WRITTEN QUESTION P-0198/01 by Neil MacCormick (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Mine detection and clearing.
Date: 2001-01-29
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU research policy, anti-personnel weapon, disarmament, military research, research programme

C 187 E/200

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

3.7.2001

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(26 March 2001)

The Honourable Member has raised several sensitive issues which have featured in the European press in
recent months, i.e. the role and status of players(cid:146) agents, commercial transactions involving young players,
and false passports.

With regard to players(cid:146) agents, proceedings based on competition rules are currently pending before the
Commission. On this occasion, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) indicated that it
wished to modify the organisation of the profession and to make it more ethical. As a result of these
proceedings, FIFA rules on players(cid:146) agents have been amended as of 1 January 2001. Some Member States
have also chosen to introduce legislation placing greater restrictions on the activities of players(cid:146) agents.

The Commission has recently had the opportunity to indicate its concerns regarding commercial
transactions involving young players. It did so in the Helsinki Report on Sport (1) and in the European
Sports Forum held in Lille on 26 and 27 October 2000, which included a workshop on the protection of
young people.

With regard to false passports, the Commission is monitoring the situation carefully. However, it should be
noted that conditions governing the issue of passports, the recording of cases where false passports have
been issued and the application of sanctions for false passports fall within the jurisdiction of the Member
States.

the European Council expressed its (cid:145)concern about commercial

All the issues raised by the Honourable Member are currently under discussion. In its Nice Declaration
in December 2000 (2),
transactions
targeting minors in sport, including those from third countries, inasmuch as they do not comply with
existing labour legislation or endanger the health and welfare of young sportsmen and -women. It calls on
sporting organisations and the Member States to investigate and monitor such practices and, where
necessary, to consider appropriate measures(cid:146). With this in mind, Member States must also ensure that the
provisions of Council Directive 94/33/EC of 22 June 1994 on the protection of young people at work (3)
are observed.

(1) Report from the Commission to the European Council with a view to safeguarding current sports structures and
function of sport within the Community framework (cid:129) Helsinki Report on Sport (cid:129)

maintaining the social
COM(1999) 644 final.

(2) Presidency Conclusions (cid:129) Nice European Council (cid:129) 7, 8 and 9 December 2000 (cid:129) Annex IV: Declaration on the
specific characteristics of sport and its social function in Europe, of which account should be taken in implementing
common policies.
(3) OJ L 216, 20.8.1994.

(2001/C 187 E/216)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0198/01

by Neil MacCormick (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(29 January 2001)

Subject: Mine detection and clearing

In view of the urgent need to develop systems for clearing minefields in former war zones, what funds is
the Commission making available to assist with developing:

(a) methods for reliably detecting concealed mines,

(b) methods for reliably clearing minefields by destroying them without injury to personnel?

3.7.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 187 E/201

Answer given by Mr Busquin on behalf of the Commission

(7 March 2001)

Based on a systematic assessment of the state of knowledge on the detection and identification of
landmines, the Commission concluded that improved tools for humanitarian demining are urgently needed
in order to make the whole process safer, faster and more cost-effective.

With the significant help of the Parliament, the Commission succeeded in obtaining through a Council
decision in 1997, an increase of € 15 million for Research and technological development (RTD) specific
support to mine detecting technologies. A number of projects were launched and the results will soon be
made public.

The current (5th) framework programme, FP5, provides for specific RTD support to actions against
landmines. In 1999, seven new projects were started for a total volume of € 13 million. They aim at the
enhancement of existing tools in order to improve significantly and at affordable costs the speed, safety
and efficiency of humanitarian de-mining, specifically for mine field survey and detection and clearance of
individual landmines.

The need to ensure the evaluation of the safety and the performance of tools for mine clearance, the
Commission together with the United States, Canada, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden and United
Kingdom have founded last year an International Test and Evaluation Program (ITEP). The ITEP Secretariat
is hosted by the Commission in its centre in Ispra, Italy. Since it implementation ITEP supported tests of
metal detectors in Afghanistan, Cambodia and South Eastern Europe, and executed a consumer report of
all existing metal detectors. At the time being it facilitates the establishment of a network of test and
evaluation capabilities in South Eastern Europe. The main focus will be to improve the safety of mine
clearance in the region.

(2001/C 187 E/217)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0201/01

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(2 February 2001)

Subject: Fuel stored at filling stations in Greece

According to the findings of spot checks carried out by the Ministry of Development, seven out of ten
storage facilities at filling stations in Greece fail to comply with the safety regulations. Furthermore, in
Greece and in the other Member States most filling stations operate in residential areas and often on the
ground floors of blocks of flats, which poses grave health and safety risks for the inhabitants. Have safety
standards been laid down for the above activities? What arrangements apply in the other Member States?

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

(17 April 2001)

The Commission has no jurisdiction to deal with the question asked, which is a matter solely for the
national authorities concerned.