WRITTEN QUESTION E-4141/00 by Guido Sacconi (PSE) to the Commission. The EU's position with regard to the International Year of Mountains 2002.
Date: 2001-01-16
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU environmental policy, EU programme, environmental protection, mountain, public awareness campaign, rural development, sustainable development, water management, water protection

21.8.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 235 E/77

(2001/C 235 E/082)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4132/00

by Rainer Wieland (PPE-DE) to the Council

(16 January 2001)

Subject: Right of an Israeli national to play in German handball leagues

Does the Council share the legal opinion that Israeli nationals are to be treated in the same way as EU
citizens in German handball leagues in terms of their ability to participate with the result that their players(cid:146)
passes do not need to be stamped with the letter A in accordance with Section 15 of the DHB(cid:146)s match
rules?

If not, does the Council intend:

1.

In the light of
20 November 1995,

the recent negotiations with Israel on updating the association agreement of

2. Mindful of the fact that Israeli sporting associations have for years participated in European football
and handball tournaments and similar major events and are thus a permanent feature of the European
(cid:145)internal market(cid:146) in sport with the result that it would be justified and consistent to create a uniform
area of service provision for sporting activities that included Israel,

to amend the above association agreement so that Israeli nationals are placed on an equal footing with EU
citizens in terms of freedom of movement pursuant to Article 39 of the EC Treaty?

Reply

(14 May 2001)

The EU-Israel Association Agreement which entered into force on 1 June 2000, does not
include
provisions for the free movement of persons. Therefore, the issue raised by the Honourable Member of
Parliament concerning the right of an Israeli national to play in German handball leagues falls under the
national competence of each Member State.

(2001/C 235 E/083)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4141/00

by Guido Sacconi (PSE) to the Commission

(16 January 2001)

Subject: The EU(cid:146)s position with regard to the International Year of Mountains 2002

The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the year 2002 as International Year of Mountains (IYM)
in resolution A/RES/53/24, giving the FAO the main role in organising the initiative.

The International Year of Mountains is one of the fruits of the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio.

One of the major achievements of the summit was Agenda 21, Chapter 13 of which is entitled (cid:145)Managing
fragile ecosystems: sustainable mountain development(cid:146).

The purpose of the IYM is to promote the conservation and sustainable development of mountain regions
(considered as vitally important for the supply of water and energy resources and biodiversity) on the same
level as other major topics (climate change, desertification and deforestation) in the worldwide debate on
the environment and development.

C 235 E/78

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

21.8.2001

Can the Commission:

1.

2.

3.

specify the initiatives the European Union will take with a view to developing and publicising this
initiative at Community level;

express an opinion regarding the continuing problem of promoting appropriate policies on this
subject and the introduction of new programmes for the conservation, management and sustainable
exploitation of these areas;

indicate in general terms what lines of action the EU will adopt to achieve the objectives laid down in
Chapter 13, such as the acquisition and enhancement of knowledge about the ecology and sustainable
development of mountain ecosystems and the promotion of the integrated development of river
basins?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(28 March 2001)

The Commission refers the Honourable Member to its answers to Written Questions E-1271/00 by
Mr Sacconi (1), P-3067/00 by Mr Caveri (2), E-3162/00 by Mr Ripoll y Mart(cid:237)nez de Bedoya (3) and
E-3599/00 by Mr Caveri (4).

With regard to the objectives of Chapter 13 of Agenda 21, it wishes to state that Strand B (Transnational
Cooperation) of the Interreg III Community Initiative specifically includes, under the measure on the
preservation of the environment and the good management of the cultural heritage and natural resources,
the devising and implementing of integrated strategies and measures to prevent floods in the transnational
parts of catchment areas.

Both in the rural development programmes and through the Leader Community Initiative, the Commission
is proposing a number of measures on environmental protection appropriate for mountain regions.

In addition, the Commission has asked the Member States to ensure that sites constituting natural habitats
or home to species of Community interest are proposed for the Natura 2000 network; the alpine
biogeographic region is particularly concerned. Most of these sites have been identified and it is up to
the Member States to establish management methods.

Concerning the integrated development of river basins, the recently adopted Water Framework Directive (5)
has, as one of its main themes, the objective of water management by river basin, which is considered the
natural hydrological and geographical unit for water management and protection. The best successes have
been achieved where the combined efforts and cooperation of all bordering countries and regions have
been harnessed, as is the case for the River Rhine.

(1) OJ C 53 E, 20.2.2001.
(2) OJ C 151 E, 22.5.2001, p. 54.
(3) OJ C 163 E, 6.6.2001, p. 47.
(4) OJ C 187 E, 3.7.2001, p. 19.
(5) Directive 2000/60/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for

Community action in the field of water policy (OJ L 327, 22.12.2000).

(2001/C 235 E/084)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4142/00

by Lousewies van der Laan (ELDR) to the Commission

(16 January 2001)

Subject: Protection of homosexuals in Romania

Is the Commission prepared, as a matter of urgency, to draw the attention of Romania(cid:146)s newly elected
President Iliescu to the fact that Article 200 of the Penal Code (discrimination against homosexuals) is still
in force?