WRITTEN QUESTION E-2446/00 by Fernando Fernández Martín (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Islands.
Date: 2000-07-19
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: island region, trans-European network

C 151 E/6

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

22.5.2001

(2001/C 151 E/007)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2438/00

by Giovanni Pittella (PSE) to the Commission

(19 July 2000)

Subject: Failure to respect linguistic diversity by the European Commission

Can the Commission explain why it now systematically gives priority to English in the communications it
issues which are of interest to the public,
increasingly cutting down its use of the other ten official
languages of the European Union?

Most of the information contained on the web-sites of the Commission(cid:146)s directorates-general is in English
and, where translations are available, these are usually confined to French or German. For example, the fact
that instructions for the submission of projects are almost exclusively in English makes it difficult for non-
anglophone citizens, associations or bodies to take part. In addition, the Commission frequently asks
project organisers to submit interim and final reports on their activities in the Commission(cid:146)s (cid:145)working
languages(cid:146) (English and French), causing pointless delays and extra administrative costs to those who do
not have a good knowledge of these languages, to the detriment of the operational aspects of the project.

Does the Commission not consider that these practices promote discrimination? Are such practices not
incompatible with the activities and programmes designed to promote respect for cultural and linguistic
diversity geared to the European Year of Languages?

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(30 November 2000)

The Commission does not give preference to the use of any of the official languages of the Community by
comparison with the other languages, except for the internal work of the institution, in conformity with
Article 6 of Regulation No 1 of the Council of 15 April 1958 establishing the language regime of the
Community (1). This Regulation still remains the guideline for the contacts of the Commission with the
public and also for the publishing policy of the Commission. Regulation No 1 determines the official
languages of the Community and determines that legal acts have to be published in those languages.

The Commission pays great attention to the respect of the language regime, in particular with regard to its
own communication with the public, in order to guarantee non-discriminatory practices. Thus, the web-
sites of the Directorates-general are usually presented in the eleven official languages too. It may happen
that supplementary information can be made available in one language only. This is sometimes unavoid-
information and the limited resources available for translation of all
able due to the actuality of
information or documents in all the official languages.

Instructions for the submission of projects are generally published in the Official journal, so that citizens,
companies, or organisations have the same fair chance to take part in the execution of a programme. In
cases where additional information appears on a web-site in one or some of the official languages only, a
request can be addressed to the Secretary general of the Commission, who will examine what further steps
can be taken.

(1) OJ 17, 6.10.1958.

(2001/C 151 E/008)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2446/00

by Fernando FernÆndez Mart(cid:237)n (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(19 July 2000)

Subject: Islands

Article 154 of the Treaty, which concerns trans-European networks, specifically refers to (cid:145)the need to link
island, landlocked and peripheral regions with the central regions of the Community(cid:146).

22.5.2001

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 151 E/7

Despite this, it would appear that, on the whole, this provision of the Treaty has not been implemented in
the case of islands.

Could the Commission supply a list of TEN projects (in the areas of transport, energy or telecommunica-
tions) which have benefited one or other of the islands of the European Union?

Given that the Commission has submitted a report to Parliament and the Council on the revision of the
guidelines for TENs, could it also say which projects concerning islands are likely to be declared eligible?

Lastly, could the Commission also say what measures it intends to propose in order that in future a higher
priority may be given, in the framework of TENs, to improving the links between islands and the central
regions of the Community?

(2001/C 151 E/009)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2466/00

by Paulo Casaca (PSE), Isidoro SÆnchez Garc(cid:237)a (ELDR),
Margie Sudre (PPE-DE), Roy Perry (PPE-DE), Mariotto Segni (UEN)
and Jean-Claude Fruteau (PSE) to the Commission

(24 July 2000)

Subject: Islands

Article 154 of the Treaty, on trans-European networks, makes explicit reference to (cid:145)the need to link island,
landlocked and peripheral regions with the central regions of the Community(cid:146).

It seems, however, that in the case of islands, very little has been done to put this into effect.

Can the Commission give a list of TEN projects (involving transport, energy or telecommunications) that
have benefited the European Union(cid:146)s islands to date?

At a time when the Commission is presenting Parliament and the Council with a report on the revision of
TEN guidelines, could the Commission give a list of the projects concerning islands that are likely to be
declared eligible?

Could it also say what proposals it has in mind so that in future greater priority is given within the TEN
framework to strengthening links between the islands and the Community(cid:146)s central regions?

Joint answer
to Written Questions E-2446/00 and E-2466/00
given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(10 November 2000)

Many trans-European transport (TEN) projects,
in energy, transport and telecommunications, concern
islands. For transport and energy, the projects are identified in the guidelines for the development of the
trans-European transport network (1) and in the guidelines for the development of the trans-European
energy network (2). For transport, the most important projects for islands are generally those for ports and
airports. For energy, the list of projects of common interest includes the introduction of natural gas and
electricity connections by submarine cable to some islands.
islands are directly or
indirectly addressed in most of the projects as telecommunications by definition link the different regions
in Europe. Particular examples exist in projects dealing with tele-medicine, and tele-education aimed at
reaching remotely located citizens, and in projects dealing with emergency management.

In TEN-Telecom,