WRITTEN QUESTION E-1524/02 by John McCartin (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Imports of beef into the EU.
Date: 2002-06-04
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: beef, exchange of information, import (EU), originating product, statistics

26.9.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 229 E/217

The Commission’s Report on the Quality of School Education is the most recent document containing
comparative figures across EU Member States on education systems. Would the Commission agree that, as
the figures contained in this report are mostly from 1997, in order to identify good practice and define the
main policy challenges further indicators are needed?

Also, would the Commission agree that figures comparing youth crime rates and school drop-out rates
comparatively across the EU would be highly beneficial to policy-makers? Is the Commission able to
supply these figures?

(1) OJ C 364 E, 20.12.2001, p. 98.

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(17 June 2002)

The Commission agrees that further indicators are needed in order to define the main policy challenges in
the education and training areas. In effect, the work that was started through the Report on Quality of
School Education has been continued, on the request of the European Ministers of Education, in order to
identify Quality Indicators of Lifelong Learning. The report will be presented to the Conference of
European Ministers of Education which will take place in Bratislava in June 2002.

Indicators, together with the exchange of good practice and peer reviews, play a central role in the open
method of co-ordination and in particular in the detailed work programme on the follow-up of the report
on the concrete future objectives of education and training systems in Europe, adopted by the Council in
February 2002 (1) and presented to the Spring 2002 European Council. Indicators will be developed for all
the objectives areas for which they are deemed to be the most viable method of comparison.

A standing group on indicators and benchmarking,
from candidate countries is being set up by the Commission to monitor this process.

including representatives from Member States and

The Commission is aware of the fact that at the same time it will be necessary to expand the quantity and
quality of internationally comparable statistics in education and training. The development of the open
method of co-ordination will rely on such improvements.

Lastly, while one of the structural indicators on social cohesion covers early school leavers, no European
data are yet available on youth crime. The Commission considers that it would certainly be worth
exploring the links suggested by the Honourable Member in the future, as soon as comparable data on
youth crime are available.

(1) OJ C 58, 5.3.2002.

(2002/C 229 E/249)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1524/02

by John McCartin (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(4 June 2002)

Subject: Imports of beef into the EU

Can the Commission state what quantities of beef are being imported annually into the EU and from
which countries?

C 229 E/218

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

26.9.2002

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(26 June 2002)

The Commission is sending direct to the Honourable Member and to Parliament’s Secretariat a table
containing the information requested.

(2002/C 229 E/250)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1528/02

by Jorge Hernández Mollar (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Measures against Economy Class Syndrome

(4 June 2002)

From the plane straight into Casualty. This has been a common route for many EU citizens who, after a
flight of more than six hours, have arrived at an EU airport suffering from Deep Vein Thrombosis.

According to experts, Economy Class Syndrome is due to dehydration resulting from the dry atmosphere
in planes, the pressure decrease in aircraft on takeoff, and above all, the lack of mobility. Therefore doctors
recommend that airlines allocate greater space for passenger seats.

Can the Commission indicate if,
it can exercise
influence over airline companies to ensure that aeroplane seats provide passengers with more space in
order to avoid the overcrowding which encourages Economy Class Syndrome?

in accordance with medical opinion on the matter,

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(9 July 2002)

The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to the reply it gave to Oral Question H-0442/02 by
Mr Evans during question time at Parliament’s June 2002 part-session (1).

(1) Written answer of 11.6.2002.

(2002/C 229 E/251)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1608/02

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(5 June 2002)

Subject: Denial of National Mortgage Guarantee in the Netherlands to some residents who are nationals of

other EU Member States or EEA countries

1.
Is the Commission aware that the Owner-Occupiers Guarantee Fund (Stichting Waarborg-fonds Eigen
Woning) in the Netherlands, which provides National Mortgage Guarantees C the successor of Municipal
Guarantees (guarantees provided by municipal authorities that home-buyers would meet their mortgage
payments) C and protects home-buyers against future risks and against higher interest payments to
building societies to cover higher risks, has introduced new rules in 2002, one of which (p. 12) is that an
applicant from a Member State of the European Union or the European Economic Area must be in
possession of a Netherlands residence permit which is valid indefinitely in order to be eligible for a loan to
help him/her buy a home or, as an owner-occupier, make improvements to his/her home?

2.
Is the Commission aware that the Netherlands only grants the right to such a residence permit once
the applicant has been entered in the population register of a Dutch municipality for five years, even if the
person concerned can prove with the aid of witnesses or by producing an employment contract that he/
she has been resident in the Netherlands for longer?