WRITTEN QUESTION E-3694/01 by Adriana Poli Bortone (UEN), Franz Turchi (UEN),José Ribeiro e Castro (UEN) and Isabelle Caullery (UEN) to the Commission. EDF funding to support industrial restructuring.
Date: 2002-01-17
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Social Fund, air transport, economic recession, employment policy, industrial restructuring, job cuts, terrorism

20.6.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 147 E/223

Decree No 96-1133 issued by France on 24 December 1996, which was notified in due time to the
Commission and which transposes this Directive, postpones its application to 31 December 2001 with
respect to motor vehicles and agricultural and forestry vehicles and equipment which entered into service
prior to 1 January 1997.

As regards motor vehicle brake linings, Member States have been required to prohibit the use of asbestos
from October 1999 onwards. In the case of other applications, there are substitute materials on the
market, and for a number of years automobile-industry suppliers had been developing asbestos-free clutch
plates and cylinder head gaskets.

The Commission does not wish to draw up a list of derogations to these measures as they were the subject
of lengthy assessments in the relevant working parties and have been in force at Community level since
July 1993.

(1) OJ L 363, 31.12.1991.

(2002/C 147 E/236)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3694/01

by Adriana Poli Bortone (UEN), Franz Turchi (UEN),
José Ribeiro e Castro (UEN) and Isabelle Caullery (UEN) to the Commission

Subject: EDF funding to support industrial restructuring

(17 January 2002)

The tragic events of 11 September 2001 in the United States and the ongoing crisis caused by the
involvement of many European countries in military operations have hit the airline sector and related
industries extremely hard.

In addition to the damage caused by the closure of US air space following the 11 September attacks, this
situation has led to a free fall
in demand in the airline sector, with disastrous consequences for the
financial situation of companies which were already in difficulties.

Although some countries such as the United States and Switzerland have spent large sums of money on
propping up their airlines, in Europe the current crisis has further aggravated the already crucial situation
on the jobs market, given that many European airlines have announced tens of thousands of redundancies,
in addition to the jobs already lost in the United States.

Given the above, would the Commission state whether:

1.

2.

EDF funds are available for use in supporting workers affected by industrial restructuring programmes;

subject to the amendment of the current rules, which do not cover services companies, appropriations
could be allocated on an ad hoc basis to support the conclusion of job security agreements to lessen
the impact of the crisis on the thousands of people to be made redundant, inter alia as part of the
necessary restructuring and amalgamation of companies in the sector, for which the Commission has
itself called?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(21 February 2002)

The European Social Fund (ESF) ; like the other Structural Funds ; can provide important financial
support to deal with the employment effects of industrial restructuring. For 2000-2006, around € 60
billion of ESF is available for investment in human resources across the Union. ESF aims to support the
European Employment Strategy by promoting a preventive approach to labour market problems in the
Union including activities to pre-empt the impact of major redundancies/restructuring.

C 147 E/224

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.6.2002

There is a wide degree of flexibility to use ESF to meet changing labour market needs through: advice and
guidance; training for those under threat of unemployment or already unemployed to improve their
employability; help to those in work adapt to new ways of working and new skills demands. Support for
workers who lose their jobs as a result of major redundancies such as those in civil aviation can be
provided within the framework of existing programmes. Although all the Structural Funds must work
within the existing framework of Community competition policy, ESF regulations do not discriminate
between workers in different industries.

There are no additional Community funds through ESF above the € 60 billion already allocated for the
2000-2006 period. Support to deal with industrial restructuring must be done within existing budgets.

As with all the Structural Funds, the implementation of ESF is decentralised. National and regional
authorities take responsibility for the more detailed content of the programmes and have sole responsible
for implementation change in ways which best suit their needs and circumstances. Access to ESF is via the
relevant national and regional authorities in each Member State. Any discussion about re-focusing activities
and funding to meet changing labour market conditions must take place within national and regional
partnership arrangements for individual programmes.

(2002/C 147 E/237)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3706/01

by Jonas Sjöstedt (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(17 January 2002)

Subject: Salmonella infection in spite of veterinary certificate

In mid-November 2001, 22 tonnes of pork loin from Spain arrived at a cold store in Skåne. All the
certificates as to the meat’s salmonella-free status were in order.

However, it turned out that the meat was not salmonella-free. Checks carried out from time to time by the
Swedish National Food Administration have always shown some consignments of meat delivered to
Sweden to be infected with salmonella in spite of veterinary certificates to the contrary.

What is the Commission doing to ensure that those who issue incorrect veterinary certificates have their
licences withdrawn and that action is taken to remedy this problem?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(1 March 2002)

In response to the question from the Honourable Member, the Commission would refer to its answer to
his written question E-3304/01 (1) which broadly covers the same subject.

In addition, it should be pointed out that under the rules on salmonella applying to consignments of fresh
pigmeat intended for Sweden (2), certification is issued to the effect that no salmonella was found when the
consignment concerned was analysed in accordance with an established sampling and analysis protocol.
This protocol offers a degree of reliability regarded as similar to that under legal provisions at national
level. The detection of salmonella when products reach their destination therefore does not necessarily
mean that they have been incorrectly certified.