WRITTEN QUESTION E-3360/02 by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Use of languages on the Commission's website on enlargement.
Date: 2002-11-27
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Commission, Internet site, access to EU information, accession to the European Union, administration of the Institutions, dissemination of EU information, use of languages

C 11 E/50

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

15.1.2004

(2004/C 11 E/052)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3360/02

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(27 November 2002)

Subject: Use of languages on the Commission’s website on enlargement

Given that the level of knowledge of, and interest in, the enlargement of the Union among the European
population cannot be said to be exceptional, or even especially high, the Commission rightly devotes a
great deal of attention to this subject on its website at www.europa.eu.int. It is very strange, however, that
all of the links from the page in Dutch (www.europa.eu.int/comm/enlargement/index_nl.html) lead almost
exclusively to documents in English.

What are the grounds for the Commission’s having decided to communicate through its public website
solely in English on a subject which is nothing more nor less than a milestone in the development of
Europe?

languages within the Union? Does the
Does the Commission recognise the existence of 11 official
Commission therefore also intend to provide information in the other 10 official Union languages? If so,
when does it plan to do so? If not, why is it limiting itself almost exclusively to English, apart from the
occasional exception in French?

Why is English given preference over, for example, German, French or Dutch?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(7 January 2003)

The web site of the Directorate-General (DG) for Enlargement has been improved constantly during this
last year with the launching in early October 2002 of its new version. The introduction of a complete set
of web pages with navigation in the other ten official languages is envisaged within the framework of a
further revision of the web site of DG Enlargement, which will be set up in January 2003. Meanwhile, the
Commission would like to point out to the Honourable Member that the European citizens already have
access to important documents such as the ‘Strategy Papers concerning the Progress of the Applicant
Countries in the Negotiations’ for 1998-2002 in all eleven official languages of the Union.

(2004/C 11 E/053)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3373/02

by Jonas Sjöstedt (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(27 November 2002)

Subject: Video amateurs’ right to edit videos

Since October 2002, German customs (reportedly with the Commission’s consent) have begun to take an
active part in restricting the right of video amateurs to edit videos.

Practically all video cameras imported into the Member States are reprogrammed by the manufacturers, i.e.
they are ‘doctored’ to meet EU requirements. Video cameras which have not been ‘doctored’ are subject to
a punitive tariff of some 10 % when imported into the EU, which prevents EU citizens from editing their
videos on a computer. Over five years, a whole new industry has developed in the Member States to
restore video cameras to a ‘democratic’ state. It is now claimed that the Commission is playing a part in
stifling that industry.

Is it reasonable for ‘non-doctored’ video cameras to be subject to an almost 10 % higher rate of duty than
those which have been ‘doctored’ to meet EU requirements? Are there any plans to change the rate of
duty?