WRITTEN QUESTION E-2811/01 by Bill Miller (PSE) to the Commission. Artists' recorded performance remuneration.
Date: 2001-10-10
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Community acquis, artistic profession, broadcasting, copyright, intellectual property, recording

4.7.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 160 E/41

Another exemption is that ‘EU diplomats’ (i.e. those working at the various Commission offices) retain the
right to buy 60 litres of alcohol and 20 000 cigarettes a year tax free even after 1 July 1999. The
Commissioners are also entitled to buy alcohol tax free, but according to Commissioner Erkki Liikanen
they had promised each other (!) not to make use of this right. Have there been any changes here, or does
the exemption for EU diplomats to buy 60 litres of alcohol a year tax free still apply, and does the
Commission’s promise to each other still hold?

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(15 November 2001)

it has only been
Since duty-free sales for intra-Community travellers were abolished on 1 July 1999,
possible to sell duty-free goods to travellers going to third countries. Where an aircraft or a ferry makes an
intermediate call or stopover in a third country or a territory outside the fiscal territory of the Community,
in order for passengers to embark or disembark, it will be treated as going to or coming from a third
country (1).

The Ålands islands are considered to be outside the fiscal territory of the Community. This status which
was granted upon request by Finland during the accession negotiations is justified by the particular status
the Åland islands hold under the Finnish constitution.

As regards tax-free purchases by members of the Commission and officials of the Community institutions,
the Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its reply to written questions E-4021/98 by
Mrs Boogerd-Quaak (2) and E-1996/99 by Mr Ebner (3) which remain valid.

(1) See Commission notice concerning the VAT and excise rules to be applied from 1 July 1999 by suppliers of goods
sold on board ferries and aircraft or in airports to passengers travelling within the European Union (OJ C 99,
10.4.1999).

(2) OJ C 341, 29.11.1999.
(3) OJ C 219 E, 1.8.2000.

(2002/C 160 E/046)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2811/01

by Bill Miller (PSE) to the Commission

(10 October 2001)

Subject: Artists’ recorded performance remuneration

Can the Commission confirm that as part of the agreement reached between the EU and the accession
countries in the lead-up to enlargement, there is an aquis which will permit artists to recover the
appropriate remuneration whenever a recording they have performed on is broadcast or played in public?

If not, which countries have not agreed and why?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(20 November 2001)

All accession countries are obliged to comply with the legal
framework on intellectual property in
Community law (the acquis communautaire). Council Directive 92/100/EEC of 19 November 1992 on
rental right and lending right and on certain rights related to copyright in the field of intellectual
property (1) recognises the right of performers and of phonogram producers to obtain an equitable
remuneration each time a phonogram, which has been published for commercial purposes, is broadcast or

C 160 E/42

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

4.7.2002

to the above-mentioned obligation, all accession
played in public (Article 8, paragraph 2). Pursuant
countries have to introduce a remuneration right for performers according to Article 8, paragraph 2 of the
Directive 92/100/EEC.

(1) OJ L 346, 27.11.1992.

(2002/C 160 E/047)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2826/01

by Fernando Fernández Martín (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(11 October 2001)

Subject: The eradication of cholera

The outbreaks of cholera in a number of African countries,
Mozambique during the last
seriousness of a problem which was eradicated in the developed world centuries ago.

few years following the severe floods there, highlight

including particularly serious ones in
the continuing

What specific plans does the Commission have and what material and human resources does it intend to
devote to implementing a plan to eradicate cholera in the African countries affected by it?

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(29 November 2001)

Cholera remains a serious epidemic problem in many poor countries. Sudden large outbreaks are usually
caused by contamination of the drinking water supply. It can be difficult to distinguish cholera from other
types of acute diarrhoea. The mainstay of treatment, as for all causes of diarrhoea, is re-hydration using
oral rehydration salts for mild cases and parenteral fluids for severe cases. Treatment must be accompanied
by measures to ensure a safe water supply and adequate sanitary measures. Antibiotic treatment can reduce
the duration of symptoms. Vaccination, while useful as a short term measure has not been used on a large
scale for public health purposes.

Eradication of cholera will go hand in hand with efforts to ensure access to safe water and effective
sanitation. Early indications from the 9th European Development Fund (EDF) programming exercise are
that countries intend to allocate € 0,4 billion to this sector with the focus on the poor in rural and urban
settings. This represents 6 % of future EDF resources.

Small-scale outbreaks of cholera are usually dealt with through scaling up ongoing efforts to improve
hygiene education, to ensure access to safe water and to manage diarrhoeal diseases effectively. Most
countries in Africa are implementing the IMCI Programme (Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses)
which includes core modules on diarrhoea prevention and management. The Commission supports such
work indirectly through the national health budget.

The Commission, through ECHO, has also supported cholera-related work in large-scale emergency
situations, for example, during the Mozambique floods.

Cholera will be eradicated through improvements in living standards that increase access to clean water
and through improvements to hygienic and sanitary practices. There is no ‘quick fix’ and the Commission
has no plan to mount a specific effort to eradicate cholera in Africa.