WRITTEN QUESTION E-3197/00 by Glyn Ford (PSE) to the Commission. Internal Drainage Boards in the United Kingdom.
Date: 2000-10-12
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU competence, United Kingdom, application of EU law, democracy, water management in agriculture

19.6.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 174 E/23

(2001/C 174 E/021)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3163/00

by Carlos Ripoll y Mart(cid:237)nez de Bedoya (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(10 October 2000)

Subject: Water infrastructure

On 15 September this year Mrs Margarita NÆjera, Mayoress of Calvia and President of the Balearic Islands
Federation of Local Authorities (FELIB), announced that she had travelled to Brussels to meet with
environment officials at the Commission and stated that the Commission had undertaken to fund several
water infrastructure projects in full, and in particular the Sa Costera transfer project and a further water
supply project in the town of Soller, on the island of Majorca (Balearic Islands).

1.

Is it true that Mrs NÆjera met with environment officials at the Commission?

2.
Is it true that the Commission has undertaken to fund several water infrastructure projects on the
Balearic Islands in full, including the Sa Costera transfer project and a further water supply project in the
town of Soller, on the island of Majorca?

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

(14 December 2000)

Commission environment officials have not officially met the person referred to by the Honourable
Member during the last few months.

Water supply projects, including a project on Sa Costera, have been submitted by the Government of the
Balearic Islands in the framework of the single programming document for the Balearic Islands.

The Commission is examining the single programming document for the Balearic Islands and a decision
on the programme will in principle be taken before the end of the year. No projects are funded 100 %
under the Structural Funds.

(2001/C 174 E/022)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3197/00

by Glyn Ford (PSE) to the Commission

(12 October 2000)

Subject: Internal Drainage Boards in the United Kingdom

Does the Commission feel that these Boards meet the normal criteria of democracy? Election to these
Boards is dependant on certain land ownership criteria, meaning that votes are determined not on the
principle of one person one vote but on wealth (in terms of land).

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(8 December 2000)

After examining the Honourable Member(cid:146)s question, the Commission considers that the action of the
Member State in question does not fall within the scope of Community law. It is the consistent practice of
the Court of Justice, in accordance with its case law, not to monitor respect of fundamental rights by
Member States when they are acting outside the scope of Community law. Consequently, and quite apart
from whether a fundamental right has been violated, the Commission is not competent in this instance to
open infringement proceedings against the United Kingdom under Article 226 (formerly Article 169) of
the EC Treaty.

C 174 E/24

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

19.6.2001

The Commission would remind the Honourable Member that once all national remedies against the act in
question have been exhausted, it is possible to bring a complaint before the European Court of Human
Rights in Strasbourg.

(2001/C 174 E/023)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3204/00

by Chris Davies (ELDR) to the Council

(16 October 2000)

Subject: Civil liberties in Saudi Arabia

Further to reports of human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia, how has the Council addressed the issue of civil
liberties during multilateral talks with this country?

Reply

(8 March 2001)

The EU is encouraging Saudi Arabia and other members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to act to
improve civil liberties and the human rights situation in their countries and to cooperate with the UN and
international human rights organisations. The issue of human rights is always raised by the EU in its twice-
the
yearly Ministerial meetings with the GCC, as well as at other meetings.
Cooperation Agreement between the Community and the GCC (1), the EU has (cid:129) so far unsuccessfully (cid:129)
proposed the establishment of a human rights dialogue at all levels.

In the framework of

A negotiating mandate with a view to the conclusion of a free trade agreement between the Community
and the GCC was drawn up in 1991. This mandate is currently being updated. A Commission proposal to
that effect is expected in a few weeks. In accordance with the policy followed by the EU as regards human
rights in the context of its agreements with third countries, human rights would constitute an essential
element in any agreement of that type.

(1) OJ L 54, 25.2.1989, p. 1.

(2001/C 174 E/024)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3218/00

by Klaus-Heiner Lehne (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Development of a studio theme park in Mainz

(17 October 2000)

The ZDF is planning to develop a studio theme park in Mainz, Germany. The theme park is to provide
purely commercial leisure facilities, not unlike attractions on offer in other leisure parks, with which it will
therefore be in direct competition.

In this context the following questions are asked:

1. What view does the Commission take of the fact that the ZDF studio theme park is a purely
commercial theme park whose activities are not covered by the public-service broadcasting remit,
contrary to stipulations of the German Monopolies Commission(cid:146)s thirteenth Biennial Report 1998/
1999 drawn up in accordance with Section 44, paragraph 1, sentence 1, of the GWB (Act against
Restraints of Competition) (p. 446)?

2. What view does the Commission take of the German Monopolies Commission(cid:146)s recommendation that

these kinds of activities should not be pursued by public institutions such as the ZDF?