WRITTEN QUESTION E-1899/00 by Hans-Peter Martin (PSE) to the Commission. EU assistance for the Internet website Südtirol-Online.
Date: 2000-06-16
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Austria, EU programme, Internet site, communications profession, competence of the Member States, extreme right, job access

6.3.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 72 E/145

(2001/C 72 E/181)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1894/00

by Jan Wiersma (PSE) to the Commission

(6 June 2000)

Subject: Forest fires in polluted areas of Belarus and the Ukraine

Is there any truth in the reports that forest fires have broken out in Belarus and the Ukraine in areas

1.
polluted as a result of the Chernobyl disaster?

2. Will these fires result in greater risks for public health in the countries in question and beyond?

3.

4.

Have the fires prompted action by the European Union, or will they prompt such action?

In what way is the EU helping to control the risks of pollution in Belarus and the Ukraine?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(3 July 2000)

Several forest and peat fires broke out in Belarus and Ukraine in mid May 2000. The Commission has no
information suggesting that these fires broke out as a result of the Chernobyl accident.

However, some of
the forests involved are contaminated, and the fires may therefore constitute a
mechanism for spreading radioactivity. This issue was the subject of Commission research projects within
a programme of international cooperation on the environment and health consequences of the Chernobyl
accident. The investigations found that only a marginal fraction of the total inventory of radionuclides
existing in contaminated forests can be suspended in the air once more following a fire. The recent fires
seem to reinforce this finding, since only small increases were recorded in the levels of radiation.

Regarding new initiatives to respond to this situation the Commission will keep the situation under review.
It is worth recalling that the Commission has an active programme of assistance in this field, which
continues to address the consequences of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear reactor. This includes
assistance to build an adequate shelter for the reactor, to improve radioactive waste management and to
address the environmental aspects of the situation. A Commission funded pilot project to install radiation
monitoring systems for air and river water was initiated in Ukraine and Belarus during 1995. These
systems are in operation.

Moreover, medical and humanitarian assistance has been provided to the inhabitants of the areas worst
affected by the disaster.

(2001/C 72 E/182)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1899/00

by Hans-Peter Martin (PSE) to the Commission

Subject: EU assistance for the Internet website (cid:145)S(cid:252)dtirol-Online(cid:146)

(16 June 2000)

Is it true that, as part of the ADAPT programme, the Commission has assisted the Internet service

1.
(cid:145)S(cid:252)dtirol-Online(cid:146) of the Athesia publishing house with 1 billion lire through the project sponsor D.Net?

How does the Commission explain the contention that, while the official project description states
2.
that the EU assistance is intended for the Internet training of 40 to 50 journalists, only 11 people are
employed at (cid:145)S(cid:252)dtirol-Online(cid:146)? How has the Commission reacted to public criticism levelled in this
connection at Athesia, D.Net and (cid:145)S(cid:252)dtirol-Online(cid:146), and what information can it provide on precisely how
resources have been spent on this project? What overall conclusion has been reached in any evaluations so
far made of this project?

C 72 E/146

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

6.3.2001

3. What does the Commission think of the accusation that (cid:145)S(cid:252)dtirol-Online(cid:146) has for some time tolerated
extreme right-wing chat fora on its website? Given these criticisms, how can EU assistance for this Internet
service be justified?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(27 July 2000)

The issue raised by the Honourable Member relates to the management of projects cofinanced by the
European Social Fund (ESF) under the various Community Initiatives. In accordance with Community rules
and in line with the principle of subsidiarity, management of these projects falls within the competence of
the Member States.

Having contacted the Member State,
is
LIT 982 900 000, of which a sum of 442 000 000 is cofinanced by the ESF, 147 435 000 by the national
budget (fondo di rotazione), and LIT 393 160 000 provided by the private sector. The amount of the
advance already paid by the ESF is LIT 73 000 000.

the Commission can confirm that

the project(cid:146)s budget

The Commission has asked the national authorities to check on the entire project. In accordance with the
partnership principle, no further advance payments will be made.

(2001/C 72 E/183)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1905/00

by Michael Cashman (PSE) to the Commission

(6 June 2000)

Subject: Marriage contracts

Can the Commission confirm that marriage contracts validated and signed under one Member State(cid:146)s laws
are not valid in the courts of another?

Can the Commission give the European Parliament an assurance that it will introduce steps to provide
legal protection to citizens in such situations?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(5 July 2000)

The Honourable Member has asked the Commission to confirm that marriage contracts validated and
signed under the law of one Member State are not valid before the courts of another Member State.

The Commission would inform the Honourable Member that at the moment there are no Community
rules applicable to marriage contracts and matrimonial property arrangements. The Brussels and Rome
Conventions on Jurisdiction and the Law Applicable to Contractual Obligations in Civil and Commercial
Matters exclude matrimonial property arrangements from their scope. Similarly,
the regulation on
jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in matrimonial matters excludes marriage
contracts and matrimonial property arrangements. However, the Commission communication proposing a
scoreboard to review progress on the creation of an area (cid:145)of freedom, security and justice(cid:146) (1), provides for
the drawing up by April 2004 of a preliminary study on jurisdiction and applicable law, for matrimonial
property arrangements.

It follows then that the validity of marriage contracts concluded in another Member State is currently
governed by the national rules, notably under private international law, of each Member State.