WRITTEN QUESTION E-1851/99 by Jaime Valdivielso de Cué (PPE-DE) to the Commission. External relations.
Date: 1999-10-13
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Commonwealth of Independent States, EU programme, Russia, aid system, economic cooperation

C 203 E/68

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.7.2000

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(19 November 1999)

In reply to the fears expressed by the Honourable Member, there are at present no nuclear power projects
in Morocco being financed by the Community. Were the Moroccan authorities to make a request of this
kind, very strict conditions would obviously be laid down based on the precise rules regarding nuclear
safety and subject to the approval of the competent departments and authorities.

The Tan-Tan project concerns a demonstration unit for the desalination of sea water and not electricity
generation. This unit is to be developed with cooperation from China and it will have a 10 megawatt
reactor (NHR-10) with a production capacity of 8 000 cubic metres of fresh water per day.

This project is being developed under the auspices of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and
Morocco has concluded cooperation agreements with a specialised French body, the (cid:145)Direction de la sßretØ
des installations nuclØaires (DSIN)(cid:146) (Directorate for nuclear plant safety), in order to obtain assistance in
analysing nuclear projects and for supervising and monitoring existing and future plant.

(2000/C 203 E/083)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1851/99

by Jaime Valdivielso de CuØ (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(13 October 1999)

Subject: External relations

Last Thursday, 16 September 1999, the Commission admitted that only a small portion of the TACIS
Programme appropriations reach Russia; to be precise, only € 4 million of the € 140 million granted in
aid under this programme reached the country.

What mechanisms does the Commission intend to set up in order to prevent the recurrence of such
situations? What is the timescale for implementing these mechanisms?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(15 November 1999)

The Commission(cid:146)s statement to the Parliament, on 16th September 1999 included the following:

Community assistance is, as this house will know, primarily delivered through the TACIS programme
which is centrally managed from Brussels. The funds concerned are predominantly used to pay
Community firms to provide technical expertise and advice for Russia. Only a very small proportion
of the funds therefore goes to Russia. Indeed it is only € 4 million of the total of € 140 million. That
€ 4 million is obviously directly managed by our representation in Moscow.

In other words, virtually all the TACIS funding to Russia (some € 140 million per year) is not transferred
to accounts in Russian banks, but rather, is used to pay Community firms to provide technical expertise
and advice for Russia. These arrangements are usual for technical assistance programmes in transition
countries. This does not mean that the benefits and results of the project do not reach Russia. It simply
ensures some protection against funds going astray in Russia.

18.7.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 203 E/69

The remaining € 4 million mentioned in the statement concerns the Bistro facility, a small-scale project
facility designed to provide a quick response to specific Russian needs. As a rule, the contracts are also
signed with Community firms for providing technical assistance and expertise to their Russian partners.
The only difference is that in this case the funds are managed by the Commission delegation in Russia,
under the supervision of headquarters.

It is hoped that this clarifies any misunderstanding about the Commission(cid:146)s statement on 16th September
1999.

(2000/C 203 E/084)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1852/99

by Jaime Valdivielso de CuØ (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Health and consumer protection

(13 October 1999)

On 7 September 1999 the 59th World Pharmacy Congress attended by over 3 000 delegates from all over
the planet, took place in Barcelona. The Congress(cid:146)s conclusions included a denunciation of Internet sales of
over 20 000 medicines without a doctor(cid:146)s prescription and no information whatever as to dosage,
secondary effects or reactions with other pharmaceutical products.

What measures is the Commission taking to eradicate this illegal trading, which poses a serious threat to
the health of large numbers of Community citizens?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(22 November 1999)

The Commission is aware of the problems relating to the sale of medicinal products via Internet.

According to Council Directive 92/28/EEC of 31 March 1992 on the advertising of medicinal products for
human use (1), Internet-selling of prescription drugs, narcotics and medicinal products without marketing
in the Community. Article 14 of Directive 97/7/EC of the
authorisation must be regarded as illegal
Parliament and of the Council of 20 May 1997 on the protection of consumers in respect of distance
contracts (2), contains a (cid:145)Minimal clause(cid:146), providing that Member States may introduce or maintain a ban,
in the general interest, on the marketing of certain goods or services, particularly medicinal products,
within their territory by means of distance contracts, with due regard for the EC Treaty.

Even though the above legislation provides a clear legal basis to combat
illegal practices in the
Community, the Commission is aware that the global character of the Internet raises the question of
how enforceable that legal framework is in practice.

Following a proposal from the Commission, the pharmaceutical committee, at its 48th meeting on
27-28 September 1999, established an ad-hoc working group on the implications of electronic commerce
on the delivery of pharmaceuticals to patients and asked this working group to consider the effectiveness
of existing means of safeguarding public health in the light of the increased potential offered by the
Internet for access to pharmaceuticals from outside the Community and potential developments within the
Community in information technology. The working group will seek to prepare concrete lines of action
for discussion at the pharmaceutical committee and to reflect on the role and position to be taken by the
Community vis-(cid:224)-vis third countries and in international organisations such as the World Health
Organisation.

The working group will be made up of representatives from European institutions, Member States and
representatives from other interested parties including patient and consumer associations, physician and
pharmacist associations and industry associations. Following receipt of all nominations, a first meeting will
be convened in early 2000.

(1) OJ L 113, 30.4.1992.
(2) OJ L 144, 4.6.1997.