WRITTEN QUESTION E-2608/00 by Dorette Corbey (PSE) to the Commission. Implementation of the bird protection directive.
Date: 2000-08-01
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: France, bird, hunting regulations, protection of animal life

8.5.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 136 E/53

(2001/C 136 E/059)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2607/00

by Concepci(cid:243) Ferrer (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(1 August 2000)

Subject: African Virtual University (AVU)

The Commission has recently signed a co-financing agreement for a World Bank programme for the
countries of sub-Saharan Africa concerning information technology training in higher education.

According to the information available,
the Commission(cid:146)s contribution will amount to € 1 million,
representing 15 % of the total cost of the project. 5 000 students from 23 universities in 15 countries
took part in the pilot phase of the programme.

Can the Commission say what countries have benefited from this programme?

Does the Commission not consider it necessary to determine what sections of the population have
benefited from the AVU to date?

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(22 September 2000)

Community support to the African Virtual University (AVU) aims to bring benefits of a university-level
education to all African universities, professors and students, through a major investment in distance,
virtual education. It is not targeted to specific countries, but to tertiary level institutions having the will
and the capacity to participate.

Since its inception, in 1997, the AVU has set up 25 learning centres in 15 African countries (Ethiopia,
Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Benin, Burundi, Burkina Fasso,
Mauritania, Niger, Rwanda, and Senegal). By early 2000, over 2 500 hours of instructional programmes
have been delivered, 12 000 enrolments in semester-long courses, and 2 500 enrolments in executive
business seminars; 1 000 personal computers (PC) have been delivered to learning centres, mobilising
about 3 000 e-mail users and a digital library of over 1 000 journals. AVU uses a technical infrastructure
that integrates satellites and computer technologies.

Survey results from student participants support the contention that AVU distance learning improves
access to broad populations and should, in the long run, show exponential growth in their (cid:145)acquis(cid:146).

The Community intends to participate in the future investments within the framework of the World Bank(cid:146)s
five-year AVU business plan 2000-2005. Its contribution should be quantitatively substantial, in order to
have a significant qualitative impact on the culturally appropriate learning design of the AVU, within the
perspective of regional co-operation in Africa.

(2001/C 136 E/060)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2608/00

by Dorette Corbey (PSE) to the Commission

(1 August 2000)

Subject: Implementation of the bird protection directive

On 13 July 2000 I received a petition bearing almost 100 000 signatures of members of the public
dismayed at the extent of the trapping of birds in France. Some trapping methods are unnecessarily cruel
and should therefore be prohibited. Some trapping methods (lime-twigs, nets) make no distinction between
species and should therefore be banned during the migration and breeding seasons.

C 136 E/54

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

8.5.2001

1.

2.

Is the Commission aware of the legal provisions governing the trapping of birds in France?

Is the Commission aware of the extent of the practice of trapping birds in France?

Does the Commission take the view that the law and/or the practice is contrary to the bird

3.
protection directive?

4. What steps does the Commission plan to take?

Answer given by Mrs Wallstr(cid:246)m on behalf of the Commission

(29 September 2000)

The Commission is aware of the main legal provisions governing the trapping of birds in France insofar as
Member States are required by Article 18 of Council Directive 79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979 on the
conservation of wild birds (1) to communicate the texts of national law which they adopt.

Furthermore, Article 9.3 of Council Directive 79/409/EEC requires that Member States report each year to
the Commission the derogations from the provisions of Articles 5, 6, 7 and 8. Bird trapping activities are
reported in this framework.

The Commission considers that the French legislation dealing with the protection of species of wild birds
covers all species of birds which require protection in accordance with Article 5 of Council Directive 79/
409/CEE and provides for all the prohibitions laid down in that Article, including the deliberate killing or
capture by any method. Concerning the practice of bird trapping, the Commission is currently investigat-
ing a number of complaint cases involving allegations of misuse of derogations under Article 9.

Where the Commission has evidence that bird trapping practices are not in conformity with the Directive,
it will normally open an infringement file in order to further assess any allegation within the framework of
Article 226 (ex Article 169) of the EC Treaty.

(1) OJ L 103, 25.4.1979.

(2001/C 136 E/061)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2619/00

by Laura GonzÆlez `lvarez (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(1 August 2000)

Subject: Pollution in the Natural Park of Lagunas de Ruidera (Castilla La Mancha, Spain) caused by urban

waste water

A recent visit to the Natural Park of Lagunas de Ruidera (Castilla La Mancha, Spain) showed that urban
waste water from the main housing areas in the municipal districts of Ruidera (Ciudad Real) and Ossa de
Montiel (Albacete) is being discharged virtually untreated into the surface water of the lagoon, causing
pollution which can be clearly identified from foul-smelling mud.

Local residents report that they have been calling for the construction of a sewer to collect waste water
from the towns and the large number of holiday homes scattered throughout the natural park and channel
it to a suitable treatment plant for more than 20 years.

This situation appears to be in breach of Council Directive 91/271/EEC (1) of 21 May 1991 on the
treatment of urban waste water.

Bearing in mind the ecological interest of the natural park itself and the fact that the area concerned is the
catchment area of the Guadiana river, and taking account of the harmful effects which pollution in this
area will have for the large number of users of water from this river all along its course, the situation may
also be in breach of Council Directive 92/43/EEC (2) of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of the natural