WRITTEN QUESTION E-3324/02 by Professor Sir Neil MacCormick (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Possible increase of EU contribution to the Global Plan to stop tuberculosis.
Date: 2002-11-25
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, aid policy, health aid, health policy, infectious disease

15.1.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 11 E/47

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(29 January 2003)

Community competence in the field of development policy is provided for in title XX of the EC Treaty.
The policy is implemented in accordance with those provisions.

Accordingly, all action of the Community in the field of development cooperation must fall under the
objectives defined in Article 177 of the EC Treaty. However, it follows from the judgment of the Court of
Justice in Case C-268/1994 (Portugal/Commission, [1996] ECR I-6177) that a measure in the field of
development cooperation may lay down provisions on specific matters without there being any need to
have recourse to other legal bases, or indeed to participation of the Member States in the conclusion of the
agreement, in so far as the essential purpose of the agreement is to pursue the objectives referred to in
Article 177, and on condition that the clauses concerning specific matters do not impose obligations so
extensive that they in fact constitute objectives distinct from those of development cooperation. According
to the Court, the mere inclusion of provisions for cooperation in a specific field does not, therefore,
necessarily imply a general enabling power to serve as the basis of a competence to undertake any kind of
cooperation action in that field, with the result that it does not predetermine the allocation of spheres of
competence between the Community and the Member States or the legal basis of Community acts for
implementing cooperation in such a field.

(2004/C 11 E/049)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3324/02

by Professor Sir Neil MacCormick (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(25 November 2002)

Subject: Possible increase of EU contribution to the Global Plan to stop tuberculosis

Will the Commission consider increasing its contribution to the Global Plan to stop tuberculosis? Is the
Commission aware that despite its recent very welcome contribution to the Global Plan, there remains a
serious funding shortfall over the five years of the Plan? Does the Commission agree that in the long run it
would be much more expensive if the Plan were only partially fulfilled with the result of increasing spread
of multi-drug resistant TB?

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(23 December 2002)

The Stop Tuberculosis (TB) Partnership has presented the Global Plan to stop TB in which it describes the
strategies and resources needed over the next five years to expand, adapt, and improve DOTS (directly
observed treatment short regime), meeting the 2005 global targets and setting the world on the road to
the elimination of TB. USD 9 billion is needed to fulfil the objectives of the Plan, with a present gap of
nearly US$4 billion.

The Commission is aware of the pertinence and urgency of investing in TB which will have an overall
development impact and also avoid the costs of a spread of multi-drug resistant TB in the future.

The Commission supports the extension of the DOTS strategy. This strategy relies on effective health
systems and therefore it is through support at country level and in dialogue with the government
authorities towards sector support we can best support TB control. The Commission is also co-financing
non-governmental organisations (NGOs) which have focused on TB control
in some regions. The
Commission also supports the Global Fund to fight acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), malaria
and tuberculosis aiming at TB control in the context of the Millennium Development Goals. These funds
will target tuberculosis control programmes, including scaling up DOTS.

C 11 E/48

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

15.1.2004

New and better drugs, diagnostics and vaccines are also needed for Tuberculosis, in order to increase
detection rates, cure rates and reduce transmission, incidence and mortality. The Commission has increased
its commitment towards health research on poverty related diseases through the 6th Research Framework,
including the European Development Clinical Trials Platform.

The Commission is also looking into priority areas of TB intervention through the poverty-related diseases’
budget line. Its regulation is being discussed at present in Parliament and Council. It will allow the
Commission inter alia to fund innovative initiatives towards the control of TB, which can later be scaled
up through other financial tools of the Commission.

(2004/C 11 E/050)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3327/02

by Toine Manders (ELDR) to the Commission

(25 November 2002)

Subject: European football finals

The Netherlands is in danger of missing out on major large-scale international sporting events as a result
of stringent financial regulations (De Volkskrant, 8 November 2002). UEFA has said that it will not for the
time being be holding football finals in the Netherlands.

The performing artists and professional athletes regulation provides that foreign sportsmen must pay
income tax in respect of sporting activities they engage in in the Netherlands. Apart from salaries and
bonuses, the revenue from sale of television rights by the foreign club or league will, for example, be
regarded as taxable income. Revenue from sales of television rights is in fact a major source of income for
clubs and leagues, and does not go to players. Inquiries have shown that fiscal arrangements in other
Member States are less strict.

Given that football matches can be regarded as services, the actions of the Netherlands revenue department
seem to me to obstruct the freedom to provide services, and hence the single market. The role of UEFA in
the allocation of European football finals also prompts some questions, not least because of its monopoly
position.

This situation is undesirable from both the financial and economic and the social and cultural points of
view.

1.

Is the Commission aware of the above situation?

Does the Commission take the view that UEFA, as the organiser of events of this kind, could abuse

2.
its monopoly position in allocating European football finals in Europe?

Does the Commission take the view that

3.
constitute an obstacle to the freedom to provide services, and hence to the single market?

the actions of

the Netherlands revenue department

Is the Commission prepared to take action to deal with the above situation by eliminating this

4.
distortion of the single market and, if so, what action?

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(9 January 2003)

The Commission is aware of the situation described by the Honourable Member.

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), as the governing body of football on the continent
of Europe, has the ability to decide where finals of the European football championships that it organises
are to be held, and the straightforward exercise of that right could not constitute an abuse of a dominant
position contrary to Article 82 of the EC Treaty, unless it were shown to be clearly discriminatory and
incapable of objective justification.