WRITTEN QUESTION E-2596/00 by Luis Berenguer Fuster (PSE) to the Commission. Reply to my written question on the transposition into Spanish law of legislation on health and safety in the workplace in relation to tunnel-building operations.
Date: 2000-08-01
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Spain, national implementing measure, occupational health, occupational safety, operation of the Institutions, tunnel, written question

13.3.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 81 E/211

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(2 October 2000)

The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its answer to written E-0466/00 by Mr Varela
Suanzes-Carpegna (1).

(1) OJ C 330 E, 21.11.2000, p. 166.

(2001/C 81 E/270)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2566/00

by Christopher Huhne (ELDR) to the Commission

(1 August 2000)

Subject: Liability in the case of fraud

Users of credit and debit cards within the European Union are generally protected against fraudulent use of
their cards with some limit on their liability.

Would the Commission please state which Member States currently apply similar limits on the liability that
users face should they suffer hacking or other fraudulent use of their on-line e-banking accounts?

Given the likely growth of cross-border deposit-taking as a result of both the euro and the Internet, does
the Commission envisage proposals to protect consumers from effective unlimited exposure in the case of
fraudulent access to their Internet accounts?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(29 September 2000)

The Commission is collecting the information it needs to answer the question. It will communicate its
findings as soon as possible.

(2001/C 81 E/271)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2596/00

by Luis Berenguer Fuster (PSE) to the Commission

(1 August 2000)

Subject: Reply to my written question on the transposition into Spanish law of legislation on health and

safety in the workplace in relation to tunnel-building operations

On 22 May, I tabled a question to the Commission on the risks to the safety of workers as a result of
applying Spanish rules on health and safety to public works tunnel-building operations (Written Question
E-1865/00).

The answer has not yet been received. Nevertheless, I have received reports of a demonstration held on
23 June in Madrid on the occasion of the first Tunnelling Safety Day organised by the National Association
of Special Blasting Companies. The Secretary-General of that organisation, Mr JosØ Mar(cid:237)a CatalÆn Alonso,
referred to the reply given by Commissioner Diamantopoulou to my question, and outlined certain aspects
of that reply.

How is it possible that the content of the answer to a parliamentary question not yet replied to by the
Commission should be made public at an event of this kind in Spain?

C 81 E/212

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

13.3.2001

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(22 September 2000)

The Commission is not aware how it was possible for the content of a draft answer to be known in the
Honourable Member(cid:146)s country before the answer had been sent to the Honourable Member and to
Parliament. Until the answer was formally adopted by the Commission as a college it had no official value.

(2001/C 81 E/272)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2597/00

by Pervenche BerŁs (PSE) to the Commission

(1 August 2000)

Subject: EU-Tunisia relations

Human rights violations in Tunisia are a source of great concern. It is incumbent on the international
community and in particular the EU to encourage the Tunisian Government to greater tolerance and
respect for freedoms.

The recent hunger strike by the journalist Ben Brik has highlighted the pressures on those campaigning for
greater democracy in Tunisia.

On 15 June Parliament adopted a resolution calling for a greater openness on the part of the Tunisian
authorities, and asking the EU-Tunisia Association Council to carry out a joint evaluation of respect for
human rights in Tunisia, in the spirit of Article 2 of the Agreement.

On 23 June 2000 the Commission met a Tunisian delegation in the framework of the association
committee to study the cooperation agreements between Tunisia and the Union. The day before,
Commissioner Fischler had talks with Mr Rabah, the Tunisian Minister of Fisheries. From the information
that has emerged on these two meetings, it would appear that only economic matters were discussed.

Without denying the importance of the latter, I am surprised at the one-sided nature of these talks.

Economic development will be of benefit to Tunisian society only if it is accompanied by the establishment
of a genuinely democratic regime.

What is the Commission(cid:146)s explanation of this attitude which is contrary both to the spirit and the letter of
the Association Agreement?

What action does the Commission intend to take to comply with the requirements made by Parliament in
its resolution of 15 June?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(11 September 2000)

As the Commission announced during the debate preceding the vote in part-session of the resolution of
15 June on Tunisia, and in line with the content of the resolution, action will be taken under the
EU-Tunisia Association Agreement. The Agreement has two instruments which can be used as a priority,
to bring both partners closer together, political dialogue and financial cooperation. The first instrument
has, among other things, already led to an exchange of views on respect for human rights at the
Association Committee meeting on 23 June. Consultations are also being held under the second, to create
two programmes to support non-governmental organisations and the media.