WRITTEN QUESTION E-3060/01 by Pere Esteve (ELDR) to the Commission. Incorrect designation of the Balearic Islands (Illes Balears).
Date: 2001-11-07
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Balearic Islands, national law, official language

20.6.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 147 E/83

the above and the fact

that both the programmes are at an important stage in their
In view of
implementation and in order to prevent the deadline of 31 December this year from invalidating the work
done so far, can the Commission grant an extension of at least 12 months, in order to help remedy the
situation outlined above?

(1) OJ L 193, 31.7.1993, p. 5.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(28 November 2001)

The Honourable Members ask about an application to extend the time limit for national execution of
expenditure on two multiregional operational programmes (MOPs) managed by the Ministry for
Agricultural and Forestry Policy (MIPAF) and part-financed by the EAGGF Guidance Section under the
Community Support Framework (CSF) for Italian Objective 1 regions for 1994-1999. The MOPs involved
concern services for the commercial exploitation of agricultural products from southern Italy and support
activities for services involved in agricultural development.

On the issue of whether such an extension is possible, it should be borne in mind that the Commission is
responsible for the execution of
the European Union and accordingly must ensure
compliance with the rules in force and all decisions taken.

the budget of

The Commission considers that an extension of a programme can be entertained only in cases of force
majeure such as large-scale disasters, and cases treated in the same way as force majeure, which have far-
reaching consequences for the implementation of aid/assistance granted by the Structural Funds, or in the
event of a clearly identified mistake, including all technical errors, for which the Commission itself is
responsible. Since these conditions have not been met, the Commission has been unable to grant the
request of the Italian authorities for an extension of the two programmes in question.

Regarding the arguments advanced by the Honourable Members, the Commission is of the opinion that
the conditions referred to above are not met either. As a consequence, the Commission cannot grant the
requested 12-month extension for the two programmes managed by MIPAF.

(2002/C 147 E/088)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3060/01

by Pere Esteve (ELDR) to the Commission

(7 November 2001)

Subject: Incorrect designation of the Balearic Islands (Illes Balears)

The name of the Spanish province formerly known [in Spanish] as Baleares [the Balearic Islands] was
officially changed to [the Catalan name] Illes Balears by the Spanish government by means of Law No 13/
1997 of 25 April 1997, as published in the Boletín Oficial del Estado [the official journal of the Spanish
state], No 100, on 26 April 1997.

The single article of this law states that ‘the province hitherto known as Baleares shall henceforth be
officially called Illes Balears, in keeping with its cultural and historical tradition and in order to bring its
name into line with that of the corresponding autonomous region’. The single implementing provision of
the same law adds that it ‘shall come into force on the day following its publication in the Boletín Oficial
del Estado’.

The European Commission is systematically failing to implement this law, which forms part of the juridical
order of the Spanish state. It habitually calls the Illes Balears ‘Baleares’ or ‘Islas Baleares’, in the maps it
publishes and in its documents, and has done the same in its replies to the questions asked by the author
of the present question in relation to this autonomous region.

In general,
European Union.

it is the Commission’s habit to use the official names of other regions and cities of the

C 147 E/84

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.6.2002

The author of this question is aware of the need to translate the official names of cities and regions into
the language used in the text concerned. However, he does not believe that this practice can justify the
systematic translation of Illes Balears as ‘Baleares’ or ‘Islas Baleares’.

1. Will the Commission undertake to respect and use the existing official name, as laid down in law, of
this autonomous region, i.e. Illes Balears?

Can the Commission state its position as regards its failure to comply with this law while the official

2.
names of other regions and cities in the Union are, by contrast, respected?

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(8 January 2002)

The Commission would thank the Honourable Member for drawing its attention to the name of the
Balearic Islands.

It proposes to ask the Spanish Government to indicate the official designation which it should use in the
future.

(2002/C 147 E/089)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3061/01

by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) and Antonio Mussa (UEN) to the Commission

Subject: Chemical and bacteriological substances and air conditioning systems

(7 November 2001)

The disturbing spread of the terrorist threat of contamination by means of chemical or bacteriological
substances must necessarily alert us to the problem of the possible use of the centralised air-conditioning
systems existing in offices, department stores, banks and, above all, institutions.

Can the Commission make provision, along with the necessary control measures, for alternative systems in
all the offices of the Institutions? Can it also invite the Member States to take steps to ensure that suitable
controls are organised by management
their buildings open to the public in which air-
conditioning systems exist?

in all of

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(10 January 2002)

In the context of a possible terrorist threat of contamination by means of chemical or biological substances
using the centralised air conditioning systems in offices, the only two options for alternative systems in
offices of the Institutions, would be to: redesign the buildings back to natural ventilation; or to decentralise
the buildings’ air conditioning to have independent units for small office groups.

The majority of the Commission’s middle sized and large buildings are equipped with centralised air
conditioning systems. The changes over the last decades in building technology and materials used have
resulted in rendering natural ventilation inefficient, even insufficient for larger office buildings. While it
would in principle be possible to design office buildings without mechanical ventilation, the property
market in Belgium and Luxembourg rarely offers buildings of that kind.

To retrofit a mechanically climatised building in order to have it naturally ventilated via windows and
funnels would pose considerable technical problems, and the result would still be unsatisfactory for the
occupants, especially in the summer and winter periods.
If a building is not initially designed and
optimised for natural ventilation it proves very difficult to adapt it afterwards, at a reasonable cost and
with acceptable results.