WRITTEN QUESTION E-1255/02 by Glyn Ford (PSE) to the Commission. Free movement of goods, services and people.
Date: 2002-05-06
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Lower Normandy, air safety, air space, airport, economic consequence, nuclear fuel, radioactive waste, terrorism, waste recycling

14.11.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 277 E/169

(2002/C 277 E/191)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1244/02

by Luciano Caveri (ELDR) to the Commission

(30 April 2002)

Subject: Modernisation of N2 motorway in Switzerland

Modernisation work has been in progress for a numbert of months on the Swiss N2 motorway, between
Bern and Basle, along an important section of the European road network. Work is being carried out in
particular on the Oberburg tunnel and viaduct, and the long Belchen tunnel (3,2 km).

The latter has, for some time now, been operating as a single-tube tunnel, with two-way traffic, but no
safety distances, no restrictions on heavy goods traffic and no other active or passive safety measures.

In the context of agreements with Switzerland, does the Commission have any information on this subject?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(21 June 2002)

The Commission does not have any information on the matter raised by the Honourable Member.

The Honourable Member refers to measures taken following the meeting of European ministers of the
Alpine region in Zurich on 30 November 2001.

The declaration adopted in Zurich and the measures recommended in it are outside the Commission’s area
of responsibility.

However, the joint committee on the EU/Switzerland agreement is able to handle all matters relating to the
difficulties being encountered by EU transport firms in transit across Switzerland as well as those to do
with the fluidity of Alpine traffic, in cooperation with the traffic observatory provided for in Article 45 of
that agreement.

The next meeting of the joint committee is to take place in July 2002, and will provide an opportunity to
discuss the matter.

(2002/C 277 E/192)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1255/02

by Glyn Ford (PSE) to the Commission

(6 May 2002)

Subject: Free movement of goods, services and people

Is the Commission aware of the enormous damage done to the economy of Alderney by the arbitrary
decision of the French Government to impose a no-fly zone around the Cap de la Hague nuclear plant?

Does the Commission endorse this decision? If so, does it feel that such no-fly zones should be imposed
around similar or all nuclear plants in the EU? What compensation is available to those whose livelihoods
are affected by such decisions?

C 277 E/170

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

14.11.2002

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(14 June 2002)

After the tragic events in the United States on 11 September 2001, the French government has taken air
safety measures resulting in various air access prohibitions and air access restrictions above large cities and
above specific sites.

In this respect, the control of the airspace above the nuclear site of La Hague has been delegated to the
military air defence and this airspace has been organised in two different areas, according to the vicinity to
the site.

In order to help airspace users based on aerodromes located close to the concerned sites, these restrictions
have been alleviated since 13 April 2002 and aeronautical information has been updated accordingly.

For the time being, according to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Convention signed in
Chicago in 1944, airspace and safety management is under the responsibility of the different States which
organise themselves at a national level.

This may lead to some difficulties when measures are taken close to the national borders. That is one of
the reasons why the Commission has presented a package of proposals on air traffic management designed
to create a single European sky by 31 December 2004 in order to move toward a more efficient and safer
airspace that will be managed at the Community level.

Nevertheless,
this regulation will not prevent Member States from adopting or applying measures
warranted by serious internal disturbances affecting the maintenance of law and order, in the event of war,
serious international tension constituting a threat of war, or in order to carry out obligations they have
accepted for the purpose of maintaining peace and international security.

(2002/C 277 E/193)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1257/02

by Alejandro Cercas (PSE) to the Commission

(6 May 2002)

Subject: Minimum wage within the EU

Two of the requirements of the European Social Model and the Lisbon Process are a cohesion framework
and minimum income thresholds to combat poverty and promote social inclusion. However, it is quite
obvious from recent data on minimum wages in various EU countries that some workers are in effect
legally condemned to poverty.

Will the Commission provide up-to-date figures on minimum wages in the EU Member States? Should
there actually be workers on the poverty threshold, is any action to be taken in order to improve their
situation?

Answer given by Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(14 June 2002)

The Commission would inform the Honourable Member that according to the data concerning minimum
wages in the Union collected each year by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities,
among the nine Member States obliged to respect a national statutory minimum wage, the minimum wage
ranged from € 406 to € 1 290 per month in February 2002 (1).