WRITTEN QUESTION E-3291/00 by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Publicising the work of the EU.
Date: 2000-10-25
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: competence of the Member States, promotion of the European idea

C 151 E/122

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

22.5.2001

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(8 December 2000)

Council Directive 68/414/EEC of 20 December 1968 imposing an obligation on Member States of the EEC
to maintain minimum stocks of crude oil and/or petroleum products (1) as amended by Council
Directive 98/93/EC of 14 December 1998 (2), requires Member States to maintain stocks equivalent to
90 days(cid:146) consumption for each of the three main categories of petroleum products (3) for energy uses, so
that those stocks can be used in the event of supply disruptions to replace all or part of the shortfall.
Member States have a great deal of flexibility as to how they implement these Directives. In practice,
stockholding systems and the way in which they are funded vary greatly between Member States. For
example, some Member States have set up bodies responsible for holding all or part of the stocks, while
others have not. The question by the Honourable Member refers to the situation in Belgium. As Belgium
has no stockholding agency, compliance with the Community stockholding obligation therefore depends
entirely on the stocks held by the Belgian industry in accordance with the obligations imposed on it by the
Belgian State. The cost of such stocks is borne by the industry and not by the Belgian State (4).

Belgium currently meets the Community stockholding requirement (i.e. holds stocks exceeding 90 days(cid:146)
consumption) for two of the three categories of products concerned. However, the Community 90 day
requirement is not met for category II, namely middle distillates (5). This is mainly due to the fact that in
the past, the Belgian system did not consider international aviation bunkers as giving rise to a stockholding
obligation (6). Even taking account of the fact that the current situation on the oil market is not conducive
to solving this problem, the Commission should examine it in accordance with the procedure provided for
in Article 226 (ex Article 169) of the EC Treaty.

Finally, the Honourable Member refers to the problem of stocks purchased when prices are low and sold
later at a higher price. Where the stocks form part of the mandatory stocks, they cannot be sold if no
instructions are given by the government (7).

(1) OJ L 308, 23.12.1968.
(2) OJ L 358, 31.12.1998.
(3) The stockholding of crude oil in place of products is authorised under certain conditions.
(4) Moreover, as Belgium is one of the few Member States to still apply a maximum price regime to certain petroleum
products, these maximum prices as determined by the (cid:145)programme contract(cid:146) take account of these stockholding
costs.

(5) On 31.7.2000, Belgian stocks of category I represented 101 days(cid:146) consumption, category II 83 days and category III

223 days.

(6) On 31.7.2000, stocks of jet fuel of the kerosene type were only 27 days (for other category II products: 91 days).
(7) Where the system of security stocks is based on stockholding obligations placed on industry, Member States are
required under the Community Directives to introduce mechanisms for the regular verification of compliance and a
regime of sanctions. In accordance with these mechanisms, a Belgian oil company was convicted by a Court of First
Instance in December 1998 and the sentence upheld in the Court of Appeal in October 1999.

(2001/C 151 E/137)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3291/00

by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(25 October 2000)

Subject: Publicising the work of the EU

The European Union has a wide-ranging impact on social and economic life in Europe; its initiatives are
supported by a large majority of the population in most Member States, at least according to the public
opinion surveys regularly carried out by Eurostat in the 15 Member States.

22.5.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 151 E/123

What Community legislation exists to publicise the work of the EU institutions through the Member States(cid:146)
media? Is publicising the work of the EU institutions the sole preserve of the Member States or do the
Commission(cid:146)s departments take additional measures and, if so, what are they?

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(8 December 2000)

The Community institutions together with the Member States provide the citizens with information on
Community policies and initiatives, decision-taking and the progress of European integration in order to
help bring them closer to the Community.

The Community budget has a title (B-3) specifically for communication and information activities; in 2000
it was allocated € 93,5 million.

An interinstitutional working party consisting of representatives of Parliament and the Commission lays
down the themes of common interest and coordinates information activities.

Information measures are implemented by the Commission and Parliament often in partnership with the
Member States. There are three types of measure: those carried out by the Representations in the Member
States (direct communication and dissemination of information), those carried out from Commission
headquarters (analyses of public opinion, publications on Community policies for the general public) and
those carried out in partnership with the Member States under agreements for information campaigns on
European citizenship (euro, Intergovernmental Conference).

(2001/C 151 E/138)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3292/00

by Mihail Papayannakis (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(25 October 2000)

Subject: Destruction of the wetland habitat of the Messolonghi lagoon

The Commission has been notified on numerous occasions of the damage and destruction caused to the
wetland habitat of the Messolonghi lagoon, which, inter alia, is protected under the Ramsar Convention.
Recent surveys and photographs of the lagoon show that there has been illegal development in the area
consisting of unauthorised construction of holiday homes which have also been supplied with electricity,
water and telephone-lines to consolidate the situation; work has even begun on the construction of a
sewerage system. Earth is also being dumped in the area on a daily basis, even within zone A of the
wetland, threatening the flora and fauna of the ecosystem. In view of the fact that this situation constitutes
a breach of the international Ramsar Convention and of Community Directives 74/409/EEC, 92/43/EEC
and 85/337/EEC, and that Greece has designated the Ambracian Gulf and the Messolonghi
lagoon
protected areas pursuant to Article 4 of Directive 74/409/EEC, will the Commission say whether Greece
has notified it of the particular measures it has taken to protect those areas and what measures it has taken
to preserve the wetland habitat of
lagoon, an area of paramount environmental
importance? Will the Commission intervene to put an end to these constant violations?

the Messolonghi

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

(14 December 2000)

The Messolunghi lagoon is part of a special protection area classified by Greece under Council Directive
79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979 on the conservation of wild birds (1). The same area is also proposed as a site
of Community importance under Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of
natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (2).