WRITTEN QUESTION E-0447/04 by Michl Ebner (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Exports of peat to Italy.
Date: 2004-02-23
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: common transport policy, environmental protection, maritime transport, sustainable mobility

C 84 E/790

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

3.4.2004

is
The EU banking industry has analysed this technology in detail. Their conclusion was that
technologically less advanced than the chip, and therefore was not retained as their preferred solution.
Instead, the EU payment card schemes and banks committed to introducing chip cards in all Member
States by 2005 in order to prevent fraud with counterfeit cards. When new POS terminals and ATMs
capable of reading chip cards will be installed in all Member States, the criminal modus operandi described
above will no longer be possible.

it

It is possible that in some countries the migration to chip cards will take more time to complete, given the
current level of progress, the number of cards to be re-issued and the ATMs and POS terminals to be
replaced or modified. However, even in this case, banks are reluctant to introduce throughout the Internal
Market the security features existing on German cards and ATMs as an interim solution. In fact, such
features would require yet another adaptation of ATMs and replacement of cards, which would add further
costs to the migration to the chip and is likely to slow it down further.

For these reasons the Commission is not planning measures to introduce the security features used in
Germany. Instead, the Commission’s objective is to ensure that the deployment of chip cards and terminals
in the EU takes place as soon as possible. In 2004 the Commission intends to issue a Report to the
Parliament and the Council on the EU Fraud Prevention Action Plan 2001-2003. The Commission also
supports projects on solutions using chip cards for authentication purposes under the Information Society
Technologies (IST) Research Programme.

Rather than mandating detailed security features, the role of the Commission is to create strong incentives
for payment providers to implement such features, if necessary by setting liability rules. Currently there is
an increasing number of cases where cards are counterfeited and the PIN code is captured using electronic
devices. The Commission will examine these issues in the context of its forthcoming proposal on a New
Legal Framework for Payments in the Internal Market.

(2004/C 84 E/0887)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0447/04

by Michl Ebner (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(23 February 2004)

Subject: Exports of peat to Italy

Peat is one of the most common bulk materials used in horticulture. Countries rich in peat, such as
Germany, the Scandinavian countries and the Netherlands, export a large amount of this material to
countries such as Italy, which have little peat of their own. For many years now, a large number of Italian
companies have been importing peat from those countries by sea. However, there are problems which
hamper the import of this material by sea. Because of difficulties in Italian ports (e.g. labour problems,
high costs and charges), such materials are now transported across Europe by road. Statistics show that
76 % of Italian peat imports from Germany, 79 % of peat imports from the Netherlands and an astounding
100 % of peat imports from France are transported by road, although transport by sea would be perfectly
feasible, cheaper and less harmful to the environment.

What are the Commission’s views on this situation?

Does the Commission actively encourage sea transport?

Is the Commission giving consideration to the drafting of a proposal for a Community Directive whereby
sea transport would be given preference over cross-Europe road transport, which is expensive and harmful
and pollutes the environment?

3.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 84 E/791

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(5 April 2004)

The Commission believes that the exporters of German, French and Dutch peat to Italy choose the mode
of transport which in their commercial assessment is the most appropriate one. The ultimate destination of
peat
in Italy is likely to be far away from ports and any assessment, therefore, has to take into
consideration, ‘inter alia’, costs in ports, loading, unloading and transport to final destination.

The Commission has for a number of years pursued an active policy of promoting short sea shipping
which is becoming more and more a viable alternative to road transport.

Furthermore, the recent Community guidelines to State aid to maritime transport (C(2004)43) include in
their chapter 10 the possibility for the Commission to approve certain aid to short sea shipping.

Within the basic concept of users’ free choice of the transport mode, the main emphasis on promoting the
sea alternative is not put on direct legislative measures but on offering and encouraging sustainable and
safe ways for those products that can be carried by various modes, such as peat in bulk.

The main objective of the Commission’s policy is to maintain sustainability in the European transport
system now and in the future. The policy has been outlined in the Commission Communication on the
development of the Short Sea Shipping mode (1) and Programme for the promotion of this mode (2).

(1) COM(1999) 317 final.
(2) COM(2003) 155 final.

(2004/C 84 E/0888)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0448/04

by Charles Tannock (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Research on non-human primates in Münster, Germany

(23 February 2004)

The Commission has stated in the past that Directive 86/609/EEC (1) does not provide sufficient controls to
safeguard the welfare of non-human primates. The Commission’s amended proposals with regard to the
6th Framework Programme for Research and Technical Development stipulated that research activities
must respect the protection of animals in accordance with Community law, and participants in research
projects must conform to current legislation and regulations in the countries where research will be carried
out.

Following a five-month investigation, the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV) has alleged
the cruel treatment of non-primates by staff in the Covance animal research laboratories in Münster
Germany. Given that the Ministry for Environment in North Rhine-Westfalia has initiated a procedure to
withdraw Covance’s licence to keep and experiment on laboratory animals, will the Commission condemn
Covance for its treatment of animals and denounce the use of non-primates in research within the wider
European Union?

(1) OJ L 358, 18.12.1986, p. 1.

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(13 April 2004)

The use of non-human primates is among the most sensitive topics in relation to animal research. Indeed,
the Commission has been informed about the treatment of non-human primates at the Covance animal