WRITTEN QUESTION P-1829/00 by Giorgio Celli (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Exploitation of Lake Trasimeno's water.
Date: 2000-05-31
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU environmental policy, Italy, Umbria, competence of the Member States, lake, protected area

C 72 E/126

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

6.3.2001

In view of the talks with the Algerian authorities over the past few weeks:

(cid:129) What are the Council(cid:146)s guidelines and priorities as regards the political dialogue and the negotiation of

the Association Agreement with Algeria?

(cid:129) In the Council(cid:146)s opinion, what is the most realistic timetable for developing and achieving the

EU-Algeria Association Agreement?

Reply

(28 September 2000)

in
Since 1997, the Council has agreed to intensify political dialogue with Algeria at ministerial
Algiers as well as elsewhere, on the basis of the following guidelines: solidarity with the Algerian people,
condemnation of all forms of terrorism and excessive violence, full respect for fundamental freedoms,
human rights and democratic principles, support for political and economic reform and the negotiation of
a new Euro-Mediterranean association agreement. The first meeting took place on 26 November 1997
followed by meetings on 19 and 20 January 1998 in Algiers,
under the Luxembourg Presidency,
21 October 1998 in Vienna, 3 November 1999 in Algiers, and most recently on 12 May 2000 in Lisbon.
The French Presidency is planning to organise a similar political dialogue meeting in the second half of this
year.

level,

In all its contacts with the Algerian authorities, the Council points out that the fight against terrorism must
not serve as a pretext for human rights violations, and that any departure from this and any abuse should
be resisted. It is also convinced of the need for dialogue between the Government and the opposition. At
the last meeting in Lisbon on 12 May, the Presidency particularly stressed that the Council supported the
attempt at national reconciliation led by President Bouteflika and encouraged the economic and social
reform process and the promotion of democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms. It expressed
the EU(cid:146)s concern about reports of detentions, extrajudicial arrests, torture and the fate of disappeared
persons, both from the Government and the opposition.

The Council welcomes the policy decision of the Algerian authorities to resume negotiations with a view
to an association agreement. The second negotiating session was held on 14 April 2000, and included a
the negotiations and significant progress as regards the chapter on economic
general overview of
cooperation. An informal session at technical
level will be held on 11 July in Algiers, and should be
followed by a formal session in Brussels this autumn. The Council hopes that these negotiations can
quickly end in the finalisation of the association agreement with Algeria, and will encourage the other
countries with which negotiations are under way, namely Syria and the Lebanon, to accelerate them.

(2001/C 72 E/159)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1829/00

by Giorgio Celli (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(31 May 2000)

Subject: Exploitation of Lake Trasimeno(cid:146)s water

Although Lake Trasimeno (near Perugia) is classed as a Site of Community Interest (SCI) and a Special
Protection Area (SPA) under Directives 79/409/EEC and 92/43/EEC, it is still being wrongly used as a basin
for irrigation water. Almost uniquely in Italy, its broad cane thickets harbour more than 200 species of
birds, and it boasts extremely rare plant species that have already disappeared from the majority of
wetlands.

The water depletion is caused, firstly, by the enormous volumes taken for water-hungry crops such as
maize, which have replaced traditional, more environmentally friendly agriculture and which receive large
sums of Community aid, and, secondly, by water taken for public waste supplies.

Will the Commission examine whether this form of industrial farming, supported by Community funds,
is not very much at odds with the need to safeguard this unique and irreplaceable habitat?

6.3.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 72 E/127

Answer given by Mrs Wallstr(cid:246)m on behalf of the Commission

(3 July 2000)

Lake Trasimeno has been designated by Italy as special protection area under Article 4.1 of Council
Directive 79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979 on the conservation of wild birds (1).

Therefore the provisions set in Article 4.4 of the same Directive apply,
i.e. Member States shall take
appropriate steps to avoid pollution or deterioration of habitats or any disturbance affecting the birds, in
so far as these would be significant having regard to the objectives of this article. Outside these protection
areas Member States shall also strive to avoid pollution or deterioration of habitats.

Detailed information is needed to correctly assess the case. For this reason a lettter has been addressed to
the national authorities.

(1) OJ L 103, 25.4.1979.

(2001/C 72 E/160)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1834/00

by Hartmut Nassauer (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(31 May 2000)

Subject: Dealing with the manufacture and distribution of pharmaceuticals in the central and eastern

European applicant countries, and their impact on the EU after accession

The standards applying to the pharmaceutical industry in the central and eastern European applicant states
do not comply with those of the EU. Hence when these countries join, the EU will face serious problems:
among them, the fact that there is no protection of intellectual property comparable to the EU standard,
that existing commitments have not been met and that there is likely to be distortion of competition
against EU manufacturers.

1. What will the Commission do to introduce patent protection in the central and eastern European
countries and prevent patented products from being offered for sale there as generic medicines after
accession, as they are at present?

2. What action will it take to deal with the following:

(cid:129) To date, virtually none of the central and eastern European countries have fulfilled the commitments
they made in the Europe Agreements to introduce a level of intellectual property protection similar to
EU standards; such standards include the supplementary protection certificate for pharmaceuticals
(SPC), which is an integral component of Community law and intended to guarantee an appropriate
period of protection for pharmaceuticals in practice?

(cid:129) In many central and eastern European countries there is no effective patent protection on substances
for many pharmaceuticals introduced by western companies, as it was only introduced in the 1990s.
As a result, imitators are already copying drugs patented only in the present Member States, before the
patent expires in the EU, and are thus able to supply the markets with cheap copies?

(cid:129) Low social and economic standards and unfair competition arising from the absence of patent
protection are often forcing research pharmaceutical manufacturers to offer their original products
there for substantially lower prices than they would if there were proper cost calculation including the
total development cost?

(cid:129) There are still substantial deficiencies in the central and eastern European countries in the protection

of supporting documents submitted for the authorisation of pharmaceuticals?

(cid:129) Standards of law enforcement and the administration of justice do not comply with EU standards in

many central and eastern European countries?