WRITTEN QUESTION E-2766/01 by Jonas Sjöstedt (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Warning to Sweden for late submission of maps.
Date: 2001-10-09
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Commission, State aid, Sweden, application of EU law, exchange of information, regional aid

C 147 E/50

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.6.2002

Legislation on the control of illicit drugs falls mostly under the competence of the Member States. The
drug control legislation in Member States is based on the United Nations Conventions from 1961, 1971
and 1988, which have been signed and ratified by all Member States. The level of control on each
substance depends on the Schedule (I to IV with Schedule I requiring the strictest control) of the
Conventions in which it is placed. The 32nd World Health Organisation (WHO) Expert Committee on
Drug Dependence recommended to the United Nations (UN) Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) that
GHB be listed in Schedule IV of the 1971 United Nations (UN) Convention on Psychotropic Substances.
This would mean that the control measures to be applied to GHB would resemble those applied to
commonly used medical products like benzodiazepins.

However, according to the United Nations (UN) Conventions, a country party to the Conventions may
adopt stricter or more severe measures than those provided by the Conventions if, in its opinion, such
measures are desirable or necessary. Hence, it is left to the countries to decide, if they want to classify a
substance to a schedule requiring stricter control measures. Therefore, the Commission has no objection
on the Swedish initiative to reclassify GHB as an illicit substance.

(2002/C 147 E/050)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2766/01

by Jonas Sjöstedt (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

Subject: Warning to Sweden for late submission of maps

(9 October 2001)

In November 1999 the Commission gave a warning to Sweden and three other countries for their failure
to forward maps showing State regional aid on time. There was a temporary interruption of payments.

Has the error now been corrected or is Sweden still having problems in forwarding maps showing State
regional aid?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(12 November 2001)

By letter dated 22 October 1999, the Swedish authorities notified the Swedish regional aid map for the
period 2000 to 2006 in accordance with Article 88(3) (ex Article 93) of the EC Treaty.

The examination of the notification by the Commission showed that the notified file was incomplete. At a
meeting on 12 November 1999 and by letter of 25 November 1999, the Commission asked the Swedish
authorities to complete the notification. The Swedish authorities provided these elements by letters of
21 December 1999 and 8 February 2000. By letter of 17 February 2000, the Swedish authorities modified
their notification (revision of the aid intensity ceiling proposed).

The Commission decided to approve the Swedish regional aid map on 29 March 2000. It informed the
Swedish authorities of the decision by letter No SG(2000) D/103189 of 17 April 2000.

(2002/C 147 E/051)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2774/01

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(9 October 2001)

Subject: Eutrophication and dangerous toxins in nine large lakes in Greece

The results of studies by the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki show that the considerable increase in
levels of blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria, caused by eutrophication of the water in nine Greek lakes
(Kastoria, Ioannina, Volvi, Doirani, Mikri Prespa, Vistonida, Ambrakia, Zazari and Koronia) has led to the