WRITTEN QUESTION E-0069/04 by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Support for cleaning lakes in the Cantanhede municipal district.
Date: 2004-01-20
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU aid, Portugal, coastal region, conservation of resources, ecosystem, legal rule

C 78 E/926

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

27.3.2004

(2004/C 78 E/0979)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0067/04

by Bill Newton Dunn (ELDR) to the Commission

(20 January 2004)

Subject: Retirement benefits

A constituent of mine has recently been made redundant from a Dutch-owned construction company,
based in the UK. The firm is now in the hands of administrators. My constituent has been advised that his
pension and those of his colleagues will not be paid in full, despite having paid into the pension fund for
many years. He has been told that an average sum of 17 % may be available but he has not been told to
what amount the figure of 17 % refers.

Can the Commission confirm whether there are any EU rules that would prevent employees from being
left in this awful position? If so, can the Commission clarify whether any action could be taken in this
case? If there is no relevant EU law, can the Commission state whether any such legislation will be drawn
up in the future?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(6 February 2004)

the interests of employees and of persons having already left

Article 8 of Council Directive 80/987/EEC of 20 October 1980 on the protection of employees in the
event of the insolvency of their employer (1) obliges Member States to ensure that the necessary measures
are taken to protect
the employer’s
undertaking or business at the date of the onset of the employer’s insolvency in respect of rights conferring
on them immediate or prospective entitlement to old-age benefits, including survivor’s benefits, under
supplementary company or inter-company pension schemes outside the national statutory social security
scheme. Article 3(4)(b) of Council Directive 2001/23/EC of 12 March 2001 on the approximation of the
laws of the Member States relating to the safeguarding of employee’s rights in the event of transfers of
undertakings, businesses or parts of undertakings or businesses (2) contains a similar provision with regard
to situations involving the transfer of undertakings, businesses or parts of undertakings or businesses.

Due to several reports recently received and suggesting that the interests of employees and of persons
having already left the employer’s undertaking or business might not be sufficiently protected in specific
Member States, the Commission is currently complementing and updating the information it disposes of
about the arrangements for implementing Article 8 of Council Directive 80/987/EEC and Article 3(4) of
Council Directive 2001/23/EC in the Member States. Should this analysis establish the existence of clear
and serious transposition deficits,
take the necessary measures to ensure full
compliance with Community law.

the Commission will

(1) OJ L 283, 28.10.1980.
(2) OJ L 82, 22.3.2001.

(2004/C 78 E/0980)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0069/04

by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(20 January 2004)

Subject: Support for cleaning lakes in the Cantanhede municipal district

Between Cantanhede and Figueira da Foz in Portugal, the Vela, Salgueira and Mata lakes, which, with their
respective drainage ditches, need to be cleaned and decontaminated and have their vegetation cut back and
their sludge and mud removed, which could then be dumped and spread as fertiliser in the neighbouring
woods.

27.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 78 E/927

What possible Community aid is available for carrying out this work as a matter of urgency, with a view
to preserving the eco-system of the lakes and breed quality fish for angling purposes, as the historical right
of the local people, with the creation of a normal seasonal fishing ban?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(26 February 2004)

The lakes mentioned by the Honourable Member are located within a site of Community importance
proposed by Portugal under Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats
and of wild fauna and flora (1), with the name ‘Dunas de Mira, Gandara e Gafanhas’. Projects for the
conservation or improvement of the conservation status of the habitats and species of Community interest
present in the site are therefore eligible for Community financing under the Nature branch of the LIFE
programme. Information on the programme can be found on the Internet, at (http://www.europa.eu.int/
comm/environment/life/home.htm).

The measures described by the Honourable Member cannot be seen, in themselves, as falling under the
scope of LIFE-Nature. They could, however, be integrated in a more general project for improving the
conservation status of the habitats and species present in the site.

As far as the structural funds are concerned, the operations mentioned by the Honourable Member could
the measures covering the
be financed either by the national environmental programme, under
conservation of the lagoon ecosystems, or through the operational programme for the Centro region,
which foresees a specific measure for environment. In both scenarios, the promoters should send their
requests to the Portuguese authorities.

(1) OJ L 206, 22.7.1992.

(2004/C 78 E/0981)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0076/04

by Proinsias De Rossa (PSE) to the Commission

(20 January 2004)

Subject: Regulation (EEC) No 1408/71 and blind and partially sighted registration

The Commission’s proposals to update Regulation No 1408/71 (1) seek to build on health-care entitlements
across the EU and improve cooperation and mutual information between authorities in Member States.

Will the proposed amendments tackle the problems caused by inconsistent criteria for registration as blind
or partially sighted across Member States? Will the proposed changes ensure that when an individual is
registered as blind or partially sighted and qualifies for the corresponding entitlements in one Member
State, they automatically have equal status and entitlements across the EU without having to undergo
additional procedures?

(1) OJ L 149, 5.7.1971, p. 2.

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(23 February 2004)

The Commission proposal (1) to amend 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, must be seen in the context of the introduction of the European Health Insurance Card, and,
therefore, it concerns in particular insured persons who are staying temporarily in a Member State other
than the one where they are insured. First of all, the proposal aims to harmonise the entitlement to
benefits in kind of all categories of insured persons in this situation. This means that all insured persons