do-me/EUR-LEX huggingface dataset:
WRITTEN QUESTION E-3836/00 by Daniela Raschhofer (NI) to the Commission. Repayment of farm subsidies.
Date: 2000-12-07
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Austria, EAGGF Guarantee Section, European Union membership, aid to agriculture, redemption, traceability, veterinary inspection

C 318 E/12

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

13.11.2001

The Commission wrote to the French authorities on 30 October 2000, asking them to send their
comments within two months of receiving the letter. After studying any comments, the Commission
reserves the right to deliver the reasoned opinion referred to in Article 226 (formerly Article 169) of the
EC Treaty.

It should be stressed that the complaints received in this connection contained a number of points which
necessitated meetings with the complainants and requests for further information from the French
authorities. The complainants were informed of the Commission(cid:146)s views.

(2001/C 318 E/013)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3836/00

by Daniela Raschhofer (NI) to the Commission

(7 December 2000)

Subject: Repayment of farm subsidies

On Wednesday, 5 July 2000, the Commission announced that Austria would have to repay € 800 000 in
farm subsidies because of the lack of penalties for inadequate tagging of male bovines in 1996. According
to the Commission, Austria(cid:146)s agricultural market was negligent in the checks performed. Only 40 % of the
ear-tags issued were entered in the database.

In reply to Question E-2636/00,
adjustments for a large number of Member States. Please state details.

the Commission stated that

it had decided numerous different

What amounts were the other European Union Member States required to repay and why?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(9 February 2001)

The information requested by the Honourable Member can be found in Commission Decision 2000/449/
EC of 5 July 2000 excluding from Community financing certain expenditure incurred by the Member
the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund
States under
(EAGGF) (1). The Annex to that Decision specifies the amounts involved and the reasons for the financial
corrections imposed on the Member States.

the Guarantee Section of

(1) OJ L 180, 19.7.2000.

(2001/C 318 E/014)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3870/00

by Avril Doyle (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(8 December 2000)

Subject: European Union funding in Honduras

Given that the international community(cid:146)s response to the Hurricane Mitch disaster two years ago in
Honduras has been acknowledged as being well organised and is achieving its aim of rebuilding Honduras,
would the Commission please explain promptly why the EU has not delivered on its promises to allocate
several billion euros to Honduras and why, two years later, not a single euro has been transferred to that
country?
WRITTEN QUESTION E-3831/00 by Klaus-Heiner Lehne (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Abolition of the advance tax deduction from subsistence allowances and accommodation costs on business and service travel and commercial relocation costs.
Date: 2000-12-07
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Germany, VAT, allowances and expenses, application of EU law, travel

C 174 E/156

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

19.6.2001

(2001/C 174 E/162)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3831/00

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

(7 December 2000)

Subject: Abolition of the advance tax deduction from subsistence allowances and accommodation costs on

business and service travel and commercial relocation costs

The Federal Republic of Germany abolished the advance tax deduction from subsistence allowances and
accommodation costs on business and service travel and commercial relocation costs by the Tax Relief Act
of 1 April 1999. I tabled a question about this in 1999 (E-2184/99), but have yet to receive a satisfactory
answer.

The Court of Justice of the European Communities has now ruled (judgment of 19 September 2000) that
the prohibition on advance tax deductions for travelling expenses which was introduced by the French
Government in 1989 violates the sixth EC Directive on the harmonisation of VAT in the EU (77/388/EEC)
and that the Council(cid:146)s derogation decision 89/487/EC, on which the French provisions were based, is
invalid.

The following questions arise:

1. What is the Commission(cid:146)s view of the compatibility of the above-mentioned legislation of the Federal
Republic of Germany with Article 17(6) of the sixth EC Directive on the harmonisation of VAT (77/
388/EEC)
in the light of the aforementioned judgment of the Court of Justice of the European
Communities?

2. What measures will the Commission take to restore compatibility between Germany(cid:146)s tax legislation

and the VAT directive?

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(5 February 2001)

The Commission is aware of the measures adopted by Germany in 1999 to limit or abolish the right to
deduct VAT. Some of these limitations are compatible with the proposal for a directive relating to limits
on expenditure for which VAT can be deducted (1), and were authorised by Council Decision 2000/186/
EC (2) under Article 27 of the Sixth Directive 77/388/EEC on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member
States relating to turnover tax (cid:129) common system of value added tax: uniform basis of assessment (3). These
special and temporary measures do not appear to conflict with the case law of the Court of Justice on
Article 27.

the Commission considers that abolition of the right

to deduct VAT on subsistence and
However,
accommodation costs incurred during a business trip by an entrepreneur or his staff is not covered by
the said Decision. The Commission has therefore decided to send a reasoned opinion to the Federal
Republic of Germany under the second paragraph of Article 226 (formerly Article 169) of the EC Treaty
calling for an end to this practice.

(1) OJ C 219, 15.7.1998.
(2) OJ L 59, 4.3.2000.
(3) OJ L 145, 13.6.1977.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-3850/00 by Joaquim Miranda (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Directive on European Works Councils.
Date: 2000-12-07
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Works Council, amendment of a law, project evaluation, worker consultation

6.6.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 163 E/217

(2001/C 163 E/254)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3850/00

by Joaquim Miranda (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(7 December 2000)

Subject: Directive on European Works Councils

Pursuant to Article 15 of Directive 94/45/EC (1) of 22 September 1994, the Commission shall, not later
than 22 September 1999 and in consultation with the Member States and with management and labour at
European level, review the operation of that directive with a view to proposing suitable amendments to the
Council, where necessary.

According to information received from Portuguese members of European works councils, there are major
shortcomings in the application of the directive as regards informing and consulting workers(cid:146) representa-
tives: information is often given only verbally (since there are no documents available), it is extremely
difficult to obtain any information between meetings of the works councils and consultation of the latter is
not taken seriously by company managers, who often present their workers with faits accomplis.

Would the Commission therefore say what the situation is regarding the review of the above directive, the
purpose of which should be to ensure that the rights which the directive is intended to establish can
actually be enjoyed?

(1) OJ L 254, 30.9.1994, p. 64.

(2001/C 163 E/255)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3893/00

by Robert Goebbels (PSE) to the Commission

(13 December 2000)

Subject: Review of the directive on European works councils

General opinion among European trade unionists with regard to European works councils is currently
bordering on the hostile, reflecting disillusionment on the part of European trade unions after the
enthusiasm generated by initial voluntary agreements.

Following the conclusion of over 400 voluntary agreements between 1994, the year in which the directive
was adopted by the Council of Ministers, and 1996, the deadline for transposition of the provisions thereof
into national legislation, negotiations have been brought to a successful conclusion in no more than about
30 multinational undertakings. Since a total of between 700 and 800 industrial groups are currently
involved, this can only be described as a minimal success rate. Obviously progress is extremely slow.

Has the transposition into national law of Council Directive 94/45/EC (1) of 22 September 1994 on the
establishment of a European works council or a procedure in Community-scale undertakings and
Community-scale groups of undertakings for the purposes of informing and consulting employees been
the subject of a general review?

Does the Commission not consider that a number of provisions of the directive require amendment with
regard to:

1.

2.

3.

communication and information,

the training of representatives,

improved recognition of European trade union federations?

(1) OJ L 254, 30.9.1994, p. 64.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-3820/00 by Generoso Andria (PPE-DE), Antonio Tajani (PPE-DE), Stefano Zappalà (PPE-DE), Francesco Fiori (PPE-DE), Luigi Cesaro (PPE-DE), Francesco Musotto (PPE-DE) and Guido Viceconte (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Flooding in Cervinara.
Date: 2000-12-07
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Campania, competence of the Member States, financing, flood

18.9.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 261 E/9

(2001/C 261 E/009)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3820/00

by Generoso Andria (PPE-DE), Antonio Tajani (PPE-DE),
Stefano Zappal(cid:224) (PPE-DE), Francesco Fiori (PPE-DE), Luigi Cesaro (PPE-DE),
Francesco Musotto (PPE-DE) and Guido Viceconte (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Flooding in Cervinara

(7 December 2000)

There are tragedies that have been completely forgotten, but which were actually as dramatic as those in
Soverato and Piedmont. No one now remembers Cervinara, with its five deaths, houses swept away and
human negligence. After that tragedy, Rosa Russo Iervolino, the Home Affairs Minister at the time, issued
a decree designed to tackle the floods and hydrological problems experienced in Avellino, Benevento,
Caserta and Salerno on 14, 15 and 16 December 1999.

Article 5 of the decree stipulated that, after the Campania region and the civil protection department had
conducted enquires into the events, a plan for emergency infrastructure measures to reduce risks should be
drawn up within 30 days. About a year after this strict deadline, there is not the slightest sign of any
measures!

Could Enzo Bianco, Home Affairs Minister, therefore be questioned as to why he has not approved and
funded (to the tune of 100 billion lira) the plan duly submitted some time ago by the Campania region?

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

(25 January 2001)

The Commission deeply regrets the loss of human lives and the damage caused by the recent flooding and
landslides in Italy.

The Honourable Member(cid:146)s question is not, however, within the competence of the Commission. It is a
matter to be dealt with exclusively by the Italian authorities.

(2001/C 261 E/010)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3845/00

by Charles Tannock (PPE-DE) to the Council

(7 December 2000)

Subject: European Rapid Reaction Force

Is it correct that an undertaking was given by certain EU Member States that the new European Rapid
Reaction Force would be linked to NATO in the form of written commitments, but that this undertaking
has now been degraded to a mechanism for (cid:145)examining the question(cid:146)?

Reply

(30 May 2001)

1. With reference to EU/NATO arrangements, the French Presidency was invited at the Feira European
Council on 19 and 20 June 2000 to report to the European Council
in particular on the
implementation of the Feira decisions on the development of the arrangements ensuring consultation and
cooperation with NATO in military crisis management on the basis of the work undertaken in the EU-
NATO ad hoc working groups.

in Nice,