WRITTEN QUESTION E-1982/00 by Avril Doyle (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Legal challenges to the extension of An Post's contract to provide social welfare payments in Ireland.
Date: 2000-06-21
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Ireland, complaint to the Commission, postal service, social security

C 72 E/160

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

6.3.2001

for reconstruction in East Timor had not yet been made available. Mrs Catherine Walker, head of the
Donors(cid:146) Coordination Unit in Dili has stated that the EU had committed itself to contributing US$ 9,8
million and US$ 58,9 million for the UNTAET Trust Fund and the World Bank Trust Fund respectively.
Mrs Sara Cliffe, head of the World Bank office in East Timor, confirming that the Commission had not yet
paid its contribution, apparently said that these EU funds might be made available in May.

This delay in the handing over of promised contributions appears also to involve specific contributions
from certain Member States, particularly Germany.

Paragraph 14 of the European Parliament resolution on East Timor on 18 November (B5-0271/1999)
stressed the need to make European Union budgetary resources for East Timor available as a matter of
urgency.

The fact that many donors are behind schedule, and thus holding up the reconstruction of the country, is a
recognised major contributory factor in the instability, uncertainty and insecurity in the territory. Over and
above the observations already made in this respect by international officials, the repeated appeals and
warnings issued by Timorese are extremely pathetic and insistent.

Why has there been such a delay on the part of the EU? What is the state of play in terms of volume of
funds and the timetable for their becoming effectively available, of the contribution promised by the
European Union to East Timor? What steps has the Commission taken in this regard, both with regard to
the speed of processing the EU contributions and likewise encouraging equal dispatch on the part of the
Member States which have undertaken a like commitment? Can the Commission guarantee that from now
on, the EU will act in an exemplary manner in this highly sensitive area?

Joint answer
to Written Questions E-1968/00 and E-1969/00
given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(25 July 2000)

The Commission shares the opinion of the international community that the question of whether East
Timor should sign the LomØ Convention is a matter for political decision by the future East Timorese
Government. Once an independent State of East Timor has been constituted, its Government will have to
assess which regional economic group is most suited to furthering East Timorese interests. When that time
the Commission will certainly provide the East Timorese Government with the appropriate
comes,
information.

With regard to the Community(cid:146)s contribution to the rehabilitation of East Timor, the Commission can
confirm that the contribution to the United Nations(cid:146) trust fund (for UNTAET, the UN Transitional
Administration in East Timor), some € 10 million, was transferred to the recipient in the first half of June
2000 and that the first tranche of the contribution to the World Bank(cid:146)s Trust Fund for East Timor (TFET),
some € 9,2 million, will be paid as soon as the financial agreement with the administrator of that fund has
been signed and a request for payment has been received. The agreement is expected to be signed in July
2000. The other tranches will be paid subsequently, as provided for in the financial agreement. As to the
contributions of the Member States, the Commission regrets that it does not have a complete list.

(2001/C 72 E/204)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1982/00

by Avril Doyle (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(21 June 2000)

Subject: Legal challenges to the extension of An Post(cid:146)s contract to provide social welfare payments in

Ireland

This question is tabled further to Written Question E-0463/00, tabled by Avril Doyle to the Commission
on 24 February 2000, and the subsequent answer from the Commission (1). Bearing in mind the legal
challenges made by a firm of Dublin-based solicitors (2) to the extension of An Post(cid:146)s contract to issue
social welfare payments in Ireland and the importance of such a service to the vitality of rural post offices

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 72 E/161

and rural communities, would the Commission outline the current status of the legal challenges, confirm
whether it has yet gathered all the information it requested before it could investigate the matter fully, state
its position on the case and, if no such position can be conveyed at present, confirm a date when the
Commission will announce its decision?

(1) OJ C 374 E, 28.12.2000, p. 81.
(2) McCann Fitzgerald Solicitors, on behalf of Transaction Network Services, Dublin.

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(19 July 2000)

Further to the answer to the Honourable Member(cid:146)s Written Question E-463/00, the Honourable Member is
informed that the Commission is at the moment in the process of gathering additional
information,
necessary to investigate the allegations made by Transaction Network Services Limited. The Commission
hopes to come to a position on the complaint immediately after receiving this additional information.

(2001/C 72 E/205)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1985/00

by Mar(cid:237)a Izquierdo Rojo (PSE) to the Commission

(8 June 2000)

Subject: Irresponsibility and risks concerning mad cow disease in Spain

The European Union(cid:146)s Scientific Committee, the highest of the bodies responsible for monitoring Bovine
Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), has revealed that the fact that Spain has imported cattle from Great
Britain classes it among those countries where this serious disease is likely to be present. Is there a risk that
animals in Spain may be infected with BSE? How many cattle have been imported? What steps should be
taken to avoid this risk? Have there been any confirmed cases of BSE in Spain? Is the Commission aware
that the Spanish ministry has reacted furiously to this European report, which it considers irresponsible?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(17 July 2000)

1. and 2.
The report to which the Honourable Member refers is a draft report from the scientific steering
committee (SSC), that has been put on Internet, on request of this committee, with the invitation to
provide new factual scientific information, before its finalisation.

The question on the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) risk in Spain and on the most critical
imports to Spain and their order of magnitude cannot be finally answered before the final version of the
report of the scientific steering committee on the geographical risk in Spain is available.

3.
The removal and destruction of specified risk materials from animals at slaughter is the single most
important public health protection measure where a risk of BSE infected animals being slaughtered cannot
be excluded. Such measures will be mandatory in all Member States as of 1 October 2000. Other
measures, such as banning the use of mammalian meat-and-bone meal
in ruminant feed, appropriate
heat treatment of meat-and-bone meal intended for the feeding of other animal species and banning the
export of live bovine animals and bovine products from countries with a high incidence of BSE have
already been implemented by the Community. Furthermore the surveillance of BSE in all Member States
will be enhanced by the introduction of rapid post mortem tests as of 1 January 2001.