WRITTEN QUESTION E-0351/01 by Elly Plooij-van Gorsel (ELDR) to the Commission. GÉANT research network.
Date: 2001-02-13
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU research policy, information network, information technology, research project, trans-European network, transmission network

13.11.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 318 E/39

Directive 98/8/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 1998 provides for a framework of
rules relating to the placing on the market for use of biocidal products (5), taking as a condition a high
level of protection for humans, animals and the environment.

All hormones having an oestrogenic, androgenic or gestagenic action, which could be used for growth
promotion, are covered by the proposal for a Parliament and Council Directive (6) amending Council
Directive 96/22/EC of 29 April 1996 concerning the prohibition on the use in stockfarming of certain
substances having a hormonal or thyrostatic action and beta-agonists (7). This proposal bans their use for
growth promotion. The Commission is awaiting the adoption by the Parliament and the Council of this
proposal.

(1) OJ C 11, 13.1.1997.
(2) OJ C 21, 22.1.1998.
(3) OJ C 174, 8.6.1998.
(4) OJ C 258, 10.9.1999.
(5) OJ L 123, 24.4.1998.
(6) OJ C 337 E, 28.11.2000.
(7) OJ L 125, 23.5.1996.

(2001/C 318 E/040)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0351/01

by Elly Plooij-van Gorsel (ELDR) to the Commission

(13 February 2001)

Subject: G(cid:201)ANT research network

In November 2000, as part of the Fifth framework programme, the Commission launched the research
networks action and made € 80 million available for support for an increase in trans-European network
capacity to 2,5 Gbit/s and, possibly, 10 Gbit/s over four years.

Does the Commission agree that the speed of the entire G(cid:201)ANT network is largely determined by the

1.
country with the slowest network speed and the narrowest bandwidth?

2. What speed is currently attained (in February 2001) in each of the countries connected to G(cid:201)ANT?

Can the Commission indicate the countries which have already attained a speed of 2,5 Gbps or

3.
which will attain that speed in 2001?

4. What were the findings of the evaluation which the Commission had carried out in respect of the
TEN-155 project as regards:

(a)

the speed of the network per Member State, and

(b)

the total speed of the entire network when a speed of 155 Mbps was actually attained?

Does the Commission feel that the use of ATM technology hampers the attainment of a high-quality
superfast network assisted by state-of-the-art technologies?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(7 June 2001)

1.
The GEANT network, its topology, capacity and services are determined by the requirements of each
and every interconnected network, the market conditions, the funds available from the National research
and educational networks (NRENs) and the performance characteristics of equipment available from
suppliers.

The capacity of the most performant part of the network is not constrained by the low requirements of
any particular NRENs connected to the backbone.

C 318 E/40

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

13.11.2001

The access capacities to the GEANT backbone, from the individual countries (1), are 10 megabit per
2.
second (Mbps) from Restena/Luxembourg, 34 Mbps from Carnet/Croatia, Heanet/Ireland, IUCC/Israel and
RCCN/Portugal, 45 Mbps from Aconet/Austria, ARNES/Slovenia and Belnet/Belgium, 68 Mbps from
Cesnet/Czech Republic, 155 Mbps from SWITCH/Switzerland (2), GARR/Italy, GRNET/Greece (3), Hun-
garnet/Hungary, JANET/United Kingdom, PSNC/Poland, Rediris/Spain and Renater/France, 310 Mbps from
DFN/Germany and Nordunet (4) and 622 Mbps from Surfnet/Netherlands (5).

It is expected that in November 2001, 2,5 gigabit per second (Gbps) connectivity will be installed

3.
between 11 Points of Presence (PoP) of GEANT (one PoP per country).

The project Quantum has been regularly reviewed according to the procedures defined for the Fifth

4.
framework programme (FP5) projects. The outcome of the reviews has been positive.

At the end of the project, the access capacities to the trans-european network (TEN-155 backbone, from
the individual countries were, 10Mbps from Heanet/Ireland and Restena/Luxembourg, 34Mbps from
Carnet/Croatia,
IUCC/Israel and RCCN/Portugal, 45 Mbps from Aconet/Austria, ARNES/Slovenia and
Belnet/Belgium and Cesnet/Czech Republic, 124 Mbps from Rediris/Spain, 155 Mbps from SWITCH/
Switzerland, GARR/Italy, GRNET/Greece, Hungarnet/Hungary, JANET/United Kingdom, Nordunet, PSNC/
Poland and Renater/France, 310Mbps from DFN/Germany and 622 Mbps from Surfnet/Netherlands.

The TEN-155 backbone was constituted by 27 connections interlinking the Points of Presence in the
different countries. Thirteen of these connections were operating at 155Mbps and three of them at
622Mbps.

The use of Asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) technology has been of significant help in implementing
quality services (e.g., support of guaranteed Quality of Service (QoS), virtual private networks (VPNs) and
effective resource management). However, ATM will in practice not be available in networks operating at
Gbit/s speeds. GEANT should be amongst the first national or international networks to make use of
technology supporting VPNs at the IP level as soon as it becomes available.

Including connectivity to CERN.
Including connectivity to Cyprus (4 Mbps).

(1) Romania, Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Slovak Republic are not connected yet to the GEANT Network.
(2)
(3)
(4) Nordunet is a regional network integrating Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden.
(5) Surfnet is not part of the GN1 Consortium but the networks are connected.

(2001/C 318 E/041)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0378/01

by Mathieu Grosch (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(8 February 2001)

Subject: Driving licence categories and trailers

Council Directive 91/439/EEC (1) on driving licences ((cid:145)the second driving licence directive(cid:146)) harmonised
driving licence categories and subcategories.

Article 3(1) of the Directive entitles holders of driving licences for category B to drive combinations of
a tractor vehicle in category B and a trailer where the maximum authorised mass of the combination does
not exceed 3,500 kg and the maximum authorised mass of the trailer does not exceed the unladen mass of
the tractor vehicle. For all other combinations of vehicles consisting of a tractor vehicle in category B and
a trailer with a maximum mass exceeding 750 kg a driving licence for categories B+E is required.

Is the Commission aware that many users under the existing rules are towing trailers exceeding 750 kg in
mass (e.g. caravans, boat trailers and horseboxes) under the 3,5 ton rule with the present category B
driving licence?

What considerations are leading the Commission to abolish this rule in the review of the second driving
licence directive, and in general to require a category E driving licence for trailers exceeding 750 kg?

(1) OJ L 237, 24.8.1991, p. 1.