WRITTEN QUESTION P-2239/02 by Rainer Wieland (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Export documents in the local language.
Date: 2002-07-17
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: carriage of goods, competence of the Member States, customs territory (EU), export licence, official language, transport document, use of languages

C 28 E/206

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.2.2003

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(11 September 2002)

Euratom safeguards applies to all civil nuclear materials in the Union. Safeguards on these materials are
applied according to established Commission’s goals and objectives, commensurate with the strategic value
of the material concerned and independent of the Member State on which territory the materials are
processed or stored. The Commission will therefore attribute the necessary resources to any new civil
nuclear activities that are undertaken in the United Kingdom.

(2003/C 28 E/235)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2222/02

by Nuala Ahern (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(23 July 2002)

Subject: Commissioner de Loyola’s calls for new nuclear plants in the EU

Is it sensible for Commissioner de Loyola to call so publicly, as she has done this year, for new nuclear
plants to be built in the EU, and indeed in the applicant countries, when Euratom’s inspectorate is
evidently operating with insufficient staff to implement properly the safeguards and security requirements
for the current nuclear plants?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(23 September 2002)

Euratom safeguards applies to all civil nuclear materials in the Union. Safeguards on these materials are
applied according to established Commission’s goals and objectives, commensurate with the strategic value
of the material concerned and independent of the Member State on which territory the materials are
processed or stored. The Commission will therefore attribute the necessary resources to implement
safeguards in the installations (existing or those to be built) of the applicant countries on their accession to
the Union.

The Commission has recently reaffirmed its position on nuclear energy in the Final Report on the Green
Paper ‘Towards a European Strategy for the security of energy supply’ (1) adopted by the College on 26th of
June 2002.

The Honourable Member may also wish to refer to the oral question H-0287/02 (2) on these issues.

(1) COM(2002) 321 final.
(2) Written reply, 14.05.2002.

(2003/C 28 E/236)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2239/02

by Rainer Wieland (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Export documents in the local language

(17 July 2002)

Is it true that customs documents (in this instance, European Community export declarations) for the
movement of goods inside and outside the European Union must be completed at the relevant customs
post in the local language and in no other?

Is it not possible for such documents (cid:1) as well as any other documents relating to the movement of
goods (cid:1) to be completed and submitted in English?

If that should not be the case, does the Commission have any plans to introduce a uniform language
system or to authorise the use of any of the official languages of the European Union?

Do the Member States have any say in the selection of the language?

6.2.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 28 E/207

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(9 September 2002)

Under Article 211 of the Customs Code Implementing Provisions (1), customs declarations (in this case
export declarations) must be made out in an official language of the Community accepted by the customs
authorities of the Member State in which the formalities are being carried out. It is for the Member States
to decide which official languages they accept.

Where necessary, the customs authorities of the Member State of destination may ask the declarant or his
representative there for a translation into an official language of that Member State.

(1) Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2454 of 2 July 1993 laying down provisions for the implementation of Council

Regulation (EEC) No 2913/92 establishing the Community Customs Code (OJ L 253, 11.10.1993).

(2003/C 28 E/237)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2240/02

by María Valenciano Martínez-Orozco (PSE) to the Commission

Subject: Stage reached in dealing with complaint 2000/4187

(17 July 2002)

On 5 July 2000 the Directorate-General for the Environment began examining complaint 2000/4187
relating to failure to comply with Directives 79/409/EEC (1) and 92/43/EEC (2) as regards the building of
various sections of the A6 motorway between Segovia and Àvila.

Can the Commission say what stage has now been reached in dealing with this complaint?

Can it say whether it has received any kind of reply from the Spanish authorities in response to the
notification?

What practical measures does the Commission intend to take to settle the matter and ensure compliance
with Community legislation?

(1) OJ L 103, 25.4.1979, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 206, 22.7.1992, p. 7.

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(5 August 2002)

The Commission did receive a complaint in 2000 about the planned construction of a toll motorway
between San Rafael and Segovia which would cross the ‘Umbría de Guadarrama’ site of Community
importance (SCI) for birds.

After checking whether the Spanish authorities should have declared the SCI a Special Protection
Area (SPA) for birds, the Commission sent Spain a letter of formal notice, the first step in infringement
proceedings under Article 226 of the EC Treaty, since the motorway construction project in question
should have followed the procedure laid down in Article 6 of Council Directive 92/43/EEC (1) of 21 May
1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora.

However, the reply from the Spanish authorities showed that there was already dense infrastructure in the
corridor that was the planned route of the motorway. It had been excluded from the protection area
declared by the authorities in October 2000 because of
the damage to the site by the existing
infrastructure. The Spanish authorities had declared as a Special Protection Area for Birds 90 % of the SCI
covered by the Spanish Ornithological Society (SEO/birdlife) survey.