WRITTEN QUESTION P-2309/01 by Massimo Carraro (PSE) to the Commission. Second Forest-Based Industries (FBI) Forum.
Date: 2001-07-20
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: dissemination of information, furniture industry, interinstitutional relations (EU), silviculture

14.2.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 40 E/235

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(21 September 2001)

In the absence of harmonisation of the homeopathic profession at Community level, each Member State is
free to regulate the conduct of this activity on its territory. The Greek authorities are thus entitled not to
recognise this discipline in Greece.

With regard to the possibility of Greek homeopaths practising their profession in another Member State,
the Commission would like to point out that the Court of Justice concluded in its judgment on the
Bouchoucha case delivered on 3 October 1990 (Case C-61/89) that (cid:145)in the absence of harmonization at
Community level regarding activities which fall solely within the scope of the practice of medicine,
Article 52 of the EEC Treaty does not preclude a Member State from restricting an activity ancillary to
medicine (cid:133) exclusively to persons holding the qualification of doctor of medicine.(cid:146)

As a result, if persons qualified as homeopaths in Greece have not been trained as doctors of medicine
they will not be entitled to practise as homeopaths in Member States where this activity is reserved for
doctors of medicine. Conversely, they should, in principle, be able to freely carry out this activity if their
qualification as a doctor of medicine is recognised by the authorities of the Member State in which they
seek to practise this profession.

Finally, with regard to the possibility of harmonising the conditions for practising the profession of
homeopath at a European level, the Commission would stress that it does not take steps to draft a specific
Directive unless three conditions have been met: a high level of consensus among the representative
professional associations, support from a large majority of Member State authorities and certainty that
such an initiative will significantly add value to the existing system of recognition.
In the present
circumstances, none of these three conditions has been met. It should also be emphasised that unanimity
within the Council would also be required before a text can come into force at European level.

(2002/C 40 E/255)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2309/01

by Massimo Carraro (PSE) to the Commission

(20 July 2001)

Subject: Second Forest-Based Industries (FBI) Forum

The second Forest-Based Industries Forum was held in Stockholm on 21 June 2001. Given the importance
of this sector to the economy of many Member States, why did the Commission fail to provide Members
of the European Parliament with adequate information on this event?

In view of this lack of information, can the Commission say what emphasis the Forum gave to the
furniture industry, which in terms of production represents 60 % of the total timber/furniture macrosector
in Europe (Eurostat figure for 1999)?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(1 October 2001)

While the Commission has always been very pleased to mention such events on the web-site of the
Enterprise Directorate General, dissemination of information about the Forum of the Community Forest-
based and Related Industries (F-BRI) is essentially a matter for the industries concerned. In practice industry
is increasingly taking over the role of organising and funding the Forum. Accordingly, in the case of the
Stockholm Forum in June 2001, a steering group was formed from amongst the Community-level
federations concerned (cid:129) including the European furniture industry federation (UEA) in order to oversee its
planning and execution. It is understood that the group, which met several times prior to the Forum,
decided on the themes to be covered at the Forum and the final invitation list.

C 40 E/236

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

14.2.2002

It is also understood that some 50 Honourable Members were invited to the Forum, on the basis of the
recommendations made by the F-BRI(cid:146)s representative federations. In addition, the Commission recom-
mended that Honourable Members who had been invited to the previous (Strasbourg) Forum be invited, as
well as other interested parties, including environmental non-governmental organisations (ENGOs), trades
unions and researchers. It appears that Honourable Members were also sought to take part in the panel
discussions at the Forum and, indeed, Mr. Karl Erik Olsson, Honourable Member, took part in the panel on
(cid:145)The Enhanced Use of Wood(cid:146).

As regards the European furniture industry, Mr Rodrigo Rodriguez, the Honorary President of the UEA,
made a formal presentation at the Forum on the impact of enlargement on labour-intensive sectors from
the perspective of
the furniture producers. Several other furniture industry
representatives attended the Forum.

the competitiveness of

(2002/C 40 E/256)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2311/01

by Michael Cashman (PSE) and Paulo Casaca (PSE) to the Commission

Subject: Legalised discrimination against foreigners

(31 July 2001)

Two British tourists were recently denied discount theatre tickets for the elderly in Madeira, Portugal,
because they were not Portuguese, although they carried proof of their eligible ages. In light of this, can
the Commission investigate and comment on legalised discrimination against (cid:145)foreigners(cid:146) in any of the
Member States?

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(17 October 2001)

The Honourable Members(cid:146) have asked a question about the different prices of theatre tickets for the elderly
which are applied according to the nationality of the buyer in Madeira, Portugal.

In order to be able to fully analyse the issue raised and draw conclusions, the Commission would need to
receive further information either directly from the persons concerned or through the Honourable
Members. In particular, the Commission would be interested to know more about the theatre in question,
whether the differences concerning the rules on admission to the theatre are based on a measure
emanating from the Member State in question or are somehow otherwise attributable to the public
authorities or are purely as a result of the practise of a private undertaking.

(2002/C 40 E/257)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2318/01

by Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(23 July 2001)

Subject: Trafficking in human beings in the EU: the example of Greece

The recent US Department of State report on trafficking in human beings notes that some EU countries
and candidate countries lack the appropriate legislation and infrastructures to combat trafficking in human
beings.

The report is especially critical of Greece which, it says, receives women from Balkan and former Soviet
Union countries who either stay on in Greece or are channelled to Western European countries.

Greece is the only EU country to be classified by this report in the worst category together with countries
of the Third World.