WRITTEN QUESTION P-0035/01 by María Izquierdo Rojo (PSE) to the Commission. Discrimination against male pensioners as regards child allowances.
Date: 2001-01-16
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: France, gender equality, pension scheme, sexual discrimination, social security, social-security benefit

C 187 E/164

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

3.7.2001

How does it view such an attempt to depopulate remote areas and banish the inhabitants to the
4.
towns which recalls the tragedy in Vietnam where attempts were made in the 60s and 70s, also through
American intervention, to make disputed areas uninhabitable for human beings with defoliants (the
notorious (cid:145)Agent Orange(cid:146))?

Is it prepared to make every effort to help put an end to any repetition of such a tragedy and, as
5.
a first step to that end, to ensure that neither the European Union nor its Member States end up in
a situation where they have to share responsibility for this tragedy?

Reply

(24 April 2001)

the Honourable Member

As
the Council has had the opportunity to inform the
European Parliament on its position on the activities in Colombia at various occasions: the last time on
31 January 2001 during the debate between the Parliament with Commissioner Nielson and Swedish State
Secretary Lars Danielsson on Plan Colombia.

is aware,

The Council is following very closely the complex and multifaceted problems faced by Colombia and has
expressed its determination to support the peace process in the most appropriate manner.

On the question of aerial spraying of illicit crops, the European Union has had the opportunity to express
its position to Colombian authorities, and in particular to express doubts about the effectiveness of the
measure. The European Union has encouraged Colombian initiatives related to independent international
monitoring of aerial spraying on the basis of procedures established by Colombian authorities. The EU has
also pointed out to Colombian authorities the danger of a negative impact of the aerial spraying on past
and future EU cooperation projects. Finally, the EU has had the occasion to express its conviction that crop
substitution is the most effective means to combat illicit crop production.

The European Union is working on an autonomous European package to support the peace process in
Colombia, which will be directed to modernising Colombian administration, strengthening the rule of law,
developing alternative crops and protecting the environment.

At present, an expert mission has travelled to Colombia in order to identify concrete cooperation projects.
The European package will be presented on the occasion of the international meeting on the peace process
in Colombia to take place in Brussels in April this year.

Finally, the European Union has also contributed with € 6,5 million to projects concerning displaced
population and contributes to the fight against drug production through various means.

(2001/C 187 E/176)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0035/01

by Mar(cid:237)a Izquierdo Rojo (PSE) to the Commission

(16 January 2001)

Subject: Discrimination against male pensioners as regards child allowances

France(cid:146)s implementation of legislation governing child allowances is discriminatory and unfair to male
pensioners, since the national civilian and military retirement pension scheme makes provision for the
payment of child allowances only to women or to men under discriminatory conditions. In Germany, on
the other hand, child allowances are paid without distinction and in equal amounts to either men or
women.

Since this discrimination against men is an infringement of the EU Treaties and does not respect the
principle of equality between men and women in the field of social security, nor the principle of equal pay,
and since the Commission should ensure compliance with the principle of equality between the sexes and
enable European men to benefit from the policies on equality, does it not consider that it should remedy
this form of discrimination?

3.7.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 187 E/165

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(7 March 2001)

Concerning the question raised by the Honourable Member, the Commission can inform her that it has
already lodged a complaint with the French authorities, on 5 April 2000, for failure to implement
Article 141 (ex Article 119) of the EC Treaty as interpreted by the Court of Justice, particularly in cases
C-7/93 (Bestuur van het Algemeen Burgerlijk Pensioenfonds v. G. A. Beune) (1) and C-147/95 (Dimossia
Epicheirissi Ilektrismou (DEI) v. Efthimios Evrenopoulos) (2), and for failure to implement Council Directive
96/97/EC of 20 December 1996, amending Directive 86/378/EEC of 24 July 1986 on the implementation
of the principle of equal treatment for men and women in occupational social security schemes (3),
reflecting the Court(cid:146)s decisions. It should be noted that France has already been censured by the Court of
Justice in its ruling of 8 July 1999 on case C-354/98 (Commission of the European Communities v. French
Republic) (4) for failure to notify the transposal measures for Directive 96/97/EC.

Moreover, regarding the specific question of civilian and military pensions, two matters have already been
referred to the Court of Justice for a preliminary ruling by the French national courts (C-366/99 Criesmar
and C-206/00 Moufflin).

(1) ECR 1994 I-4471.
(2) ECR 1997 I-2057.
(3) OJ L 46, 17.2.1997.
(4) ECR 1999 I-4927.

(2001/C 187 E/177)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0036/01

by Joaquim Miranda (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(16 January 2001)

Subject: Application for Cohesion Fund assistance in connection with the North Alentejo Multimunicipal

Water Supply and Sewage Treatment System

(cid:145)`guas de Portugal(cid:146),
An authoritative representative of the Portuguese State-controlled water company,
confirmed at a recent meeting of Portalegre Municipal Council
(of which I am a member) that an
application for Structural/Cohesion Fund assistance in connection with the above-mentioned system had
been submitted to the Commission.

However:

(a) The system, which would encompass substantial resources of the 15 municipalities comprising
Portalegre District, has been laid down by the Portuguese Ministry for the Environment and Regional
Planning (under Decree-Law No 128/2000) without prior consultation of the municipalities them-
selves,

(b) The municipalities are currently considering whether to join the system and set up a corporation to
run it. It therefore obviously follows that on the date when the application was submitted, they had
not taken a decision on those two points, let alone on the terms of an application for assistance,
although the resources concerned (still) fell under their responsibility,

(c) One of the municipalities involved, Portalegre, has already stated that it will not be joining the system,

and there are others which may incline to the same view,

(d) Meanwhile, the Assembly of the Republic has already begun to debate Bill No 275/VIII, which, if
adopted, will cast doubt on the above decree-law and hence on the water supply system in the form
laid down.