WRITTEN QUESTION E-2730/02 by Emmanouil Bakopoulos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Marína II and southern Europe.
Date: 2002-09-30
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU programme, EU publication, Mediterranean region (EU), Northern Europe, marine environment, radioactivity, report

8.5.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 110 E/95

(2003/C 110 E/096)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2726/02

by Albert Maat (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(23 September 2002)

Subject: Export refunds for breeding cattle for Morocco

Is the Commission aware of the often widely diverging administrative and veterinary procedures applying
to exporters of breeding cattle when the cattle arrive in the country of destination? The exporter cannot
influence them at all, but they may well mean the exporter does not receive the refund, for instance if an
animal dies (beyond the exporter’s responsibility) or is slaughtered during the quarantine period.

What measures does the Commission propose to take to counteract the unjust withholding of export
refunds?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(24 October 2002)

The question of entitlement to the export refund on pure-bred breeding animals requires consideration of
several specific provisions.

Article 5(2) of Commission Regulation (EC) No 615/98 of 18 March 1998 laying down specific detailed
rules of application for the export refund arrangements as regards the welfare of live bovine animals
during transport (1) requires the exporter to declare the number of live animals released for free circulation
in the non-EU country. Paragraph 3 of that Article states that the export refund will not be paid on
animals that die during transport or on animals for which the designated authority considers (cid:1) in the light
of the documents mentioned in the above-mentioned paragraph 2, the reports on the checks indicated in
Article 4 of the Regulation or any other information at its disposal relating to respect for the provisions of
Article 1 of the Regulation (cid:1) that Council Directive 91/628/EEC of 19 November 1991 on the protection
of animals during transport and amending Directives 91/425/EEC and 91/496/EEC (2) was not complied
with.

It follows that if for reasons outside the exporter’s responsibility not stemming from non-observation of
the requirements of Council Directive 91/628/EEC animals are slaughtered or die during quarantine
granting of the refund should be unaffected.

It should also be stated, without prejudice to the foregoing, that the export refunds in question are non-
differentiated. Hence under Article 3 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 800/1999 of 15 April 1999
laying down common detailed rules for application of the system of export refunds on agricultural
products (3) generally speaking (and subject to the terms of that Article) entitlement to the refund is
acquired on exit from the Community’s customs territory.

(1) OJ L 82, 19.3.1998.
(2) OJ L 340, 11.12.1991.
(3) OJ L 102, 17.4.1999.

(2003/C 110 E/097)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2730/02

by Emmanouil Bakopoulos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(30 September 2002)

Subject: Marína II and southern Europe

The Marína II project seeks to analyse radioactivity in the waters of northern Europe up to the mid-1980s.

C 110 E/96

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

8.5.2003

Does the Commission have a similar project regarding the waters of southern Europe (cid:1) principally the
Mediterranean Sea (cid:1) and, if not, does the Commission intend to launch an initiative along these lines?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(25 October 2002)

Several studies regarding radioactivity in the marine environment have been conducted on behalf of the
Commission until now.

Regarding the Mediterranean Sea the project ‘Marína-Med’ was initiated in 1992 and finished in 1994.

The following reports were published by Directorate General Environment:

(cid:1) The radiological exposure of the population of the European Community from radioactivity in the

Mediterranean Sea (cid:1) Project Marína-Med;

Report by a group of experts convened by the European Commission.

Luxembourg, 1994. (Doc. XI-094/93).

(cid:1) The radiological exposure of the population of the European Community from radioactivity in the

Mediterranean Sea (cid:1) Project Marína-Med;

Proceedings of a seminar held in Rome, 17-19 May 1993.

Luxembourg 1994 (EUR15564EN).

Other projects dealt with North European marine waters (Marína, Report EUR12483EN, 1990; Marína II,
draft report on the website: http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/radprot, 2002) and the Baltic Sea
(Marína-Balt, Report EUR12483EN, 2000).

(2003/C 110 E/098)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2734/02

by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(30 September 2002)

Subject: Radar installation on the island of Madeira

Madeiran environmentalists have warned the Commission about the problems caused by the construction
of a large-scale radar installation on Pico do Areeiro, on the island of Madeira.

This is the only nesting place for one of the rarest birds in the world, the Madeira petrel, of which there
are only around thirty known breeding pairs. This bird is protected by law under the European Union
Birds Directive and the Bern Convention, and its habitat is also protected as part of the Life project.

Pico do Areeiro is part of an area covered by the natural park and is listed in the Natura 2000 network.
impact study carried out by a team of experts linked to the University of Aveiro
The environmental
confirmed that the planned radar installation on Pico do Areeiro would have a number of negative
consequences, particularly for the Madeira petrel, an endangered species.

Can the Commission say what position it has taken on the report sent by Madeiran environmentalists?