WRITTEN QUESTION P-2789/99 by Paul Coûteaux (UEN) to the Commission. The directive on labelling and the sale of French-labelled products in France.
Date: 2000-01-07
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU research policy, climate change, peripheral region

3.10.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 280 E/129

in Quartu S. Elena benefited from Community funding to launch the
The Sardinian language school
project as a pilot project in 1998. The priority for Community funding and its necessary added value is to
favour new initiatives which could not be run without funding from the Community action. When the
project was resubmitted in 1999, it could only be put on the reserve list, as other projects were of better
quality or greater priority, and unfortunately the budget limit meant that it could not be funded.

(2000/C 280 E/139)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2788/99

by Eija-Riitta Korhola (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(7 January 2000)

Subject: Discrimination of the remote and peripheral regions of the EU assessing the research task (cid:145)Climate

variability and abrupt climate change(cid:146) of the EESD programme

Will the Commission give an assurance that within the assessment of research task 2.1.4 (cid:145)Climate
variability and abrupt climate change(cid:146) of the EESD programme it will try to ensure that remote and
peripheral regions of the EU (cid:129) which lie outside direct human influence and are therefore crucial for the
understanding of natural climate variability and where research may be expensive (cid:129) will not be
discriminated against on grounds of cost?

Answer given by Mr Busquin on behalf of the Commission

(11 February 2000)

As is the case for all the topics of the key action on global change, climate and biodiversity (including the
research tasks (cid:145)climate variability and abrupt climate change(cid:146)) of the Energy, environmental and substain-
able development) (EESD) specific research programme (1), the most important criterion for evaluation of
research proposals is the scientific quality and relevance to the work programme. The Commission(cid:146)s
evaluation manual for proposals within the Fifth framework programme clearly states that the projects are
selected based on quality, while ensuring equality of treatment and impartiality.

Obviously, sound and high quality climate variability research will continue to be supported subject to
evaluators(cid:146) recommendations and the available budget. Several ongoing projects of the Fourth framework
programme for Research and technological development (RTD) deal with research undertaken in (cid:145)remote
and peripheral(cid:146) regions of the Community and beyond e.g. Arctic and Antarctic.

(1) OJ L 64, 12.3.1999.

(2000/C 280 E/140)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2789/99

by Paul Coßteaux (UEN) to the Commission

(7 January 2000)

Subject: The directive on labelling and the sale of French-labelled products in France

The Advocate-General, Mr Ruiz-Jarabo Colomer, believes that French legislation making it obligatory that
food products in France be labelled in French infringes the European Directive on Labelling.

C 280 E/130

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

3.10.2000

According to Mr Colomer, an obligation to make exclusive use of the language of a linguistic region
which, in this case, coincides with the territory of the Member State, is a barrier to trade. He further
believes that the Court of Justice has already made it clear in previous rulings that a language easily
understood by the consumer does not necessarily mean an official language or a regional language.

Does the Commission agree with Mr Colomer(cid:146)s assessment?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(2 February 2000)

The Honourable Member is referring to the conclusions presented by the Advocate-General, Mr Damaso
Ruiz-Jarabo Colomer, on 25 November 1999 in case C 366/98 (cid:129) Public Ministry v Yannick Geffroy.

The Commission does not wish to comment in this answer on the analysis developed by the Advocate-
General before the Court has even given a ruling on the matter in question.

The Commission has itself submitted written observations regarding the case.

The Commission has in particular informed the Court in its written observations that national rules may
generally require the use of the national language provided that the requirement is not systematic and can
be lifted if, where a particular indication must appear on the label, the adequate provision of information
to the purchaser can be ensured by an indication in another language or by other means (such as a
pictogram).

(2000/C 280 E/141)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2793/99

by Herbert B(cid:246)sch (PSE) to the Commission

(18 January 2000)

Subject: Anti-xenophobia project

In my home region of Vorarlberg, Austria, a project is being planned under the title:
adventure: tracing your roots!(cid:146).

(cid:145)Love, war and

Attitudes towards (cid:145)foreigners(cid:146) in our society are in many ways influenced by fear. A way of countering
these feelings is to trace the roots of the local population. The origins of the current inhabitants can be
shown by the example of actual families.

The aim of the project is to show the many ways in which former (cid:145)foreigners(cid:146) have contributed to the
development of a community or town and to show how the descendants of former immigrants have quite
naturally now become (cid:145)indigenous(cid:146) people. Many families have ancestors who were immigrants or relations
who emigrated abroad. Knowledge of their own family history should awaken people(cid:146)s understanding and
tolerance for today(cid:146)s (cid:145)foreigners(cid:146).

Has the Commission to date supported any similar projects?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(22 February 2000)

The Commission has already financed a plethora of measures to integrate immigrants and to combat
racism and xenophobia, some of which concerned the contribution and the positive role of ethnic
minorities in the Union. But it has not supported any projects like the one described by the Honourable
Member.