WRITTEN QUESTION E-1857/00 by Joan Colom i Naval (PSE) and Alonso Puerta (GUE/NGL) to the Council. Languages used for Council press releases.
Date: 2000-06-13
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Council of the European Union, linguistic discrimination, press release, use of languages

20.3.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 89 E/99

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(25 July 2000)

Two recommendations for the protection of ducks and geese bred for the production of foie gras were
adopted in June 1999 in the framework of the European Convention for the protection of animals kept for
farming purposes. The Commission and the Member States actively participated in the process of drafting
and adoption of these recommendations. The Member States, which are all contracting parties to the
Convention, are expected to give effect to the recommendations. The report mentioned by the Honourable
Member was used as reference for the finalization of these recommendations.

The recommendations recognize the necessity to keep the birds in social groups and prohibit the use of
small individual cages which are currently used. The recommendation states that such a prohibition should
come into effect on 31st December 2004 for new or replacement accommodation and for all accom-
modation on 31st December 2010 at the latest.

The recommendations also call for further research to develop alternative techniques that do not require
force feeding for the production of foie gras. It has been agreed that until new scientific evidence on
alternative methods and their welfare aspects is available, the production of foie gras should be carried out
only where it is current practice and then only in accordance with standards laid down in domestic law.

In the Community, Council Directive 98/58/EC of 20 July 1998 (1), provides the main principles for the
protection of all species of animals kept for farming purposes. It addresses the welfare requirements to be
applied for the protection of animals kept for the different types of production, including the production
of foie gras. The Directive also imposes a responsibility on the owner or keeper of the animals to ensure
that their welfare respects the minimum requirements provided.

The Directive also provides a legal base for proposals for Community measures in relation to
the Convention or recommendations made under it, if this is necessary for its uniform application within
the Community. If necessary, in accordance with the provisions of Article 5 of Council Directive 98/58/EC,
the Commission will submit to the Council further appropriate proposals for the uniform application
of the above mentioned recommendations.

Force-feeding is not a prerequisite for classifying livers as foie gras. Commission Regulation (EEC)
No 1538/91 of 5 June 1991 introducing detailed rules for implementing Regulation (EEC) No 1606/90
on certain marketing standards for poultry meat (2) provides that foie gras are livers of geese or of certain
species of ducks (cid:145)which have been fed in such a way as to produce hepatic fatty cellular hypertrophy(cid:146). The
livers must be of uniform colour and weigh at least 300g in the case of ducks and 400g in the case of
geese.

(1) OJ L 221, 8.8.1998.
(2) OJ L 143, 7.6.1991.

(2001/C 89 E/106)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1857/00

by Joan Colom i Naval (PSE) and Alonso Puerta (GUE/NGL) to the Council

(13 June 2000)

Subject: Languages used for Council press releases

What is the Council(cid:146)s linguistic policy and usage with regard to the media?

Is it true that press releases issued after Council meetings are in French and English only?

In the last five years, have there been any protests from any Member State government in this connection,
or any proposals that this policy should be changed?

C 89 E/100

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.3.2001

Reply

(23 October 2000)

The press releases issued by the Press Office of the General Secretariat of the Council after Council
(Association and
meetings or following other events which have taken place in a Council context
Cooperation Council meetings, signing of agreements with third countries, etc.) are issued in all the
official languages of the Union. They are circulated by both ordinary and electronic mail and are accessible
on the Council(cid:146)s Internet site.

The original press releases are drafted during, or immediately after, the Council meeting or other event (cid:129)
generally in English or French, depending on the background documents available.

The process of translating the press releases into the other 10 languages of the EU starts immediately.
However, given the time required to complete the translations, there can sometimes be a delay before the
other language versions are issued.

All these texts are made available to journalists on the spot and posted immediately on the Council(cid:146)s
Internet site in the section (cid:145)Newsroom/Latest news(cid:146). They are despatched by ordinary mail to some 2000
recipients as soon as all the language versions are available.

With regard to the Honourable Members(cid:146) third question, the Permanent Representative of France wrote to
the Secretary-General of the Council in 1998 to express his concern at what he regarded as excessive
delays in obtaining translations into French.

(2001/C 89 E/107)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1859/00

by Gorka Kn(cid:246)rr Borr(cid:224)s (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(9 June 2000)

Subject: Catalan

Article 22 of Law 1/1998 on linguistic policy, adopted by the Catalan Parliament on 7 January, considers
that universities and higher education institutions (cid:145)need to adopt appropriate measures to guarantee and
encourage the Catalan language in all spheres relating to their teaching, non-teaching and research
activities(cid:146). The Catalan universities duly adopted their respective rules on linguistic usage.

A series of charges brought by the Asociaci(cid:243)n de Profesores para la Democracia (Teachers for Democracy
Association) and Convivencia C(cid:237)vica Catalana (Catalan Civil Good-fellowship, a body chaired by Mr Alejo
Vidal-Quadras) have led to the temporary suspension of the Rovira y Virgili University(cid:146)s rules on linguistic
usage by the courts on the grounds that they may be unconstitutional.

What is the Commission(cid:146)s view of the legal proceedings which have been brought against enactments and
individuals who doing no more than implementing the desire to be able to use Catalan on a normal basis
in a country in which it has been legally acknowledged, both in the Statute on the Autonomy of Catalunya
and the Statute of the Rovira i Virgili University, that the official language is Catalan?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(14 July 2000)

Respecting the cultural and linguistic diversity of Member States is a principle of prime importance for
European integration. However, the Commission has no power to intervene in internal judicial proceedings
and cannot give an opinion on such proceedings in a Member State in a field not governed by Community
law.