
maximum, the criteria provided for in Article 13 of Regu-
lation (EC) No 3072/95 must be taken into account;
whereas a contract is awarded to any tenderer whose
tender is equal to or less than the maximum export
refund;

refund; whereas

in fixing

Whereas the application of the abovementioned criteria
to the current market situation for the rice in question
results in the maximum export refund being fixed at the
amount specified in Article 1;

Whereas the measures provided for in this Regulation are
in accordance with the opinion of
the Management
Committee for Cereals,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

The maximum export refund on wholly milled round
grain, medium grain and long grain A rice to be exported
to certain third countries pursuant to the invitation to
tender issued in Regulation (EC) No 2564/98 is hereby
fixed on the basis of the tenders submitted from 1 to 4
March 1999 at EUR 111,00 per tonne.

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on 6 March 1999.

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

Done at Brussels, 5 March 1999.

For the Commission

Franz FISCHLER

Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 329, 30. 12. 1995, p. 18.
(2) OJ L 265, 30. 9. 1998, p. 4.
(3) OJ L 320, 28. 11. 1998, p. 43.
(4) OJ L 61, 7. 3. 1975, p. 25.
(5) OJ L 35, 15. 2. 1995, p. 8.
Commission Regulation (EC) No 488/1999 of 5 March 1999 establishing the standard import values for determining the entry price of certain fruit and vegetables
Date: 1999-03-05
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: agri-monetary policy, citrus fruit, fruit vegetable, import price, perennial vegetable, pip fruit

6. 3. 1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 59/1

I

(Acts whose publication is obligatory)

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 488/1999

of 5 March 1999

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-
tion of
the import arrangements for fruit and veget-
ables (1), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1498/
98 (2), and in particular Article 4 (1) 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 6 March 1999.

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

Done at Brussels, 5 March 1999.

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.

L 59/2

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

6. 3. 1999

to the Commission Regulation of 5 March 1999 establishing the standard import values for
determining the entry price of certain fruit and vegetables

ANNEX

CN code

0702 00 00

0707 00 05

0709 10 00

0709 90 70

0805 10 10, 0805 10 30, 0805 10 50

0805 30 10

0808 10 20, 0808 10 50, 0808 10 90

0808 20 50

Third country
code (1)

Standard import
value

(EUR/100 kg)

052
204
212
624
999
052
068
999
220
999
052
204
999
052
204
212
600
624
999
052
600
999
039
060
388
400
404
508
512
528
706
720
728
999
052
388
400
512
528
624
999

108,7
45,6
96,1
174,5
106,2
118,3
107,2
112,8
194,7
194,7
115,3
122,8
119,1
32,6
41,2
45,3
50,0
49,9
43,8
42,0
58,8
50,4
80,9
36,7
137,1
81,9
74,2
86,3
98,3
102,3
107,2
78,4
95,7
89,0
146,9
77,2
82,8
70,3
70,1
73,5
86,8

(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'.
Commission Regulation (EC) No 489/1999 of 5 March 1999 amending Regulation (EC) No 178/1999 determining the extent to which applications lodged in January 1999 for import licences for certain pigmeat products under the regime provided for by the Agreements concluded by the Community with the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Romania can be accepted
Date: 1999-03-05
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Central and Eastern Europe, agreement (EU), import licence, meat product, pigmeat

6. 3. 1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 59/3

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 489/1999

of 5 March 1999

amending Regulation (EC) No 178/1999 determining the extent to which applica-
tions lodged in January 1999 for import licences for certain pigmeat products
under the regime provided for by the Agreements concluded by the Community
with the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Hungary, the Czech Republic,
Slovakia, Bulgaria and Romania can be accepted

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Commission Regulation (EC) No 1898/
97 of 29 September 1997 laying down detailed rules for
the application in the pigmeat sector of the arrangements
provided for by Council Regulation (EC) No 3066/95 and
repealing Regulations (EEC) No 2698/93 and (EC) No
1590/94 (1), as amended by Regulation (EC) No 618/98 (2),
and in particular Article 4(5) thereof,

Whereas the quantities available for the period 1 April to
30 June 1999 as set out in Annex II of Regulation (EC)

No 178/1999 (3) were inaccurate due to incorrect informa-
tion supplied by a Member State;

Whereas Annex II of
replaced,

the said Regulation should be

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 178/1999 is hereby
replaced by the Annex to this Regulation.

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on 8 March 1999.

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

Done at Brussels, 5 March 1999.

For the Commission

Franz FISCHLER

Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 267, 30. 9. 1997, p. 58.
(2) OJ L 82, 19. 3. 1998, p. 35.

(3) OJ L 20, 27. 1. 1999, p. 30.

L 59/4

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

6. 3. 1999

ANNEX

‘ANNEX II

Group No

Total quantity available
for the period
1 April to 30 June 1999

(tonnes)

1

2

3

4

H1

H2

5

6

7

8

9

10/11

12/13

14

15

16

17

4 239

659,9

1 820

16 193,1

2 400

500

3 450

2 101,1

9 806,8

1 610

11 730

6 065

2 645

345

1 035

1 874,9

14 375'
WRITTEN QUESTION No. 450/99 by Giuseppe RAUTI Collapse of the ancient walls of Viterbo
Date: 1999-03-05
Institutions: European Parliament, RAUTI
Subjects: EU programme, Italy, Structural Funds, architectural heritage, cultural heritage, heritage protection, historic site, monument, principle of subsidiarity

C 348/70

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

3.12.1999

Answer given by Mr Santer on behalf of the Commission

(1 April 1999)

The obligation for American companies to declare their lobbying activities, including the amount they spend
on such activities, derives from the registration system which applies to all organisations lobbying US federal
bodies.

This registration system is not compatible with the Commission’s approach, which is based on openness to all
interest groups and guarantees them equal treatment while recommending that they apply a system of self-
regulation.

This being so, the Commission has no plans to adopt measures which would require a radical change of policy.

(1999/C 348/088)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0444/99

by José Valverde López (PPE) to the Commission

(4 March 1999)

Subject: Adjusting the definition of small and medium enterprises

The Commission has submitted a proposal for a directive adjusting the financial thresholds used in defining
small and medium enterprises in the context of European directives on accounting.

The proposal will allow the Member States to establish exceptions with regard to obligatory financial
information for a larger number of SMEs.

What social partners and associations of SMEs and artisans were contacted in the course of preparing this
proposal?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(8 April 1999)

The Fourth Council Directive 78/660/EC) of 25 July 1978 on the annual accounts of certain types of
companies (1) allows Member States to exempt small and medium-sized companies from certain requirements
of the Directive.

Small and medium-sized companies are defined for the purposes of the Directive by reference to three criteria,
i.e. balance sheet total, net turnover and average number of employees. The balance sheet total and net
turnover amounts are expressed in Euro. In accordance with Article 53(2) of the Directive every five years the
Council, acting on a proposal from the Commission, is to examine and, if need be, revise the amounts
expressed in Euro.

As the Directive stipulates that this five-yearly revision has to take place ‘in the light of economic and monetary
trends in the Community’ there is no need for special consultation of social partners and associations of small
and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The revision is of a purely technical nature and is based upon statistical
figures.

(1) OJ L 222, 14.8.1978.

(1999/C 348/089)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0450/99

by Giuseppe Rauti (NI) to the Commission

(5 March 1999)

Subject: Collapse of the ancient walls of Viterbo

Controversy has arisen in Viterbo over reconstruction of the ancient walls, two stretches of which, measuring
some dozens of metres, collapsed in January and March 1997.After so many months the reconstruction has
WRITTEN QUESTION No. 465/99 by Ulla SANDBÆK Arms and Morocco
Date: 1999-03-05
Institutions: European Parliament, SANDBAEK
Subjects: EU statistics, Morocco, Western Sahara, arms trade, conventional weapon, extra-EU trade, military equipment, military occupation













EUR-Lex - 91999E0465 - EN






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91999E0465

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 465/99 by Ulla SANDBÆK Arms and Morocco  


Official Journal C 341 , 29/11/1999 P. 0119 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-0465/99by Ulla Sandbæk (I-EDN) to the Commission(5 March 1999)Subject: Arms and MoroccoMorocco has illegally occupied Western Sahara since 1973 and it is common knowledge that it was previously spending $1 million a day on that war, will the Commission, therefore, say:1. precisely how much Morocco spends on maintaining its illegal occupation at the present time,2. what proportion of the EU's aid is spent on arms,3. which Member States sell arms to Morocco, and4. how this is consistent with the EU's policy of cohesion?Answer given by Mr Marín on behalf of the Commission(16 April 1999)The Commission has no figures on Morocco's expenditure within Western Sahara.Community aid to Morocco is earmarked for supporting economic transition and economic and social development, so no funds are given for armaments.Arms exports from the Member States are not governed by any Community act, so the Commission would ask the Honourable Member to consult the United Nations Register of Conventional Weapons, which was set up by UN General Assembly Resolution 46/36 L of 9 December 1991, and which commits UN members to notifying imports and exports of conventional weapons by 30 April of every year.The Commission is in a position to inform the Honourable Member that according to public data for 1997 available to it, the Member States which sold armaments to Morocco (goods in nomenclature chapter 93, "arms and ammunition, parts and accessories thereof") were France, Italy, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom.