WRITTEN QUESTION E-0883/01 by Toine Manders (ELDR) to the Commission. Satellite dishes.
Date: 2001-03-27
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: freedom to provide services, parabolic aerial, tax system, trade restriction

13.11.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 318 E/143

the Union over the last twenty years, a period during which very destructive earthquakes have occurred,
for instance in Athens (1981 and 1999), Kalamata (1986), Aigion, Grevena and many other places?

Answer given by Mr Busquin on behalf of the Commission

(15 May 2001)

The threat of seismic activity is an important issue. The Commission has been funding activities in this
field since 1986. Since then, a budget of around € 40 million has been allocated to fund to 60 research
projects. These projects cover basic seismology (such as the study of seismic phenomena and movements),
applied geotechnical seismology and paraseismic engineering (antiseismic design of
foundations and
structures).

The Commission has made budgets of around € 10 million available for studying seismic phenomena, and
€ 15 million for studying seismic movements (including observation and forecasting networks). Inter-
national cooperation on activities in this field should also be noted: three Community-Japanese seminars
financed by the Commission (in Crete in 1997, Reykjavik and Kyoto in 1999) have strengthened
cooperation between the Community and Japan. The Community-Medin seminar (Mediterranean Disaster
Information Network) in Brussels in 2000 was also organised in the context of cooperation between the
Community and the United States.

Events in this field usually involve the participation of many Greek scientists. Around 25 groups of Greek
scientists (from universities, research centres, consultancy firms) are working on projects under the Fourth
and Fifth framework programmes. Under the Fifth framework programme (1998-2002) three major
research projects (Corseis, DG Lab-Corinth Facility and 3F-Corinth), the principal theme of which is the
continuous monitoring of the seismology and geochemistry in the Gulf of Corinth, have been allocated
a total budget of € 3.5 million.

In the field of civil protection, the Commission has also cofinanced Greek pilot projects on urban planning
in seismic regions and on the post-seismic assessment of building safety, and a Portuguese pilot project on
public information. Two pilot projects are currently being financed as part of the Community Action
Programme in the field of civil protection (1): a Greek project on the post-seismic assessment of building
safety, and an Italian project on the radar-satellite surveillance of the ground and infrastructure. These
projects are all being carried out in close collaboration with the civil protection authorities in the Member
States concerned, so as to make for practical use of the results in disaster prevention and management
measures.

(1) OJ L 327, 21.12.1999.

(2001/C 318 E/153)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0883/01

by Toine Manders (ELDR) to the Commission

(27 March 2001)

Subject: Satellite dishes

Satellite dishes are a user-friendly means of receiving cross-border broadcasts, and they therefore contribute
to bringing together the different cultures and languages within the Union. Because they are not very
expensive, more and more families are expressing an interest in them. However, sometimes there are
obstacles to use by private individuals, e.g. because of administrative formalities, taxes or the imposition of
collective decisions taken by management bodies of blocks of flats. In some cases it is essential to have
a dish in order to receive certain foreign stations. Sometimes, for example in Belgium, the tax on satellite
dishes is more than a cable subscription. The taxes could therefore create insurmountable barriers for the
use of satellite dishes and hence for the free movement of services within the internal market.

Can the Commission explain how, in its opinion, consumers can benefit from the freedoms of the

1.
internal market with regard to this aspect of everyday life?

C 318 E/144

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

13.11.2001

Can the Commission indicate whether it has any immediate plans to submit a document setting out
2.
details of the principle of freedom of movement of services in the internal market and the use of satellite
dishes?

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(11 May 2001)

This new written question, following the answers given to Written Questions 2216/99 (1) and 718/01 (2)
from Mr Ferri, and the considerable number of requests for information on this subject, are confirmation
of Parliament(cid:146)s and the public(cid:146)s interest in how the fundamental freedoms of the internal market are
applied, with specific reference to freedom of movement of services as regards the individual use of
satellite dishes.

It is clear from the Court of Justice(cid:146)s case law as regards Article 49 (ex-Article 59) of the EC Treaty that not
only service providers but also service recipients benefit from the free movement of services across
borders.

As satellite dishes can be regarded as instruments for receiving cross-border services, such as radio and
television services and on-line services (information society services) broadcast by satellite (cid:129) since new
technology can provide a service recipient upon individual request with remote access to on-line services
via satellite (cid:129) it follows that satellite dish users, and particularly consumers, can benefit from this
fundamental freedom under the EC Treaty, which is directly applicable within national legal systems, and
furthermore under the right
to freedom of expression, which is enshrined in both the European
Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (Article 10) and the European Charter of
Fundamental Rights (Article 11).

The merit of allowing the use of satellite dishes on the basis of clear and flexible rules, both as regards the
regulations established by public authorities and in the context of the collective relations referred to by the
Honourable Member,
is therefore not confined to the economic aspect alone. It also allows effective,
relatively simple and affordable access to an advanced technology, as well as strengthening cultural and
linguistic interpenetration within the Community.

For all these reasons, in its 2001 Annual Work Programme the Commission has included an interpretative
communication on the application of the principles of free movement of goods and services concerning
the use of satellite dishes (operation 2000/378). It intends to present this Communication in the near
future for the benefit of all the interested parties. Furthermore, this operation is in line with the new,
recently drawn up (cid:145)Internal Market Strategy for Services(cid:146) (3).

(1) OJ C 26 E, 26.1.2001.
(2) OJ C 261 E, 18.9.2001, p. 183.
(3) COM(2000) 888 final.

(2001/C 318 E/154)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0885/01

by Nuala Ahern (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(27 March 2001)

Subject: Hazards to health and to the environment of the military use of depleted uranium

What contacts has the Commission had with respectively:

(a)

the World Health Organisation;

(b)

the United Nations Environment Programme and

(c) NATO in its investigation into the hazards to health and to the environment of the military use of

depleted uranium in the Balkans and elsewhere?

Will it make public its correspondence with external bodies on this issue?