WRITTEN QUESTION E-2793/99 by Herbert Bösch (PSE) to the Commission. Anti-xenophobia project.
Date: 2000-01-18
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Austria, EU Member State, EU financing, racism

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.

3.10.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 280 E/131

Since ratification of the Amsterdam Treaty, Community action in the field of racism has come under the
more general framework of implementing the new Article 13 (ex Article 6a) of the EC Treaty, which
concerns discrimination based on sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual
orientation. In the context of preparing an action programme in this area, the Commission published calls
for proposals in 1999, and will publish more in 2000, with an eye to funding projects in the context of
transnational partnerships covering at least two of the types of discrimination mentioned in Article 13 of
the EC Treaty, which are of interest to the Community and which can significantly contribute to the
further development and implementation of Community policy in this field, within the limits set by the
available resources.

(2000/C 280 E/142)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2794/99

by Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(18 January 2000)

Subject: Publication and dissemination of the whole package of EU Common Fisheries Policy measures on

conservation of fisheries resources

There seems to be general uncertainty in Europe and worldwide concerning the diversity, seriousness and
strictness of the package of scientific, technical, monitoring and management measures forming the
various pillars of the CFP and aiming to safeguard and conserve fisheries resources in Community and
extra-Community waters and the environment in general. In connection with many of these measures, the
EU has rules on support and aid which are sometimes erroneously classified as subsidies leading to over-
exploitation of fisheries resources.

Does the Commission not think that the Common Fisheries Policy would benefit from publication and
wide distribution of an informative booklet outlining briefly but clearly and comprehensively all the
their fundamental objective being the
detailed and sometimes complex measures which govern it,
conservation of fisheries resources and responsible fisheries practices in the EU?

Does the Commission not think that such a publication could be useful to spread awareness in Europe and
worldwide of the important principles and agreements we have adopted on conservation of marine
resources and the support measures associated with them, which sometimes tend to be confused with
subsidies for overexploitation of fisheries resources?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(8 February 2000)

As part of its information and communication measures for the common fisheries policy (CFP), the
Commission regularly produces and disseminates material explaining the various aspects of the policy.

This information is intended mainly for the fishing industry and other interested parties, in particular the
specialised media, which represent one of the main sources of information for people working in the
sector and the members of the public concerned. It is distributed in written publications, but also in audio-
visual form and through the Internet.

Under the action plan for closer dialogue with the industry and the other groups affected by the CFP,
presented recently to Parliament, the Commission is intending to extend the communication measures,
principally by focusing the information better and by tailoring the explanatory material to the needs of the
public it is addressing.

It is considered including in this material information files on the various strands of the CFP, of which
measures for the conservation of fisheries resources are a principal component. These files will be covered
also as part of a series of videos designed to explain in a clear way, including through the use of animated
graphics, the fundamental pillars of the CFP.