WRITTEN QUESTION E-1413/02 by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Absence of Dutch language sections at the European Schools in Alicante and Frankfurt.
Date: 2002-05-23
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European school, language teaching, linguistic discrimination, organisation of teaching

5.12.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 301 E/141

In order to further develop awareness, and without prejudice to the application of the subsidiarity
principle, the Commission intends to raise this issue in the report on the application of the Television
Without Frontiers Directive, which is to be submitted to the Parliament and the Council by the end of
2002.

(1) Council Directive 89/552/EEC of 3 October 1989 on the coordination of certain provisions laid down by law,
regulation or administrative action in Member States concerning the pursuit of television broadcasting activities,
OJ L 298, 17.10.1989, amended by Directive 97/36/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 30 June 1997,
OJ L 202, 30.7.1997.
(2) OJ L 108, 24.4.2002.
(3) See Recital 43 of Directive 2002/22/EC.
(4) COM(2001) 529 final.
(5) COM(2000) 284 final.

(2002/C 301 E/152)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1413/02

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(23 May 2002)

Subject: Absence of Dutch language sections at the European Schools in Alicante and Frankfurt

Neither of the two new European Schools which are being set up in Frankfurt and Alicante and which are
expected to open in September this year is to include a Dutch language section, unlike the European
Schools in Karlsruhe and Munich. In Frankfurt the planned language sections are German, English, French
and Italian. In Alicante they are German, English, French and Spanish.

Why has it been decided not to have Dutch language sections at the European Schools in Frankfurt and
Alicante?

What will the Commission do to ensure that Dutch language sections are after all included?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(24 June 2002)

The two new European Schools set up in Frankfurt and Alicante have no Dutch-language section because
of the number of children of Community staff in those two cities who have Dutch as their mother tongue
falls below the minimum required to open a language section.

Under the viability criteria laid down on 24 and 25 October 2000 by the Board of Governors of the
European Schools, the intergovernmental body responsible for those schools, each language section must
have a minimum of 75 pupils at primary level and 84 at secondary level.

If at any stage in the future it becomes likely that the validity criteria would be met for languages other
than those provided at Frankfurt and Alicante, the Commission would, of course, support opening the
relevant language sections in the schools concerned.

(2002/C 301 E/153)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1415/02

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(23 May 2002)

Subject: Safety of maize variety T-25 for consumers

According to reports by the BBC, the maize variety T-25 may be harmful to human and animal health.
Despite this, the commercial use of T-25 is permitted by the Commission. Evidently, authorisation was
granted on the basis of inaccurate research findings.