WRITTEN QUESTION P-2507/01 by Nelly Maes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Availability of documents in the languages of the candidate countries for accession to the European Union.
Date: 2001-09-07
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: accession to the European Union, dissemination of EU information, official language, promotion of the European idea, public awareness campaign

C 93 E/146

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.4.2002

4. What will happen in September 2005 when the speed and capacity of services between Brussels and
Amsterdam will
increase when the cross-border high-speed line between Antwerp and Rotterdam is
finished but there will no longer be any possibility of changing trains in Rosendaal and still less in Breda
because the high-speed trains travelling along the western side of the city will not stop at any station with
an East-West connection? What is now being done to ensure that an alternative direct connection between
the East and South of the Netherlands and the extended Antwerp central station will be provided via the
old line through Rosendaal?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(31 October 2001)

1.

No, the Commission was not aware of this information.

2.
It is not up to the Commission to judge about specific timetables. With the adoption of the
infrastructure package directives 2001/12/EC, 2001/13/EC and 2001/14/EC (1) a new regulatory
framework has to be put in place at the latest by 15 march 2003. According to these directives, the
infrastructure managers shall organise international train paths upon request of the railway undertakings.
In the network statement the infrastructure manager must outline the priorities allowed to international
passenger trains.

The Commission has no power to take action on these points. However, it accepts that the
3. and 4.
potential of cross-border passenger rail transport in Europe is far from being fulfilled. It considers it
appropriate for cross-border as well as national public transport services to be subject to public service
requirements designed to ensure the delivery of adequate public passenger transport. Whether rail
operators benefit from financial compensation for the provision of services or only from an exclusive right,
they should in exchange be required to fulfil defined public service requirements. The Commission’s
proposal for a regulation on public services in public transport (2) provides a mechanism that competent
authorities on either side of national borders can use to achieve this.

(1) Directive 2001/12/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2001 amending Council Directive 91/
440/EEC on the development of the Community’s railways, OJ L 75, 15.3.2001Directive 2001/13/EC of the
Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2001 amending Council Directive 95/18/EC on the licensing of
railway undertakings, OJ L 75, 15.3.2001Directive 2001/14/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 26 February
2001 on the allocation of railway infrastructure capacity and the levying of charges for the use of railway
infrastructure and safety certification, OJ L 75, 15.3.2001.

(2) OJ C 365 E, 19.12.2000.

(2002/C 93 E/176)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2507/01

by Nelly Maes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(7 September 2001)

Subject: Availability of documents in the languages of

the candidate countries for accession to the

European Union

The success of the candidate countries’ accession will also depend on public support in these countries. At
present such support is declining, because more and more people are gaining an insight into the problems
associated with accession.

Debate and dialogue with the population are thus very important, but there is also a need for effective
communication and reports (on accession requirements), for example, must be made available in the
languages of the accession countries.

An information office has been opened in Poland, for example, where all reports are distributed in all
languages … except Polish.

As part of an open dialogue on accession, can the Commission make available the progress reports in the
languages of the future Member States?

18.4.2002

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 93 E/147

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(28 September 2001)

The Commission is fully aware of the need to provide as much as possible all relevant documents on
Enlargement in the languages of the candidate countries. This is done, as part of the Commission’s
information and communication activities in the candidate countries,
in close collaboration with the
governments in these countries.
In the case of Poland, the Office for the Committee for European
Integration of the Polish government translates, as soon as possible, the Progress Report and many other
documents in Polish and publishes these both on paper and electronically. At the same time, the Office
publishes regularly the ‘Integration Monitor’,
including Polish versions of the major documents. Any
person contacting the infocentre in Poland will be fully informed about the possibility to obtain all relevant
documents in Polish in this way.

Similar arrangements exist in the other candidate countries. The Commission does and will do as much as
possible to assure that important documents are available in the languages of the candidate countries.

(2002/C 93 E/177)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2509/01

by Margrietus van den Berg (PSE) to the Commission

(7 September 2001)

Subject: Trade in conflict diamonds

International ability to curb the trade in conflict diamonds is closely linked to the success of the Kimberley
Process. At present this process is moving forward slowly, partly because the European Union does not
have a common position. How soon does the Commission intend to submit to the Council a proposal for
a mandate for the Kimberley Process negotiations?

Furthermore, border checks on the import of diamonds, preventing conflict diamonds being imported into
the EU, require specialist knowledge on the part of the customs services. Does the Commission consider
that it would be useful to limit the points through which diamonds can be imported to one per Member
State so as to concentrate the expertise?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(10 October 2001)

The Kimberley Process represents a major international effort to curb the trade in conflict diamonds. Such
trade fuels conflict in particular in several countries in Africa.

together with several
The Commission has actively participated in the Kimberley Process meetings,
Member States. Progress on the Kimberley Process will be reported to the United Nations General
Assembly in December 2001, and a ministerial conference on process is due to take place in November
2001. The Commission intends to submit a proposal for a negotiating mandate to the Council well in
advance of the next meeting in Luanda 30 October 2001 C 1 November 2001.

their objectives that

The measures that are under consideration in the Kimberley Process consist of a certification scheme and
minimum standards for controlling production, transport, export, import and re-export. Participants have
set as one of
the scheme should be both effective and use a minimum of
administrative resources. Restricting the number of customs entry points is a measure that may be
considered at some stage in further technical discussions, but it does not appear as essential for the
operation of the certification scheme which is currently being discussed. The scheme should also respect
participants’ international obligations, in particular those accepted in the World Trade Organisation (WTO)
framework.