WRITTEN QUESTION E-0669/01 by Philip Bushill-Matthews (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Lisbon European Council and pensions sustainability.
Date: 2001-03-06
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Council, European social policy, exchange of information, pension scheme, social security

C 340 E/66

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

4.12.2001

A second progress report, a preliminary study on the long-term viability of pensions, based on
contributions from the Member States, was presented to the Council (Employment and Social Policy) on
6 March 2001 and submitted to the Stockholm European Council on 23/24 March 2001.

For the Gothenburg European Council in June, the Social Protection Committee is currently preparing
a more comprehensive report on the sustainability of pensions. A further report to the Council, based on
a Communication from the Commission, is envisaged for September 2001.

(2001/C 340 E/076)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0669/01

by Philip Bushill-Matthews (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Lisbon European Council and pensions sustainability

(6 March 2001)

The 2000 Lisbon European Council invited (cid:145)the Council to mandate the High Level Working Party on
Social Protection (cid:133) to support (cid:133) [social policy] cooperation and, as its first priority, to prepare, on the
basis of a Commission communication, a study on the future evolution of social protection from a long-
term point of view, giving particular attention to the sustainability of pensions systems in different time
frameworks up to 2020 and beyond, where necessary.(cid:146) Was such a progress report available by December
2000 and what timetable has been established for future work by the High Level Working Party?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(2 May 2001)

A progress report from the High-Level Working Party on Social Protection on the study on sustainable
pensions was indeed adopted by the Employment and Social Affairs Council on 27/28 November 2000
and transmitted to the Nice European Council.

Subsequently the High-Level Working Party (now Social Protection Committee) prepared a questionnaire to
the Member States as a basis for national reports. These national reports are now being analysed and will
serve as a basis for the final study to be presented to the G(cid:246)teborg European Council in June.

The Commission intends to pursue and strengthen this co-operation on sustainable pensions with a view
of proposing a communication to the Parliament and the Council.

(2001/C 340 E/077)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0680/01

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Council

(14 March 2001)

Subject: Use of chemical weapons in Turkey and Iraq and the European Union(cid:146)s Common Foreign and

Security Policy

On Friday, 16 February American and British aircraft attacked the region of the capital of Iraq. Two people
were killed and twenty injured. According to Iraqi TV two homes were destroyed in Hafriya, a village 40
km south of Baghdad. Damage was more limited in al-Rashdiya, 20 km north of Baghdad.

The British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Robin Cook, said that the bombing was necessary to
maintain the no-fly zones required to protect the Kurdish people in the north and the Shiites in the south.
(cid:145)When Saddam was allowed to fly over the northern zone he used chemical weapons on the Kurds(cid:146), Cook
said. (cid:145)He would do it again if he had the opportunity(cid:146).