WRITTEN QUESTION E-3572/03 by Graham Watson (ELDR) to the Commission. Lloyds of London.
Date: 2003-12-05
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: United Kingdom, application of EU law, exchange of information, financial control, financial solvency, infringement procedure (EU), insurance, insurance company

3.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 84 E/247

Will it accept the White Paper’s recommendation that EU spending in the field of space policy be increased
by 4,6 %, starting in 2004?

Reply

(11 March 2004)

The importance which the Council attaches to the development of a European space policy is

1.
reflected in a number of recent initiatives taken in this area, in particular:

(cid:1) the Council Resolution of 27 November 2003 on the contribution of industrial policy to European
competitiveness, which ‘inter alia’ stresses the need for a consolidated industrial and institutional
approach to maintain and develop the European space industry and foster co-operation between the
European Space Agency and the European Union (1);

(cid:1) the signature of the EC-ESA Framework Agreement on 25 November 2003 (2) as well as the Council

Resolution of 13 May 2003 on European Space Policy, foreshadowing this agreement (3).

2.
Following the EC-ESA Framework Agreement, the first concrete steps towards the implementation of
an overall space policy are currently being undertaken and the necessary administrative arrangements are
being worked out to develop close cooperation between the services of the Commission and ESA.

3.
The Honourable Member’s attention is further drawn to the Commission’s Legislative and Work
Programme 2004 (4) and the Commission communication on a European initiative for Growth (5), which
list the Galileo and GMES initiatives among their key priorities. These initiatives, as well as other aspects of
space policy, will be further pursued during the coming months with the holding of the first meeting of
the ‘Space Council’, which brings decision makers on space matters together at the European political level.

The Honourable Member will be aware that the Commission’s White Paper entitled ‘Space: a new
4.
European frontier for an expanding Union (cid:1) An action plan for implementing the European Space
policy’ (6) was presented to the Council by the Commission on 27 November 2003. Discussion of the
Commission’s White Paper has therefore only been of a preliminary character; further in-depth discussions
will take place during the first semester of 2004.

The financial implications of the White Paper will need to be closely examined and it is therefore not
possible, at the present juncture, for the Council to take a position on the 4,6 % increase or on the
alternative financial scenarios.

(1) Doc. 15472/03 Compet 77 IND 175 MI 305 RECH 243 Ecofin 393 RC 23 WTO 139 TEXT 25 TRANS 330 SOC

507 SAN 256.

(2) Doc. 12858/03 RECH 152 OC 589.
(3) Doc. 9341/03 Compet 26 IND 73 MI 104 RECH 87 Polarm 13 Telecom 76.
(4) Doc. 14510/03 INST 190.
(5) Doc. 14893/03 Ecofin 340 FIN 498 ECO 237 TRANS 294 ENER 308 RECH 212 SOC 473.
(6) Doc. 14893/03 RECH 211 Compet 62 IND 164 TRANS 293 Polarm 36.

(2004/C 84 E/0293)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3572/03

by Graham Watson (ELDR) to the Commission

(5 December 2003)

Subject: Lloyds of London

What consideration did the Commission give to the letter from the Lloyds Names Association of early
2003; and what comment does the Commission have on the Court finding of July 2003 that Lloyd’s was
in breach of the obligations in Article 19 of the pertinent Directive?

C 84 E/248

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

3.4.2004

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(3 March 2004)

The Commission has received a large number of letters and e-mails from the Chairman of the Lloyd’s
Names Association (LNA). Receipt of four letters sent in January 2003 were acknowledged in writing by
the letter of the Internal Market Directorate-General dated 30 January 2003. The Commission considered
these comments as part of its assessment when deciding to close (1) the case in October 2003. Many
comments related to the past situation at Lloyd’s, i.e. before the entry into force of the Financial Services
and Markets Act 2000, or had regard to non-prudential matters.

The Honourable Member has not fully specified the Court finding to which he refers. However, in the light
of the enquiries made by the Commission and having regard to other correspondence received from the
LNA Chairman, the Commission considers that this Court finding could relate to the decision of Lord
Justice Thomas in the English Commercial Court case of Sphere Drake v. Sterling Cooke Brown (SCB).
On the basis of the information provided by the LNA Chairman, this case relates primarily to matters in an
individual Lloyd’s syndicate during the period 1992-1996 and was therefore not directly relevant to the
Commission’s assessment of the compatibility of the new regulatory regime.

(1) Please see Commission Press Release IP/03/1386.

(2004/C 84 E/0294)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3575/03

by Michl Ebner (PPE-DE) to the Council

(5 December 2003)

Subject: EU Identity document for the disabled

Some 37 million citizens of the EU (cid:1) or ten per cent of the population (cid:1) suffer from some kind of
disability. European Year of People with Disabilities which ends in a few weeks’ time should provide a
fresh impetus and achieve practical results in the fight for the equal treatment of disabled EU citizens so as
to enable them to participate fully in all areas of life in future.

One step in this direction would be the introduction of a Europe-wide identity document for the disabled
guaranteeing facilities and privileges regardless of nationality and making them readily available to all
disabled persons. In my Written Question E-2173/02 (1) of 18 July 2002 I already pointed to the need for
such an identity document for the disabled.

Since each Member State is free to determine the scope of the facilities and privileges accorded to the
disabled, a uniform EU identity document for the disabled is needed. It should guarantee each disabled
citizen of the Union the same rights in each country.

Will the Council answer the following questions:

(cid:1) Has the EU already developed initial ideas about the introduction of an identity document for the

disabled which is valid throughout the EU?

(cid:1) If so, will it say what these ideas are?

(cid:1) If not, does it not agree that an identity document for the disabled which is valid throughout the EU

should be introduced?

(1) OJ C 277 E, 14.11.2002, p. 257.