WRITTEN QUESTION E-1363/00 by Marielle De Sarnez (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Future of Kosovo.
Date: 2000-05-04
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Agency for Reconstruction, Kosovo

C 53 E/132

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.2.2001

in view of the analyses already carried out jointly by the industry and the Commission (cid:129)
However,
particularly via several consultative groups such as the high-level group on the social dimension and on
employment within the information society, the Information Society Forum or the (cid:145)Global business
dialogue(cid:146), which, in particular, enable a contribution to be made by the operators in the field, there are
no plans at this stage to set up a further Committee of Wise Men. The aim is to avoid any overlapping and
duplicating of existing structures.

(2001/C 53 E/167)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1362/00

by Robert Evans (PSE) to the Commission

(4 May 2000)

Subject: WTO and animal welfare

In 1999 the Community recognised the importance of trying to achieve reforms at the World Trade
Organisation (WTO) to reduce the detrimental impact of the WTO rules on attempts to secure improved
standards of animal welfare.

What steps does the Commission plan to take during the negotiations to revise the WTO Agreement on
Agriculture and during attempts to launch a new comprehensive WTO (cid:145)round(cid:146) to persuade the EU(cid:146)s WTO
partners that the EU(cid:146)s concerns about animal welfare are genuine and not protectionist in their aim?

Answer given by Mr Lamy on behalf of the Commission

(15 June 2000)

Nothing in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) prevents its members from taking measures which they
see as essential for animal welfare, i.e. adopting high standards, within its borders. Hence, the Community
issued legislation which gradually improved the animal welfare standards in the Community over the last
years. However, it is true that WTO rules do not permit its members to prohibit import of products on the
sole ground that they were produced according to different animal welfare rules. Any such measure by the
Community would certainly risk being seen by our trading partners as scarcely disguised protectionism.

For these reasons the objective of creating multilateral standards for animal welfare is one which the
Commission has recognised as worthwhile. Those standards, based on scientific advice, would also be the
best guarantee that animal welfare standards are not misused for protectionist purposes.

to ensure that

The Community sought
the issue of animal welfare was raised in the agriculture
negotiations on the WTO Millennium Round. Now that Seattle has failed to deliver a mandate for a
comprehensive round, the Commission will have to examine how to pursue its objectives regarding animal
welfare in the post-Seattle context. One thing is clear: the Commission(cid:146)s efforts to promote these objectives
in the WTO will continue.

(2001/C 53 E/168)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1363/00

by Marielle De Sarnez (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(4 May 2000)

Subject: Future of Kosovo

One year after the start of the war in Kosovo and the setting up of a European Agency for Reconstruction
for the Balkans, does the Commission intend to report on the resources placed at the disposal of the
agency and to present regular reports on action carried out by the later?

20.2.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 53 E/133

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(9 June 2000)

The Commission is already reporting on the implementation of Obnova reconstruction programmes in the
former Yugoslavia. The last report was sent to the Parliament and the Council in January 2000.

Also, in accordance with Council Regulation (EC) No 1628/96 of 25 July 1996 relating to aid for Bosnia
and Herzegovina, Croatia, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia (1), the Director of the European Agency for reconstruction will present a quarterly activity
report to the Parliament and the Commission will submit, on a yearly basis, to the Parliament and the
Council a report of the activities of the Agency. The first annual report will be due in April 2001.

Furthermore, the Commission is regularly submitting to both institutions a detailed financial overview of
the assistance programmes implemented by the European Agency for reconstruction since its establish-
ment in February 2000.

(1) OJ L 204, 14.8.1996, as last amended by (EC) No 2454/1999 of 15 November 1999, OJ L 299, 20.11.1999.

(2001/C 53 E/169)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1365/00

by Marielle De Sarnez (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(4 May 2000)

Subject: Action following the Lisbon summit

At the Lisbon summit on 23 and 24 March, it was observed by all those taking part that the economic and
social spheres are increasingly interdependent and should be brought together.

On the basis of this recognition, does the Commission intend to strengthen Community measures relating
to vocational education based on a partnership between companies and educational establishments?

Does it intend to introduce a precise framework in order to ensure a minimum level of training for tutors,
and to lay down precise objectives to be achieved by the end of the training period, in whatever European
country the training takes place?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(30 June 2000)

The Lisbon European Council acknowledged the fundamental role of education and training policy in the
economic and social renewal of our society and adopted a series of targets to be achieved in the short and
medium-term. The Commission immediately took the following initiatives to address the Council(cid:146)s
demands in the field of vocational training.

In the framework of the Leonardo da Vinci programme it has prioritised the creation of partnerships for
cooperation between training centres and firms and for improving the training of
instructors. The
priorities of the Leonardo da Vinci programme for 2000-2002 include measures to improve the training
of instructors. Besides, the programme(cid:146)s (cid:145)mobility(cid:146) measure provides for its participation in exchanges
between training centres and firms. However, Community action in the field of training is based on
Article 150 (ex-Article 127) of the EC Treaty, which specifies that Community measures shall support and
supplement the action of the Member States, while fully respecting the responsibility of the Member States
for the content and organisation of vocational training (subsidiarity). This principle makes it difficult for
the Commission to lay down a precise framework defining the training of instructors or the content of
training courses.