WRITTEN QUESTION E-2801/99 by Glyn Ford (PSE) to the Commission. European study grants.
Date: 2000-01-18
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: education grant, education policy

1.8.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 219 E/185

document and the final report of the conference are sent directly to the Honourable Member and the
Secretariat general of the Parliament.

The consultation process also confirmed that action to combat social exclusion is seen as an important
means for improving conditions of access of fundamental rights. It is the Commission(cid:146)s intention to reflect
this in the aims of the programme.

(2000/C 219 E/238)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2776/99

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

Subject: Funding of a training school for tourist couriers

(18 January 2000)

There is no school in Greece for training couriers for the tourist industry and the knowledge which those
currently working as couriers possess is gained from their experience and in-house courses.

Can the Commission answer the following:

1. Will it say whether it could provide joint funding to set up a post-secondary school to train couriers

for the tourist industry?

2.

For which in-house courses for training couriers in Greece did the Union provide funding from 1996
to 1999 and what were the sums involved?

3. How many people received training on those courses?

4.

In view of the allegations that some of those who attended these courses were subsequently unable to
work as couriers because it is prohibited to do so by their current profession, e.g. civil servants, can
the Commission confirm that such people did not take part in the courses run between 1996 and
1999?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(15 February 2000)

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

(2000/C 219 E/239)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2801/99

by Glyn Ford (PSE) to the Commission

(18 January 2000)

Subject: European study grants

In view of legislation currently in force in certain Member States that deprives students of access to grants
when they have not been living within that Member State for a certain length of time, does not the
Commission feel that it would be appropriate for it to initiate a transnational scheme to provide assistance
for students who may not have been residing in the Member State for the required period but who, during
that period, resided within the Community?

C 219 E/186

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

1.8.2000

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(11 February 2000)

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

(2000/C 219 E/240)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2853/99

by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(18 January 2000)

Subject: Relocation strategy of the Ford multinational company

The multinationals(cid:146) strategy of relocation is continuing to affect Portugal and its workers. One of the most
recent examples is the case of the US multinational Ford, which, as part of its restructuring policy, now
intends to give up its plant in Azambuja and sell it to Opel, thus ceasing to produce its (cid:145)Transit(cid:146) model in
Portugal as from the first quarter of 2000. More than 300 jobs are at risk.

Can the Commission state what measures it intends to take to oppose Ford(cid:146)s strategy and defend these
jobs?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(16 March 2000)

While it regrets the negative social impact of Ford(cid:146)s decision concerning its plant in Azambuja, Portugal,
the Commission wishes to remind the Honourable Member that it is not entitled to interfere in business
decisions such as the one referred to here, unless Community law has been infringed.

At this stage there is nothing to indicate that there has been any infringement (and there is no mention of
an infringement in the question).

At any rate the Commission wishes to recall that at least three Community directives may be applicable to
this case: Council Directive 98/59/EC of 20 July 1998 on the approximation of the laws of the Member
States relating to collective redundancies (1), Council Directive 77/187/EEC of 14 February 1977 on the
approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the safeguarding of employees(cid:146) rights in the
event of transfers of undertakings, businesses or parts of businesses (2), and Council Directive 94/45/EC of
22 September 1994 on the establishment of a European Works Council or a procedure in Community-
informing and
scale undertakings and Community-scale groups of undertakings for the purpose of
consulting employees (3).

(1) OJ L 225, 12.8.1998.
(2) OJ L 61, 5.3.1977 (Directive amended by Directive 98/50/EC (cid:129) OJ L 201, 17.7.1998).
(3) OJ L 254, 30.9.1994.

(2000/C 219 E/241)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0032/00

by Anna Karamanou (PSE) to the Commission

(19 January 2000)

Subject: Nuclear threat of Akkuyu

Further to previous questions and ahead of Turkey(cid:146)s final decision on the construction of a nuclear
in the earthquake-prone region of Akkuyu, Canadian Federal MPs opposed to Canada(cid:146)s
plant