European Parliament resolution on the floods in Vietnam
Date: 1999-12-16
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: Viet Nam, aid to disaster victims, flood, food shortage, humanitarian aid

18.10.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 296/209

Thursday 16 December 1999

18. Natural disasters: Denmark, Germany and the UK

B5-0376/1999

European Parliament resolution on the hurricane disaster in Denmark, Germany and the UK

The European Parliament,

A. having regard to the hurricane disaster which occurred on Friday 3 December 1999 in northern Ger-

many, southern Denmark and parts of the United Kingdom,

B.

dismayed at the number of deaths caused by this natural disaster,

C.

concerned about the thousands of families and businesses who remained without any electricity for
several days after the hurricane,

D. worried about the severe damage to forests in southern Jutland which adversely affects living condi-
tions for an incalculable number of animal and plant species and seriously jeopardises environmental
protection measures taken by the Danish state over many years,

E. whereas,

in addition to the lives lost and the environmental damage, the hurricane caused direct
damage to houses, cars, businesses, farms and regional infrastructure (roads, power supplies, etc.) esti-
mated at € 135 000 000,

Extends its sincere condolences to the families of the victims and to all those affected by the hurri-

1.
cane;

Calls on the competent authorities to draw up thorough and rigorous assessments of the damage to

2.
forests and of all the other environmental consequences of the hurricane;

Calls on the Danish electricity suppliers to ensure that the power supply is made less vulnerable to

3.
similar natural catastrophes in future;

4.
Is aware that substantial funding will be required to restore forests and remedy the damage caused to
property; calls on the Commission, therefore, to support the regions concerned as far as possible in fund-
ing the requisite measures;

Calls on the Commission, in that connection, to support the regions and local authorities concerned,

5.
with particular regard to the targeted use of existing aid, and to grant them every possible assistance;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council and the govern-

6.
ments and regions of the Member States concerned.

19. Natural disasters: Vietnam

B5-0336/1999

European Parliament resolution on the floods in Vietnam

The European Parliament,

A. whereas more than one hundred people died in the hurricane at the beginning of December,

B. whereas, according to reports by the International Federation of the Red Cross, hundreds of thousands
of people in Vietnam are likely to be short of food over the next nine months because of the floods,

C 296/210

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.10.2000

Thursday 16 December 1999

C. whereas many farmers who had lost their harvest in the even greater floods one month ago had taken

out loans in order to be able to plant new seeds, and whereas they have now lost a second harvest,

1.

2.

Expresses its sympathy with the families of those who were killed in the recent floods;

Calls on the international community to come to the aid of the Vietnamese farmers;

3. Welcomes, in this connection, the efforts of ECHO to make ECU 700 000 in humanitarian aid imme-
diately available in order to help the Vietnamese people;

4.
Notes the report by the government concerning violent protests by peasants in the Thai Binh pro-
vince in northern Vietnam which indicates that the situation of the rural population in Vietnam is becom-
ing economically more and more difficult and calls on the Commission to consider further long-term aid
to improve the situation;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the Government

5.
of Vietnam.

20. Book prices in Germany and Austria

B5-0329/1999

European Parliament resolution on the fixing of book prices

The European Parliament,

A. whereas the Commission will shortly be deciding on the complaint from the Austrian undertaking

LIBRO on the German-Austrian fixing of book prices,

B. whereas Parliament, the Council and the Commission have considered the importance of books and

the fixing of book prices on a number of occasions (1),

C. whereas it views books as both economic and cultural assets,

D. whereas it believes that the fixing of book prices, in which a number of Member States engage, safe-
guards the existence of numerous independent publishing houses, helps to preserve and promote var-
ied literary production, freedom of opinion and independence of research, science and teaching and B
in common cross-border linguistic areas B to promote the European idea and ensures, without direct
or indirect government aid, a dense network of bookshops, giving the reader an extensive, high-qual-
ity and easily accessible supply of books,

E. whereas the fixing of book prices in common cross-frontier linguistic areas can be avoided by import-

ing or exporting and re-importing,

F. whereas the fixing of book prices is also threatened by electronic commerce,

(1) European Parliament resolution of 13 February 1981 on the fixing of book prices (OJ C 50, 9.3.1981, p. 102)
Commission communication to the Council of 25 May 1985 on the creation of a Community framework system
for book prices (COM(85) 258); Commission communication to the Council of 27 November 1985 on the Euro-
pean dimension with regard to books (COM(85) 681); European Parliament resolution of 12 March 1987 on the
fixing of book prices (OJ C 99, 13.4.1987, p. 172); European Parliament resolution of 10 July 1987 on the Com-
mission communication to the Council on the European dimension with regard to books (OJ C 246, 14.9.1987,
p. 136); Resolution of the Council and the Ministers responsible for cultural affairs meeting within the Council of
18 May 1989 concerning the promotion of books and reading (OJ C 183, 20.7.1989, p. 1); Commission commu-
nication of 3 August 1989 on ‘Books and reading: a cultural challenge for Europe’ (COM(89) 258); European
Parliament resolution of 21 January 1993 on the promotion of books and reading in Europe (OJ C 42,
15.2.1993, p. 182); Council Decision of 22 September 1997 on cross-border fixed book prices in European linguis-
tic areas (OJ C 305, 7.10.1997, p. 2); European Parliament resolution of 20 November 1998 on common book-
price fixing across borders (OJ C 379, 7.12.1998, p. 391).