WRITTEN QUESTION E-2629/99 by Francesco Speroni (TDI), Umberto Bossi (TDI) and Gian Gobbo (TDI) to the Commission. Participation of the President of the Commission, Romano Prodi, in the international summit of the left.
Date: 2000-01-12
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: President of the Commission, duties of civil servants

C 46 E/2

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

13.2.2001

All payments by the Commission are based on the specific items listed in the decision, which means that
assistance cannot be provided twice for the same expenditure. The first phase of the project was finished
according to the timetable drawn up when the part-financing decision was adopted.

Car parks were provided for in the initial decision to prevent vehicles parking in the protected areas. The
rebuilding of the boundary wall of the park is included in the second phase of the project and is largely
complete. The two phases of the project made no provision for a ban on traffic on the road system in the
(cid:145)Casa de Campo(cid:146) park.

(2001/C 46 E/002)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2036/99

by Glyn Ford (PSE) to the Commission

(3 November 1999)

Subject: Knorr Bremse and European funding

Knorr Bremse has announced several hundred redundancies in Kingswood, Bristol (UK), in order to transfer
work to its factories in France, Italy or Germany and Hungary.

Can the Commission say whether any financial assistance of any kind has been asked for by this company
or given to this company for job creation in France, Italy or Germany or through TACIS and PHARE
programmes in Hungary?

Supplementary answer
given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(3 May 2000)

According to information from the European Social Fund Mission in France, in 1997 and 1998 the Knorr
Dahl Freinage branch in Lisieux (Lower Normandy) received financial assistance under Objective 4 for
training (improving skills in various fields) amounting to FRF 909 000. This assistance was not aimed at
job creation, to which the Honourable Member refers in his question.

In Berlin, Germany, Hasse & Wrede GmbH, a subsidiary company of Knorr Bremse AG, received
DEM 533 000 for investments in machinery and equipment, mainly in order to retain existing jobs.

In Italy this company received no Community part-financing.

As far as the Commission is aware, Knorr Bremse has never asked for or benefited from Community
assistance through the P programme in Hungary, and this country is not eligible for the T programme.

Finally, Knorr Bremse received no funding under the Community initiatives A or E.

(2001/C 46 E/003)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2629/99

by Francesco Speroni (TDI), Umberto Bossi (TDI)
and Gian Gobbo (TDI) to the Commission

(12 January 2000)

Subject: Participation of the President of the Commission, Romano Prodi, in the international summit of

the left

On Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 November 1999, Romano Prodi,
in the capacity of President of the
Commission, participated in the international summit of left-wing leaders, together with Jospin, D(cid:146)Alema,
Clinton, Blair et al.

13.2.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 46 E/3

In taking part in this meeting, does Mr Prodi believe he has fully represented the various strands of
political and cultural opinion within the EU and its institutions?

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(21 February 2000)

Mr Prodi took part as an observer in a meeting between centre-left Heads of State and Government on
Sunday 21 November 1999 on topics directly concerning Europe(cid:146)s development prospects in relation to
globalisation. The day before, he had addressed the opening session, which was separate from the formal
proceedings of the summit.

His contribution to the meeting can be summarised as a presentation of his vision for and ideas on the
European social model and the fight against unemployment.

He has expressed his ideas on numerous occasions, before Parliament and elsewhere. The President of the
Commission has a political function to perform. In keeping with the obligations imposed by that function,
he retains the right to express his political views in complete independence and on his own responsibility.

(2001/C 46 E/004)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2711/99

by Francesco Turchi (UEN) to the Commission

(11 January 2000)

Subject: Noise pollution

Everybody who lives near noise sources run risks to his or her health. The effects may vary according to
the physical characteristics of the noise, the times when and the way in which the noise is emitted, and
can be classified as causing damage, nuisance or annoyance. Exposure to noise can have serious effects on
the hearing, as well as causing light-headedness, speech difficulties, memory problems, fatigue, violent
headaches, general exhaustion, irritability and anxiety. Sleep disturbances caused by noise lead to problems
and personality changes.

Can the Commission therefore say what has been and is being done in Europe to safeguard the health of
all citizens and what measures have been put into effect to mitigate the problem and reduce noise levels?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(3 February 2000)

The effects of noise pollution on health, for example memory loss, fatigue, irritability and others, have
been widely documented in medical literature. They have been a public health concern for some time. The
reduction of noise in the environment, in the home and in the workplace is a long-term task. Several
European legislative texts regulate noise by limiting emission levels. The most important of these are
Council Directives 86/594/EEC of 1 December 1986 on airborne noise emitted by household appliances (1)
and 86/188/EEC of 12 May 1986 on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to noise
at work (2). The latter will shortly be revised within the process of revising the Directive on protecting the
health of workers from exposure to vibrations, noise and electromagnetic fields (3). This Directive has now
been split, and only the vibrations aspect is currently being discussed in the Council.

A Green Paper has been published on exposure of the public to noise: the Commission Green Paper of
4 November 1996 (cid:129) Future noise policy (4). The Commission is also working to reduce noise emissions
from aeroplanes by using silencers, and is funding research and noise prevention work via the programme
of Community action on pollution-related diseases (5).