WRITTEN QUESTION E-2615/00 by Anna Karamanou (PSE) to the Council. Immigration and development.
Date: 2000-09-01
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU migration policy, State aid, common foreign and security policy, debt reduction, developing countries, right of asylum

3.4.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 103 E/199

public, bring incidents of non-compliance with the directives to the attention of the Commission, it is the
normal practice of the Commission to intervene with the authorities of the Member State involved. If the
Member State fails to take rapid action to bring to an end the alleged infringements the Commission may
decide to open infringement proceedings under Article 226 (ex Article 169) of the EC Treaty.

The Commission has recently increased to four the number of inspectors specifically dedicated to
2.
animal welfare issues,
including the transport of animals. It is anticipated that a total number of ten
dedicated animal welfare inspection missions will be carried out by the inspectors in the year 2000, as
compared to seven in 1999. Three of the five missions planned for the second half of this year will focus
exclusively on animal transport and another will cover welfare at the time of slaughter together with
animal transport.

In addition, animal welfare forms part of the wider inspection activities of the Commission. For instance,
inspections of border inspection posts cover aspects such as the staffing and facilities provided to ensure
that animals are examined for fitness for import, and route plans are verified during these missions. In
addition to public health issues, the inspections of abattoirs also include aspects of animal welfare during
transport.

3.
Five Commission missions devoted specifically to animal welfare have been carried out already
in 2000. Of these, one focused exclusively on animal transport and another covered some elements
of transport. The missions were to the United Kingdom (5 days in February/March with 2 inspectors and
a national expert, concerning the welfare of pigs and calves on farm); Sweden (5 days in April with
2 inspectors and a national expert, concerning the welfare of pigs and calves on farm); Denmark
(5 days in May with 2 inspectors and a national expert, concerning the welfare of pigs and calves on
farm) Spain (5 days in May/June with 2 inspectors and a national expert, concerning animal transport and
staging points) and Austria (5 days in June with 2 inspectors and a national expert, concerning the welfare
of pigs and calves on farm and some aspects of animal transport). In addition, 2 inspectors held two
separate three-day meetings specifically devoted to animal transport with the authorities of Greece and
Italy in February 2000.

(2001/C 103 E/228)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2615/00

by Anna Karamanou (PSE) to the Council

(1 September 2000)

Subject: Immigration and development

With a view to the informal meeting of the Council of Ministers for Justice and Home Affairs to be held in
Marseille on 28/29 July 2000, where one of the topics on the agenda will be immigration and asylum, and
bearing in mind that mass immigration is a phenomenon that will not decline until the economic, political
and social conditions in underdeveloped countries improve, will the Council support the cancellation of
Third World debt and urge the Member States to allocate 0,7 % of GDP to the poor countries, in line with
the commitments they have given? In view of the demographic development predicted by UN reports for
the next 50 years, would it not be appropriate to draw up an integrated European policy on asylum and
immigration, based on European humanitarian values, with transparent rules governing the entry and
residence of third country nationals and including the prospect of legal immigration?

Reply

(10 November 2000)

The Council has, on 8 November 1999, adopted conclusions supporting the debt relief initiative for highly
indebted poor countries (HIPC) launched by the IMF and the World Bank in September 1996.

C 103 E/200

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

3.4.2001

In these conclusions, the Council agreed a Community contribution in the order of magnitude of € 1 billion
of which the creditor part should be in the range of € 320 to 380 million. Actual disbursement was,
however, made conditional on reasonable burden sharing with other international donors.

Nevertheless, the EU has fully met its commitment to the HIPC Trust Fund by disbursing a first tranche of
assistance. The EU is urging donors, who have not yet done so, to deliver their committed contributions as
soon as possible.

With regard to the second part of the question relating to an integrated European policy on asylum and
immigration, the Council would remind the Honorable Member that the Treaty itself in Title IV provides
for the Council, in establishing progressively an area of freedom, security and justice, to adopt rules in the
area of asylum and migration as set out in Article 63 of the Treaty including rules relating to the entry and
residence of third country nationals. The European Council in Tampere called inter alia for a (cid:145)comprehen-
sive approach to migration addressing political, human rights and development issues in countries and
regions of origin and transit(cid:146),
(cid:145)a Common European Asylum System, based on the full and inclusive
application of the Geneva Convention(cid:146), (cid:145)fair treatment of third country nationals who reside legally on the
territory of its Member States(cid:146) with a (cid:145)more vigorous integration policy(cid:146) aimed at (cid:145)granting them rights and
obligations comparable to those of EU citizens(cid:146) as well as (cid:145)approximation of national legislations on the
conditions for admission and residence of third country nationals, based on a shared assessment of the
economic and demographic developments within the Union, as well as the situation in the countries of
origin(cid:146). The Commission has forwarded various proposals flowing from the conclusions of the Tampere
European Council, proposals which are currently under consideration within the Council.

(2001/C 103 E/229)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2621/00

by Carles-Alfred Gas(cid:242)liba i B(cid:246)hm (ELDR) to the Commission

(1 August 2000)

Subject: Unequal conditions for certain undertakings

The Treaty provides for the creation of an internal market in which, among other factors, free competition
and non-discrimination among undertakings are vital conditions if its proper operation is to be ensured.

Foreseeable developments on the market for water in the European Union make it likely that distortions of
competition will be produced among undertakings in the various Member States. If the common market
for water is to function properly, it is necessary to guarantee transparency, non-discrimination among
undertakings and reciprocity.

With regard to the Commission(cid:146)s interpretative communication on concessions in Community law
governing public service contracts, why has the Commission not taken up a position in its communication
on administrative concessions regarding the unequal conditions of competition to which private under-
takings from states whose markets have largely been opened up are subject by comparison with public
undertakings from countries whose market is closed to competition?

Why has the Commission made no provision for opening up the market
reciprocity, as is the case in other sectors such as electricity?

in water and requiring

Why has the Commission not taken up a position on public undertakings responsible for supplying water
in their own countries which take part in invitations to tender for the supply of water in a country whose
market is more open? Why has no provision been made for greater transparency in such cases so as to
prevent the undertakings concerned from using public resources to finance activities outside the area of
public service for which they are responsible?