WRITTEN QUESTION E-4046/03 by Raffaele Costa (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Software and filtering systems.
Date: 2004-01-12
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, Internet, action programme, data protection, research results, software

3.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 84 E/289

The Autonomous Community of Catalonia has established a Code of Good agricultural practice (2),
an Action Programme in designated NVZs (3), and a Decree on manure management (4). However,
the effects of the measures on water quality, in particular in the case of groundwater, could be expected to
be significant only after some time, due to the ‘tank effect’ of soil and groundwater. Moreover, according to
the Commission Assessment, the Action Programme of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia needs to
be improved to bring it fully in line with the Nitrates Directive.

In the main, the amendments required could be summarised as follows:

(cid:1) a reduction in total nitrogen application rates, at present very high for some crops;

(cid:1) an indication of minimum storage capacity for livestock manure with, for example, a six-month
guidance value (5) (including reference values for calculation of compliance), as the present provisions
linking the minimum storage capacity to the fertilisation plan requirements are too vague);

(cid:1) a quantification of maximum allowable nitrogen volatilisation losses for animal manure as mentioned

in Decree 220/2001, Annex (e);

(cid:1) a definition of minimum nitrogen efficiency requirements in the application of livestock manure;

(cid:1) compliance with the 170 kilogram (kg) N per hectare (ha) limit for livestock manure (210 kg/ha is
foreseen in the Action Programme and no modification has been communicated to the Commission
since December 2002, the deadline set for the entry into force of the 170 kg/ha N standard).

Pursuant to these verifications, the Commission has taken action to ensure that the provisions of Directive
91/676/EEC are correctly applied by the Spanish authorities. Following Commission intervention, the
Spanish authorities have announced their intention to amend the Action Programme established by the
Autonomous Community of Catalonia.

Finally, the Commission does not see any link between this case and the project to transfer water from the
Ebro to other parts of Spain.

(1) Decree No 283 of 21 October 1998.
(2) Orden de 22 de Octobre de 1998 DOGC 2761, 9 November 1998.
(3) Decree No 205, 13 June 2000.
(4) Decree 220/2001, 1 August 2001, DOCG 3477 of 7 August 2001.
(5) At present the reference to a minimum storage capacity of four to six months is made in the code of good

agricultural practice (paragraph 8.2.1.b), which implementation is obligatory in NVZs.

(2004/C 84 E/0335)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4046/03

by Raffaele Costa (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(12 January 2004)

Subject: Software and filtering systems

In October 2000, the European Commission issued, in connection with the programme relating to safe use
of the Internet, a call for proposals for projects to demonstrate filtering software and services, with a
budget allocation of EUR 5 million. Can the Commission reveal which companies were awarded this
contract and the amounts allotted to them? What results have been achieved?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(24 February 2004)

Information about all projects funded by the Safer Internet Action Plan, including the funding per project
and the names of the beneficiaries, can be found on the Europa Web site at (http://europa.eu.int/iap).

C 84 E/290

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

3.4.2004

The results of those filtering projects which are completed are archived at this site.

Four out of five of the first group of projects have given rise to results which are being developed further
by the partners. The ICRAsafe (1) project produced a new content rating system with the backing of major
industry players. A number of advanced filtering products developed by the projects are expected to be
released in the near future.

(1)

Internet Content Rating Association.

(2004/C 84 E/0336)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4047/03

by Raffaele Costa (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(12 January 2004)

Subject: Safe use of the Internet

The programme for safe use of the Internet and new online technologies provided for a series of actions.
One of these actions aimed to promote a safe Internet environment via the creation of a network enabling
information to be received from the public regarding illegal content and information to be provided to
users with regard to that possibility. Can the Commission reveal which company or companies were
awarded this contract and the amounts allotted to them? Does the Commission plan to evaluate the results
obtained, the impact on the public and the level of publicity achieved?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(24 February 2004)

Information about all projects funded by the Safer Internet Action Plan, including the funding per project
and the names of the beneficiaries, can be found on the Europa Web site at (http://europa.eu.int/iap).

Hotlines take reports from the public about illegal content on the Internet and pass them on to the
appropriate body (police, Internet Service Provider or another hotline).

The European network of hotlines consists of the umbrella body, the Inhope Association and 16 hotlines
in 14 countries which have received funding under Safer Internet,
together with associates in the
United Sates, Australia and South Korea.

They receive a steadily increasing number of reports from the public (91 656 reports over a six month
period of which 62 % related to child pornography), and have a number of notable successes in alerting
police thus enabling them to track down criminals.

Operation Marcy, in October 2003, was the result of a tip to the German police with the co-operation of
Spanish and German hotlines. It cracked one of the largest global child pornography networks involving
some 26,500 Internet users in 166 countries.

An evaluation of the Safer Internet Action Plan 1999-2002 by outside contractors has been communicated
to the Parliament with the Commission’s reaction (1). According to this report, European networking of the
hotlines was considered to be extremely important and, in terms of value for money, the hotlines are seen
to have been a good investment.

A further evaluation will take place at the end of 2004.

(1) COM(2003) 653 final.