WRITTEN QUESTION P-2790/99 by Paul Lannoye (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Research projects on healthcare systems within the fifth framework-programme.
Date: 2000-01-07
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Community budget, alternative medicine, fact-finding mission, project evaluation, research project

C 225 E/206

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

8.8.2000

Since the company(cid:146)s decision to close down the Patras factory is in breach of the requirement to maintain
the present number of jobs and was taken without prior consultation of the workers, which is expressly
prescribed by Directive 94/45 (1):

Will the Commission say:

whether it will check that the company has complied with the condition of maintaining the present

1.
number of jobs in receiving subsidies for its new plant, and

2.
whether it will examine whether there has been compliance with the provisions laid down in
Directive 94/45 concerning the obligation to inform, consult and negotiate with the workers, and the
participation of the MISKO workers(cid:146) union in the European Works Council of Barilla, MISKO(cid:146)s parent
company?

(1) OJ L 254, 30.9.1994, p. 64.

(2000/C 225 E/234)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2779/99

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

Subject: Assistance for MISKO company workers forced to relocate

(18 January 2000)

MISKO, the pasta-producing subsidiary of the Italian company Barilla, has received funding under Greek
development law 1892/90 to set up a new production plant at Thiva on condition that it maintains the
present number of 275 permanent jobs. Before completing construction of the new plant, the company
closed down its pasta factory in Patras, compelling the current workforce either to resign or agree to being
transferred to other company plants. The workers who agree to be transferred, however, are faced with an
expensive relocation bill and they are therefore forced to leave their jobs and run the risk of remaining
unemployed.

Is it possible to assist these workers to cover the expense of their enforced relocation? Which programmes
and procedures may be used to provide such assistance?

Joint answer
to Written Questions E-2778/99 and E-2779/99
given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(1 March 2000)

The Commission is collecting the information it needs to answer the question. It will communicate its
findings as soon as possible.

(2000/C 225 E/235)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2790/99

by Paul Lannoye (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(7 January 2000)

Subject: Research projects on healthcare systems within the fifth framework-programme

The deadline for submitting research projects (Call Identifier: 1999/C/ 64/13) on healthcare systems within
the fifth research framework-programme was 15 November 1999. The projects submitted include several
assessing non-conventional medicines (Research Programme 1.1.1. (cid:129) Thematic priority 1.1.1.-10.1-
(i)(ii)(iii) (cid:129) Public Health research, Health Services Research and Health and Safety/evaluation of the
effectiveness of non conventional therapies).

8.8.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 225 E/207

Proper and objective assessment of research projects is normally made with the help of experts who are
specialists in the research field concerned.

Can the Commission tell me whether the experts assessing the quality of the research projects on each of
the disciplines concerned (homeopathy, osteopathy, etc.) have already been appointed?

If not, can the Commission tell me when they will be, and what objective criteria and what procedure will
be employed in appointing these experts?

Can the Commission tell me how many projects it has received, and the disciplines concerned?

Is the budget earmarked for these projects adequate?

Answer given by Mr Busquin on behalf of the Commission

(28 January 2000)

In response to the call for proposals (1) for the specific research programme (cid:145)Quality of life and manage-
ment of living resources(cid:146) (2), some 600 projects of a generic nature were submitted by 15 November 1999,
three of which related to non-conventional medecines.

The proposals will be evaluated by independent experts in January 2000. As stated in the Vade Mecum for
Experts Taking Part in Proposal Evaluation (www.cordis.lu/life), each proposal will be evaluated by at least
4 independent experts. All the experts are selected from the Commission(cid:146)s (cid:145)expert(cid:146) database, which is set
up through a call for applications. They are chosen for their scientific expertise in the areas of activity of
the work programme. The names of the experts taking part in the evaluation will be published once all the
decisions relating to the call for proposals have been taken.

A budget of € 86 million has been allocated for these generic activities. Given that the overall Community
contribution requested for the 600 proposals submitted will be over € 900 million, the selection rate will
probably be approximately 1 out of 10.

(1) OJ C 64, 6.3.1999.
(2) OJ L 64, 12.3.1999.

(2000/C 225 E/236)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2791/99

by Lu(cid:237)s Queir(cid:243) (UEN) to the Commission

(7 January 2000)

Subject: German contravention of competition rules

In the last few weeks we have witnessed two instances of government intervention in the economic
activity of an EU Member State, namely Germany.

The first intervention was to prevent the imminent bankruptcy of the Philip Holzmann company, and saw
public funding to the value of DEM 257 million (EUR 127,8 million) being granted.

The second intervention came when the German government opposed the hostile take-over bid for the
Mannesmann company by the British Vodafone Air Touch company, and called for the establishment of
rules to impeded such operations, on the grounds that there is a need to prevent (cid:145)culture clashes(cid:146) between
differently-conceived models of capitalism.

1.

Do the German government(cid:146)s interventions constitute market operations?

2. Were the interventions made without prior authorisation from the Commission?