WRITTEN QUESTION E-0890/04 by Margrietus van den Berg (PSE) to the Commission. Authorisation for flying instructors to give instruction.
Date: 2004-03-22
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Aviation Safety Agency, Netherlands, civil aviation, crew, principle of subsidiarity, self-employed person, technical regulations, vocational training

C 84 E/902

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

3.4.2004

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(30 April 2004)

The draft report of the mission of July 2003 to Greece (Ref: 9176/2003) on the production and placing on
the market of fresh meat was sent to the Greek authorities for comment on 21 August 2003.

In their response of 30 September to the draft report, the Greek authorities gave assurances that official
approval to market meat in the Community had been withdrawn from the slaughterhouses and cutting
plants where serious deficiencies had been observed during the mission. In addition, standard forms for the
monitoring of establishments had been sent by the central competent authorities in Athens to all
prefectures in Greece, requiring them to assess and report back on the situation in the red-meat sector.

In their letter of 17 February 2004 and accompanying action plan, in response to the final report of the
mission, the Greek authorities mainly repeated the information given in reply to the draft report. The
action plan did not contain anything to indicate that the report’s recommendations were being addressed
satisfactorily.

sent an administrative infringement

In the light of this and other findings during recent FVO missions in Greece, the Commission services, on
27 February 2004,
regarding
understaffing in the services responsible for food safety and veterinary controls seeking a response, within
a short deadline, to concerns expressed by the Commission services. The answer received from the Greek
authorities does not respond satisfactorily to those concerns. Therefore, the Commission will now initiate
infringement proceedings against Greece on these matters. A further administrative letter will shortly be
sent to the Greek authorities regarding animal welfare concerns.

to the Greek authorities

letter

In addition, other food safety and veterinary matters on which satisfactory written assurances have been
received from the Greek authorities will be the subject of further on-the-spot checks during FVO missions
to Greece planned for later this year.

(2004/C 84 E/0997)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0890/04

by Margrietus van den Berg (PSE) to the Commission

Subject: Authorisation for flying instructors to give instruction

(22 March 2004)

In my constituency of Northern Netherlands, I was recently approached about the fact that, with a view to
achieving unification, agreements have apparently been concluded which make it impossible for self-
employed flying instructors to continue to train learner-pilots for their pilot’s licence examinations. Such
instruction must now be given by a training establishment. As a result, a large number of instructors have
lost their jobs, although the state had initially invested a lot of money in them. Unification concerns the
implementation of aviation legislation and regulations, the Joint Aviation Requirements and the granting of
aircrew authorisations.

Can the Commission state whether it is true that this situation has come about as a result of

1.
European unification?

2.

Can it explain the need for it or where the added value arises?

Does not the principle of subsidiarity apply in this instance? Or is the decision involved merely a

3.
matter for the Netherlands?

Should not something be done about it, given that we are witnessing the effects of a centralised

4.
bureaucracy and a waste of capital resources?

3.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 84 E/903

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(30 April 2004)

The Joint Aviation Requirements (JARs) referred to by the Honourable Member are harmonisation
measures put in place by the Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA), the body representing the civil aviation
regulatory authorities of 38 European States. The measures concerning licences, JAR-FCL, deal with an area
not yet covered by Community legislation. The Commission would point out that the measures provided
for under the JARs are not directly applicable, but must be transposed into national legislation by the
States concerned. If the measure referred to by the Honourable Member has been adopted, it is a measure
under Dutch law transposing a JAR and not a provision of Community law.

In order to allow the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to develop technical rules on licences, the
Commission will soon be proposing Community legislation extending the EASA’s competence in this field.
Once this legislation has been adopted, the EASA will be responsible for laying down technical rules which
will serve as a basis for Community legislation on flight crew licences. Once adopted and implemented, the
Community licensing legislation will replace the JAR-FCL and any national implementing provisions.

(2004/C 84 E/0998)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0891/04

by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(22 March 2004)

Subject: Closure of the Valeo factory in Portugal

The French multinational Valeo has informed workers that its Santo Tirso plant in Portugal, by word of
mouth, is to be closed because of restructuring, threatening to throw the 330 workers out of a job. In fact,
the company has already relocated machinery from the factory to Morocco, and cut the number of
workers at the plant.

Valeo has factories, research and distribution centres in various European countries, and has two plants in
Portugal (Santo Tirso and Viana do Castelo), devoted to producing electronic and link-up components.

Valeo employs over 68 000 workers in various countries world wide, it has 129 factories, 65 research
centres and nine distribution centres; its profits in 2003 were in excess of nine thousand million euros.

Has Valeo received any Community subsidy for its factories in Portugal and in the other countries of

1.
Europe?

2. What measures does the Commission intend to take to guarantee the rights of Valeo’s workers in
Portugal, specifically the right to employment?

3. What is the Commission’s strategy to prevent the persistence of these relocations by multinationals,
which are worsening unemployment and blocking the development of various Portuguese regions?

Answer given by Mr Dimas on behalf of the Commission

(30 April 2004)

With regard to the first part of the question, the Commission can inform the Honourable Member that the
firm Valeo has not received any Community assistance under the European Social Fund or the European
Regional Development Fund (ERDF).