WRITTEN QUESTION E-1712/01 by Margrietus van den Berg (PSE) to the Commission. Trafficking in young footballers.
Date: 2001-06-14
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: accession to the European Union, child protection, free movement of workers, labour law, occupational status, professional sport, sports body, trade intermediary

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(2001/C 364 E/204)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1708/01

by Heidi Hautala (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(14 June 2001)

Subject: Sale and manufacture of chewing tobacco in contravention of the directive

The self-governing ¯land Islands (Finland) are not complying with the ban on chewing tobacco which is in
force in the EU, but permit the sale of such tobacco on their own territory and on ferries between Finland
and Sweden. The ¯land Islands have not obtained a special authorisation from the Commission to
continue selling chewing tobacco as Sweden has done. Monitoring the implementation of the directive is
the task of the Commission. The tobacco on sale on the Islands and on ferries is produced in Sweden. It is
public knowledge that production of chewing tobacco is beginning on the Islands for the purpose of sale
on ferries.

When Sweden obtained its special exemption for the sale of chewing tobacco, it undertook that chewing
tobacco produced and sold in Sweden would not be placed on the market in other Member States in
which its sale was prohibited. This undertaking is being publicly broken, because Swedish chewing tobacco
is on open sale on the ¯land Islands and on ferries between Sweden and Finland. It has also been
demonstrated by experience, as shown in the media, that it can easily be purchased (for example) from
kiosks in Finland.

What measures does the Commission propose to take to halt the sale on the Finnish ¯land Islands and
elsewhere in Finland of chewing tobacco in contravention of the directive prohibiting its sale? What
measures does the Commission propose to take to ensure that Sweden complies with the conditions of the
exemption it obtained under the EU Treaty and ensures that Swedish chewing tobacco is no longer placed
on the market in the other Member States?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(23 July 2001)

The prohibition to place on the market tobacco for oral use which is provided for in Article 8 of Directive
2001/37/EC on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member
States concerning the manufacture, presentation and sale of tobacco products (1) is applicable to the entire
territory of Finland.

The Commission has recently been informed by a complaint that this ban may not have been implemented
in the ¯land Islands. For this reason, the Commission will ask the Finnish Government to clarify whether
the necessary legislation is in force in the ¯land Islands so that the provision referred to above is correctly
implemented.

The Commission will also inquire of the Swedish authorities on how they enforce the requirement to take
all necessary measures to ensure that tobacco for oral use legally marketed in Sweden is not put on the
market in the other Member States in accordance with Article 151 and Annex XV of the Act of Accession
of Austria, Finland and Sweden.

(1) OJ L 194, 18.7.2001.

(2001/C 364 E/205)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1712/01

by Margrietus van den Berg (PSE) to the Commission

(14 June 2001)

Subject: Trafficking in young footballers

It has been established that, in various Member States, young footballers are being hired from outside the
European Union in ways which involve breaking the law. Here are a few examples: a false passport from

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one Member State is obtained for the footballer and used to obtain residence and work permits in another;
one football club lends a young foreign player to a club in another Member State without the necessary
formalities being complied with; players from outside the Union are employed on terms different to those
which apply to equivalent players of European nationalities. The differences in regulations between
Member States result firstly in an uncoordinated approach to this problem and secondly to the persistence
of the existing situation due to constant competition between professional football clubs in the various
Member States.

In the conclusions of the Presidency of the European Council (Nice, 7, 8 and 9 December 2000), concern
was expressed about commercial transactions targeting minors in sport,
including those from third
countries, inasmuch as they did not comply with existing labour legislation or endangered the health and
welfare of young sportsmen and -women.

On 5 March 2001, in the framework agreement on international football transfers, the Commission agreed
with FIFA the principle that young footballers should be afforded special protection.

Does the Commission have any information about the extent of trafficking in young footballers from
1.
outside the European Union by football clubs within the European Union and if so, how are national and
European law being violated?

Can sportsmen and -women who are minors be professionally employed by sports clubs in the

2.
European Union? Does not this contravene national and European law?

Does the Commission know how the Member States are trying to tackle this problem at national

3.
level?

4. Will the Commission investigate whether additional European measures are called for, and if so, what
measures?

5.
How will the Commission further elaborate the framework agreements on the protection of young
footballers contained in the agreement with FIFA regarding international transfers so that the agreement
provides adequate protection to young players from outside the European Union?

Do FIFA(cid:146)s (cid:145)players(cid:146) agents(cid:146) rules(cid:146) for football agents provide an adequate guarantee of protection of

6.
young footballers against trafficking in persons and other illegal practices?

7.
In the context of the free movement of persons, services and capital, would it be desirable to adopt
European legislation on the exercise of the profession or professional activities of a (cid:145)sports agent(cid:146) with the
aim of ensuring equal treatment of footballers (particularly young footballers) and other sportsmen and -
women from other sporting disciplines in all Member States and thus protect their rights?

8.
In some Member States, the activities of (cid:145)sports agents(cid:146) are covered by legislation, and the rights of
Is there a need to adopt
sportsmen and -women in connection with these activities are protected.
European legislation focusing on the social and employment rights of sportsmen and -women (particularly
those who are young)?

9.
Is it necessary to include the subject of combating trafficking in persons and the international
activities of sports agents in the Commission(cid:146)s negotiations with the applicant countries? Is the
Commission also considering including this topic in its external policy and in the agreements which it
concludes with the applicant countries?

10. What measures will the Commission adopt against national and international sports federations,
sports associations and sports agents which/who violate European or national legislation on employment,
social affairs, taxation, trade or access to and residence in the territory of the Member States of the
European Union?

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Answer given by Ms Reding on behalf of the Commission

(31 July 2001)

The Honourable Member raises the question of the protection of young sportsmen and sportswomen,
which was mentioned in the Declaration (cid:145)on the specific characteristics of sport and its social function in
Europe, of which account should be taken in implementing common policies(cid:146), which was adopted at the
Nice European Council of December 2000 (1). Like the Council, the Commission is sensitive to this
concern, which it addressed in the Helsinki Report on Sport (2) and at the European Sports Forum in Lille
on 26 and 27 October 2000, which included a workshop on the protection of young people. Moreover,
the specific situation of young people under the age of 18 was carefully examined in the discussions
between the Commission and FIFA on the rules applicable to international transfers of footballers.

The Honourable Member raises ten questions.

1. The Commission has no information on the extent of the (cid:145)trafficking in young footballers(cid:146) from third
countries. The information that it has received comes from the press or national reports. Because of
the responsibilities involved, the initial legislative and regulatory measures in this area were taken at
national level.

2. The Council adopted Council Directive 94/33/EC of 22 June 1994 on the protection of young people
at work (3). This Directive is designed to ban work by children (but contains certain possibilities of
derogations for the Member States), regulate and protect work done by adolescents and, in general,
ensure that all employers provide young people with working conditions that are adapted to their age.

3. Not all Member States seem to be affected by this phenomenon in the same way, which explains the
diversity of the national responses. Certain Member States do not appear to have adopted any specific
measures, while others have gone as far as to ban all commercial transactions involving under-age
sportsmen and -women.

4. The Commission currently does not intend to have a study carried out in order to assess the extent of

this phenomenon.

5. The protection of minors was one of the main subjects discussed by FIFA and the Commission. The
including minors who have reached the
aim was especially to reconcile the right of workers,
minimum age for access to employment in the host country, to freedom of movement and the
concern to protect this category of workers, which is exposed to particular risks. The solution which
was reached on 5 March 2001 ensures compliance with both these principles, the implementation of
which is the responsibility of FIFA. It is not up to the Commission to draw up rules for the protection
of minors. As guardian of the EC Treaty, it must limit itself to ensuring compliance with Community
law. The Commission therefore does not have the power to extend this reference framework.

6., 7. and 8. As far as players(cid:146) agents are concerned, following a procedure at the Commission on the
basis of the competition rules, FIFA changed the way in which the profession is organised in order to
improve its ethics. These new FIFA rules concerning players(cid:146) agents entered into force on 1 March
2001. Certain Member States have also chosen to adopt legislation in order to apply stricter rules to
the activities of players(cid:146) agents.

9.

Full account is being taken of the acquis communautaire in the negotiations with the applicant
countries. This applies, for example, to the principles of freedom of movement or Directive 94/33/EC
on the protection of young people at work. The Commission has no plans to deal specifically with the
question of players(cid:146) agents in the accession negotiations.

10. The Commission and the Member States must complement each other in their efforts to ensure
compliance with Community law and national law. At Community level, the EC Treaty provides for
procedures to achieve this objective. In some cases, these procedures can be used to take direct action

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against sporting federations, for example under competition rules. On the other hand, in a number of
areas, any disputes on the application of Community law are a matter for the national courts.

(1) Nice European Council (cid:129) 7, 8 and 9 December 2000 (cid:129) Annex IV to the Presidency Conclusions: (cid:145)Declaration on
the specific characteristics of sport and its social function in Europe, of which account should be taken in
implementing common policies(cid:146).

(2) Report of the Commission to the European Council with a view to safeguarding current sports structures and
maintaining the social functions of sport within the Community framework (cid:129) the Helsinki Report on Sport (cid:129)
COM(1999) 644 final.
(3) OJ L 216, 20.8.1994.

(2001/C 364 E/206)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1718/01

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(14 June 2001)

Subject: Differences in interpretation in the various Member States with regard to the participation or
exclusion of independent auditors and environmental auditors in the implementation of the EMAS
scheme.

1.
Does the Commission remember that in relation to the regulation on the voluntary participation of
organisations in the Community environmental management and audit scheme (EMAS) the European
Parliament adopted an amendment in the first two readings to the effect that large verification bodies
would lose their monopoly position as EMAS verifiers so that independent auditors and environmental
auditors would also be able to carry out this task, but that this provision was not included in the final text
adopted at third reading on 14 February 2001 as a result of the conciliation procedure?

2.
Can the Commission confirm that current practice differs greatly from Member State to Member
State, so that in Germany independent auditors are permitted to carry out these tasks whereas large bodies
in the Netherlands and Denmark are attempting to prevent this?

Is the Commission aware that obstacles are being created in the Netherlands by the Accreditation
3.
Council
(Raad voor de Accreditatie) and, following suit, by the Foundation for the Coordination of
Certification of Environmental Management Systems (Stichting Co(cid:246)rdinatie Certificatie Milieuzorgsystemen
(cid:129) SCCM) which are in a position to exclude the approximately 80 environmental auditors from the
impregnable bulwark constituted by the certifying bodies?

4.
Is the Commission aware of the Dutch draft bill No 27683 which aims to amend Article 12 of the
Environmental Management Act in connection with the revision of the EMAS regulation but which does
not take into account the freedom to provide services presumed in the EMAS regulation? Does the
Commission consider this draft bill to be compatible with the spirit of the regulation?

is the Commission(cid:146)s interpretation of

the manner in which independent auditors and
5. What
environmental auditors may be allowed to carry out or be excluded from such activities in future?
Which interpretation should in future be considered correct,
the Dutch/Danish
interpretation? Or does the Commission consider it acceptable that in practice different arrangements
continue to apply in the various Member States with the consequences that this entails as regards the legal
situation of this profession?

the German or

Does the Commission intend to allow the differences in interpretation in the various Member States

6.
to continue in the long term? If not, how and when does it intend to solve this problem?

Answer given by Mrs Wallstr(cid:246)m on behalf of the Commission

(26 July 2001)

It never was the case that the EMAS Regulation, either in its original version (1) or in its
1. and 2.
amended version (2), restricted access to the profession of EMAS environmental verifier to organisations
alone. On the contrary, the EMAS Regulation states that national accreditation bodies may accredit
individuals, organisations or both, as environmental verifiers (3).