WRITTEN QUESTION E-0390/01 by Torben Lund (PSE) to the Commission. List of members of committees concerned with preventing tobacco-related health damage.
Date: 2001-02-15
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: advisory committee (EU), disease prevention, health policy, interest group, smoking, tobacco industry

13.11.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 318 E/41

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(10 April 2001)

The Commission has made provision in its work programme for 2001 for amending Council Directive 91/
439/EEC of 29 July 1991 on driving licences.

Apart from an alignment with the other licence categories, it is obvious that the weights and dimensions
of certain coupled vehicle combinations currently falling within category B require greater technical skills.
It is therefore logical to examine whether driving such vehicle combinations require a B+E driving licence
to be held.

However, the Commission does not at this stage wish to prejudge any future decision that it might take in
this connection. Very clearly this proposed amendment will be laid before the Council and Parliament in
good time in accordance with the procedures in force.

(2001/C 318 E/042)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0390/01

by Torben Lund (PSE) to the Commission

(15 February 2001)

Subject: List of members of committees concerned with preventing tobacco-related health damage

For years, the tobacco giant, Philip Morris, has been infiltrating WHO, EU and various European countries(cid:146)
advisory committees concerned with preventing damage to health caused by tobacco smoking, including
passive smoking. I have received documents in the form of notes and reports from Philip Morris which
were used as the basis for a report in one of Denmark(cid:146)s leading dailies, Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten.

In order to clarify the situation, will the Commission provide:

(cid:129) an overview of advisory committees active in this area over the past 15 years,

(cid:129) a list of members of those committees covering the same period,

(cid:129) an account of the measures taken to ensure that such committees cannot now be infiltrated.

The documents in question are particularly alarming as far as the prevention of
cardiovascular diseases is concerned.

lung cancer and

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(7 May 2001)

The Commission has been advised on cancer issues since 1986 by the High Level Cancer Experts
Committee which was succeeded in 1996 by the Advisory Committee on Cancer Prevention, a committee
of a consultative nature established by the Commission. This Committee has a longstanding record in
advising the Commission on tobacco issues and other cancer related matters. The original list of members
was published (1).

The (cid:145)Europe against Cancer(cid:146) programme is accompanied by a Committee composed of representatives of
the Member States. Following the Committee(cid:146)s rules of procedures, any of its Members or Experts, if not
a government official, must declare his independence or absence of conflict of interest at the opening of
every meeting.

The Commission adopted a Communication on smoking prevention (2) which reflected the recom-
mendations on tobacco control adopted by the above-mentioned Committee. This was followed by
a proposal for a directive on tobacco products, which is currently the subject of a text agreed by the
Conciliation Committee on 27 February 2001. This text takes a high level of public health protection as
it(cid:146)s basis.

C 318 E/42

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

13.11.2001

The current lists of all committees and their members are available on the Commission(cid:146)s Public Health and
Consumer Protection Directorate General(cid:146)s web site as follows: http://europa.eu.int/comm/health/ph/
programmes/cancer/a-index.htm.

(1) OJ C 50, 26.2.1987, p.1.
(2) COM(89) 609 final.

(2001/C 318 E/043)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0392/01

by Johannes Voggenhuber (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(15 February 2001)

Subject: Assistance for Euroteam group

The Euroteam group of companies associated with entrepreneur Lukas Stuhlpfarrer (1) is the subject, in its
capacity as a recipient of assistance, of a committee of inquiry in the Austrian lower house of Parliament,
the Nationalrat. It is being investigated by the committee in connection with use of assistance (2) which is
not in accordance with the intended use.

Is the Commission acquainted with the Euroteam group connected with Lukas Stuhlpfarrer or is it
acquainted with individual companies in the group? If so, in what way?

What assistance has been paid, or what payments have been made in respect of contracts, by the European
Commission from Community funds or under EU programmes, to companies in the Euroteam group
either directly or indirectly through Austrian bodies (listed according to providers, recipients, projects,
period and project cost)?

What has been the nature of the correspondence with project sponsors and recipients and providers of
assistance?

In what way has the conduct of individual projects involving EU funds been checked? Do the Commission
or the Commissioner responsible have financial reports or audit reports from the project managers or
recipients of assistance?

Have penalties been called for by the Commission or the Commissioner responsible? If so, on what scale,
against whom and when?

(1) Euroteam Beteiligungsverwaltungs-AG (formerly L.S.-Beratungsgesellschaft

f(cid:252)r europ(cid:228)ische Integrationsfragen
GesmbH) and Verein Euroteam Vienna. These comprise: Verein Euroteam Burgenland; BFI (Berufsf(cid:246)rderungsinstitut)
Wien-Euroteam Fachhochschulstudiengangsbetriebsgesellschaft mbH.; Euroteam Vienna gemeinn(cid:252)tzige Forschung-
sprojekt GesmbH.; Euro-Team B (Burgenland) gemeinn(cid:252)tzige Forschungsprojekt GesmbH; Euroteam Beratungs-
gesellschaft, Consulting Group Euroteam-Europe SPRL; tbk-Euro-team Call Center GmbH; Vienna Immobilienver-
wertungsgesellschaft m.b.H.; Projektzentrum 15.

(2) Euroteam and its companies have received inter alia assistance under the Employment (cid:129) Youthstart Community
Initiative (cid:129) (cid:145)Professionet(cid:146), the Adapt Community Initiative (cid:129) (cid:145)European teleworking market(cid:146), the Employment (cid:129)
Now Community Initiative- (cid:145)Employment Anticipated(cid:146), the Employment (cid:129) Integra Community Initiative, Professions
for Roma (cid:129) (cid:145)Pro-roma(cid:146) and the Adapt Community Initiative project (cid:145)Euro Adaption Programme(cid:146). In addition,
independent contracts in respect of assistance have been concluded with the above companies under the European
(cid:145)Betriebsberatung 1(cid:146) and (cid:145)Entwicklung eines
Social Fund (ESF) on a cofinancing basis, e.g.
Fachhochschulstudienganges f(cid:252)r Exportwirtschaft(cid:146).

for the project

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(28 May 2001)

In the area of employment and social affairs, the Euroteam group of companies receives several grants
from the European Social Fund (ESF), mainly for cofinancing projects for various Community initiatives.

These subsidies are not managed by the Commission itself but by the Ministry for Economic Affairs and
Labour and by the Austrian employment service (Arbeitsmarktservice (AMS)). The Commission was in fact
aware of problems relating to the management of the projects and the declarations submitted by the
promoter.