WRITTEN QUESTION E-1486/00 by Christopher Heaton-Harris (PPE-DE) to the Commission. EU-funded Gay and Lesbian Educational Equity Project Pilot Schools meeting in Oulu, Finland.
Date: 2000-05-11
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU programme, competence of the Member States, discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, teaching curriculum

6.3.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 72 E/65

(2001/C 72 E/076)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1485/00

by Gerhard Schmid (PSE) to the Commission

(11 May 2000)

Subject: Development of the A6 as an international trunk road from Paris to Prague (cid:129) assistance for the

section in the Czech Republic

How much financial assistance has the Czech Republic received from the European Union for the
the motorway from Prague via Pilsen to the Czech-German border at Rozvadov

1.
development of
(Waidhaus)?

2. What percentage of the total investment in the development of the motorway has been paid by the
European Union in the case of this section?

3. When was the assistance provided?

4.

On what grounds was the assistance provided?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(23 June 2000)

The European investment bank (EIB) has provided the Czech Republic with a loan of € 165 million
1.
in support of the construction of the section of motorway from Pilsen to the Czech-German border close
to Rozvadov. No other Community support has been provided.

2.

3.

The EIB loan provided cover for 50 percent of the total investment involved in the project.

The loan agreement was signed in 1997.

The loan was provided at the request of the Czech governement. The section of motorway concerned
4.
is part of Corridor IV and has been identified as a priority investment by the second pan-European
Conference on transport in Helsinki in 1997.

(2001/C 72 E/077)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1486/00

by Christopher Heaton-Harris (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(11 May 2000)

Subject: EU-funded Gay and Lesbian Educational Equity Project Pilot Schools meeting in Oulu, Finland

The promotion of homosexuality in schools is currently a very politically sensitive subject in the UK, with
the Labour Government(cid:146)s recent proposals to abolish Section 28 of the Local Government Act, which
prohibits such promotion, facing overwhelming public resistance.

The first meeting of the Gay and Lesbian Educational Equity Project Pilot Schools, which is funded by the
Commission, states that one of its aims is the creation of strategies such as (cid:145)curriculum development(cid:146) in the
Member States. Can the Commission confirm that the GLEE Project will comply fully, with Article 149 of
the Treaty and will fully respect the responsibility of Member States for teaching content?

Furthermore, can the Commission also confirm that the GLEE Project will not go beyond its main
objective, which is to combat discrimination against homosexuality, and promote views that many parents
across the EU may find unacceptable?

C 72 E/66

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

6.3.2001

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(26 July 2000)

Drawing up programmes is one of the main activities under Socrates, thus contributing to the achievement
of objectives set in Article 149 of the EC Treaty (formerly Article 126),
in particular developing the
European dimension in education and promoting cooperation between educational establishments. It is
explicitly provided for in Decision No 576/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of
23 February 1998 amending Decision No 819/95/EC establishing the Community action programme
Socrates (1) and must be achieved (cid:145)while fully respecting the responsibility of the Member States for the
content of teaching and the organization of education systems and their cultural and linguistic diversity(cid:146).

The objective of the (cid:145)Gay and Lesbian Education Equity(cid:146) project is to encourage the equal treatment of
homosexuals and lesbians in educational establishments and to combat prejudices and discrimination in
future generations. This project was submitted to the 1999 selection board under action 3.1 of the
Comenius programme by a partnership of several well-known European universities. Combating all kinds
of discrimination in education is one objective of this action. The proposed activities are eligible under this
objective, and the application submitted was of a high quality in technical terms. The decision to fund the
project was taken in accordance with the selection procedure for action 3.1 and was approved by the
Comenius subcommittee.

Projects under action 3.1 are monitored to make sure that the proposed activities are implemented in
accordance with the work schedule in the application and that the objectives of the project are achieved.

(1) OJ L 77, 14.3.1998.

(2001/C 72 E/078)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1497/00

by Mathieu Grosch (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(4 May 2000)

Subject: EU-Switzerland agreement and effects of the fourth motor vehicle directive on that agreement

In the seven sectoral agreements that the European Union is going to conclude with Switzerland wide-
ranging rules relating to transport and the free movement of persons will be introduced.

At the same time, in the near future the proposal for a European Parliament and Council directive on the
legislation on motor vehicle liability insurance and modifying
coordination of
Directives 73/239/EEC (1) and 92/49/EEC (2) (fourth motor vehicle liability directive) will be adopted at
third reading.

the Member States(cid:146)

The compromise proposal by the Council and the European Parliament envisages an extension of the
scope of this directive to those third countries whose national insurance bureau belongs to the Green Card
system.

1. Would the Commission be prepared to include the definitive (or provisional) substance of the
directive in the negotiations with Switzerland over the matters left over from the seven agreements, and
thus extend the scope of this directive to Switzerland, whose national insurance bureau belongs to the
Green Card system?

2. What form would the procedure for implementing this directive in conjunction with Switzerland
otherwise take?

(1) OJ L 228, 16.8.1973, p. 3.
(2) OJ L 228, 11.8.1992, p. 1.