WRITTEN QUESTION E-1901/00 by Graham Watson (ELDR) and Hartmut Nassauer (PPE-DE) to the Council. Agreement between Spain and the United Kingdom on Gibraltar and participation in the UK in certain aspects of the Schengen agreements.
Date: 2000-06-19
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Gibraltar, Schengen Agreement, Spain, United Kingdom, agreement (EU), application of EU law, area of freedom, security and justice

C 81 E/106

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

13.3.2001

The Commission decision of 1 March 2000 does not concern abuse of dominant position by the
2.
agricultural bank of Greece (ATE)
in the Greek agricultural economy in the meaning of Article 82
(ex Article 86) of the EC Treaty. However, the Commission may launch an investigation of the relations
between the Greek state and the ATE, which would primarily concern state aids to the agricultural
undertakings. If relevant, the Commission may also address possible anti-competitive practices of the ATE
in the agricultural sector.

3.
The Commission does not yet have a definitive position on the implications in terms of state aid of
the takeover of AGNO by ATE. It has requested additional information from the Greek authorities in the
scope of the above-mentioned decision.

4.
The time from the opening of Article 88(2) of the EC Treaty procedure to the final decision (2 years
and 2 months) is in line with the complexity of the file. The Commission does not normally announce in
advance the issuing of its state aid decisions.

5.
In its decision of 1 March 2000, the Commission considered that the aid scheme put in effect by
Article 5 of Greek law nr. 2237/94 (and the individual aid granted to AGNO pursuant to that scheme) did
not respect the relevant Community guidelines for rescuing and restructuring companies in difficulty.

(2001/C 81 E/128)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1901/00

by Graham Watson (ELDR) and Hartmut Nassauer (PPE-DE) to the Council

(19 June 2000)

Subject: Agreement between Spain and the United Kingdom on Gibraltar and participation in the UK in

certain aspects of the Schengen agreements

At the meeting of Coreper of 19 April the ambassadors of Spain and the UK announced the signature of
letters of agreement about certain matters related to Gibraltar which had hitherto prevented agreement in
Council on a number of legislative acts in the field of Justice and Home Affairs.

These letters covered the areas of:

(cid:129) the authority competent to represent Gibraltar ((cid:145)postbox in London(cid:146));

(cid:129) Gibraltar(cid:146)s identity documents;

(cid:129) questions to participation in the Schengen acquis, and

(cid:129) police cooperation in the framework of the Schengen Convention.

Would the Council inform Parliament of the content of this agreement?

Will the Council now accede to the request by the United Kingdom to adhere to certain aspects of the
Schengen agreement, and to cooperation in asylum and immigration policies under Title 4 of the
EC Treaty?

Reply

(10 October 2000)

The honourable Members of the European Parliament are informed that:

1. The agreed arrangements relating to Gibraltar authorities in the context of E.U. and E.C. instruments
and related treaties is contained in document 7998/00 JAI 45 MI 73 which is herewith transmitted to
the European Parliament for information. The document exists only in the original English and
Spanish versions.

13.3.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 81 E/107

2. On 29 May 2000 the Council agreed to the request of the United Kingdom to take part in some of
the provisions of the Schengen acquis. The relevant Council Decision is published in the Official
Journal L 131 of 1 June 2000, page 43 (1).

(1) OJ L 131, 1.6.2000, p. 43.

(2001/C 81 E/129)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1906/00

by Albert Maat (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(6 June 2000)

Subject: Advertising campaign for British pigmeat in the United Kingdom

There is an advertising campaign for British pigmeat
in the United Kingdom worth € 7,4 million
(£ 4,6 million) financed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Meat and Livestock
Commission. There are posters in the regional and national press referring to different standards of animal
welfare in other Member States of the EU. The campaign of 11 May is to do with the restricted space
which sows allegedly have and the 30 May campaign refers to the cannibalism that allegedly occurs as a
result of feeding bone meal. The campaign puts other Member States (indirectly) in a bad light.

The main purpose of the campaign is to encourage the sale of British pigmeat, which will have an adverse
effect on exports of pigmeat (cid:129) principally from Denmark and the Netherlands (cid:129) to the United Kingdom.
The campaign has been launched in the light of the crisis in the British pigmeat sector which is the result
not only of differences in welfare requirements in the Union but also of the exchange rate of the pound.

Is the Commission aware of the British advertising campaign for pigmeat? What is its attitude towards this
campaign?

Does the Commission agree that the campaign (cid:129) and the resultant distortion of competition (cid:129) are a
contravention of the European internal market? If not, why not?

Does the Commission agree that a level playing field needs to be created within the internal market, with
uniform standards for animal welfare, so that the pig sector can operate under the same conditions
throughout Europe? If not, why not? If so, what action is the Commission considering taking?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(29 June 2000)

the promotion campaign to which the Honourable Member refers.
The Commission is aware of
The Commission has started an inquiry with the authorities in the United Kingdom to investigate the
matter. Without prejudice to the outcome of
the Commission emphasises the
importance of proper observance of the state aid rules in the field of promotion and advertising of
agricultural products as they are outlined in the framework for national aid for advertising of agricultural
products and certain products not listed in Annex II (now Annex I) to the EC Treaty, excluding fishery
products (1) and the Commission communication concerning state involvement in the promotion of
agricultural and fisheries products (2).

these investigations,

The minimum requirements for the protection of pigs kept in intensive conditions are provided by Council
Directive 91/630/EEC of 19 November 1991 (3). Article 6 provides for appropriate proposals to improve
the welfare conditions of farmed pigs on the basis of a specific report from the scientific veterinary
committee. This report has been adopted and can be consulted at the Internet site of the Commission at
the following address:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/dg24/health/sc/oldcomm4/out_en.html.