WRITTEN QUESTION E-0635/03 by Kathleen Van Brempt (PSE) to the Commission. Intelligent headlights.
Date: 2003-03-04
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: common transport policy, motor vehicle industry, road safety, signalling device

C 242 E/158

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

9.10.2003

If voluntary pension contributions overlap with obligatory pension contributions in another Member State,
the voluntary contributions are not lost. As a matter of fact, the social security institutions of each country
where a worker has been insured are obliged to calculate a national pension and a pro rata pension, to
compare the two figures and to grant the migrant worker the amount most favourable to him.

The national pension is the pension calculated in accordance with the national rules only, taking into
account solely the periods completed in this country. Therefore periods of voluntary pension contributions
are included in this calculation and should in principle increase the amount of the national pension.

In order to determine the proportional or pro rata pension, it is first necessary to calculate the theoretical
amount, which takes the whole of a person’s working life into account as if the periods spent abroad had
been completed in the country in question. Overlapping periods are counted only once, and it is in this
context that Article 15 of Regulation (EEC) No 574/72 stipulates that periods of compulsory insurance in
one Member State take precedence over periods of voluntary insurance in another Member State. The pro
rata pension is then obtained by multiplying this theoretical amount by a fraction whose numerator
represents the duration of the periods of work in the country and denominator all the periods taken into
account in determining the theoretical amount.

As these provisions therefore ensure that voluntary pension contributions are not lost, the Commission
wonder why the constituent to whose case the Honourable Member was referring would actually even
receive a lower German pension because of the voluntary contributions. If the Honourable Member has
more detailed information on the specific case, he is invited to send them to the Commission to be
examined by its services.

(1) Regulation (EEC) No 1408/71 of the Council of 14 June 1971 on the application of social security schemes to

employed persons and their families moving within the Community.

(2) Regulation (EEC) No 574/72 of the Council of 21 March 1972 fixing the procedure for implementing Regulation
(EEC) No 1408/71 on the application of social security schemes to employed persons and their families moving
within the Community.

(2003/C 242 E/165)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0635/03

by Kathleen Van Brempt (PSE) to the Commission

(4 March 2003)

Subject: Intelligent headlights

The car industry would like to introduce intelligent headlights for vehicles. These swivelling ‘car eyes’, as
they are termed,
increase the field of vision and are considered by the industry to be a road safety
enhancement. All that the car industry is waiting for is for European legislation to be adapted.

Is the Commission planning to adapt the ECE Directive and make the use of intelligent headlights possible?

If so, can it say what its plans and objectives are?

If not, what are the Commission’s objections to intelligent headlights?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(3 April 2003)

The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE) Regulation 48 concerning the installation
of lighting and light-signalling devices has already been adapted to permit the use of headlamps whose
beam pattern can be modified to provide additional light in the direction that the vehicle is turning,
known as ‘bend lighting’. In addition, two other Regulations dealing with headlamps as components have
also been adapted to include provisions for bend lighting.

9.10.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 242 E/159

As the Community is a signatory to the UN/ECE Agreement under which these Regulations were made,
and having acceeded to these particular Regulations, the Member States are obliged to permit the placing
on the market of vehicles and components that comply with these provisions. Indeed, a number of
vehicles have already obtained Community whole vehicle type approval with bend lighting installed, and
the Commission is not aware of any problems being experienced by any manufacturer in getting such
approvals.

(2003/C 242 E/166)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0638/03

by José Mendiluce Pereiro (PSE) to the Commission

Subject: Report on the Spanish National Hydrological Plan

(26 February 2003)

The Commission is in the process of examining the Spanish National Hydrological Plan, and in particular
the large-scale plan to divert 1 050 hm3 of water from the River Ebro to other water catchment areas. The
main recipient of the water diverted under the project will be the catchment areas in the Autonomous
Community of Murcia. The regional government of Murcia is devoting significant time and resources,
in conjunction with the Spanish central government, to persuading the Commission to approve these
diversions and cofinance their implementation. It has to this end appointed Mr Amalio Garrido,
its
commissioner for sustainable development, as its representative in Brussels.

The Polytechnic University of Cartagena (Murcia) recently published a report dated 7 January 2003 and
entitled ‘A Technical Review of
the Spanish National Hydrological Plan (Ebro River Out-of-basin
Diversion)’, which the Commission is currently examining.

The authors of this report state that the European Union asked Alexander J. Horne and John Dracup to
form a team of six experts with a view to drawing up the report, with their client and contact person
being Amalio Garrido.

This begs the following questions:

1. Did the Commission or members of its staff play a part in the decision to prepare this report, in the

choice of its authors, in its drafting or in anything relating to it?

2.

If so, what part did the Commission or members of its staff play, and what was the aim of this
involvement?

3. What relationship developed between the European Commission or members of its staff, the Regional
Government of Murcia’s commissioner for sustainable development and the University of Cartagena
with regard to the preparation of this report?

(2003/C 242 E/167)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0653/03

by Miquel Mayol i Raynal (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

Subject: Report on the Spanish National Hydrological Plan

(27 February 2003)

The Commission is in the process of examining the Spanish National Hydrological Plan, and in particular
the large-scale plan to divert 1 050 hm3 of water from the River Ebro to other water catchment areas. The
main recipient of the water diverted under the project will be the catchment areas in the Autonomous
Community of Murcia. The regional government of Murcia is devoting significant time and resources,
in conjunction with the Spanish central government, to persuading the Commission to approve these
diversions and cofinance their implementation. It has to this end appointed Mr Amalio Garrido,
its
commissioner for sustainable development, as its representative in Brussels.