WRITTEN QUESTION E-0918/04 by Proinsias De Rossa (PSE) to the Commission. Random motor insurance checks in Ireland on vehicles from other Member States.
Date: 2004-03-26
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Ireland, application of EU law, free movement of persons, motor vehicle insurance, police checks

8.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 88 E/549

(2004/C 88 E/0559)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0899/04

by Patricia McKenna (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

Subject: Larger Member State representation on the ECB board

(24 March 2004)

Will the Commission comment on recent allegations in the Financial Times (8 March 2004) which claim
that Germany, Italy, France and Spain are attempting to set a precedent for larger Member States to always
have representation on the European Central Bank’s six-member board? Could such a situation ever be
allowed to occur? And if so, under what circumstances?

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(23 April 2004)

The rules and the procedure for the appointment of the members of the Executive Board of the European
Central Bank (ECB) are laid down in Article 112(2)(b) EC as well as in Article 11(2) of the Statute of the
European System of Central Banks and of the European Central Bank. The decision is taken by common
accord (i.e. unanimity without abstention) of the governments of the Member States at the level of Heads
of State or Government. The decision is based on a recommendation from the Council, while both the
European Parliament and the Governing Council of the ECB are consulted. It should be noted that only the
Member States belonging to the euro area are entitled to take part in the relevant decisions of the Council
and the Governments according to Article 122(4) of the EC Treaty.

The EC Treaty imposes two requirements for the selection of the members of the Executive Board. Firstly,
they shall be appointed from among persons of recognised standing and professional experience in
monetary and banking matters. Secondly, they shall be nationals of participating Member States. The
members of
in a personal capacity as opposed to acting as
representatives of their country of origin. Any notion of representation of Member States would therefore
not be in line with the rules and principles governing the appointment of the members of the Executive
Board.

the Executive Board moreover act

(2004/C 88 E/0560)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0918/04

by Proinsias De Rossa (PSE) to the Commission

(26 March 2004)

Subject: Random motor insurance checks in Ireland on vehicles from other Member States

What reply, if any, did the Commission receive from Ireland in response to the reasoned opinion that it
sent to Ireland in July 2001 (as announced in press release IP/01/1101) regarding Ireland’s practice of
making random insurance checks on vehicles from other Member States, thereby possibly infringing the
First Motor Insurance Directive (72/166/EEC (1))? What subsequent action did the Commission take, or is
still considering taking, with regard to this matter?

(1) OJ L 103, 2.5.1972, p. 1.

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(30 April 2004)

Following the reasoned opinion sent by the Commission on 26 July 2001, Ireland has come into line with
Community law by amending its legislation. In view of the Commission’s concerns on the matter, Ireland
agreed to replace the administrative arrangements providing for the implementation of Article 2(1) of the
first Motor Insurance Directive (1) with regulations on a statutory basis. This provision abolished the checks
on green cards for vehicles normally based in a Member State entering the territory of another
Member State with a view to facilitating the free movement of vehicles and persons within the EU.

C 88 E/550

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

8.4.2004

In particular, Section 4 of the Irish pieces of legislation called ‘European Communities (Road Traffic)
(Compulsory Insurance) (Amendment) Regulations (S.I. No 463 of 2001)’ now provides such statutory
cover with effect from 12 October 2001. According to the new provision, Section 69 of the Irish Road
Traffic Act, 1961 (Law No 24 of 1961), which originally allowed random checks of vehicles from other
EU countries, shall no longer apply to mechanically propelled vehicles which are normally based in EEA
and EU countries other than Ireland.

Following the amendments of the Irish law bringing them into conformity with Community law, the
Commission closed these infringement proceedings at its meeting held on 20th March 2002.

(1) Council Directive 72/166/EEC of 24 April 1972 on the approximation of the laws of Member States relating to
insurance against civil liability in respect of the use of motor vehicles, and to the enforcement of the obligation to
insure against such liability, OJ L 103, 2.5.1972.

(2004/C 88 E/0561)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0919/04

by Proinsias De Rossa (PSE) to the Commission

(26 March 2004)

Subject: Trafficking in human beings

Trafficking in human beings is a global problem which is on the increase. Women and children constitute
the majority of those who are trafficked, very often for purposes of sexual exploitation.

The Commission has acknowledged that trafficking in human beings is a type of organised crime that
needs to be tackled at European level and has taken steps to deal with this problem, for example by
establishing the Expert Group on Trafficking in Human Beings.

Is the Commission cooperating with other international actors on a global level so as to develop measures
to combat trafficking in human beings throughout the world? What courses of action have been proposed?
What is the Commission doing to encourage EU Member States and all the signatories to the UN
Convention against Transnational Organised Crime to ratify and implement the Convention and commit to
its ‘Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in People, Especially Women and Children’?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(30 April 2004)

trafficking in human beings.

in order to prevent and combat

The Commission continuously maintains relations and cooperates with other international actors such as
the United Nations (UN), the Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Council
of Europe (CoE)
the
Commission signed, on behalf of the Community, the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking
in People, Especially Women and Children supplementing the UN Convention against Transnational
Organised Crime. On several occasions, the Commission has called on Member States to ratify the Protocol
as soon as possible. In order to promote and accelerate implementation of the Protocol at EU level, the
Commission launched a proposal for a Council Framework Decision on combating trafficking in human
beings (1), which was adopted on 19 July 2002. Member States shall have implemented the Framework
Decision before August 2004. Furthermore, in October 2003 the Council adopted a resolution ‘Combating
in particular women’ with an aim to further accelerate ratification and
trafficking in human beings,
implementation by Member States of all international instruments against trafficking in human beings and
to intensify international cooperation in the fields of prevention, victim protection and assistance.

In particular,

In February 2003, the Commission contributed to a Tri-Partite Plus meeting, which was organised by the
UN in Geneva. The meeting brought together representatives from various inter-national and supra-
national organisations and institutions (OSCE, CoE, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and others) and aimed at a better coordination
of their policies and measures against human trafficking. In May 2003, the Commission attended the 12th
session of the UN Commission on Crime Prevention, which focused on trafficking in human beings,
especially women and children.