WRITTEN QUESTION E-1479/01 by Rainer Wieland (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Translation of application forms.
Date: 2001-05-18
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU Member State, EU financing, EU programme, EU publication, equal treatment, form, invitation to tender, linguistic discrimination, official language, third country

20.6.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 147 E/3

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(6 July 2001)

The Commission refers to the reply it has given to Written Question E-1189/01 of Mr Juan Naranjo
Escobar (1), setting out developments regarding the Commission’s involvement on this subject.

On the matter of action taken by the airlines, the Commission has since received replies from the
Associations it had contacted and from a number of airlines regarding the specific actions they have taken.
inserts in inflight magazines,
Such actions have included leaflets distributed to individual passengers,
inflight videos showing exercises passengers can do, etc. All will contribute to raise the level of
information and awareness of passengers, and ultimately, to protect them.

In view of the relatively short timespan since the initiative was launched and of developments at
international level, the Commission is at present quite satisfied with the serious approach to the problem,
but will continue to monitor all initiatives.

(1) OJ C 340 E, 4.12.2001, p. 195.

(2002/C 147 E/004)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1479/01

by Rainer Wieland (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(18 May 2001)

Subject: Translation of application forms

1.
Article 3 of Council Regulation No 1 of 1958 determining the languages to be used by the European
Economic Community (1) is worded as follows: ‘Documents which an institution of the Community sends
to a Member State or to a person subject to the jurisdiction of a Member State shall be drafted in the
language of such State’. The same should apply to application forms and preliminary documents. Is the
Commission aware that many application forms and preliminary documents for funding (for example
TACIS CBC) are only available in one official language?

From the point of view of equal opportunities and in view of the fact that 2001 has been declared

2.
the European Year of Languages, does the Commission consider this justified?

3.
How does the Commission ensure that
applicants being placed at an unfair advantage?

this does not result

in,

for example, English-speaking

From what date will the Commission ensure that preliminary documents and application forms are

4.
available simultaneously in all official languages?

(1) OJ 17, 6.10.1958, p. 385.

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(29 January 2002)

The Commission reaffirms its commitment to maintaining linguistic diversity in the Community as
exemplified by the projects undertaken during the European Year of Languages in 2001.

Decisions and official documents relating to external aid, including the Manual of Instructions adopted by
the Commission on 10 November 1999 (1), are available in the eleven Community languages. Likewise,
where at all possible, official documents relating to financing projects presented to the management
committees, as is the case under the TACIS programme referred to by the Honourable Member.

C 147 E/4

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.6.2002

In the case of the often lengthy invitations to tender and related documents for cooperation projects with
third countries, it is not feasible B in view of the high cost in terms of financial and human resources and
the extra time involved in providing external assistance B to work systematically in the national languages
both of all
the European Union. The TACIS
programme involves not only the EU Member States but also the 13 partner countries of the New
Independent States and Mongolia. Needless to say, the selections are made without any discrimination on
grounds of nationality.

the beneficiary countries and the Member States of

The Commission endeavours to take a pragmatic approach both in the interests of rapid and efficient
action on its part and to ensure transparency and the widest possible access for the operators in question.
It uses the Community languages which are current in international trade and in the countries in receipt of
Community aid. For practical reasons, the Commission accepts that some annexes to the tenders be drafted
in a language other than the Community language used in the invitations to tender and the reply form.
And Commission staff are available to clarify any aspect of the procedure to be followed to the operators
concerned.

Finally, to take the example of the TACIS cross-border cooperation programme (CBC) referred to by the
Honourable Member, current practice certainly does not show that Member States whose language is
English have an advantage when it comes to awarding the contracts.

(1) SEC(1999) 1801/2: Manual of instructions for service, supply and works contracts concluded within the framework

of Community cooperation for third countries (available on Europa).

(2002/C 147 E/005)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1787/01

by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(19 June 2001)

Subject: Ceramics industry in Portugal

In various parts of Portugal (in particular Barcelos, Alcobaça/Caldas da Rainha and Aveiro/Águeda) there is
still an important ceramics industry producing household and ornamental items. However, it is facing a
variety of problems, particularly where small and very small family-based businesses are concerned.

In the Barcelos area the situation is particularly serious: since 1995, production has been tailing off at an
increasingly rapid rate on account of the fact that the Community’s internal market is being flooded by
products from third countries, in particular China.

In its report of 14 February 2001 the Commission assesses the situation relating to the operation of quota
and monitoring mechanisms in respect of non-textile products from the People’s Republic of China and
proposes (in connection with the current negotiations on China’s membership of the WTO) that they
should be completely abolished by 31 December 2004.

How does the Commission reconcile the measures announced in the above report with the need to

1.
achieve social and economic cohesion and to safeguard jobs within the European Union?

2. What support (and, in particular, what financial support) is being considered as a means of assisting
the conversion of Portugal’s ceramics industry in time to prevent in from collapsing, it being the case that
Portugal is the EU Member State with the greatest social and economic problems?

Answer given by Mr Lamy on behalf of the Commission

(6 September 2001)

The Community being the first trade area in the world is bound by its international obligations. As quotas
are not allowed under World trade organisation (WTO) rules, the quota on ceramic products should