WRITTEN QUESTION P-2437/01 by Mario Borghezio (TDI) to the Council. Risk of former Italian Military Internees being excluded from German compensation.
Date: 2001-09-04
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Germany, Italy, carrying out of sentence, indemnification, prisoner of war

C 81 E/176

Official Journal of the European Communities

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4.4.2002

inter alia, most pilots and air traffic controllers. As a result, these groups are now excluded from the
current work on the single European sky, in which they have participated hitherto and which will in future
fall within the remit of the Forum.

What are the reasons behind his decision and what steps, if any, will be taken to avoid exclusions of this
kind?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(1 October 2001)

The European Energy and Transport Forum the Honourable Member is referring to comprises 34
members, six of whom represent the unions. The Forum(cid:146)s role is to deliver opinions on the Commission(cid:146)s
energy policy and transport policy initiatives. It will also act as an energy policy and transport policy
observatory. It will consider whether the structures of those sectors are competitive and appropriate, while
also taking account of environmental, social and safety concerns.

The reason the Commission called upon the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) to select the six
union representatives is that the ETUC is the body representing trade unions at European level across all
sectors, including energy and transport.

It is true, however, that not all unions are affiliated to the ETUC. As the Commission wished for
operational reasons to restrict the number of members taking part in the Forum, it was not possible to
arrange for all trade union organisations to be represented within it.

It is therefore up to the independent trade union organisations to approach the ETUC so as to examine the
options for being involved in the Forum(cid:146)s work.

It should also be borne in mind that Article 5 of Commission Decision 2001/546/EC of 11 July 2001
setting up a consultative committee, to be known as the (cid:145)European Energy and Transport Forum(cid:146) (1),
stipulates that the Forum may invite to participate in its work any person with a specific competence for
an item on the agenda.

Lastly, and with more specific regard to the Single European Sky, the Commission will continue to work,
as it has in the past, with all the players in the field, including representatives of independent trade unions
(pilots, air traffic controllers, etc.). The Forum(cid:146)s mandate will extend beyond matters relating directly to the
Single European Sky.

The Single European Sky dossier is also being handled by the Civil Aviation Social Dialogue Committee.
in that dialogue have been selected on the basis of
The organisations called upon to take part
representativeness criteria, including those laid down in Commission Decision 98/500/EC of 20 May 1998
on the establishment of Sectoral Dialogue Committees promoting the Dialogue between the social partners
at European level (2). On the union side, both the European Transport Workers(cid:146) Federation (ETF), which
represents inter alia air traffic controllers, and the European Cockpit Association (ECA), which represents
pilots, are members of this Committee.

(1) OJ L 195, 19.7.2001.
(2) OJ L 225, 12.8.1998.

(2002/C 81 E/207)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2437/01

by Mario Borghezio (TDI) to the Council

(4 September 2001)

Subject: Risk of former Italian Military Internees being excluded from German compensation

Former Italian Military Internees (IMIs) and those employed as slave labourers in Germany during the
Second World War are at serious risk of being unlawfully excluded from German compensation schemes.
An incorrect legal definition of Italian military internees, which fails to take account of the fact that these

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prisoners, who were employed as slave labour in German factories, were not covered by the Geneva
Convention, has apparently prompted Germany to exclude them from compensation schemes. This
discrimination is extremely serious, not least because the rights of former Italian military internees were
certainly included in the protection referred to in the European Parliament(cid:146)s resolution B2-1475/85 on
compensation for persons formerly employed as slave labour in German industry.

What urgent measures does the Council intend to take to remedy this situation?

Reply

(6 December 2001)

The Honourable Member is invited to refer to the reply to Question E-2155/01 on compensation from
Germany for former Italian military internees.

(2002/C 81 E/208)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2442/01

by Caroline Lucas (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(11 September 2001)

Subject: Low Frequency Active Sonar

There is considerable evidence that the US Navy(cid:146)s use of Low Frequency Active Sonar is having major
adverse effects on marine life, in particular Cuvier(cid:146)s beaked whales. It is strongly suspected that resonance
phenomena in the whales(cid:146) cranial airspaces, caused by LFAS, have been responsible for mass strandings in
Greece and the Bahamas in recent years.

Does the Commission have a position on the use of LFAS, and is it doing anything to try and persuade the
US to stop using it?

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

(24 October 2001)

As the Honourable Member is no doubt aware, cetacean species are strictly protected under Council
Directive 92/43/CEE (1), which obliges Member States to take the requisite measures to avoid, inter alia, the
deliberate disturbance of these species.

Low Frequency Active Sonar (LFAS) consists of loud and low frequency sonic pulses. There is certain
evidence that this kind of noise may disturb cetaceans. For this reason, the duties established by the above
mentioned Directive should be honoured by Member States.

As far as the use of LFAS by the American Navy is concerned, the Commission has no competence and
has not raised the matter with the United States.

(1) Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora
(OJ L 206, 22.7.1992), as amended by the Accession Act of Austria, Finland and Sweden (OJ L 1, 1.1.1995).

(2002/C 81 E/209)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2458/01

by Camilo Nogueira RomÆn (Verts/ALE) to the Council

(11 September 2001)

Subject: Mass immigration across the straits of Gilbraltar: corpses washed up every day on southern

Spanish beaches

The last two months have seen no let-up in the flood of immigrants trying to reach Spain in fragile, small
vessels ((cid:146)pateras(cid:146)) in their flight from poverty and their search for the jobs which their own countries