WRITTEN QUESTION E-3548/00 by Umberto Scapagnini (PPE-DE), Raffaele Lombardo (PPE-DE), Francesco Musotto (PPE-DE), Guido Viceconte (PPE-DE), Guido Podestà (PPE-DE) and Giuseppe Nisticò (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Mediterranean Basic.
Date: 2000-11-15
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU research policy, Mediterranean third countries

19.6.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 174 E/75

(2001/C 174 E/076)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3547/00

by Raffaele Costa (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(15 November 2000)

Subject: Excessive increase in the price of paper

Is the Commission aware that, in Italy, the price of glossy paper and of newsprint paper (in particular (cid:129)
though not only (cid:129) paper used for newspapers) has gone up on account of the fact that there is no real
competition and the market is highly concentrated, being dominated by just a few companies?

What action is to be taken in order to remedy a state of affairs which is damaging not only to the
consumers of the product in question but also to the dissemination of information?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(11 December 2000)

The Commission is currently carrying out two investigations into the paper industry. Regarding glossy
paper and newsprint in particular,
it is obviously concerned about the occurrence of significant price
increases, which seem to be cyclical. In March 1999, having inspected several companies in the paper
industry and having requested information from them, the Commission sent a statement of objections to a
number of companies suspected of membership of a cartel. The geographical scale of the market is
European.

The Commission is also investigating a possible cartel in another sector of the paper industry (carbonless
paper) and at the end of July 2000 it addressed a statement of objections to a number of companies
operating on this market, which is also on a European scale.

Apart from those two particular cases, the Commission is systematically performing its supervisory role to
ensure that the industry complies with Community law, and in particular the competition rules.

(2001/C 174 E/077)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3548/00

by Umberto Scapagnini (PPE-DE), Raffaele Lombardo (PPE-DE),
Francesco Musotto (PPE-DE), Guido Viceconte (PPE-DE),
Guido Podest(cid:224) (PPE-DE) and Giuseppe Nistic(cid:242) (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(15 November 2000)

Subject: Mediterranean Basic

Does the Commission not consider that, as a matter of particular importance and urgency, the current
department within the Directorate-General for Research which is responsible for developing programmes
relating to the Mediterranean Basic should be upgraded?

The purpose of such an upgrading should not only be to increase the effectiveness of Community action
throughout the Mediterranean (pursuant to the process launched at the Barcelona Conference); it would
also reflect the political determination to increase and stimulate Mediterranean cooperation.

It should be emphasised that,
in the field of scientific and technological cooperation, the European
Community is in a position to cooperate with the countries of the Mediterranean in a way which is of
particular importance to the entire economic development of the region.

C 174 E/76

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

19.6.2001

Answer given by Mr Busquin on behalf of the Commission

(18 December 2000)

The Commission is in complete agreement with the Honourable Members(cid:146) opinion regarding the
importance of scientific and technical cooperation with the Mediterranean Basin States, and supports the
development of such activities without reservation. It was in this spirit that, in 1999, the Commission
launched an entirely new from of Euro-Mediterranean cooperation in the fields of science and technology,
INCO-MED, as part of the specific programme on confirming the international role of European research,
In
itself part of the fifth framework programme for research and technological development (RTD).
addition, as part of the MEDA programme,
to
the Commission has launched the Eumedis project
strengthen Euro-Mediterranean cooperation in promoting the adoption of new information and commu-
nication technologies across the region.

The Commission continues to reflect on how it can strengthen Euro-Mediterranean S&T activities, in the
light of their importance for sustainable development in the Mediterranean partner countries. It was
precisely as part of this process of reflection that the Commissioner for Research took part in the informal
meeting held at Capri on 29 and 30 September 2000, where he was able to discuss with the Research
Ministers of Spain, France, Greece, Italy and Portugal, as well as with their opposite numbers from a
number of Southern Mediterranean countries, how such cooperation might be pro-actively developed. The
Italian Research Minister informed his colleagues of the conclusions and recommendations that emerged in
Capri during the Research Council meeting held on 16 November 2000.

The Commission will ensure that the Honourable Members are fully informed of its proposals for Euro-
Mediterranean S&T projects for the years 2001 and 2002.

(2001/C 174 E/078)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3552/00

by Mihail Papayannakis (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

Subject: Aerial crop spraying and the use of pesticides in Greece

(15 November 2000)

On 29 October 2000 aerial crop spraying to combat olive fly was carried out once again in Corfu, using
the pesticide Lebaycid, which contains the particularly toxic and fat-soluble substance Fenthion (included in
thus creating risks
the list of organophosphorus compounds in List
regarding public health, disturbance of the ecological balance and the pollution of ground-water. This
was done in spite of the 1991 decision by the Supreme Administrative Court to suspend aerial crop
spraying and the recommendations by the Greek Ministry of Health that spraying should be carried out
from the ground in order to protect public health.

I of Directive 76/464/EEC (1)),

Could the Commission state whether this plant protection product has been given a licence following a
detailed examination to verify that it will not have harmful effects on human or animal health, or an
unacceptable impact on the environment?

To what extent are the following directives complied with in Greece:

(cid:129) 91/414/EEC (2),

(cid:129) 97/41/EC (3),

(cid:129) 97/73/EC (4),

(cid:129) 98/22/EC (5),

(cid:129) 98/57/EC (6),

(cid:129) 98/100/EC (7),

(cid:129) 1999/1/EC (8)?