WRITTEN QUESTION E-2144/00 by Glyn Ford (PSE) to the Commission. Workers at the JRC.
Date: 2000-06-30
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Joint Research Centre, foreign national, staff

18.4.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 113 E/67

What stage has been reached in the negotiations?

What is being done to safeguard against triangular operations in which garlic is exported to the European
Union from non-producing countries?

How will the recent agreement on China(cid:146)s accession to the WTO affect the Community(cid:146)s production
sector, given that China is the world(cid:146)s largest garlic producer?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(11 September 2000)

The Commission has a Council mandate to negotiate changes to its undertakings on garlic imports in
accordance with the procedures laid down in Article XXVIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and
Trade (GATT).

The mandate stipulates that the Commission should negotiate compensation for the increase in the import
tariff and that it should offer in exchange a new tariff quota at the current duty as laid down in the
procedures implementing Article XXVIII of the GATT.

Formal negotiations have not yet started. The Commission is awaiting official confirmation from the main
supplier country that it intends to participate.

Under Commission Regulation (EEC) No 1859/93 of 12 July 1993 on the application of the system of
import licences for garlic imported from third countries (1), as amended by Regulation (EC) No 1662/94 of
8 July 1994 (2), the release for free circulation in the Community of imported garlic from third countries is
subject to the presentation of an import licence. The customs service of the Member States concerned are
responsible for ensuring that
the procedures laid down in the
regulations have been complied with. The Commission has also adopted measures on several occasions
making a specific certificate of origin a requirement for the import of garlic originating in certain third
countries.

the licences are authentic and that

The planned changes to our undertakings on garlic imports will take account of China(cid:146)s accession to the
World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the new environment this creates, so avoiding any upsets to
Community garlic production.

(1) OJ L 170, 13.7.1993.
(2) OJ L 176, 9.7.1994.

(2001/C 113 E/065)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2144/00

by Glyn Ford (PSE) to the Commission

(30 June 2000)

Subject: Workers at the JRC

How many people work at the JRC? What percentage are nationals of countries which are not EU Member
States?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(11 September 2000)

In June 2000, the total number of personnel employed in the Joint Research Centre (JRC) Directorate
general in all of the DG(cid:146)s locations was 1 691 officials and temporary agents. Of those 1682 were Union
nationals (99,47 %) and 9 were not (0,53 %). 351 non- statutory staff were employed of whom 12 were

C 113 E/68

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.4.2001

not Union nationals (3,41 %). The non-statutory staff consisted of 190 grant holders 4 of whom were not
Union nationals (2,10 %); 27 national detached experts of whom 2 were not Union nationals (7,4 %); 123
trainees of whom 4 were not Union nationals (3,25 %); and 11 visiting scientists of whom 2 were not
Union nationals (18,18 %).

(2001/C 113 E/066)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2163/00

by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Alarming decline in water resources in Greece

(30 June 2000)

Owing to the steady decline in water resources and the phenomenon of soil erosion, Greece is facing a
very real danger of desertification. Over 30 % of the total arable land in Greece has been lost to agricultural
production (cid:129) in the Attica basin alone some 60 000 hectares can no longer be cultivated. A further
consequence is internal emigration and the abandonment of agricultural occupations by the rural
population, owing to the lack of suitable water for irrigation (semi-brackish, brackish or saline) or the
absence of any type of water. Prospects are particularly bleak for entire regions of Greece, beginning with
Thessaly, since its water table is falling at between half a metre and two metres annually. Similar problems
are facing other regions such as Attica, Boeotia, Fthiotida, Corinthia, Argolida, Trizinia, Magnisia, Lakonia,
Evvia, Chalkidiki and many Aegean and Ionian islands. At the same time, however, Greece has no
integrated water resources management system either at local/regional or at national level.

1. Will the Commission say what information does it have about the dangers posed by the decline in
water resources in Greece?

Are any funds still available under the second CSF for the management of water resources and, if so,

2.
why have they not been used for this purpose?

In the third regional development plan submitted by the Greek Government is any provision made to

3.
establish an integrated water management system for the entire country?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(9 October 2000)

Existing Community legislation on water covers qualitative matters only, hence the Commission receives
no systematic information from Member States on quantative aspects. This will probably change in the
future after adoption of the new framework Directive on water.

The European Environment Agency has nonetheless published, using available information and data
voluntarily supplied by the Member States, a series of reports on the quality and quantity of underground
water in Europe. The latest dates from 1999. These confirm the general trend of continuous reduction of
underground resources in Greece to which the Honourable Member refers.

Further, the findings of research projects financed under the fourth Community framework programme for
research and the fifth, now in progress, appear to confirm the diminution of water resources and the
extreme susceptibility of soils and ecosystems to desertification. They also call attention to the negative
impact of present water resource management in Greece and other parts of the Mediterranean and offer
concrete examples and recommendations for an integrated approach to resources. These findings can be
used by national and regional authorities in managing their territories.