WRITTEN QUESTION E-4018/03 by Salvador Garriga Polledo (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Standardised use of the European flag on aircraft of EU airlines.
Date: 2004-01-09
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Council of Europe, European symbol, air transport, aircraft, transport company

3.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 84 E/285

The web sites and pages produced by the Commission mainly targeting the general public and the media
as well as the Community law access service, Eur-Lex, have already been adapted to WAI standards.

The level A conformity logo on certain Europa pages means that those pages, as well as part of their
secondary pages, have been set out with a view to accessibility. This policy applies to all new pages and to
all updated pages on Europa. It will be reviewed at a later state and adapted to all new versions of the
W3C guidelines relating to accessibility of the web content.

The Commission is conducting a survey of the institutions and the Member States as part of ‘eEurope’.
The results should be available early 2004.

Lastly, where information specifically concerns the target population, the Commission has taken special
measures to ensure that publications and documents are available in accessible formats, as was the case for
the introduction of the euro and for the format of the coins and notes.

(1) http://www.w3.org/wai/
(2) http://www.w3.org/
(3) COM(2001) 529 final.
(4) http://europa/eu.int/information_society/topics/citizens/accessibility/web/wai_2002/cec_com_web_wai_2001/

index_en.htm

(2004/C 84 E/0331)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4018/03

by Salvador Garriga Polledo (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(9 January 2004)

Subject: Standardised use of the European flag on aircraft of EU airlines

The circumstance that some airlines from EU Member States display the European flag on their aircraft
while others do not has given rise to the most diverse interpretations by airport authorities in third
countries. This, not surprisingly, generates considerable confusion over the symbolic dimension.

One might therefore think it logical that there should be Community legislation to standardise the use of
the European flag as a symbol, on aircraft that belong to the same (European) community. The consensus
among third-country airport authorities is that either the Community flag should be displayed by all
aircraft from EU Member States, or none of them should have the right to use or display it.

Can the Commission state its position on standardisation? Does it believe legislation should be proposed
on the matter, in order to ensure that the EU projects a unified corporate image in this respect?

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(16 March 2004)

The European emblem dates back to 1955 and is the ‘property’ of the Council of Europe. In 1979, the
Council of Europe notified the emblem to the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) in Geneva.
As a result, the emblem obtained protection in accordance with Article 6ter of the Paris Convention on the
protection of industrial property.

Thus, any initiative to adopt Community legislation harmonising the use of the European emblem on
aircrafts belonging to aircraft companies located in the Union would require the consensus of the Council
of Europe.

With regard to the substance of the question, the Commission thinks that an initiative of the kind, as
suggested by the Honourable Member, would require an in-depth prior assessment, notably involving the
European air transport companies and competent national air transport authorities on the implications for
the organization of air traffic, taking into account the legal framework of the Chicago Convention on
international civil aviation.

C 84 E/286

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

3.4.2004

The Commission is not aware of any practical problems arising for EU airlines in third countries due to
the non-standardised use of the European flag.

(2004/C 84 E/0332)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4020/03

by Margrietus van den Berg (PSE) to the Commission

(9 January 2004)

Subject: Congo river basin

At its meeting of 2 December 2003 the Committee on Development and Cooperation invited Mr Henri
Djombo, Minister of Forestry and the Environment (Congo), to present the Republic of the Congo’s
environmental programme, which is partly funded by the European Union, with particular reference to
conservation of the environment in the Congo river basin. After this introduction, a film was shown.

1.

2.

To what extent have these fine words been translated into practical achievements in this area?

On what exactly were the European Union funds spent?

3. Why has the European Union’s contribution been reduced?

Answer given by M. Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(10 March 2004)

At the meeting of 2 December 2003 Mr Henri Djombo, the Republic of Congo’s Minister of Forestry and
the Environment, presented to Parliament’s Committee on Development and Cooperation the Republic’s
environment programme, which includes conservation of the environment in the Congo river basin and is
partly funded by the European Union. This was followed by the showing of a film.

The European Commission provides funds for environmental activities in the Republic of Congo through
the regional programme for the Conservation and Rational Use of Forest Ecosystems in Central Africa
(Ecofac). The Republic of Congo’s share of the programme mainly concerns the Odzala national park
(13 500 km2)
in the north of the country. The Commission is planning further instalments of the
programme, which is currently in its third phase. Both regional and national funds will be contributing to
the programme. Plans for the fourth phase are undergoing appraisal and the intention is to start up
activities early in 2005. A further programme for the Republic on its own (Developing protected areas) is
also being examined with a view to allocating it a total EUR 2 million from the resources of the National
Indicative Programme (NIP).

European Union funds which directly or indirectly benefit the environment in the Republic of Congo have
been allocated mainly to:

(cid:1) managing the Odzala national park (infrastructure maintenance, equipping staff, various renovations,

monitoring animal populations, park surveillance, anti-poaching operations, developing ecotourism);

(cid:1) development measures which benefit people living in the vicinity and implementation of three

sections of the eighth European Development Fund (EDF) micro-project programme;

(cid:1) training of management and local staff;

(cid:1) support for national and regional institutions via the Network of protected areas in Central Africa

(RAPAC);

(cid:1) managing production forests in consultation and partnership with the companies exploiting forest

resources.

The European Union is contributing more to this programme in percentage terms than it did under earlier
EDF programmes, namely 25 % or EUR 14 million of the Regional Indicative Programme (RIP) for Central