WRITTEN QUESTION E-3757/02 by Bernd Lange (PSE) to the Commission. Quantified environmental objectives in the transport sector.
Date: 2002-12-23
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: action programme, atmospheric pollutant, environmental protection, greenhouse gas, noise, sustainable mobility, transport policy

C 222 E/104

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

18.9.2003

(d) nationals of that Member State living on its territory or in another Member State and those citizens

only;

(e) all nationals of that Member State, wherever they may live; or

(f)

a body of citizens composed in some other way?

Reply

(8 May 2003)

The Council has not yet discussed these specific aspects but will examine these questions and their
implications in good time before 1 November 2004 when the said criterion will enter into force. With
regard to the statistics used by the Union, the Council would inform the Honourable Member that it is
customary to refer to those provided by Eurostat.

(2003/C 222 E/121)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3757/02

by Bernd Lange (PSE) to the Commission

(23 December 2002)

Subject: Quantified environmental objectives in the transport sector

In the Sixth Community Environment Action Programme the Commission was invited, in the context of
the target of an 8 % reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, to submit by the end of 2002 quantified
environmental objectives for a sustainable transport system (Article 5(2)(d)). A Commission group of
experts has proposed quantified objectives for three areas (greenhouse gases, air quality and noise).

At its meeting of 6 December 2002 the Council recognised these three areas (cid:1) greenhouse gases,
emissions of pollutants and noise (cid:1) as priorities for the transport sector and stressed the need for
medium- and long-term environmental targets in the transport sector.

What stage has been reached in the Commission’s deliberations? When will the Commission submit a
proposal for quantified environmental objectives in the transport sector?

Will the Commission keep to the schedule set in the Sixth Environment Action Programme? If not, why
not?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(11 February 2003)

In the 2001 White Paper on the Common Transport Policy (1), the Commission noted that for achieving
the ultimate objective of sustainable transport, ‘… [t]his sustainable transport system needs to be defined in
operational terms in order to give the policy-makers useful information to go on. Where possible, the
objectives put forward need to be quantified. The Commission plans to submit a communication in 2002
to spell out these objectives’. Such an invitation was also contained in the Sixth Environment Action
Programme.

The Council conclusions of 6 December 2002 mention that three areas, greenhouse gases, pollutant
emissions and noise, need further actions both from Member States and the Community. Work is
underway in all sectors.

In the same Council conclusions, the Council welcomes that the Commission is actively pursuing its work
on the examination of possible use of indicative long-term and intermediate environmental targets for
transport sector on Community level.

18.9.2003

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Official Journal of the European Union

C 222 E/105

In the course of 2002, the Commission has worked on developing the concept of environmental targets
for transport further inter alia based on advice from its Joint Expert Group on Transport and Environment,
jointly managed by Directorate General (DG) Transport and Energy and DG Environment.

The present state-of-play is that discussions are still ongoing in the Commission with regard to defining an
appropriate approach for setting targets. As a result, the envisaged Communication is now included in the
Commission’s Work Programme for 2003 and thus expected in the course of 2003. This Communication
will set out general principles for the use of environmental targets for transport policy and identify those
environmental problems for which such targets could be of use at Community level.

(1) COM(2001) 370 final.

(2003/C 222 E/122)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3770/02

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(16 December 2002)

Subject: Conversion of the arms industry

Before the reform of the Structural Funds, the Konver programme was implemented. It made funding
available to the arms industry, if the latter so wished, to enable arms manufacturers to switch to civil
production. Such conversion measures for the arms industry now form part of the normal budget for the
Structural Funds.

How much money has been spent on assisting conversion measures in the arms industry in the past
15 years? Can the Commission indicate, for each Member State, how these funds have been used?

In the specific case of Belgium, can it indicate which companies or authorities have taken advantage of this
assistance?

Has overall assistance with the conversion of the arms industry been evaluated, and can the Commission
accordingly state how many jobs have been transferred from the arms industry to the civil sector?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(16 January 2003)

The Commission is collecting the information it needs to answer the question. It will communicate its
findings as soon as possible.

(2003/C 222 E/123)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3774/02

by Margrietus van den Berg (PSE) to the Council

(16 December 2002)

Subject: Delay in implementing the diamond certification system

Is it true that the certificates required for the diamond trade have not yet been printed?

Has this anything to do with opposition to the Commission proposal from Belgium and the United
Kingdom?

Is it correct that this will result in a delay in implementing the certification system?

Can the Council give an assurance that the system will come into force on 1 February 2003 if it looks as if
it is unable to meet the deadline of 1 January 2003 announced earlier?