WRITTEN QUESTION E-2511/99 by María Sornosa Martínez (PSE) and María Valenciano Martínez-Orozco (PSE) to the Commission. Infringement of the principle of sex equality in chess tournaments within the European Union.
Date: 1999-12-22
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Treaty of Amsterdam, equal treatment, gender equality, position of women, sexual discrimination, sporting event

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(2000/C 225 E/168)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2508/99

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

(22 December 1999)

Subject: Trade

On 9 November 1999, following the Council meeting of EU Industry Ministers, it became clear that the
difficulties currently facing European shipyards in general and Spanish ones in particular are largely due to
the (cid:145)dumping(cid:146) practised by South Korea.

Why has no action been taken against the country in question, whose dumping practices are partly
financed out of international funds?

Reply

(28 February 2000)

In its Conclusions of 9 November 1999 on the situation in world shipbuilding, the Industry Council
shared the Commission(cid:146)s view that the shipbuilding sector is facing a critical situation world-wide with
very low prices and a serious overcapacity caused by the Republic of Korea, which severely affects the
European shipbuilding industry.

The Council also expressed its serious concern on the results of the Commission(cid:146)s investigations which
indicate that contracts have been awarded in the Republic of Korea at prices below cost, thus causing
damage to the interests of EU yards.

Consequently, the Council called on the Commission to pursue its efforts to establish a level playing field
for the sector by immediately engaging the Republic of Korea in constructive consultations with a view to
halting the unfair competition.

On the basis of these conclusions, a joint meeting between the representatives of the EC Commission and
of EU industry on one side and the representatives of the Government of Korea and Korean Industry on
the other side took place in Paris on 14 December 1999 in the framework of the OECD.

The two sides had a constructive dialogue on EU(cid:146)s concerns over the world shipbuilding market situation
which covered supply and demand, over-capacity and low prices and the question of the financing of
Korean shipyards in difficulties like Halla and Daewoo.

(2000/C 225 E/169)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2511/99

by Mar(cid:237)a Sornosa Mart(cid:237)nez (PSE)
and Mar(cid:237)a Valenciano Mart(cid:237)nez-Orozco (PSE) to the Commission

(22 December 1999)

Subject: Infringement of the principle of sex equality in chess tournaments within the European Union

By law, all the EU Member States specifically ban mixed chess tournaments involving matches between
players of the opposite sex. However, playing chess (which is an intellectual pursuit) does not require any
particular muscular or physical capacity which could justify segregating players on the basis of their sex.
Last year the Commission, in reply to a petition submitted by the Spanish citizen JosØ Eduardo Da Riva
Alfonso (Petition No 253/98), took the view that there was no justification whatever for such discrimina-
tion. Although it was true that, in certain sports, men and women competed in different categories, chess
did not require any specific physical preparation or ability which was beyond the reach of women.

To quote from the Amsterdam Treaty and, in particular the following Articles thereof:

(cid:129) Article 2: (cid:145)The Community shall have as its task, by (cid:133) implementing common policies or activities (cid:133),

to promote (cid:133) equality between men and women(cid:146),

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(cid:129) Article 3: (cid:145)(cid:133) the activities of the Community shall include (cid:133) a contribution to education and training
of quality (cid:133); the Community shall aim to eliminate inequalities, and to promote equality between
men and women(cid:146);

(cid:129) Article 13: (cid:145)(cid:133) the Council, (cid:133) on a proposal from the Commission and after consulting the European

Parliament, may take appropriate action to combat discrimination based on sex (cid:133)(cid:146),

the fact

that discrimination in chess-playing and coaching is not covered by
and in view of
Directive 76/207/EEC (1)
treatment as regards employment) since chess players cannot be
regarded as salaried employees, does the Commission not think that, on the basis of the above-quoted
articles,
the sexes is
discriminated against in the pursuit of sport in general and chess in particular?

legislative initiatives should be launched in order to ensure that neither of

(on equal

Does the Commission believe that it has done all it can to provide the Council with proposals intended to
eradicate sex discrimination, which is one of the priority objectives laid down in the EC Treaty?

(1) OJ L 39, 14.2.1976, p. 40.

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(14 February 2000)

The Commission is keen to emphasise that, just like the Honourable Member, it is very attentive to the
issue of non-discrimination between women and men.

As pointed out by the Honourable Member, sport is an area in which equal opportunities are of particular
In certain sports men and women compete in separate categories in order to ensure
importance.
opportunities for women and so one can speak of positive discrimination. In order to assemble all the
relevant information with a view to assessing whether this principle applies to chess, the Commission will
contact the competent international organisations in this field.

The Commission shares the Honourable Member(cid:146)s opinion that this issue must be seen in the general
context of equal opportunities. A standing group of Commissioners has been put in place, chaired by the
President of the Commission; the group(cid:146)s Vice-President is the Commissioner for employment and social
affairs. The group(cid:146)s mandate is mainly to ensure that the gender dimension is taken into account in all
relevant Community policies and actions, pursuant to Article 3(2) of the Treaty (1). Besides, on 26 Novem-
ber 1999 the Commission transmitted to the Council and, for consultation, to the European Parliament, a
proposal for a Council Decision establishing a Community action programme to combat discrimination (2)
and proposals for directives establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and
occupation (3) and on implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of racial
or ethnic origin (4).

SEC(1999) 1483 (cid:129) COM(1999) 567 final.

(1) Communication from the President (cid:145)Groups of Members of the Commission(cid:146).
(2)
(3) COM(1999) 565 final.
(4) COM(1999) 566 final.

(2000/C 225 E/170)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2514/99

by Pedro Marset Campos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(22 December 1999)

Subject: Siting, in a rural tourism area (AbarÆn, in the Murcia area of Spain), of a waste water purification
plant financed by means of the EU(cid:146)s Leader II programme and the Spanish Government(cid:146)s Future
programme

On 18 June 1999 the Commission approved,
for country holiday
accommodation in the Caæada Hidalgo district, to be financed by means of the Leader II programme
(file No B.B3.080, name of Trinidad GonzÆlez Maquil(cid:243)n, 1 370 096 pesetas(cid:146) worth of funding to be
provided).

in AbarÆn (Murcia), a project