WRITTEN QUESTION E-1858/00 by Gorka Knörr Borràs (Verts/ALE) to the Council. Catalan.
Date: 2000-06-13
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Catalonia, constitution, public administration, regional language

C 81 E/102

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

13.3.2001

(2001/C 81 E/122)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1849/00

by Esko Sepp(cid:228)nen (GUE/NGL) and Armando Cossutta (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

Subject: IST non-research projects

(9 June 2000)

The IST Programme is implemented through shared-cost actions and other support measures, such as
support networks, concerted actions, accompanying measures, take-up actions, training activities and so
on, as indicated on page 10 of the IST (cid:145)2000 work programme(cid:146).

1.
Can the Commission provide a list of all the IST non-R&D projects, already established or being
negotiated after approval by the evaluation panels, financed (or likely to be financed) as supplementary
actions of this kind?

2.

Can the Commission provide for each project or approved proposal a fact-sheet with:

(cid:129) a concise description of the project,

(cid:129) the list of main results expected,

(cid:129) the list of the project participants with the relevant allocation of funds?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(14 July 2000)

A list of the 70 Information Society Technologies (IST) signed projects, other than those concerning
is sent directly to the Honourable Members and to Parliament(cid:146)s
Research and Development (R&D),
Secretariat.

The fact-sheet for each project is available on the Internet in the public web server Community Research &
Development Information Service (Cordis) at the following Internet address: http://www.cordis.lu.

More specifically the fact-sheet with a concise description of the project and the main expected output can
be found at: http://www.cordis.lu/ist/home.html or http://www.cordis.lu/ist/projects.htm. The project fact-
sheet can be accessed from the above web page by inputting the project number from the list of projects.

For confidentiality reasons, details of the contracts under negotiation will be available at the web site once
they have been signed.

(2001/C 81 E/123)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1858/00

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

(13 June 2000)

Subject: Catalan

Article 3 of the Statute on the Autonomy of Catalunya states that (cid:145)the language of Catalunya is Catalan(cid:146)
and that (cid:145)the Catalan language is official in Catalunya(cid:146).

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.

13.3.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 81 E/103

What is the Council(cid:146)s view of the constant efforts made by the Spanish Government, certain political
parties and various bodies to prevent progress on the use of Catalan in public spheres relating to
administration in Catalunya, as shown by what has happened to the Rovira y Virgili University?

Reply

(10 October 2000)

The matter raised in the Honourable Member(cid:146)s question does not fall within the sphere of competence of
the Council, which, moreover, never comments on the rulings of Member States(cid:146) courts.

(2001/C 81 E/124)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1864/00

by Jorge HernÆndez Mollar (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Marketing standards applicable to avocados

(9 June 2000)

A draft regulation exists seeking to amend Commission Regulation (EC) No 831/97 establishing marketing
standards applicable to avocados with regard to size and dry matter content.

The second recital of the draft regulation claims that trade in small avocados is developing.

Could the Commission please explain the basis for this claim, given that in Spain for the 1999/2000
season, avocado producers have had problems selling small sizes, particularly the Hass variety?

Given that
the second recital of Commission Regulation No 1167/99 of 3 June 1999, amending
Regulation No 831/97 states that (cid:145)the Community standard for avocados should be brought into line
with the corresponding UN/ECE standard(cid:146), and given that UN/ECE standard FFV-42 establishes that the
final sizing code is 30, and the minimum weight of avocados must not be less than 125 grams, how can
the inclusion of sizes which do not appear in the UN/ECE standard be justified, when Article 2(2) of
Regulation No 2200/96 establishing the COM in fruit and vegetables says that UN/ECE standards are to be
taken into account when adopting standards for fruit and vegetables?

Furthermore, what measures the Commission intend to take to ensure that controls are carried out on the
minimum dry matter content of non-Community avocados at the port of entry?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(19 July 2000)

Small avocados of the Hass variety are apparently offered for sale on the British and German markets,
mainly prepacked. There is sustained demand for them from consumers, and the taste of these small
avocados, virtually all of which originate in Spain, is of sufficiently high quality to show that, despite their
small size, they have reached an adequate stage of development.

The Commission has therefore begun to consider, in cooperation with the experts from the Member States
responsible for standards for fruit and vegetables, whether the minimum size for avocados of the Hass
variety should be reduced. This discussion, which is purely technical in nature, is not yet finished, and the
Commission has therefore not submitted a draft regulation to the Management Committee for Fresh Fruit
and Vegetables, in accordance with Article 46(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 2200/96 of 28 October
1996 on the common organisation of the market in fruit and vegetables (1).