do-me/EUR-LEX huggingface dataset:
WRITTEN QUESTION E-3086/02 by Jonas Sjöstedt (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Professional drivers with poor eyesight.
Date: 2002-10-28
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European standard, application of EU law, derogation from EU law, drivers, driving licence, medical examination

C 137 E/156

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

12.6.2003

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(26 November 2002)

The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its answer to written P-3064/02 by Mr Lund (1).

(1) See page 152.

(2003/C 137 E/178)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3086/02

by Jonas Sjöstedt (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(28 October 2002)

Subject: Professional drivers with poor eyesight

Swedish newspapers report that professional drivers with poor eyesight are forced to use contact lenses
instead of spectacles. This has affected some drivers adversely as they are unable to wear lenses for various
reasons.

The Swedish National Road Administration considers that the rules on vision standards are cumbersome
but that the EU directive must be strictly adhered to and that it is not possible to grant exemptions for
spectacle lenses over eight dioptres. However, the Administration has also said that lawyers and doctors on
the traffic medicine council are gathering arguments to persuade the European Union to raise the limit.

In the Commission’s view, is it possible for the Swedish National Road Administration to grant exemptions
to allow professional drivers to use spectacles which exceed eight dioptres?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(11 December 2002)

As regards driving licences, Council Directive 91/439/EEC was adopted on 29 July 1991 (1) and entered
into force on 1 July 1996. Article 7(1)(a) of that Directive lays down that holders of driving licences must
meet medical standards, in accordance with the provisions of Annex III, which states that any driver in
group 2 must have a visual acuity, with corrective lenses if necessary, of at least 0,8 in the better eye and
at least 0,5 in the worse eye.

Such a defect of vision may be corrected with the aid of contact lenses for any level of correction.
However, where glasses are used, the corrective power could not exceed four dioptres until 1996. Since
10 July 1996, this maximum power has been increased to eight dioptres (2) to take account of scientific
progress.

Annex III lays down the minimum standards of physical and mental fitness for driving a power driven
vehicle, which allows Member States to apply stricter standards, but not less rigorous ones. However,
Member States may, with the agreement of the Commission, derogate from the provisions of Annex III
where such derogations are compatible with the development of medical science and with the principles
laid down in that Annex (Article 7(3) of the Directive).

(1) Council Directive 91/439/EEC of 29 July 1991 on driving licences, OJ L 237, 24.8.1991.
(2) Commission Decision 96/427/EC of 10 July 1996 concerning a derogation from the provisions of Annex III of

Council Directive 91/439/EECl, OJ L 175, 13.7.1996.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-3095/02 by María Valenciano Martínez-Orozco (PSE) to the Commission. The Objective 2 programme for the Madrid region for 1997-1999.
Date: 2002-10-28
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Community of Madrid, EU financing arrangements, European Court of Auditors, European Regional Development Fund, auditing, management audit, operational programme

8.5.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 110 E/163

Article 2 of Regulation (EC) No 1019/2002 does not prohibit direct sales but, in order to guarantee oil
quality, help prevent fraudulent misrepresentation of blends and ensure that oil sold for consumption
meets health protection standards, all oil must be sold in containers of capacity less than five litres that are
fitted with a suitable closing system and labelled in line with the Regulation.

If a Member State so authorises restaurateurs can have access to hermetically sealed containers of more
than five litres.

Producers are under no obligation to sell to any category of operator whatsoever.

The Commission firmly believes that the quality of the oil that the producer furnishes must be safeguarded
until it reaches the consumer.

(1) OJ L 155, 14.6.2002.
(2) Commission Regulation (EC) No 2815/98 of 22 December 1998 concerning marketing standards for olive oil,

OJ L 349, 24.12.1998.

(2003/C 110 E/182)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3095/02

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

(28 October 2002)

Subject: The Objective 2 programme for the Madrid region for 1997-1999

Can the Commission provide information on the outcome of the final report
for the Objective 2
programme for the Madrid region 1997-1999 and on the error detected by the Court of Auditors audit
carried out for the above period?

Can the Commission state whether it is aware of the Autonomous Community of Madrid having taken
steps to rectify the errors identified?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(3 December 2002)

In 2000, the Court of Auditors carried out an inspection of several measures part-financed by the
European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under the Objective 2 OP for Madrid (1997-99).

The conclusions of the Court’s report on measure 3.4 ‘Construction of and equipment for research and
development centres’ of this OP found that some expenditure on projects did not relate to research and
development (R & D) but to university education. Community rules do not permit the part-financing of
investment in education in areas eligible under Objective 2.

The national authorities, however, regarded all the projects included in the declarations of expenditure as
concerned with R & D.

To resolve this disagreement,
in agreement with the Commission, recently
appointed an independent expert to check on all the projects included in the measure and identify
investment relating to research and development.

the Spanish authorities,

The conclusions of this investigation will be sent to the Commission so that the amount of the expenditure
actually eligible for part-financing from the ERDF under this measure can be established.

The Commission is now awaiting this report.
Commission Regulation (EC) No 1920/2002 of 28 October 2002 establishing the standard import values for determining the entry price of certain fruit and vegetables
Date: 2002-10-28
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: agri-monetary policy, citrus fruit, fruit vegetable, grape, import price, perennial vegetable, pip fruit

29.10.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 293/7

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1920/2002

of 28 October 2002

establishing the standard import values for determining the entry price of certain fruit and
vegetables

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

(2)

In compliance with the above criteria,
the standard
import values must be fixed at the levels set out in the
Annex to this Regulation,

Having regard to Commission Regulation (EC) No 3223/94 of
21 December 1994 on detailed rules for the application of the
import arrangements
last
amended by Regulation (EC) No 1498/98 (2), and in particular
Article 4(1) thereof,

fruit and vegetables (1), as

for

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Whereas:

(1)

Regulation (EC) No 3223/94 lays down, pursuant to the
outcome of the Uruguay Round multilateral trade nego-
tiations, the criteria whereby the Commission fixes the
standard values for imports from third countries,
in
respect of the products and periods stipulated in the
Annex thereto.

The standard import values referred to in Article 4 of Regula-
tion (EC) No 3223/94 shall be fixed as indicated in the Annex
hereto.

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on 29 October 2002.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 28 October 2002.

For the Commission

J. M. SILVA RODRÍGUEZ

Agriculture Director-General

(1) OJ L 337, 24.12.1994, p. 66.
(2) OJ L 198, 15.7.1998, p. 4.

L 293/8

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

29.10.2002

to the Commission Regulation of 28 October 2002 establishing the standard import values for determining the
entry price of certain fruit and vegetables

ANNEX

CN code

0702 00 00

0707 00 05

0709 90 70

0805 50 10

0806 10 10

0808 10 20, 0808 10 50, 0808 10 90

0808 20 50

Third country
code (1)

Standard import
value

(EUR/100 kg)

052
096
204
624
999
052
628
999
052
999
052
220
388
528
600
999
052
400
508
999
052
388
400
404
512
720
800
804
999
052
720
999

71,2
26,2
60,5
101,8
64,9
114,0
143,3
128,7
85,0
85,0
69,3
92,2
59,4
56,1
85,9
72,6
104,2
248,9
254,5
202,5
71,0
78,7
75,4
92,1
86,9
55,0
179,0
85,8
90,5
104,4
48,6
76,5

(1) Country nomenclature as fixed by Commission Regulation (EC) No 2020/2001 (OJ L 273, 16.10.2001, p. 6). Code ‘999’ stands for ‘of

other origin’.