WRITTEN QUESTION E-1717/99 by Lucio Manisco (GUE/NGL) and Armando Cossutta (GUE/NGL) to the Council. Bombing of the Iraqi population.
Date: 1999-09-30
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Iraq, UNO, military intervention, political situation, public safety

C 170 E/80

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.6.2000

(2000/C 170 E/091)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1708/99

by HervØ Novelli (PPE-DE) to the Council

(30 September 1999)

Subject: Inconsistency between European regional policy and the French authorities(cid:146) decisions

The department of Indre-et-Loire is currently under consideration as regards the new zones for application
of the reform of European regional policy. The commune of Nou(cid:226)tre in the canton of Sainte-Maure, which
used to be eligible under ERDF Objective 5(b), could now come under Objective 2.

However, at the same time, the French authorities have decided to close a large part of the Nou(cid:226)tre
military base, which employs about 400 people, including 250 civilians, which will be a severe blow to the
local economy. For instance, the Nou(cid:226)tre secondary school, which takes the children of employees at the
base, may be threatened with closure in the fairly near future.

Does not the Council think that there is an unacceptable contradiction between its regional policy
1.
objectives in Indre-et-Loire and the French authorities(cid:146) decision, taken without any consultation, concern-
ing a commune in the same department?

Does not the Council think that it should intervene with the French Government to resolve this

2.
inconsistency?

3. More generally, does the Council know of other, similar cases and what measures will it take to
prevent contradictions of this kind in the future?

Reply

(9 December 1999)

In June the Council adopted new rules on the Structural Funds, which set out the priority objectives,

1.
general principles and programming methodology for 2000-2006.

2.
Under these rules, the Commission is responsible for ensuring the consistency of Objective 2 regional
development strategies presented by the Member States with the objectives of Community regional policy.

It is not for the Council to intervene in this matter, nor to comment on the policies and internal decisions
of Member States.

(2000/C 170 E/092)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1717/99

by Lucio Manisco (GUE/NGL) and Armando Cossutta (GUE/NGL) to the Council

Subject: Bombing of the Iraqi population

(30 September 1999)

For months now the United States and British air forces have been bombing Iraq and the rest of the world
has looked on with indifference. No resolution by the UN or any other international organisation provides
support for such action, which has caused death and destruction among the civilian population.

Does the Council agree with the statement made by the spokesman at the UN for the French Government,
which states that (cid:145)we must reiterate our deep disquiet about the unwarranted continuation of these
increasingly severe bombing raids whose purpose is not clear to us(cid:146)?

20.6.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 170 E/81

Reply

(2 December 1999)

The Council is deeply concerned about the serious situation in Iraq.

It considers lasting security and stability in the region as well as the living conditions of the Iraqi people to
be the prime considerations for the UN Secrurity Council in reaching an agreement on Iraq.

(2000/C 170 E/093)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1721/99

by Mar(cid:237)a Sornosa Mart(cid:237)nez (PSE) to the Commission

(29 September 1999)

Subject: The need for urgent implementation of legislation on safety in fairgrounds

The recent case of a four-year-old boy who died after falling off a fairground ride in Torrevieja (Alicante) is
the latest in a sad succession of accidents caused by defective recreational equipment of this kind. At the
time of the accident, the residents of Alicante were still absorbing the news of the death of another child in
Campello after he received an electric shock from a fairground ride.

A study financed by the Commission in 1995 found that fairground accidents account for more hospital
stays than any other type of accidents occurring in leisure time. The study also showed that checks and
inspections carried out on such equipment varied considerably between the Member States and that
national legislation in this area also differed widely. The Commission had been planning to draw up a
directive, but this never materialised. The European Parliament was informed that the 1992 Edinburgh
Summit changed the Commission(cid:146)s priorities, and it decided to withdraw the proposed legislation on
technical standards for fairgrounds. Finally, the Commission decided to ask the European Committee for
Standardisation to draft European legislation establishing technical specifications for fairground equipment.

Prompted by the Alicante accident, the Organizaci(cid:243)n de Consumidores Espaæoles (Spanish Consumers(cid:146)
Organisation) has expressed concern at the fact that this legislation will not be adopted and come into
force for another two years and has drawn attention to the worrying legal vacuum in Spain concerning the
standards that recreational machinery must meet.

Could the Commission give details of progress to date on the drafting and adoption of European rules for
fairgrounds? How and when will Community citizens benefit in practice from European legislation in this
area? Given the seriousness of the accidents that have occurred on this type of equipment, what does the
Commission intend to do to speed up implementation of
the
Community? Does the Commission agree that it should reconsider its 1992 decision and give the rules
the status of a directive?

the legislation adopted throughout

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(4 November 1999)

The Commission entirely shares in the Honourable Member(cid:146)s unease concerning fairground safety, more
particularly since this generally affects children. The Commission is particularly sensitive to the recent
accident which led to the death of a four year old child.

The aspects on which the Honourable Member has based the analysis of the situation coincide with those
supplied by the Commission, more particularly in the answers given to questions E-3167/98 by
Mrs Pollack (1) and H-0669/97 by Mr Willockx at question time during the September 1997 parliamentary
session (2).