Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

# Official Journal

### of the European Communities

###### Information and Notices

English edition

ISSN 0378-6986

#### C 289

Volume 37

17 October 1994

Notice No Contents p age

I Information

European Parliament

Written Questions with answer

94 / C 289 / 01 E-822 / 93 by Jose Apolinάrio to the Commission
Subject : Tourism and Commission policy 1

94 / C 289 / 02 E-l 093 / 93 by Ernest Glinne to the Commission
Subject : Essential protection for trade union rights and union officials in El Salvador 2

94 / C 289 / 03 E-l 167 / 93 by Bartho Pronk to the Commission
Subject : Regulation of food supplements 2

94 / C 289 / 04 E-1448 / 93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Greek wines 2

94 / C 289 / 05 E-1481 / 93 by Marc Galle to the Commission
Subject : Special Regulations concerning electronic banking 3

94 / C 289 / 06 E-l 179 / 93 by José Ruiz-Mateos Jiménez de Tejada and Carlos Perreau de Pinninck
Domenech to the Commission

Subject : Subsidies for energy or agro-foodstuffs projects in Andalusia 4

94 / C 289 / 07 E-1593 / 93 by José Ruiz-Mateos Jiménez de Tejada and Carlos Perreau de Pinninck
Domenech to the Commission

Subject : ERDF funding for projects under the Valdren Programme 4

Joint answer to Written Questions E-l 179 / 93 and E-1593 / 93 4

2 ( Continued overleaf )

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E-l 625 / 93 by Sergio Ribeiro to the Commission
Subject : Euronews

E-l 629 / 93 by Leen van der Waal to the Commission
Subject : Subsidiarity and child-care facilities

E-l 741 / 93 by Sir James Scott-Hopkins to the Commission
Subject : EC School curriculum

E-l 768 / 93 by Marlene Lenz to the Commission
Subject : Use of the word ' Heimat ' in German

E-l 808 / 93 by Rosaria Bindi to the Commission
Subject : Failure by Greece to comply with judgments of the Court of Justice of the European
Communities

E-1814 / 93 by Johanna-Christina Grund to the Commission
Subject : Infringement of basic rights by the provisions of Annex VIII, Article 17, of the Staff
Regulations applicable to officials and other servants of the European Communities

E-l 828 / 93 by Ingo Friedrich to the Commission
Subject : Plans to liberalize gambling in the EC

E-l 845 / 93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Axional tomographs in Greece

E-l 868 / 93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Community agricultural trade rackets

E-l 879 / 93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Environment in Ermoupolis on the island of Syros

E-l 891 / 93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Threat of the return of polio and diphtheria to Greece

E-l 945 / 93 by Paul Staes to the Commission
Subject : Belgium 's failure to comply with Decisions 84 / 508 / EEC and 84 / 111 / EEC

E-l 972 / 93 by Jaak Vandemeulebroucke to the Commission
Subject : Organization of meetings of workers ' organizations in the Community — utilization of
appropriations entered against item B3-4002

E-l 991 / 93 by Cristiana Muscardini to the Commission
Subject : Toy subsidies and safety inspections

E-2 003 / 93 by Mihail Papayannakis to the Commission
Subject : Restructuring programme in the steel sector

E-2058 / 93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Imports of agricultural produce from Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus

E-2 122 / 93 by Anita Pollack to the Commission
Subject : VAT on second-hand goods

E-2128 / 93 by Isidoro Sanchez Garcia to the Commission
Subject : Application of customs duties in the Canary Islands

E-2142 / 93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Greek exports of fruit and vegetables

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94 / C 289 / 27 E-2160 / 93 by Gianfranco Amendola to the Commission
Subject : Commission action regarding the waste dump in Baricella ( Bologna, Italy ) 15

94 / C 289 / 28 E-21 88 / 93 by Jose Lafuente Lopez to the Commission
Subject : Community participation in the specialist training of legal journalists 15

94 / C 289 / 29 E-2231 / 93 by Kirsten Jensen to the Commission
Subject : Prohibition of products under the Treaty 16

94 / C 289 / 30 E-2252 / 93 by Jose Apolinάrio to the Commission
Subject : Animal health in Tras-os-Montes region 16

94 / C 289 / 31 E-2300 / 93 by Jaak Vandermeulebroucke to the Commission
Subject : Complaint against infringement of Council Directive 90 / 428 / EEC 16

94 / C 289 / 32 E-2303 / 93 by Alonso Puerta to the Commission
Subject : Explanation of abbreviations to ensure greater openness in the Community 17

94 / C 289 / 33 E-2350 / 93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Application of the Directive concerning the obligation of an employer to inform workers
of conditions applicable in contracts or working relations 17

94 / C 289 / 34 E-2351 / 93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Implementation of the Directive on benefits for workers suffering from cancer 17

94 / C 289 / 35 E-2354 / 93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Subsidization by the Greek General Secretariat for the New Generation 18

94 / C 289 / 36 E-2369 / 93 by Jose Alvarez de Paz and Pedro Bofill Abeilhe to the Commission
Subject : Percentage of women in employment 18

94 / C 289 / 37 E-2388 / 93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Public access to Community documents 19

94 / C 289 / 38 E-2409 / 93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Tanning industry 19

94 / C 289 / 39 E-2484 / 93 by Lode Van Outrive and Bartho Pronk to the Commission
Subject : Secondment in the building industry 20

94 / C 289 / 40 E-2509 / 93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child of 1 989 and the Hague Convention
of 1961 concerning minors 21

94 / C 289 / 41 E-25 10 / 93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Compensation for industrial accidents 21

94 / C 289 / 42 E-2601 / 93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Renovation of Greek coastal and off-shore fleets 21

94 / C 289 / 43 E-2603 / 93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Organization of special study courses by private bodies in Greece 22

( Continued overleaf )

Notice No Contents ( continued Page

94 / C 289 / 44 E-2632 / 93 by Paul Lannoye to the Commission
Subject : Establishment and development of trans-frontier Eures information centres . 22

94 / C 289 / 45 E-2665 / 93 by Yves Verwaerde to the Commission
Subject : Subsidies paid to French associations from the 1992 Community budget 22

94 / C 289 / 46 E-2705 / 93 by Ben Visser to the Commission
Subject : Tourists robbed in Spain 23

94 / C 289 / 47 E-2738 / 93 by Franco Borgo to the Commission
Subject : EAGGF frauds in the dairy sector 23

94 / C 289 / 48 E-2788 / 93 by John Bird to the Commission
Subject : Animal welfare and subsidiarity 24

94 / C 289 / 49 E-2885 / 93 by Lyndon Harrison to the Commission
Subject : Single European Act : freedom of movement 24

94 / C 289 / 50 E-2925 / 93 by Terence Wynn to the Commission
Subject : Further information on the ' Community fund for tobacco research and information ' 25

94 / C 289 / 51 E-3036 / 93 by Francesco Speroni to the Commission
Subject : Negative repercussions for the salaries of the staff of Community bodies owing to the
widening of the band of fluctuation among the currencies 25

94 / C 289 / 52 E-3045 / 93 by Yves Verwaerde to the Commission
Subject : Erasmus bursaries for the 1992 / 93 academic year 26

94 / C 289 / 53 E-3075 / 93 by Filippos Pierros to the Commission
Subject : Structural Fund spending 26

94 / C 289 / 54 E-3084 / 93 by Victor Arbeloa Muru to the Commission
Subject : Inter-institutional agreement on the subsidiarity principle 27

94 / C 289 / 55 E-30 99 / 93 by Victor Arbeloa Muru to the Commission
Subject : Extension of the concept of subsidiarity 27

94 / C 289 / 56 E-3 105 / 93 by Victor Arbeloa Muru to the Commission
Subject : Directives and Regulations 27

94 / C 289 / 57 E-3 11 8 / 93 by Gerhard Schmid to the Commission
Subject : Community initiatives 28

94 / C 289 / 58 E-3191 / 93 by Wilfried Telkämper to the Commission
Subject : Cross-border rail traffic between Strasbourg, Alsace and Offenburg, Baden
Württemberg 28

94 / C 289 / 59 E-3271 / 93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Community funding allocated to the prefecture of Achaia 28

94 / C 289 / 60 E-3278 / 93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Protection of the landscape around Delphi 29

94 / C 289 / 61 E-3298 / 93 by Hiltrud Breyer to the Commission
Subject : Flying club airfield 29

Notice No Contents ( continued ) Page

94 / C 289 / 62 E-3353 / 93 by Paul Staes to the Commission
Subject : Aid to the Belgian company Idealspun 30

94 / C 289 / 63 E-3389 / 93 by Pedro Canavarro to the Commission
Subject : Implementation of the Lomé Convention : language programme 30

94 / C 289 / 64 E-3432 / 93 by Alexandras Alavanos to the Commission
Subject : Turkish energy policy and plans to establish a nuclear power station 31

94 / C 289 / 65 E-3502 / 93 by Arie Oostlander to the Commission
Subject : Preparations for new action programmes in the field of education and training from 1995
onwards 32

94 / C 289 / 66 E-3503 / 93 by Arie Oostlander to the Commission
Subject : Cultural dialogue 32

94 / C 289 / 67 E-3 112 / 93 by Sergio Ribeiro to the Commission
Subject : Dumping of waste in the Atlantic Ocean 33

94 / C 289 / 68 E-3505 / 93 by Vasco Garcia to the Commission
Subject : Dumping of radioactive waste in the Atlantic 33

Joint answer to Written Questions E-3112 / 93 and E-3505 / 93 33

94 / C 289 / 69 E-3520 / 93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Signature of the Energy Charter 34

94 / C 289 / 70 E-3523 / 93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Environmental restoration of the Thermaic Gulf and Thessaloniki 34

94 / C 289 / 71 E-3557 / 93 by Des Geraghty to the Commission
Subject : Structural Fund allocation — Ireland 35

94 / C 289 / 72 E-3560 / 93 by Des Geraghty to the Commission
Subject : Commission predictions of Structural Fund receipts 35

94 / C 289 / 73 E-3561 / 93 by Des Geraghty to the Commission
Subject : Commission predictions of Structural Fund receipts 35

94 / C 289 / 74 E-3562 / 93 by Des Geraghty to the Commission
Subject : Commission predictions of Structural Funds receipts 36

94 / C 289 / 75 E-3563 / 93 by Des Geraghty to the Commission
Subject : Commission predictions of Structural Fund receipts 36

Joint answer to Written Questions E-3560 / 93, E-3561 / 93, E-3562 / 93 and
E-3563 / 93 36

94 / C 289 / 76 E-3569 / 93 by Manuel Medina Ortega to the Commission
Subject : The long-term unemployed in the Canary Islands 37

94 / C 289 / 77 E-3594 / 93 by Dieter Rogalla to the Commission
Subject : Usual practice of Belgian pharmacists as regards accepting prescriptions 37

94 / C 289 / 78 E-3619 / 93 by Gerard Deprez to the Commission
Subject : Transparency of firms ' accounts in the Community 38

( Continued overleaf )

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94 / C 289 / 79 E-3629 / 93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Conservation and management of cultural sites in Greece 38

94 / C 289 / 80 E-3652 / 93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Dumping of radioactive waste at sea 38

94 / C 289 / 81 E-3654 / 93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Quality standards for drinking water 39

94 / C 289 / 82 E-3705 / 93 by Tom Spencer to the Commission
Subject : Late payment of tax refunds during property sales in Spain, for non-Spanish Community
nationals 39

94 / C 289 / 83 E-3708 / 93 by Christa Randzio-Plath to the Commission
Subject : East German officials in the Commission 40

94 / C 289 / 84 E-3719 / 93 by Alex Smith to the Commission
Subject : Remedying environmental damage 40

94 / C 289 / 85 E-3736 / 93 by Llewellyn Smith to the Commission
Subject : Environment 40

94 / C 289 / 86 E-3738 / 93 by Llewellyn Smith to the Commission
Subject : Energy / environment 41

94 / C 289 / 87 E-3750 / 93 by Luigi Vertemati to the Commission
Subject : Appointment of staff to the new European agencies 41

94 / C 289 / 88 E-3755 / 93 by Cristiana Muscardini to the Commission
Subject : Slaughter of animals in laboratories 42

94 / C 289 / 89 E-3765 / 93 by John Cushnahan to the Commission
Subject : Transmission of multi-channel television 42

94 / C 289 / 90 E-3784 / 93 by Alexandros Alavanos to the Commission
Subject : Unfair competition by Turkey with regard to exports to the Community of fresh
agricultural produce 43

94 / C 289 / 91 E-3785 / 93 by Panayotis Roumeliotis to the Commission
Subject : Aid for flood victims in north-west Attica 43

94 / C 289 / 92 E-3798 / 93 by Ben Visser to the Commission
Subject : ' Postillion ' systems in international road transport 43

94 / C 289 / 93 E-3799 / 93 by Pol Marck to the Commission
Subject : Dairy quota 44

94 / C 289 / 94 E-3804 / 93 by Jens-Peter Bonde to the Commission
Subject : Estimation of world market prices 44

94 / C 289 / 95 E-3816 / 93 by Alexandros Alavanos to the Commission
Subject : Utilization by Greece of the extension of the applicability of Directive 90 / 684 / EEC . . 45

94 / C 289 / 96 E-3 827 / 93 by Jose Vazquez Fouz to the Commission
Subject : The fisheries sector and GATT 46

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94 / C 289 / 97 E-3828 / 93 by Jose Vazquez Fouz to the Commission
Subject : Utilization of aid granted to Member States for fisheries monitoring systems 46

94 / C 289 / 98 E-382 9 / 93 by Jose Vazquez Fouz to the Commission
Subject : Quality control for fishery products entering the EC by air 47

94 / C 289 / 99 E-3830 / 93 by Jose Vazquez Fouz to the Commission
Subject : Measures to protect natural mollusc banks 47

94 / C 289 / 100 E-3834 / 93 by Jose Apolinάrio to the Commission
Subject : Encouraging sales of citrus fruit 47

94 / C 289 / 101 E-3836 / 93 by Bernard Frimat to the Commission
Subject : Financing measures falling under Objective 5a within the framework of an Objective 1
programme 48

94 / C 289 / 102 E-3851 / 93 by Filippos Pierros to the Commission
Subject : Transparency in procedure for issuing invitations to tender under the Tacis
programme 48

94 / C 289 / 103 E-3864 / 93 by Carlos Perreau de Pinninck Domenech to the Commission
Subject : Cheysson instrument 49

94 / C 289 / 104 E-3871 / 93 by Jose Vazquez Fouz to the Commission
Subject : Situation in Timor and relations between the Community and Indonesia 49

94 / C 289 / 105 E-3879 / 93 by Fernand Herman to the Commission
Subject : Participation of retired officials in the statutory staff representation bodies 50

94 / C 289 / 106 E-3886 / 93 by Virginio Bettini to the Commission
Subject : Atmospheric pollution from the increased use of unleaded petrol 50

94 / C 289 / 107 E-3811 / 93 by Hugh McMahon to the Commission
Subject : Non-attendance at the Senior Citizens ' Parliament of 21 November 51

94 / C 289 / 108 E-3895 / 93 by Hugh McMahon to the Commission
Subject : Activities of all Commission members on 24 November 1993 51

Joint answer to Written Questions E-3811 / 93 and E-3895 / 93 51

94 / C 289 / 109 E-3913 / 93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Protection of the Church of St Therapon in Mytilini ( Lesbos ) 51

94 / C 289 / 110 E-3941 / 93 by Winifred Ewing to the Commission
Subject : Journey time limit for slaughter animals 52

94 / C 289 / 111 E-3942 / 93 by Thomas Megahy to the Commission
Subject : Extinction of large numbers of breeds of farm animals 52

94 / C 289 / 112 E-3 979 / 93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Wetlands created by certain types of undertaking 53

94 / C 289 / 113 E-3988 / 93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Setting-up of a committee for elderly farmers 53

( Continued overleaf )

Notice No Contents ( continued ) Page

94 / C 289 / 114 E-3998 / 93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Violation of Directive 89 / 552 / EEC on television advertising 54

94 / C 289 / 115 E-4005 / 93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Cultural heritage in the occupied territory of Cyprus 54

94 / C 289 / 116 E-4011 / 93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Elimination of protective measures which African States apply to sea transport 54

94 / C 289 / 117 E-4018 / 93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : The establishment of an overall humanitarian mechanism to tackle the problems of health
care in the ACP countries 55

94 / C 289 / 118 E-4050 / 93 by Jose Vazquez Fouz to the Commission
Subject : Fisheries agreement with Argentina 55

94 / C 289 / 119 E-4 053 / 93 by Jose Vazquez Fouz to the Commission
Subject : Catalogue of European cultural goods 56

94 / C 289 / 120 E-4054 / 93 by Jose Vazquez Fouz to the Commission
Subject : Entry into force of Article 128 of the Treaty on European Union 56

Joint answer to Written Questions E-4053 / 93 and E-4054 / 93 56

94 / C 289 / 121 E-4080 / 93 by Enrique Sapena Granell to the Commission
Subject : Utilization of cohesion funds in the Autonomous Community of Valencia ( Spain ) ... 56

94 / C 289 / 122 E-4087 / 93 by Jose Vazquez Fouz to the Commission
Subject : Cohesion Fund in Galicia 57

Joint answer to Written Questions E-4080 / 93 and E-4087 / 93 57

94 / C 289 / 123 E-41 09 / 93 by Carlos Robles Piquer to the Commission
Subject : Anti-dumping duties on bicycle parts from China 57

94 / C 289 / 124 E-33 / 94 by José Gil-Robles Gil-Delgado to the Commission
Subject : The Community bicycle industry 57

Joint answer to Written Questions Nos E-4109 / 93 and E-33 / 94 57

17 . 10 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 289 / 1

I

( Information )

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

WRITTEN QUESTIONS WITH ANSWER

WRITTEN QUESTION E-822 / 93

by Jose Apolinario ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 21 April 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 01 )

Subject : Tourism and Commission policy

Community Economic and Social Cohesion, which is
emphasized as an important aim of the Treaties in several
documents drawn up by the Community institutions, has an
important ally in the tourism industry . It has been shown
that tourism in fact actually assists economic transfers from
the more developed Member States to those where the
process of European integration has come later, tourist
activity having multiple spin-offs for other economic sectors
in regions where tourism has a prominent role . Such an
impact explains why, within the Community Support
Framework ( 1989 — 1993 ), several countries applied part of
the funds to projects related to tourism, such as in Italy

( 12,5% ), the United Kingdom ( 10,5% ) and Ireland

( 6% ).

In Portugal, receipts from tourism amount to more than Esc
500 billion per year more than 50 % of which are generated
in Algarve, a region which provides more than 40 % of the
total accommodation capacity in the country, and more
than 60 % of national investment in tourism .

Portuguese Government, requires the Commission to pay
particular attention to this matter .

On the other hand, preparations for the implementation of
the Treaty on European Union following its ratification,
which the Commission has set as one of its priorities, implies
consideration of future policy on tourism, given the text of
the Maastricht Treaty ( Article 3 ( t )).

The Commission 's programme for 1993 / 94 unfortunately
does not make any reference to tourism .

Therefore, could the Commission supply information on the
policy guideline to be adopted with regard to the tourist
industry during its present mandate, as well as on the policy
measures that have been planned in preparation for the
implementation of the Treaty on European Union ?

Answer given by Mr Vanni d'Archirafi

on behalf of the Commission

(2 December 1993 )

The Commission action programme for 1993 / 94 includes
only new actions to be launched by the Commission during
this period .

The Community action plan to assist tourism is not
mentioned because it has already been adopted by the
Council in the very detailed Decision No 92 / 42 1 / EEC (*).

The thrust of the Commission measures to assist tourism
The tourist industry in the Algarve region is, however,
during its present mandate will naturally be in line with the
suffering because of international economic recession ( in abovementioned Council Decision .
Community countries, in particular ) high interest rates, the
value of the escudo and its own failures to market its
attractions . Some undertakings are even behind in paying 0 ) OJ No L 231, 13 . 8 . 1992 .
salaries . The qualitative effort to be undertaken, even
though promotion is mainly within the remit of the

No C 289 / 2 Official Journal of the European Communities 17 . 10 . 94

WRITTEN QUESTION E-l 093 / 93

by Ernest Glinne ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 10 May 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 02 )

Subject : Essential protection for trade union rights and

union officials in El Salvador

In El Salvador, parliamentarians belonging to the ruling
Arena party have proposed a number of amendments to that
country 's employment code, which is currently being
revised . One of the proposed amendments would entail
punishing trade union officials for ' treason ' when their
actions challenge the privileges accorded to North American
interests, particularly in the ' free development zones ', which
enjoy extremely favourable treatment as regards taxation
and curbs on wage costs .

The tabling of the amendment was the culmination of a
week-long media campaign — which bordered on hysteria
— against the UNOC ( National Union of Workers and
Peasants ) because it accused the government of infringing
internationally defined trade union rights .

On 4 February 1993, Mr Lane Kirkland, President of the
United States AFL-CIO, sent a letter to Mr Alfredo
Cristiani, the President of El Salvador, protesting in very
strong terms against Arena 's draft law and stating that its
cause would not be served by adopting a law which
constituted a very clear attack on freedom of speech . The
business community, taking its lead from Arena and the
conservative party, is blatantly putting the blame on the
trade unions in El Salvador for any setbacks suffered by
ambitious schemes critized by the United States Congress
itself .

Other leading figures, in particular churchmen, have voiced
their very serious reservations .

Has the Commission been, is it still and will it remain
indifferent to this enormous breach of human rights and
workers ' liberties and will it or will it not, in view of the
evidence and complaints placed before the US Congress
itself, take action in cooperation with the International
Labour Organization ?

The Commission is carrying out a number of operations in
El Salvador designed to promote respect for the basic rules
of democracy and human rights .

The Community and its Member States have also repeatedly
condemned human rights violations in El Salvador and
called on all parties concerned to put a stop to them .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-l 167 / 93

by Bartho Pronk ( PPE )

to the Commission

( IS May 1993 )

94 / C 289 / 03

Subject : Regulation of food supplements

The Commission 's programme of work for 1993 shows that
it is not doing anything about the regulation of food
supplements .

Why not ?

Answer given by Mr Bangemann

on behalf of the Commission

(3 September 1993 )

The Commission is convinced that correct implementation
of the existing provisions of the Treaty and responsible
behaviour by the authorities and by industry ensure the free
movement of goods . It is not always necessary to
legislate .

The Commission has no plans for drawing up proposals for
Community legislation on this matter in the near future . The
Commission 's departments are closely monitoring
developments in this area and will certainly review the
position if necessary .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1448 / 93

by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE )
Answer given by Mr Van den Broek

on behalf of the Commission to the Commission

( 17 December 1993 ) (9 June 1993 )

94 / C 289 / 04

The Commission is following the human rights situation
closely in El Salvador . The Salvadorian authorities are aware Subject : Greek wines
of the importance attached by the Community and its
Member States to respect for these rights and compliance Greek exports of wine to both Community and third
with the undertakings given in this area . country markets are falling dramatically . This is being

17 . 10 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 289 / 3

accompanied by a sharp fall in the prices of wine in Greece WRITTEN QUESTION
caused by competition from ( presumably subsidized ) wines by Marc Galle ( PSE )
sold at prices below the distillation price, according to the to the Commission
Central Federation of Greek Wine Corporatives, the
Keosoe . What steps will the Commission take to put an end ( 14 June 1993 )
to these infringements of minimum price rules ? ( 94 / C 289 / 05

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1481 / 93

to the Commission

( 14 June 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 05

Answer given by Mr Steichen

on behalf of the Commission

( 22 November 1993 )

The Commission is aware of the problems of disposal and
outlets at unprofitable prices for wine produced not only in
Greece but also in other Community countries .

Firstly, it wishes to remind the Honourable Member of its
earlier reply to his Written Question No 2941 / 92 (*) about
similar problems in the wine sector .

Since then, the subsequent deterioration of prices and
possible outlets for table wines and quality wines on
consumer markets has, in the Commission 's view, been due
to the following events :

— the Council 's unanimous acceptance of the national

measures adopted by the producer Member States . This
aid — approved against the advice of the Commission —
has distorted the use of the current mechanisms of the

common organization of the market in wine and caused
distortions of the market prices,

— since 27 April 1993, the Italian intervention agency has

no longer been buying alcohol obtained from voluntary
distillation ( preventive and support distillation ).
Although there is no explicit obligation to buy-in on the
open market, failure to do so strongly disturbs the
proper implementation of the intervention measures
decided at Community level for the current marketing
year . Moreover, the suspension of purchases of wines
under distillation contracts is causing an increase in the
supply of wine on the consumer market,

— initial estimates of the volume of wine stocks in the

Community at the end of the 1992 / 93 wine year point to
very large supplies compared to previous years .

The Commission points out that it recently forwarded to the

Council and Parliament a communication on the

development and future of the wine policy which provides
guidelines for the reform of the current market
organization .

(!) OJ No C 258, 22 . 9 . 1993 .

Subject : Special Regulations concerning electronic
banking

Electronic banking, telebanking, phone-banking or
home-banking — or whatever else advertisers chose to call it
— is becoming increasingly popular . The number of
account-holders who have access to telebanking is growing
every year, and the number of transfers made in this way is
increasing very rapidly .

However, certain legal problems remain in this connection .
They include the positive identification of customers
providing electronic signatures or typing in pincodes . Other
problems are the risk of error and difficulties associated
with the burden of proof .

In view of the increasing use of telebanking, ought not
measures to be taken to solve these problems ? The obvious
course would be to adopt specific provisions at European
level .

Answer given by Mrs Scrivener

on behalf of the Commission

(9 December 1993 )

Home banking gives consumers the opportunity to manage
their bank account from home, at a distance . This service is
expanding rapidly, though more so in some Member States
than in others . There are two types of home banking

systems :

— Telebanking, with operator service . When the consumer

phones, there is somebody there to answer . These banks
do not have agencies open to the public . Some of these
banks have developed procedures to ensure that the
person who calls is in fact the holder of the account . The
Commission is not aware of particular problems
associated with this type of home banking .

— Electronic home banking . The consumer uses either a

microcomputer ( teletext ) or a telephone handset
( audiotext ). He communicates electronically with the
bank 's computer . For example, he can obtain general
information or information on his account, order a
cheque book of transfer sums between his different
accounts . Certain banks also offer the possibility of
genuine money transfers to accounts held by other
people .

No C 289 / 4 Official Journal of the European Communities 17 . 10 . 94

Electronic banking poses numerous legal problems, rather
similar to those associated with credit cards ( liability,
security, reliability, confidentiality ). The only Community
text which deals with home banking — and that incidentally
— is Commission recommendation 88 / 590 / EEC of

17 November 1988 concerning payment systems, and in
particular the relationship between card holder and card
issuer ( 1 ) . However, this text covers only a very small part of
the various problems encountered .

This is why the Commission has stated in the context of its
new three-year action plan on consumer policy ( 2 ) that it
will examine the appropriate legal framework for home
banking .

(!) OJ No L 317, 24 . 11 . 1988 .

( 2 ) COM(93 ) 378 final, 28 . 7 . 1993 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1593 / 93

by José Ruiz-Mateos Jiménez de Tejada ( RDE )
and Carlos Perreau de Pinninck Domenech ( RDE )

to the Commission

( 18 June 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 07 )

Subject : ERDF funding for projects under the Valdren

Programme

Can the Commission provide information on the eight
projects co-financed by the ERDF under the Valdoren
Programme in the energy sector accorded to Spanish firms
or companies at a total cost of ECU 273,47 million, to which
reference was made in the answer to Oral Question
H-424 / 93 ( a )?

f 1 ) Debates of the European Parliament No 3-430 ( April 1993 ).

Joint answer to Written Questions

E-l 179 / 93 and E-1593 / 93

WRITTEN QUESTION E-l 179 / 93

given by Mr Millan
by José Ruiz-Mateos Jiménez de Tejada ( RDE ) on behalf of the Commission
and Carlos Perreau de Pinninck Domenech ( RDE )

( 19 November 1993 )
to the Commission

( 13 May 1993 )

Subject : Subsidies for energy or agro-foodstuffs projects in

Andalusia

( 94 / C 289 / 06 ) 1 . The Honourable Members are asked to refer to the
answer given by the Commission to oral question H-424 / 93
on the same subject . The Commission is sending directly to
the Honourable Members and to Parliament 's Secretariat

energy or agro-foodstuffs projects in tables with the details of the eight projects part-financed by

the ERDF and the three projects part-financed under
Community research and technological development

programmes .

Has the European Community since 1988 granted financial
aid or subsidies of any kind under the various Community
programmes or funds for any energy-related or
agro-foodstuffs project to any of the following undertakings
or bodies :

2 . The Commission is not in a position to answer the last
part of Written Question No 1179 / 93 . The reasons for
which certain projects were not included by Member States
in their applications for part-financing are known only to
the Member States concerned .

— the Institute for Diversification and Energy-Saving

( IDAE )?

— Cynara Industrial Mancha SAP

— Sociedad Agricola Campo Baldio SA ( located in Puebla

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1625 / 93
de Guzmán, Huelva province )?

by Sérgio Ribeiro ( GUE )

— the Institute for Industrial Development ( of the
Andalusian Regional Government )?

If so, what is the nature of these projects, and how much
financial aid or subsidies has been granted ? Furthermore,
what projects have been put forward by any of the
aforementioned undertakings or bodies in order to obtain
financial aid or subsidies, for which none has been
granted ?

to the Commission

( 22 June 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 08 )

Subject : Euronews

Euronews, which is being financed by the Commission sets
out to project a different image of the Community and

17 . 10 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 289 / 5

Europe . From close attention to the news items broadcast on
this programme, it appears that only events in the large
European countries are worthy of consideration .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1629 / 93

by Leen van der Waal ( EDN )

to the Commission

( 22 June 1993 )

Euronews has never concerned itself with events in Portugal, ( 94 / C 289 / 09 )
Greece and Ireland and unfortunately does nothing more
than repeat news items broadcast on other TV channels .

Subject : Subsidiarity and child-care facilities
Could it be that nothing worthy of mention occurs in the
smaller and poorer Community Member States ?!

Do the residents of these countries working and living
abroad who are deprived of easy access to the media of their
respective countries, in particular over one million
Portuguese, not merit the occasional news flash on events in
their own countries ?!

Given that the Commission is contributing to Euronews
projects, what steps will it take to remedy this situation ?

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro

At the Edinburgh Summit the Council reaffirmed the
principle of subsidiarity and placed it unequivocally in a
decentralized context .

1 . Has the Commission examined whether its proposed
funding of childcare facilities under the Structural
Funds, referred to in its answer to Written Question
No 2874 / 92 i 1 ) comply with the above definition of the
subsidiarity principle ?

2 . If so, on what grounds does the Commission consider
that Community funding of creches and the training of
personnel working in creches is more effective than
measures taken by the Member States ?

on behalf of the Commission
(') OJ No C 106, 16 . 4 . 1993, p . 30 .
( 22 November 1993 )

The Euronews channel was set up on the initiative of the
European Broadcasting Union and is controlled exclusively
by the broadcasters involved .

Answer given by Mr Flynn
on behalf of the Commission

( 10 December 1993 )

It was originally formed by eleven public channels including
Portuguese Radio and Television ( RTP ). Two other
channels, the SSR ( Switzerland ) and the ERTT ( Tunisia ),
have since joined . For its part, the Community helped
finance the start-up of Euronews but its contribution as set
by the budgetary authority is only around 5 % of the
channel 's annual budget .

have since joined . For its part, the Community helped Lack of child care services constitutes an obstacle to women
finance the start-up of Euronews but its contribution as set who want to work and who have children ; considerable
by the budgetary authority is only around 5 % of the efforts are required on their part to reconcile occupational
channel 's annual budget . and family responsibilities . Attention was drawn to this

problem in the Community Charter of the Fundamental
Social Rights of Workers, the Third Medium-Term
Community Action Programme on Equal Opportunities for
Societe Editoriale, which is one of the Euronews companies, Women and Men ( 1991 — 1995 ) and the Council
is responsible for the editorial content . At the outset, the recommendation of 31 March 1992 on child care ( l ).
project promoters wanted a Commission representative to
sit on its board of directors but the Commission refused, as it
is not for the Community to interfere in the editorial line of a
television channel . Most the operational Member States programmes have included submitted child as part care of measures the NOW in
initiative, which attaches particular importance to measures
Questions on the balance between large and small countries of this kind .
of the Community in information given by Euronews should
therefore be put to the channel 's programming units .

Particularly in the less developed regions, where women face
even greater problems, child care services can improve
infrastructures, help to curb the emigration of the
population, increase economic activity and create jobs .

No C 289 / 6 Official Journal of the European Communities 17 . 10 . 94

So far as training for child care workers is concerned, the
Commission recognises the importance of providing
training appropriate to the need to provide reliable care and
to ' the social and educative value of their work ', to quote the
Council recommendation referred to above .

To conclude, co-financing of child care services through the

Structural Funds, within the framework of partnership with
the Member States, continues to be an essential means of
encouraging them to promote a policy of equal
opportunities, enabling women to reconcile their
occupational and family responsibilities and thus acquire
the necessary skills to obtain stable skilled work in growth

sectors .

For this reason, child care measures are one of the
Commission 's priorities in the new reform of the European
Social Fund .

(») OJ No L 123, 8 . 5 . 1992 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1741 / 93

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1768 / 93

by Marlene Lenz ( PPE )

to the Commission

(2 July 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 11 )

Subject : Use of the word ' Heimat ' in German

In a television programme ( Aktuelle Stunde ) broadcast by
' Westdeutscher Rundfunk ' on 1 8 April 1 993, it was claimed
that the word ' Heimat ' was to be ' abolished '. The

programme went on to explain that :

"... in the course of European harmonization — the
internal market — it was decided in Brussels that because

the word ' Heimat ' does not exist in any other language, it
should no longer exist iri Germany either ".

Is there a Directive covering the use of the word ' Heimat ' in
German, or has the Commission dealt in any other way with
the word ' Heimat ' in European usage ?

by Sir James Scott-Hopkins ( PPE ) Answer given by Mr Delors
on behalf of the Commission
to the Commission

( 29 lune 1993 ) ( 23 November 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 10

Subject : EC School curriculum

What plan does the Commission have to propose a common
EC school curriculum ?

The information on which the Honourable Member 's

question is based is clearly fictional . The question is
therefore devoid of substance .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1808 / 93

Answer given by Mr Ruberti
on behalf of the Commission

of the Commission by Rosaria Bindi ( PPE )

( 19 October 1993 ) to the Commission

( 13 July 1993 )

The Commission has no plans to propose a common ( 94 / C 289 / 12 )
Community curriculum . Under the terms of the Treaties at
present in force, there are no Community powers in respect
of general education . As for the future, Article 126 of the Subject : Failure by Greece to comply
Treaty on European Union specifically reserves to Member Court of Justice of the
States responsibility for the content of teaching and the
organisation of educational systems . In the view of the Complaints have been made to the
Commission that includes the content of the school
curriculum . about the Greek legislation which

Subject : Failure by Greece to comply with judgments of the

Court of Justice of the European Communities

However, the Commission will be continuing to try to
promote cooperation between Member States and between
individual schools in order to help the development of the
European dimension in education .

Complaints have been made to the Committee on Petitions
about the Greek legislation which prevents citizens of other
Member States from setting up foreign language schools

(' frontistiria ') or teaching foreign languages in Greece under
the same conditions as those which apply in the case of
Greek citizens ( Petitions Nos 133 / 90, 458 / 90, 305 / 91 and
605 / 91 ).

The Committee on Petitions has been informed that Greece

was found guilty by the Court of Justice of the European

17 . 10 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 289 / 7

Communities of breaching Articles 52 and 59 of the EEC
Treaty ( Case 147 / 86 ) and that, since Greece failed to comply
with this judgment, the Commission again brought the
matter before the Court under Article 171 of the EEC

Treaty . On 30 January 1992 the Court handed down a
judgment which found Greece guilty of non-compliance
with the judgment in Case 147 / 86 on the nationality
restriction relating to the setting up of language schools and
to the professions of architect, civil engineer and surveyor

the EEC Treaty . Interested parties could therefore apply for
compensation through the Greek courts .

The new Article 171 ( 2 ) of the EEC Treaty, as amended by
the Treaty on European Union, currently in the process of
ratification, will enable the Court to impose penalty
payments on Member States that fail to comply with its
judgments .

( Case 328 / 90 ).
(!) Judgment of 19 November 1991 in Joined Cases C-6 / 90 and

C-9 / 90 Francovich v. Italian Republic and Bonifaci v. Italian
Republic .
However, Greece has not yet brought its legislation into line
with Community law .

In these circumstances, what steps does the Commission
plan to take to ensure that Greece complies with these
judgments of the Court ? WRITTEN QUESTION E-1814 / 93

by Johanna-Christina Grund ( NI )

to the Commission

( 20 July 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 13 )
Answer given by Mr Vanni d'Archirafi

on behalf of the Commission

(8 October 1993 )

As the Honourable Member points out, the Court found in
its judgment of 30 January 1992 ( Case C-328 / 90 ) that
Greece had failed to comply with the judgment of 15 March

. 1988 ( Case 147 / 86 ) concerning the nationality requirement

for opening ' frontistiria ' ( especially private language
schools ) and with the judgment of 14 July 1988 ( Case
38 / 87 ) concerning the nationality requirement for
exercising the professions of architect, civil engineer and
surveyor . Since then, Greece has taken steps to comply with
the judgment in the latter case, but it has not yet done
anything as regards ' frontistiria '.

The Commission shares the Honourable Member 's concern

about Greece 's failure to comply with two successive Court
judgments on ' frontistiria '. Despite those two judgments
and the direct effect of Articles 48, 52 and 59 of the EEC
Treaty, with which Greece, so the Court ruled, had failed to
comply, a number of Community nationals are still being
prevented from exercising their rights, a situation which for
some of them has been going on for a long time .

The attitude of the Greek Government is unacceptable . The
Commission will continue its efforts on the political level,
while also considering the possibility of legal action .

In this connection, the Commission would point out that, in
accordance with the case-law of the Court ( J ), Member
States are under an obligation to make reparation for loss
and damage caused to individuals by their failure to
transpose a Directive . The Commission would argue that
this also applies a fortiori to failure to apply a provision of

Subject : Infringement of basic rights by the provisions of

Annex VIII, Article 17, of the Staff Regulations
applicable to officials and other servants of the
European Communities

In response to Written Question No 285 / 93 ('),
Commissioner van Miert gave an answer that did not deal
with the problem I raised, that is, the infringement of basic
rights by Article 4 ( 8 ) of Regulation ( EEC ) No 2274 / 87 ( 2 )
or by Article 17a, third paragraph, of Annex VIII of the Staff
Regulations applying to the officials and other servants of
the European Communities, speaking only about the equal
rights of men and women, whether officials or temporary
staff .

I must therefore ask the Commission once again : does not
Article 17a, third paragraph, of Annex VIII of the Staff
Regulations constitute an infringement of basic rights, in
that the pension of a former official or servant is only paid to
his / her widow or widower if the marriage was concluded
before he / she retired from active employment .

The Commission rightly stated in its answer of 12 May 1993
that Article 4 ( 8 ), subparagraph 3, of Regulation ( EEC )
No 2274 / 87 regulates the rights of the children of the
marriage and removes the requirement for a minimum
duration of the marriage .

It is, however, beyond dispute that in the event of a marriage
concluded after the retirement or resignation of the official
or employee, the widowed spouse has no claim to a
survivor 's pension, even where the marriage has resulted in
children .

Does the Commission not consider that this provision —
Article 17a of the Staff Regulation — needs amending, since
it conflicts with basic human rights and is tantamount to the

No C 289 / 8 Official Journal of the European Communities 17 . 10 . 94

Appointing Authority depriving an employee of duly
acquired pension rights ?

Answer given by Mr Vanni d'Archirafi

on behalf of the Commission

( 28 March 1994 )
(») OJ No C 220, 26 . 7 . 1993, p . 20 .

( 2 ) OJ No L 209, 31 . 7 . 1987, p . 1 .

Answer given by Mr Van Miert

on behalf of the Commission

( 15 November 1993 )

The attention of the Honourable Member is drawn to

Article 20 of Annex XIII to the Staff Regulations, which
introduces a derogation from Article 17 of the same Annex
by stipulating that

' for purpose of Articles 17a, 18, 18a and 19 the duration
of the marriage shall not be taken into account where the
marriage, though contracted after termination of the
official 's service, has lasted at least five years '.

Contrary to what might be understood therefore from a
reading of Article 17 of Annex VIII in isolation, the Staff
Regulations do protect all surviving spouses of officials or
temporary staff after five years of marriage where the
marriage is contracted after termination of service .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-l 828 / 93

by Ingo Friedrich ( PPE )

Gambling is already a major industry everywhere in the
Community, as can be seen from the June 1991 report
Gambling in the Single Market which the Commission has
presented to Parliament . The report found that gambling
was in steady expansion, partly as a result of technological
developments .

Gambling is of considerable economic importance and is
subject to the rules in the EC Treaty . The principle of mutual
recognition in the Treaty helps to ensure that the
fundamental freedoms which the Treaty lays down do in
fact operate in practice, while at the same time safeguarding
the public interest . The Court of Justice has held that
national legislation may properly seek to preserve the public
interest, action to prevent crime and money laundering
being included .

According to the Court, non-discriminatory national
measures may apply to suppliers of services who are
established in other Member States, provided among other
things that the measures are justified on imperative grounds
of the public interest and that the public interest is not
already adequately protected by the rules in force in the
Member State of the supplier of the service .

The Commission is at present studying the whole question
of gambling . The Schindler case currently before the Court
of Justice is likewise concerned with gambling in the
Community ( 1 ). Judgment will be delivered shortly, and
should throw light in the relative weight to be given to the
different Community interests at issue .

to the Commission (M Case C-275 / 92 .

( 13 July 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 14

Subject : Plans to liberalize gambling in the EC

1 . Can we expect the liberalization of the gambling
market, in conjunction with the possibilities offered by new
technology, to lead to an enormous increase in gambling
throughout the Community ?

2 . Traditionally gambling and the revenue from it have
always been linked with criminal activities, including
possible money laundering . This is one of the reasons why
gambling has been kept under strict government control .

Could the liberalization of gambling lead, for this reason, to
large areas of the business falling into the hands of criminal
organizations ? ( Experience outside Europe confirms this .)

3 . Could the liberalization of gambling lead to an
undermining of the law — if, for example, the law of the
most tolerant Member State were adopted in all other EC
countries ?

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1845 / 93

by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE )

to the Commission

( IS July 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 15 )

Subject : Axional tomographs in Greece

Greece has more axial tomographs than any other country
in the world, three times the European Community average
and approximately three times as many as in New York .
According to the Greek Ministry of Health, Dr 100 billion
are spent each year from public funds on axial
tomographs .

Can the Commission say whether this figure is justified by
the number of patients needing new equipment in Greece ?
Given such a large number of axial tomographs in Greece
could the Commission investigate health and safety
conditions for workers and the general public in Greece ?

17 . 10 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 289 / 9

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission

Answer given by Mr Steichen

on behalf of the Commission

(8 December 1993 ) (2 December 1993 )

The Council Directive of 3 September 1984 laying down

basic measures for the radiation protection of persons
undergoing medical examination or treatment
( 84 / 466 / Euratom ) ( ! ) stipulates, in Article 4, that each
Member State shall take such steps as it may consider
necessary to discourage the unnecessary proliferation of
equipment for radiotherapy, radiodiagnosis and nuclear
medicine . The Commission has been informed that the

Greek authorities have suspended any new licences for
medical apparatus as from 1 February 1993 .

The health and safety of exposed workers and of persons
undergoing tomographic examinations are regulated by the
Council Directive of 15 July 1980 laying down the basic
safety standards for the health protection of the general
public and workers against the dangers of ionizing radiation

( 80 / 836 / Euratom ) ( 2 ) and by Directive 84 / 466 / Euratom .
These two Directives have been transposed into Greek law
and, according to the information available to the
Commission, no particular problems have arisen in this
field .

Finally, the decision as to whether or not a patient needs to
undergo tomographic examination rests with the medical
radiologist .

(!) OJ No L 265, 5 . 10 . 1984 .

( 2 ) OJ No L 246, 17 . 9 . 1980 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-l 868 / 93

by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 15 July 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 16 )

The Commission is sending directly to the Honourable
Member a copy of its annual report on the fight against
fraud dated 20 April 1993 ( 1 ), which was transmitted to
Parliament 's Secretariat-General on 21 April 1993 . The
report contains not only an account of the progress achieved
last year in this area, but also an action plan for 1993 with
33 specific measures, several concerning agriculture, to
improve the protection of the Community 's financial
interests .

(!) COM(93 ) 141 final .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1879 / 93

by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 15 July 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 17 )

Subject : Environment in Ermoupolis on the island of

Syros

Four hundred old neo-classical buildings in Ermoupolis on
the island of Syros are being ruined and are spoiling the
environment because they have been abandoned by their
owners, who cannot meet the high cost of their restoration
or preservation .

The buildings in question were constructed between 1830
and 1870 and are unique in Greece and perhaps in Europe,
bringing together as they do the architectural and artistic
skills of reowned craftsmen . In view of this, will the
Commission take steps to ensure that, with Community
help, these buildings are not ruined and the quality of the
environment is preserved ?

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro

on behalf of the Commission

Subject : Community agricultural trade rackets ( 19 November 1993 )

The theft of a percentage of Community farming subsidies
by racketeers continues to be commonplace . Products often
remain unsold and go rotten, and many farmers even lose
money by selling their products to unscrupulous traders .

It is therefore clear that the national and Community
measures implemented hitherto are not capable of providing
proper protection for farmers or combating racketeers . Will
the Commission look into the possibility of tightening up
measures against unscrupulous traders ?

It should be recalled that the Member States are sovereign in
matters of cultural policy in general and the management of
their architectural heritage in particular ; the Community, in
accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, confines itself
to supporting and supplementing the action they take .

Article 128 of the EC Treaty and the conclusions of the
Council of 12 November 1992 on the ' guidelines for
Community cultural action ' clearly define the scope for
cultural action by the Community .

No C 289 / 10 Official Journal of the European Communities 17 . 10 . 94

The Commission is not in a position to undertake measures
in respect of the 400 neoclassical buildings in Ermoupolis ;
the budget allocated to cultural initiatives by the
Community is limited and does not make it possible to
launch programmes on this scale .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-l 891 / 93

by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 15 July 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 18

Subject : Threat of the return of polio and diphtheria to

Greece

Greece is threatened by the recurrence of poliomyelitis and
diphtheria as hundreds of thousands of immigrants, most of
them from eastern countries and Albania, have not been
vaccinated . This was pointed out in a paper submitted by a
team of scientists from the Institut Pasteur on 7 May to the

19th Annual Congress of the Greek Medical Association .

Has the European Community considered the problems of
immunizing immigrants entering and remaining in Greece
and Community territory in general ? Has the Commission
any proposals for dealing with this problem ?

Answer given by Mr Flynn
on behalf of the Commission

( 29 November 1993 )

The Commission is aware that nationals from third

countries, who do not have the same level of health
protection as Community nationals, are entering the
Member States without being immunised against diseases
such as poliomyelitis or diphtheria . The rate at which the
polio virus and the agent responsible for diphtheria can
spread in areas where a high percentage of the population
has been vaccinated against them is extremely low, and only
those who have not been vaccinated, presumably having
come from third countries, are exposed to the risk of
contracting these diseases . Even this risk is limited within the
Community because the vaccination rate is still
satisfactory .

The Treaties in force do not allow the Community any
competence in the field of vaccinations and it is the
responsibility of each Member State to conduct the public
health policy in this field which it considers to be most
appropriate . However, Council Directive 64 / 221 / EEC of
25 February 1964 on the coordination of special measures
concerning the movement and residence of foreign nationals
which are justified on grounds of public order, public
security or public health enables the Member States to refuse

entry into their territory of nationals from within the
Community and members of their family from both within
the Community and from third countries if they have one of
these infectious diseases, or, on the same grounds, to refuse
to issue a first residence permit to such persons . However, in
the case of nationals from third countries other than these,
the measures for protection against such infectious diseases
are not established by Community law but are the sole
responsibility of the Member States .

As a general rule, it is important to have effective monitoring
systems for the surveillance of communicable diseases, as
these can make a significant contribution towards resolving
these important public health problems . It is for this reason
that, as regards the application of the resolution of the
Council and Ministers for Health of the Member States,
meeting within the Council of 13 November 1992 on the
monitoring and surveillance of communicable diseases

( 92 / C326 / 01 ), the Commission will submit proposals to this
effect in the report which it will be producing .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1945 / 93

by Paul Staes ( V )

to the Commission

( 19 July 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 19 )

Subject : Belgium 's failure to comply with Decisions
84 / 508 / EEC and 84 / 111 / EEC

On 9 April 1987 the European Court of Justice found
Belgium guilty of failure to comply with Decision
84 / 508 / EEC ( ) ( Idealspun ). On 19 February 1991 the
Court found against Belgium again in the same case .

On 21 February 1990 Belgium was found guilty of failure
to comply with Decision 84 / 111 / EEC ( 2 ) ( Fabelta
Zwijnaarde ).

In both cases the competent authorities in Belgium have
instituted legal proceedings with a view to recovering the aid
paid in error, but the proceedings have still not reached the

courts .

Summary No 10 of the Commission 's Ninth Annual Report
on monitoring of the application of Community law lists
' Court of Justice judgments delivered up to 31 December
1991, not complied with '. It gives the ( second ) judgment in
the Idealspun case but not the judgment of 21 February

1990 in the case of Fabelta Zwijnaarde .

Why is the Court of Justice judgment of 21 February 1990 in
the Fabelta Zwijnaarde case not listed in the Commission 's
Ninth Annual Report ?

17 . 10 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 289 / 11

Does the Commission feel that the Member State complied
with this judgment because legal proceedings were instituted
to recover the aid ?

Why has the Commission had recourse to the Court of
Justice twice in the case of Idealspun, but only once in the

case of Fabelta Zwiinaarde ?

(!) OJ No L 283, 27 . 10 . 1984, p . 42 .

( 2 ) OJ No L 62, 3 . 3 . 1984, p . 18 .

Answer given by Mr Van Miert

on behalf of the Commission

I should still like a reply to the third part of my question,
which was :

Can the Commission also give information concerning
the statute, operation, seat and constitution of the
Management Board of both the European Trade Union
College and the European Workers Centre ?

(M OJ No C 185, 7 . 7 . 1993, p . 13 .

Answer given by Mr Flynn
on behalf of the Commission

(3 March 1994 ) (2 December 1993 )

The judgment of the Court of Justice on Case C-74 / 89
concerning the Commission 's Decision of 30 November

1983 was not on the list of Court judgments not complied
with by 3 1 December 1991 that was part of the Ninth report
to the Parliament on Commission monitoring of the
application of Commission law ( J ) because only judgments
under Article 169 or Article 171 EC Treaty are listed in these
reports . While other state aid judgments are not included at
present, the Commission might include them in future

reports .

The Court 's judgment on Case C-74 / 89 and that on Case
C-375 / 89 concerning the Commission 's Decision of 27 June
1984 have not yet been complied with by Belgium .

However, the Belgian authorities have begun proceedings in
the national courts to recover the unlawful aid . Hearings in
respect of the aid that was the subject of the 1983 Decision
began on 24 September 1993 and, in respect of the aid that
was the subject of the 1984 Decision, on 14 December

1993 .

f 1 ) OJ No C 250, 29 . 9 . 1992 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-l 972 / 93

by Jaak Vandemeulebroucke ( ARE )

to the Commission

( 19 July 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 20 )

Subject : Organization of meetings of workers '
organizations in the Community — utilization of
appropriations entered against item B3-4002

Further to my Written Question No 2656 / 92 ( : ), can the
Commission for which applications have funds been
granted, and what was the substance of the agreement
between the Commission and the workers '

organizations ?

The agreement made with the workers ' organizations
concerns the way in which the funds are to be allocated,
provided suitable projects are submitted . Hence it has been
agreed to grant

— ECU 1 000 000 to the European Workers ' Centre

— ECU 1 200 000 for the European Trade Union
College

— ECU 1 000 000 for national measures

— ECU 1 800 000 for the sectoral European Trade Union

Committees .

A list of beneficiaries and projects broken down by country
has been sent directly to the Honourable Member and to the
Secretariat-General of the European Parliament .

The Trade Union Committees have been invited to comply
with the criteria set out in a document sent directly to the
Honourable Member and to the Secretariat-General of the

European Parliament .

The seat of the European Trade Union College ( Academie
syndicale — ASE ) is rue Fosse aux Loups, 33 B-1000
Brussels . The articles of association of this

non-profit-making association were published in the
Moniteur Beige of 6 February 1992 .

The seat of the European Workers ' Centre is Johannes
Alber-Allee 3, D-5330 Konigswinter 1 . The articles of
association were published in the Memorial du
Grand-Duche de Luxembourg No C 435 of 30 September
1992 .

Documents on the operation of these two organizations
have been sent directly to the Honourable Member and to
the Secretariat-General of the European Parliament .

No C 289 / 12 Official Journal of the European Communities 17 . 10 . 94

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1991 / 93

by Cristiana Muscardini ( NI )

to the Commission

( 19 July 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 21 )

Subject : Toy subsidies and safety inspections

Can the Commission state whether the toy company
Adicom receives Community subsidies and, if so, what are
the guarantees regarding tests to check on the safety of the
products, given that each toy must be checked for user
safety, and what are the actual costs of such inspections ?

The manufacturer, his authorized representative established
in the Community or any other person placing the toy on the
Community market must, however, keep a technical dossier
available for inspection by the national authorities, giving
details of the toy and describing the means whereby the
manufacturer has complied with the harmonized standards
or an approved model .

The national authorities are required to carry out sample
checks on toys which are placed on their market ; they must
ensure not only that dangerous toys are withdrawn from the
market but also that unscrupulous manufacturers are
dissuaded from affixing the EC mark if there is any doubt as
to whether their products comply with the Directive .

Can the Commission also state what tests are carried out on

imports from the East, bearing in mind in particular that, in
Lombardy alone, there are reports of drug trafficking worth
around Lit . 16 trillion related to imports of such toys ? WRITTEN QUESTION E-2003 / 93

by Mihail Papayannakis ( NI )

to the Commission

( 19 July 1993 )
Answer given by Mrs Scrivener ( 94 / C 289 / 22

on behalf of the Commission

( 24 November 1993 )

Subject : Restructuring programme in the steel sector

The Commission wishes first of all to point out to the
Honourable Member that toy manufacturers do not, as a
rule, receive Community subsidies .

As regards compliance with the necessary requirements,
Directive 88 / 378 / EEC on the safety of toys provides that the
manufacturer may :

— either certify that the toy conforms to the harmonized

standards on the safety of toys adopted by the European
standardization institutes CEN an Cenelec, in which
case it is presumed to comply with the essential safety
requirements of the Directive ;

— or submit a model of the toy to an approved body ; the

latter will issue an EC type-examination certificate if the
model complies with the essential safety requirements of
the Directive .

In November 1992 the Commission adopted a programme
to improve competitiveness in the iron and steel sector ( x ),
including ECSC and ESF measures to combat the social
consequences of the closure of a number of steel
undertakings .

However, the Greek steel sector is a special case since it is
characterized by the presence of small independent
undertakings : because they are not engaged in diversified
activities they cannot close down selected branches . As a
result, undertakings face the stark choice of surviving or
closing down completely . Therefore any job losses resulting
from the reorganization of production processes and
services in individual units are not covered by the steel
restructuring programme ( 1993 — 1995 ) and workers are
unable to benefit from the accompanying social

measures .

Strongly-worded complaints have already been made
concerning delays in the payment of housing loans and
Community aid .

representative In both cases established, it is the manufacturer within the Community or his authorized who Community aid .
affixes to the toy or its packaging, before it is placed on the
market, the EC mark denoting that a toy conforms to the Will the Commission
harmonized standards or an approved model and that it undertakings so that
satisfies all other requirements of the Directive . The borne entirely by the
Directive does not require every toy to be checked same treatment as
individually ( it is for the manufacturer to ensure that
products comply with the harmonized standards or an
approved model ). (M SEC(92 ) 2160 final .

Will the Commission grant an exemption for Greek steel
undertakings so that the cost of restructuring will not be
borne entirely by the workers, thereby according them the
same treatment as workers in Ireland and Portugal ?

17 . 10 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 289 / 13

Answer given by Mr Flynn
on behalf of the Commission

( 22 November 1993 )

The comprehensive programme to accompany reductions in
steel-making capacity, implemented by the Commission in
order to improve competitiveness in the Community 's iron
and steel sector, is made up of several parts and includes the
social measures adopted by the Commission at the end of
April ( 1 ). The social measures, like the other parts of the
programme, are strictly linked to an adequate number of
closures . Furthermore, it is logical that the assistance which
the ECSC may grant under these social measures can apply
only to workers affected by the removal of capacity . Any
exemptions, of whatever kind, would be out of keeping with
the industrial objective .

Workers who are the victims of modernization measures

may possibly be able to benefit from ESF operations in 1993
if the Community support frameworks and operational
programmes include such provision or are amended to this
effect . In 1994 / 95, following the reform of the Structural
Funds and under the extension of its remit, the ESF could
take action to assist these workers if requested to do so by
the Member State in question .

Moreover, the Commission would point out that it has not
noted any particular delays in the granting of redeployment
aid, which is paid strictly in accordance with the bilateral
agreement between the Commission and the Greek
Government, or of housing loans . Following the
termination of the 11th programme at the end of 1992, the
latter will able to resume on the basis of the supplementary
budget to assist Greek workers agreed by the Commission
on 28 July 1993 when the sums remaining from this
programme were redistributed .

0 ) COM(93 ) 178 final .

Cyprus into England . The question was raised because of
doubts as to what extent this would constitute an

infringement of Community rules .

The Commission 's memorandum states that the Association

Agreement applies to all the population of the island and
that Turkish Cypriots are not excluded from its benefits,
despite the fact that Denktash has declared a State
recognized by Turkey .

Is it true that the Commission 's answer to the European
Court of Justice puts the Turkish-occupied sector of
northern Cyprus on a par with the State of Cyprus ?

Answer given by Mr Delors
on behalf of the Commission

( 19 November 1993 )

The Commission 's briefs in cases concerning preliminary
questions before the Court of Justice are normally
confidential, but the Commission can assure the
Honourable Member that its brief in Case C-432 / 92 ( The
Queen v. Minister of Agriculture, ex parte S. P. Anastasiou )
does not stray from the long-standing policy of the
Commission that the Association Agreement, including the
Financial Protocol, should benefit all of the island and all of
the inhabitants of the island ( based on Articles 5 and 16 of
the Agreement ) and that the government of the Republic of
Cyprus is the only government recognized by the
Community and its Member States .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2122 / 93

by Anita Pollack ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 26 July 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 24 )
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2058 / 93

by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 23 July 1993 )

Subject : VAT on second-hand goods

( 94 / C 289 / 23 )
Can the Commission explain what the state of play is for the
proposed Directive on VAT on second-hand goods ( Seventh
VAT Directive ), and what action the Commission is taking

Subject : Imports of agricultural produce from to speed up its adoption ?
Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus

The newspaper ' Pondiki ' reported on 27 May 1993 that the
British Supreme Court has sought the opinion of the
European Court of Justice as to whether agricultural
produce may be imported from Turkish-occupied northern

Can the Commission confirm that consumers are not being
prevented from taking advantage of price differences
throughout the EC ? And does this not, from the consumer 's
point of view, constitute a flagrant violation of the principle
of free movement of goods in the Single Market ?

No C 289 / 14 Official Journal of the European Communities 17 . 10 . 94

Answer given by Mrs Scrivener

on behalf of the Commission

( 21 March 1994 )

The Commission welcomes the adoption by the Council on

14 February 1994 of its proposal for a seventh VAT
Directive ( 94 / 5 / EC ) ( x ) on special arrangements applicable
to second-hand goods, works of art, collectors ' items and
antiques .

It can also confirm to the Honourable Member that the

adoption of this Directive will make it possible to introduce
tax arrangements which guarantee private individuals
complete freedom in purchasing such goods or items .
Consumers will also be able to take full advantage of the
opportunities offered to them by the single market .

( J ) OJ No L 60, 3 . 3 . 1994 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2128 / 93

Council Regulation ( EEC ) No 1601 / 92 come into force, the
common agricultural policy will apply to the Canary Islands
under the same rules as those covering mainland Spain .
Article 6 of the Regulation states that the rates of customs
duty will gradually be brought into line with those of the
Common Customs Tariff, but this general measure does not
cover the specific case of agricultural levies, which are an
essential component of the common agricultural policy .
Such levies have a different purpose to customs duties, i.e. to
even out any difference between world and Community
prices . They cannot then be viewed in the same way as
customs duties und neither tax is simply a part of the
other .

Agricultural levies are therefore payable in full on import
into the Canaries of products not covered by the supply

arrangements .

by Isidoro Sánchez García ( ARC ) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2142 / 93

to the Commission by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE )

( 26 July 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 25

Subject : Application of customs duties in the Canary

Islands

As laid down in Council Regulation ( EEC ) No 1911 / 91 ( 1 ),
the common customs tariff ( CCT ) will be introduced
gradually into the Canary Islands in accordance with a
specified timetable during a transitional period which shall
end no later than 31 December in the year 2000, with a view
to ensuring that the islands do not suffer adverse effects
from any sudden inclusion into the common customs
territory . In 1993, for example, the rates of duty applicable
shall be equal to 35 % of the CCT .

The Canary Islands customs authorities consider that the
reference to the CCT in the Regulation in question only
covers actual customs duties, and they are applying all the
corresponding import duties to agricultural products which
are not included in the specific supply arrangements .

What interpretation does the Commission place on the
gradual application of the CCT during the transitional
period in respect of products which are not covered by the
specific supply arrangements and, where actual customs
duties are included in the import duties, what rates should
be applied during the transitional period ?

(!) OJ No L 171, 29 . 6 . 1991, p . 1 .

Answer given by Mrs Scrivener

on behalf of the Commission

(8 November 1993 )

Article 2 of Council Regulation ( EEC ) No 1911 / 91
stipulates that when the supply arrangements introduced by

to the Commission

( 26 July 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 26

Subject : Greek exports of fruit and vegetables

The UN embargo on rump Yugoslavia is expected seriously
to damage Greek exports of fruit and vegetables, and
notably fruit and vegetables from northern Greece, 80 % of
which used to be shipped to the rest of European
Community markets through Yugoslavia . Can the
Commission say what measures the Community has taken
( or intends to take ) to boost Greek exports of fruit and
vegetables this year ?

Answer given by Mr Steichen

on behalf of the Commission

( 22 November 1993 )

In order to maintain the disposal of Greek fruit and
vegetables on the Community market, currently hampered
by the conflict in former Yugoslavia, the Commission is
granting aid worth ECU 23 / tonne on exports of these
products bound for the other Community Member States
except Italy, Spain and Portugal .

This aid is granted for exports carried out since 21 June

1991, the date on which hostilities broke out in former
Yugoslavia, and it will be continued until the end of 1993,
unless the situation stabilizes before that date .

17 . 10 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 289 / 15

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2 160 / 93

by Gianfranco Amendola ( V )

to the Commission

( 26 July 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 27 )

Subject : Commission action regarding the waste dump in

Baricella ( Bologna, Italy )

law of the Directive . The Commission sent a reasoned

opinion to the Italian authorities on the subject in July

1993 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2188 / 93

by José Lafuente Lopez ( PPE )

to the Commission

Given that : ( 28 July 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 28 )

Written Question No 1918 / 92 (') denounced a possible
infringement of Directive 85 / 337 / EEC ( 2 ) by the Italian
Government, in connection with the construction of a solid
urban waste dump in the municipality of Baricella

( Bologna );

In its reply of 9 November 1992 the Commission stated that
the case in question and other cases would be pointed out to
the Italian authorities in the context of an infringement
action already under way ;

The procedure for siting the plant is still going on
nonetheless and the Italian authorities do not intend to

subject the project to an Environmental Impact
Assessment ;

1 . What stage has the infringement action reached, and

what response has been received from the Italian
authorities ?

Subject : Community participation in the specialist training

of legal journalists

The establishment of the single European market has given
rise to a whole new corpus of legislation whose range and
scope is a factor of preoccupation for the legal professionals
who have to implement and apply it in their work .

It is therefore desirable to take all necessary steps to facilitate
the dissemination of the new Community legislation via
legal journalism, to enable legal professionals to receive as
much information as possible by this means .

It is accordingly vital to encourage specialist training for
legal journalists with a view to improving knowledge of
Community law in the legal profession through
dissemination of the new legislation arising from the
establishment of the single market and from the Community
legal framework in general .

2 . Does not the Commission intend to take further steps
regarding the dump in Baricella ?

Is the Commission willing to contribute to such specialist
training for legal journalists in the Member States by
f 1 ) OJ No C 47, 18 . 2 . 1993, p . 6 . promoting, planning and organizing courses aimed at

( 2 ) OJ No L 175, 5 . 7 . 1985, p . 40 . consolidating the nascent profession of legal journalism ?

( 2 ) OJ No L 175, 5 . 7 . 1985, p . 40 .

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas on behalf of the Commission

on behalf of the Commission
( 19 November 1993 )
(9 December 1993 )

According to the Italian authorities, since the project in
question comes under Annex II to Directive 85 / 337 / EEC,
the obligation to carry out an environmental impact
assessment provided for by that Directive does not apply . A
bill has been introduced designed to regulate the procedure
for the various categories of project referred to in Directive
85 / 337 / EEC .

As already stated, therefore, the case in question will be dealt
with in the context of the main infringement procedure in
progress concerning the incorrect incorporation into Italian

The Commission fully approves of the general objective of
promoting the training of legal journalists in Community
affairs but considers that, in accordance with the principle
of subsidiarity, it should not be involved in organizing
courses for them .

A ' European Journalism Centre ' has opened in Maastricht .
This Centre organizes specialized courses for professional
journalists with the support of the European Journalism
Training Association .

No C 289 / 16 Official Journal of the European Communities 17 . 10 . 94

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2231 / 93

by Kirsten Jensen ( PSE )

to the Commission

takes place as soon as possible, usually within 45 days of
official confirmation and that the owner receives adequate
and rapid compensation ( usually within 45 days ).

( 30 July 1993 ) It would appear from preliminary enquiries that these

( 94 / C 289 / 29 ) requirements are not being fully respected and the
Commission is pursuing the matter .

Subject : Prohibition of products under the Treaty

During the debate on the packaging Directive, the
Commission stated that it was not possible to prohibit
specific packagings in accordance with the Treaty . On the
basis of what provision in which Treaty does the
Commission claim this, and what was its legal basis, under
which Treaty, for proposing a ban on oral moist snuff ?

Answer given by Mr Flynn
on behalf of the Commission

(6 December 1993 )

As regards the ban on snuff, the Community measure
referred to in the question of the Honourable Member is
Council Directive 92 / 41 / EEC, which was adopted by the
Council on 15 May 1992 . Its legal basis is Article 100a of the
EEC Treaty, as indicated in the first citation of the text .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2252 / 93

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2300 / 93

by Jaak Vandermeulebroucke ( ARE )

to the Commission

(1 September 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 31 )

Subject : Complaint against infringement of Council
Directive 90 / 428 / EEC

On 13 November 1991 a complaint was registered with the
Commission by the Danish National Harness Racing
Federation against the French national harness-racing
organizations and affiliated bodies, for infringements of the
Council Directive ( 90 / 428 / EEC ) (*).

What progress has been made by the Commission in
processing this complaint, and will it take action ?

(!) OJ No L 224, 18 . 8 . 1990, p . 60 .

by José Apolinârio ( PSE ) Answer given by Mr Steichen

to the Commission on behalf of the Commission

( 30 July 1993 ) ( 17 December 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 30 )

Subject : Animal health in Tras-os-Montes region

The veterinary surgeons in charge of the Tras-os-Montes
Health Protection Units ( Portugal ) have recently spoken out
against the public health risk posed by the large number of
diseased animals which are not being slaughtered, due to
inefficiency on the part of the official departments . It is
specifically alleged that slaughter for health reasons is being
held up and compensation is not being paid .

What information can the Commission give on the
matter ?

Answer given by Mr Steichen

on behalf of the Commission

( 18 November 1993 )

Community aided disease eradication programmes, which
are currently being applied in Portugal for diseases such as
Brucellosis etc ., require that slaughter of diseased animals

1 . Council Directive 90 / 428 / EEC concerns trade in

equidae intended for competitions and lays down the
conditions for participation in such competitions .

Article 3 of the Directive states that competition rules may
not discriminate between equidae registered in the Member
State in which the competition is organized and those
registered in another Member State . In addition, they may
not discriminate between equidae originating in the
Member State in which the competition is organized and
those originating in another Member State .

The obligations referred to above apply, in particular, to the
requirements for entering competitions and profits which
may accrue therefrom .

2 . However, Article 4 ( 2 ) of the Directive states that the
aforementioned obligations may not affect inter alia the
organization of competitions reserved for equidae registered
in a specific studbook for the purpose of permitting the
improvement of the breed . In this context, the French
regulations reserve a substantial percentage of the harness
races held on French territory to horses registered in the
French trotter studbook .

17 . 10 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 289 / 17

3 . Accordingly, the crux of the problem lies in
determining whether the French trotter is a specific breed to
which the derogations provided for in Article 4 ( 2 ) of the
Directive might apply .

The Commission is increasingly including in its documents a
list of the abbreviations used in the text ( as, for example, in
the fifth environment programme ).

Honourable Member and to Parliament 's Secretariat

direct .

The Commission has held a series of consultations with both programme
the Danish and French authorities and the professional
circles concerned, in order to reach a consensus on the
matter . All those concerned welcomed with interest the

possibility of an indicative appraisal by recognized experts
in the field of zootechnics which might shed the necessary
scientific light on this question . WRITTEN QUESTION E-2350 / 93

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2303 / 93

by Alonso Puerta ( GUE )

to the Commission

(1 September 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 32 )

Subject : Explanation of abbreviations to ensure greater

openness in the Community

In the Treaty on European Union, and subsequently in the
declaration of the Birmingham European Council and the
conclusions of the Edinburgh European Council, the heads
of State and government gave clear signals that the
Community must be seen to be close to its citizens .

In addition to the measures on openness and access to
documents referred to in its communication of 2 June
1993 0 and in order to permit greater openness towards
the public, has the Commission considered adopting a
simple, obvious measure such as avoiding the use of
unexplained initials and abbreviations in all its ' documents ',
as widely defined in Annex II of the communication ?

by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE )

to the Commission

(1 September 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 33

Subject : Application of the Directive concerning the
obligation of an employer to inform workers of
conditions applicable in contracts or working
relations

Can the Commission say which EC countries have not yet
harmonized their legislation in respect of Directive
91 / 533 / EEC ( x ) regarding the obligation of all employed
persons to sign a contract ?

H OJ No L 288, 18 . 10 . 1991, p . 32 .

Answer given by Mr Flynn
on behalf of the Commission

(2 December 1993 )

Directive 91 / 533 / EEC makes it mandatory for employers to
notify employees in writing of the essential aspects of their
working conditions .

as widely Up to now Denmark, Spain and the United Kingdom have

informed the Commission of their national measures
(M COM(93 ) 258 final . implementing this Directive .

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro

on behalf of the Commission

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2351 / 93
( 24 November 1993 )

by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE )

to the Commission

In addition to the obvious practical value of acronyms and (1 September 1993 )
initials they often increase the impact of Community 94 / C 289 / 34
measures on the general public .

The Commission has put in place an internal coordination
procedure to encourage clarity in the use of acronyms and to
avoid confusion between different Community measures .
Details of acronyms used are given in the List of Community
programmes and information systems, published twice a
year in all Community languages . A copy is being sent to the

Subject : Implementation of the Directive on benefits for

workers suffering from cancer

Further to my Questions Nos 2092 / 92 and 2093 / 92 ( 1 )
regarding groups of workers suffering from cancer and
other diseases, will the Commission say whether it intends

No C 289 / 18 Official Journal of the European Communities 17 . 10 . 94

to take all possible measures to enable these workers to 2 . As regards the activities of the ' Youth for Europe '
benefit from the provisions of Directive 90 / 394 / EEC ( 2 )? Programme, the Greek General Secretariat for the New

Generations has received the following funds since the
(!) OJ No C 47, 18 . 2 . 1993, p . 18 . beginning of 1991 :

( 2 ) OJ No L 196, 26 . 7 . 1990, p . 1 .

( ECU )

1991 1992 1993

Answer given by Mr Flynn
on behalf of the Commission

Action 1 . 1 228 544 299 909 332 803

Action II 70 000 65 000
(9 November 1993 )

With reference to the reply to Written Questions
Nos 2092 / 92 and 2093 / 92, the Commission would inform
the Honourable Member that current research on these

subjects has not yet revealed any link between the incidence
of cancer and the working practices to which reference is
made . For this reason, the Commission does not for the
moment see the need for any measures in addition to those
provided for by Directive 90 / 394 / EEC on the protection of
workers against carcinogens .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2354 / 93

by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE )

to the Commission

(1 September 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 35

Subject : Subsidization by the Greek General Secretariat for

the New Generation

An amendment recently adopted in the Greek Parliament
has once again focused public interest on the generous
subsidies handed out by the Greek General Secretariat for
the New Generation to various non-profit-making societies,
in most cases by processes which can only be described as
highly dubious . According to this amendment all bodies and
associations that are to some extent concerned with culture

are entitled to state subsidies . Moreover, the provision is
backdated to 1 December 1990 .

On the basis of the material it has at its disposal relating to
irregularities by the Greek General Secretariat for the New
Generation, what measures does the Commission intend to
take to ensure that an investigation in held into these
dubious funding practices ?

Answer given by Mr Ruberti
on behalf of the Commission

(2 December 1993 )

1 . The Commission has no evidence of illegal activities
and the Honourable Member has not provided any .

The Greek authorities are required to produce two interim
reports and a final report on the use of these funds, which
are being used to fund both youth exchange measures and
the Commission 's participation in the operating costs,
calculated on the basis of an annual plan of work submitted
to the Commission at the beginning of each financial

year .

3 . As regards the Petra Programme, the General
Secretariat for the New Generation is responsible for the
projects set out below :

( ECU )

1992 1993

Action IB 94 923 11 613

( placement of young ( 30 grants ) (6 grants —
workers first payment )

Action II 5 586

( network of training ( remainder of project
partnerships ) begun in 1988 )

The commission monitors the proper use of these resources
through the reports submitted by the contracting parties and
through on-the-spot audits where necessary .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2369 / 93

by José Alvarez de Paz ( PSE )
and Pedro Bofill Abeilhe ( PSE )

to the Commission

(1 September 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 36

Subject : Percentage of women in employment

According to Community statistics, the percentage of
women employed in the Community is around 40 % ( four
out of every ten jobs ). Parliament does not accept these
figures and is convinced that they do not reflect the ture
picture .

What is the real percentage of women employed in the

Community as a whole and in each Member State ?

17 . 10 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 289 / 19

given by Mr Christophersen whether and when the population of the twelve Member

the Commission States will have access to Community documents and

(8 November 1993 ) whether care will be taken to codify all texts to make them
clearer to the general public ?

Answer given by Mr Christophersen

on behalf of the Commission

According to the labour force survey carried out pursuant to
Regulation ( EEC ) No 3644 / 89 of 6 October 1989, the
population in the Community in the spring of 1991 totalled
323 822 000 ( 152 836 000 men and 170 988 000 women ).
The population aged 14 or over ( the minimum employment
age ) was 269 041 000 ( 129 088 000 men and 139 954 000
women ), while the labour force totalled 146 763 000

( 87 140 000 men and 59 623 000 women ).

The overall activite rate ( labour force as a percentage of the
total population ) was 45,3 % ( 57 % for men and 34,9 % for
women ).

The activity rate showing the labour force as a percentage of
the population aged 14 or over was 54,6 % ( 67,5 % for men
and 42,6% for women ).

The activity rates for the individual Member States are given

below :

Men and

Men Women
Women

EUR 54,6 67,5 42,6

Belgium 48,5 60,4 37,5

Denmark 67,1 73,4 61,1

Germany 56,7 70,1 44,4

Greece 47,4 63,5 32,6

Spain 47,2 63,8 31,9

France 54,5 63,7 46,2

Ireland 51,9 68,8 35,1

Italy 49,9 65,5 35,5

Luxembourg 51,2 68,0 35,5

Netherlands 56,9 70,0 44,3

Portugal 59,5 71,3 49,1

United Kingdom 61,8 72,7 51,6

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro

on behalf of the Commission

( 26 November 1993 )

The Commission has recently produced communications to
the Council, Parliament and Economic and Social
Committee : ' Public Access to the Institutions '
Documents ' ( J ) and ' Openness in the Community ' ( 2 ).
Discussions have taken place at Council level on the basis of
these communications .

The Copenhagen European Council of June 1993 invited all
institutions to ensure that openness was firmly anchored in
all spheres of Community activity and fully respected in the
day to day operations of the institutions . In the area of
public access to information the aim should be to have all
necessary measures in place by the end of 1993 . Discussions
will continue in Council on the basis of these

conclusions .

With regard to codification, agreement is in the process of
being reached on an accelerated working method for
bringing codified legislation on to the statute book speedily,
while fully respecting the normal legislative process of the
Community . The Commission will propose the priority
areas for codification once the method has been agreed .

f 1 ) COM(93 ) 191 final .

( 2 ) COM(93 ) 258 final .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2409 / 93

by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE )

to the Commission

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2388 / 93 (1 September 1993 )

by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE ) ( 94 / C 289 / 38 )

to the Commission

(1 September 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 37 ) Subject : Tanning industry

Subject : Public access to Community documents

The public should know more about the workings of the

Community and its decisions . Can the Commission say

In view of the fact that the measures taken by the
Community to stem leather imports from third countries are
inadequate, that the basis for competition is unfair and third
countries ' products enjoy advantageous tariffs, does the
Commission intend to take any measures — particularly in
the context of Community relations with Japan — to level

No C 289 / 20 Official Journal of the European Communities 17 . 10 . 94

the situation which is proving detrimental to the European
tanning industry ?

Answer given by Sir Leon Britan

on behalf of the Commission

( 25 November 1993 )

The Commission has made and is making considerable
efforts to open leather markets in third countries . For
instance, in 1991 the Commission and the Japanese
Government concluded an agreement on the increase of
tariff quotas for leather . This agreement allows the tariff
quota for leather to be doubled over the period 1992 to

1996 as a result of the 20 % annual increase agreed . It also
commits the Japanese Government to further progress in the
future . This agreement, while not fully satisfactory, was the
best that could be achieved and for the first time held out

prospects of substantial progress . The Commission is
moreover continuing to insist on furher reduction in the
tariff rate .

The Commission does not envisage taking protectionist
measures in order to defend the Community tanning
industry ; these would not only be in contrary to the
Community 's commitment to free trade but also
detrimental to the competitiveness of the sector . The
Commission believes that the best way to strengthen the
Community tanning industry is to eliminate, or at least to
reduce, the existing tariff and non tariff barriers to trade in
third country markets and so to create a level playing field .
However, this does not mean that the Commission is ready
to grant unilateral concessions . In the context of the
Uruguay Round the Community has made it clear that
reductions on its own tariffs are linked to the elimination of

export restrictions on raw materials and to substantial
reductions in the tariffs of its major trading partners .

States in the way the forms were filled in and the accuracy of
the information checked . Moreover, the improper use of
secondment declarations could lead to social dumping,
contrary to the intention of Regulation ( EEC )
No 1408 / 71 ( 1 ).

1 . Does the Commission agree that the value and positive
effect of Regulation ( EEC ) No 1408 / 71 should not be
undermined by the improper use of secondment
declarations ?

2 . Does the Commission agree that there should be a
further study on secondment within the meaning of
Regulation ( EEC ) No 1408 / 71 in practice, with
particular attention to the use of forms E 101 and E 102,
the conditions under which they are issued, records of
the numbers of seconded workers going to work in
another country, control over the issue of secondment
declarations and finally to the possibility of sanctions in
cases of improper use of secondment declarations ?

3 . When does the Commission think work could begin on a

study of this sort ?

t 1 ) OJ No L 149, 5 . 7.1971, p . 2 .

Answer given by Mr Flynn
on behalf of the Commission

( 30 November 1993 )

1 . The Commission acknowledges that the usefulness of

in the tariffs of its major trading partners . the Community social security provisions ( Regulations

( EEC ) No 1408 / 71 and ( EEC ) No 574 / 72 ) depends in large
part on the correct utilization of the forms provided to
enable the competent institutions of the Member States to
apply the said provisions . This applies in particular to
secondment declarations, since these are essential for
determining the legislation properly applicable to the
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2484 / 93 employed or self-employed workers concerned .

by Lode Van Outrive ( PSE ) and Bartho Pronk ( PPE )

to the Commission

(1 September 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 39 )

Subject : Secondment in the building industry

A study was recently carried out with Commission funding
on secondment in the building industry . The study, which
was commissioned by The Netherlands Building and Wood
Federation FNV concluded that there was little information

on the numbers of secondment declarations (E 101 and
E 102 ) issued . There was also no uniformity among Member

2 . The Commission considers that the further study
suggested by the Honourable Members could help to throw
more light on the unresolved practical problems with regard
to secondment and could thus provide a basis for the
drafting of concrete proposals on this matter .

3 . However, the Commission cannot undertake to
conduct such a study, since everything depends on resources
available .

17 . 10 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 289 / 21

QUESTION E-2509 / 93 Commission examine existing rules in this area with a view

Kostopoulos ( PSE ) to the enactment of a Community instrument setting out

to the Commission minimum framework requirements in respect of
compensation for industrial accidents ?

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2509 / 93

by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE )

(1 September 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 40 )

Subject : United Nations Convention on the Rights of the

Child of 1989 and the Hague Convention of 1961
concerning minors

Have all Member States of the Community ratified the 1989
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and
the Hague Convention of 1961 concerning minors ?

Answer given by Mr Flynn
on behalf of the Commission

(9 December 1993 )

Answer given by Mr Flynn
on behalf of the Commission

(2 December 1993 )

In publishing the Missoc tables ( Mutual Information System
of Social Protection in the Community ), the Commission
already provides an annual survey of industrial accident
insurance schemes in the Member States .

Moreover, the Commission does not intend to propose
Community standards in this domain . As in the domain of
social protection the Commission wishes to promote
convergence of objectives and policies in the Member States
as defined in Council recommendation 92 / 442 / EEC i 1 ).

By 18 May 1993 the following Member States had ratified
the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the
Child : (!) OJ No L 245, 26 . 8 . 1992 .

Belgium 16 December 1991

Denmark 19 July 1991

Germany 6 March 1992

Greece 13 May 1993

Spain 6 December 1990

France 7 August 1990

Ireland 28 September 1992

Italy 5 September 1991

Portugal 21 September 1990

United Kingdom 16 December 1991

Luxembourg and the Netherlands have signed but not yet
ratified the Convention . The Commission has no

information as regards ratification of the Hague
Convention of 1961 concerning minors .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-25 10 / 93

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2601 / 93

by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE )

to the Commission

(1 September 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 42 )

Subject : Renovation of Greek coastal and off-shore fleets

Greek shipowners, mainly owners of coastal and off-shore
vessels, have applied to the Greek Finance Ministry for
investment aid under the Delors II package . Do the Greek
authorities intend to include the renovation of these fleets

within the Delors II package ?

by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE ) Answer given by Mr Matutes

on behalf of the Commission
to the Commission

( 30 March 1994 )
(1 September 1993 )

94 / C 289 / 41 )

Subject : Compensation for industrial accidents

In view of the wide differences between national industrial

accident compensation arrangements, resulting in lack of
transparency and restricting freedom of movement, will the

The Commission does not intend to make funds available,
under the Delors II package, for the renovation of Greek
shipping fleets . No approach has been made in this respect
by the Greek authorities .

No C 289 / 22 Official Journal of the European Communities 17 . 10 . 94

QUESTION E-2603 / 93 How does the Commission intend to extend this initiative in

Kostopoulos ( PSE ) terms of back-up and development measures, given that a

universal application of the system would require ECU 1 to
to the Commission
2 million ?

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2603 / 93

by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE )

(1 September 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 43 )

Subject : Organization of special study courses by private

bodies in Greece

The organization of special study courses by private bodies
in Greece, generally along university lines, is giving
particular cause for concern . According to Greek university
vice-chancellors, it is illegal for Community funds to be used
to create and fund such educational centres, their curricula
and, in particular, their seminars . Is the Commission aware
of the view taken by the Greek vice-chancellors and what
steps will it take in response to this ?

Answer given by Mr Flynn
on behalf of the Commission

(7 December 1993 )

The Community co-finances vocational training measures
which are always implemented by public, semi-public or
private bodies recognised by the Member State in question .
These measures come under continuing training, which is
not targeted at the same groups as formal initial training .

Throughout Europe the target groups for continuing
training are made up of people who are already on the
labour market and who are seeking an additional skill .
Under no circumstances do such measures have recognized
university status, nor can they be confused with university
education .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2632 / 93

by Paul Lannoye ( V )

to the Commission

(1 September 1993 )

Answer given by Mr Flynn
on behalf of the Commission

(2 December 1993 ).

In budget line B3-4010 on the labour market and
employment, a sum of ECU 500 000 has been set aside for
the development of the trade union Euro-Office network in
the context of Eures . The transfrontier Eures is part of Eures
and so this sum must also be taken to cover part of the
trans-frontier Eures .

The entire sum of ECU 500 000 in budget line B3-4010 has
been set aside for trade union activities . Most of it is

earmarked for trade union activities in the context of several

trans-frontier Eures offices .

As well, measures in the context of the trans-frontier Eures
have been funded under budgetary line B3-4011 .

Taking into account subsidies to national employment
agencies and the social partners, the training of
Eurocounsellors, financial aid for the purchase of technical
equipment, etc ., the total amount allocated to the
development of the trans-frontier Eures was close to ECU
2,5 million for 1993 .

All this shows clearly that the commitments in the context of
the trans-frontier Eures reflect the importance which the
Commission attaches to the development of trans-frontier
activities . Nonetheless, given the funds devoted to the
transfrontier Eures in 1993 ( ECU 2,5 million out of the total
available budget ), the Commission does not envisage
increasing the share of the trans-frontier Eures in the near
future .

( 94 / C 289 / 44 )
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2665 / 93

by Yves Verwaerde ( PPE )

Subject : Establishment and development of trans-frontier

Eures information centres

In budget line B3-4010 on the labour market and
employment, an overall appropriation of ECU 500 000 has
been set aside for the establishment and development of the
trans-frontier Eures .

Despite the restructuring operations in the running of DG V,
can the Commission confirm that this budget line for
trans-frontier Eures has been properly implemented ? Will it
specify how this ECU 500 000 appropriation has been used ?

to the Commission

(1 September 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 45 )

Subject : Subsidies paid to French associations from the

1992 Community budget

Will the Commission provide an exhaustive list of French
associations governed by the law of 1 July 1901 which
received a subsidy from the 1992 Community budget ?

17 . 10 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 289 / 23

Will the Commission please state the amount of the subsidy Answer given by Mr Vanni d'Archirafi
paid to each association ? on behalf of the Commission

(2 December 1993 )

Answer given by Mr Delors
on behalf of the Commission

( 12 November 1993 )

The Honourable Member is referred to the Commission 's
answer to Written Question No 996 / 92 ( J ).

However, starting in 1993 a more detailed report on the
subsidies given by the Commission will be made available to
Parliament . The first of these reports should be out in the
first quarter of 1994 .

The Commission has not been informed of any particular
upsurge in 1993 of robberies of tourists in Europe or Spain
in particular, nor of measures which the Spanish authorities
may have taken in this regard .

The Community action plan to assist tourism approved by
the Council on 13 July 1992 ( Directive 92 / 421 / EEC ) ( l )
does not contain any provision which would allow the
Commission to intervene in this domain which, moreover, is
the exclusive competence of the national authorities .

However, the Commission is willing to discuss the problem
at the Council if the Presidency proposes doing so .

(!) OJ No C 274, 22 . 10 . 1992 . (!) OJ No L 231, 13 . 8 . 1992 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2738 / 93

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2705 / 93 by Franco Borgo ( PPE )

by Ben Visser ( PSE ) to the Commission

to the Commission

(8 September 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 46 )

Subject : Tourists robbed in Spain

The press in the Netherlands has recently reported incidents
of tourists being robbed, mainly in Spain but in other
holiday countries, too .

1 . Is it the Commission 's impression that more tourists
have been robbed this year than last year ?

2 . Does the Commission know what action the Spanish
authorities have taken in this respect ?

3 . Has the Community itself taken any action ?

4 . Is the Commission prepared to discuss this matter at the
next Council of ministers responsible for tourism ?

5 . Have any arrangements been made to assist and
reimburse the victims ?

( 16 September 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 47 )

Subject : EAGGF frauds in the dairy sector

According to press reports, the Court of Auditors has
uncovered a colossal EAGGF fraud in the dairy sector .

It appears that millions of pounds have been wrongfully
paid to Irish ( ABB ), German ( DMK ) and French ( UNCCA )
operators, while the Commission has apparently attempted
to minimize the situation and done very little to recover the
funds .

In view of the need to avoid discrimination between the

various Member States in the implementation of sanctions,
applying them with great severity to some Member States
( fines imposed on Italy and other Member States for failing
to respect designated quotas ) and culpable laxity to others,
can the Commission indicate :

1 . What is the present situation ?

2 . What is the exact amount of involved in the fraud ?

No C 289 / 24 Official Journal of the European Communities 17 . 10 . 94

3 . What specific steps have been taken to recover the

money wrongfully paid out and avoid any reccurrence
of such episodes ?

Answer given by Mr Steichen

on behalf of the Commission

( 18 November 1993 )

On the basis of articles in the press, the Honourable
Member has expressed concern that the Commission did
not act with sufficient vigilance in its investigation of the
specific cases reported by the Court of Auditors following its
enquiry into milk product exports ( Special Report
No 2 / 92 ) ( a ). The Commission would like to point out that it
examined each of these cases with particular care ; it then
either notified the Member State of its opinion or took steps
to tighten up the rules .

Moreover, in full compliance with the principle of
transparency, and in response to two Parliamentary
resolutions, two detailed follow-up reports on these cases
have been sent to the Chairman of the Committee on

Budgettary Control . They have not given rise to any
comments or criticisms .

Finally, the Commission would like to point out that under
the Community rules, the recovery of sums that should not
have been paid out is the responsibility of the Member
States . It is the Commission 's responsibility to draw the
necessary conclusions when it takes its decisions on
clearance of the EAGGF Guarantee Section accounts .

t 1 ) OJ No C 101, 22 . 4 . 1992 .

Answer given by Mr Steichen

on behalf of the Commission

( 22 November 1993 )

The Commission presented to the European Council in
Edinburgh, in December 1992, a list of several categories of
existing rules and regulations which it intended to scrutinize
as part of its programme for 1993 . Among these were the
Directives on the protection of laying hens, calves and pigs .
In addition, the Commission considered it opportune to
examine at the same time the Community legislation on the
protection of animals during transport and at the time of
slaughter .

This examination has now been completed and its results
are contained in a communication from the Commission to

the Council and the European Parliament on the protection
of animals ( 1 ). The communication recognises that the
protection of animals is a matter of political importance and
acknowledges the work done in this field by the
Parliament .

Furthermore, it states that the protection of animals, being
part of the common agricultural policy, is a matter of
exclusive Community competence . Community rules on the
subject help to ensure freedom of trade and to prevent
distortion of competition, as well as helping to achieve the
objectives set out in Article 39 of the EEC Treaty . The
communication sets out the future action to be taken in this

field, particularly in conjunction, where appropriate, with
the Council of Europe and having due regard to the principle
of proportionality of legislative action to the objective
sought .

(!) COM(93 ) 384 final .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2885 / 93

by Lyndon Harrison ( PSE )

to the Commission
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2788 / 93

by John Bird ( PSE ) ( 11 October 1993 )

to the Commission ( 94 / C 289 / 49 )

( 28 September 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 48 ) Subject : Single European Act : freedom of movement

Subject : Animal welfare and subsidiarity

Will the Commission confirm or deny that animal welfare
has been placed on a so-called ' subsidiarity list ', thus
excluding legislation to protect animals from the
competence of the European Commission .

Is the Commission aware that animal welfare is very much a
concern for millions of citizens of the European
Community, and as such merits inclusion in the legislative
process of the EC ?

Is the Commission aware that the United Kingdom
Government, in enforcing the Carriers ' Liability Act 1 9 8 7, is
requiring UK shipping and airline carrying companies to act
in contravention of Article 8a of the Treaty of Rome ? Is the
Commission further aware that by imposing penalties under
this Act the UK Government requires UK-based carriers in
some cases to break the law of the Member State of

departure for intra-Community journeys by requiring the
production of documentation and information which the
law of that Member State specifically forbids ?

Will the Commission take steps to ensure that the United
Kingdom recognizes its Treaty obligation ?

17 . 10 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 289 / 25

Answer given by Mr Vanni d'Archirafi

on behalf of the Commission

Answer given by Mr Steichen

on behalf of the Commission

(3 March 1994 ) ( 15 March 1994 )

The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its

answers to Written Questions Nos 2377 / 93 by Mr Coates
and 2751 / 93 by Mr Collins ( J ) and to oral question
H - 11 90 / 93 by Mrs Pollack ( 2 ).

(!) OJ No C 279, 5 . 10 . 1994 .

( 2 ) Debates of the European Parliament, No 3-440 ( December
1993 ).

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2925 / 93

by Terence Wynn ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 18 October 1993 )

The Commission is at present preparing the call for
proposals relating to the tobacco fund .

The exact composition of the Scientific and Technical
Committee will be decided in due course . The Honourable

Member can be assured that the Commission will provide
for adequate representation of the health sector in this
Committee .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3036 / 93

by Francesco Speroni ( NI )

to the Commission

( 29 October 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 50 ) ( 94 / C 289 / 51 )

Subject : Further information on the ' Community fund for

tobacco research and information '

The Commission recently published Regulation ( EEC )
No 2427 / 93 ( x ) of 1 September 1993 setting out detailed
rules for the establishment of a Community fund for
tobacco research and information .

This fund will be financed to an amount of not more than

1 % of the total amount of subsidies given to the production
of tobacco (+/- ECU 9 million ). This will be used to finance
research and information programmes for the improvement
of public knowledge, in particular young people 's
knowledge, of the harmful effects of tobacco use and for
steering tobacco production towards the least harmful
varieties, qualities and products .

Article 5 of the Regulation stipulates that the Commission
will be responsible for the management of the fund . It will be
assisted in this by a Scientific and Technical Committee
made up of nine members appointed by the Commission .

It is stated that at least two members of the committee will

represent tobacco producers . No mention is made, however,
as to the representation foreseen for the health sector . It is
clear that without reasonable representation of this sector
the Committee will lack credibility in relation to the health
information and education role of the fund .

Will the Commission confirm that adequate representation
of the health sector has been foreseen and reveal how many
places in the Committee it intends to allocate to this
sector ?

(!) OJ No L 223, 2 . 9 . 1993, p . 3 .

Subject : Negative repercussions for the salaries of the staff

of Community bodies owing to the widening of the
band of fluctuation among the currencies

The widening of the band of fluctuation among the
currencies of the Member States has created considerable

uncertainty as regards the salaries of the staff of Community
bodies such as the JRC at Ispra .

Would it not be appropriate to pay those salaries in
ecus ?

Answer given by Mr Van Miert

on behalf of the Commission

(8 March 1994 )

The Commission would point out that under the Staff
Regulations, Community officials are payed in the currency
of their place of employment on the basis of the principle of
equal purchasing power for remuneration in all places of
employment .

These provisions protect the purchasing power of the
official 's remuneration in his place of employment against
currency fluctuations in that country . If remuneration were
paid in ecus, the only way to maintain the purchasing power
would be to adjust the amount in ecus to take into account
fluctuations in the currency of the place of employment .

Thus there is no direct link between the payment of
remuneration in ecus and currency fluctuations .

No C 289 / 26 Official Journal of the European Communities 17 . 10 . 94

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3045 / 93

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3075 / 93

by Yves Verwaerde ( PPE )

Yves Verwaerde ( PPE ) by Filippos Pierros ( PPE )

to the Commission to the Commission

( 29 October 1993 )

to the Commission

(5 November 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 52 ) ( 94 / C 289 / 53 )

Subject : Erasmus bursaries for the 1992 / 93 academic

year

Will the Commission state how many Erasmus bursaries
were granted for the 1992 / 93 academic year ?

Will it provide a breakdown by nationality of students who
have been awarded these bursaries ?

Answer given by Mr Ruberti
on behalf of the Commission

(2 December 1993 )

A total of 80 100 students have been selected by higher
education establishments to complete part of their studies
abroad in the context of the inter-university cooperation
programmes approved by the Commission under the
Erasmus Programme ( 76 727 Community students and
3 373 students from the EFTA countries ).

The breakdown by country of origin ( forecasts for 1992 / 93 )
is as follows :

Subject : Structural Fund spending

A number of very clear legal problems have emerged as
regards Structural Fund spending outside Community
territory . This is true even where such spending might be of
immediate economic benefit for adjacent Community
regions .

Coordination between Interreg and external financial
instruments such as Phare which have a common interest in

trans-border cooperation would be able to solve this
problem . Parliament has approved ECU 15 million from
Phare resources for programmes of this kind in 1993 .

Will the Commission say whether it intends to undertake
measures aimed at further improving coordination between
Interreg and the external financial instruments, such as
Phare ?

Answer given by Mr Millan
on behalf of the Commission

Belgium 4 685 ( 10 March 1994 )

Denmark 2 097

Germany 11 825

Greece 2 070

Spain 8 661

France 15 138

Ireland 2 040

Italy 6 700

Luxembourg 7

Netherlands 5 777

Portugal 2 273

United Kingdom 15 438

Europe 16

Total EC 76 727

Austria 822

Switzerland 347

Liechtenstein 5

Iceland 8

Norway 400

Sweden 1 417

Finland 374

Total EFTA 3 373

Total 80 100

In the inter-institutional agreement of 12 July 1993 between
the Council, the Parliament and the Commission in the
framework of the negotiations on the new Structural Funds
regulations, it was agreed in principle to insert a special
provision in the budget from 1994 to 1999 to ' finance
measures in border regions of neighbouring countries of
central and eastern Europe aimed at complementing
Structural Fund aid within the framework of Community
initiatives in external border areas of the Community '. This
was necessary to ensure complementary funding for actions
in neighbouring third countries, since the resources of the
Structural Funds cannot be used outside the Community
territory .

In accordance with this agreement, the Parliament adopted
an amendment in the budget for 1994 in order to allocate
ECU 150 million of the budget of the Phare Programme to
cross-border cooperation with external border regions of
the Union .

The Commission is now examining how the use of these
funds for this purpose can best be managed .

17 . 10 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 289 / 27

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3084 / 93

by Victor Arbeloa Muru ( PSE )

to the Commission

(5 November 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 54 )

Subject : Inter-institutional agreement on the subsidiarity

principle

Does the Commission think that, to make the subsidiarity
principle effective in practice, Community bodies should be
required, by means of an inter-institutional agreement, to
take into account the subsidiarity principle in all measures
within the scope of their non-exclusive powers ?

Answer given by Mr Delors
on behalf of the Commission

( 28 March 1994 )

The Commission would remind the Honourable Member

that an inter-institutional agreement on subsidiarity was
concluded on 25 October 1993 .

In areas which do not fall within its exclusive

competence, the Community shall take action, in
accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, only if and
in so far as the objectives of the proposed action cannot
be sufficiently achieved by the Member States and can
therefore, by reason of the scale or effects of the
proposed action, be better achieved by the
Community .

Any action by the Community shall not go beyond what
is necessary to achieve the objectives of this Treaty .'

The content of the principle is thus made quite clear and is
concerned with the exercise of powers in Community
action . It should be applied in the decision-making
procedure which culminates in the adoption of legal
instruments . This requirement holds for all the institutions
involved in the various stages of the procedure in particular
with regard to initiating and amending a proposal .

It is not for the Community to interfere in the distribution of
powers between the central, regional or local authorities in
the Member States .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3 105 / 93

by Victor Arbeloa Muru ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 10 November 1993 )
WRITTEN QUESTION E-3099 / 93

by Victor Arbeloa Muru ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 10 November 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 56 )

Subject : Directives and Regulations

( 94 / C 289 / 55 )

Is the blurring of the distinction between Directives and
Regulations to continue, as has been the case to date, or are
Subject : Extension of the concept of subsidiarity we framework going to law wait ? until 1996 and the introduction of the

Does the Commission agree with the German Government

( Memorandum of September 1992 ) that the subsidiarity
concept should include the protection of social rights and
powers and the rights of regions and groups of regions in
dealing with the affairs of local communities ?

Answer given by Mr Delors
on behalf of the Commission

(7 March 1994 )

The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to

the terms of the Treaty on European Union .

' The Community shall act within the limits of the powers
conferred upon it by this Treaty and of the objectives
assigned to it therein .

Answer given by Mr Delors
on behalf of the Commission

( 29 March 1994 )

Regulations and Directives are defined by the EC Treaty .

At the Intergovernmental Conference on Political Union,
the Commission proposed a system for the hierarchy of
norms ; unfortunately this was not included in the Treaty on
European Union .

However, this matter is expected to be on the agenda of the

1996 Intergovernmental Conference .

No C 289 / 28 Official Journal of the European Communities 17 . 10 . 94

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3118 / 93

4 . Would it be possible for this link to be supported jointly

by Gerhard to the Commission Schmid ( PSE ) with national the appropriate rail companies regional under authorities the and ' Interreg the '

Programme ?

( 10 November 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 57 )

Answer given by Mr Matutes

on behalf of the Commission
Subject : Community initiatives

( 29 March 1994 )

What specific projects in Bavaria have received funding
from individual Community initiatives since 1990, and how
much have they received ?

Answer given by Mr Delors
on behalf of the Commission

( 11 March 1994 )

The Commission will send the information it has direct to

the Honourable Member and Parliament 's Secretariat .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3191 / 93

by Wilfried Telkamper ( V )

to the Commission

( 23 November 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 58 )

Subject : Cross-border rail traffic between Strasbourg,
Alsace and Offenburg, Baden Wiirttemberg

The service on the Metro-Rhin link between Strasbourg and
Kehl and / or Offenburg has been greatly reduced with the
withdrawal of a total of 14 trains ( as of 26 Sepember 1993 ).
The reasons for the withdrawals lie in the financial deficit

which neither the SNCF nor the Alsace region are willing to
shoulder . The Deutsche Bundesbahn ( German Railways )
has been able to compensate for some of the withdrawn
services by making the EC-trains to and from Paris also stop
at Kehl . Kehl and Offenburg are linked by a regional train
service whose frequency is to be increased when the new
timetable comes into force, but this will not affect the
reduced service between the French and German rail

networks .

1 . Does the Commission consider that the linking of the
French and German rail networks in the upper Rhine
valley fulfils an important integrating function for long
distance traffic ?

2 . What importance does the Commission attach to these
rail links for cross-border regional traffic ?

3 . In the opinion of the Commission, is this link one of the
' links of European interest '?

1 . The Commission believes that the role of the

connection in question is mostly of regional importance . Its
significance in a wider context and for long distance
transport should not therefore be overestimated .

2 . On the other hand, the nature and dimensions of the
existing regional international traffic are of considerable
importance .

3 . As to the global European importance of the link, a
distinction must be made between the relevant

infrastructure and the services being provided . These latter,
being mostly devoted to regional needs, cannot in fact be
considered of general European interest, while the
infrastructure itself is undoubtedly part of the
trans-European railway system .

4 . A promotion of the link through the cooperation of
the railway companies and bodies concerned can obviously
be envisaged . In particular, it has to be noted that
responsibility for any action concerning services rests with
the railway companies concerned, which are also
responsible, as railway operators, for the resulting operating
losses . Community resources, in particular Interreg, will not
cover this kind of expenditure .

As regards infrastructure, the identification of priorities, as
well as the relevant requests for Community contributions
under the various financial instruments, are in the first place
for the Member States ' authorities . The Commission 's role

is that of ensuring the consistency of the initiatives proposed
with the general Community guidelines with a view to
achieving the global coherence of the transport system .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3271 / 93

by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 23 November 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 59 )

Subject : Community funding allocated to the prefecture of

Achaia

What is the total Community funding — and in respect of
which measures — allocated to the prefecture of Achaia
between the beginning of 1990 and 31 June 1993 from :

17 . 10 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 289 / 29

1 . the European Regional Development Fund,

2 . the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee
Fund — Guidance Section,

3 . the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee
Fund — Guarantee Section,

4 . the European Social Fund,

5 . the Community's research programmes,

6 . Community programmes in the energy sector,

7 . Community programmes in the sector of the
environment,

8 . other Community programmes ?

The Commission 's communication entitled New prospects
for Community cultural action, which was supported by the
conclusions of the Council meeting of 12 November 1992
and the Parliament resolution of 21 January 1993, sets out
in detail the scope of cultural action in this area .

The Commission cannot, therefore, consider intervening in
the matter of the protection of the countryside around
Delphi, since this is the exclusive province of the Greek
authorities . Moreover, the Greek authorities have drawn up
specific provisions to protect not only the natural
environment, but also the archaeological and traditional
heritage of Delphi .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3298 / 93

Answer given by Mr Delors
on behalf of the Commission

by Hiltrud Breyer ( N )
( 28 March 1994 ) to the Commission

( 23 November 1993 )

In view of the length of its answer, the Commission is ( 94 / C 289 / 61 )
sending it direct to the Honourable Member and
Parliament 's Secretariat .

Subject : Flying club airfield

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3278 / 93

by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 23 November 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 60 )

Subject : Protection of the landscape around Delphi

The world cultural heritage monument of ancient Delphi,
which is protected by Unesco, has fallen victim, following a
decision by the Greek authorities, to the expansion
requirements of the modern town of Delphi ( which has
2 500 inhabitants ). Worse still, the new buildings approved
by the authorities include an extension to an olive packaging
factory . Given that this decision by the Greek authorities
ignores the principle of statutory protection areas for the
landscape around Delphi, will the Commission try to have
this decision repealed immediately ?

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro

on behalf of the Commission

( 28 March 1994 )

Under Article 128 of the EC Treaty the Member States are
autonomous in matters of cultural policy, such as the
management of their architectural heritage, and the
Community, in deference to the principle of subsidiarity, is
responsible for encouraging cooperation between Member
States and, if necessary, supporting and supplementing their
action .

1 . Is the Commission aware that in the new Lander

licences are being issued in respect of flying club airfields
without the environmental impact assessments required
under EC law ?

2 . There are plans for a flying club airfield ( including
various operating and supply facilities ) in Liisse ( Kreis
Belzig, Brandenburg ). Is the Commission aware that the
planned airfield is in the middle of one of the last areas in
Brandenburg where the great bustard is found, to whose
protection and survival the EC is allocating appropriations
running into millions ?

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission

( 28 March 1994 )

1 . Under Community law on environmental impact
assessment, plans for airfields are subject to compulsory
environmental impact assessment where the runway is to be
2 100 m long or more .

In other cases, it is for the national authorities to determine
whether the characteristics of the project require such
assessment, e.g. on account of their size or location .

2 . With regard to the airfield in Liisse, the Commission
has approached the German authorities for information on
the impact on the local Otis tarda population .

No C 289 / 30 Official Journal of the European Communities 17 . 10 . 94

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3353 / 93

by Paul Staes ( V )

to the Commission

( 24 November 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 62 )

Subject : Aid to the Belgian company Idealspun

I should like to thank the Commissioner for his reply to my
Written Question No 1942 / 92 ( 1 ) concerning aid to the
company Idealspun .

However, some of my questions were not answered and I
therefore wish to repeat them .

1 . Why does the EC Decision of 27 June 1984 only refer to
a sum of Bfrs 224 million and not to the actual sum of

Bfrs 274 million ?

2 . Is not the interest subsidy to Idealspun totalling Bfrs
58 337 488 also in contravention of Article 92 of the

EEC Treaty ?

3 . What steps has the Commission taken to demand
repayment of this wrongful subsidy ?

(!) OJ No C 292, 28 . 10 . 1993, p . 9 .

Answer given by Mr Van Miert

on behalf of the Commission

parastatal organizations and private undertakings will be
given courses in English or Portuguese : English language
courses will be given in Angola and Mozambique and
Portuguese language courses in Malawi, Namibia, Zambia
and Zimbabwe . Whilst one can only welcome a move to
encourage inhabitants of the beneficiary countries to learn
the language used in other countries belonging to the same
regional organization, it must be realized that, for a real
improvement in trade and cooperation to ensue, the aid
given under the programme must be evenly shared out .
Should the main aid effort be concentrated on one language,
this will tend to favour certain groups and attitudes, which
will benefit some countries to the detriment of others .

1 . Is it true that the English language programme in Angola
and Mozambique is an ambitious undertaking which is
already in progress and for which a diploma is offered,
while the Portuguese language programme in the
neighbouring countries is on a more modest scale . Can
the Commission give details of what each programme
involves ?

2 . Can the Commission say what sum has been allocated to
each of these programmes ?

Answer given by Mr Marin
on behalf of the Commission

(3 March 1994 ) ( 24 March 1994 )

The Commission took its decision of 27 June 1984 ( ) on the
basis of information provided by the Belgian authorities,
taking account of the comments of third parties received
following the publication of the notice ( 2 ) of the opening of
the procedure provided for under Article 93 ( 2 ) of the EC
Treaty .

t 1 ) OJ No L 283, 27 . 10 . 1984 .

( 2 ) OJ No C 61, 3 . 3 . 1994 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3389 / 93

by Pedro Canavarro ( ARC )

to the Commission

( 26 November 1993 )

1 . It must be remembered that the Portuguese language
and the English language components of this project
represent two quite different stages in the development of
the language training capability of the SADC staff . Thus, on
the one hand, the English component is in fact in its first full
phase of implementation following a successful 18-month
pilot phase funded under the Sixth EDF . The aim of this
pilot phase was to develop the course materials to perfect the
methodology to be used for course delivery, to identify
instructions and to develop and appropriate system for the
management and control of a programme offered in two
separate countries . Now that these objectives have been
achieved, it has been possible for the English language
component to move to full implementation .

( 94 / C 289 / 63 ) On the other hand, due to both administrative and technical
factors, the development of the Portuguese language
component has been somewhat slower and only now is this

of the Lome Convention : component ready to enter its pilot phase . The Seventh EDF

project, therefore, seeks to consolidate and extend the
experience of the English pilot phase and to assist with the

of the Lome Convention, a grant development of the more complex Portuguese component .
made in March 1993 to cover a It is clear that, should the experience of the Portuguese
the Southern African Development language pilot be successful, this component too will move
. Under the programme, staff of to a phase of full implementation .

Subject : Implementation of the Lome Convention :
language programme

As part of implementation of the Lome Convention, a grant
of ECU 2 million was made in March 1993 to cover a

language programme in the Southern African Development
Community countries . Under the programme, staff of

17 . 10 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 289 / 31

It should be emphasised, however, that the project is
designed to meet the effective demand from SADC officials,
civil servants who are involved in SADC projects or in other
aspects of regional cooperation and relevant personnel from
parastatal and private sector organizations . The scale of the
eventual financial allocations to the two components will
therefore reflect this effective demand .

On the question of certification, the only diploma
obtainable as a result of following the various levels of the
English language programme is a certificate of attendance
awarded by the Institute of Languages in Maputo following
an end-of-course assessment . As yet this certificate has no
formal standing with the SADC region . It is anticipated that
a similar certificate procedure will apply to individuals who
successfully complete the various Portuguese language

courses .

2 . The budget for the Seventh EDF project is as
follows :

policies aimed at saving energy and promoting
environmentally friendly forms or energy and is this is
not a further obstacle to Turkish accession ?

2 . Does it intend to raise this crucial matter at a meeting of
the EEC-Turkey Association Council so that a
comprehensive solution can be found to Turkey 's energy
problems so as to bring Turkish policy, in line with the
Community 's energy policy since this would have a
number of benefits and notably make available large
quantities of energy to be exported ;

3 . If Turkey goes ahead with its plans to build a nuclear
power station but fails to comply with international
standards, is the Community prepared to refuse energy
imports from Turkey in order to avoid any accusations
that it is promoting pollutant activities outside the
Community in order to meet its own energy needs ?

( ECU ) Answer given by Sir Leon Brittan

on behalf of the Commission

English language 1 225 000 ( 28 March 1994 )

Portuguese language ( pilot phase ) 355 000

Project management 155 000

Contingencies 2 65 000

2 000 000

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3432 / 93

by Alexandros Alavanos ( GUE )

to the Commission           

(2 December 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 64 )

Subject : Turkish energy policy and plans to establish a

nuclear power station

The Turkish Government is pressing ahead with plans to
build a nuclear power station in the region of Akkuyu on the
south coast of Turkey, a site only 25 kilometres from a
region of intense seismic activity . Greenpeace claims that the
nuclear industry is looking for new customers in
Mediterranean countries such as Turkey, Egypt, Tunisia
and Morocco and it pointed out in an information campaign
protesting against these plans staged in Akkuyu on

18 October 1993 that the Turkish economy uses almost
twice the average amount of energy used in OECD countries
per unit of GNP and that Turkey had no strategy for saving
energy and promoting renewable sources . Greek public
opinion is very alarmed in the light of the Chernobyl disaster
and the repeated accidents at the nuclear power station of
Kozlodoy in Bulgaria . Since Turkey is seeking EC
membership, will the Commission say :

1 . Is Turkey 's energy wastage not at odds with the
Community 's energy policy and in particular with the

As the Honourable Member is aware, harmonization of
energy policy is not part of the programme for completion of
the customs union in 1995 between the Community and
Turkey . Thus the Commission does not envisage asking for
alignment of Turkish energy policy on that of the
Community, nor to put the matter on the agenda of the next
meeting of the Association Committee, which is in any case
not in the hands of the Commission .

As far as energy policy in Turkey is concerned, the energy
intensity ( J ) in Turkey is indeed relatively high ( 0,74 in
1992 ), almost twice as much as the OECD average, but
similar to the rate of some other OECD countries such as

Portugal ( 0,67 ), Greece ( 0,63 ) or Luxembourg ( 0,82 ).
Moreover, the energy intensity in Turkey has decreased, i.e.
has improved, by an annual rate of 1,8% in the period

1987 — 1991 . The energy consumption per capita in Turkey
is the lowest in the OECD area . In 1992, at 0,94 t.o.e .
Turkey 's energy consumption per capita was far below the
OECD average of 4,81 t.o.e . ( International Energy Agency

( IEA ) Secretariat estimates ).

Renewable energy sources play a relatively important role in
the energy supply in Turkey . Wood, other biomass and
hydropower covered about 18 % of the total primary energy
supply in 1991 . The current programme of the Turkish
Government places an important focus on the development
of hydro-electric power ( see GAP project in South-East
Anatolia ). In the Community, the contribution of renewable
energies to the total primary energy supply is only about 6 %

( using the IEA statistical conventions ).

There are currently no nuclear power stations in existence,
under construction or planned either in the Akkuyu region
or anywhere else in Turkey . However, it is understood that

No C 289 / 32 Official Journal of the European Communities 17 . 10 . 94

— as in many other countries — the Turkish authorities are
considering whether nuclear generation may be required to
play a part to meet the country 's future energy needs .
Nevertheless, the authorities have confirmed that any
proposals will not be initiated before completion of
appropriate feasibility studies .

(*) The energy intensity ( TPES / GDP ) is a ratio of Total Primary

Energy Supply ( TPES ) to Gross Domestic Product ( GDP ). It is
measured in t.o.e . ( tonnes of oil equivalent ) per US$ 1 000 of
GDP at 1985 prices and exchange rates .

The new programmes also contain new activities,
particularly in respect of secondary and primary education,
based on Articles 126 and 127 of the EEC Treaty .

(!) COM(93 ) 708 .

( 2 ) COM(93 ) 686 .

( 3 ) COM(93 ) 523 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3503 / 93

by Arie Oostlander ( PPE )

to the Commission

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3502 / 93 (7 December 1993 )

by Arie Oostlander ( PPE ) ( 94 / C 289 / 66

to the Commission

(7 December 1993 ) Subject : Cultural dialogue

( 94 / C 289 / 65 )

Subject : Preparations for new action programmes in the

field of education and training from 1995
onwards

A new set of action programmes in the field of education and
training has been drawn up for the period 1995 to 1998 . A
large number of educational bodies in Europe are eagerly
taking advantage of the opportunities offered by these
programmes . In order to ensure continuity of their activities
with regard to the European educational dimension, it is
important to ensure a smooth and rapid transition between
the new programmes and their predecessors .

In view of the new decision-making procedures set out in the
Treaty of Maastricht and the elections to the European
Parliament in 1994, can the Commission say how, in
procedural terms, it can guarantee a smooth transition
between programmes of action ?

Answer given by Mr Ruberti
on behalf of the Commission

Article 128 of the Treaty of Maastricht gives the
Community new powers in the field of culture .

1 . Can the Commission say whether and how it wishes to
enter into a dialogue on cultural policy with
socio-cultural organizations following the further
development of European cultural policy in accordance
with the guidelines set out in the relevant article of the
Treaty ? Does it intend to support organizations such as
Please and EPA with regard to a dialogue on the policy
to be followed, as it has done in the field of
education ?

2 . How does the Commission intend to establish on a more

formal basis its relations with international

organizations with responsibility in the field of culture,
for example, the Council of Europe ? Are specific
proposals being drawn up and, if so, what are they and
when will they be submitted to Parliament for its
opinion ?

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro

on behalf of the Commission

( 15 March 1994 ) ( 17 March 1994 )

The Commission has recently proposed three Community
action programmes :

— the ' Socrates ' Programme (*), covering all levels of

education ;

— the ' Leonardo ' Programme ( 2 ), in the field of vocational

training ;

— the ' Youth for Europe III ' programme ( 3 ), devoted to

young people .

These new programmes cover all the activities supported
under the current programmes, thus ensuring the continuity
of existing measures, especially those implemented by
universities under the Erasmus, Lingua and Comett
Programmes .

The new Article 128 of the EC Treaty requires the
Community to define a clear approach to the development
and practical operation of cultural policy in accordance with
the aims and procedures it prescribes .

A general consensus has emerged from the document on
New Prospects for Community Cultural Action (*), the
Guidelines for Community cultural action adopted by the
Council on 12 November 1992, and the reports by Mr
Barzanti ( New prospects for Community cultural action :
21 January 1993 ) and Mr Canavarro ( Community policy in
the field of culture : 12 January 1994 ). In the first half of

1994, the Commission will accordingly present the Council,
Parliament and the Committee of the Regions with a
comprehensive paper covering a variety of specific support

measures .

17 . 10 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 289 / 33

The proper attention will be paid to such relations as the
Community may develop with non-member countries and
international organizations active in this field, especially the
Council of Europe ; the individual identity and freedom of
action of all institutions involved will, of course, be
preserved .

The Commission confirms that full use will be made of the

valuable advisory and relay functions of the main
non-governmental organizations specializing in cultural
cooperation ; they have on occasion been invited to share
their wisdom and experience with expert meetings . To give a
recent example, representatives of Unesco, the Council of
Europe, Icom and Icomos were among those invited to
meetings of experts on the cultural heritage organized
jointly by the Commission and the Council Presidency

( Belgium ).

1 . What attitude is the Commission intending to adopt in

response to the threat represented by the possibility that
the moratorium on the dumping of radioactive waste in
the Atlantic, in trenches 400 km from the Azores and

800 km from the Canary Islands and Madeira, will be
considered to have expired ?

2 . What are the conclusions reached in the study which

was drawn up with funding from eight countries
including five EC Member States, and what is the
Commission 's attitude to this study, the purpose of
which was to establish areas in the Atlantic for the

dumping of radioactive waste ?

(M COM(92 ) 149 final . Joint answer to Written Questions

E-3 112 / 93 and E-3505 / 93

given by Mr Paleokrassas
on behalf of the Commission

(7 March 1994 )

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3112 / 93

by Sérgio Ribeiro ( GUE )

to the Commission

to Dumping at sea of radioactive waste is regulated worldwide

( 10 November 1993 ) by the 1972 Convention on the Prevention of Marine

( 94 / C 289 / 67 ) Pollution from Dumping of Wastes and                                - Other Matter,

commonly known as the London Convention, which
entered into force in 1975 . All Member States of the
Subject : Dumping of waste in the Atlantic Ocean Community are party to the Convention and the
Commission takes part in its activity as an observer .

( 10 November 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 67 )

It was recently disclosed that a survey, financed by eight
industrialized countries ( including four Community
Member States ), had been conducted to select an area in the
Atlantic Ocean where radioactive waste from nuclear power
plants and nuclear arms could be dumped .

Given that a possible site is an Atlantic trench situated near
the Azores, Madeira, the Canary Islands and Cape Verde, or
to be more specific 800 km south-west of the Canaries, will
the Commission state whether it is aware of this possibility ?
What is its position on this matter, which is a source of
concern for local authorities in the region and should be a
source of concern for the Community as a whole ?

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3505 / 93

by Vasco Garcia ( ELDR )

to the Commission

(7 December 1993 )

The London Convention originally permitted dumping of
waste other than high level radioactive waste as defined by
the International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA ). It further
invited Contracting Parties, in the issue of permits for
dumping of such waste, to take full account of the relevant
recommendations issued by the IAEA . Studies within the
framework of the London Convention have shown that, in
general, dumping performed in compliance with the IAEA
definition and recommendations does not contradict the

Community provisions stemming from Chapter III Health
and Safety of the Euratom Treaty, notably Council Directive
80 / 836 / Euratom laying down the basic safety standards for
the health protection of the general public and workers
against the dangers of ionising radiation (*). However,
dumping of radioactive waste has not taken place since
1982 following a 1983 resolution of the Seventh
Consultative meeting of the Contracting parties to the
London Convention .

94 / C 289 / 68 ) In November 1993, the Sixteenth Consultative meeting of
Contracting Parties to the London Convention agreed to
amend the annexes to the Convention to the effect that the

radioactive waste in the Atlantic

dumping of all types of radioactive waste is subject to a
permanent ban . This decision was taken by a vote in which

forthcoming meeting of the London all delegations attending the meeting voted in favour of the
of radioactive waste in the ban, with the exception of Belgium, France, United

Kingdom, China and Russia, which abstained . The

Subject : Dumping of radioactive waste in the Atlantic

With reference to the forthcoming meeting of the London
convention on the dumping of radioactive waste in the
Atlantic :

No C 289 / 34 Official Journal of the European Communities 17 . 10 . 94

Convention stipulated that within 100 days after the
approval of the amendments, Contracting Parties could
make a declaration that they are not able to accept such
amendments . The only such declaration was made by
Russia .

Dumping in the North-East Atlantic north of 36'north
latitude is also subject to the provisions of the 1992 Paris
Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment

of the North-East Atlantic signed on 22 September 1992

( not yet entered into force ) which will replace the present
1972 Oslo Convention for the Prevention of Marine

Pollution by Dumping from Ships and Aircraft ( Oslo
Convention ) and 1974 Paris Convention for the Prevention
of Marine Pollution from Land-based Sources ( Paris
Convention ).

All the Member States of the Community with the exception
of Italy and Greece ( which are outside the geographical area
covered by the Convention ) are party to the present Paris
and Oslo conventions and signed the 1992 new Paris
Convention .

According to the new Paris Convention, the dumping of any
type of radioactive waste is prohibited . However, the United
Kingdom and France may retain the option of an exception
to such prohibition . These States shall report to the
Contracting Parties of the convention in 1997 on the steps
taken to explore alternative land-based options .

All Member States of the Community are also party to the
Multilateral consultation and Surveillance Mechanism for

Sea Dumping of Radioactive Waste established by a 1977
decision of the OECD Council .

As regards applicable provisions within the Community,
Article 37 of the Eur atom Treaty states :

' Each Member State shall provide the Commission with
such general data relating to any plan for the disposal of
radioactive waste in whatever form as will make it

possible to determine whether the implementation of
such plan is liable to result in the radioactive
contamination of the water, soil or airspace of another
Member State . The Commission shall deliver its opinion
within six months, after consulting the group of experts
referred to Article 31 .'

A Commission recommendation of 7 December 1990 on the
application of Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty ( 2 ) sets out
inter alia the general data to be provided for plans
concerning new sites for dumping at sea .

f 1 ) OJ No L 246, 17 . 9 . 1980 ;

OJ No L 265, 5 . 10 . 1984 .

( 2 ) OJ No L 6, 9 . 1 . 1991 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3520 / 93

by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 13 December 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 69

Subject : Signature of the Energy Charter

The European Energy Charter is practically a dead letter
unless the states which are party to it sign the Treaty setting
out their rights and obligations . Have negotiations
approached the stage of agreement ? Does the Commission
expect the Treaty to be signed and when ?

Answer given by Mr Matutes

on behalf of the Commission

(7 March 1994 )

At the last session of the Energy Charter Conference, held
from 14 to 17 December 1993, the delegations agreed to
step up their efforts to reach a conclusion as soon as possible
on the basis of a two-phase approach put forward by the
European Union .

If this is successful, signature might be expected sometime
this year .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3523 / 93

by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 13 December 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 70 )

Subject : Environmental restoration of the Thermaic Gulf

and Thessaloniki

For some days now Thessaloniki has been suffering from an
all-pervading stench while dead fish are being washed up in
the Thermaikos Gulf and its surface is covered with patches
of red . Analyses of water samples carried out by the
botanical laboratory of the biological faculty of the Aristotle
University of Thessaloniki, reveal the spread of a single-cell
vegetable organism in the gulf which, on decomposing,
produces aerobic bacteria which absorb oxygen . Will the
Commission assist the Greek authorities in their endeavours

to restore the environment in the Thermaikos Gulf and

Thessaloniki ?

17 . 10 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 289 / 35

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3560 / 93

on behalf of the Commission

by Des Geraghty ( NI )
( 25 February 1994 ) to the Commission

( 13 December 1993 )

A large number of ' red tides ' ( containing unicellular algae ) ( 94 / C 289 / 72 )
have affected Community waters in recent years . There are
many causes and they are often difficult to control . The
ecological imbalances are often due to a high level of
eutrophication . Subject : Commission predictions of Structural Fund

receipts

Various Community Directives aim to improve water
quality and combat the causes of eutrophication, in
particular the Directive on the treatment of urban waste
water and the Directive on the protection of water against
pollution by nitrates from agricultural sources . These
Directives will not be fully implemented until after the year
2000 .

The Commission has just finalized a proposal for a Directive
concerning the general improvement of the quality of
European surface and coastal waters .

On 8 November 1993 three Irish national newspapers ( ] )
quoted directly from a local radio ( 2 ) interview with
European Commissioner Flynn who stated that

' If the Irish programmes and Irish CSF is up to the
normal standard, then we ( Ireland ) can look forward to a
lot more money than the £7,3 billion over the period
from now until the end of the century .'

'I am perfectly satisfied that Ireland will do enormously
well .'

'(I think that ... if we have the right kind of programmes

. . . there is no doubt but that we can do much better than

that which has been indicated to date .'
WRITTEN QUESTION E-3557 / 93

by Des Geraghty ( NI )

to the Commission

Will the Commission outline how it arrived at the £7,3

December 1993 ) billion base figure indicated and the bases on which it is

( 94 / C 289 / 71 calculated ( period covered, exchange rate, budgetary year,
Community Initiative yield assumptions, etc .)?

( 13 December 1993 )

Subject : Structural Fund allocation — Ireland (') Daily Star ; Irish Press ; Irish Independent .
( 2 ) Mid-West Radio, Castlebar, Co . Mayo .

Having regard to the conclusions of the Edinburgh Summit
Part C / B / iii, Structural Actions, which makes certain
commitments with regard to total structural funding and the
proportion to go to the ' Cohesion ' countries over the period

1993 — 1999 inclusive, thus necessitating the separate
calculation of 1993 CSF and Community Initiative
allocations, will the Commission specify, in ECU at 1992
prices, what Ireland 's CSF allocation ( excluding
Community Initiatives ) was for 1993 ?

Answer given by Mr Millan
on behalf of the Commission

(8 November 1994 )

The allocation to Ireland for 1993 under the Community
Support Framework 1989 / 93 was ECU 1 010 million at
1992 prices . This figure is exclusive of Community
Initiatives .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3561 / 93

by Des Geraghty ( NI )

to the Commission

( 13 December 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 73 )

Subject : Commission predictions of Structural Fund
receipts

On 8 November 1993 three Irish national newspapers
quoted directly from a local radio interview with European
Commissioner Flynn who stated that

' If the Irish programmes and Irish CSF is up to the
normal standard, then we ( Ireland ) can look forward to a

No C 289 / 36 Official Journal of the European Communities 17 . 10 . 94

lot more money than the £7,3 billion over the period
from now until the end of the century .'

'I am perfectly satisfied that Ireland will do enormously
well .'

'(I think that ... if we have the right kind of programmes
. . . there is no doubt but that we can do much better than

that which has been indicated to date .'

When did the Commission commence the practice of
expressing Structural Fund allocations in national
currencies ( bearing in mind that only two days before this
interview another Commissioner stated to the Regional
committee that they never do so, such data being expressed
in ECUs without exception )?

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3562 / 93

by Des Geraghty ( NI )

to the Commission

( 13 December 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 74 )

Subject : Commission predictions of Structural Funds
receipts

On 8 November 1993 three Irish national newspapers
quoted directly from a local radio interview with European
Commissioner Flynn who stated that

' If the Irish programmes and Irish CSF is up to the
normal standard, then we ( Ireland ) can look forward to a
lot more money than the £7,3 billion over the period
from now until the end of the century .'

'I am perfectly satisfied that Ireland will do enormously
well .'

'(I think that ... if we have the right kind of programmes
. . . there is no doubt but that we can do much better than

that which has been indicated to date .'

Having regard to the statement agreed with Mr Dick Spring
on 20 October 1993 wherein ' President Delors and

Commissioner Millan said that the Irish National

Development plan is up to the high quality that has been the
standard for Ireland in the past ' and accordingly meeting the
qualification set by Commissioner Flynn, will the
Commission indicate, by means of a fourchette perhaps,
approximately how much money, in excess of the £7,3
billion, Ireland can look forward to ?

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3563 / 93

by Des Geraghty ( NI )

to the Commission

( 13 December 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 75 )

Subject : Commission predictions of Structural Fund
receipts

On 8 November 1993 three Irish national newspapers
quoted directly from a local radio interview with European
Commissioner Flynn who stated that

' If the Irish programmes and Irish CSF is up to the
normal standard, then we ( Ireland ) can look forward to a
lot more money than the £7,3 billion over the period
from now until the end of the century .'

'I am perfectly satisfied that Ireland will do enormously
well .'

'(I think that ... if we have the right kind of programmes

. . . there is no doubt but that we can do much better than

that which has been indicated to date .'

Assuming that it is following the mid-term review of the
operation of the CSFs that the Commission is satisfied that
Ireland will do enormously well, will the Commission
outline the possible source(s ) of funds to be transferred ? For
example, must transfers to a ' cohesion ' country come from
another ' cohesion ' country, or may it also come from
non-cohesion countries within Objective 1 and must the
Edinburgh guidelines, which specify separately the p. a . and
cumulative allocation for cohesion countries,. Objective 1,
Structural Funds and Structural Actions, continue to be met
following the mid-term review ?

Joint answer to Written Questions
E-3560 / 93, E-3561 / 93, E-3562 / 93 and E-3563 / 93

given by Mr Millan
on behalf of the Commission

( 10 March 1994 )

The indicative allocations for Ireland and other Objective 1
regions from the Structural Funds and the Financial
instrument of fisheries guidance were announced on
21 October 1993 by the Commission . The indicative
amount for Ireland is ECU 5,620 million at 1994 prices for
the period 1994 — 1999 . This amount excludes Community
initiatives and Cohesion Fund receipts . All allocations are in
ECU . The basis for these allocations is Article 12 ( 4 ) of
Regulation ( EEC ) No 2081 / 93 .

17 . 10 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 289 / 37

As to the take-up of resources by Member States, it should

be borne in mind that the Community Support Frameworks

( CSFs ) may be subject to adjustment during the
implementation period in accordance with the
Regulations .

Such adjustments are likely to concern mainly shifts between
priorities within a CSF, but can also involve transfers
between CSFs . Adjustments may be made in particular on
the basis of the continuous monitoring and evaluation
exercise carried out by the Commission in partnership with
the national authorities . The Commission intends to review

the rate of implementation of the CSFs half way through the .
period . Where appropriate it will make the necessary
adjustments .

The Honourable Member 's attention is drawn to the reply
given by the Commission at the November part-session to
oral questions H-l 125 / 93 and H-l 150 / 93 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3569 / 93

by Manuel Medina Ortega ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 13 December 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 76 )

Subject : The long-term unemployed in the Canary
Islands

Will the Commission say what progress has been made with
regard to programmes for the long-term unemployed in the
Canary Islands during the period from 1990 to 1993 ?

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3594 / 93

by Dieter Rogalla ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 14 December 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 77 )

Subject : Usual practice of Belgian pharmacists as regards

accepting prescriptions

Belgian pharmacists, particularly those in western Flanders,
refuse to accept prescriptions from doctors who are
established in other Member States, since this is apparently
not allowed by since Belgian legislation .

This restricts the free movement of persons and goods
between Belgium and other Member States . In the holiday
season in particular, many tourists from other Member
States visit the Belgian coast in western Flanders . In some
cases, visitors to this region experience difficulties because
they are unable to obtain a medicine prescribed by a doctor
in their country of residence, despite the fact that medicines
are mostly significantly cheaper in Belgium than in other
Member States such as Germany .

1 . Does the Commission agree that following the mutual
recognition of medical qualifications and the resulting
right of establishment in all EC Member States, there
should also be mutual recognition of the prescriptions
issued by these doctors ?

2 . Can the Commission say what action it has taken since

2 June 1992, the date when it first turned its attention to
this problem ?

3 . Why has the Commission not yet initiated proceedings

for failure to fulfil Treaty obligations pursuant to the
Article 169 of the EEC Treaty ?

Answer given by Mr Flynn Answer given by Mr Vanni d'Archirafi
on behalf of the Commission on behalf of the Commission

(7 March 1994 ) ( 30 March 1994 )

The latest information available to the ESF concerning the
execution of the operational programme 901202 ES 1,
implemented by the ' Gobierno de Canarias ' to combat
long-term unemployment, shows that during the period

1990 — 1992, 1 937 people received vocational training
under the programme and 331 others benefited from
recruitment premiums or setting-up premiums . The
' Gobierno de Canarias ' invested a total of ECU 5,3 million
during this period, of which 3,47 million was co-financed by
the ESF .

1 . The Commission would refer the Honourable

Member to its answer to Written Question No 2491 / 92 by
Mr De Gucht ( 1 ).

2 . It has made representations to the Belgian authorities
in an attempt to resolve the problem .

3 . According to the latest information available, the
profession has dropped this requirement, which was not
specifically laid down by law but was based on an
interpretation by the Association of Pharmacists . The

No C 289 / 38 Official Journal of the European Communities 17 . 10 . 94

Commission has asked the Belgian authorities to confirm WRITTEN QUESTION E-3629 / 93
this information . If necessary, it will initiate the procedure by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE )
provided for in Article 169 of the EC Treaty . to the Commission

(') OJ No C 99, 7 . 4 . 1993 . ( 17 December 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 79 )

Subject : Conservation and management of cultural sites in

Greece

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3619 / 93

by Gérard Deprez ( PPE )

to the Commission

( 17 December 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 78

Subject : Transparency of firms ' accounts in the
Community

Given that there are differences between the Member States

as regards the requirement for firms to publish regularly
their accounts and financial statements, does the
Commission not agree that certain firms have advantages
over others in terms of information and competition ?

Does the Commission intend to propose measures aimed at
improving the acquisition of such information in all the
Member States ?

Answer given by Mr Vanni d'Archirafi

on behalf of the Commission

(3 March 1994 )

The application of Community law should ensure that
companies from different Member States do not obtain
competitive or information advantages due to national
disclosure requirements .

Under Directive 68 / 151 / EEC, Member States must lay
down provisions which ensure that limited companies make
their accounts publicly available . Further, Member States
must introduce adequate sanctions for those limited
companies that do not meet these disclosure requirements .
This Directive is implemented in all Member States .

To the Commission 's knowledge, there are no specific
problems noted with respect to disclosure in Member States,
with the exception of Germany where a large number of
limited companies do not meet the disclosure requirements
due to inadequate sanctions . For this reason the
Commission has started an infringement procedure against
Germany .

In tHe opinion of the Commission no further measures are

necessary at present .

Parts of Greece 's main asset, its cultural environment

( ancient monuments and areas of traditional architecture )
are in a state of collapse for want of sufficient funds for
restoration work and conservation and management
programmes . How far can the Commission help the Greek
authorities completely preserve this cultural heritage of such
importance to the Greek nation and the people of Europe in
general ?

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro

on behalf of the Commission

( 28 March 1994 )

Under Article 128 of the EC Treaty, the Member States are
autonomous in matters of cultural policy, such as the
management of their architectural heritage, and the
Community, in deference to the principle of subsidiarity, is
responsible for encouraging cooperation between Member
States and, if necessary, supporting and supplementing their
action .

A definition of the scope for Community action in the
cultural field is also to be found in the Commission 's

communication entitled New prospects for Community
cultural action (*), the broad outline of which was approved
by the Council on 12 November 1992 and by Parliament on
21 January 1993 .

The Community consequently has neither a mandate nor
funding for developing a specific programme for preserving
the entire cultural heritage of Greece .

(*) COM(92 ) 149 final .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3652 / 93

by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 17 December 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 80 )

Subject : Dumping of radioactive waste at sea

Some weeks ago Russia dumped 900 tonnes of radioactive
waste into the sea 550 kilometers west of the Japanese island

17 . 10 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 289 / 39

of Hokkaido . Such practices inevitably provoke strong
protests from governments and representatives of
environmental organizations .

To resolve this serious situation, has the Commission taken

( or does it intend to take ) measures to achieve a global ban
on the dumping of radioactive waste at sea and the
application of economic and other sanctions against
offenders ?

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission

quality of water intended for human consumption ( ! )
Member States are required to take the steps necessary to
ensure that water intended for human consumption at least
meets the requirements specified in Annex 1 to the
Directive .

(!) OJ No L 229, 30 . 8 . 1980 .

(3 March 1994 ) WRITTEN QUESTION E-3 705 / 93

by Tom Spencer ( PPE )

The Commission would refer to its answer to Written

Question No 3112 / 93 by Mr Ribeiro and No 3505 / 93 by
Mr Garcia (*) on the general subject of dumping of
radioactive waste at sea .

The Commission takes the view that the 1993 dumping
operations by the Russian Federation in the Sea of Japan,
did not conform with the definition and recommendations

required by the annexes of the London Convention
pertaining to the dumping of radioactive wastes ( IAEA
Safety Series No 78 ), laid down by the International Atomic
Energy Agency ( IAEA ).

( J ) See page 33 of this Official Journal .

to the Commission

(3 January 1994 )

( 94 / C 289 / 82 )

Subject : Late payment of tax refunds during property sales

in Spain, for non-Spanish Community nationals

Will the Commission investigate the discrimination
practised against non-Spanish Community nationals in the
slow payment of tax refunds during property sales ?

Answer given by Mrs Scrivener

on behalf of the Commission

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3654 / 93 (3 March 1994 )

by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 17 December 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 81 )

Subject : Quality standards for drinking water

During the last election campaign, the environmental
organization Greenpeace requested the Greek political
parties to support the introduction of quality standards for
drinking water, involving more frequent extensive testing
for the presence of contaminants such as chlorinated
compounds or pesticides . Will the Commission demonstrate
its interest in protecting the environment by giving practical
support to the above request by Greenpeace, and, if so,
how ?

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission

( 30 March 1994 )

The Commission would remind the Honourable Member

that under the terms of Directive 80 / 778 / EEC relating to the

The Commission is aware of the existence of a charge that is
reported as being imposed solely on non-residents,
irrespective of nationality, in connection with the sale of
property in Spain .

This 10 % charge is levied in the context of the taxation of
capital gains on property in Spain, which form part of
taxable income and are subject to personal income tax at a
rate of 35 % in the case of non-residents .

The charge is on the total amount of the sale and represents a
withholding tax levied by Spanish lawyers when a sales
contract is signed and constitutes a sort of guarantee on the
part of non-residents that the capital gains tax payable to the
Spanish tax authorities will subsequently be duly paid . The
charge is refunded to non-residents once they have provided
evidence of payment of the capital gains tax .

However, the Commission has not been informed of any
particular delays in refunding the 10% charge .

No C 289 / 40 Official Journal of the European Communities 17 . 10 . 94

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3 708 / 93

by Christa Randzio-Plath ( PSE )

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission

to the Commission ( 24 February 1994 )

(3 January 1994 )

( 94 / C 289 / 83 ) The Commission has received written representations from
the United Kingdom Group of the International Bar
Association 's section on business law ( sub-committee on

officials in the Commission

European environmental law ). The Commission is in the
process of securing the agreement of all contributors to the

years after German unification East dissemination of their representations to a wider audience .
virtually no prospect of obtaining The Honourable Member may wish to address a request for
posts ? a copy direct to the IBA at 2 Harewood Place . Hanover

Square, London GB WIR 9HB although copies of all

analyses are available ? representations received were made available to the

Environment, Public Health and Consumer Protection

being taken to compensate for the Committee of the Parliament prior to the joint
officials in the Commission ? Commission / Parliament hearing on the Green Paper on 3

and 4 November 1993 .

Subject : East German officials in the Commission

1 . Is it true that three years after German unification East
German officials have virtually no prospect of obtaining
senior and middle-ranking posts ?

2 . What statistical analyses are available ?

3 . What steps are being taken to compensate for the
absence of East German officials in the Commission ?

Answer given by Mr Van Miert

on behalf of the Commission

( 21 March 1994 )

The Commission did " not organize special recruitment
competitions for citizens in the eastern Lander following
unification of Germany .

All competitions announced since that time have been open
to all German citizens, regardless of their origins .

The Commission 's statistics make it possible to identify
persons of German nationality, but place of birth is not a
reliable indicator of pre-unification nationality .
Consequently the Commission does not have a sound
statistical base for answering the question .

The Commission has no plans to organize competitions at
sub-national level, as this would constitute a form of
discrimination between candidates .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3736 / 93

by Llewellyn Smith ( PSE )

to the Commission

(3 January 1994 )

( 94 / C 289 / 85 )

Subject : Environment

Further to the reply to Question No 801 / 93 by Sir James
Scott-Hopkins ( x ) will the Commission make a statement on
the outcome of the international studies of the different

definitions of ' product ', ' secondary raw materials ' and
' waste ' mentioned in the reply

(!) OJ No C 292, 28 . 10 . 1993, p . 44 .

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission
WRITTEN QUESTION E-3 719 / 93 (3 February 1994 )

by Alex Smith ( PSE )

to the Commission

(3 January 1994 )

( 94 / C 289 / 84 )

Subject : Remedying environmental damage

What information has the Commission received from the

international Bar Association in response to proposals set
out in its Green Paper on remedying environmental
damage ( a )?

f 1 ) COM(93 ) 47 final .

Work on establishing criteria to enable a clear distinction
between product, secondary raw materials and waste has
recently commenced at Community level . Therefore, the
Commission cannot, at this stage, produce definitive
results .

The approach at OECD level is slightly different . The
process is not so much establishing the limits between these
concepts but the analysis of the problems on a case by case
basis .

17 . 10 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 289 / 41

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3738 / 93

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3 750 / 93

by Llewellyn Smith ( PSE )

Llewellyn Smith ( PSE ) by Luigi Vertemati ( PSE )

to the Commission to the Commission

(3 January 1994 )

to the Commission

( 12 January 1994 )

94 / C 289 / 86 ( 94 / C 289 / 87 )

Subject : Energy / environment

What new projects for the development of

1 . wave energy

2 . tidal energy and

3 . hydroelectric power

have been supported by the Commission in 1993 ?

Answer given by Mr Ruberti
on behalf of the Commission

( 22 February 1994 )

Within the R&D Programme Joule II, in the field of non
nuclear energy, the Commission has decided to support the
following projects, in 1993 :

— wave energy :

— 'A European wave energy pilot plan on Islay ',

coordinator : The Queen 's University of Belfast

( UK )

— ' The deployment and testing of a prototype 2MW

OWC Osprey wave energy plant ', coordinator :
Applied Research and Technology ( UK )

— ' European wave energy pilot plant on the island of

Pico, Azores ', coordinator : Instituto Superior
Tecnico ( PO )

— ' Electricity generation by pilot realization of a

patented wave energy converter ', coordinator :
University of Patras ( GR )

— ' Air turbine development and assessment for wave

power plants ', coordinator : Coventry University

( UK )

— ' Offshore wave energy converters ', coordinator :

Danish Wave Power ( DK )

— tidal energy :

— ' Tidal and marine currents energy exploitation ',

coordinator : Tecnomare ( IT )

— hydro-electric power :

— ' Technical and resource assessment of low-head

hydropower in Europe ', coordinator : IT Power

( UK )

— ' Modernization of pumped hydropower plants
through the installation of variable-speed pumps and
turbines ', coordinator : RWE Energie ( D ).

Subject : Appointment of staff to the new European
agencies

Following the difficult and iniquitous decision on the seats,
it will shortly be possible for the eleven new Community
agencies to become operational .

For this purpose, it will be necessary to recruit staff .

Flow many staff will the new agencies require ?

What criteria does the Commission intend to adopt in
appointing them ?

What measures does it intend to take to ensure that

appointments are based on principles of transparency and
objectivity and by means of public competitions rather than
by arbitrarily awarding contracts ?

Answer given by Mr Van Miert

on behalf of the Commission

( 16 March 1994 )

The new decentralized agencies will recruit their own staff
when the time comes .

The management boards of the agencies, in accordance with
the budgetary procedure laid down by the basic regulations,
will determine the number of staff needed and their

employment relationship .

The Regulations setting up the agencies make it possible to
apply the Staff Regulations of Officials and Conditions of
Employment of Other Servants of the European
Communities to their staff .

This will ensure that the guarantees hoped for by the
Honourable Member — notably with regard to
transparency and objectivity in the matter of recruitment —
are secured .

No C 289 / 42 Official Journal of the European Communities 17 . 10 . 94

QUESTION E-3755 / 93 consumers ' organizations and animal protection

Muscardini ( NI ) organizations with a view to cutting down on,

to the Commission - substituting or reconsidering the use of laboratory
animals .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3755 / 93

by Cristiana Muscardini ( NI )

( 12 January 1994 )

( 94 / C 289 / 88

Subject : Slaughter of animals in laboratories

According to information provided by the United Kingdom
authorities, at least three million guineapigs are used in
various types of experiment in laboratories . The animals
include dogs, cats and monkeys, whose use was prohibited
by legislation adopted in 1992 .

Can the Commission take action to improve the protection
afforded to animals on which experiments are carried out,
with a view to enforcing existing legislation and in particular
to limiting the practice of vivisection ?

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3 765 / 93

by John Cushnahan ( PPE )

to the Commission

( 12 January 1994 )

( 94 / C 289 / 89 )

Subject : Transmission of multi-channel television

Is the Commission aware that one company has been
granted the sole licence for the transmission of
multi-channel television in County Cork, Ireland ?

Does it consider that other Community operators, which are
threatened with closure, should be allowed to transmit these
Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas signals so that consumers in the area would have a number

on behalf of the Commission of systems to chose from ?

( 29 March 1994 )

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro

on behalf of the Commission

The Commission is pleased to inform the Honourable on behalf of the
Member that, pursuant to Directive 86 / 609 / EEC, and in (3 March 1994 )
particular Article 26 thereof, a report presenting the
statistics relating to the number of animals used in
experiments and for other scientific purposes is shortly to be The Commission is informed about
forwarded to the Council and Parliament . The numbers of

Communication Limited ', a cable

animals used in experiments in the United Kingdom quoted re-transmitting via cable in County
by the Honourable Member differ from the official statistics licensed . This company is not a
provided by that Member State .

The Commission is informed about the licensing of ' Cork
Communication Limited ', a cable television company
re-transmitting via cable in County Cork broadcasts already
licensed . This company is not a broadcaster but a cable

operator .

The Commission is unaware of the existence of a 1992 Council Directive 89 / 552 / EEC of 3 October 1989 on the

legislative decree banning the use of animals . coordination of certain provisions laid down by law,

regulation or administrative action in Member States
concerning the pursuit of television broadcasting

As regards moves to improve the protection of animals, the activities (*) lays down common rules needed to guarantee
Commission welcomes the setting-up of the European freedom of reception and of re-transmission of broadcasts
Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods ( Ecvam ), emanating from Member States . It does not affect the
the main aims of which are : responsibility of the Member States and their authorities

with regard to the system of licensing of programmes,

— to coordinate the validation of alternative test methods including the licensing of cable operators . In the present

state of Community law, the Member States are free to

at Community level ;

organise their systems of cable transmission . In doing so,
they must respect the rules laid down in the EC Treaty and,
— to exchange information ; in particular, its competition rules and the principle of
non-discrimination on grounds of nationality .

The Commission is unaware of the existence of a 1992

legislative decree banning the use of animals .

As regards moves to improve the protection of animals, the
Commission welcomes the setting-up of the European
Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods ( Ecvam ),
the main aims of which are :

— to coordinate the validation of alternative test methods

at Community level ;

— to create and manage a database ;

— to promote dialogue between the legislature, the
scientific community ( biomedicine ), industry,

0 ) OJ No L 298, 17 . 10 . 1989 .

17 . 10 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 289 / 43

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3 784 / 93

by Alexandros Alavanos ( GUE )

to the Commission

( 12 January 1994 )

( 94 / C 289 / 90 )

Subject : Unfair competition by Turkey with regard to

exports to the Community of fresh agricultural
produce

The European Community has abolished intra-Community
export subsidies, retaining subsidies only for exports to
third countries . Turkey, which is not a Member State,
provides various forms of financial aid for its exports to the
Community, unfairly distorting competition to the
detriment in particular of fresh farm produce from Greece
being sold on the Community market .

Given that these products have experienced a sharp fall in
sales, which is expected to worsen following the GATT
negotiations because of the lack of adequate support, will
the Commission take the measures needed to tackle the

problem posed by the excessive subsidies provided by
Turkey for exports to western European countries ?

Answer given by Mr Steichen

on behalf of the Commission

reference prices, which apply to 18 of these products, are an
effective means of protecting Community production from
supplies at very low prices, which might be subsidized .

In the Commission 's view, the current measures to support
and protect Community production of fresh products are
satisfactory, at least in the case of the most important
products of this kind . A similar mechanism will be
maintained in some form within the framework of the

Uruguay Round and the forthcoming reform of the common
organization of the market in these products .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3 785 / 93

by Panayotis Roumeliotis ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 12 January 1994 )

( 94 / C 289 / 91 )

»

Subject : Aid for flood victims in north-west Attica

The region of north-west Attica suffered torrential storms
lasting several hours which caused unprecedented damage
to houses, cars and roads .

Does the Commission intend to provide assistance for the
victims of this disaster ?

( 18 March 1994 ) Answer given by Mr Delors
on behalf of the Commission

( 28 March 1994 )

The mechanisms of the common agricultural policy
applicable to fresh agricultural produce ( fruit and
vegetables ) are intended to support prices by implementing
specific instruments for those products ( withdrawals, public
buying-in, processing aid, etc .).

With regard to imports, the entry price for each product and
country of origin is compared to the reference price . If it is
lower than the reference price, a countervailing duty is
applied .

In addition, in order to facilitate exports, refunds may be
granted to offset the difference between the internal
Community price and the world price .

In the context of its relations with non-member countries,
the Community has granted certain concessions, restricted
by tariff quotas and schedules for the more sensitive
products .

The preferential arrangements provided for in the
agreement with Turkey apply, during periods which take
account of production and consumption in the Community,
to a range of sensitive fresh products . In addition, the

The Commission monitored the situation closely when the
floods struck Attica on 20 and 21 November 1993 .

The Commission is willing to consider any proposals from
the Greek authorities on this matter with a view to a

contribution from the Structural Funds towards the costs of

repairing the flood damage . Contacts are already under way
to this effect .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3798 / 93

by Ben Visser ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 12 January 1994 )

( 94 / C 289 / 92 )

Subject : ' Postillion ' systems in international road

transport

Most firms engaged in international road transport are
experiencing economic difficulties . It is increasingly

No C 289 / 44 Official Journal of the European Communities 17 . 10 . 94

important to make best use of drivers and vehicles . Relief or
' postillion ' systems may be one way of doing this : drivers
take over from each other at transport relay stations on long
routes in Europe . The relay stations offer facilities for both
drivers and vehicles . There is a considerable interest in these

systems, but one major problem is the lack of reliable relay
stations . Optimal use of the system also calls for a sufficient
level of concentration of flows of goods (' Transport en
Logistiek ', 18 November 1993 ).

1 . Is the Commission aware of the international road

transport industry 's need to make greater use of the
relay system ?

2 . Can the Commission see its way towards helping set up
a system of reliable transport relay stations ?

3 . Is it able to support any trials of such systems which
firms wish to undertake jointly ?

4 . Does it see any scope for integrating relay systems — if
only partially — with forms of combined transport ?

Answer given by Mr Matutes

on behalf of the Commission

( 16 March 1994 )

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3 799 / 93

by Pol Marck ( PPE )

to the Commission

( 12 January 1994 )

( 94 / C 289 / 93

Subject : Dairy quota

The Spanish Minister of Agriculture is quoted in ' Cinco
Dias ' of 29 September 1993 as saying :

' We are not going to pay . It will be difficult for us to carry
on arguing over a period of months, but we are not going
to pay . . . We are not going to allow anyone to penalise
us '.

How does the Commission interpret this statement ? What is
its response ?

Answer given by Mr Steichen

on behalf of the Commission

( 10 March 1994 )

Under the clearance of accounts for the 1990 financial year
of the guarantee section of the EAGGF, and after consulting
the EAGGF Committee, the Commission decided on
25 November 1993 to recover from Spain the sum of Pta
29,5 billion in respect of additional levies which were not
charged in the 1989 / 1990 milk year .

This amount will be recovered by deduction from the
monthly payments made to Spain by the Commission in

1994 relating to its declarations of EAGGF expenditure .

1 . The Commission considers that the usefulness of a

system of relief stations for international road haulage
depends on the degree of demand for it . WRITTEN QUESTION E-3804 / 93

by Jens-Peter Bonde ( EDN )

to the Commission

2 . If demand is apparent, the Commission would be
( 12 January 1994 )
ready to examine whether any support from its side is
opportune . ( 94 / C 289 / 94

Subject : Estimation of world market prices

3 . The kind of Community support would depend on the
characteristics of the planned systems and on the availability
of funds .

What grounds does the Commission have for declining to
produce estimates of the world market prices for cereals, as
noted by the Court of Auditors in paragraph 2.10 of its
annual report for 1992 (*)?

4 . The possibility of integrating these relief stations into (!) OJ No C 309, 16 . 11 . 1992, p . 47 .
the combined transport network has not been considered by
the Commission . However, the concept of ' integrated
freight centres ' offering a wide range of services for road
hauliers including possible driver exchanges could be Answer on behalf given of the by Commission Mr Steichen
examined in the future .

( 15 March 1994 )

Appropriations requirements are assessed on the basis of an
estimate which in turn is based on forecasts of varying levels

17 . 10 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 289 / 45

of uncertainty of, among other things, institutional prices,
trade outside the Community, world market prices and the
rate for the dollar .

These forecasts, which are made at the beginning of the year,
cover the costs that will be realized between 16 October of

that year and 15 October of the subsequent year, i.e. 20
months later .

The world price for cereals is based on market rates, notably
those on the Chicago Exchange .

Estimates of future prices for cereals are based on current
market prices, including those on the futures markets . These
forward prices apply, however, for a period of no more than
six months beyond which price changes can only be
estimated according to subjective and objective parameters,
with the assistance of the experience of experts in the market
division .

In actual fact it is impossible to estimate, within the strict
meaning of the term, world prices for cereal for future
marketing years . These prices are continually changing and
are subject to all manner of events, the impact of which
cannot be calculated, especially in advance . Among these are
weather conditions, new policies, the solvency of importing
countries, export credit conditions, the development of
alternative forms of production, plant health conditions,
consumer choice and political upheaval . Rumour too has an
effect . The Commission endeavours, as far as possible, to
take account of these parameters, but there is no magic
formula and prices can only be estimated .

The Commission, however, carries out regular situation
updates to correct the budgetary repercussions of the gaps
between the estimates used to draw up the budget and the
actual market trend . A letter of amendment or a

supplementary and amending budget may result depending
on the state of progress of the budget procedure .

for one year, i.e. until 31 December 1994 . With regard to
Greece, Article 10 of the Directive allowed the Commission
to approve aid for Greek shipyards in the form of the
cancellation of debts, on condition that the shipyards were
sold or closed by 31 March 1993 . Since the process of selling
the yards is behind schedule owing to the fact that the plan
chosen was inappropriate, if its proposal is adopted by the
Council, will the Commission also permit Greece to take
advantage of the extension of the applicability of the
directive to permit examination of the proposal to merge the
Syros and Skaramangas shipyards, an option which appears
more acceptable, not only economically but also socially .

(M OJ No C 126, 7 . 5 . 1993, p . 24 .

( 2 ) OJ No L 380, 31 . 12 . 1990, p . 27 .

Answer given by Mr Van Miert

on behalf of the Commission

(3 February 1994 )

Article 10 of the Seventh Directive on aid to shipbuilding
provides a derogation for Greece from Article 5 on other
operating aid to shipbuilding . This derogation expired on

1 January 1992 pursuant to Article 10 ( 1 ).

The Commission 's proposal to the Council to prolong the
expiry date of the Seventh Directive for one year implied no
change to Article 10 that expired at the end of 1991 .

The Commission was able to approve of aid to the yard in
December 1992 as the Greek Government took the decision

to grant the aid before the end of 1991 and undertook to sell
or to close down the yard before 31 March 1993 .

Up until today the commitment of the Greek Government
was fulfilled only in so far as it concerns two out of the four
WRITTEN QUESTION E-3816 / 93 yards, namely the Elefsis and Nafsi yards .

by Alexandros Alavanos ( GUE )

to the Commission

As regards a merger between ' Hellenic and Neorion

(8 December 1993 ) shipyards, Article 10 ( 3 ) of the Seventh Directive clearly

( 94 / C 289 / 95 ) states that the Greek Government can maintain up to 5 1 %

majority holding only in one shipyard, if justified by defence
reasons . It is up to the Greek Government to choose in
which yard it will maintain this partial ownership, if it
Subject : Utilization by Greece of the extension of the wishes to do so .

(8 December 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 95 )

applicability of Directive 90 / 684 / EEC

In COM(93 ) 160 final ( ), the Commission proposed
postponing the general expiry of Directive 90 / 684 / EEC ( 2 )

No C 289 / 46 Official Journal of the European Communities 17 . 10 . 94

QUESTION E-3827 / 93 Is the Commission absolutely certain that these sums have

Vazquez Fouz ( PSE ) been used for the specified purpose, rather than being

diverted for other uses ?
to the Commission

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3827 / 93

by José Vazquez Fouz ( PSE )

( 17 January 1994 )

( 94 / C 289 / 96 )

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission
Subject : The fisheries sector and GATT ( 28 February 1994 )

Given the current state of crisis in the fisheries sector, trade
measures are of the utmost importance . What therefore is
the Commission 's position with regard to the fisheries sector
within the GATT negotiations ?

Is this position based firmly on the principle of providing
access to markets and resources ? Or will the fisheries sector

be used as a bargaining counter to offset concessions to
other sectors such as agriculture ?

Answer given by Sir Leon Brittan

on behalf of the Commission

( 24 February 1994 )

The Commission is very well aware of the sensitive nature of
the fisheries sector in general, and of the basic principle
adopted by the Community that further market access in
this sector should be granted only in return for access to

resources .

The Community offer has taken these factors into account
and for 14 tariff positions of interest to resource-rich third
countries, the proposed 50 % tariff cuts would be put into
effect autonomously, annually, only if the countries
concerned were in a position to grant access to their

resources .

No concessions have been offered on tuna or other very
sensitive products . The fisheries sector has not been used as
a counterpart for concessions in other sectors .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3 828 / 93

by José Vazquez Fouz ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 17 January 1994 )

( 94 / C 289 / 97 )

Subject : Utilization of aid granted to Member States for

fisheries monitoring systems

The Honourable Member is no doubt referring to the
implementation of Council Decision 89 / 63 1 / EEC of
27 November 1989 on a Community financial contribution
towards expenditure incurred by Member States for the
purpose of ensuring compliance with the Community
system for the conservation and management of fishery
resources (*).

This Decision provides that every year the Commission must
decide on the Community contribution to Member States .
The proposals submitted by the Member States are first
assessed a priori . The Commission determines whether the
applications are eligible on the basis of the information
submitted . The proposals that are accepted are the subject of
an annual meeting of the Management Committee for
Fisheries and Aquaculture . Subsequently the Commission
decides on their eligibility and one to the amount of the
Community contribution, which is generally 50% .

Payments relating to this Community contribution are made
upon presentation of bills with valid receipts relating to
eligible expenditure that has been approved .

The importance of missions to Member States should also
be emphasized . Firstly, there are specific missions carried
out by officials appointed by the Commission to check the
expenditure approved by the Member States under Decision

89 / 63 1 / EEC . This makes it possible to ensure that the
facilities conform to the administrative documents that the

Member State s authorities are obliged to submit to the
Commission .

Secondly, Commission fisheries inspectors regularly visit the
Member States to ensure that the monitoring and
supervision scheme is being complied with . During these
missions they check on the spot the use being made of the
vessels, aircraft, land vehicles etc . for which a Community
contribution has been granted . Although it is not the
principal objective of these missions to check the
expenditure approved by the authorities responsible for
monitoring, they provide useful information for assessing
the situation in practical terms .

These two approaches taken together enable the
Commission to assess the actual application of Decision
89 / 63 1 / EEC, in particular in terms of cost-effectiveness .

(!) OJ No L 364, 14 . 12 . 1989 .
On a number of occasions, the Commission has granted aid

( involving very large sums in some cases ) to Member States,
to be used to improve their fisheries monitoring systems .

17 . 10 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 289 / 47

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3 829 / 93

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3830 / 93

by José Vazquez Fouz ( PSE )

Vazquez Fouz ( PSE ) by José Vazquez Fouz ( PSE )

to the Commission to the Commission

( 17 January 1994 )

to the Commission

( 17 January 1994 )

( 94 / C 289 / 98 ) ( 94 / C 289 / 99 )

Subject : Measures to protect natural mollusc banks

Subject : Quality control for fishery products entering the

EC by air

An increasing amount of fishery products are being brought
into the EC by air : sometimes because of the difference in
price and sometimes under ' very special ' circumstances .
This might simply be a modern, efficient means of
transporting such products, or it might constitute a hidden
form of dumping, with transport costs being subsidized so
that a clear competitive advantage may be gained on the
market . Is the Commission aware of this problem ?

Does it intend to look into the impact of such practices on
certain products such as hake and shell fish, for
example ?

Does it intend to improve control methods and promote
equal opportunities in respect of such products ?

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission

(3 March 1994 )

The Commission is unaware of any information which
would suggest that the shipment of fishery products by air in
the Community amounts to dumping . It does not intend to
look into the practice from that point of view therefore .

The quality criteria for fishery products imposed by
Community rules for health and marketing purposes are of a
high standard and are applied evenhandedly to Community
products and to those from non-member countries,
irrespective of the means of transportation used .

Controls on compliance with these criteria is the
responsibility of the national authorities . The crisis affecting
the market in fishery products since early 1993 has given the
Commission the opportunity of alerting the Member States
to the need for the strict application of these controls, the
less-than-strict application of which may be at the root of
the worsening of disturbances on the market .

The Community has a number of well-known mollusc
breeding grounds, which clearly need to be protected .

Does the Commission share this view ? What measures are to

be taken in this respect ?

Should aid be provided under the existing structural
arrangements or should a separate system be established ?

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission

( 28 February 1994 )

The Honourable Member is probably referring to the
harvesting of mollusc spat . The areas involved, though
known to the Commission, are not recognized in terms of a
geographical classification .

As regards protection of these areas, Council Regulation

( EEC ) No 2080 / 93 C ) of 20 July 1993 laying down
provisions for implementing Regulation ( EEC )
No 2052 / 88 ( 2 ) ( amended by Regulation ( EEC )
No 2081 / 93 ) ( l ) as regards the financial instrument for
fisheries guidance provides for the possibility of granting
structural aids for, among other things, aquaculture and the
development of coastal waters for the purposes of
protection of fishery resources .

Í 1 ) OJ No L 193, 31 . 7 . 1993 .

( 2 ) OJ No L 185, 15 . 7 . 1988 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3 834 / 93

by José Apolinârio ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 17 January 1994 )

94 / C 289 / 100

Subject : Encouraging sales of citrus fruit

With regard to the forthcoming Spanish campaign to
encourage people to eat oranges, lemons and tangerines, can
the Commission tell me what measures have already been

No C 289 / 48 Official Journal of the European Communities 17 . 10 . 94

subsidized in each Member State and what the respective
amounts of subsidy were ?

Answer given by Mr Steichen

on behalf of the Commission

( 28 February 1994 )

Under those circumstances, since the aim of Objective 1 is to
provide an additional contribution to the general measures
provided for by the EC, the EAGGF 5 a package should be
supplementary to the total amount allocated under
Objective 1 ( and thus outside the total allocation ).

Can the Commission confirm this analysis ?

Answer given by Mr Millan

Measures to promote the consumption of citrus fruit are on behalf of the Commission
based on Council Regulation ( EEC ) No 1201 / 90 ( x ). ( 11 January 1994 )

The detailed rules for implementing the measures designed
to increase citrus fruit consumption in the Community are
laid down in Regulation ( EEC ) No 2282 / 90 ( 2 ).

Two measures of this type are currently under way . The first
of these covers the whole of the Community market and will
receive Community financing of ECU 820 000, or 60 % of
the cost of the measure, while the second is confined to
promoting citrus fruit on the Spanish market and will
receive Community financing of ECU 4,5 million for a
three-year period, again 60 % of the total cost of the

measure .

The Commission does not agree with the Honourable
Member 's argument .

Article 8 of Council Regulation ( EEC ) No 2052 / 88 as
amended ( 1 ) lays down the programming rules for
Community structural aid to regions whose development is
lagging behind, and Article 8 ( 7 ) specifies that this
programming also covers operations under Objective 5a to
be implemented in the regions concerned .

three-year, again cost Moreover, Article 12 of the same Regulation sets the total
measure . amount of budget resources available for the regions

covered by Objective 1, specifying that all operations under
(!) OJ No L 119, 11 . 5 . 1990 . Objectives 1 to 5 to assist regions covered by Objective 1 are

( 2 ) OJ No L 205, 3 . 8 . 1990 . to be taken into account for this purpose .

( 2 ) OJ No L 205, 3 . 8 . 1990 .

O OJ No L 193, 31 . 7 . 1993 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3 836 / 93

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3851 / 93
by Bernard Frimat ( PSE )

by Filippos Pierros ( PPE )
to the Commission

to the Commission

(8 December 1993 )

( 17 January 1994 )
( 94 / C 289 / 101 )

( 94 / C 289 / 102 )

Subject :. Financing measures falling under Objective 5a

within the framework of an Objective 1

programme

The regions or territories which are, for the first time, going
to be in receipt of funding under the EEC Objective 1
measures in the period 1994 — 1999, such as the
arrondissements of Douai, Valenciennes and Avesnes in the
region Nord Pas-de-Calais, will, by virtue of that fact, have
an EAGGF — Guarantee Section package which will form
part of their total Objective 1 allocation .

Since these territories, like all territories in the EEC, already
benefit under Objective 5a measures and, hence, receive the
necessary appropriations to finance them, the EAGGF
package relating to Objective 5a should not have been
included in the EAGGF package accorded under
Objective 1, which would thus be devoted exclusively to
Objective 5b .

Subject : Transparency in procedure for issuing invitations

to tender under the Tacis programme

The Summary of the Annual Report of the Court of
Auditors of the European Communities on the financial
year 1992 states that ' the procedure for issuing invitations
to tender in 1992 within the framework of Tacis is far from

transparent for the market operators concerned '. What
practical measures will the Commission take to remedy this
situation ?

Answer given by Sir Leon Brittan

on behalf of the Commission

( 18 March 1994 )

For the 1993 programme onwards, Tacis will provide
pre-tender announcements which will be distributed to

17 . 10 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 289 / 49

those on Commission mailing lists, to Permanent
Representations and through other outlets, giving
information on how to express interest in projects in the
Tacis Programme . Based on the replies, and the
requirements of the projects in question, Tacis will prepare
shortlists .

Shortlisted companies are informed in the document sent
out to all tenderers entitled ' instructions to Tenderers ', what
overall guidelines are used in the evaluation .

When the successful tenderer has signed a contract with the

Commission, a letter will be sent to the unsuccessful
companies on the shortlist giving them an indication of why
their proposal was considered less acceptable than the
winning tender .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3 864 / 93

by Carlos Perreau de Pinninck Domenech ( RDE )

to the Commission

( 17 January 1994 )

( 94 / C 289 / 103 )

Subject : Cheysson instrument

Can the Commission say how many projects in Latin
America have been financed through the ECIP ( Cheysson
instrument ) in 1993 and how much aid they have
received ?

What are the nationalities of the European ' partners ' which
have participated in these projects ?

Answer given by Mr Marin
on behalf of the Commission

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3871 / 93

by José Vazquez Fouz ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 24 January 1994 )

( 94 / C 289 / 104 )

Subject : Situation in Timor and relations between the

Community and Indonesia

There can be no doubt that the problem of East Timor
affects relations between the European Community and
Indonesia . The problem may be resolved through dialogue
under the auspices of the United Nations, in which the EC
has an important role to play . Respect for human rights,
above all, is one of the main factors to be considered .

Does the Commission share these views ?

Is the Commission representative in Indonesia aware of the
stance taken by the Council of Ministers on the matter ?

Is the representative aware of the significant and honourable
stance taken by Portugal, one of the Member States of the
European Union ?

Is it true that the representative does not conceal his
criticisms of this country, either in public or in private, nor
from the European Parliament or its Members ?

Has the Commission done anything in Indonesia other than
play a positive role or criticize the fact that the Council 's
current position is merely obstructing commercial
relations ?

Does the Commission perhaps take the view that the current
state of human rights in Indonesia is satisfactory ?

(3 March 1994 ) Answer on behalf given of by the Mr Commission Van den Broek

( 17 March 1994 )
During ' 1993 73 individual ECIP projects for a total ECIP
financing of ECU 8 537 036 were approved for Latin
America . The cumulative total number of projects approved The Commission shares the view that
for Latin America since 1988 is 233 for a value of ECU Timor should be resolved through
25 253 099 . of the United Nations It is

The identities of the individual partners and projects are
confidential for commercial reasons .

A detailed annual report on ECIP each year is produced
before 30 April in the following year and sent to Council and
Parliament . A copy of the annual report for 1992 is
transmitted direct to the Honourable Member and to the

Secretariat-General of the Parliament .

The Commission shares the view that the question of East
Timor should be resolved through dialogue under the
auspices of the United Nations . It is following closely the
question of respect of human rights in Indonesia and
considers that there is still room for improvement .

The Commission is well aware of the Council 's position,
and has always given it full endorsement . The European
Union has repeatedly brought its standpoint to the attention
of the Indonesian Government, both as regards East Timor
in general, and in specific instances, such as the case of
Xanana Gusmao .

No C 289 / 50 Official Journal of the European Communities 17 . 10 . 94

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3879 / 93 WRITTEN QUESTION

by Fernand Herman ( PPE ) by Virginio Bettini ( V )

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3886 / 93

by Fernand Herman ( PPE )

to the Commission to the Commission

( 24 January 1994 ) ( 14 December 1993 )

( 94 / C 289 / 105 ) ( 94 / C 289 / 106 )

Subject : Participation of retired officials in the statutory

staff representation bodies

At the end of 1992 there were some 6 200 European
Community officials drawing a retirement, invalidity or
survivor 's pension . This figure is continually and rapidly
increasing in relation to the number of officials in active
employment .

According to the provisions laying down the Staff
Regulations of Officials ( Council Regulation of 19 February

1968 ), now largely superseded, only officials in active
employment may exercise the collective right of
representation and, consequently, are entitled to participate
in the bodies or committees set up in accordance with the
Staff Regulations, such as the Staff Regulations Committee
and the Management Committee for Sickness Insurance .

When and how will the Commission take steps to put an end
to the discrimination suffered by pensioners as a result of
this total lack of representation of their interests in the
statutory bodies ?

Answer given by Mr Van Miert

on behalf of the Commission

( 28 March 1994 )

Representation staff on various bodies set up under the Staff
Regulations is the direct or indirect responsibility of the
trade unions or staff associations, as provided in Article 24a
of the Staff Regulations . The Commission feels, however,
that former officials cannot collectively be considered to be
an association of this type .

As in most Member States, former officials may join the
existing trade unions or staff associations and defend their
particular interests through these organizations .

The Commission would point out that it is prepared to hold

broad and open discussions with former officials .

Subject : Atmospheric pollution from the increased use of

unleaded petrol

The level of aromatic hydrocarbons in the atmosphere is
increasing as a result of the use of unleaded petrol which
contains 45 % aromatic hydrocarbons ( only slightly less
than regular grade petrol ).

Research conducted by the B. Ramazzini Oncology and
Environmental Sciences Foundation in Bologna under
Professor Maltoni reveals a link between increased use of

aromatic hydrocarbons and the incidence of malignant
tumours ( two to six times higher than normal ).

What steps will the Commission take to control and restrict
the use of petrol with a high aromatic hydrocarbon
content ?

Will the Commission be taking any specific action following
on from the conclusions of research into ' car-free city
centres '?

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission

( 23 February 1994 )

The Commission is aware of the health risks associated with

high levels of aromatic emissions in car exhausts and has
taken a number of important actions to reduce the level of
these emissions in recent years . The most important of these
has been the introduction of emission limits which have

essentially made the fitting of the catalytic converter and
small carbon canister obligatory for all new petrol driven
cars . A further tightening of the car emission limits has
currently been proposed with the second reading in
Parliament in progress . The introduction of unleaded petrol
is essential to use of the catalytic converter and thus provides
the double benefit of reducing both atmospheric lead and
hydrocarbon pollution .

It is however accepted that increases in atmospheric
pollution may be associated with high levels of aromatics in
petrol and that a case may thus exist for limiting aromatic
levels as part of an overall package of air quality
improvement measures .

Within the context of preparing legislation on vehicle
emission reduction for the year 2000, the Commission
has initiated the European Auto / Oil Programme . This

17 . 10 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 289 / 51

programme is being carried out in collaboration with the
European associations of the car and oil industries and is
evaluating the extent to which an improvement in fuel
quality can help reducing car emissions .

The following fuel parameters are under examination :

— petrol ( unleaded and leaded ): lead, oxygenates,
aromatics, benzene, distillation range, olefins, Reid
Vapour Pressure ( RVP ) and sulphur .

— diesel ( Light Duty ( LD ) and Heavy Duty vehicles ( HD )):

density, polyaromatics, cetane number, sulphur and
distillation range .

When the results of the test programme are available, the
Commission will evaluate the overall effects ( in terms of
emission reduction / air quality ) and costs ( for producer and
consumer ) of a reduction of aromatics another potential
variations in petrol quality . On this basis the Commission
will draft its legislative proposal for the reduction of car
emissions for implementation in the year 2000 . This
package of measures will almost certainly include legislation
seeking to improve fuel quality .

Following receipt of the ' Car Free Cities ' report the
Commission is, in collaboration with the ' Eurocities '
organization, convening a conference on this topic to be
held in Amsterdam on 24 / 25 March 1994 . The Commission

is also financially assisting the launching of a network of
cities and towns interested in promoting and exchanging
experience in the general area of more environmentally
friendly urban transport . This network to be called ' The
Free Cities Club ' will be launched at the Amsterdam

conference .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3811 / 93

by Hugh McMahon ( PSE )

to the Commission

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3895 / 93

by Hugh McMahon ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 24 January 1994 )

( 94 / C 289 / 108

Subject : Activities of all Commission members on
24 November 1993

Can the President of the Commission inform Parliament

what commitments each member of the Commission had on

24 November 1993 which prevented one of them from
attending the Senior Citizens ' Parliament in Luxembourg
that day ?

Joint answer to Written Questions

E-3811 / 93 and E-3895 / 93

given by Mr Delors
on behalf of the Commission

( 24 February 1994 )

The Commission held its weekly meeting in Brussels on
24 November 1993, as usual on Wednesdays, but with a
heavy agenda in preparation for the European Council two
weeks later . The attention of the organizers of the Senior
Citizens ' Parliament had been drawn to the fact that no

member of the Commission would be able to accept an
invitation on that date .

The member of the Commission responsible for relations
with the Parliament made arrangements to travel to
Luxembourg and address the opening session of the Senior
Citizens ' Parliament . The Commission regrets that the
organizers insisted on limiting the invitation to the
Wednesday .

( 17 January 1994 )

( 94 / C 289 / 107 ) WRITTEN QUESTION E-3913 / 93

by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE )

to the Commission

Subject : Non-attendance at the Senior Citizens ' Parliament

of 21 November

Can the Commission explain why, in view of the importance
placed on the European Year of the Elderly, no
Commissioner undertook to address the plenary session of
the Senior Citizens ' Parliament ?

Does this reflect a lack of concern on the part of the
Commission as regards the interests of the elderly and does
it mean that the European Year of the Elderly was a purely
cosmetic exercise ?

( 24 January 1994 )

( 94 / C 289 / 109 )

Subject : Protection of the Church of St Therapon in

Mytilini ( Lesbos )

The enormous Church of St Therapon in Mytilini, which
has been classified as a listed building, is crumbling away . Is
it possible for the Commission to provide the Greek
authorities with funding so that restoration work can be
carried out on the church ?

No C 289 / 52 Official Journal of the European Communities 17 . 10 . 94

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro

on behalf of the Commission

Answer given by Mr Steichen

on behalf of the Commission

( 10 March 1994 ) ( 22 February 1994 )

Cultural policy is a matter falling entirely within the
jurisdiction of the Member States, especially as regards the
management of their architectural heritage . The
Community, in accordance with the subsidiarity principle,
confines itself to supporting and supplementing their
actions .

Article 128 of the EC Treaty and the Council conclusions of

12 November 1992 setting out guidelines for Community
cultural action clearly define the areas in which the
Community can act .

Because the budget allocated to cultural initiatives by the
Community is limited, the Commission finds it impossible
to give financial support to the work of restoring the Church
of St Therapon in Mitilini despite its undoubted cultural
value .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3941 / 93

by Winifred Ewing ( ARE )

to the Commission

( 24 January 1994 )

94 / C 289 / 110

The Commission proposal for a Council Directive amending
Directive 91 / 628 / EEC concerning the protection of animals
during transport i 1 ) was made after consulting the Scientific
Veterinary Committee, the industry and animal welfare
organizations . It includes provisions for stocking densities
and for resting, feeding and watering of animals during
transport . The application of these provisions would ensure
that problems of overstocking, dehydration and starvation
would not arise . Taken in conjunction with the provisions
on adequate ventilation and other facilities and care during
transport, which are already contained in the Directive, they
would reduce to a minimum the risk of mortality occurring
during transport .

The Commission proposals cannot ensure that transporters
will not occasionally flout the rules . It is the obligation of the
Member States to enforce the legislation on a day-to-day
basis and the Directive and proposals give them the legal
powers to do so .

The Commission has previously proposed a time limit on
the transport of animals for slaughter, following the opinion
of the Parliament ( 2 ), but this was not accepted by the
Council . The Scientific Committee was asked to examine the

question again before the present proposal was made and it
concluded that there is no scientific justification for a limit,
since animals can be transported for very long distances
whatever the purpose of the journey, as long as the transport
is carried out under the appropriate conditions . The
Commission followed this advice in making its proposal .

(!) OJ No C 250, 14 . 9 . 1993 .

( 2 ) OJ No C 154, 23 . 6 . 1990 .
Subject : Journey time limit for slaughter animals

Will the Commission accept that their proposals for new
rules under the 1991 Directive 91 / 628 / EEC (^ designed to
protect animals in transport do not ensure the end to
considerable cruelties, namely :

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3942 / 93

— overstocked vehicles

— dehydration and starvation

by Thomas Megahy ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 24 January 1994 )

( 94 / C 289 / 111 )

—
high mortality

— flouting of obligation to feed and water ?

Subject : Extinction of large numbers of breeds of farm

animals

Will the Commission not accede to the request by all bodies
concerned with animal welfare that a maximum 8-hour
limit should be imposed on slaughter journeys ? In the light of reports that short-term pressures to maximise

production are leading to the extinction of large numbers of
breeds of farm animals, and that over a quarter of the 4 000
(!) OJ No L 340, 11 . 12 . 1991, p . 17 . breeds of animal used for food and agriculture are in danger

17 . 10 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 289 / 53

of extinction, and having regard to the fact that many of Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas
these breeds are important both to Europe 's heritage and to on behalf of the Commission
the maintenance of a diverse genetic base with a view to the ( 30 March 1994 )
feeding of future generations, what steps has the
Commission taken, or does it intend to take, to counter this
disturbing trend ? The criteria for selecting nature conservation

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

( 30 March 1994 )

The criteria for selecting nature conservation projects are set
out in the LIFE Regulation and by its management
committee .

Answer given by Mr Steichen

on behalf of the Commission

( 22 February 1994 )

Aid for the preservation of endangered breeds is available
under Regulation ( EEC ) No 2078 / 92 ( a ), which covers
agricultural production methods compatible with the
requirements of the protection of the environment and the
maintenance of the countryside .

Amongst other things the Regulation is intended to promote
practices which are compatible with the maintenance of
genetic diversity . Article 2 provides for aid schemes ' to use
other farming practices compatible with the requirements of
protection of the countryside and the landscape, or to rear
animals of local breeds in danger of extinction '.

Implementation of the Regulation is the responsibility of the
Member States, which co-ordinate and submit proposals to
the Commission in accordance with their specific needs . The
proposals are then examined and approved by the
Commission in line with the provisions of the
Regulation .

(!) OJ No L 215, 30 . 7 . 1992 .

Under Community law, i.e. the ' wild birds ' Directive

79 / 409 / EEC ( J ) and the ' fauna, flora and habitats ' Directive
92 / 43 / EEC ( 2 ), the importance of the wetland in question is
one criterion of eligibility, regardless of how the site was
formed or the factors underlying its creation .

( ! ) OJ No L 103, 25 . 4 . 1979 .

( 2 ) OJ No L 206, 22 . 7 . 1992 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3988 / 93

by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 19 January 1994 )

( 94 / C 289 / 113 )

Subject : Setting-up of a committee for elderly farmers

How does the Commission view the proposal to help set up
at Community level a committee for elderly farmers
comprising representatives of national organizations of
farmers and inhabitants of rural areas who have taken early
retirement ?

What scope does the European Union have for making
available the indispensable technical and financial resources
needed to set-up such a committee so that it can function
properly and offer essential financial and social services to
WRITTEN QUESTION E-3979 / 93 elderly farmers ?

by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 19 January 1994 ) Answer given by Mr Flynn
( 94 / C 289 / 112 on behalf of the Commission

( 30 March 1994 )

Subject : Wetlands created by certain types of
undertaking

Wetlands and lakes may be created by nature, but may also
be man-made or rather the result of the activities of specific
types of undertaking . The mining of various useful minerals
and substances such as clay may create ideal sites for lakes
which supplement wetlands occurring naturally in the
ecosystem and very rapidly become wetlands themselves . In
view of this, what scope does the Commission have of
contributing to the funding of projects to maintain such
wetlands, i.e. through incorporating them in the LIFE
Programme ?

In accordance with Commission Decision of 17 October

1991 0 ) the Commission has set up a Liaison Group on the
Elderly . This Liaison Group consists of repesentatives of
organizations which work with the elderly on a general
basis .

The Commission does not have any plans for the setting up
of a group or committee within a more specialized area .

(!) OJ No L 296, 26 . 10 . 1991 .

No C 289 / 54 Official Journal of the European Communities 17 . 10 . 94

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3998 / 93

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4005 / 93

Kostopoulos ( PSE ) by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE )

to the Commission to the Commission

by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE )

( 26 January 1994 )

to the Commission

( 26 January 1994 )

( 94 / C 289 / 114 ) ( 94 / C 289 / 1 15

Subject : Violation of Directive 89 / 552 / EEC on television

advertising

The provisions of Directive 89 / 552 / EEC (*) on television
advertising are frequently violated . In certain Community
countries ( Greece for instance ) the general rules of
Community law are only rarely implemented ; this is
particularly true of the manner in which TV commercials are
inserted in cinematographic works, news bulletins and
childrens ' programmes and the duration of these
commercials . Advertising for alcoholic beverages
concerning young people also infringe the rules .

Will the Commission say :

1 . Whether it has called on the Member States of the

European Union forthwith to implement at least the
general rules referred to above which are laid down by
Directive 89 / 552 / EEC ?

Subject : Cultural heritage in the occupied territory of

Cyprus

Having regard to the alarm expressed at the third meeting of
the EEC-Cyprus Joint Parliamentary Committee regarding
the continuing destruction of the cultural heritage in the
occupied territory of Cyprus, is the Commission, working in
cooperation with the Republic of Cyprus, prepared to help
finance a project to draw up a complete register of the
cultural treasures in the occupied territory of the island and
to preserve and restore them and to ensure that those
cultural treasures that have been illegally exported can be
located and repatriated ?

Answer given by Sir Leon Brittan

on behalf of the Commission

( 17 March 1994 )

intends to call for immediate measures to be The Commission shares the concern of the delegation to the
existing TV channels legislation which on TV repeatedly advertising refuse ? to protection EC-Cyprus of Joint Cyprus Parliamentary ' cultural heritage Committee . The regarding Commission the

would, however, remind the Honourable Member that
financial and technical cooperation with Cyprus covers

, 17 . 10 . 1989, p . 23 . ' projects intended to contribute to the economic and social

development of Cyprus ' (*). Cultural cooperation, including
operations such as those proposed by the Honourable
Member, thus falls outside the scope of financial and
Answer given by Mr Pinheiro technical cooperation with Cyprus .

2 . Whether it intends to call for immediate measures to be

taken against TV channels which repeatedly refuse to
implement existing legislation on TV advertising ?

(!) OJ No L 298, 17 . 10 . 1989, p . 23 .

on behalf of the Commission

( 21 March 1994 ) ( 1 ) See the Council Decision of 26 February 1 990 on the conclusion

of a protocol on financial and technical cooperation with
Cyprus ( OJ No L 82, 29 . 3 . 1990 ).

Chapter IV of the television without frontiers Directive

( 89 / 552 / EEC ), which was due for transposal by 3 October
1991, coordinates rules governing advertising and
sponsoring .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4011 / 93

All the Member States have transposed Articles 10 to 18,
except Spain where legislation is in the process of adoption .
They will now have to apply the resultant provisions to TV
companies .

The Commission shares the Honourable Member 's concern

that the advertising rules should be obeyed by all
broadcasting companies within the Member States '
jurisdiction . So far the Commission has received no
complaints about failure by broadcasting companies in any
Member State to abide by Articles 10 to 18 .

by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 26 January 1994 )

( 94 / C 289 / 116 )

Subject : Elimination of protective measures which African

States apply to sea transport

Will there be a fact-finding mission to the countries of Africa
— principally West Africa — with a view to the elimination
of the protective measures applied by those countries to sea
transport, and if so when ?

17 . 10 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 289 / 55

Answer given by Mr Marin
on behalf of the Commission

(7 March 1994 )

As the Honourable Member knows, the Commission has
been invited by the Council to undertake a fact-finding
mission to Western African countries in order to prepare the
ground for a mutually satisfactory solution within the
guidelines given by the Council .

The Commission is now preparing this mission, which will
take place as soon as all the organizational problems
have been solved . A preparatory meeting has already
been held in Brussels at the level of Ambassadors and

Directors-General .

On the basis of their talks the Commission will present a
communication to the Council in the near future on

developing country health policy guidelines for the
Community and the Member States . One of the primary
aims of the communication concerns ways for increasing the
directness and effectiveness of aid so that beneficiary
governments in the developing countries are more able to
meet the health needs of their population and, in particular,
the most underprivileged sections . Increased effectiveness,
of course, also implies improved coordination with the
other partners at international level, such as the WHO,
the World Bank and the big bilateral donors . The
abovementioned communication to the Council will

contain proposals to this effect .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4050 / 93

by José Vazquez Fouz ( PSE )

to the Commission

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4018 / 93

Sotiris PSE ( 31 January 1994 )

by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE )

to the Commission ( 94 / C 289 / 118 )

( 26 January 1994 )

( 94 / C 289 / 117 )

Subject : The establishment of an overall humanitarian

mechanism to tackle the problems of health care in
the ACP countries

Can the Commission put forward proposals to the
Community Member States for an overall humanitarian
mechanism to work in conjunction with the world health
authorities to tackle more effectively the problems
encountered in the field of health care in certain ACP

States ?

Answer given by Mr Marin
on behalf of the Commission

( 28 March 1994 )

The Commission shares the Honourable Member 's concern

for more effective involvement by the international donor
community in the field of health care in the ACP States,
particularly in the poorest countries .

In response to this concern, health has been chosen as a
priority sector, at the Commission 's proposal, for
intensifying coordination between the Community

( Community programmes ) and the Member States ( bilateral
programmes ). The Council gave its approval in May 1993 .
Experts in health in the developing countries from the
Member States and the Commission have since held two

meetings .

Subject : Fisheries agreement with Argentina

Parliament has already approved the agreement between the
EC and the Republic of Argentina, and, once the problems
raised had been resolved, the Council has likewise done

so .

All that is now required is the approval of the Argentinian
Parliament, which appears to be dragging its feet .

When does the Commission think the agreement will come
into force ?

What real reasons can be adduced for the delay in
ratification ?

Does Argentina have genuine reservations ?

Are further delays possible because of the forthcoming
elections ?

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission

( 17 March 1994 )

The fisheries agreement concluded between the Community
and Argentina is currently undergoing ratification by the
Argentinian authorities .

No C 289 / 56 Official Journal of the European Communities 17 . 10 . 94

The Commission believes that Argentina is concerned to
ratify it, the delay being due to the complexity of the legal
procedures that must be followed under Argentinian law .

According to the information available to the Commission,
the Senate approved it on 24 December 1993 and the
Chamber of Deputies was expected to start its review after
the summer recess ( December 1993 to January / February

1994 ). It is reasonable therefore to expect that it will be
adopted finally during the first half of this year .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4053 / 93

by José Vazquez Fouz ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 31 January 1994 )

( 94 / C 289 / 119

Subject : Catalogue of European cultural goods

The entry into force of Article 128 of the Treaty on
European Union allows the Community to intervene in the
cultural field, and in order to render such action effective, it
would perhaps be appropriate to draw up a catalogue of
European cultural goods — a lengthy and complex research
task, undoubtedly, but a needful one .

Does the Commission agree ?

What does the Commission consider to be European
cultural goods ?

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4054 / 93

by José Vazquez Fouz ( PSE )

to the Commission

(1 February 1994 )

( 94 / C 289 / 120 )

Does the Commission agree ?

Since such a centre is required, can it be set up in the near
future ?

Joint answer to Written Questions

E-4053 / 93 and E-4054 / 93

given by Mr Pinheiro
on behalf of the Commission

( 29 March 1994 )

In accordance with Article 128 of the EC Treaty and the
guidelines of the Council ( Culture ), the Commission is
currently preparing a communication on the cultural
heritage, extending to both movable and immovable assets,
accompanied by a specific action programme which it will
lay before the Council, Parliament and the Committee of
Regions . In 1993, the Commission, in close cooperation
with Parliament, embarked on wide-ranging consultations
with the national authorities and all the organisations and
experts involved in order to prepare its work well . These
consultations will continue during the first half of 1994 .

At this stage, the Commission cannot foresee the outcome of
the on-going consultations, but it will bear the Honourable
Member 's comments in mind .

Since the Community 's role with regard to the cultural
heritage is to encourage cooperation between the Member
States and, where appropriate, to supplement their action,
the Commission will endeavour to formulate proposals for
measures which will offer prospects of real value added and
which respect the principle of subsidiarity .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4080 / 93

by Enrique Sapena Granell ( PSE )

to the Commission

(1 February 1994 )

Subject : Entry into force of Article 128 of the Treaty on

Union ( 94 / C 289 / 121 )

European Union

One of the major hopes which has been fulfilled by the entry
into force of the Treaty on European Union is that
Community action is to be extended to the cultural sphere

( even if hedged about with all sorts of conditions ).

Well thought-out cultural action requires the support and
the reliable, independent opinion of a special ' Centre for the
documentation of cultural goods ' at Community level
which will, above all, allow us to establish the necessary
criteria and methods for ' bringing the common European
heritage to the fore '.

Subject : Utilization of cohesion funds in the Autonomous

Community of Valencia ( Spain )

The 1993 budget includes the Cohesion Fund, which is
intended to finance transport and / or environmental
infrastructure project in Spain, Greece, Ireland and
Portugal . What projects are currently being or are planned
to be carried out in the Autonomous Community of
Valencia using these funds in the financial years 1993 and

1994 ?

17 . 10 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 289 / 57

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4087 / 93

by José Vazquez Fouz ( PSE )

to the Commission

(7 February 1994 )

( 94 / C 289 / 122 )

Subject : Cohesion Fund in Galicia

The 1993 budget included a fairly large heading for the
Cohesion Fund for projects in Spain, Portugal, Greece and
Ireland .

What projects are to be financed this year and next year by
the Cohesion Fund in Galicia ?

Joint answer to Written Questions

E-4080 / 93 and E-4087 / 93

given by Mr Schmidhuber
on behalf of the Commission

( 10 March 1994 )

In accordance with the provisions of Regulation ( EEC )
No 729 / 93 establishing a cohesion financial instrument, it is
up to Member States to submit projects for financing under
the instrument .

In 1993 the projects submitted by the Spanish authorities
which were approved by the Commission and received
assistance from the cohesion financial instrument related to

various parts of the country and were not broken down by
region . This is the case both for transport infrastructure
projects and for projects in the field of environment .

The Commission is sending the Honourable Member and
Parliament 's Secretariat a list of projects approved by the
Commission for 1993 .

With regard to 1994, it falls to the Member State to submit
the new projects which it would like to see financed .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4 109 / 93

Republic of China . To some extent, this has protected a
European industry suffering from serious unfair
competition .

A particularly cynical example of China 's new ' industrial
policy ' has been provided by the statements by Mr Ge Yali,
who regards himself as 'a Communist Party capitalist ' and
has made a state bicycle factory, situated in Anshan, China,
into a profitable enterprise . His formula for this is very
simple : he follows the examples of Mao Ze Dong and Hitler,
who understood that ' to win, you have to hire soldiers who
are hungry and from the countryside ' ( according to a report
by Patrick E. Tyler in a New York Times Service dispatch
published in the International Herald Tribune, Paris, on
3 December 1993 ).

It is to be assumed that this factory and other Chinese
factories do not only export complete bicycles but also parts
that can be easily assembled in Europe . What does the
Commission plan to do to put a stop to this tortuous route,
which is so damaging to Europe 's bicycle industry ?

WRITTEN QUESTION E-33 / 94

by José Gil-Robles Gil-Delgado ( PPE )

to the Commission

(9 February 1994 )

( 94 / C 289 / 124 )

Subject : The Community bicycle industry

The countries of the Far East are importing bicycle parts
which are assembled once they are on Community territory,
thereby evading Community antidumping levies in this
sector . These parts, which in many cases are of inferior
quality to those manufactured on the territory of the Union,
could jeopardize the safety of consumers .

This practice by Far Eastern countries is hitting Community
bicycle manufacturers hard .

Has the Commission any plans for protecting the interests of
Community manufacturers and consumers ?

Joint answer to Written Questions

by Carlos Robles Piquer ( PPE ) E-4 109 / 93 and E-33 / 94

to the Commission given by Sir Leon Brittan
on behalf of the Commission

(7 February 1994 ) ( 30 March 1994 )

( 94 / C 289 / 123 )

Subject : Anti-dumping duties on bicycle parts from
China

In the past, the European Community has levied
anti-dumping duties on bicycle imports from the People 's

The Community has imposed on imports of bicycles
originating in China an anti-dumping duty of 30,6 % by
Council Regulation ( EEC ) No 2474 / 93 . The Regulation
does not cover bicycle parts, but if knocked down bicycles or
bicycle kits are presented to the customs authorities show
the essential character of finished bicycles, the customs

No C 289 / 58 Official Journal of the European Communities 17 . 10 . 94

authorities may apply the tariffs of complete bicycles,
including anti-dumping duties .

The European two-wheeler parts industries have not so far
submitted evidence that there is circumvention of the duties

on imports of bicycles through export of parts rather than
complete bicycles . If there is evidence that parts of bicycles
are being dumped into the Community from third countries
and a relevant complaint is submitted by the industry, an
anti-dumping investigation could be considered .