WRITTEN QUESTION P-0551/01 by Hubert Pirker (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Adjustment of Slovenian nuclear policy.
Date: 2001-02-20
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, Slovenia, environmental risk prevention, nuclear policy

14.2.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 40 E/11

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(5 April 2001)

The Commission would like to inform the Honourable Member that Article 42 (ex Article 51) of the EC
Treaty provides for the coordination of Member State(cid:146)s social security schemes. This means that
Community law on social security does not replace the existing national social security systems with a
uniform European system, but rather leaves Member States the liberty to determine their national social
security schemes. Community law, notably Regulation (EEC) No 1408/71 of the Council of 14 Juny 1971,
on the application of social security schemes to employed persons, to self-employed persons and to
members of their families moving within the Community (1) and Regulation (EEC) No 574/72 of the
Council of 21 March 1972, fixing the procedure for implementing Regulation (EEC) No 1408/71 (2),
establishes common rules and principles which have to be observed when applying national laws. By
doing so, Community law ensures that the application of the different national
legislations does not
adversely affect persons exercising their right to free movement within the Community.

The Regulations provide for detailed rules in the field of pensions. They stipulate that each Member State
where a person has worked for more than one year is obliged to pay a pension commensurate with the
insurance periods completed there and that this pension shall be paid wherever the former migrant worker
resides or stays in the territory of the European Economic Area, without any reduction, change or
suspension. A person who has worked in several Member States and who reaches retirement age should in
principle introduce the pension claim with the competent institution of the Member State where he or she
resides. This institution will then transfer the claim to all competent institutions of the Member States
where a person has been insured for more than a year, in order for them to process the pension claims
and calculate the pension entitlements in accordance with their respective legislations and with the
aforementioned Regulation.

The Commission is aware that the processing of pension claims can take a long time and is supporting
Member States(cid:146) efforts to modernise procedures in order to speed up the process of settling claims. In
1998, it set up the Technical Commission which is comprised of experts from Member States(cid:146) authorities
and which has implemented a number of pilot projects, e.g. electronic exchange of data in the pensions
field.

As the Honourable Member has provided more detailed information of Mr Kaltenbrunner(cid:146)s case, the
Commission is willing to examine the specific case and will
inform the Honourable Member of the
outcome.

(1) OJ L 149, 5.7.1971.
(2) As updated by Council Regulation (EC) No 118/97 of 2 December 1996 (OJ L 28, 30.1.1997).

(2002/C 40 E/010)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0551/01

by Hubert Pirker (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(20 February 2001)

Subject: Adjustment of Slovenian nuclear policy

In his answer to my Written Question P-1659/99 (1) of 14 September 1999, Commissioner Verheugen
stated that the adjustment of the Slovenian nuclear policy in line with the results of the seismic risk
assessment to be carried out in the surroundings of the Krsko nuclear power plant would be carried out as
a matter of priority.

In November 2000 the Commission presented the findings of the study on (cid:145)Geophysical Research in the
Surroundings of the Krsko NPP(cid:146), dated September 2000. This study describes the seismic line KK-03-99 as
a (cid:145)potential danger(cid:146).

What conclusions does the Commission draw from this geophysical study on Krsko and what action does
it envisage?

What measures does it intend to take as regards the adjustment of Slovenian nuclear policy?

(1) OJ C 170 E, 20.6.2000, p. 66.

C 40 E/12

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

14.2.2002

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(31 July 2001)

The Commission would like to clarify that it was the Slovenian government that presented the results of
the study (cid:145)Geophysical Research in the Surroundings of the Kr(cid:154)ko NPP(cid:146) at a meeting held in Ljubljana in
late November 2000. This study had been funded from the nuclear safety programme of the PHARE
financial assistance instrument.

The study considers that the feature identified along line KK-03-99 should be regarded as a potential
hazard. The study recommended to improve the seismological network and to include a high-quality
station in this area as the appropriate consequence of this finding.

In the meantime, the Slovenian government has declared that these recommendations of the study will be
fully observed. Two additional high-quality seismic stations will be added to the existing seismological
network in the area of Kr(cid:154)ko, at least one of them already in 2001.

The Commission will monitor the implementation of this measure by the Slovenian authorities and has
been in contact with the Slovenian nuclear safety regulatory authority to discuss the possibility of
providing support.

(2002/C 40 E/011)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0639/01

by Theresa Villiers (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(6 March 2001)

Subject: Funding of text books

Please could the Commission confirm whether any EU funds have been used to fund the following

1.
textbooks:

(cid:129) Our Arabic Language Third Grade-Fifth Grade Part 2

(cid:129) Islamic Education Grades 3-9

(cid:129) Reader and Literary Texts Grades 4-8

(cid:129) Modern Arab History & Contemporary Problems

(cid:129) Palestinian National Education Third Grade

(cid:129) Islamic Culture Grades 5-8

(cid:129) Geography of the Arab

2.

If so, which budget line was used to fund these projects?

3. Will the Commission please undertake to ensure that no EU funding is used to fund textbooks which
contain anti-Semitic statements?

Examples of such language, included in the above textbooks includes:

(cid:129) (cid:145)In many cases these Jews acted according to their known cunning and deceit and they incite wars(cid:146)

Islamic education, 9th grade, p. 78.

(cid:129) (cid:145)What can we do to rescue Jerusalem and to liberate it from the thieving enemy?(cid:146) Reader and Literary

Texts, 8th grade, p. 99.

(cid:129) (cid:145)I learn from this lesson: I believe that Jews are the enemies of the Prophets and the believers.(cid:146) Islamic

education, 4th grade, Part one, p. 67.