WRITTEN QUESTION E-3793/00 by Roberto Bigliardo (TDI) to the Commission. Transparency of negotiations.
Date: 2000-12-07
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Commission, World Trade Organisation, education, liberalisation of the market, public health, trade agreement (EU)

C 174 E/144

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

19.6.2001

(2001/C 174 E/148)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3793/00

by Roberto Bigliardo (TDI) to the Commission

(7 December 2000)

Subject: Transparency of negotiations

Can the Commission confirm the press reports that it is taking part in unofficial negotiations with the
WTO in Geneva with a view to liberalising a whole range of health and education-related services? Can it
also say what kind of brief has been given to the Member of the Commission responsible for trade?

Answer given by Mr Lamy on behalf of the Commission

(25 January 2001)

Since January 2000, multilateral negotiations on the liberalisation of trade in services have started within
the framework of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS).
The Community and its Member States are participating actively in that work, while continuing to pursue
their overall objective of launching as early as possible a comprehensive Round of trade negotiations. The
negotiating mandate for the Commission was adopted by the Council on 26 October 1999. It was
confirmed by the Parliament. Regarding the state of the negotiations, the Commission has reported
regularly to the plenary and to various committees of the Parliament.

The GATS 2000 negotiations cover all commercially traded services. However, services supplied in the
exercise of governmental authority are excluded from the scope of the GATS. Regarding commercially
traded services, the Community has decided that no sector should be excluded a priori. With regard to
health and education services, no specific negotiations have been held so far. It should be noted, however,
that in the course of the negotiations of the Uruguay Round, the Community and its Member States have
already taken some market access commitments for privately funded education services and for some
health services. These commitments mean for instance that foreign suppliers can establish privately funded
schools or hospitals in the Community and that such schools and hospitals will be treated as if they were
owned by Community nationals. However, Member States have listed appropriate limitations and condi-
tions to the commitments in order to protect specific domestic concerns. Moreover, the commitments do
not prevent Member States from establishing the appropriate regulatory framework to meet objectives of
public and social policy, such as guaranteeing affordable and qualitative services to the entire population.

The Commission can assure the Honourable Member that, as in the Uruguay Round, the Community will
not undertake any new commitment in the next GATS negotiations which would impair Member States(cid:146)
capacity to regulate the provision of health and education services and to intervene financially in the
sectors concerned.

(2001/C 174 E/149)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3797/00

by Maurizio Turco (TDI) to the Commission

(7 December 2000)

Subject: Limits to the protection of privacy and legal tapping

Under Article 13 of Directive 95/46/EC (1) and Article 14 of Directive 97/66/EC (2), both relating to the
protection of privacy and the processing of personal data, and Article 15 of proposal for a directive
COM(2000) 385, Member States may impose limits on the general principle of respect for privacy where
such measures are required in order to safeguard national security, defence, public security, or the
prevention,
investigation, detection, and prosecution of criminal offences or unauthorised use of tele-
communications or electronic communication systems.