WRITTEN QUESTION E-0284/01 by Klaus-Heiner Lehne (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Purchase of agricultural land by farmers in Germany.
Date: 2001-02-09
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Germany, Switzerland, agricultural land, application of EU law, common agricultural policy, foreign national, purchase

C 235 E/170

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

21.8.2001

(2001/C 235 E/197)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0281/01

by Reimer B(cid:246)ge (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(9 February 2001)

Subject: Implementation of Directive 96/23/EC

Under Directive 96/23/EC (1) all agricultural holdings are required to keep a stable book in which the
owner of the animal and the veterinary surgeon have to note down which medicaments have been given
to which animal in what quantity.

Can the Commission state in which Member States this directive has been implemented and in which it
has not?

In cases where the directive has not been implemented, has the Commission taken any measures against
the Member States in question?

(1) OJ L 125, 23.5.1996, p. 10.

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(3 April 2001)

Under Article 37 (1) (first paragraph) of Council Directive 96/23/EC on measures to monitor certain
substances and residues thereof in live animals and animal products and repealing Directives 85/358/EEC
and 86/469/EEC and Decisions 89/187/EEC (Council Decision of 6 March 1989 determining the powers
and conditions of operation of the Community reference laboratories provided for by Directive 86/469/
EEC concerning the examination of animals and fresh meat for the presence of residues (1)) and 91/664/
EEC (Council Decision of 11 December 1991 designating the Community reference laboratories for testing
certain substances for residues (2)), Member States must bring into force the laws, regulations and
administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive before 1 July 1997.

On 9 September 1997 the Commission instituted infringement proceedings under Article 226 (ex Article
169) of the EC Treaty against all Member States which had not communicated implementing measures by
the prescribed date.

The only infringement proceedings still ongoing are those against France; they have reached the reasoned
opinion stage.

(1) OJ L 66, 10.3.1989.
(2) OJ L 368, 31.12.1991.

(2001/C 235 E/198)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0284/01

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

Subject: Purchase of agricultural land by farmers in Germany

(9 February 2001)

The German Federal Government considers that land purchases by Swiss farmers are not compatible with
German measures to improve the structure of German agriculture. On the contrary, owing to significant
differences in the underlying conditions of agricultural policy on the two sides of the border in the Upper
Rhine area, Swiss farmers are said to have been treated so much more favourably, even taking into account
the effects of the Swiss Agriculture Act which entered into force on 1 January 1999, that their purchases
of German agricultural land led to an (cid:145)unhealthy distribution(cid:146) of land within the meaning of Section 9(2) of
the Land Transactions Act.

21.8.2001

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 235 E/171

Does the Commission consider that the purchase of land by third country farmers can still help

1.
European agriculture?

2. What is the Commission(cid:146)s assessment of the German government(cid:146)s view as portrayed above?

3. What is the Commission(cid:146)s view of the above state of affairs when Austrian rather than Swiss farmers
are concerned?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(23 March 2001)

The Commission does not consider the Federal authorities(cid:146)

1. and 2.
introduction of measures to
improve agricultural structures under the common agricultural policy as being incompatible with the
right of third country farmers to purchase agricultural land in Germany, provided that the land so bought
is cultivated in accordance with the rules laid down in this regard. The Member State is responsible for
property laws and for adopting the measures it considers necessary to manage and cultivate land.

The free movement of people and recognition of the right of establishment and of the right to carry
3.
on activity in another country are rights enshrined in the EC Treaty to which every citizen of a Member
State is entitled. It is obvious that citizens of third countries cannot avail themselves of this protection in
quite the same way.

(2001/C 235 E/199)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0288/01

by Daniel Hannan (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(9 February 2001)

Subject: Gender equality staff

What is (a) the gender balance, (b) the budget, (c) the role of the Women(cid:146)s Information Service in the
Information Directorate-General?

What projects are these civil servants currently undertaking?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(20 April 2001)

The Women(cid:146)s Information Sector no longer exists following the restructuring of certain Commission
services.

Nevertheless, as referred to in the Commission(cid:146)s Communication (cid:145)Towards a Community framework
strategy on gender equality (2001-2005) (1)(cid:146), the Commission intends to ensure, where appropriate, that
Commission departments take into account in their information policies specific women(cid:146)s needs and
perspectives, in close co-operation with the Commission(cid:146)s Representations in the Member States.

(1) COM(2000) 335 final.