Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

# Official Journal

ISSN 0378-6986

#### C 270

Volume 38

### of the European Communities 16 October 1995

##### Fngi.sh edition Information and Notices

Notice No Contents p .^

I Information

European Parliament

Written Questions with answer

95 / C 270 / 01 E - 1 19 / 95 by Gijs de Vries to the Commission
Subject : Dutch pensions législation 1

95 / C 270 / 02 E - 1 49 / 95 by Nel van Dijk to the Commission
Subject : Concealed State aid to the RDM shipyard ( Supplementary answer ) 2

95 / C 270 / 03 P-381 / 95 by Georg Jarzembowski to the Commission
Subject : Regulation ( EEC ) No 1893 / 91 ( Supplementary answer ) 2

95 / C 270 / 04 E-432 / 95 by W. G. van Velzen to the Commission
Subject : Equal treatment of EC citizens with regard to taxation 3

95 / C ] 270 / 05 E-479 / 95 by Doris Pack to the Commission
Subject : Seizure of lorries and arrest of their drivers by the French customs authorities on

14 December 1994 4

95 / C ] 270 / 06 E-588 / 95 by Alexander Langer to the Commission
Subject : Building works on the River Melma 4

95 / C ] 270 / 07 E-709 / 95 by Peter Crampton to the Council
Subject : Council proposals in the field of immigration, home and judicial affairs, 1994 5

95 / C 270 / 08 E-736 / 95 by Amedeo Amadeo to the Commission
Subject : Taxation of small and medium-sized undertakings 8

95 / C 270 / 09 E-994 / 95 by Amedeo Amadeo to the Commission
Subject : Tax relief and tax-free provisions for SMEs 8

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Price : ECU 18 ( Continued overleaf )

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###### EN

E-995 / 95 by Amedeo Amadeo to the Commission
Subject : Single-member companies

E-996 / 95 by Amedeo Amadeo to the Commission
Subject : Double taxation of SMEs

E-997 / 95 by Amedeo Amadeo to the Commission
Subject : Integrated plan for SMFs

E-998 / 95 by Amedeo Amadeo to the Commission
Subject : Taxation and small and medium-sized enterprises

Joint answer to Written Questions E-736 / 95, E-994 / 95, E-995 / 95 — E-998 / 95

E-749 / 95 by Alexandros Alavanos to the Commission
Subject : Destruction of a national highway and railway line in Greece due to subsidence . . . .

E-818 / 95 by Anne André-Léonard to the Commission
Subject : Compulsory dubbing of French-language films by studios situated on French territory

E-828 / 95 by Jean-Pierre Raffarin to the Commission
Subject : Protection of Europe's wetlands

E-888 / 95 by Ervl McNally to the Commission

Subject : EC Directive 88 / 166 / KEC

E-893 / 95 by Marie-Paule Kestelijn-Sierens to the Commission
Subject : Suspension by Procter & Gamble of sales of a beauty product based on salicylic acid

E-940 / 95 by Christian Rovsing to the Commission
Subject : Charging of VAT by German timber firms / forest managers

P-1038 / 95 by Claude Desama to the Commission
Subject : Company relocation due to inadequate fiscal harmonization

P-1053 / 95 by Christa Randzio-Plath to the Commission

Subject : Supervision of derivatives

E - 1 066 / 95 by Imelda Read to the Commission
Subject : Alternative medicine counsellors

E - 1 099 / 95 by James Fitzsimons to the Commission
Subject : Inequities and anomalies of Irish / UK Double Taxation Agreement

E - 1101 / 95 by José Valverde Lôpez to the Commission
Subject : Community Directives on State aid for the environment

E-l 102 / 95 by José Valverde Lopez to the Commission
Subject : Free movement of persons

E-1 120 / 95 by Michl Ebner to the Commission
Subject : Free movement of persons between Member States of the Union

Joint answer to Written Questions E-1 102 / 95 and E-1 120 / 95

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95 / C 270 / 27 E-l 123 / 95 by Bryan Cassidy to the Commission
Subject : EU funds for street children projects in Central America 17

95 / C 270 / 28 E-1 132 / 95 by Marie-Paule Kestelijn-Sierens to the Commission
Subject : Specialist training for the profession of General Practitioner 17

95 / C 270 / 29 P-l 142 / 95 by Carlo Secchi to the Commission
Subject : Application in Italy of Directive 93 / 1 6 / EEC on the free movement of doctors and Directive
86 / 457 / EEC on specific training in general medical practice 17

95 / C 270 / 30 E-l 158 / 95 by Joaquin Sisó Cruellas to the Commission
Subject : Convergence criteria 18

95 / C 270 / 31 E-1201 / 95 by Gerardo Fernández-Albor to the Commission
Subject : Community support for the revitalization of the Rias Gallegas ( Spain ) 19

95 / C 270 / 32 E-1228 / 95 by Josu Imaz San Miguel to the Commission
Subject : Investigation into aid relating to the use of drift nets 19

95 / C 270 / 33 E-1260 / 95 by Mihail Papayannakis to the Commission
Subject : Extension of the port of Rafina in Attica 20

95 / C 270 / 34 E-1292 / 95 by Christine Oddy to the Commission
Subject : Income gap in the United Kingdom 20

95 / C 270 / 35 E-1312 / 95 by Honório Novo to the Commission
Subject : The use of the 12-mile continental shelf 21

95 / C 270 / 36 E-1313 / 95 by Honório Novo to the Commission
Subject : Fishing licences in the continental shelf 21

Joint answer to Written Questions E-1312 / 95 and E-1313 / 95 21

95 / C 270 / 37 E-l 332 / 95 by Sérgio Ribeiro to the Commission
Subject : Drought and environmental disasters ( Lis river system, Leiria, Portugal ) 21

95 / C 270 / 38 E-1333 / 95 by Glyn Ford to the Commission
Subject : Re-naming of soya milk 22

95 / C 270 / 39 E-13 63 / 95 by Marianne Thyssen to the Commission
Subject : Programme to improve language skills 23

95 / C 270 / 40 E-1373 / 95 by Doris Pack to the Commission
Subject : EU programmes for environment and nature protection 23

95 / C 270 / 41 E-1375 / 95 by Doris Pack to the Commission
Subject : EU programmes for environment and nature protection 23

95 / C 270 / 42 E-1441 / 95 by Doris Pack to the Commission
Subject : EU aid programmes in the field of environmental and nature protection 24

Joint answer to Written Questions E-1373 / 95, E-137 5 / 95 and E-1441 / 95 24

95 / C 270 / 43 E-1382 / 95 by Concepció Ferrer to the Commission
Subject : Support for sporting activities 24

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( Continued overleaf )

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###### EN

E-l 388 / 95 by Nel van Dijk to the Commission
Subject : EC aid for Dasaki pine forest on Crete

E-1417 / 95 by Niels Sindal to the Commission
Subject : Road haulage

E-1446 / 95 by Christine Oddy to the Commission
Subject : Baby milk action

E-1451 / 95 by Christine Oddy to the Commission
Subject : EU support for the training of Guatemala national police and military

E-1453 / 95 by Josep Pons Grau to the Commission
Subject : Marketing of bivalve molluscs

E-1461 / 95 by Marie-Paule Kestelijn-Sierens to the Commission
Subject : Selection of consultants for the Phare and Tacis programmes

E-1467 / 95 by Jean Gol to the Commission
Subject : Flooding in Europe and common water management policy

E-1491 / 95 by James Moorhouse to the Commission
Subject : Financial aid from the EU to Buthan

E-1498 / 95 by Mihail Papayannakis to the Commission
Subject : Use of hazardous pesticides

E-1527 / 95 by Freddy Blak to the Commission

Subject : Diabetes

E-1560 / 95 by Jesus Cabezôn Alonso to the Commission
Subject : Investments in Cantabria in connection with Objective 2

E-1 562 / 95 by Jesús Cabezón Alonso and Juan Colino Salamanca to the
Commission

Subject : Investment to combat desertification

E-1564 / 95 by Riitta Myller to the Commission
Subject : Environmental risks from nuclear waste in Russia, in particular on the Kola peninsula

E-1568 / 95 by Giles Chichester to the Commission
Subject : Milk quotas

E-l 569 / 95 by Giles Chichester to the Commission
Subject : Milk quotas

E-1571 / 95 by Robert Sturdy to the Commission
Subject : Rate of royalties on farm-saved seed

E-1574 / 95 by Ana Miranda de Lage and Jesus Cabezôn Alonso to the Commission
Subject : Gibraltar Social Insurance Fund

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95 / C 270 / 61 E-1579 / 95 by Leen van der Waal to the Commission
Subject : Technological innovations to reduce environmental pollution by road traffic 35

95 / C 270 / 62 E-l 584 / 95 by Josu Imaz San Miguel to the Commission
Subject : European funds for the Community of Aragon 36

95 / C 270 / 63 E-1590 / 95 by Mihail Papayannakis to the Commission
Subject : Bypass around the town of Ioannina 36

95 / C 270 / 64 E-l 594 / 95 by Alexandros Alavanos to the Commission
Subject : Commission initiative to eradicate child prostitution 37

95 / C 270 / 65 E - 1 602 / 95 by Roberta Angelilli to the Commission
Subject : Italy's financing of the European Union 37

95 / C 270 / 66 E - 16 1 4 / 95 by Hans-Gert Poettering to the Commission
Subject : Subsidy for the textile industry 38

95 / C 270 / 67 E-1622 / 95 by Nikitas Kaklamanis to the Commission
Subject : Water supply for the town of Ioannina and 200 villages 38

95 / C 270 / 68 E-1625 / 95 by Amedeo Amadeo to the Commission

Subject : Hospital charges 39

95 / C 270 / 69 E-1630 / 95 by Karl Schweitzer to the Commission
Subject : Limits on surface area of supermarkets 39

95 / C 270 / 70 E-l 633 / 95 by Irini Lambraki to the Commission
Subject : Recognition by the Hellenic Republic of degrees, certificates and other qualifications of
Greek medical students studying in Sweden under the system applying prior to 1 January 1994 40

95 / C 270 / 71 E - 1 637 / 95 by Amedeo Amadeo to the Commission
Subject : Annual economic report for 199 5 40

95 / C 270 / 72 E - 1 659 / 95 by Mathias Reichhold to the Commission
Subject : Hill farming subsidies in disadvantaged regions of Austria 41

95 / C 270 / 73 E-1662 / 95 by Mathias Reichhold to the Commission
Subject : Sugar market régulation 42

95 / C 270 / 74 E-1667 / 95 by Mark Killilea to the Commission
Subject : Higher education cooperation agreement between the EU and Canada 42

95 / C 270 / 75 E - 1 671 / 95 by Peter Crampton to the Commission
Subject : Set-aside land for woodland 42

95 / C 270 / 76 E-l 672 / 95 by Peter Crampton to the Commission
Subject : Production of rapeseed oil for use in motor vehicles 43

95 / C 270 / 77 E-l 673 / 95 by Peter Crampton to the Commission
Subject : Harmonization of veal production 43

95 / C 270 / 78 E-1674 / 95 by Peter Crampton to the Commission
Subject : Harmonizing pig farming 44

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( Continued overleaf )

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P - 1 692 / 95 by Irene Soltwedel-Schäfer to the Commission
Subject : Significance of organic farming in the context of research projects supported by the third
research and development programme in the field of agriculture and fisheries 44

E-1699 / 95 by Christiane Taubira-Delannon to the Commission
Subject : Rules on the protection and management of maritime resources in French Guiana ... 45

E-l 700 / 95 by Christiane Taubira-Delannon to the Commission
Subject : Measures to combat malaria and dengue in French Guiana 46

E-l 707 / 95 by Anita Pollack to the Commission
Subject : Tropical deforestation and the greenhouse effect 46

E-1710 / 95 by Jesus Cabezón Alonso and Juan Colino Salamanca to the
Commission

Subject : Garlic imports from China 47

95 / C 270 / 84 E - 171 1 / 95 by Mihail Papayannakis to the Commission
Subject : Leader I 47

95 / C 270 / 85 E - 1 726 / 95 by Pervenche Berès to the Commission
Subject : Tedis programme — electronic data interchange 48

95 / C 270 / 86 P-1729 / 95 by Nikitas Kaklamanis to the Commission

Subject : Greek ' feta ' cheese 48

95 / C 270 / 87 E-l 73 1 / 95 by Mathias Reichhold to the Commission
Subject : The welfare of cattle — stricter rules in the EU Member States 49

95 / C 270 / 88 E-l 735 / 95 by Carles - Alfred Gasòliba i Bôhm to the Commission

Subject : Tobacco smuggling 49

95 / C 270 / 89

95 / C 270 / 90

E-1752 / 95 by Wolfgang Kreissl-Dörfler to the Commission
Subject : French F1EU for the Garching research reactor 50

E-l 754 / 95 by Wolfgang Kreissl-Dörfler to the Commission
Subject : Deaths of refugees at EU external borders, while on remand pending deportation and in
refugee camps 50

95 / C 270 / 91 E - 1 760 / 95 by Joaquin Sisó Cruellas to the Commission

Subject : Rural tourism in Spain 51

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E-1762 / 95 by Joaquin Sisó Cruellas to the Commission
Subject : Aragon and the Structural Funds ( Objective 5b ) — 1994 — 1996 51

E-l 769 / 95 by Joaquin Sisó Cruellas to the Commission
Subject : Restrictions on exports of scrap-iron 51

E-1770 / 95 by Joaquin Sisó Cruellas to the Commission
Subject : Huesca municipial slaughterhouse 52

E-1776 / 95 by Jaak Vandemeulebroucke to the Commission
Subject : Inland navigation — proposed measures 53

E-l 777 / 95 by Helena Torres Marques to the Commission

Subject : Irene database 53

( Continued on page 72 )

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E - 1 78 1 / 95 by Karl Schweitzer to the Commission
Subject : Disposai of dead animais

E-1787 / 95 by Amedeo Amadeo to the Commission
Subject : Greenhouse gases

E-l 800 / 95 by Alex Smith to the Commission
Subject : Planned import of weapon-grade plutonium from Russia to the nuclear fuel fabrication
facility at Hanau . .'

E - 1 805 / 95 by Alex Smith to the Commission
Subject : Secrecy over uranium stores in the United Kingdom

E-1812 / 95 by Wolfgang Nußbaumer to the Commission
Subject : Export of dangerous goods

E-l 834 / 95 by Salvador Garriga Polledo to the Commission
Subject : Court of Auditors mission to Asturias

E-l 835 / 95 by Fernando Fernandez Martin to the Commission
Subject : Reasons for the hold-up in completing the motorway linking the TF-5 and TF-1
motorways, Chumberas to Santa Maria del Mar ( Tenerife ) section

P-l 836 / 95 by Vassilis Ephremidis to the Commission
Subject : Withholding EU funds for the projects ' ancillary areas and car park of the Palace of Music '
in Athens

E-l 839 / 95 by Carlos Robles Piquer to the Commission
Subject : Importing Canadian animal pelts

E-l 840 / 95 by Carlos Robles Piquer to the Commission

Subject : Commission support for courses in Cuba

E-l 841 / 95 by Carlos Robles Piquer to the Commission
Subject : Relations between Switzerland and the European Union

E-1842 / 95 by Mihail Papayannakis to the Commission
Subject : Wind energy in Grecce

E-l 857 / 95 by Alexandros Alavanos to the Commission
Subject : Wind farm in Marmari ( Euboia )

Joint answer to Written Questions E-l 842 / 95 and E-l 857 / 95

E-l 844 / 95 by Spalato Belleré to the Commission
Subject : Noise levels of motorcycles

E-l 853 / 95 by Anita Pollack to the Commission
Subject : Environment and energy saving in Commission buildings

E-l 855 / 95 by José Happart to the Commission
Subject : Free tråde area with Mercosur

E-l 878 / 95 by Jan Sonneveld to the Commission
Subject : European aid to Spanish glasshouse horticulturalists

E-l 908 / 95 by Bill Miller to the Commission
Subject : Inter-governmental Conference

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E-1911 / 95 by Bill Miller to the Commission
Subject : Inter-governmental Conference

E - 191 2 / 95 by Bill Miller to the Commission
Subject : Inter-governmental Conference

E - 1 924 / 95 by Gerhard Botz to the Commission
Subject : EU support for the sending of aid packages by EU citizens to the countries of central and
eastern Europe

E - 1 930 / 95 by Maria Colombo Svevo, Livio Filippi, Carlo Casini, Pierluigi Castagnetti
and Carlo Secchi to the Commission

Subject : Detention of minors in Honduras and violation of the rights of the child

P - 1 93 1 / 95 by Caroline Jackson to the Commission
Subject : Use of plain language in official documents

P-1934 / 95 by Wolfgang Kreissl-Dorfler to the Commission
Subject : Importation of genetically modified products into EU Member States

E-1939 / 95 by Graham Mather to the Commission
Subject : EC development aid projects in Papua New Guinea

E - 1 96 1 / 95 by Concepcio Ferrer to the Commission
Subject : Use of Adapt funds

E - 1 964 / 95 by Jaak Vandemeulebroucke to the Commission
Subject : Trans-European Networks

P-2021 / 95 by Kirsten Jensen to the Commission
Subject : Energy marking

E-2053 / 95 by Imelda Read to the Commission
Subject : Records on applications for transfer by prisoners

E-2061 / 95 by Jaak Vandemeulebroucke to the Commission
Subject : European Centre for Interdependence and Solidarity

E-2064 / 95 by Jaak Vandemeulebroucke to the Commission
Subject : European Institute for South and South-East Asian studies

P-2071 / 95 by Christian Rovsing to the Commission
Subject : Regulation ( EEC ) No 3254 / 91 of 4 November 1991 on imports of pelts of wild animal
species

E-2077 / 95 by Marie-Paule Kestelijn-Sierens and Jan Mulder to the Commission
Subject : Recent problems in the European horticulture sector

P-2152 / 95 by Edith Miiller to the Commission
Subject : Research into the effectiveness of homeopathy : budget line B6-7142

P-2255 / 95 by Susan Waddington to the Commission
Subject : Entitlement to emergency health care in the European Economic Area by third-country
nationals

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16 . 10 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 270 / 1

I

( Information )

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

WRITTEN QUESTIONS WITH ANSWER

WRITTEN QUESTION E    - 1 19 / 95

by Giis de Vries ( ELDR )

to the Commission

(8 February 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 01 )

Subject : Dutch pensions législation

Pursuant to the Company Pension Fund ( Obligatory
Participation ) Act, only those pension schemes which have
been made obligatory throughout an industry by ministerial
order may operate their occupational pension schemes .

1 . This makes it difficult for insurers from other Member

States to offer pension schemes in the Netherlands . Are
such obstacles compatible with freedom to provide
services ( Article 59 )?

2 . The Company Pension Fund ( Obligatory Participation )
Act considerably restricts competition between
employers with regard to pension schemes . Are such
restrictions compatible with freedom of competition

( Article 85 )?

3 . Is a ministerial order which makes it obligatory to
subscribe to a particular pension scheme compatible
with the proportionality principle ( Article 85(3 ))?

Answer given by Mr Monti
on behalf of the Commission

( 24 May 199 S )

1 . Life assurance undertakings can offer life assurance
contracts, including group contracts, for pension schemes .
Since the end of the relevant transitional periods on

1 January 1995, life assurance undertakings from all

Member States may offer such contracts by way of free
provision of services in accordance with the third life
assurance Directive 92 / 96 / EEC ('). A statutory provision in
a Member State for obligatory membership of an industry
pension scheme can create an obstacle to the free provision
of services by life assurance undertakings from other
Member States . According to the case law of the Court of
Justice, such obstacles are only allowed if they can be be

justified for reasons of the general interest and if they are not
discriminatory and disproportionate . In Cases C-430 and
431, Van Schijndel en Van Veen tegen de Stichting
Pensioenfonds voor Fysiotherapeuten, pending before the
Court of Justice, the Commission has argued that similar
statutory provisions in the Netherlands providing for
obligatory membership of an occupational pension fund
could be considered to be justified and proportional .

2 and 3 . Articles 85 and 86 EC Treaty only apply to
decisions, agreements and concerted practices of
undertakings . Under Community competition law, a legal
provision of a Member State can only be tested under
Article 90, or under Articles 3g, 5(2 ), 85, 86 and 90 EC
Treaty in conjunction with each other .

It must probably be admitted that the Dutch occupational
pension schemes cited in the question are based on the
principle of solidarity . However, the amount of the
premiums and the benefits are not fixed by the Dutch State
and the pension funds invest the premiums collected on the
capital market . The Commission therefore tends to take the
view that the Dutch pension funds in question might be
considered as ' undertakings ' for the purposes of
Community competition rules . This is also the view
expressed by the Commission before the Court of Justice in
the abovementioned Cases C-430 and 431 .

In those same cases, the Commission however indicated that
justifications advanced in support of any possible restriction
of competition that might be the result of a system of
obligatory membership should be assessed under

No C 270 / 2 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 16 . 10 . 95

Article 90(2 ) EC Treaty or on the basis of mandatory WRITTEN QUESTION P-381 /
requirements within the context of Articles 3(g ), 5(2 ) in by Georg Jarzembowski ( PPE )
connection with Articles 85 and 86 EC Treaty . It should be to the Commission
emphasized that the availability of a justification depends on
the specific circumstances within the Member State (6 February 1995 )
concerned .

WRITTEN QUESTION P-381 / 95

to the Commission

(6 February 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 03 )

(') OJ No L 360, 9 . 12 . 1992

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1 49 / 95

by Nel van Dijk ( V )

to the Commission

(8 February 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 02 )

Subject : Concealed State aid to the RDM shipyard

The State of the Netherlands intends to sell 13 hectares of

land, currently owned by the State Property Department, in
Rotterdam docks, for just one guilder to the ailing shipyard
RDM . The Begemann group, which owns RDM, will then
sell this land, together with a further 29 hectares belonging
to RDM and a number of buildings, to a property dealer for
Fl 38 million .

Has the Netherlands Government already informed the
Commission of this concealed State aid to RDM / Begemann,
worth some Fl 12 million, pursuant to Article 93(3 ) of the
EC Treaty ?

Subject : Régulation ( EEC ) No 1 893 / 9 1

Regulation ( EEC ) No 1191 / 69 ( ), as amended by
Regulation ( EEC ) No 1 893 / 9 1 ( 2 ), is to be transposed into
German law subject to the following proviso . In accordance
with Article 8(4 ), third sentence, of the Law on the
Transport of Persons pursuant to the law on the
re-organization of the railways of 27 December 1993 ( 3 ) the
Regulation shall be applied with effect from 1 January 1 996
if adequate services cannot be provided profitably for local
public passenger transport . The profitability of transport
services is defined in the second sentence of the Law,
according to which services are protifable even if losses in
providing services are offset by other earnings within the
meaning of commercial law . The official interpretation is
that such earnings include transfers of equity capital .

Can this definition of the concept of profitability and its
application be reconciled with Regulation ( EEC )
No 1893 / 91 if the losses to abe offset are due, directly or
indirectly, to intervention by the State owner in pursuance
of public interests ?

(M O J No L 156, 28 . 6 . 1969, p . 1 .
(-) OJ No L 169, 29 . 6 . 1991, n . 1 .
(') Federal Law Gazette 1, p . 2378, particularly p . 2399 .

Supplementary answer given by Mr Kinnock

Supplementary answer given by Mr Van Miert on behalf of the Commission

on behalf of the Commission
( 15 f un e 1995 )
( 24 May 1995 )

Further to its answer of 7 March 1 995 ( ) the Commission is
now able to provide the following additional
information .

From the Commission's preliminary enquiries, it appears
that the RDM yard is engaged exclusively in the
construction of military vessels . According to the Dutch
authorities, the yard thus falls under Article 223 of the EC
Treaty and public assistance measures granted to it are not
subject to the rules of the shipbuilding Directive . In the light
of this information, the Commission therefore concludes
that there are no grounds for investigating the matter
further .

(') OJ No C 175, 10 . 7 . 1995, p . 27 .

The Commission has now analysed the German law on the
transport of people pursuant to the law on the
re-organization of the railways of 27 December 1993 with
regard to its compatibility with Regulation ( EEC )
No 1 191 / 69, as amended by Regulation ( EEC ) No 1893 / 91 .
The Commission understands the problem to be whether
the German legislation to be introduced by 1 January 1996
is compatible with the requirements of Regulation ( EEC )
No 1191 / 69 .

Régulation ( EEC ) No 1191 / 69 ( Artide 1, paragraph 5(2 ))

states :

' Where a transport undertaking not only operates
services subject to public service obligations, but also
engages in other activities, the public services must be
operated as separate divisions meeting at least the
following conditions :

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( a ) the operating accounts corresponding to each of
these activities shall be separate and the proportion
of the assets pertaining to each shall be used in
accordance with the accounting rules in force ;

( b ) expenditure shall be balanced by operating revenue

and payments from public authorities, without any
possibility of transfer from or to another sector of
the undertaking's activity '.

The German legislation ( Article 5, paragraph 9, third
sentence ) says :

' As far as and as long as a public, railway undertaking
provides transport services, both in fields where public
service obligations can be imposed or arranged, but also
in other areas, the requirements of Article 1, paragraph 5

( 2 ) ( a ) and ( b ) of Regulation ( EEC ) No 1191 / 69 should
be complied with . This also applies to areas where public
service obligations may be imposed or arranged when a
separate account is required . '( unofficial translation ).

The Commission considers that the German text covers the

obligations laid down in Regulation ( EEC ) No 1191 / 69 .
However, under Article 177 EC Treaty, it is for the Court of
Justice to give binding interpretations of Community

law .

In relation to the question aof urban transport a specific
provision states :

' Member States may exclude, pursuant to Article 1,
paragraph 1(2 ), from the scope of the Regulation ( EEC )
No 1191 / 69 any undertakings whose activities are
confined exclusively to the operation of urban, suburban
or regional services '.

WRITTEN QUESTION E-432 / 95

by W. G. van Velzen ( PPE )

to the Commission

( 22 February 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 04 )

Subject : Equal treatment of EC citizens with regard to

taxation

Is the Commission aware that frontier workers living in the
Netherlands and working in Germany are subject in various
respects to discriminatory taxation in comparison with
Netherlands or German citizens who live and work in their

own countries ?

For example, mortgage interest cannot be offset against tax

( levied in Germany ), whereas it could be if the house were in
Germany or the tax-payer worked in the Netherlands ;
similarly, maintenance payments cannot be offset, whereas
they could be if the spouse lived in Germany or the tax-payer
worked in the Netherlands .

Does this violate the principle of equal treatment of EC
citizens and if so, what will the Commission do about it ?

Answer given by Mr Monti
on behalf of the Commission

( 24 May 1995 )

The Honourable . Member has drawn attention to the tax

arrangements applicable to dutch frontier workers
employed in Germany as he feels that these arrangements
are discriminatory in a number of areas, notably as regards
the fact that maintenance payments and mortgage interest
cannot be offset against tax .

First, it should be noted that the income of Dutch frontier
workers employed in Germany is taxable in Germany in
accordance with the tax convention concluded between the

two Member States . In other words, German law
applies .

Under German income tax legislation, maintenance
payments to a divorced or separated spouse are deductible
as special expenditure up to a ceiling of DM 27 000 per
annum if the two parties agree . In the event of such
payments being deducted as special expenditure, the same
amount is taxable as income in the hands of the

beneficiary .

Eligibility for this deduction is also conditional on the
beneficiary being subject to unlimited tax liability ; this is not
the case if he or she is resident outside German territory, for
example in the Netherlands .

The Commission takes the view that this situation is

unsatisfactory and it has instituted infringement
proceedings under Article 169 of the EC Treaty against
Germany in respect of the aforementioned arrangements for
offsetting maintenance payments against tax .

The other matter raised by the Honourable Member is the
non-deductibility of mortgage interest . The Commission
notes that such interest is not generally deductible under
German tax legislation . However, special relief exists for
homebuyers, calculated at 6 % of the purchase price, subject
to a ceiling of DM 19 800, during the first four years and at
5 %, subjcet to a ceiling of DM 16 500, during the next four

years .

One of the conditions governing eligibility for such special
relief is that the property must be located in Germany .

The Commission is currently examining, in the light of
Article 48 of the EC Treaty and Council Regulation ( EEC )
No 1612 / 68 on freedom of movement for workers within
the Community ('), as interpreted by the Court of Justice in
Case C-279 / 93 Finanzamt Kôln-Altstadt v . Roland

Schumacker, whether these German tax arrangements are in
keeping with Community law .

(') OJ No L 257, 19 . 10 . 1968 .

No C 270 / 4 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 16 . 10 . 95

WRITTEN QUESTION E-479 / 95

WRITTEN QUESTION E-588 / 95

by Doris Pack ( PPE )

Doris Pack ( PPE ) by Alexander Langer ( V )

to the Commission to the Commission

to the Commission

( 27 February 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 05 )

Subject : Seizure of lorries and arrest of their drivers by the

French customs authorities on 14 December

1994

On 14 December 1994 the French customs investigations
service seized 1 million drinks bottles ( unauthorized copies )
which breached the legal protection of registered designs in
France . The haulage companies ' vehicles were also seized
and only released against payment of their current market
value . The lorry-drivers were also arrested .

There is no causal link between the haulage contract and the
production of the bottles and the manufacturer's
misdemeanours . The contract was awarded to a French

haulage company, which passed it on to a German
company . The work was sub-contracted to several
carriers .

1 . In what way are such measures compatible with the
rules of the internal market on the free movement of

goods ?

2 . What does the Commission intend to do to protect
European hauliers from such unwarranted action ?

Answer given by Mr Monti
on behalf of the Commission

(7 June 1995 )

The Honourable Member's questions refer to the seizure by
the French customs authorities of lorries belonging to a
German haulage company entrusted with the performance
of a haulage contract and to the arrest of the drivers when
the bottles in question — manufactured, according to the
authorities, in breach of French registered design law ( Law
No 94-102 of 5 February 1994 on the prevention of
counterfeiting amending certain provisions of the
Intellectual Property Code ) — were seized .

The Commission has therefore contacted the Italian

authorities to obtain more detailed information on the

measure they have taken or plan to take to ensure
compliance with Directive 85 / 337 / EEC and to protect the
abovementioned area from any negative effects of the
project .

(6 March 1995 )

(9 SIC 270 / 06 )

Subject : Building works on the River Melma

In Treviso Province ( Veneto Italy ) preparations are being
made, involving massive expropriations, for the
construction of a motorway link to the Vascon toll junction .
This will mean the destruction of a large area of
horticultural land, the concreting over of the source of the
River Melma and, at a later date, an increase in road traffic,
with the closure of the railway station of Lancenigo to goods
traffic .

It would appear that the European legislation requiring an
environmental impact assessment has not been applied .

How does the Commission intend to enforce European
environmental law in this matter ?

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard

on behalf of the Commission

(2 May 1995 )

As the Honourable Member states in his written question,
the motorway link project in the Lancenigo area does have
to undergo environmental assessment in accordance with
Directive 85 / 337 / EEC on the assessment of the effects of
certain public and private projects on the environment (')
before it can be authorized .

It would appear that the project is situated within the
' Fontane bianche di Lancenigo ' area, which is designated as
an Italian national wetland by Law No 431 of 8 August

1985 and the ecosystem of which would be threatened by
the concreting over of the source of the River Melma .

The Commission will make enquiries in order to ascertain .
the facts and, if necessary, will initiate the investigation
procedure provided for in Article 169 of the EC Treaty . (') OJ No L 175, 5 . 7 . 1985 .

16 . 10 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 270 / 5

WRITTEN QUESTION E-709 / 95

by Peter Crampton ( PSE )

to the Council

forward by the Council in 1994 and which Member States
put forward the proposals ?

( 13 March 1995 ) Answer

( 95 / C 270 / 07 ) ( 26 July 1995 )

Subject : Council proposals in the field of immigration,

home and judicial affairs, 1994

How many proposals for legislation and Regulations in the
field of common foreign and security policy were brought

The Honourable Member will find hereunder a list of the
texts adopted to date in the field of Justice and Home
Affairs, together with their publication references in the
Official Journal of the European Communities or in press
releases from the General Secretariat of the Council .

Justice and home af f air s

Table of texts adopted

Joint actions

Subject Reference

Decision 94-795 / JAI on a joint action adopted by the
Council on the basis of Article K.3(2)(b ) of the
Treaty on European Union concerning travel
facilities for school pupils from third countries
resident in a Member State

Joint action concerning the Europol Drugs Unit on

the basis of Article K.3(2)(b ) of the Treaty on
European Union

Publication OJ No L 327, 19 . 12 . 1994

Publication OJ No L 62, 20 . 3 . 1995, p. 1 .

Convention

Subject Reference

Convention on simplified extradition procedure
between the Member States of the European
Union

Publication OJ No C 78, 30 . 3 . 1995

Resolutions

Subject Reference

Resolution on the interception of tele ­
communications

Resolution on fraud on an international

scale-protection of the financial interests of the
European Union

Resolution on limitations on admission of

third-country nationals to the Member States for
employment

Resolution relating to the limitations on the
admission of third-country nationals to the Member
States for the purpose of pursuing activities as
self-employed persons

Resolution on the admission of third-country
nationals to the territory of the Member States of the
EU for study purposes

Resolution on the legal protection of the financial
interests of the Communities

Press release 10550 / 93 ( Presse 209 )

Press release 10550 / 93 ( Presse 209 )

Press release 7760 / 94 ( Presse 128-G )

Press release 11321 / 94 ( Presse 252-G )

Press release 11321 / 94 ( Presse 252-G )

Publication in OJ No C 355, 14 . 12 . 1994

No C 270 / 6 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 16 . 10 . 95

Recommendations

Subject Reference

Fight against money laundering Press release 10550 / 93 ( Presse 209 )

Recommendation on the responsibility of organizers
of sporting events

Press release 10550 / 93 ( Presse 209 )

Recommendation on environmental crime Press release 10550 / 93 ( Presse 209 )

Recommendation on the organization of a training
module on the operational analysis of crime

Recommendation for the exchange of information
on the occasion of major events or meetings

Recommendation concerning the adoption of a
standard travel document for the expulsion of
third-country nationals

Council recommendation on a specimen bilateral
re-admission agreement between an EU Member
State and a third country

Council recommendations ( 5 ) on the fight against
trade in human beings for the purposes of
prostitution

Press release 10550 / 93 ( Presse 209 )

Press release 11321 / 94 ( Presse 252-G )

Press release 11321 / 94 ( Presse 252-G )

Press release 11321 / 94 ( Presse 252-G )

Press release 10550 / 93 ( Presse 209-G )

Decisions

Subject Reference

Forwarding to the European Parliament of
documents on international organized crime

— Recommendations to the Council and report of

the ad hoc working party

EDU / Europol
Appointment of Mr Storbeck as coordinator of the
Europol Drugs Unit, extension of the term of office
of Mr Bruggemann as caretaker deputy coordinator
until the end of 1994

EDU / Europol staff
Appointment from 1 . 1 . 1 995 for three years or until
the entry into force of the Convention of two
assistant coordinators and two members of the

Steering Committee

Press release 10550 / 93 ( Presse 209-G )

Press release 7760 / 94 ( Presse 128-G )

Referred to in press release 11321 / 94

( Presse 252-G )

Statements

Subject Reference

Financing of terrorism Press release 10550 / 94 ( Presse 209 )

Statement on extradition Press release 10550 / 93 ( Presse 209 )

16 . 10 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 270 / 7

Conclusions

Subject Reference

Conclusions on racism and xenophobia Press release 10550 / 93 ( Presse 209 )

Conclusions on international organized crime Official communication to the EP

Conclusions on the application of Article K. 9 of the
TEIJ to asylum policy

Text on evidence in the context of the Dublin

Convention

Form of laissez-passer for the transfer of an asylum
applicant from one Member State to another

Procedure for drawing up joint reports on the
situation in third countries

Cirea — Distribution and confidentiality of joint
reports on the situation in certain third countries

Standard form for determining the State responsible
for examining an application for asylum

Conclusions on the Commission communication on

immigration and asylum

Conclusions on conditions for the readmission of

persons who are illegally resident in a Member State
but who hold a residence permit for another
Member State ( Article 8(2 ) of the draft External
Frontiers Convention )

Enlarged and strengthened relations with third
countries, in particular the countries of central and
eastern Europe

— exchanges of information in the area of
international sports events

Conclusions of the EU Council on the operating
procedures and development of the Centre for
Information, Discussion and Exchange on the
crossing of frontiers and immigration ( CIREFI )

Conclusions on the implementation of Article K. 5 of
the TEU :

— expression of common approaches in
international organizations and conferences

Conclusions concerning a contribution to the
development of a strategic plan of the Union to
combat fraud in the internal market

Conclusions of the JHA Council on relations with
third countries in the JHA field

Racism and xenophobia . Adoption of the
contribution of the JFIA Council

Press release 7760 / 94 ( Presse 128 )

Press release 7760 / 94 ( Presse 128-G )

Press release 7760 / 94 ( Presse 128-G )

Press release 7760 / 94 ( Presse 128-G )

Press release 7760 / 94 ( Presse 128-G )

Press release 7760 / 94 ( Presse 128-G )

Press release 7760 / 94 ( Presse 128-G )

Press release 10314 / 94 ( Presse 219-G )

Press release 11321 / 94 ( Presse 252-G )

Official communication to the EP

Press release 11321 / 94 ( Presse 252 )

Press release 11321 / 94 ( Presse 252-G )

Press release 11321 / 94 ( Presse 252-G )

Press release 11321 / 94 ( Presse 252-G )

adopted on 10 . 3 . 1995

No c 270 /8 HEN Official Journal of the European Communities 16 . 10 . 95

Other

Subject Reference

1 994 programme of joint surveillance operations on
air and sea traffic

Press release 5044 / 94 ( Presse 24-G )

Guidelines for joint reports on third countries Press release 7760 / 94 ( Presse 128-G )

Second report on Cirea's activities Press release 7760 / 94 ( Presse 128-G )

List of honorary consuls already empowered to issue
visas who, as a transitional measure, will be
empowered to issue uniform visas ( viz . certain
honorary consuls of Denmark and the Netherlands
who are to qualify for this exemption from the rule
precluding honorary consuls from having power to
issue uniform visas )

Assessment of the terrorist threat ; document relating
to the internal and external threat to Member States

of the Union

Interim report to the Council on money
laundering

Press release 7760 / 94 ( Presse 128-G )

Presse release 7760 / 94 ( Presse 128-G )

Press release 7760 / 94 ( Presse 128-G )

Guidelines for the training of instructors Press release 11321 / 94 ( Presse 252-G )

European Council report on the implementation of
the action plan in the field of Justice and Home
Affairs in December 1993

EDU / Europol activities report ( 1 . 1 . 1994 / 31 . 12 .

1994 )

EDU / Europol work programme ( January to June
1995 )

Press release 11321 / 94 ( Presse 252-G )

Press release 5423 / 94 ( Presse 69-G )

Press release 5423 / 94 ( Presse 69-G )

Strategy to combat drugs Press release 5423 / 94 ( Presse 69-G )

Report on organized crime in the European Union in
1993

Press release 5423 / 94 ( Presse 69-G )

Customs strategy at external frontiers Press release 5423 / 94 ( Presse 69-G )

WRITTEN QUESTION E-736 / 95

by Amedeo Amadeo ( NI )

to the Commission

( 15 March 199 S )

( 95 / C 270 / 08 )

Subject : Taxation of small and medium-sized
undertakings

In order to develop the potential of small and medium-sized
undertakings, it is necessary to regulate essential questions,
such as reducing costs and financial barriers and
encouraging the creation of new companies .

Can the Commission put forward a tax relief scheme and
possible allowances for private investment, expenditure
incurred in order to improve management skills and
consultancy fees incurred when a company is set up ?

WRITTEN QUESTION E-994 / 95

by Amedeo Amadeo ( NI )

to the Commission

(6 April 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 09 )

Subject : Tax relief and tax-free provisions for SMEs

With a view to improving the fiscal environment for SMEs,
would the Commission agree that it is vital for arrangements
to be made for some form of tax relief to be granted on
certain types of investment in SMEs by small and
medium-sized private investors (a potential source of capital
for SMEs ) and for the establishment of tax-free provisions,
which could act as an additional incentive for institutional

investors to invest in SMEs ?

16 . 10 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 270 / 9

WRITTEN QUESTION E-995 / 95

by Amedeo Amadeo ( NI )

to the Commission

(6 April 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 10 )

Subject : Single-member companies

2, rhe possibility of deducting from taxable income
expenditure on improving management standards and
expenditure on consultancy fees while a company is
being set up ;

3, the introduction of depreciation procedures designed to
remove any disadvantages which SMEs may have in
respect of large companies ;

4, rhe introduction of various reductions or exemptions
tor spouses employed in SMEs ?

Will the Commission harmonize the legal status in all
Member States of single-member public limited companies
which have been set up in some countries in response to a WRITTEN QUESTION
Commission initiative, and will it draw up a Directive
enabling them to choose whether to pay personal income by Amedeo Amadeo (
tax or corporation tax ? to the Commission

WRITTEN QUESTION E-998 / 95

by Amedeo Amadeo ( NI )

WRITTEN QUESTION E-996 / 95

by Amedeo Amadeo ( NI )

to the Commission

(6 April 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 11 )

Subiect : Double taxation of SMEs

The issue of economic double taxation of earnings which, in
simple terms, consists in taxing company profits on the basis
of proportional rates while at the same time taxing
distributed profits on the basis of progressive income tax
rates, calls for an exchange of information among Member
States, which should also cover economic double taxation of
capital .

Would the Commission not agree that it should now take
decisive steps to tackle this problem ?

WRITTEN QUESTION E-997 / 95

by Amedeo Amadeo ( NI )

to the Commission

( 6 April 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 12 )

Subiect : Integrated plan for SMEs

Given the difficulties now facing some SMEs and the serious
employment problems to which they give rise, does the
Commission intend to formulate an integrated plan for
SMEs, which could inlcude :

1 . the possibility of building up ( on the basis of procedures

to be established subsequently ) special reserves to
finance tangible and intangible investments ;

(6 April 1995 )

95 / C 270 / 13 )

Subject : Taxation and small and medium-sized
enterprises

Steps need to be taken to improve the fiscal environment of
SMEs and the craft industries .

Would the Commission agree that it should draw up a
Directive to improve the method used to tax profits
reinvested by SMEs and amend the legal form of enterprises
which change their status from incorporated companies to
partnerships, and should amend its recommendation
94 / 390 / EC of 25 May 1994 (') accordingly ?

(') OJ No L 177, 9 . 7 . 1994, p . 1 .

Joint answer to Written Questions E-736 / 95, E-994 / 95,

E-995 / 95 — E-998 / 95

given by Mr Monti
on behalf of the Commission

(2 June 1 995 )

The Commission is currently looking into the possibilities
for following up its communication of 25 May 1994 on the
improvement of the fiscal environment of small and
medium-sized enterprises ( SMEs ) ( 1 ) and the Honourable
Member's observations will be taken into account .

His suggestions for proposing Directives are noted, but in its
communication the Commission stated, referring to the
subsidiarity principle, that it did not intend to propose
harmonizing, to any extent, the national tax treatment of
SMEs .

On the other hand, the Commission is pursuing a policy
which actively encourages Member States to improve the
fiscal environment for enterprises, notably SMEs . Its
recommendations on the taxation of SMEs and on the
transfer of businesses ( 2 ) clearly point in this direction . The
first of these asks Member States to correct the deterrent
effects of current taxation structures on the self - financing of

No C 270 / 10 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 16 . 10 . 95

sole proprietorships and partnerships and to eliminate tax
obstacles to changes in the legal form of businesses . In the
second, the Commission recommends Member States, in
Article 7(a ), to provide tax incentives for the reinvestment of
the profits made on the sale of a business to another
unquoted business . Such a measure contributes to increased
private investment in businesses .

The tax incentives which the Honourable Member, requests
for the improvement of management qualifications do exist
in nearly all Member States . Equally, consultancy fees are
usually tax deductible .

The Commission would also stress the importance of the
Molitor group which is working on the simplification of
legislation . On behalf of the Commission, the group is
looking at company law and at rules on accounting
transparency . Its results will be used to identify priority
areas for tackling the task of lightening the administrative
burden which SMEs find such a constraint .

(') OJ No C 187, 9 . 7 . 1994 .

( 2 ) COM(94 ) 3312 final ( to be published in the OJ ).

WRITTEN QUESTION E-749 / 95

by Alexandros Alavanos ( GUE / NGL )

to the Commission

( 15 March 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 14 )

Subject : Destruction of a national highway and railway line

in Greece due to subsidence

On 18 February 1995 subsidence at a spot 36 kilometres
along the Athens — Lamia national highway, a geologically
unstable area, caused a landslide which destroyed a large
section of the national highway and the railway line ;
fortunately, there were no victims . This motorway had been
widened at this spot under a public works contract
completed in 1993 . Road traffic is currently being diverted,
while the railway link has been totally cut .

Will the Commission say :

1 . Had the Community preconditions for the allocation of

Community funding been met by this project ? Were
appropriate geological and environmental studies
drawn up ?

2 . Does it intend to approve funding to re-route transport
infrastructures in the region of Malakasa or to carry out
preventive measures to ensure the safety of transport
passing through this region ?

3 . What is the cost of repairing the damage caused by
subsidence ?

4 . In respect of which sections of the Egnatia Road, the
western road traffic axis in Greece, the road between

Igoumenitsa and Volos, the Patras — Athens national
motorway and the Corinth — Kalamata national
motorway have geological surveys been carried out ?

Answer given by Mrs Wulf-Mathies

on behalf of the Commission

( 19 April 19 95 )

For projects under the Structural Funds, the Member State
concerned is responsible for ensuring that preparatory
technical studies are conducted ahead of works and that the

latter are executed in accordance with the rules of the

trade .

According to information available at present to the
Commission, the decision to proceed with works to enlarge
the road link at Malakasa was taken in 1983, before the
entry into force of Directive 85 / 337 / EEC (') ( July 1988 ).
Consequently, there was no legal obligation to conduct an
environmental impact study . It is also by no means certain
that such a study could have revealed geological risks of the
type encountered in Malakasa, for which geological and
geotechnical studies would be required, and these were
undertaken according to the information available to the
Commission .

It is too early yet for the Commission to state its position on
the question of part-financing works to re-establish the road
and rail links, since expert appraisals and the necessary
technical studies must be conducted to determine the

reasons for the landslide, any responsibilities involved,
recommendations for technical measures and the cost of

these .

The Commission does not know which sections of the road

network under construction in Greece have been the subject
of geological studies . However, it has received a clear
undertaking from the Greek authorities that invitations to
tender for projects to be part-financed will only be issued
once a whole range of technical studies required under the
rules of the trade, including geological, geotechnical,
environmental and hydraulic engineering studies, have been
conducted .

(') OJ No L 175, 5 . 7 . 1985 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-818 / 95

by Anne André-Léonard ( ELDR )

to the Commission

( 24 March 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 15 )

Subject : Compulsory dubbing of French-language films by

studios situated on French territory

The dubbing industry in French-speaking Belgium is the
victim of a restrictive French decree which means that it can
onlv dub products for the video and television market .

16 . 10 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 270 / 1 1

France enforces a decree which prohibits 35-mm and
75-mm films dubbed in countries other than France from

being granted certificates allowing them to be shown on
French territory . The decree in question, No 90-1974 of
23 February 1 990, ' passed in application of Articles 1 9 and
22 of the code governing the cinematographic industry ( as
amended by decree No 82-446 of 15 May 1 992 )\ states in
Title III, Article 17 (' Foreign cinematographic works and
co-productions ') that

'a projection certificate for a dubbed version may be
granted only if the original version was granted a
projection certificate and if the dubbing was carried out
in its entirety in studios situated on French
territory . . /.

Does the Commission not take the view that a decree which

penalizes acts working in other European Union countries
should be condemned on the grounds that it violates the
principle of fair competition ?

Answer given by Mr Monti
on behalf of the Commission

( 29 May 1995 )

The Commission can inform the Honourable Member that

it has received complaints relating to this legislation, and
that it is therefore examining its compatibility with the
relevant provisions of the EC Treaty .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-828 / 95

by Jean-Pierre Raffarin ( PPE )

to the Commission

( 24 March Î995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 16 )

the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and
flora ( 2 ), Member States have undertaken to protect a
sufficient number of areas and to create the Natura 2000

network in order to preserve the habitats types and species
covtred by the Directives . A large proportion of the areas
already designated under the birds Directive is wetland, and
the Directives on improving water quality also make a
sign ficant contribution to wetland conservation .

To underpin these legislative measures, the Community has
provided over ECU 30 million in support to some 60
projects for the restoration and management of wetlands of
major importance since 1984 . Financial support has also
been provided on a regular basis to awareness-raising
activities in this field . Experience over the last few years has
shown, however, that the protective measures taken with
Commission support can only be effective if a similar
commitment exists on the part of the national, regional, and
local authorities ( take, for instance, the case of the Poitou
marshes in France ).

In addition, studies of humid ecosystems have been
conducted under the Community environment research

programmes .

Another essential step is to integrate wetland protection into
the other Community policies, such as agricultural,
regional, fisheries and transport policy . The
agri - environment measures of Regulation ( EEC )
No 2078 / 92 C ) include premiums to enable farmers to play
their part in protecting wetlands .

However, it appears that, in spite of all these measures, the
degiadation of wetlands is continuing in many regions . The
Commission is putting the finishing touches to a
communication to the Council and Parliament in which it

analyses the causes of this trend, reviews the existing
instruments and proposes ways of making them more
effective .

C ) OJ No L 103, 25 . 4 . 1979 .

Subject : Protection of Europe's wetlands ( 2 ) OJ No L 206, 22 . 7 . 1992 .
C ) O J No L 215, 30 . 7 . 1992 .

What measures does the Commission intend to take to halt
the decline, which has been very marked over the last 30
years, of Europe's wetlands, the marshy areas which the
European Union wishes to protect ?

WRITTEN QUESTION E-888 / 95

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard

on behalf of the Commission

(2 May 1995 )

A number of complementary measures have been taken for
some years now to reinforce the protection fo wetlands in
the framework of the Community's environmental
policy .

In implementation of Directive 79 / 409 / EEC on the
conservation of wild birds (') and Directive 92 / 43 / EEC on

by Eryl McNally ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 29 March 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 17 )

Suh'ect : EC Directive 88 / 166 / EEC

EC Directive 88 / 166 / EEC (') allowed a seven-year phase-in
period for the new requirements . How did this Directive

No C 270 / 12 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 16 . 0 . 95

evolve and did many Member States avail themselves of the
grants allowed within this Directive ?

If these grants were not taken up, were any reasons given for
this ?

In view of this clear-cut case, does the Commission not
believe that such beauty products do indeed pose problems,
in respect of which further research, monitoring and, if
necessary, Community legislation is required ?

C ) OJ No C 88, 10 . 4 . 1995, p . 48 .
(') OJ No L 74, 19 . 3 . 1988, p . 83 .

Answer given by Mr Fischler Ans, w f 8 ivc " ^ Mrs Bonino
on behalf of the Commission on behalf of the Comm . ss, on

( 10 May 1995 ) (2 May / 99 .))

All Member States have notified to the Commission national

measures implementing Council Directive 88 / 166 / EEC
laying down minimum standards for the protection of
laying hens kept in battery cages .

The Commission is concerned about the enforcement of the

Directive given that the transitional period relating to the
cages in use at the time of its adoption expired on 1 January

1 995, from which date the minimum requirements set out in
the text apply to all battery cages .

The Commission will therefore contact all Member States to

obtain confirmation that they have taken the appropriate
measures to ensure full compliance with their current
obligations under the Directive .

The Commission authorised Denmark to apply a State aid
to facilitate the introduction of cages for laying hens with at
least 600 cm 2 per hen . The Commission is not aware that
any other Member State has introduced such aid

measures .

The Commission wishes to inform the Honourable Member

that, since its reply to Written Question No 44 / 95, the
subject of a-hydroxy acids ( AHA ) was raised by a Member
State at the meeting of the Cosmetic Products Working
Party of 16 February 1995 . After discussion within the
group, whose members include representatives of the
Member States, the cosmetics industry ( Colipa ) and
consumers, it was decided that the Member State that raised
the question would communicate to the Commission the
relevant bibliographical data in order to facilitate
toxicological assessment of these ingredients . Colipa will
also supply data and prepare a dossier to be submitted to the
Scientific Committee on Cosmetology ( SCC ).

The Commission will forward this dossier to the SCC as

soon as it is ready . The SCC's evaluation will enable the
Commission to prepare, on the basis of a scientific opinion,
any draft measures required in regard to a-hydroxy acids,
complex compounds containing AHAs and other acids used
for the same purposes, such as salicylic acid used in the
products mentioned by the Honourable Member .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-893 / 95
by Marie-Paule Kestelijn-Sierens ( ELDR ) WRITTEN QUESTION E-940 / 95

to the Commission by Christian Rovsing ( PPE )

to the Commission
( 29 March 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 18 ) ( 31 March 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 19 )

Subject : Suspension by Procter & Gamble of sales of a

beauty product based on salicylic acid

In her answer of 17 February 1 995 to my written question
concerning the safety of beauty products based on
alpha-hydroxy acid ( E-44 / 95 ) ('), Commissioner Bonino
maintained that she had no knowledge of reports of
undesirable effects resulting from the use of such
products .

On 16 February 1 995, however, Procter & Gamble issued a
press release announcing the withdrawal of its salicylic
acid-based product ' New Skin Discovery ' from the market,
owing to reports that it caused eye irritations, and its
decision to suspend sales of the product worldwide .

Subject : Charging of VAT by German timber firms / forest

managers

Can the Commission confirm that the German tax

authorities allow German timber firms / forest managers to
keep 5 % of invoiced VAT, which is furthermore levied in
contravention of the rules, the charging of VAT on export
orders being unlawful ?

What action does the Commission propose to take to collect
this form of covert State aid, which entails considerable
discrimination to the detriment of free competition in the
economic sector concerned ?

16 . 10 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 270 / 13

Answer given by Mr Monti
on behalf of the Commission

— to preserve the social cohesion which it has a duty to

of the Commission safeguard under the Treaties, pending such

harmonization ?
( 29 May 1995 )

Pursuant to Article 25 of the Sixth VAT Directive, Member
States may apply a flat-rate scheme to farmers, including
those carrying on forestry activities, where application of
the normal VAT scheme would give rise to difficulties . The
German scheme to which the Honourable Member refers is

that applied by Germany to forestry producers .

The aim of the flat-rate scheme is to reduce the

administrative burden on such producers . While goods or
services supplied by them are not subject to VAT, they do
not have the right to deduct input tax direct from their
purchases of goods or services . They exercise this right
indirectly by applying a flat-rate compensation percentage
to the price of the agricultural products or services which
they supply to taxable persons other than flat-rate farmers
either by the taxable person to whom the goods or services
are supplied, who may then deduct it from the VAT for
which he is liable, or direct by the public authorities .

Flat-rate compensation percentages are fixed by Member
States on the basis of macroeconomic statistics relating
solely to flat-rate farmers and covering the preceding three
years . They may not be used to obtain for flat-rate farmers
refunds greater than the VAT charges on purchases of goods
and services by such farmers . Consequently, the principle of
flat-rate refunds does not give rise to distortions of
competition, but instead makes it possible to treat farmers '
transactions equally, whether the farmers are subject to the
flat-rate scheme or to the normal VAT scheme .

Answer given by Mr Monti
on behalf of the Commission

( 22 May 1 995 )

The Commission would point out first that, in the specific
case referred to by the Honourable Member, an income tax
differential for a particular category of staff, i.e . crew
members, would appear to have been behind the policy
considerations of the company concerned .

According to the information at the Commission's disposal,
the Belgian tax authorities believe that the salaries of the
crew members concerned would have continued to be

subiect to Belgian tax pursuant to the provisions of the tax
agreement between Belgium and Luxembourg . They
interpret the agreement as meaning that the actual head
office is to be situated at the place from which aircraft used
on international routes are actually operated, namely
Belgium .

As regards the question of harmonizing income tax at
Community level, the Commission would not rule out the
possibility of presenting relevant proposals in specific areas,
e.g . the free movement of workers, where it has made
proposals in the past ; the aim would be to ensure observance
of the principle of non-discrimination, as recently indicated
by the Court of Justice in the Schumacker case .

The Commission considers, moreover, that differences in
rates of personal income tax affecting a company's
employees would not generally be a determining factor in
WRITTEN QUESTION P - 1 03 8 / 95 the company's choice of location .

by Claude Desama ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 24 March 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 20 )

WRITTEN QUESTION P                     - 1 05 3 / 95

Subject : Company relocation due to inadequate fiscal

harmonization

On several occasions in the past, and most recently in the
now abandoned plan to relocate the Belgian airline Sabena
to Luxembourg, firms have moved their registered office
within the Union to take advantage of a more favourable
fiscal regime .

What action does the Commission intend to take :

— to speed up the urgently required fiscal harmonization,

and

by Christa Randzio-Plath ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 28 March 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 21 )

Subject : Supervision of derivatives

1 . What is the volume of derivatives transactions in the
European Union, and is it true that, as in the USA, such
transactions are concentrated in the hands of a small

number of dealers ?

No C 270 / 4 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 16 . 10 . 95

2 . What are the particular risks associated with
derivatives ? Does the Commission take the view that special
rules of financial supervision are required to monitor
internal and external risks and ensure transparency, that the
way in which derivatives are included in balance sheets and
statistics needs to he harmonized and that information

centres should be set up ?

3 . What is the volume of derivatives transactions by
public authorities in the Member States, and what purpose
do they serve ?

Answer given by Mr Monti
on behalf of the Commission

(2 May 1 99 S )

1 . The Commission has only very limited information on
the extent of derivatives trading, and most of it is not
directly comparable . The Bank for international settlements

( BIS ) is currently undertaking a survey on the global markets
for derivatives, in which all Member States have
participated .

A survey by the Commission has shown that, as in the USA,
derivatives activity is concentrated on few players in each
Member State . Market concentration for the 3 ( 10 ) largest
players can be estimated as being on average over 60 %

( 80% ).

2 . Derivatives are derived from other financial

instruments and are subject to principally the same risks as
those instruments . Derivatives make easier and more
efficient the hedging of market risk as well as easier taking of
such risk . Derivatives are among the transactions, whose
market risk investment firms and credit institutions have to
cover with capital according to the capital adequacy
Directive ( 93 / 6 / EEC ) (').

As with many other financial instruments, derivatives are
also subject to credit risk . This risk is moderate, however,
compared with traditional lending business, since often no
exchange of principal occurs . Credit risk of derivatives has
to be covered by capital by credit institutions and
investment firms as a result of the solvency ratio Directive

( 89 / 647 / EEC ( 2 )).

Operational risk, i.e ., the risk of deficiencies in internal
control, organization, technology or personnel, plays an

important role in derivatives because of the complexity of
some products . Rules for internal and external risk control
can already be found in the capital adequacy Directive

( 93 / 6 / EEC ), the investment services Directive

( 93 / 22 / EEC ( 2 )), the second banking Directive

( 89 / 646 / EEC (')) and the consolidated supervisory ­
Directive ( 92 / 30 / EEC ( 3 )).

Legal risk, i.e ., that contracts are in subsequent ligitation
declared non valid, may arise because the counterparty is
not entitled to enter derivatives transactions or because the
jurisdiction rules out enforceability of netting agreements .

The Commission proposal on ' contractual netting ( )' aims
to remedy this .

Initiatives are being taken on different levels to improve
transparency in derivatives trading . The recently published
discussion paper ( the Fisher report ) deserves to be
mentioned . The expert group set up by the Commission in

1994 will also address this issue .

As to how to account for derivatives, views at the
international level are still very different . However, a certain
agreement exists on the fact that disclosures about them
should be improved . The International Accounting
Standards Committee ( IASC ) has just adopted a new
standard which deals with disclosures of financial

instruments ( including derivatives ). The Commission will
examine to what extent this standard can be used as a mean

to improve financial reporting by companies in general, and
banks in particular .

Statistical information on derivatives has in the past been
hard to obtain, since data has been collected in different
countries for different purposes . The BIS survey will provide
more detailed and accurate information on the size of the

derivatives markets .

3 . The Commission has no data available concerning the
extent of the derivatives activity of the public sector .
However, one can assume that public entities are using
derivatives in different degrees in different Member States,
with a tendency for increasing use .

The financing of the budget from the capital markets leads
to interest rate risks and if financed in other currencies, to
currency risks, in the same way as for private enterprises .
These risks can be managed and limited with derivatives .
The cost of funds for the government may also be
reduced .

C ) OJ No L 386, 30 . 12 . 1989 .
(-) O'j No L 141, 11.6 . 1993 .

(M OJ No L 110, 28 . 4 . 1992 .

( 4 ) COM(94 ) 105 final .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-l 066 / 95

by Imelda Read ( PSE )

to the Commission

(7 April 199 S )

(9 SIC 270 / 22 )

Subject : Alternative medicine counsellors

Does the Commission have any plans for introducing
Directives concerning the regulation of counsellors in the
field of alternative medicine ?

16 . 10 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 270 / 15

Answer given by Mr Monti
on behalf of the Commission

( 29 May 1995 )

The Commission does not intend to propose any Directive
concerning the regulation of counsellors in the field of
alternative medicine .

The Honourable Member is referred to the Commission's
responses to Written Questions No 3157 / 93 (') by Mrs
Ewing and No 317 / 94 ( 2 ) by Mr Kostopoulos .

(•) OJ No C 340, 5 . 12 . 1994 .

( 2 ) OJ No C 376, 30 . 12 . 1994 .

cross-border income and will the Commission state its

view on this matter ?

3 . Does the Commission agree that the 1976 DTA should
now be urgently reviewed to ensure that a coherent and
equitable policy is introduced for the collection of any
taxes, particularly if freedom of movement and the
completion of the internal market are to be
respected ?

4 . Will the Commission state whether or not it is satisfied

with the administration of DTAs between other EU

Member States ?

5 . What mechanism has the Commission put in place to
ensure the satisfactory administration of DTAs between
Member States in the Community and will it indicate if
legal action has or is being pursued in the Community in
the light of the Treaty obligations and the abolition of
double taxation ?

Answer given by Mr Monti
on behalf of the Commission

WRITTEN QUESTION E - 1 099 / 95
(7 June 1995 )

by James Fitzsimons ( UPE )

to the Commission

( 12 April 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 23 )

Subject : Inequities and anomalies of Irish / UK Double

Taxation Agreement

Article 220 of the Treaty requires Member States to enter
into negotiations with each other with a view to securing
' the abolition of double taxation within the Community '.

1 . Is the Commission aware that due to the inequities and
anomalies that have arisen in the administration of the

1976 agreement between Ireland and the UK, an Irish
European Cross-Border Workers ' Association has had
to be established to draw attention to the incoherent
application of this agreement and will the Commission
agree to assist this association in its endeavours to
ensure equality of treatment in the context of the free
movement of labour and Article 220 of the Treaty ?

2 . Is the Commission aware that the 1976 DTA which is
intended to take account of taxes paid in the other
jurisdiction so as to harmonize taxes and reliefs for
non-resident workers is not being properly applied ; that
incorrect and contradictory information is being issued
by the Irish Revenue Authorities to similarly employed
people ; that cross-border or frontier workers who,
having already paid income tax and health contributions
at source, are being discriminated against by being
obliged to pay tax on tax already deducted and to pay
additional health and income levies on this portion of

Incame tax is governed by national rules, and the Member
States are free to establish the detailed arrangements,
notably in the context of bilateral relations aimed at
preventing double taxation, provided that such
arrangements are compatible with the principles and
fundamental freedoms enshrined in the EC Treaty, and in
particular the principle of equal treatment in connection
with Articles 48 and 52 of the Treat }' ( see the judgment of
the Court of Justice of 14 February 1995 in Case C-279 / 93
Scf umacker ).

Rights of taxation are apportioned between Ireland and the
United Kingdom under a double taxation agreement dating
from 1976 . The earnings of frontier workers in Northern
Ire and are taxable in the United Kingdom but Ireland
generally retains its right of taxation as the country of

residence . To avoid double taxation, tax paid in Northern
Ire and is set against the tax due in Ireland .

If frontier workers wish to challenge either the
interpretation of the Double Taxation Agreement or the
way in which it is applied by the Irish tax administration,
they must appeal to the competent national authorities in
accordance with the national procedures in force .

The Commission notes furthermore that double taxation is
avoided since, under the Agreement, tax paid in Northern
Ireland on the earnings concerned can be deducted from the
amount of tax due in Ireland .

It Therefore does pot take the view that such tax treatment
co j Id constitute an infringement of existing Community
law .

No C 270 / 16 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 16 . 10 . 95

The Commission urges the Member States, in accordance
with Article 220 of the EC Treaty, to complete the network
of double taxation agreements within the Community . It
reserves the right to examine, in cases submitted to it, the
compatibility of such agreements with the Treaty .

the fundamental freedoms promised in the Treaty of Rome
will one day become a reality ?

WRITTEN QUESTION E-l 120 / 95

by Michl Ebner ( PPE )

to the Commission

( 12 April / 995j

WRITTEN QUESTION E-l 101 / 95 ( 95 / C 270 / 26 )

by José Valverde Lôpez ( PPE )

to the Commission

( 12 Apnl 199 S )

( 95 / C 270 / 24 )

Subject : Community Directives on State aid for the
environment

Does the Commission intend to propose a general review of
Community Directives on State aid for the environment ?

Answer given by Mr Van Miert

on behalf of the Commission

( 19 May 199S )

The present Community guidelines on State aid for
environmental protection entered into force on 1 January

1994 . Before the end of 1996 the Commission will review

the operation of the guidelines .

The experience of the first year of operation of these
guidelines suggests that they meet the requirements and no
immediate amendments appear to be necessary .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-l 102 / 95

by José Valverde Lopez ( PPE )

to the Commission

( 12 April 1 99 . S )

( 95 / C 270 / 25 )

Subject : Free movement of persons

A citizens ' Europe must be achieved, and one of the most
significant manifestations of it would be the free movement
of persons . The Member States have still not fulfilled their
obligation to abolish all controls at internal borders . A
Commission communication in 1992 stated that an
interinstitutional group had been set up to study this
fundamental issue, particularly checks at airports .

Can the Commission say what progress has been made on
this matter, which is vital for an understanding that one of

Subject : Free movement of persons between Member States

of the Union

Since 26 March 1995 border controls between seven

Member States of the European Union have been
removed .

What does the European Commission propose to do to
ensure the free movement of persons between Member
States of the European Union throughout the Union ?

Will the Commission call upon the signatory States of the
Schengen Agreement, which include Italy, Austria and
Greece, to implement it swiftly ? Will it invite other Member
States to accede to the Schengen Agreement ?

Will the Commission examine the reasons why Italy has not
made appropriate preparations and — as a founder State of
the European Community — has not yet implemented the
Schengen Agreement ?

Joint answer to Written Questions

E-l 102 / 95 and E-l 120 / 95

given by Mr Monti
on behalf of the Commission

( 27 June 199$ )

As regards the measures which it has already taken with a
view to abolishing controls on persons at internal frontiers
throughout the Union, the Commission would refer the
Honourable Members to its answer to Written Question
No 2761 / 94 by Mr Robles Piquer (').

In order to achieve this objective, the Commission
announced in its work programme for 1 995 three additional
proposals, which it intends to present as soon as possible,
aimed at completing the Community's legislation so as to
abolish controls on persons throughout the Union .

As regards the conditions required for implementation of
the Schengen Convention by Member States which have
already signed the agreements, the Commission considers
that this matter does not fall within the scope of its
responsibilities .

(M Q | No C 152, 19 . 6 . 1995 .

16.10.95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 270 / 17

QUESTION E-l 123 / 95 WRITTEN QUESTION E-1 132 / 95

Bryan Cassidy ( PPE ) by Marie-Paule Kesteliin-Sierens ( ELDR )

to the Commission to the Commission

WRITTEN QUESTION E-l 123 / 95

by Bryan Cassidy ( PPE )

to the Commission

( 20 April 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 27 )

Subject : EU funds for street children projects in Central

America

A constituent of mine, who works for the street children in
Guatemala in Central America, tells me that ECU 2,5
million funding to go to projects to help the street children in
this country has been agreed by the EU but has not been
distributed . He says that the EU street children project in
this region has been stalled because the Guatemalan
Government cannot find an agency which can distribute the
funds to those in need, i.e . to the organization to which my
constituent belongs . It seems the Guatemalan Government
is trying to stop this type of EU development project .

What is the Commission doing about getting these
desperately needed funds distributed ?

( 20 April 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 28 )

Subject : Specialist training for the profession of General

Practitioner

Is it possible for the specialist training leading up to the
profession of General Practitioner to begin before the
requirements established in Articles 3 and 23 of Directive
93 /; 6 / EEC (') of 5 April 1993 have been met ?

(M OJ No L 165, 7 . 7 . 1993, p . 1 .

Answer given by Mr Monti
on behalf of the Commission

( 24 May 1995 )

The conditions which must be met by specific training in
general medical practice are contained in Article 31 of
Directive 93 / 16 / EEC, to which reference is made in the
question .

According to paragraph 1(a ) of that Article, entry to such
training is conditional upon the successful completion of at
least six years ' study within the framework of the training
Answer given by Mr Marin course referred to in Article 23 of the same Directive .
on behalf of the Commission

(8 May 1995 )

WRITTEN QUESTION P                        - 1 142 / 95

The Commission thanks the Honourable Member for his
by Carlo Secchi ( PPE )
questions concerning the children of Guatemala who are
being detained in government rehabilitation centres . to the Commission

(5 April 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 29 )
The Guatemala City Street Children project ( ALA / 94 / 109 ;
ECU 2,5 million committed ) was adopted by the
Commission after the ALA Committee had approved it in Sub ject : Application in Italy of
June 1994 . The financing agreement was signed by the free movement of

Sub ject : Application in Italy of Directive 93 / 16 / EEC on the

government in Guatemala City on 6 April 1995, and the
project will shortly be moving into the implementation
phase .

According to the information available to the Commission,
the delay in signing the agreement was primarily caused by
logistical problems and a temporary inability on the part of
the Guatemalan counterpart, the Procuradori'a de Derechos
Humanos, to meet its financial commitments .

In 1 993 the Italian Minister of Health organized a two-year
course of specific training in general medical practice
in accordance with Directives 93 / 16 / EEC f 1 ) and
86 / 457 / EEC ( 2 ). The certificate issued at the end of the
course was made a requirement for working as a general
practitioner under the National Health Service . Many
medical graduates made considerable personal and financial
sacrifices to attend the course .

However, on 15 December 1994 the Ministry signed a
decree stipulating that all doctors, even those who had not

free movement of doctors and Directive

86 / 457 / EEC on specific training in general medical
practice

No C 2 70 / 1 8 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 16 . 10 . 95

taken part in or who had failed the course, were entitled to
exercise the profession, irrespective of whether they held the
relevant training certificates .

Does the Commission consider that the Italian Covernment

has thereby violated the provisions of the above Directives ?
If so, what action does it intend to take ?

C ) O J No I. 165, 7 . 7 . 1993, p . 1 .

( J ) O J No i . 267, 19 . 9 . 1986, p . 26 .

In conclusion, although the situation described by the
Honourable Member may, at first sight, seem to be
advantageous for persons who have not completed specific
training and, conversely, disadvantageous for persons who
have completed such training, a closer examination does not
reveal any element that is contrary to Community law .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-l 158 / 95

by Joaquín Sisó Cruellas ( PPE )

to the Commission

on Answer behalf given of the by Commission Mr Monti ( 20 April / 995 )

( 23 May 1995 )

Directive 93 / 16 / EEC is the consolidated version of all the

' doctors ' Directives adopted between 1975 and 1989 .

The provisions of Directive 86 / 457 / EEC are thus
reproduced in Directive 93 / 16 / EEC ( see Articles 30 to 41,
which make up Title IV : ' Specific Training in General

Medical Practice ').

Under Article 36(1 ) of Directive 93 / 16 / EEC, each Member
State is required, as from 1 January 1995 and subject to the
acquired rights it has recognized, to make the exercise of
general medical practice under its national social security
scheme conditional on possession of a diploma, certificate
or other formal qualification attesting to specific training in
general medical practice subsequent to basic training .

Since this is a new training requirement for general medical
practitioners, it is only natural that the legislator should
have made provision for a reservation in respect of acquired
rights for those persons who were already exercising general
medical practice when this requirement came into force,
namely on 1 January 1995 . This was all the more justified
because few, if any, of them had had the option of pursuing
specific training subsequent to basic training . For this
reason, under Article 36(2 ) of the Directive, each Member
State is free to specify the acquired rights that it recognizes,
the sole restriction being that it must recognize the right to
exercise the activities of general medical practitioner under
its national social security scheme without the diploma,
certificate or other evidence of formal qualification attesting
to specific training in general medical practice as having
been acquired by all those doctors who on 31 December

1 994 possessed such a right pursuant to Articles 1 to 20 and
who were established on its territory on that date by virtue
of Article 2 or 9(1 ) ( namely doctors from other Member
States ). The result is, as the Honourable Member will have
noted, that each Member State enjoys considerable
discretion when it comes to determining acquired rights,
which may also be extended to its own nationals .
Furthermore, like Italy, several Member States have adopted
similar measures to those referred to in the question .

( 95 / C 270 / 30 )

Subject : Convergence criteria

The Commission has proposed that unemployment levels,
along with other economic data from the Member States, be
studied to assess their progress towards Economic and
Monetary Union . The Commissioner for financial affairs,
Mr Yves-Thibault de Silguy, has suggested that the
employment indicator be included either in the Community
economic policy guidelines adopted annually by the Fifteen
or in the convergence programme .

In the light of these proposals to include unemployment
levels with other established convergence criteria, how does
the Commission consider they should be defined ?

Answer given by Mr de Silguy

on behalf of the Commission

(8 J une 1995 )

Employment must be a primary objective of economic
policy . In Article 2 of the EC Treaty, promotion of a high
level of employment is included among the objectives which
the Community has the task of pursuing through the
implementation of common policies and activities . What is
more, the third stage of economic and monetary union
cannot be embarked upon without the support of public
opinion in the Member States . Such support will not be
forthcoming if the employment situation steadily
deteriorates . In the light of these considerations and the high
social and economic cost of unemployment, the
employment question must be given top priority .

Following the Brussels, Corfu and, above all, Essen
European Councils, the Commission has sought to lay
prime emphasis on job creation in economic policy making
and to deal with it in the most appropriate context .

The Commission communication to the Council of 8 March

1995 on the follow-up to the Essen European Council on

16 . 10 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 270 / 19

employment (') suggests what should be done but does not
lay down a new convergence criterion . The Commission
considers that the convergence criteria provided for by the
EC Treaty are the only ones that should be applied . It has
already expressed this view on a number of occasions, doing
so again recently in its answer to Written Question
No 532 / 95 by Mr Garriga Polledo ( 2 ).

(') COM ( 95 ) 74 final .

( 2 ) OJ No C 222, 28 . 8 . 1995, p . 4 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1201 / 95

by Gerardo Fernandez      - Albor ( PPE )

set out in the Operational Programme, the national
government of the Member State will shortly submit to the
Commission the projects it wishes to undertake . Very
probably, these will be for purposes other than those to
wh ch the Honourable Member refers .

However, the Operational Programme for Galicia is
designed to coordinate measures to reduce coastal
pollution . This programme is part-financed by the
European Regional Development Fund, on the initiative of
the Member State and with the consent of the regional and
central governments, as stipulated in the procedure for the
approval of this type of assistance .

to the Commission WRITTEN QUESTION E-1228 / 95

( 28 April 1995 ) by Josu Imaz San Miguel ( PPE )

( 95 / C 270 / 31 ) to the Commission

( 28 April 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 32 )
Subject : Community support for the revitalization of the

Ri'as Gallegas ( Spain )

Subject : Investigation into aid relating to the use of drift

The Spanish region of Galicia is among the Community's
finest areas of outstanding natural beauty, and this is
particularly true of the inlets known as the ' Ri'as Gallegas '.
Unfortunately, however, the condition of the Rias today
leaves much to be desired, thanks to a combination of
factors which have made them a prime case for revitalization
activities in general .

With a view to such revitalization of the Ri'as area, any aid
granted from ERDF funds would obviously be of particular
value : a multiannual programme would help ensure that the
unique beauty of the Ri'as was no longer subject to the
deterioration now affecting large parts of the area .

Can the Commission state whether, in the context of an
operative programme for development of the local
environment, the ERDF has contributed, or can contribute,
to a multiannual revitalization programme for the Ri'as
Gallegas, and what action would be required to ensure the
provision of the relevant Community aid ?

Answer given by Mrs Wulf-Mathies

on behalf of the Commission

( 23 June 1995 )

The Operational Programme for the local environment is
intended to meet requests for assistance from local
government or similar bodies located in Objective 1 regions
and having a population of more than about 50 000
inhabitants . Acting in accordance with the selection criteria

nets

The 1993 report by the Commission's Scientific and
Technical Committee on Fisheries states that the use of drift

gill nets begins to be cost-effective once the ratio of one
kilometre of net per crew member is reached . This fact,
wh ch is supplied by Community experts, combined with
the number of crew members on the type of vessel concerned
(a minimum of seven ) means that at least 7 km of net is
required for the operation to be cost-effective .

Because of the length required to ensure cost-effectiveness,
the use in tunidae fishing of drift gill nets with a statutory
length of 2,5 km creates economic difficulties for vessels
which use such gear .

Various press reports which appeared in 1994 reveal that
the French Government granted aid to fishing vessels to
enable them to comply with the legal requirement regarding
the length of drift gill nets . The purpose of the aid was
apparently to compensate for the fact that the use of nets up
to and including 2,5 km in length was not cost-effective .

Has the Commission considered the possibility of
undertaking an investigation in order to determine the
existence, the origin and the amount of the aid granted for
the above purpose ?

Does the Commission consider the fact that 2,5-km nets are
not cost-effective and that aid exists to enable the rules on
net length to be complied with to be sufficient reason for
making the use of nets of that length illegal and introducing
a total ban on the use of drift gill nets for tunidae fishing in
the Atlantic ?

No C 270 / 20 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 16 . 10 . 95

Answer given by Mrs Bonino

on behalf of the Commission

(8 June 1995 )

The Commission has already sought information from the
French authorities on any aid granted in connection with
vessels using driftnets so that it can comment in full
awareness of the facts . Its examination of the matter is in

progress and it would therefore be premature to draw any
conclusions .

None of the points raised in the Honourable Member's
second question is such as to call into question the
prohibition specified in Article 9a of Regulation ( EEC )
No 3094 / 86 ( M.

This port serves primarily as a departure / arrival point for
passenger traffic with the islands of the Aegean . Over the
last decade, the traffic through the port has increased
considerably and estimates indicate a doubling of traffic by
the year 2010, making necessary the assistance envisaged
under the programme in question .

With regard to the effects on the environment, the Greek
authorities are obliged to conform to the requirements of
Community legislation before allowing the construction of
the project, as is indeed the case for all projects
part-financed by the Structural Funds .

(') OJ No L 288, 11 . 10 . 1986 . WRITTEN QUESTION E-1292 / 95

by Christine Oddy ( PSE )

to the Commission

(5 May 1 995 )

WRITTEN QUESTION E    - 1 260 / 95 ( 95 / C 270 / 34 )

by Mihail Papayannakis ( GUE / NGL )

to the Commission

(5 May 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 33 )

Subject : Extension of the port of Rafina in Attica

The small old port of Rafina in Attica is being extended with
Community aid ; however, local inhabitants and the
Municipal Council are increasingly opposed to the scale of
the project, the purposes it is supposed to serve, the methods
by which it is being financed and the consequences which
the presence of a large port already has — and will continue
to have in future — on the life of the town ( traffic, pressure
on infrastructures, pollution, long-term parking of vehicles
by tourists, etc .). The existing environmental impact study
has attracted strong criticism . The plans for a further
extension of the port are causing considerable concern and
local inhabitants and the Council have warned that they will
take action to oppose them .

Will the Commission provide information on the inclusion
of the port projects in the second CSF, the rationale for
further extending the port of Rafina and existing projects
concerning a possible extension of the port facilities in
future and port operations ?

Answer given by Mrs Wulf-Mathies

on behalf of the Commission

(7 July 1995 )

In the context of the operational programme covering
' accesses and trunk roads ' ( roads, ports and airports ) under
the second Community support framework for Greece,
financing of ECU 3,5 million is planned for the extension of
the port of Rafina .

Subject : Income gap in the United Kingdom

According to a publication by the Joseph Rowntree
Foundation ' Income and Wealth ', income inequality in the
United Kingdom is its greatest since the Second World War
and has been growing faster than any other developed
country with the exception of New Zealand .

Given that the Treaty of Rome has as one of its major tasks
in Article 2 the raising of the standard of living and quality of
life, does the Commission not consider that in the case of the
United Kingdom the European Union has failed in that task ?
What steps will it take to urgently remedy the sad
situation ?

Answer given by Mr de Silguy

on behalf of the Commission

( 30 May 1995 )

The Community aims to reduce disparities between the
levels of development of the various regions . Article 2 EC
T reaty establishes as one of the tasks of the Community the
promotion of a high degree of convergence of economic
performance among Member States by the implementation
of the common policies referred to in Articles 3 and 3a . To
date the Community's limited resources under the
Structural Funds have concentrated on the poorest regions,
with encouraging results so far . Spain, Ireland and Portugal
are converging gradually on GDP levels per capita elsewhere
in the Community .

However, the Community does not have a specific
responsibility or the means at its disposal for redressing
income inequality between individuals within Member
States . In particular, the major policy tools that Member
States can use to address questions of income inequality

16 . 10 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 270 / 21

such as direct taxation and public expenditure are a matter
for Member States themselves . Domestic policies are indeed
the focus of the Rowntree report with respect to the United
Kingdom . Nevertheless the Community does aim to
promote a high degree of social protection . This is the
objective of the Community's action in the social field,
including legislation, as set out most recently in the medium
term social action programm 1995 — 1997 . Through
Objective 3, financed by the European Social Fund in
agreement with Member States, the Community also aims to
underpin Member States ' efforts to combat unemployment
and exclusion from the labour market by improving the
employment prospects of people and groups at a
disadvantage .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1312 / 95

by Honorio Novo ( GUE / NGL )

to the Commission

( 12 May 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 35 )

Subject : The use of the 12-mile continental shelf

The 12-mile continental shelf is, by law, reserved for the
fishing boats of each Member State .

However, there are exceptions to this law . There are cases in
which fishing licences are granted to some EU Member
States enabling them to fish in the 12-mile continental shelf
of other Member States .

Can the Commission say whether such exceptions are made
regarding the 12-mile continental shelf of Continental
Portugal, of the Azores and of Madeira, and if this situation
will continue after Portugal has been fully integrated into
the common fisheries policy ?

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1313 / 95

In the case of Continental Portugal, the Azores and
Madeira, where exactly are the exceptions, how many
licences have been granted, and to which Member
Sta:es ?

In addition, can the Commission say whether any
Portuguese fishermen have the right to fishing licences for
the continental shelves of any other Member State ?

Joint answer to Written Questions

E-1312 / 95 and E-1313 / 95

given by Mrs Bonino
on behalf of the Commission

( 11 July 1995 )

The terms of access by vessels flying the flag of one Member
Sta:e to the coastal waters of another Member State are

specified in Annex I to Regulation ( EEC ) No 3760 / 92 of
20 December 1992 establishing a Community system for
fisheries and aquaculture (').

In this connection, there is no provision for access by vessels
flying the flag of another Member State to the coastal waters
of mainland Portugal, the Azores or Madeira .

The entry into force on 1 January 1996 of the arrangements
for managing fishing effort in relation to certain
Community zones and resources, which will mark
Portugal's full integration into the common fisheries policy,
wil not affect the rules on access to the coastal waters of the

Member States .

No request for access by vessels flying the Portuguese flag to
the coastal waters of the other Member States has been

made since 1 985 .

(') Ol No L 389, 31 . 12 . 1992 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1332 / 95

by Honorio Novo ( GUE / NGL )

Novo ( GUE / NGL ) by Sérgio Ribeiro ( GUE / NGL )

to the Commission

to the Commission

( 12 May 1995 )

( 12 May 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 36 ) ( 95 / C 270 / 37 )

Subject : Fishing licences in the continental shelf

The 12-mile continental shelf is, by law, reserved for the
fishing boats of each Member State .

However, there are exceptions to this law . There are cases in
which fishing licences are granted to some EU Member
States enabling them to fish in the 12-mile continental shelf
of other Member States .

Subject : Drought and environmental disasters ( Lis river
system, Leiria, Portugal )

The prolonged drought in Portugal is leading to genuine
catastrophe in certain regions, particularly where farms are
concerned .

Mcreover, a direct consequence of this is that the use, in
current conditions, of herbicides on certain crops,

No C 270 / 22 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 16 . 10 . 95

particularly rice, could be extremely hazardous because the
lack of water in rivers increases the effect thereof .

This became apparent a few days ago in the case of the river
Negro, a tributary of the Lis, in which hundreds of fish and
other creatures have died .

By way of action in addition to the alarm raised by the local
authorities in the region and by environmental
organizations, does the Commission not think that efforts
should be made to obtain information regarding the
situation and its resultant dangers, to sound the alert and to
adopt preventive measures, in view of the Community's
responsability for protecting and conserving the
environment and preventing ( or making good )
environmental disasters ?

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1333 / 95

by Glyn Ford ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 12 May 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 38 )

Subject : Re-naming of soya milk

Will the Commission comment upon reports that soya milk
is to be re-named soya drink due to its not being a dairy
product ?

Answer given by Mr Fischler
on behalf of the Commission

(6 I u ly Î 995 )
Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard

on behalf of the Commission

( 18 July 1995 )

The Commission shares the general concern of the
Honourable Member and can only encourage proper and
environmentally safe use of plant protection products,
including proper monitoring of possible impact on the
environment . The Commission further encourages Member
States to take appropriate measures if situations arise where
the use of plant protection products causes problems for the
environment .

The Commission does not have information on the specific
situation of fish death due to high levels of herbicides in the
river Negro or on the possible link to the conditions of
drought, and there is no mechanism in the present legislative
framework for obtaining such information, as Member
States are not obliged to report on such incidents to the
Commission .

Specific Community legislation exists to cover the use of
herbicides in certain crops . Directive 91 / 414 / EEC
concerning the placing of plant protection products on the
market (') covers the use of herbicides and certain
provisions for assessment of risk to both humans and the
environment . Uniform principles detailing the manner in
which the risk assessment should be carried out were
adopted last year in Directive 94 / 43 / EEC ( 2 ).

Directive 91 / 414 / EEC and its associated uniform principles

( 94 / 43 / EEC ) have not yet been applied to all existing active
substances and associated products but once this has been
this done only those products which can be used without
undue risk to humans and the environment will be

authorized .

(>) O ) No L 230, 19 . 8 . 1991 .

( 2 ) 0 1 No L 227, 1 . 9 . 1994 .

Council Regulation ( EEC ) No 1 898 / 87 on the protection of
designations used in marketing milk and milk products ( 1 ) in
principle reserves the right to use the word milk to the
product obtained from milking cows or other dairy animals .
Articles 3 and 4 of the Regulation did however provide a
means whereby dairy designations of certain non dairy
products could be exempted from the requirements of the
Regulation when the exact nature of the product is clear
from traditional usage or when the designation is clearly
used to describe a characteristic quality of the product . The
Commission, following the management committee
procedure, adopted on 28 November 1988 the list of
exempted designations ( Decision 88 / 556 / EEC ) ( 2 ).

Following a further request from the United Kingdom
concerning the matter of the designation soya milk the
management committee met on 16 June 1994 to reconsider
the question . The committee confirmed that soya milk
should not be added to the list of products permitted to use
designations associated with dairy products whilst not
being dairy products themselves . All Member State
representatives in the committee, with the exception of the
United Kingdom representative, voted against the inclusion
of soya milk in the list of exempted products . It is therefore
clear that even if this matter was re-examined by the Council
it would be highly unlikely that approval for use of the
designation soya milk would be granted .

The Commission opened the infringement proceedings

under Article 169 EC Treaty against the United Kingdom in
respect of this matter in 1992 . The Commission issued a
reasoned opinion in 1993 . If the infringement does not
cease, the Commission will bring the matter before the
European Court of Justice . The United Kingdom
government has indicated that it will be taking steps to
comply with its obligations .

Although the designation soya drink is used in some
Member States this designation is not mandatory under any
provision of Community law . The Commission believes that
those already familiar with the product in the United

16 . 10 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 270 / 23

Kingdom will not have difficulty in recognising it when sold The Commission is of the opinion that the use of a neutral
in packaging on which the word milk no longer appears . language might lead to a loss of tradition and identity . A
Furthermore, those consumers who may not he familiar neitral language could not possess all the cultural and
with the product will be protected from the risk of confusion hisroric richness of natural languages .
which could result from the continuing use of dairy product
designation . C ) O J No L S 7 . 20 . 4 . 1995 .

C ) OJ No L 182, 3 . 7 . 1987 .

( 2 ) OJ No L 310, 16 . 11 . 1988 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E                        - 1373 / 95

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1363 / 95 by Doris Pack ( PPE )

by Marianne Thyssen ( PPE ) to the Commission

to the Commission

( 12 May 19 95 )

( 12 May 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 39 )

( 95 / C 270 / 40 )

Subject : Programme to improve language skills Subject : EU programmes for environment and nature

protection

Is Esperanto covered by the programmes to improve
language skills in the European Union ?

Is the Commission prepared to set up pilot projects to
promote the knowledge of Esperanto amongst citizens of
the European Union ?

What is the Commission's attitude towards the suggestion
of setting up a pilot project to promote the knowledge of
Esperanto amongst primary school children who, it is said,
would rapidly be able to communicate with their
contemporaries from other language backgrounds if they
knew Esperanto ?

If the answer to any of these question is l no ', what are the
reason ?

1 . How many projects under each individual programme
for environment and nature protection were approved or
aided in 1993 and 1994, who has the last word on project
applications and is there a right of appeal against rejection of
applications ?

2 . What are the arrangements for publishing
environment and nature protection programmes ?

3 . How can nature protection groups have a hand in
drawing up such programmes and contributing their own
experience ?

WRITTEN QUESTION E    - 1 3 75 / 95

Answer given by Mrs Cresson by Doris Pack ( PPE )

on behalf of the Commission to the Commission

( 31 May 1995 ) ( 12 May 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 41 )

Community competence in the area of education is
determined by Article 126 of the EC Treaty which states
explicitly that the Community shall contribute to the
development of quality education ' while fully respecting the
responsibility of Member States for the content of teaching
and the organization of education systems and their cultural
and linguistic diversity '.

The Commission supports the teaching and learning of the
languages and cultures of the Member States . Socrates, the
action programme for education, adopted in March
1995 (') by the Parliament and the Council, envisages
explicitly the support of initiatives that contribute towards
the knowledge of the languages of the Member States .

Subject : EU programmes for environment and nature

protection

1 . How many project applications under each of the
environment and nature protection programmes were
submitted in 1993 and 1994 and how many such
applications were there from each of the Member States ?

2 . How many project applications under each of the
above programmes were accepted in 1993 and 1994 and
what is the breakdown for each of the Member States ?

No C 270 / 24 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 16 . 10 . 95

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1441 / 95

by Doris Pack ( PPE )

to the Commission

( 12 May 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 42 )

Subject : EU aid programmes in the field of environmental

and nature protection

What current aid programmes are there in the field of
environmental and nature protection ( name of project,
objective, duration, funding )?

Joint answer to Written Questions
E-1373 / 95, E-1375 / 95 and E-1441 / 95

given by Mrs Bjerregaard
on behalf of the Commission

( 11 July 1995 )

Many financial instruments may be used to support action
on the environment, including socioeconomic development
and research and technological development .

In its proposal for a Regulation amending Council
Regulation ( EEC ) No 1973 / 92 establishing a financial
instrument for the environment ( LIFE ) ('), on which
Parliament is required to deliver an opinion, the
Commission, in the Annex to the progress report on the
implementation of the Regulation, sets out the objectives,
conditions of access and funding of the measures financed
by the different instruments . Each of these instruments has
its own rules regarding eligibility, sourcing and selection of
measures and appeals procedures . In the final instance,
funding is always approved by the Commission .

The Council and Parliament receive regular reports on these
instruments, giving details on the implementation of
budgets .

(!) COM(95 ) 135 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1382 / 95

by Concepcio Ferrer ( PPE )

to the Commission

( 12 May 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 43 )

Subject : Support for sporting activities

Community measures to support sporting activities have
until now been very limited, if not non-existent . Such

activities can, however, play an important role in regional
development .

Would it therefore not be useful to consider setting up a
programme to support sporting activities as part of the
inter-regional cooperation designed for eligible areas of the
Community, especially in the areas concerned ?

Answer given by Mr Oreja
on behalf of the Commission

(6 fuly 19 95 )

The Commission agrees that sport can play an important
role as an instrument of regional development . Further, it is
the wish of the Commission to support the concept of ' sport
for all 1 . In 1994 the Eurathlon Programme was set up to
provide an objective and detailed framework of financial
support for sports projects and programmes with a
European dimension .

The Eurathlon programme of the Commission received over

800 applications for assisted funding of projects taking
place in 1995 . Of these approximately 80 have been
recommended for funding by an independent jury .

The Eurathlon programme for 1 996 will be an adaptation of
the 1995 programme . It will be announced in autumn 1995
provided that the Parliament gives its approval for the
programme's continuation and assigns a budget for it .

Additionally, the Commission's programme ' Sports for
people with disabilities ' helps contribute to greater regional
cooperation by helping the disabled integrate more, both
socially and economically, at a regional and European
level .

Within the framework of the internal inter-regional
cooperation between regional and local communities for
projects financed from the Recite programme ( regions and
cities of Europe ), the rules allow cooperation projects for
leisure and recreation centres, provided that the proposed
projects have a real link with regional and local development
objectives .

In this context, there is nothing to prevent local or regional
authorities from creating cooperation networks which
would have, either as a principal or as an associated theme,
sports activities including those with a leisure or a
recreational aspect .

16 . 10 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 270 / 25

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1388 / 95 Answer given by Mr Fischler

by Nel van Dijk ( V ) on behalf of the Commission

to the Commission ( 23 lune 1995 )

( 12 May 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 44 ) 1 to 1 1 . When the Community Structural Funds assist in
financing forestry schemes, they do so at the level of the
different types of measure ( afforestation, melioration,

pine forest on Crete protection, forest roads, etc .) rather than of individual

projects, which in the majority of cases in this sector are
small-scale sites in areas of very limited size . In Greece,

from EC funds has been spent since furthermore, most of the forestry measures are intended to
managing the recreational forest of ass st public forests . Consequently, and in view of the
( Ierapetra ) on Crete ? principle of subsidiarity, the Commission cannot know in

detail what operations are being carried out at a small-scale
local level since management and the decisions relating to it

intended for conservation of the fall within the competence of the local forestry authorities .
which stretches from the shore to Several of the queries in the written question from the

Honourable Member, in particular in points 3 to 10, in fact
relate to decisions exclusively in the competence of the

Dasaki, for which EC aid has been above authorities and do not seem to be connected with any
' Community responsibility .

Subject : EC aid for Dasaki pine forest on Crete

1 . How much money from EC funds has been spent since
1986 on creating and managing the recreational forest of
Dasaki near Koutsouras ( Ierapetra ) on Crete ?

2 . Is this money partly intended for conservation of the
last pine forest on Crete which stretches from the shore to
the mountains ?

3 . Did the plans for Dasaki, for which EC aid has been
granted, include a visitors ' centre and a fire prevention
system ?

4 . Do the Greek authorities intend to close the visitors '

centre ? If so, why ?

5 . Is the key of the water reservoir 55 km from the forest,
with the result that the tenant of the visitors ' centre, who
also manages the forest, cannot use the water if there is a
forest fire ?

6 . Following a fire in July 1993, was EC funding used

( See the answer to Glyn Ford's Wirtten Question
E-2153 / 84 ) (') to plant new trees amongst trees which had
espaced the fire, instead of on fire-damaged land ?

7 . Is there a threat of erosion to the hills affected by the
forest fire near the forest ?

8 . Have public forests in and in the vicinity of Dasaki
been seized by farmers and planted with olive trees ?

9 . Has the beach near the recreational forest been

destroyed by the construction of a port ?

10 . Are there plans to build a golf course and bungalow
park in the forest ?

1 1 . If the answer to any of questions 2 to 1 0 is 'y es \ does
this not violate the conditions under which the EC funding
was made available ?

Finally, the Honourable Member refers rightly to the reply
of the Commission to Written Question 2153 / 94 by Mr
Glyn Ford, in which the Commission provided some
information about the corrective action undertaken in the
area after the fire of July 1993 .

12 . Given the extent of the responsibility of the Member
State for the forestry schemes under consideration, an
inspection on the spot by the Commission does not seem to
be warranted .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1417 / 95

by Niels Sindal ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 22 May 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 45 )

Subject : Road haulage

A r umber of Danish drivers have experienced distortions of
competition in their day-to-day work in the EU road
haulage sector . For example, haulage contractors prefer
Dutch drivers to Danish drivers, since they do not demand
the same conditions in respect of driving and rest periods . In
view of this :

1 . Have any steps been taken or does the Commission
intend to take steps to remedy distortions of
competition currently affecting the EU road haulage
sector ?

12 . Is the Commission prepared to carry out an
on-the-spot enquiry ? 2 . What steps is the Commission taking to ensure the

supervision of carriers in the Member States and are
(') O ] No C 55, 6 . 3 . 1995, p . 37 . rules concerning driving and rest periods interpreted

No C 270 / 26 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 16 . 10 . 95

uniformly ? When will speed limits be harmonized to
ensure uniform interpretation of these rules ? Will
uniform requirements be introduced concerning
objective liability ?

3 . In view of the large number of different road haulage
restrictions there is no point in taking half measures,
given the possibility of using technology to remove
unequal conditions of competition . Will the
Commission call for all vehicles circulating in the EU to
be fitted with a ' black box ' which can process
information from the driver's magnetic driving licence,
on which data can be entered and retrieved ?

4 . Will the Commission ensure that the authorities are

equipped with portable devices capable of monitoring
the vehicle and driver at any time ?

5 . Is it not true to say that the achievement of a properly
functioning internal market also requires the fulfilment
of qualitv requirements ?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock

on behalf of the Commission

5 . The Commission shares the view, expressed by the
' wise men ' in their report on road haulage in the Single
European Market, that road haulage must meet public
demand in terms of quality and efficiency . The Commission
will take whatever steps are necessary to achieve a
competitive market free of barriers and distortions, a social
framework which protects health, safety and the
environment, and a tax system which enables all modes of
transport to cover all their costs .

C ) COM(94 ) 323, 22 . 7 . 1994 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1446 / 95

by Christine Oddy ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 22 May / 99 5 )

(9 SIC 270 / 46 )

( 25 July 1995 ) Subject : Baby milk action

1, and 2 . The Commission's policy objective is greater
compliance with the existing Community rules on driving
time and rest time . All too often these are ignored, to the
detriment of road safety, fair competition and social
progress . A number of remedial measures are planned or
currently being taken : technical improvements to the
recording equipment, stricter controls and penalties and
better training for drivers . In cooperation with haulage
associations and trade unions, consideration is also being
given to the possibly of extending the Community rules to
cover working hours .

The Commission intends, in the next few months, to
convene a meeting of the responsible national officials,
enabling them to compare their experiences and to reach
agreement on a more closely harmonized interpretation of
the existing social legislation and on a more homogeneous
system of inspections and penalties . Under such a system,
drivers ' employers and those who issue instructions to
drivers should be held more accountable for offences

committed by those drivers .

3 . and 4 . In July 1994, the Commission put forward a
proposal for a Council Regulation amending the existing
Regulation on tachographs ('). The aim of this proposed
Regulation is to improve the tachograph using electronic
technology . More specifically, it is proposed to introduce a
personalized ' smart card ' which will store the data recorded
over the previous 28 days . These data cannot be tampered
with, but they can be checked by anyone with the right
card-reading equipment . Such reading equipment will be
standard for inspectors but optional for drivers .

Is the Commission aware that UK legislation on the
marketing and composition of baby milks will be in
contravention of the World Health Organization
International Code, and is considered weaker than the

current Directive ?

What moves will the Commission take to ensure full

implementation of the Directive ?

Answer given by Mr Bangemann

on behalf of the Commission

( 20 June 1995 )

The Commission has only now received in official
communication from the British authorities of legislation
implementing Directive 91 / 32 1 / EEC relating to infant
formulae and follow-on formulae ('). The Commission is
carrying out systematic monitoring relating to the quality of
the implementation of food law in Member States, including
the Directive in question . Following this examination and in
the event of discrepancies, the Commission will ask the

Member States to implement legislation correctly .

Furthermore, the Commission would underline that the
provisions of Directive 91 / 321 / EEC on infant formulae and
follow-on formulae are laid down in conformity with the
principles and aims of the International code of marketing
of breast-milk substitutes of the World Health

16 . 10 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 270 / 27

Organization, and take account of the particular legal and
factual situations existing in the Community .

WRITTEN QUESTION E - 1 45 3 / 95

by Josep Pons Grau ( PSE )

to the Commission
(>) OJ No L 175, 4 . 7 . 1991 .

( 22 May 1995 )

95 / C 270 / 48 )

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1451 / 95

by Christine Oddy ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 22 May 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 47 )

Subject : EU support for the training of Guatemala national

police and military

In response to my Question E-2567 / 94 ('), Commissioner
Marin recognizes the plight of street children in
Guatemala .

Is the Commission aware that several Member States of the

EU ( including the UK and Spain ) are participating in the
support and training of the national police and the
Guatemala military ?

Is the Commission also aware that there are still 18 arrest

warrants, mostly against members of the national police,
outstanding for the murder and torture of street
children ?

What moves will the Commission take to ensure that such

support includes specific training for new recruits, to
prevent acts against street children ?

(') OJ No C 75, 27 . 3 . 1995, p . 56 .

Subject : Marketing of bivalve molluscs

Given the commercial entry into the EU of bivalve molluscs

( clams and cockles ) originating in third countries, and in
these cases where import quotas exist, what criteria have
bet n employed in setting those quotas ?

Is Spain the only EU Member State into which such bivalve
molluscs are being imported ?

Is any other Member State acting as an intermediary
between Spain and third countries ? If so, are such
transactions legal ?

With a view to aiding the regeneration of the
fishing-grounds, the maximum catch quotas per vessel are
the Comunidad Valenciana region of Spain is 65 kg for
vessels with a crew of two and 90 kg for vessels with a crew
of three . What quotas per vessel apply in other EU Member
States, and what criteria are employed in setting such limits
on production ?

An ; all the ports from which bivalve molluscs are marketed,
both in the EU and in the third countries which export to it,
equipped with duly authorized mollusc dispatching centres
carrying out health checks and analyses and undertaking the
labelling of the packaging with the relevant identifying
data ?

Answer given by Mrs Bonino

Answer given by Mr Marin on behalf of the Commission
on behalf of the Commission
( 11 July 1995 )
( 19 June 1995 )

The Commission is aware that lack of proper professional
and psychological training for police and private security
organizations is frequently at the root of violence against
minors, and that this has been widely reported in the

press .

In order to ensure that measures to safeguard order and
protect private property are not out of all proportion to the
seriousness of the threat, it is very important that the
Member States and the Commission support steps taken to
improve the professionalism of the various police bodies
and private security organizations .

The Commission is currently considering, in cooperation
with the United Nations fact-binding mission ( Minugua )
and the national authorities, how the Community could
become involved in this field .

There are no quantitative restrictions on the import into the
Community of the products to which the Honourable
Member refers .

Th = foreign trade statistics do not permit imports of these
species to be identified separately since many different
bivalve molluscs are covered by the same heading of the
Combined Nomenclature . Imports of such products into the
Community are destined for a number of Member States,
although Spain is still the largest market .

Once a product has been checked at its point of entry into
the customs territory of the Community, it can circulate
freely throughout that territory .

There are no Community measures which define the
allowable rates of catch or catch quotas for mollusc fishing
grounds and so no such restrictions apply to the species
referred to . However, Member States have the right to

No C 270 / 28 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 16 . 10 . 95

introduce specific management arrangements provided
these do not affect fishermen of another nationality . In
practice, national or regional measures which do not
interfere directly with the common fisheries policy are
constantly in force in coastal fisheries for small bivalves,
such as those to which the Honourable Member refers .

The health rules governing the production and marketing of
live bivalve molluscs are laid down on a harmonized basis,
to cover both Community production and imports, by
Council Directive 91 / 492 / EEC of 15 July 1991 ('), as
amended by the Act of Accession of Austria, Finland and
Sweden .

(•) OJ No L 268, 24 . 9 . 1991 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1461 / 95

by Marie-Paule Kestelijn-Sierens ( ELDR )

to the Commission

( 22 May 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 49 )

Subject : Selection of consultants for the Phare and Tacis

programmes

In his answer to Question E-2894 / 94 of 1 6 January 1 995 ( 1 )
by Mrs Maren Giinther on the need for more decentralized
management of the Phare and Tacis programmes, Mr Van
den Broek of the Commission says that there is ' stronger
involvement of recipients in the planning process and in the
administration of Tacis ' and that some of the Commission's
responsibilities are being transferred from Brussels to the
delegations in the recipient countries .

According to my information, however, some consultants
are repeatedly being requested by the local Phare and Tacis
coordination units, who feel they have the requisite profile,
to take part in implementing specific projects and to submit
their names to the Commission's services in Brussels .

However, there is never any follow-up to this nomination
procedure . The consultants are showered with information
on current projects, but they are never short-listed and hence
they have no prospect of acting as contractors for Phare and
Tacis .

1 . What criteria determine whether consultants are

short-listed under the Phare and Tacis programmes ?

2 . Does the Commission consult the local coordination
units when it draws up and updates short-lists ? If so, are
the opinions of the local units binding on the
Commission in Brussels ?

(') OJ No C 103, 24 . 4 . 1995, p . 49 .

Answer given by Mr Van den Broek

on behalf of the Commission

( 29 June 1 995 )

1 . The selection of organizations for the short list is one
of the critical activities in ensuring a sound implementation
of the project . Real competition between organizations is
the primary objective in drawing up a short list . All
organizations included in a shortlist must be eligible as
detailed in the appropriate Phare and Tacis regulations

( Council Regulation ( EEC ) No 3906 / 89 (') and Council
Regulation ( Euratom / EEC ) No 2053 / 93 ( 2 )) The short list
only includes organizations which are capable of doing most
of the job by themselves .

Priority is given to those organizations which have
submitted an expression of interest . The selection is on the
basis of the following criteria :

( a ) competence : this can be evaluated on the basis of
documentation that is attached to the expression of
interest and of the dossier available at the central

consultancy register . If necessary, the organization is
requested to provide further information . References
may be checked, since it is not unusual that
organizations include in the record of their experiences
projects which have been unsuccessful ;

( b ) experience in the country : organizations which have
worked in the country for which even have an office
already open in the country offer the advantage of being
immediately operational and of being acquainted with
the local culture ;

( c ) fair access : Tacis and Phare have a computerized
register by organization of the participation in tenders
and contracts . This helps to avoid always working with
the same organizations . Performance on any previous
contracts is taken into account . There should also be a

spread of organizations from not less than four
different Member States .

In order to ensure competition, the number of companies or
consortia to be invited should be such that, after the
technical evaluation, at least three proposals are
satisfactory . From experience this is achieved by inviting not
less than six or seven companies . However, for small
contracts ( less than ECU 500 000 ) four companies may be
sufficient . For large projects ( more than ECU 1 million ) the
number of companies may be increased to ten or more .

These criteria are also used by the programme management
units ( PMUs ) in Phare .

2 . In drawing up a shortlist, the Commission takes advice
from any reliable source . The Commission is not bound by
such advice . Shortlists drawn up by PMUs, as a general rule,
must have approval of the Commission prior to tender

16 . 10 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 270 / 29

launch . The Commission generally follows the advice of the
PMU but is not bound by it .

(•) OJ No L 375, 23 . 12 . 1989 .

( 2 ) O J No L 187, 29 . 7 . 1993 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1467 / 95

by Jean Gol ( ELDR )

to the Commission

( 22 May 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 50 )

Subject : Flooding in Europe and common water
management policy

1 . Exactly what action has been taken on the resolution
adopted by Parliament on 16 February 1995 concerning
flooding in Europe ?

2 . What is the current amount of emergency aid paid out
to the Member States, and how exactly has it been divided
up between the various Member States concerned ?

3 . What flood prevention strategy does the Commission
plan to adopt, and how much funding will the European
Investment Bank provide to this end ?

Answer given by Mr Santer
on behalf of the Commission

( 26 July 1995 )

The Commission responded to the disastrous floods which
hit a number of Member States in early 1995 by granting
ECU 1,5 million in emergency aid for those most in need .
The money was disbursed by the Red Cross Liaison Office .
In accordance with its mandate from the Commission, the
Office distributed the amount as follows, on the basis of
need, as assessed by the nine national Red Cross Societies
involved :

Belgium 215 000,
Germany 315 000,
France 500 000,
Ireland 325 000,
Italy 20 000,
Luxembourg 10 000,
Netherlands 30 000,
Austria 20 000,
United Kingdom 40 000,
Reserve 25 000 .

Following Parliament's resolution of 16 February 1995 on
the floods, the Commission examined at its meeting of
29 March what immediate action could be taken using
existing instruments . The aim is to do more in the fields of
civil protection ( new action programme ), research and
technological development ( improving meteorological
early-warning systems and river basin modelling ). In
addition, a number of special pilot schemes are to be run .
They will be funded from the ERDF ( Council Regulation

( EEC ) No 4254 / 88 of 19 December 1988 laying down
provisions for implementing Regulation ( EEC ) No 2052 / 88
as regards the European Regional Development Fund, as
amended by Regulation ( EEC ) 2083 / 93 ) f 1 ) ( ECU 2 million
has been allocated to joint projects addressing the problem
of flooding in the Rhine-Meuse basin involving Germany,
Belgium, the Netherlands, France and Luxembourg ) and the
Guidance Section of the European Agriculture Guidance
and Guarantee Fund ( Council Regulation ( EEC )
No 4256 / 88 of 19 December 1988 laying down provisions
for implementing Council Regulation ( EEC ) No 2052 / 88 as
regards the EAGGF Guidance Section, as amended by
Regulation ( EEC ) No 2085 / 93 ) ('). These measures are
meï.nt to complement the compensation and preventive
measures funded from the Structural Funds, though these
are subject both to the programming priorities of the
national and regional authorities in the Member States and
to geographical restrictions . However, there are two
programmes dealing with flanking measures connected with
the reform of the common agricultural policy an
agro-environmental programme and a reforestation
programme which are not restricted to particular areas .

In addition to these measures for immediate

implementation, the Commission is to continue its medium
and long-term special projects concerned with the problem
of " looding . It explained its approach at the informal
meeting of the ministers with responsibility for town and
country planning and regional policy, which took place in
Strasbourg on 31 March . The Commission feels that the
problems should be addressed within the wider context of a
more integrated, more comprehensive planning policy,
taking account of transnational considerations . Following
the Aries declaration of February 1995 and the Strasbourg
declaration of March 1995, the Commission welcomed the
decision of the Member States with territory in the Rhine
and Meuse basins to cooperate on prevention .

The Commission has already stated that it intends to
examine the possibility of widening the scope of the
Structural Funds as part of the current Interreg initiative to
cov^r the most pressing needs connected with water

management .

(•) O J No L 193, 31 . 7 . 1993 .

No C 270 / 30 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 16 . 10 . 95

QUESTION E-1491 / 95 However, the situation is continuously monitored . The

Moorhouse ( PPE ) Commission is following with interest the negotiations

to the Commission between Nepal and Bhutan with a view to finding a
reasonable solution to the refugee issue .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1491 / 95

by James Moorhouse ( PPE )

( 22 May 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 51 )

Subject : Financial aid from the EU to Buthan

1 . How much aid, if any, does the Commission make
available to Buthan and what form does it take ?

2 . How does the Commission ensure that any funding is
benefiting all sections of the population, when it is said that
around one sixth of the population is made up of
refugees ?

3 . Is the Commission aware of any human rights
violations against Buthanese refugees living in the refugee
camps in Nepal ?

Answer given by Mr Marin
on behalf of the Commission

( 16 lune 1 995 )

1 . Overall Community commitments have reached, since
the beginning of the Community Bhutan cooperation in

1982, approximately ECU 30 million, of which ECU 12
million from 1991 to 1994 . The average is therefore about
ECU 2,5 million per year .

All Community aid is in grant form and it responds to the
needs and priorities of Bhutan . This means that the focus has
been on development aid, which has absorbed most of the
resources of the past .

2 . The section of the population benefiting from the
assistance can be different according to the nature and type
of each project . The Commission is aware of some risks of
discrimination which could arise, particularly as regards
people of Nepalese origin living in the south, but the projects
include appropriate mechanisms which allow the
Commission to control and monitor the situation and take,
if needed, measures to correct it .

The Commission is aware of the presence of a certain
number of Tibetan people who have fled from their
homeland to seek asylum in Bhutan . However, the
Commission understands that the Tibetans living in Bhutan
are not considered as refugees and that they are integrated in
Bhutanese society .

3 . The Commission shares the concern of the
Honourable Member on the human rights problem, but is
not aware of any violations of the human rights of
Bhutanese refugees living in the refugee camps in Nepal .

WRITTEN QUESTION E    - 1 498 / 95

by Mihail Papayannakis ( GUE / NGL )

to the Commission

( 22 May 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 52 )

Subject : Use of hazardous pesticides

The press has reported that six of the pesticides on the
market in Greece belong to the ' dirty dozen ' of the most
hazardous pesticides in the world . Studies by toxicology
laboratories in Athens have revealed that there are 1 500

cases a year of acute pesticide poisoning, 30 of which are
fatal, and the figure is similar in Thessaloniki .

— The EU has enacted a large body of legislation to control

the use of pesticides to ensure that food derived from
plants is fit for consumption ; this includes Directives
86 / 355 / EEC ('), 89 / 365 / EEC ( 2 ), 90 / 533 / EEC ( 3 ) on the
prohibition inter alia of Dinosebe and Dicofol, which are
used in Greece, and Directive 91 / 414 / EEC ( 4 );

— According to Commissioner Fischler's answer of
21 February 1995 to my question No 2718 / 94 C ),
' Greece has announced that it will be revising the
programme for the application of Regulation ( EEC )
No 2078 / 92 on agricultural production methods
compatible with the requirements of the protection of
the environment ';

Will the Commission, therefore, say :

1, whether the Greek Government has in fact proceeded to
revise its programme for the application of Regulation

( EEC ) No 2078 / 92 ( 6 ) and whether its new programme
includes measures to encourage the control of supplies
of pesticides ;

2, whether it submitted before 1 August 1994, the report
required of it pursuant to Article 17 of Directive
91 / 414 / EEC, and

3, whether the Greek Government has duly incorporated
Directives 86 / 355 / EEC, 89 / 365 / EEC, 90 / 533 / EEC and

16 . 10 . 95 EN Officiai Journal of the European Communities No C 270 / 31

91 / 414 / EEC into national law and, if not, what WRITTEN QUESTION
measures the Commission will take to ensure

by Freddy Blak ( PSE

compliance ?
to the Commission

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1527 / 95

by Freddy Blak ( PSE )

( 31 May 1995 )
(») OJ No L 212, 2 . 8 . 1986, p . 33 .

( 2 ) OJ No L 159, 10 . 6 . 1989, p . 58 . 95 / C 270 / 53 )

( 3 ) OJ No L 296, 27 . 10 . 1990, p . 63 .

( 4 ) OJ No L 230, 19 . 8 . 1991, p . 1 .

( 5 ) OJ No C 152, 19 . 6 . 1995, p . 13 .

( 6 ) OJ No L 215, 30 . 7 . 1992, p . 85 .

Answer given by Mr Fischler
on behalf of the Commission

(6 July 1995 )

1 . Greece has not yet sent the Commission all its revised
programmes for the application of Regulation ( EEC )
No 2078 / 92 . Of those which have been sent and are now

under consideration, the national programme to promote
organic farming may be considered to encourage the
controlled supply of plant protection products .

2, and 3 . Greece has informed the Commission of
national measures to implement Directives 86 / 355 / EEC,
89 / 365 / EEC and 90 / 533 / EEC, all of which amend Directive
79 / 117 / EEC prohibiting the placing on the market and use
of plant protection products containing certain active
substances ('), as last amended by Directive 91 / 1 8 8 / EEC ( 2 ).
However, Greece has not yet notified measures to
implement Directive 91 / 414 / EEC concerning the placing of
plant protection products on the market . The Commission
has sent Greece a reasoned opinion under Article 169
EEC .

Greece did not submit the annual report provided for in
Article 1 7 of that Directive by the prescribed deadline of

1 August 1994 . The Commission is monitoring with the
Member States the compilation by 1 August 1995 of their
reports for 1994 ( the first complete year to be covered by
these reports ) as referred to in that Article .

The Commission would also point out that Directive
79 / 117 / EEC and the Directives which amend it do not

completely prohibit the two substances ( Dinosebe and
Dicofol ) to which the Honourable Member refers but
simply prohibit certain forms or set purity criteria . As far as
the Commission is aware, Dicofol is still authorized in
several Member States while Dinosebe appears no longer to
be authorized either in Greece or elsewhere .

(') OJ No L 33, 8 . 2 . 197 9 .

( 2 ) OJ No L 92, 13 . 4 . 1991 .

Subiect : Diabetes

More and more people are contracting diabetes these days .
This may be put down to a combination of genes, fatty foods
and too little exercise .

Ore quite surprising fact is that more and more very small
children are also contracting diabetes .

In view of this, could the Commission explain what
iniriatives it has taken or is intending to take to investigate
tht causes of this phenomenon and what preventive
measures have been taken .

Answer given by Mr Flynn
on behalf of the Commission

( 31 July 1995 )

The Commission is aware of predictions of a notable
inc rease in the number of diabetics, linked to a number of
factors including ageing and to a greater potential for
he'editary susceptibility to the disease coupled with lifestyle
fac tors, though progress in its management is permitting
those afflicted to sustain normal growth and development .
In view of the absence of a systematic collection of relevant
data, however, the Commission is not in a position to
confirm that there has been an increase in the number of

diabetics in recent years . The Commission intends to submit
proposals, in the context of the framework for Community
ac:ion in the field of public health which would permit the
establishment of pertinent indicators and the collection of
relevant data .

Research into the causation of diabetics is supported by the
Biomed 2 programme under the Community's fourth
research and technological development research

programme .

A <. regards preventive measures, Community support can be
provided through a number of actions and programmes,
including those concerning the elderly and the disabled, and
in particular the programme on health promotion,
information, education and training on which a common
position was adopted by the Council on 2 June 1995,
pursuant to Article 129 of the EC Treaty, following
proposals by the Commission submitted in June 1994 ( 1 ).
Under this programme, the adoption of lifestyles conducive
to health is to be encouraged, and preventive actions
particular related to nutritional requirements and obesity
which are important factors in the management of diabetes,
will be eligible, among others for support .

No C 270 / 32 ( EN Official Journal of the European Communities 16 . 10 . 95

Finally, the Commission is cooperating with international
organizations active in this field and is backing a number of
initiatives, including the St Vincent declaration on the
management of diabetes and its follow-up .

0 ) OJ No C 252, 9 . 9 . 1994 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-l 560 / 95

by Jesús Cabezón Alonso ( PSE )

advance . This project had not been implemented by the time
payments were finalized, although this deadline was twice
extended, and so the Commission then de-committed the
corresponding Community aid . The regional authority had
to refund the advance of ECU 7,964 million ; this was
effected by offsetting it against the second advance for the

1994 annual instalment of the Objective 1 operational
programme of the ERDF and Cantabrian regional
authorities ( running from 1994 to 1999 ).

to the Commission WRITTEN QUESTION E - 1 5 62 / 95

(1 June 1995 ) by Jesús Cabezón Alonso ( PSE ) and

( 95 / C 270 / 54 ) Juan Colino Salamanca ( PSE )

to the Commission

Subject : Investments in Cantabria in connection with
Objective 2

The audit carried out by the European Court of Auditors
shows that there have been irregularities concerning the
investments under Objective 2 financed in part by the
Cantabrian Regional Government .

Has the ( Spanish ) Cantabrian Regional Government
returned the millions of ecus that were not invested at the

right time in works that were to have been jointly financed
under Objective 2 ?

What discrepancies in budget terms has the audit revealed

between the projected joint funding arrangements and the
expenditure eventually incurred in certain works for which
the Cantabrian Regional Government was responsible ?

Answer given by Mrs Wulf-Mathies

on behalf of the Commission

( 19 July 1995 )

According to the information available to the Commission,
the Court of Auditors carried out an inspection visit in Spain
in January 1995 covering expenditure under the European
Regional Development Fund ( ERDF ). During this mission,
the Court visited the region of Cantabria .

The essential details of this kind of inspection are generally
recorded either in a later annual report or in a special report .
The Commission supposes that the same procedure will be
followed with the results of this mission . For the moment,
the auditing report of the Court is confidential .

With regard more particularly to the refunding of amounts
not invested in due time, the Commission would like to
point out that in December 1990 it granted Community aid
of ECU 15,928 million for the integrated treatment plant for
the Bessaya river basin in the Torrelavega-Pielagos area, as
well as a single payment of ECU 7,964 million as a first

(1 lune 1995 )

(9 SIC 270 / 55 )

Subject : Investment to combat desertification

Some of the Union's southern regions are facing severe
desertification problems .

What environmental investment has the Union channelled

into desertification control in the Member States ?

Answer given by Mr Fischler
on behalf of the Commission

( 17 J u ly 1995 )

The resources of the Structural Funds provide the
Commission with the means to combat desertification .

The European Regional Development Fund ( ERDF ) is
designed to participate in financing ' productive investment
and investment in infrastructure aimed at environmental

protection where such investment is linked to regional
development '. More than ECU 300 million of the ERDF will
thus be devoted in the 1994 — 1999 programming period to
the construction of dams in Spain, Portugal and Greece .

The European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund

( EAGGF ), Guidance Section, is to encourage the financing
of schemes for ' sustainable development of the rural
environment, including developing and strengthening
agricultural and forestry structures which use methods and
techniques that respect the environment '. Through the
operational programmes or single programming documents
for Objective 1 regions and rural areas under Objective 5(b ),
the Commission is able to contribute a financial share to

schemes helping to combat desertification such as
infrastructure for the rational management of water,
forestry measures ( reafforestation, work on fire control )
and soil protection . According to the nature of the problems
and to the proposals of the Member States in their

16 . 10 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 270 / 33

development plans, the responses vary from one region to
another . For its part, the Cohesion Fund will also be
providing part-financing of more than ECU 400 million for
dams in Spain, Portugal and Greece where such projects
pursue mainly environmental goals, e.g . the quantitative
and qualitative management of drinking water,
safeguarding and reconstituting of the groundwater table
and combating desertification .

are under preparation to help the authorities to establish
storage and disposal facilities . Furthermore, an engineering
assessment of means to remove damaged spent fuel from the
floating-base ' Lepse ' is in an advanced stage of
preparation .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1568 / 95

by Giles Chichester ( PPE )

to the Commission

WRITTEN QUESTION E-l 564 / 95 (7 June 1995 )

by Riitta Myller ( PSE ) ( 95 / C 270 / 57 )

to the Commission

(1 lune 1995 ) Subject : Milk quotas

( 95 / C 270 / 56 )

Subject : Environmental risks from nuclear waste in Russia,

in particular on the Kola peninsula v

According to the information which is available, Russian
intermediate nuclear waste storage sites are in the process of
filling up and many of them are in a poor condition . The
situation is particularly serious on the Kola peninsula where
used nuclear fuel from nuclear submarines and civilian

vessels has been stored, and the reprocessing of nuclear
waste from the Polyarnyye Zori power station located in the
region has to all intents and purposes ceased . Until now
European Union aid to Russia has not been directed at
nuclear waste management but at improving nuclear
safety .

What measures does the Commission intend to take to
reduce or eliminate completely the environmental problems
caused by radioactive waste on or near the Kola peninsula ?
Could resources under the Tacis programme be reallocated
or additional aid be granted to Russia for this purpose ?

Answer given by Mr Van den Broek

on behalf of the Commission

( 18 July 1995 )

The presence of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel
around the Kola peninsula is a source of concern as this
material is stored under unsafe conditions . One of the main
problems is the lack of conditioning facilities and of storage
and disposal facilities on land .

The Commission has financed a study on setting up an
inventory of radioactive matter and establishing a list of
suitable disposal sites, which will be completed in December

1995 . Within its assistance programme, further contracts

Since the beginning of the milk quota system in 1984 / 85,
m lk quota in the UK has been reduced by 9 per cent, while
Italy and Greece have been awarded increases, despite
having failed to implement the milk quota system .

Does the Commission agree that it is time that the milk
quota system is re-examined so that milk production can be
concentrated in those areas that are climatically best suited
to it ?

What proposal does the Commission intend to bring
forward ?

Answer given by Mr Fischler
on behalf of the Commission

( 22 June 1995 )

When the milk quota system was consolidated and
simplified in 1992, the Council decided to continue to set
reference quantities on the basis of the historical production
or each Member State, although since 1984 the reference
quantities of all Member States have been adjusted in
accordance with the market situation .

In 1992, Italy, Spain and Greece asked the Council to
ir crease their quotas . The Member States concerned
pointed out that statistical errors had been made in the
iritial calculation of their reference quantities . They
indicated in the Council that, since actual production
exceeded the quotas, effective application of the system was
impossible . All the financial consequences of the situation
were drawn however .

In 1993, the Council decided to grant a provisional increase
in quota to the three Member States . Since the increase only
covered a part of the difference between acutal production
and the initial quota however, the countries concerned had
considerably to reduce production . The Council also made
the definitive allocation of the increase dependent on a

No C 270 / 34 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 16 . 10 . 95

correct and effective application of the system . The increase
granted to Spain was made definitive for the 1994 / 95
marketing year . Following a detailed examination of the
situation, the Commission has proposed that the Council
make the increases granted to Italy and Greece definitive for
the 1 995 / 96 marketing year .

The Commission does not intend to propose any substantial
amendments to the milk quota system .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1571 / 95

by Robert Sturdy ( PPE )

to the Commission

(7 June 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 59 )

Subject : Rate of royalties on farm-saved seed

As the Commission has been unable to reach a conclusion
on the rate of royalties on farm-saved seed under Article 5 of
the Implementing Regulation relating to Regulation ( EC )
No 2100 / 94 ( [ ), could this matter be reconsidered by
Parliament with a view to reaching a political decision on the
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1569 / 95 level of royalties payable ?

by Giles Chichester ( PPE )

to the Commission C ) OJ No L 227, 1 . 9 . 1994, p . 1 .

(7 June 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 58 )

Answer gi.ven by Mr Fischler
on behalf of the Commission

Subject : Milk quotas ( 10 July 1995 )

Would the Commission agree that it is neither logical nor
economical to damage employment prospects in rural areas
by reducing milk quota on the one hand and spend
Community Structural Funds in the self-same rural areas so
as to regenerate the economy on the other hand, particularly
in areas like Devon which are well suited to the dairy
industry ?

What measures would the Commission propose to rectify
this situation ?

The Commission stresses that the adoption of the
implementing regulation by the Commission is subject to
the procedure laid down in the Council Regulation ( EC )
No 2100 / 94 of 27 July 1994 on Community plant variety
rights . In compliance with the ' Plumb-Delors ' agreement,
the draft implementing regulation has been transmitted to
the Parliament .

The Commission confirms its intention to pursue its efforts
to seek solid, objective and defensible criteria on which the
level of remuneration in question can be based and hence
included in the implementing Regulation .

Answer given by Mr Fischler Any suggestion from the Parliament based on such criteria
on behalf of the Commission would of course be welcome .

( 28 June 1995 )

The Commission does not support the view of the
Honourable Member that the milk quota scheme is harmful
to employment in agricultural areas . The individual
reference quantities were fixed on the basis of historical
reference data, the aim of the scheme being to curb
production surpluses . The reference quantities have not
been cut since the scheme was reviewed and consolidated in

1992 . It cannot be held responsible therefore for recent
trends in employment in rural areas .

The new quota scheme, moreover, gives Member States
scope for putting into effect a policy which promotes milk
production in sensitive areas and ensuring that quantities
from the national reserve are distributed in preference to
producers located in certain areas .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1574 / 95

by Ana Miranda de Lage ( PSE ) and

Jesús Cabezón Alonso ( PSE )

to the Commission

(7 June 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 60 )

Subiect : Gibraltar Social Insurance Fund

At the sitting of 21 January 1994, in the presence of
Commissioner Steichen, Parliament debated Oral Question
0-278 / 93 (') on the dissolution of the Gibraltar Social
Insurance Fund . On the same day, resolutions B3-141 / 94
and B3-142 / 94 were adopted on the same subject ( 2 ).

16 . 10 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 270 / 35

Can the Commission state how the UK authorities have

replied to the further questions raised by it on 22 December

1994 ? What representations has the Commission made to
the UK to ensure that it fulfils its obligations on this
matter ?

(') Verbatim record of debates, No 3-441, ( January 1994 ).

( 2 ) OJ No C 44, 14 . 2 . 1994, p . 221 .

Answer given by Mr Flynn
on behalf of the Commission

( 31 July 1995 )

The Commission would like to remind the Honourable

Members that since 21 January 1994 the question of the
dissolution of the Gibraltar Social Insurance Fund has been

dealt with at meetings of the Administrative Commission on
Social Security for Migrant Workers on 8 — 9 February,

14 — 15 April, 2 June, 6 — 7 July, 20 and 26 October and
30 November 1 994, and also at the meeting of the Advisory
Committee on 1 December 1994 .

Between December 1993 and October 1994 an exchange of
letters between the Commission and the UK authorities shed

further light on the matter . Three bilateral meetings between
representatives of the UK Government and the Commission
were held in Brussels in May and September 1994 and
January 1995 .

After these meetings, several points remain open, including
the exact number of persons in each category affected,
transition to the new system and organization of the new
pension scheme .

In view of the principles of Community law concerned

( particularly equal treatment and the protection of rights
acquired or in the course of being acquired, in order to
ensure freedom of movement for workers ) and the
consequences for freedom of movement for workers within
the Community, an infringement procedure relating to the
matter covered by the question has been initiated .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1579 / 95

by Leen van der Waal ( EDN )

to the Commission

(7 June 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 61 )

Subject : Technological innovations to reduce
environmental pollution by road traffic

In their report of 7 February 1995 entitled ' Nieuwe hoop
voor morgen deel 2 ' ( New hope for Tomorrow — Part 2 ),

the Dutch employers ' organizations VNO and NCW state
thc.t, thanks to technical innovations and other measures, it
wi 1 be quite possible to achieve the desired environmental
objectives in the transport sector .

A report by the Netherlands Government's advisory body
SER . ( Social and Economic Council ), published on
24 February 1995, also refers to the importance of a
technological approach to reducing energy consumption .

1 . Does the Commission concur with the conclusions of

these reports as regards the urgency of :

( a ) a policy aimed at developing and applying
environmentally acceptable innovations in the road
transport field,

( b ) optimizing in environmental terms the sizes and

weights of lorries,

( c ) the application of telematics ?

2 . To what extent does the Commission think that these

measures will curb energy consumption and pollution
by road transport ?

3 . Will these measures enable the transport sector to pull
its weight in terms of bringing CO ? emissions down to

1990 levels by the year 2000 ?

4 . If not, what additional measures does the Commission
intend taking ?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock

on behalf of the Commission

( 27 J u ly 1995 )

1 . The Commission shares the view that environmentally
friendly developments in road transport should be
promoted and that telematics applications have a role to
play in this respect . Regarding weights and dimensions, a
Commission proposal is on the table of the Council which
envisages more environmentally friendly road vehicles ( by
specifying road friendly suspensions ) which furthermore
should lead to a reduction in road journeys ( as the
transmission weight will be increased in many Member
States ).

2 . It is difficult to estimate accurately the reduction of
emissions as a result of the various measures currently being
taken . As an example, however, the reduction of noxious
gases such as NO x, by the application of new technology,
will be very substantial and will probably be more than
50 % as replacement vehicles meet stricter emission
standards .

3 . The Commission is in the process of drafting a
communication on policy instruments to reduce C0 2 from
passenger cars . C0 2 emissions from transport contribute
about 25 % of man made C0 2 emissions in Europe and
about half of the total transport emissions come from

cais .

The communication will develop a framework for a cost
effective strategy to exploit the potential for bringing down

No C 270 / 36 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 16 . 10 . 95

C0 2 emissions from passenger cars and whilst the
Commission believes that significant strides can be made in
transport, it would like to remind the Honourable Member
of the fact that the attainment of the Community's C0 2
stabilization target need not imply that every sector
stabilizes its emission . The contribution to be made by an
individual sector should take account of the relative costs of

taking action in that sector .

Whichever stance is finally proposed should not adversely

affect safety and enhanced fuel efficiency should not
promote extra driving . These effects will be taken into
account in any final Community policy decisions .

4 . Additional measures envisaged by the Commission
include incentives to promote the use of more fuel efficient
vehicles, modal shift and increased efficiency . The
Commission will also produce a green paper on measures to
internalize the external costs of transport .

WRITTEN QUESTION E l 5 84 / 95

by Josu Imaz San Miguel ( PPE )

to the Commission

(7 June 1995 )

Agricultura and for Objective 2 it is the Consejeria de
Econorma de la Diputacion General de Aragon . The
Commission would suggest that the Honourable Member
ask these authorities for a list of projects selected for
Community funding .

As regards Objective 5(b ), on 21 December 1994 the
Commission approved the single programming document
for 1994 — 1999 which sets out the objectives and
development strategy as well as the practical measures that
will be implemented in the rural areas of Aragon during that
period . A copy of the document is being sent direct to the
Honourable Member and to the Parliament's General

Secretariat .

Furthermore, on 30 December 1994 the Commission
approved the Community support framework for all the
Objective 2 areas of Spain, including those in Aragon . The
framework sets out the objectives and strategy for the
conversion of the areas badly affected by industrial decline .
The operational programme for implementing these
operations in practice was approved by the Commission on

15 June 1995 . A copy of this document is also being sent to
the Honourable Member and to the Parliament's General

Secretariat .

( 95 / C 270 / 62 ) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1590 / 95

by Mihail Papayannakis ( GUE / NGL )

to the Commission

Subject : European funds for the Community of Aragon

Can the Commission say what projects are to be financed in
the Autonomous Community of Aragon ( Spain ) in the 1995
financial year under Objectives 5(b ) and 2, giving detailed
information on the amounts involved and on the

beneficiaries ?

Answer given by Mr Fischler
on behalf of the Commission

(4 July 1995 )

The reform of the Structural Funds, in operation since 1989,
is based inter alia on programming whereby Community aid
is dispensed primarily through contributions to multiannual

programmes .

It is for the competent authorities designated by the Member
State to choose the individual projects that go to make up
the programmes approved by the Commission . In the case of
Aragon, the responsible authority for Objective 5(b ) is the
Direcciôn General de Ordenaciôn Rural de la Consejeria de

( 12 June 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 63 )

Subject : Bypass around the town of Ioannina

Since there is no bypass around Ioannina, the National
Highway passes along avenues through an important part of
the town centre, causing heavy congestion . Although
provision was originally made for such a bypass in the
Interreg II Programme, this project was later dropped for
unknown reasons, despite persistent inquiries by local
inhabitants .

Since the situation in the region has now become intolerable
for local inhabitants, since the town's infrastructures are
being stretched to breaking-point and since it is
incomprehensible that the road network development
proposals for the region as a whole ( Egnatia Road etc .)
should go ahead without anything being done to stop the
flow of lorries and private cars through the town centre, will
the Commission say whether it will use its influence to
ensure that a bypass project is included in the development
programmes for the road network in question and, in any
case, say why this important project was dropped from
Interreg II ?

16 . 10 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 270 / 37

Answer given by Mrs Wulf-Mathies

on behalf of the Commission

Answer given by Mrs Gradin
on behalf of the Commission

( 29 June 1995 ) ( 20 f u ly 1995 )

The Interreg II Community Initiative ( Greece — external
frontiers ) does provide for improvements to the
Ioannina-Kakavia road and the connection via the Ioannina

bypass with the Via Egnatia, thus linking the two routes,
which form part of the trans-European networks

( Antirio-Kakavia and Via Egnatia ).

The Commission attaches special importance to the
improvement of the Ioannina-Kakavia road in connection
with cross-border cooperation with Albania and to the
construction of the Ioannina bypass to link that road with
the Via Egnatia, thereby reducing traffic within the

town .

Accordingly, acting through partnership, at the forthcoming
meeting of the Community Initiative Monitoring
Committee, the Commission will be considering in
conjunction with the Greek authorities the works needed to
bring the Ioannina-Kakavia road and the Ioannina bypass
up to the standard required by the existing or foreseeable
traffic .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1594 / 95

by Alexandros Alavanos ( GUE / NGL )

to the Commission

( 12 June 1 995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 64 )

Subject : Commission initiative to eradicate child
prostitution

The periodical ' Spartacus — International Gay Guide ' has
been accused of being linked to child prostitution circles

( through the ' Paedoartnews ' and Y. C. — Y oung Company ):
the case is now before the Belgian courts . The Far East is the
main source of child prostitutes for European ' customers ',
but central Europe and even Community countries are also
involved .

Since the circles and publications linked to child prostitution
have a European dimension, since the European Parliament
has denounced organized child prostitution, and since a
charter of children's rights has been mooted in connection
with the political and legal arrangements provided for in the
UN convention on children's rights ( Stockholm
Convention ), will the Commission say whether it intends to
take measures ( in the form of a statement, a proposal for
recommendation, a proposal for a Directive, etc .) so that
immediate measures are taken to eradicate child
prostitution which has greatly increased over the last few
years ?

The Commission shares the widespread concern in the
Community about child prostitution, particularly in the Far
East . It welcomes the measures taken in certain Member
States to combat the phenomenon, including development
of legislation to enable prosecutions of their own nationals
urder their own criminal law for actions in other

countries .

The Commission does not however have competence to
propose or take measures in this area, since such measures
would come in the categories of judicial cooperation in
penal matters and police cooperation, where only the
Member States have a right of initiative under the terms of
Title VI of the Treaty on European Union .

WRITTEN QUESTION E    - 1 602 / 95

by Roberta Angelilli ( NI )

to the Commission

( 12 June 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 65 )

Subject : Italy's financing of the European Union

A report in the Italian daily ' Sole 24 Ore ' claims that Italy is a
net contributor to the European Union, providing 16 % of
funding and using less than 9% .

Can the Commission confirm whether or not these figures
are accurate ?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen

on behalf of the Commission

( 12 July 1995 )

The Commission does not publish expenditure figures
concerning individual Member States, for the political
reason that it does not want to enter into discussions

concerning ' juste retour '. The Court of auditors publishes —
under its own responsibility — payments and expenditure
for each Member State as part of its annual report ( most
re:ently for 1993, published in November 1994 ). In the first
supplementary and amending budget for 1995, total
pcyments by Italy to the budget will amount to 11,4% in

1995, which is lower than its estimated share in GNP of
about 13,5% of the Community total .

In the Community Member States jointly pursue economic
and political objectives . Progress of the Community benefits

No C 270 / 38 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 16 . 10 . 95

citizens in a variety of ways . Their standard of living
increases, economic and political stability improves, their
choices increase with regard to goods and services, and
places to work and to live . Member States also receive
payments from the Community for a variety of policies .

Member States contribute to this progress in different ways .
They accept a reduction in their national sovereignty by
respecting joint decisions, and participate in the joint
decision-making process . They contribute financially to the
Community budget . The support of each Member State —
as well as of the citizens — for the Community depends on
the perception that on average benefits outweigh the costs,
at least in the long run .

Moreover, there are conceptual difficulties concerning the
allocation of budget spending and receipts to Member

States :

— From the administrative point of view it is difficult to

allocate spending to multinational consortiums notably
in research, while also administration is difficult to

allocate .

— Expenditure to non-Member States ( about 5% of the

budget ) cannot be allocated .

— Allocation to the territory of the first recipient could be

disputable in agriculture when storage benefits prices all
over the Community, and for structural actions capital
goods or services may be imported, while customs duties
are levied upon entry into the Community in a Member
State which is not necessarily the Member State of final
consumption .

— Economic effects such as the improved investment

opportunities in the Community due to the internal
market and the better export performance by individual
Member States are not taken into account by a budget
approach .

2 . Does the Commission agree that this would be an
inadmissible distortion of competition for the textiles
industries of the other Member States of the European
Union ?

3 . Is this practice inconsistent with the concept recently
adopted by the Commission for ' an industrial
competitiveness policy for the European Union '?

4 . What will the Commission do to prevent such
distortions of competition in the textile sector ?

Answer given by Mrs Wulf-Mathies

on behalf of the Commission

( 10 July 1995 )

In May 1994 the Greek Government submitted a
programme to restructure the textile industry that sought
Community aid . The Greek authorities renewed the
application during the negotiations on the customs union
with Turkey . Under the circumstances, the Council and the
Commission undertook to study the problems caused to the
Greek textile sector by the new conditions in international
trade and to make proposals on the issue during 1995 .
Furhtermore, the Commission unilaterally declared that its
proposals would take into consideration the problems and
interests of the Community's textile industry .

WRITTEN QUESTION E    - 1 622 / 95

by Nikitas Kaklamanis ( UPE )

to the Commission

( 12 June 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 67 )

Subject : Water supply for the town of Ioannina and 200

villages

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1614 / 95 Mr Kaloyiannis, a former Member, has asked the

Hans-Gert PPE Commission of the European Communities to answer the

by Hans-Gert Poettering ( PPE )

to the Commission following questions :

( 12 June 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 66 )

Subject : Subsidy for the textile industry

1 . Is there any truth in press reports that the Greek
Government is demanding ECU 400 million in aid from the
EU Structural Funds for its textile and clothing industry in
return for its approval of the planned customs union with
Turkey ?

— why was approval given for a complex and expensive

proposal costing in excess of Dr 25 billion, when a
simple and far less expensive solution is available ( Dr 2,5
billion )?

— will the solution proposed by the experts be submerged

and destroyed by the waters of the Greek Electricity
Board's reservoir at Baldouma ?

— how can the relevant ministry justify the fact that it is

simultaneously issuing invitations to tender for a
complex and expensive project which will be submerged

16 . 10 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 270 / 39

by the waters of the Greek Electricity Board's reservoir
which will rise 45 metres above it, and for a bridge 960
metres long and 80 metres high carrying the Egnatia
Road over the Greek Electricity Board's reservoir at
Baldouma ?

— is it true that the entire ecosystem of the Lake is being

destroyed ? Is Ioannina Lake gradually being turned into
a vast bog ?

— why has the budget for the project been split into various

sections, which is illegal ?

Is the Commission aware of all these matters ?

Answer given by Mr Fischler
on behalf of the Commission

( 10 July 1995 )

The Commission confirms receipt of the complaint in
question . The Commission has sent a questionnaire to the
Greek authorities on the issues that might have a bearing on
Community legislation and the technical and economic
credentials of the project which is the subject of the
complaint . The Commission will establish its position in the
light of the replies now awaited from the Greek
authorities .

Given that this inequality of treatment penalizes EU citizens
residing in a Member State other than their country of
origin, would the Commission draw up a Directive with a
view to harmonizing existing national charges and ensuring
that these charges are applied fairly throughout the
European Union ?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen

on behalf of the Commission

( 13 July 1995 )

The determination of charges for medical and hospital
treatment is exclusively a matter for the Member States and
the Commission has no intention of proposing measures to
harmonize such charges .

However, as regards the situation in Luxembourg, the
representatives of the Community institutions and bodies
based in Luxembourg did discuss this matter with the
Luxembourg authorities on 11 May 1995 .

T ie representatives of the Luxembourg Government
showed understanding for the concern felt in this area and
said they would do their utmost to settle the matter as soon
as possible .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1630 / 95

by Karl Schweitzer ( NI )

to the Commission

( 12 June 1995 )
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1625 / 95

by Amedeo Amadeo ( NI )

to the Commission

( 12 June 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 68 )

Subject : Hospital charges

A new system for the calculation of charges for medical
treatment and medicines in the Grand Duchy of
Luxembourg was introduced on 1 January 1995 .

This system discriminates in particular against officials of
the European institutions who have long been charged
higher rates than those normally applied, while representing
a burden on the sickness insurance scheme for officials and

servants of the Community institutions .

Furthermore, the greatest impact of the new system is felt in
the field of hospital treatment, which is often required as a
matter of urgency, which prevents patients from seeking
treatment in another country .

( 95 / C 270 / 69 )

S.ibject : Limits on surface area of supermarkets

Are there any EU rules on limits on the surface area of new
supermarkets ? If so, please provide details .

Answer given by Mr Papoutsis

on behalf of the Commission

( 31 July 1995 )

Legislation governing the size and location of supermarkets
or shopping centres falls within the competence of the
Member States, and there are therefore no Community rules
in this area .

1 1 each Member State the construction of new commercial
premises is subject to prior authorization by the local,
regional or national authorities, which — depending on the
case in question — base their decisions on the rules applying
t3 regional development and town planning, building

No C 270 / 40 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 16 . 10 . 95

practice and sometimes the surface area of the structure to
be built .

A study carried out on behalf of the Commission in 1994
examined the legislation in force in 12 Member States as
regards the construction and siting of commercial premises .
The Commission will forward a copy of this study directly
to the Honourable Member and to the Parliament's

Secretariat-General .

Answer given by Mr Monti
on behalf of the Commission

( 10 July 1995 )

For the purposes of the Agreement on the European
Economic Area, the Doctors ' Directive does lay down that
persons wishing to take up and pursue the activities of a
doctor will be required, in Sweden, to hold the
' làkarexamen ' ( university medical degree ) awarded by a
university faculty of medicine and a certificate of practical
training issued by the National Board of Health and
Welfare ('). The answers to the Honourable Member's
questions are, therefore, as follows :

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1633 / 95 1 . Yes .

by Irini Lambraki ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 12 June 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 70 )

Subject : Recognition by the Hellenic Republic of degrees,

certificates and other qualifications of Greek
medical students studying in Sweden under the
system applying prior to 1 January 1994

Since the entry into force of the EEA on 1 January 1 994 and,
especially since the accession of Sweden to the EU, graduates
of Swedish university medical faculties must produce the
following documents to obtain authorization to practise in
the Member States of the EU and, accordingly, in
Greece :

— the ' làkarexamen ' ( degree in medicine ) awarded by
university medical faculties and

— the certificate of practical experience issued by the

Swedish National Council for Health And Welfare .

1 . Are these certificates also required of students who
embarked on their courses prior to 1 January 1994 ?

2 . Or can the former system be applied in their case under
which authorization to practise in Greece was obtained
by submitting the degree certificate ( làkarexamen ) and
passing examinations in surgery and pathology, a
system more favourable for Greek doctors who have
qualified in Sweden, since the practical experience
required to obtain the certificate issued by the National
Council of Health and Welfare lasts for at least two

years and applicants must spend a minimum of two
years on a waiting list prior to that ?

3 . Would it be contrary to Community law to allow Greece
a transitional arrangement to cover medical students
who embarked on their courses prior to 1 January 1994
and who wish to return to Greece under the system
applying before that date, as this would resolve
intractable family and social problems for scores of
families whose children began their studies before

1 January 1994 under a totally different, and more
favourable, understanding of their legal status ?

2 . No . The former system referred to by the Honourable
Member was possible in the past since Sweden had to be
considered for the purposes of the Directive as a third
country . The situation in question thus falls within the
scope of Article 23(5 ) of the Doctors ' Directive,
pursuant to which each Member State may, in
accordance with its own rules and in respect of its own
territory, authorize holders of diplomas, certificates or
other evidence of formal qualifications which have not
been obtained in another Member State to take up and
pursue the activities of a doctor .

3 . Yes, such an arrangement would not comply with the
Doctors ' Directive since a comprehensive list of the
diplomas, certificates and other evidence of formal
qualifications required for taking up and pursing the
activities of a doctor is given in Article 3 of that
Directive .

(>) O ! No L 1, 3 . 1 . 1994 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E    - 1 63 7 / 95

by Amedeo Amadeo ( NI )

to the Commission

( 12 June 1 995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 71 )

Subject : Annual economic report for 1995

While the improvement in the Community's economy is to

be welcomed, one can only regret that job prospects are still
not very bright . Growth is not strong enough to create new
jobs, and it is becoming less and less likely that the current
level of unemployment will be brought down .

Within the framework of the 199 5 economic report, can the
Commission put forward measures to tackle the structural
aspects of unemployment, emphasizing once again the need
for continuing vocational training and calling for the
reorganization of working hours so as to distribute the
available work more fairly among job-seekers ?

16 . 10 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 270 / 41

Answer given by Mr Flynn
on behalf of the Commission

( 31 J u ly 1995 )

According to the latest forecast ( spring 1995 ) from the
Commission unemployment in the Community is expected
to be reduced from the 1994 level of 11,2 % to around 10 %

in 1996 .

A recent more detailed discussion of the medium-term

macro-economic prospects and their link with structural
policies dealing with competitiveness and the working of the
labour market is presented in ' European Economy,
Supplement A ', No 1, January 1 995 .

The latest outline of a set of combined macro-economic

policies and structural policies designed for enhancing
economic growth and employment is contained in the
Commission's recommendation for the broad guidelines of
the economic policies (') adopted by the Council on 10 July

1995 .

An important message is that the policies necessary for
sustaining long-term growth, increasing employment, and
strengthening convergence are mutually consistent . To solve
the unemployment problem the current upswing must be
transformed into a sound medium term growth process, and
macro-economic policies supplemented by active and more
efficient labour market policies .

As explained in the broad guidelines, labour market policies
contribute to increase employment through three main
channels :

( i ) they improve employment opportunities for the labour
force by promoting investment in vocational training ;

( ii ) they increase the employment intensity of growth by

re-organization of work and working time, by reducing
non-wage labour cost especially at the low end of the
wage scale, and by development of new local
employment opportunities, e.g . linked to the service and
environmental sectors ;

( iii ) they promote the employability of the labour force by

enhancing mobility and through retraining schemes for
groups particularly hit by unemployment .

Thus the two elements emphasised in the question —
vocational training and more flexibile working hours — are
essential parts of the proposed measures . However, one
should be aware that vocational training is not a short-term
remedy, but a continuous longer term effort to improve
human capital and competitiveness at the same time .
Further, re-organization of working hours, in order to fulfil
the goals and to avoid jeopardizing competitiveness, growth
and medium-term employment, should be cost neutral and
non-inflationary . It is a mis-conception, however common
and widespread it might be, that there is a constant pool of
work to be distributed . On the contrary, the goal of the
recommended combination of policies is to increase the pool

of work . That is why the recommendation concerning
working hours is not a general and uniform reduction, but a
flexible, local and negotiated re-organization of work .

The abovementioned broad guidelines state that greater and
more determined efforts are needed within the area of
structural labour market policies . The Commission will
prepare a report for the European Council at Madrid which
will examine the progress made in implementing the
employment creating measures, in accordance with the
procedures set out in its communication to the Council of
8 March 1995 ( 2 ) concerning the follow-up to the Essen
European Council on employment .

C ) COM(95 ) 228 .

( 2 ) COMI95 ) 74 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E    - 1 65 9 / 95

by Mathias Reichhold ( NI )

to the Commission

( 15 lune 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 72 )

Subject : Hill farming subsidies in disadvantaged regions of

Austria

The EP recently adopted Objective 5 a, concerning
disadvantaged regions . It now appears that around 2 000
farms in Austria which were previously entitled to assistance
will not qualify . On the basis of the safeguard clause, they
have received payments equivalent to the former hill farm
subsidy but not the compensatory payment for
disadvantaged regions .

Is : here any way that these farmers could now be included in
th'î arrangements for disadvantaged regions ?

Answer given by Mr Fischler
on behalf of the Commission

(5 July 1995 )

The delimination of less-favoured farming areas in a
Member State is carried out using the objective criteria
defined in Directive 75 / 268 / EEC ( ] ). Those criteria, which
apply throughout the Community, guarantee that
ccmpensation for natural disadvantages in agricultural
production is concentrated in places where there are real
problems .

It is necessary to apply the Community criteria in order to
a\oid distortion of competition and to guarantee the same

No C 270 / 42 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 16 . 10 . 95

conditions in all Member States . Directive 75 / 268 / EEC lays
down that there may be no deviation from the criteria for
classification as mountain areas laid down in Article 3 .

The Council adopted the list of less-favoured areas in
Austria on the basis of Article 3 of Directive 75 / 268 / EEC,
and in line with the proposal submitted by the Austrian
authorities and the Commission .

With regard to aid to be granted to farmers suffering
climatic or structural difficulties, there will be changes to the
support system previously applied in Austria .

Austria is therefore authorized to continue with its former

' Grundbetrag ' aid system to ensure that farms not included
in the Community schemes because they are too small or not
located in a recognized mountain area or less-favoured
farming area will nevertheless not suffer a loss of income .
Therefore no farmers will suffer a reduction in aid as a

consequence of Austria's accession .

improvement of the irrigation network with a view to a
more rational use of water and an improved protection of
natural resources .

2 . The conditions imposed on the support of irrigation
systems by the Structural Funds of the Community
1994 — 1999 apply for all crops . No distinction is made
between different market regulations .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1667 / 95

by Mark Killilea ( UPE )

to the Commission

( 15 June 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 74 )

(>) OJ No L 128, 19 . 5 . 1975 . Subject : Higher education cooperation agreement between

the EU and Canada

When will the proposal for a cooperation agreement

between the EU and Canada in higher education and
vocational training now be approved, given the delay in its
referai as a result of the recent fisheries dispute between the
EU and Canada ?
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1662 / 95

by Mathias Reichhold ( NI )

to the Commission

( 15 June 1995 ) Answer given by Sir Leon Brittan

on behalf of the Commission
( 95 / C 270 / 73 )

( 28 July 1995 )

Subject : Sugar market régulation
The Commission adopted its proposal ( ) on 26 July

1995 .

1 . How will subsidies for farmers who grow sugar beet
using artificial irrigation be affected in the next few
years ?

2 . How will subsidies for other crops grown with
artificial irrigation be affected ?

(') COM(95 ) 77 final .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1671 / 95

by Peter Crampton ( PSE )
Answer given by Mr Fischler to the Commission
on behalf of the Commission

( 15 June 1995 )
( 11 July 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 75 )

1 . The support scheme under the sugar market
regulation does not distinguish between sugar beet
produced on irrigated land and those from other land . The
Structural Funds of the Community for the programming
period 1994 — 1999 give priority to renovation and

Subject : Set-aside land for woodland

What is the latest Commission information and decisions on

the use of set-aside land for woodland ?

16 . 10 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 270 / 43

Answer given by Mr Fischler
on behalf of the Commission

(S July 1995 )

In January 1995, the Commission presented to the Council
and Parliament a proposal (') for a regulation aiming at
allowing set-aside carried out under Regulation ( EEC )
No 2078 / 92 ( 2 ) ( agrienvironmental measures ) and
Regulation ( EEC ) No 2080 / 92 ( 2 ) ( afforestation on
agricultural land ) to be counted against producers ' set-aside
requirement under the arable crops regime providing that
certain conditions were met . The proposal also includes a
provision enabling Member States, which for environmental
reasons wish to encourage the use of set-aside land to grow
short-rotation forest trees and shrubs for biomass

production, to do so by granting aid to producers to cover
part of their investment costs . The aid may not, however, be
more than the equivalent of the interest to be paid on a loan,
repayable in five equal annual instalments, taken out for an
amount not exceeding five years of compensatory payments
for the land in question .

The opinion of the Parliament was given on 18 May 1995
and the proposal was adopted by the Agriculture Council of

19 to 22 June 1995 .

C ) COM(94 ) 636 .

( 2 ) OJ No L 215, 30 . 7 . 1992 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1672 / 95

by Peter Crampton ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 15 J une 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 76 )

Subject : Production of rapeseed oil for use in motor

vehicles

Which countries in the EU ate using rapeseed oil to produce
oil for use in motor vehicles ?

Do countries that do produce such oil charge excise duty at
the same rate as other, petroleum-based products ?

Answer given by Mr Fischler
on behalf of the Commission

( 24 July 1995 )

According to Council Directive 92 / 81 / EEC ( ) Article 2(3 ),
any product intended for use, offered for sale or used as
motor fuel, or as an additive or extender in motor fuels, shall
be taxed as motor fuel . However, Article 8(2)(d ) of the same

Directive, allows Member States to apply total or partial
exemptions or reductions in the rate of duty to mineral oils
or :o other products intended for the same uses which are
used under fiscal control, in the field of pilot projects
for the technological development of some
environmentally-friendly products and in particular in
relation to fuels from renewable resources .

Member States are not obliged to inform the Commission if
they use the possibility in Article 8(2)(d ). Nevertheless, the
Commission is aware that all Member States, with the
exception of Greece, Ireland, Portugal and the United
Kingdom, use that special provision . It is not clear however,
to what extent this provision is used with relation to fuels for
motor vehicles using oil seed rape .

Th ; Member States which are currently using oilseed rape to
produce fuel for motor vehicles are Belgium, Germany,
Spain, France, Italy, Austria, Sweden and the United
Kingdom .

C ) OJ No L. 316, 31 . 10 . 1992 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1673 / 95

by Peter Crampton ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 15 June 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 77 )

Subject : Harmonization of veal production

What is the Commission doing to set common standards for
the production of veal in a situation where veal crates are
bained in some countries but not in others ?

Is [ here any attempt to harmonize feeding systems ?

Answer given by Mr Fischler
on behalf of the Commission

( 14 July 1995 )

During the Agriculture Council of January 1995, it was
de:ided to draw up as soon as possible the report foreseen in
Article 6 of Council Directive 91 / 629 / EEC laying down
minimum standards for the protecion of calves (').

The Commission has requested the scientific veterinary
committee to make an interim report particularly on the
housing and feeding of calves, before the end of June and a
fir al report before the end of the year .

The scientific veterinary committee established an expert
working group to draw up the report on the welfare of

No C 270 / 44 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 16 . 10 . 95

calves . The group will examine in detail the welfare of calves WRITTEN QUESTION P-l 692
kept in different farming systems with particular reference by Irene Soltwedel-Schàfer ( V )
to their health, nutrition, management, housing and to the Commission
behaviour, as well as the socio-economic implications of the
different systems . (1 June 1995 )

WRITTEN QUESTION P-l 692 / 95

to the Commission

(1 June 1995 )

(') OJ No L 340, 11 . 12 . 1991 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1674 / 95

by Peter Crampton ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 15 J une 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 78 )

Subject : Harmonizing pig farming

Has the Commission any intention of introducing
regulations on the use of farrowing crates by pig
farmers ?

Is there any possibility in the near future of harmonizing the
use of stalls and tethers by pig farmers ?

Answer given by Mr Fischler
on behalf of the Commission

( 13 July 1995 )

The welfare rules for the keeping of pigs in the Community
are laid down in Council Directive 91 / 630 / EEC, laying
down the minimum standards for the protection of pigs ( ! ).
Article 3(2 ) introduces harmonized rules phasing out the use
of tethers for sows in the Community .

Under Article 6, a report should be made before 1 October

1997 . New Commission proposals should be made
following this report . The report, to be drawn up on the
basis of an opinion of the Scientific Veterinary Committee
which advises the Commission on veterinary matters,
should examine which farming systems meet the needs of
pigs from a health and welfare point of view as well as taking
into account the economic aspects of the systems . The report
should, in particular, take into account the welfare of sows
reared in varying degrees of confinement and in groups .

(') OJ No L 340, 11 . 12 . 1991 .

( 95 / C 270 / 79 )

Subject : Significance of organic farming in the context of

research projects supported by the third research
and development programme in the field of
agriculture and fisheries

Compared with the EU's research and development
programme for the energy sector, the information on the
working programme for the agricultural sector does not give
any clear indication of support for research and
development projects relating to the specific production,
processing and marketing structures of organic farming .

How many projects concerning aspects of organic farming
were financed under the third framework programme of
science, research and development in the field of agriculture
and fisheries, and how much financial support ( in relative
and absolute terms ) did the EU provide in general and
specifically for :

— organic farming systems and the processing of organic

products,

— marketing structures and / or the promotion of the

marketing of organic farm products,

— continuing training requirements among farmers and

general promotional measures ( acceptance of organic
products by farmers and consumers )?

How many applications for research projects relating to
aspects of organic farming were submitted in all, and how
many are being assisted, compared with projects concerning
conventional farming ?

Answer given by Mr Fischler
on behalf of the Commission

( 29 lune 1 995 )

The three Community research programmes Camar

( Competitiveness of agriculture and management of
agricultural resources ), Air ( agriculture and agro-industry,
including fisheries ) and Fair ( agriculture and fisheries,
including agro-industry, food-technologies, forestry,
aquaculture and rural development ) offer financial support
to research on many aspects of ecological farming . These are
specific research programmes under the second, third and
fourth framework programmes respectively .

In addition, Article 8 of Regulation ( EEC ) No 4256 / 88, as
amended by Regulation ( EEC ) No 2085 / 93 (*) for
implementing Regulation ( EEC ) No 2052 / 88 ( 2 ) as the

16 . 10 . 95 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 270 / 45

regards European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee
Fund offers financial support for pilot and demonstration
projects . This may include ecological farming .

The research projects financed are all received in public calls
for proposals . They are assessed under a procedure which
ensures transparency in the selection procedure, scientific
quality of the proposals and high relevance to the common
agricultural policy .

Both shared cost research projects and concerted actions
receive funding . The projects which are financed include
organic farming systems, integrated farming, various types
of low input farming and environmentally benign farming .
In addition several projects are financed which can help
ecological farming deal with specific problems for example,
biological control and research on field margins

management .

Catalogues of the projects already financed by the
programmes Camar and Air are sent to the Honourable
Member and to Parliament's Secretariat-General, together
with a copy of the ' work programme ' of the Fair
programme . The first call for proposals under this
programme closed on 15 March 1995 . The selection of
projects to receive Community co-funding is not yet
terminated . A call for proposals for Article 8 pilot and
demonstration projects closed on 31 March 1995 . The
selection of projects is under way . A copy of this Article 8
' call ' is also sent to the Flonourable Member, and to the

Secretariat-General of the Parliament .

(') OJ No L 193, 31 . 7 . 1993 .

( 2 ) OJ No I. 185, 15 . 7 . 1988 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E    - 1 699 / 95
by Christiane Taubira-Delannon ( ARE )

to the Commission

( 15 f une 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 80 )

Subject : Rules on the protection and management of

maritime resources in French Guiana

Community rules on the protection and management of
maritime resources in French Guiana limit shrimp fishing to
a depth of 30 metres .

This rigid measure takes precedence over all biological and
hydroclimatic criteria, which greatly affect the quantity and
physical distribution of shrimp stocks .

When stocks become low, the already uncertain economic
situ ation of fishing fleets becomes even more precarious as a
result of such fluctuations .

The effects of this are of great concern to those involved in
the fisheries sector and, through the Regional Committee on
Fisheries, deliberations have been commenced on possible
modifications to the rules while making every effort to
protect juvenile stocks and the coastal nurseries and their
biotops .

An / amendments to Community rules require the prior
agreement of all concerned, taking account of the proper use
of ' esources and the socio-economic issues involved .

What is the Commission's position ? If necessary, would it
en \ isage initiatives within the framework of the Poseidom
Fisieries consolidation measures ?

Answer given by Mrs Bonino

on behalf of the Commission

( 17 July 1995 )

Community legislation on the management of the shrimp
resources of French Guiana, and in particular the limitation
of fishing depth, is based on the advice of the Scientific,
Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries ( STECF ).
The Committee takes note in its deliberations of the most

recent available scientific information which, in the case of
French Guiana, are studies by the Cayenne laboratory of
Infremer .

Any changes to the existing management arrangements
would therefore have to be made on an equally solid basis .
In this context the Commission is ready to analyse, through
the STECF, the relevant studies in appropriate fields and,
according to the results, to make suitable proposals to the
Co uncil which will go towards meeting the wishes of the
Regional Committee on Fisheries .

W th regard to undertaking new initiatives, taking into
account the decisional procedures referred to above, the
French authorities are invited to use to the full the existing
financial possibilities, in particular under Commission
Décision No C(93 ) 3157 of 15 November 1993 (a copy of
which is being sent directly to the Honourable Member as
well as to the Parliament Secretariat ).

The Commission would like to assure the Honourable

Member that its intention is certainly to strengthen all the
measures designed to mobilise the development potential of
th ; most remote regions, in particular in the sector of
fisheries and aquaculture, within the framework which was
confirmed by the declaration concerning these regions
arnexed to the EC Treaty .

No C 270 / 46 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 16 . 10 . 95

WRITTEN QUESTION E l 700 / 95 Under this programme collaborative links have been
by Christiane Taubira-Delannon ( ARE ) established between researchers from French Guiana and

to the Commission other groups which will enable important results of the
research to be applied rapidlv at all levels .

( 15 June 199 S )

( 95 / C 270 / 81 ) C ) OJ No C 64, 15 . 3 . 1995 .

Subject : Measures to combat malaria and dengue in French

Guiana

Malaria, a tropical disease, is endemic in French Guiana
along the Maroni and Oyapock rivers .

The local populace is permanently exposed to the most
irreversible effects of the parasite, which progressively
becomes more resistant to available prophylactics . The
mosquitoes bearing the disease also carry the dengue virus,
another endemic local disease, certain forms of which can be

fatal to humans .

No lasting means of combating these diseases has been
found, and research to find an attacking molecule, funded
by the Community within the framework of the Eureka
initiative since 1987, has not yet been completed .

This disease, which is of particular concern to the Union,
threatening a quarter of the world's population, killing two
million each year, should be given special attention by the
Community institutions .

What steps will the Commission take, following on from
measures already taken, in order to channel research more
effectively towards finding solutions in line with public
health requirements ?

Answer given by Mrs Cresson

on behalf of the Commission

( 27 July 1995 )

For more than ten years the Commission has been
organizing a series of research programmes of which a large
proportion have addressed health problems in developing
countries . The INCO-DC ( International Cooperation —
Developing Countries ) programme, which follows on from
phases STD1, STD2 and STD3 of the Science and
Technology for Development R&D programme, issued a
call for proposals on 15 March 1995 (') and it is likely that
even before the end of this year many new research contracts
will be signed, to do with the development of vaccines and
other means of combating malaria and dengue, on top of the
considerable efforts that have already been agreed ( 25
contracts for a total financial cost of ECU 10 million and

involving more than 100 partners ).

WRITTEN QUESTION E-l 707 / 95

by Anita Pollack ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 21 f une 1 99 S )

( 95 / C 270 / 82 )

Subject : Tropical deforestation and the greenhouse effect

Given that it is estimated that about 25 % of the

anthropogenic C0 2 emitted annually is attributed to
tropical deforestation ( Source STOA : PE 165.092 ) is the
Commission satisfied that ECU 50 million is sufficient for its

tropical forest programme, and what other steps is it taking
to encourage tropical countries to cease unsustainable
logging ?

Answer given by Mr Marin
on behalf of the Commission

( 28 fulv 1995 )

Since the matter raised by the question is the joint
competence of Vice President Marin and Commissioner
Pinheiro, the following answer is given by the two members
on behalf of the Commission .

The estimate quoted by the Honourable Member for the
contribution of tropical deforestation to anthropogenic
COi emissions is at the high end of the range . A considerable
amount of scientific uncertainty remains over the likely
magnitude and long-term climatic effects of increased C0 2
emissions, and on the factors determining global climatic
patterns . It may also be noted that forest fires make the
largest contribution to atmospheric CO ? levels due to land
clearance for agriculture . Logging generally does not
contribute directly to emissions .

It would be unrealistic to expect the Community's tropical
forests programme by itself to arrest deforestation . Rather,
the programme provides leverage for a policy dialogue with
tropical countries, a crucial aspect since domestic forest
policy is the key element in any strategy to combat
deforestation . This dialogue and the specific projects funded
by the Community, seek to lay the basis for environmentally
sustainable economic activities, including both effective

16 . 10 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 270 / 47

conservation of national parks and other selected protected
areas . Aside from its cooperation programmes, the
Commission has established positive environmental trade
preferences for timber products, in the framework of the
new generalized system of preferences . Also under
consideration is the manner in which the Community might
foster its role in the coordination and development of
certification schemes to improve incentives for sustainable
timber production .

The Commission has been active in the United Nations

commission for sustainable development ( UNCSD ), the
Convention for International Trade in Endangered Species,
the World Climate and Biodiversity Conventions, the
re-negotiation of the International Tropical Timber
Agreement and the Tropical Forestry Action Plan . Of
particular importance is the recent establishment of an
intergovernmental panel on forests under the aegis of the
UNCSD, agreed during its third session .

These measures, which have been requested several times by
business operators in the garlic sector, as well as being
officially requested by Spain on 19 May 1995, should enable
the Community producers to strengthen their
conpetitiveness in terms of production and
conmercialization, thus increasing their competitiveness
vis a-vis third countries .

C ) OJ No L 116, 23 . 5 . 1995 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E    - 1 71 1 / 95

by Mihail Papayannakis ( GUE / NGL )

to the Commission

( 21 June 1 995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 84

Suliject : Leader I
WRITTEN QUESTION E-l 710 / 95

by Jesús Cabezón Alonso ( PSE ) and

Juan Colino Salamanca ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 21 J une 199 S )

( 95 / C 270 / 83 )

Subject : Garlic imports from China

The restrictions established by the European union for garlic

imports from China expire on 31 May 1995 .

Is the Commission prepared to extend the present safeguard
clause for garlic imports from China and other Far and

Middle Eastern countries, so as to maintain price stability
and support garlic production within the European
Union ?

Answer given by Mr Fischler
on behalf of the Commission

(7 July 1995 )

Due to the expiry of the safeguard measure adopted last year
on imports of garlic originating in China, and in view of
continuing pressure in the garlic sector, the Commission has
decided to restrict imports of garlic originating in China and
on 23 May 1995 adopted Regulation ( EC ) No 1153 / 95 (')
to this end . This will apply in the period 1 June 1995 to
31 May 1996, when imports will be restricted to 12 000
tonnes, subject to a maximum of 1 000 tonnes / month .

Furthermore, by Regulation ( EC ) No 1154 / 95 ('), the
Commission has extended the suspension of the issuing of
import licences for garlic originating in Vietnam until
31 May 1996 .

Or the basis of the information so far available, will the
Commission provide an overall assessment of the measures
tak en as part of Leader I in Greece, and in particular say how
many operational projects were approved and received
funding ?

Will it also say what amounts were allocated under the
individual Leader I programme, and state the percentage
take-up rate and degree of implementation for each
programme ?

Answer given by Mr Fischler
on behalf of the Commission

(3 July 1995 )

The local group projects approved under Leader I in Greece
number 26 .

Of these, 25 projects were actually funded . One ( the
Peloponnese AGO project ) was not because it broke up and
was thus deprived of public funding .

According to the data on progress up to 31 December 1994,
to:al public funding used by the groups amounted to ECU
3C,5 million out ot the ECU 70 million available under the
Commission Decision . The completion rate is thus 44% .
The completion rate for projects is very uneven and varies
greatly from one project to another . On the date mentioned
ab ove, it varied from 1 8 % for the least active group to 70 %
for the most active . The most active groups are usually
found in northern Greece .

No C 270 / 48 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 16 . 10 . 95

WRITTEN QUESTION E    - 1 726 / 95

by Pervenche Berès ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 21 June 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 85 )

Subject : Tedis programme — electronic data interchange

The Tedis programme, which was launched by the
Commission in 1988 with a limited budget, has given rise, in
its second stage, to more than 160 EDI ( electronic data
interchange ) projects covering the whole of Europe, which
are of interest both to the commercial and non-commercial

sectors .

This initiative has played a considerable part in arousing
political awareness of the importance of this area for the
technical take-off of the information society . It has now
come to an end . There is, however, a growing demand for
expertise and coordination in the field of EDI and electronic
trade, particularly from small and medium-sized
undertakings and the non-commercial sector ( health, the
environment, etc .).

Tedis has also shown that many EDI applications can make
do with existing technology, and that the main focus should
be on the coordination of existing initiatives to ensure their
inter-operability, practical measures to increase awareness
of such initiatives among users, and the development of
initiatives in the least-developed régions .

A fresh EDI initiative could provide a valuable extra
dimension to the IDA programme ( concerning
inter-administration relations ), helping to develop relations
between the public and private sectors and prepare
increased cooperation with third countries . The latter aspect
could help to prepare the modernization of the economies of
those countries seeking membership of the Union, go
hand-in-hand with our economic aid to developing
countries and ensure a sound and well-balanced basis for

our relations with developed countries .

What measures does the Commission envisage proposing to
ensure that there is a follow-up to the Tedis programme and
that the acquired expertise is consolidated ?

Answer given by Mr Bangemann

on behalf of the Commission

( 27 July 1995 )

The Tedis ( Community programme concerning the
electronic transfer of data via communication networks for
commercial use ) programme has reached the completion
stage . All projects embarked upon during 1994, the year of
closure of financial commitments, will be completed during

1996 .

In accordance with the Council Decision of 22 July 1991
which launched the second phase of the Tedis

programme ( ), the Commission has evaluated the extent to
which the programme's objectives have been implemented
and will present the results of this assessment in a report to
the Community institutions .

In the light of the report and consultation with users in
industry, the Commission will examine what needs have not
yet been met and define any additional measures which
should be taken as regards relations between the public and
private sectors ( in conjunction with the IDA programme
Multiannual Community programme supporting the
installation of trans-European telematic networks for the
exchange of data between ministries ), awareness raising in
small and medium-sized enterprises and cooperation with
non-member countries . These measures could be covered by
a new work programme or simply included in the IDA

programme .

(M OJ No L 208, 30 . 7 . 1991 .

WRITTEN QUESTION P    - 1 729 / 95

by Nikitas Kaklamanis ( UPE )

to the Commission

(7 June / 9 95 j

( 95 / C 270 / 86 )

Subject : Greek ' feta ' cheese

' Feta ' cheese is a traditional Greek dairy product . Have steps
been taken to recognize ' feta ' as a ' registered designation of
origin ' and, if not, what is the reason for this
ommission ?

Answer given by Mr Fischler
on behalf of the Commission

( 29 June 199$ )

Article 1 7 of Regulation ( EC ) No 208 1 / 92 on the protection
of geographical indications and designations of origin for
agricultural products and foodstuffs (M lays down that,
within six months of the entry into force of the Regulation
on 26 July 1993, the Member States were to notify the
Commission of the names they wished to register pursuant
to the Regulation .

The Greek Government applied to the Commission within
the required time to register ' Feta ' as a designation of
origin .

This is but one of many applications submitted to the
Commission . The Commission has sought additional
necessary information from the Member States before
presenting these applications to the ad hoc Regulatory
Committee that must issue an opinion on their registration
or otherwise .

16 . 10 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 270 / 49

No decision on registration has as yet been taken . concerned and unilateral action by Member States outside
the harmonized procedures may well prejudice progress at
C ) OJ No L 208, 24 . 7 . 1992 . the Community level .

(') OJ No L. 340, 11 . 12 . 1991 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1731 / 95

by Mathias Reichhold ( NI ) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1735 / 95
to the Commission by Carles-Alfred Gasôliba i Bôhm ( ELDR )

to the Commission
( 21 June 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 87 ) ( 21 June 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 88 )

Subject : The welfare of cattle — stricter rules in the EU

Member States Subject : Tobacco smuggling

During the part-session from 16 to 20 January 1995,
Commissioner Pâdraig Flynn told Parliament that the
Directive in force laid down minimum standards for the
protection of calves and the Member States could adopt
stricter rules, as some had indeed done . He said the concerns
of Parliament and the general public regarding the welfare of
cattle were shared by the Commission .

Can the Commission explain why, in practice, various
countries are threatened with proceedings in the European
Court of Justice if they intend to take unilateral action to
improve conditions for cattle, particularly during
transport ?

According to the European Confederation of Tobacco
Retailers, tobacco smuggling has been growing on an
unprecedented scale in recent years ; it is currently estimated
to account for 15 % of the entire market in Italy and Spain
and 1 0 % in Germany, and constitutes a serious threat to the
European Union's legally established distributors .

Given the scale of the illegal operations and the damage they
are doing to small traders in the sector, what action does the
Commission intend to take with a view to implementing
judicial, police and fiscal policies at European Union
level ?

Hew does the Commission view the proposals made by the
aforementioned Confederation ?

Answer given by Mr Fischler
on behalf of the Commission Answer given by Mrs Gradin
on behalf of the Commission
( 14 July 1995 )
( 27 July 1995 )

Once the Community has established a harmonized regime
the freedom of Member States to act unilaterally in the
domain covered by the harmonization in principle no longer
exists . However, the harmonization text may itself
authorize Member States, subject to the respect of the
general rules of Community law, to apply additional
national rules for example pending the adoption of further
rules at Community level . Thus Directive 91 / 629 / EEC (')
permits Member States to impose higher standards than the
minimum laid down in the Directive for the rearing of veal
calves on their own territory .

The Commission takes the view that such derogations
should be interpreted strictly and for example in the case of
veal calves is of the opinion that it would infringe
Community law if a Member State applying higher rearing
standards prohibited the movement of calves to a Member
State applying the minimum standards .

Harmonization Directives in the domain of animal welfare

incorporate specific procedures designed to achieve
upgrading of the level of protection of the animals

The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to

the reply it gave to the oral question H-39 / 95 by José
Valverde Lopez during question time at Parliament's March

19^5 part-session ( J ), as well as to its joint answer to
Written Questions E-l 352 / 95 and E-1472 / 95 by Mrs
Po lack and Mr Garriga Polledo ( 2 ).

The Commission would add the following :

1 . The Commission has received a number of proposals
from the European confederation of tobacco retailers
and is currently examining them .

2 . In order to promote detection and prosecution of cases
of cigarette smuggling, the Commission has set up an
operational task force . This task force is intended to
improve the flow of information and to bring together
all available evidence to enable charges to be brought
against those who have committed fraud .

3 . In order to allow for better repression of fraud cases in
general, the Commission submitted a proposal for a
convention on the protection of the financial interests of

No C 270 / 50 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 16 . 10 . 95

the Communities ( ). This proposal contains inter alia
common standards for penal sanctions and rules
concerning jurisdiction in cases involving several
Member States .

4 . The Cannes Summit accepted both the Regulation and
the Convention and it is now up to the national
parliaments to ratify the Convention .

(') Debates of the Parliament ( March 1995 ).

confidential matter under the relevant contracts . The

Agency verifies compliance with international agreements
between Euratom and the supplier countries before
concluding any supply contract .

( C 2 ) ) OJ COM(94 No C ) 257 214, 2 final . 10 . . 1995 . WRITTEN QUESTION E-l 754 / 95

by Wolfgang Kreissl-Dörfler ( V )

to the Commission

( 21 June 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 90 )

WRITTEN QUESTION E-l 752 / 95

by Wolfgang Kreissl-Dörfler ( V )

to the Commission

( 21 June 199 S )

( 95 / C 270 / 89 )

Subject : French HEU for the Garching research reactor

According to the Bavarian Prime Minister, Mr Stoiber, the
FRM-II research reactor in Garching can be operated for 1 0
years using highly enriched uranium ( HEU ) from Euratom
Supply Agency stocks which are stored in Germany . After
that time, French HEU is to be used .

Does the Commission know whether HEU is produced in
France, and if so in what quantity ?

Is it true that it is planned to use French HEU to operate the
FRM-II in Garching ?

Does the French HEU also come from uranium of American

origin ?

Is there any risk that the supply of HEU from France to
Garching might endanger Euratom — USA cooperation ?

Answer given by Mr Papoutsis

Subject : Deaths of refugees at EU external borders, while

on remand pending deportation and in refugee

camps

Since many EU Member States have changed their laws on
the right of asylum, since the Dublin Agreement has come
into force and since negotiation of several readmission
agreements with third countries, there has been a rapid
increase in the number of illegal entries or attempted entries
by asylum-seekers at the EU's external borders . There have
been numerous press reports about refugees from Sri Lanka,
Albania and Turkish Kurdistan who died crossing the River
Neisse on the border between Poland and Germany or the
Strait of Otranto to Italy .

Does the Commission have information on the exact

number of refugees who have died since 1 January 1993
while attempting to cross the EU's external borders ?

How many asylum-seekers in the EU have died, either
through suicide or at the hands of others, during attempts to
deport them back to their home country ?

How many asylum-seekers in the EU have died, either
through suicide or at the hands of others, while on remand
pending deportation or in refugee camps ?

on behalf of the Commission
Answer given by Mrs Gradin
( 27 July 1995 ) on behalf of the Commission

( 24 July 1995 )

The Commission is not in a position to comment on whether
or how much highly enriched uranium ( HEU ) is produced in

France .

The Euratom supply agency has been kept informed of the
negotiations for the possible supply of HEU for the FRM II
reactor in Garching and is satisfied with the information
which it has received so far . The origin of the materials is a

The Commission has not been informed of the events to

which the Honourable Member refers .

The Honourable Member is referred to the Commission's

answer to Written Question No 379 / 95 by Mr
Sakellariou (')•

16 . 10 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 270 / 51

The Dublin Convention, incidentally, is not yet in force as
two signatory States have still to ratify it ( 2 ).

(M OJ No C 145, 12 . 6 . 1995 .

( 2 ) See Article 22(3 ).

WRITTEN QUESTION E    - 1 762 / 95

by Joaquín Sisó Cruellas ( PPE )

to the Commission

( 21 June 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 92 )

Subject : Aragon and the Structural Funds ( Objective 5b ) —

1994—1996

What projects in Aragon will benefit from each of the
WRITTEN QUESTION E - 1 760 / 95 Structural Funds in the period 1 994 — 1 996 under Objective

by Joaquín Sisó Cruellas ( PPE ) 5b and how much will each project receive ?

to the Commission

( 21 June 1995 )

(9 SIC 270 / 91 ) Answer given by Mr Fischler
on behalf of the Commission

( 17 Jitly 1995 )

Subject : Rural tourism in Spain

According to the Leader dossier ' Marketing quality rural
tourism ', the percentage of farms offering some type of
tourist accommodation is 8 % in Germany ( ex-FRG ) and
the Netherlands, 4 % in France, 2 % in Italy and 0,5 % in
Spain .

Could the Commission state the number of farms offering
this type of tourist service in Spain, by region and principal
activity ( rural tourism, green tourism, gastronomic tourism,
horse-riding, etc .)?

Has the Commission produced a study on the possible
reasons why Spain, which is very much a ' tourist ' country,
has virtually failed to develop this type of tourism ?

Answer given by Mr Fischler
on behalf of the Commission

( 13 July 1995 )

The Commission has no data on tourist activity on
agricultural holdings in Spain . It is up to the Spanish
national and regional administrations to collect and collate
such figures .

The Commission has not studied the reasons why rural
tourism has failed to develop in Spain in the past . However,
it would draw the Honourable Member's attention to the
report ' El desarrollo del mundo rural en Espana ' published
by the Ministry of Agriculture in June 1 992, which contains
an extremely interesting chapter on the development of
rural tourism .

The reform of the Community's Structural Funds, which
came into effect in 1989, was founded among other things
on the principle of programming, according to which
Co nmunity assistance is implemented as a priority through
the part-financing of multiannual programmes .

The selection of individual projects under the programme
approved by the Commission is the job of the regional
authorities responsible for its execution . In the case of
Aragon, the authority responsible for Objective 5(b ) is the
Diieccion Gérai de Ordenaciôn Rural of the Consejeria de
Ag'icultura . The Commission invites the Honourable
Member to address himself to this authority in order to
obtain the information he seeks .

The Commission would like to add that, by Decision
C(94 ) 3781 of 21 December 1994, it approved the single
programming document for the period 1994 to 1999
containing the objectives and development strategy as well
as r he concrete measures which will be implemented in the
rural areas under Objective 5(b ) in Aragon during the period
referred to above . A copy of this document is being sent
directly to the Honourable Member as well as to the
Secretariat of Parliament .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-l 769 / 95

by Joaquin Sisô Cruellas ( PPE )

to the Commission

( 28 J une 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 93 )

Suoject : Restrictions on exports of scrap-iron

The European Independent Steelworks Association ( EISA )
has brought to the attention of the Commission the

No C 270 / 52 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 16 . 10 . 95

problems caused to the steel industry as a result of the
imposition of restrictions by the countries of central and
eastern Europe ( CCEE ) on exports of scrap-iron and the
erection of customs barriers by those countries against
Community steel products, while at the same time Union
imports of steel products from the CCEE are increasing .

In view of these claims, has the Commission taken or does it
plan to take any measures to prevent the occurrence of a
situation which would damage the Community steel
industry ?

Answer given by Mr Van den Broek

on behalf of the Commission

avoid problems, a system of double licensing without
quantitative limits has been introduced since March 1 995
for the export of steel products from Romania and Bulgaria
into the Community . Following investigations which
established that trade was happening under unfair
conditions, the Community introduced anti-dumping
measures on imports of seamless steel tubes from two
central European countries . A number of other complaints
are being investigated .

WRITTEN QUESTION E    - 1 770 / 95

by Joaquín Sisó Cruellas ( PPE )

( 10 July 199 S ) to the Commission

( 28 June 1995 )

(9 SIC 270 / 94 )

A number of central European countries apply restriction on
exports of scrap iron . The Commission has raised this with
each of the countries concerned to seek mutually acceptable
solutions . It may be noted that in 1994, the Community's
imports of scrap iron from the Central European countries
fell from 2 million tons to 1,5 million tons . This, however,
must be compared with Community exports of scrap iron to
all third countries of 10 million tons in 1993 and 8 million

tons in 1994 .

Since establishing new relations, east-west trade in basic
metals and metal products is developing dynamically .
During the five year period since 1989 the Community
exports and imports of these products to and from the six
associated countries of central Europe grew around 140 % .
As a result, the Community trade deficit for these products
remained in the same proportion .

The Community abolished its quantitative restrictions on
imports of steel products from the associated countries in
central Europe on the entry into force of the interim
agreements . The remaining import tarifs will be completely
abolished at the end of this year . Also, the associated central
European countries are dismantling their tariffs and
quantitative restrictions on imports of Community steel
products . They will do this according to time schedules
agreed in the interim and Europe agreements . The
maximum period allowed is 10 years from the entry into
force of the interim agreements, but all countries will
implement their concessions sooner .

The parties to the agreements can apply safeguard measures
and anti-dumping measures according to the rules agreed in
the agreements . Thus, following an exceptional growth of
imports of a number of steel products from Czechoslovakia
in 1992, the Community introduced safeguard measures
which were agreed in 1993 with the Czech Republic and
with Slovakia . These measures, which were adjusted several
times, will come to an end on 31 December 1995 . In order to

Subject : Huesca municipial slaughterhouse

This year, having remedied the deficiencies noted by the
European Union's inspectors in September 1993, the
municipal slaughterhouse of Huesca hopes to receive a
certificate of approval from the Union . To do so, it has to
pass a new inspection .

Can the Commission say when the inspection will take
place ?

Answer given by Mr Fischler
on behalf of the Commission

( 11 July 1995 )

The Honourable Member should be aware that

slaughterhouses within the Community are not approved by
the Commission but by the national authorities .

As a result of the conclusions reached by a Commission
veterinary official after inspection of the Huesca municipal
slaughterhouse, the Spanish authorities decided to take the
steps they deemed necessary .

According to the information available to the Commission,
the Spanish authorities have remedied the shortcomings that
were pointed out and have upheld the Community approval
without the need for a further Community inspection .

16 . 10 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 270 / 53

WRITTEN QUESTION E    - 1 776 / 95

by Jaak Vandemeulebroucke ( ARE )

to the Commission

( 28 J une 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 95 )

Subject : Inland navigation — proposed measures

The Commission recently proposed to the Council a number
of measures aimed at encouraging and improving transport
by inland waterway .

Why does the Commission consider that the abolition of the
rotation system would represent an improvement, given
that this system currently provides a degree of social
protection to inland waterway operators ?

How can the Commission reconcile its proposal to
decommission a proportion of existing vessels with its
intention of bringing about a significant increase in the
volume of transport by inland waterways ?

acceptable conditions, a new scrapping action is proposed in
the package of measures the Commission has recently tabled
to revitalize the inland waterway sector .

WRITTEN QUESTION E    - 1 777 / 95

by Helena Torres Marques ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 28 J une 199 S )

( 95 / C 270 / 96 )

Subi eet : Irene database

As : he Irene database and its precursor were introduced to
store information on irregularities in the use of Community
funds, can the Commission state which individuals and

wh ch bodies have access to these databases ?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock

on behalf of the Commission Answer given by Mrs Gradin
on behalf of the Commission
( 25 J uly 1995 )

( 27 J uly 1995 )

Freight forwarders and shippers have been advocating the
abolition of tour-de-rôle for many years, since the current
stringent system entailing obligatory tariffs and cargo
allocation reduces the commercial attraction of waterway
services compared with other competing modes . The
Commission takes the view that a greater degree of
commercial freedom is required to enable waterway
operators to compete more effectively with road haulage,
which is developing in a free market .

Several Member States recently announced initiatives to
introduce gradually more commercial freedom in the
waterway chartering system . The latest Commission
proposal aims to coordinate these initiatives in order to
bring about a free internal waterway market by 1 January
2000 .

At present, the waterway sector is in a process of structural
reform, whereby in particular demand for older
conventional barges is diminishing, whilst demand is
growing in other market segments, such as container traffic
and other types of high-grade services requiring modern
ship types . Moreover, the average productivity level in
waterways is steadily increasing due to technical
developments, such as reduced handling times in ports, and
infrastructural improvements . Due to these developments,
future demand will be met by a smaller number of more
productive vessels . This is why, in order to facilitate the
scrapping of relatively inefficient old vessels under socially

The latest annual report of the Commission on the fight
against fraud (') gives a description of the recent
developments concerning the Irene and Pre-Irene bases and
the data stored in these bases .

It is obvious that data concerning fraud cases is highly
sensitive . This is all the more the case where investigations
are still under way . For this reason access to both bases is
restricted :

— the data stored in the Irene base is communicated by the

Member States on a confidential base ( see for example
Article 10 of Regulation ( EEC ) No 595 / 91 ( 2 )). Only the
Commission has a right of access to the Irene base .
Personal data is protected by a more restricted level of
access while generalized access is exclusively reserved to
Commission officials who are members of the unit for

coordination of fraud prevention ( Uclaf ).

— pre-Irene is only accessible to certain Uclaf officials, in

particular investigators .

C ) COM ( 95 ) 98, 29 . 3 . 1995 .

( 2 ) O ) No L 67, 14 . 3 . 1991 .

No C 270 / 54 EN Official Journal of rhe European Communities 16 . 10 . 95

WRITTEN QUESTION E - 1 78 1 / 95

WRITTEN QUESTION E-l 787 / 95

by Karl Schweitzer ( NI )

Karl Schweitzer ( NI ) by Amedeo Amadeo ( NI )

to the Commission to the Commission

to the Commission

( 28 June 1995 )

( 28 f une 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 97 ) ( 95 / C 270 / 98 )

Subject : Greenhouse gases
Subject : Disposai of dead animais

Are dead animals collected free of charge from industrial
fattening units in all the EU Member States, and is the cost of
this disposal borne by the taxpayer ?

Are the bodies of dead animals disposed of in the same way
in all the EU Member States, and what is the cost of this
disposal ?

What is the number of dead animals, of each type ( pigs,
cattle, calves, chickens, turkeys, etc .)?

In view of the serious environmental damage caused not
only by C0 2 but also by all kinds of gases or combinations of
gases giving rise to the greenhouse effect, it is vital that the
Commission should, in the context of international
cooperation, undertake specific joint measures to reduce
greenhouse gases in conjunction with industry, in particular
transport undertakings and firms involved in waste
treatment and energy distribution .

( Jan the Commission draw up a Directive and promote pilot
projects with a view to experimenting with various
technologies and methods, to be decided on by the relevant
national and international authorities ?

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard

on behalf of the Commission
Answer given by Mr Fischler
on behalf of the Commission ( 31 July 19 95 )

( 14 July 1995 )

The system for collection of dead animals from fattening
farms by the different sectors involved in the disposal of
animal waste varies in the different Member States . The

rendering plants pay or charge farmers for collection
depending on the situation of the market at the time . The
Commission is not aware that this activity is subsidized by
the tax-payer in the Member States .

The system of destruction and disposal of dead animals is
harmonized in all Member States . In particular the animal
and public health rules for collection, transport and
processing or disposal of animal waste in general, for its
placing on the market and for the prevention of pathogens in
feedstuffs of animal or fish origin, are laid down in Council
Directive 90 / 667 / EEC of 27 November 1990 ('), as last
amended by the Act of Acession of Austria, Finland and
Sweden . The Commission is not in a position to give an
indication about costs for disposal of dead animals .

The Commission is not informed about the number of dead

animals recorded in Member States .

(') OJ No L 363, 27 . 12 . 1990 .

In the framework of international cooperation against the
greenhouse effect the Community ratified the Framework
Convention on Climate Change in December 1993 . The
Community and all of the Contracting Parties thereby
committed themselves amongst other things to stabilising
greenhouse gas emissions at 1 990 levels by the year 2000 . In
this context, and even before ratification, the Commission
has developed and implemented sectoral policies — energy,
transport, waste management, industry or research and
development — incorporating the environmental constraint
linked to the greenhouse effect, i.e . the reduction of
emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants into the
atmosphere .

In this situation a number of programmes and, within these,
a number of pilot projects, have been launched or
implemented in order first of all to combat the greenhouse
effect directly by policies centring on the use of energy and
renewable energy sources, then to demonstrate the
feasibility and the potential of new methods and
technologies in these two areas, and finally to continue
research and development work . Examples are programmes
such as Save for energy efficiency, Altener for renewable
energy sources, Thermie for energy management
technologies and Joule for energy research .

The international cooperation component is sometimes
provided by certain energy programmes which are also
accessible to third countries such as those of central and

eastern Europe or the Mediterranean basin, examples here
being the Phare, Tacis and Synergy programmes .

16 . 10 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 270 / 55

In addition, accompanying measures are sometimes
incorporated in the energy programmes ; for the most part
these are aimed at disseminating the energy knowledge
gained in these programmes, distributing the results
obtained in pilot project experiments and, finally, making it
possible to penetrate the market for new energy
technologies .

The Commission considers that the success of certain pilot
projects launched as part of its work might generate new
incentives or Regulations in the struggle against the
greenhouse effect .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-l 805 / 95

by Alex Smith ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 28 J une 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 100 )

Subject : Secrecy over uranium stores in the United
Kingdom

Further to the reply to my Question E-2415 / 95 (') on

16 January 1995, would the Commission explain why it is
not at liberty to disclose details of information on stocks of
depleted uranium at Chapelcross and Dounreay in Scotland
and Sellafield in England ?

C ) O J No c : 81, 3 . 4 . 1995, p . 31 .
WRITTEN QUESTION E-l 800 / 95

by Alex Smith ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 28 June 19 95 ) Answer given by Mr Papoutsis

( 95 / C 270 / 99 ) on behalf of the Commission

( 28 july 1995 )

Subject : Planned import of weapon-grade plutonium from

Russia to the nuclear fuel fabrication facility at

Hanau

What information has been received by the Commission

regarding proposals by the Russian nuclear authorities to
send a plutonium-uranium mixture, utilizing plutonium
recovered from dismantled warheads, to the Hanau nuclear
fuel fabrication facility in Germany with the purpose of a
joint-venture production of mixed oxide ' MOX ' nuclear
fuel pins ?

According to Article 194 of the Euratom Treaty the
Commission is required to keep secret any information
wh ch is subject to a security system in accordance with
previsions laid down by a Member State . The information
requested represents such information . For this reason, the
Commission is not at liberty to disclose details on stocks of
nuclear material in the United Kingdom to the Honourable
Member .

Does such a proposal meet the specifications established by
Euratom for the implementation of health and safety and
safeguard Regulations covering nuclear activities ? WRITTEN QUESTION E-l 812 / 95

by Wolfgang Nufêbaumer ( NI )

to the Commission

Answer given by Mr Papoutsis

on behalf of the Commission

( 27 July 1995 )

The Commission wishes to inform the Honourable Member

that it has so far, apart from press reports, not received
sufficient and relevant information regarding a joint venture
production of MOX fuel pins in the Hanau fabrication
facility . It is therefore not in a position to judge whether the
joint venture materializes and whether established
specifications will be met .

( 28 J une 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 101 )

Suliject : Export of dangerous goods

The World Trade Organization ( WTO ) in Geneva has
completed its work programme on the relationship between
international trade and environmental protection — the aim
is of course to produce a link between trade liberalization
and respect for the environment . In this respect the WTO
Trade and Environment Committee has been considering

future rules for products which are prohibited on a
country's internal market because they are dangerous .
Frrquentlv a country has prohibited the use of such products

No C 270 / 56 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 16 . 10 . 95

on its own market, but has authorized exports . This is not a
new problem ( Sri Lanka and Nigeria, supported by other
countries, raised it in 1982 ), but the GATT did not each
agreement ; a draft Decision drawn up in 1991 did not
achieve the necessary consensus .

What is the Commission's position on the discussion on the
export of dangerous goods which is currently topical in the
WTO ?

WRITTEN QUESTION E l 834 / 95

by Salvador Garriga Polledo ( PPE )

to the Commission

( 28 lune 1 995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 102 )

Subject : Court of Auditors mission to Asturias

Has the Court of Auditors sent a mission to Asturias with a

view to drawing up some special report ? Can details be
provided ?
Answer given by Sir Leon Brittan

on behalf of the Commission

( 26 July 1995 )
Answer given by Mr Liikanen

on behalf of the Commission

The issue of exports of domestically prohibited goods

( DPGs ) was included in the agenda of the World Trade
Organization ( WTO ) committee on trade and environment

( CTE ) at the request of the developing countries and with
the support of the Community . During its last meeting
where the issue of DPGs was raised ( 16 February 1995 ), the
CTE discussed, in particular, the draft Decision proposed
in 1991 in the GATT . This draft Decision includes a

notification requirement as well as mechanisms for the
exchange of information on DPGs, which would allow
importing countries to prohibit or severely restrict the
marketing and the use of these products on their domestic
market on health and environment grounds .

The Commission adopted on this occasion an open and
constructive approach, taking into account the specific
needs of developing countries . It was also highlighted that,
in order to avoid overlapping with initiatives in other
international organizations, the WTO should concentrate
its efforts on complementary actions, encompassing those
areas not covered by ekisting international instruments or
multilateral agreements . The Commission in particular,
referred to the activities presently conducted by the United
Nations environment programme and the Food and
agriculture organization for the negotiation of a convention
on dangerous chemicals . This convention would make the
prior informed consent ( PIC ) procedure, which is presently
implemented on a voluntary basis by countries, legally
binding at the international level . In the Community, the
PIC procedure has already been made compulsory for the
export of dangerous chemicals though Regulation ( EEC )
No 2455 / 92 (')•

Discussion on this issue will continue in the CTE in the
coming months . According to its mandate, the CTE shall
report on the results of its work to the first biennial meeting
of the WTO ministerial conference, which is expected to be
held in December 1996 .

(') OJ No L 251, 29 . 8 . 1992 .

( 25 J u ly 1995 )

The Commission's information is that the Court of Auditors

sent a team to Spain in spring 1995 to audit European
Regional Development Fund expenditure . It visited Asturias
on that occasion .

The chief findings of such missions are generally recorded
either in the year's annual report or in a special report . The
Commission supposes that this will be the case of the
mission in question .

If the Honourable Member wishes to receive fuller

information, he should approach the Court of Auditors,
which is a fully independent Community institution,
direct .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-l 835 / 95

by Fernando Fernández Martín ( PPE )

to the Commission

( 28 J une 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 103 )

Subject : Reasons for the hold-up in completing the
motorway linking the TF-5 and TF-1 motorways,
Chumberas to Santa Maria del Mar ( Tenerife )

section

Work on building a motorway link between the TF-5 and
TF-1 motorways, Chumberas to Santa Maria del Mar

( Tenerife ) section, was carried out with European Union
budgetary funding from the Regional Development Fund .
The budget for the construction work totalled ' Ptas 2 764
million '. The work was to begin on 1 3 December 1 988, and
the date on which it was to have finished was 1 3 April 1991,
but the motorway in question was opened only 20 days

ago .

16 . 10 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 270 / 57

What was the cause of the major hold-up in completing this
motorway ? Which authorities were responsible for carrying
out the work and, therefore, for the delay involved ?

What are the budgetary implications of the hold-up in
question and if the costs have risen, by how much have they
done so and which authorities will be responsible for
meeting them ?

Answer given by Mrs Wulf-Mathies

on behalf of the Commission

( 13 July 1995 )

The Commission is securing from the national authorities
the information required to answer the Honourable
Member's question and will inform him of the outcome as
soon as possible .

Answer given by Mrs Wulf-Mathies

on behalf of the Commission

(7 J uly 1995 )

The position taken recently by the Commission concerning
the works under consideration by the ' Palace of Music ' in
Athens is consistent with an agreement in principle to
part-finance this work in accordance with the procedure
usually used for the inclusion of different projects in
operational programmes .

The Commission would like to add that such decisions in
principle do not diminish in any way the obligation on the
Greek authorities to conform to the requirements of the
various Community policies pertaining to each particular
project . If the works are not in conformity, the relevant
part-financing cannot be granted at the end of the
procedure .

WRITTEN QUESTION E                     - 1 83 9 / 95

WRITTEN QUESTION P-l 836 / 95
by Carlos Robles Piquer ( PPE )
by Vassilis Ephremidis ( GUE / NGL ) to the Commission

to the Commission
(3 July 1995 )

( 13 lune 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 104 )

Subject : Withholding EU funds for the projects ' ancillary

areas and car park of the Palace of Music ' in
Athens

In its answer to my question No P-260 / 95 (') given by
Commissioner Wulf-Mathies, the Commission assures me
that it ' has not so far taken any decision on co-finance for
the project ' and stresses that ' the Greek authorities are
obliged to comply with the requirements of Community
legislation on the environment before allowing construction
of the project to proceed '.

According to reliable information from the Council of the
Prefecture of Athens, a sum of three billion drachmas has
been approved for payment from the Regional Operational
Programme for Attica ( under the heading
' Tourism-Culture ') for the funding of the project to
construct ancillary areas and a car park for the Palace of
Music and that a Commission document states that the

Community will be providing 50 % of the funds .

Bearing in mind that it is doubtful whether the project is
lawful and that it has aroused strong popular opposition
owing to the additional stress it will place on the area's
already over-burdened environment, will the Commission
say whether funding for the project has actually been
approved and in accordance with what environmental
studies ensuring compliance with the requirements of
Community legislation on the environment ?

( 95 / C 270 / 105 )

Subject : Importing Canadian animal pelts

January 1996 will see the expiry of the deadline granted to

Ca iada by the European Union for making radical changes
to : he barbaric procedures used by Canadian trappers to
hunt animals whose pelts are then largely exported to supply
the Community market .

Ca i the Commission state what measures have been taken

to effect radical changes in the way these animals are caught,
and what hopes it has that this trade, which is extremely
lucrative for Canada, will be able to continue ?

Answer given by Sir Leon Brittan

on behalf of the Commission

( 26 July 1995 )

Under Council Regulation ( EEC ) No 3254 / 91 ( ), the use of
the leg-hold trap has been illegal throughout the
Community since the start of the year . The Commission
believes that a ban on pelt imports, in accordance with the
Regulation, from countries which do not take a similar line
could help to force trappers to abandon this technique and
to adopt more humane methods .

studies ensuring compliance with the requirements of The Commission still hopes to reach a solution, in
Community legislation on the environment ? accordance with the Regulation, with its main trading

partners in this sector, including Canada, by the end of the
(') O J No C 145, 12 . 6 . 1995, p . 38 . vear, and so avoid recourse to the planned trade sanctions .

No C 270 / 58 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 16 . 10 . 95

In any event, if trade in furs is to continue, internationally
accepted trapping methods will have to be adopted which
meet the requirements of the Regulation .

C ) O ) No L 308, 9 . 11 . 1991 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1 840 / 95

by Carlos Robles Piquer ( PPE )

to the Commission

(3 July 1 995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 106 )

Subject : Commission support for courses in Cuba

The International Herald Tribune of 30 May 1995 informs
me that the Commission is supporting business training
programmes in the ESADE centre in Barcelona as part of its
aid to the Rio Group countries . This is to be welcomed,
given the high standards of this centre and the fact that Spain
and South America share the same language .

A similar programme is apparently being programmed for
Cuba, a country whose regime scarcely supports any
business community, and where it is therefore not possible
to learn management techniques which have no practical
application .

What is the purpose of this step, how much is it costing,
what Cubans will it benefit and on what legal basis is the
Commission going beyond the strict provision of
humanitarian aid ?

Answer given by Mr Marin
on behalf of the Commission

( 27 fuly 1 99 S )

A course will commence at the beginning of October 1 995 in
Havana entitled ' European Diploma in Business
Management '.

The course will be given by teaching staff from five
prestigious European institutions :

— ESADE — Escuela Superior de Administración y
Dirección de Empresas, Barcelona

The course, which will cater for 120 Cuban national and
consists of approximately 400 hours of teaching, will cover
a range of topics relating to business management and
market economics .

Applicants will be selected on the basis of their academic
record and professional experience . Preference will be given
to persons working in joint ventures with European capital,
university lecturers in business studies and young graduates
with two to five years ' professional experience .

The course will be funded under item B7-301 1 ( Economic
cooperation with Latin American developing countries ) and
will cost ECU 749 980 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1 841 / 95

by Carlos Robles Piquer ( PPE )

to the Commission

(3 July 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 107 )

Subject : Relations between Switzerland and the European

Union

Almost three years have elapsed since Switzerland voted in a
referendum to remain outwith the European Economic
Area . It does not appear that the economy of this country
now surrounded by the EU and the EEA has suffered very
much as a result .

In the meantime, the issue of relations with the European
Union has become much more controversial within

Switzerland and will undoubtedly play a role in next
October's general elections, as will the construction of two
new tunnels which are the sub)ect of a formal agreement
with the EU .

How does the Commission assess our current relations with

Switzerland and the way in which they are likely to develop
in the near future ?

Answer given by Mr Van den Broeck

on behalf of the Commission

— HEC — Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales, Paris ( 25 July 1995 )

— LSE — London School of Economies

On the basis of the conclusions of the General Affairs

— UNL — Universidade Nova de Lisboa Council ( GAC ) of 31 October 1994, a first session of

negotiations with Switzerland on free movement of people,
— UIPM — Universidad Politécnica de Madrid research, public procurement, mutual recognition of

16 . 10 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 270 / 59

conformity assessment, and market access for agricultural
products took place on 12 December 1994 . Following the
adoption by the Transport Council of 14 March 1995 of
mandates for negotiations on air and land transport, the
second horizontal negotiating meeting, which took place on
3 April, covered all six areas envisaged by the GAC .

In its conclusions, the GAC stressed the central elements of
its approach : the aim of the Community must be to reach an
overall balance of mutual advantage, within each sectoral
agreement and between the different agreements, and an
appropriate parallelism must be ensured between the
different sectoral agreements concerned . These elements
provide the basis for the organization and conduct of
negotiations on the part of the Commission .

Negotiations have now been underway for over six months,
with limited results . Switzerland does not share the

approach of the Community in certain important respects . It
rejects the view that the first areas of negotiation form a
package ; it suggests that negotiations in different areas
should proceed at different speeds, emphasising the need for
progress in those areas suggested by itself — research,
transport, public procurement, and mutual recognition of
conformity assessment — while expressing the view that the
' sensitive ' areas of free movement of people and agriculture
require less haste . It requests the addition of new areas of
negotiation . Finally, serious institutional difficulties,
concerning the implementation of the evolving acquis,
comitology and surveillance, have arisen .

The Commission, on the basis of the conclusions of the

Council, has stressed that negotiations in all areas must
advance in parallel . While it cannot be excluded that other
areas of negotiation may be added at a later stage, the
Council has chosen certain areas for priority treatment, and
it is difficult to conceive of an expansion of the areas of
negotiation until work on the priority sectors has been
completed, or at least advanced very significantly .

The Commission has stated the Community interest in
developing the relationship with Switzerland on the basis of
the four freedoms . It is prepared to allow as much time as is
necessary for the negotiations to succeed . It is difficult at this
stage to suggest how long this may take .

It would be wrong, however, either to exaggerate the
importance of the present bilateral negotiations, or to
consider them out of context . Relations with Switzerland,
with an economy in many respects already integrated into
that of the Community are governed by the Free Trade
Agreement concluded in 1972 . This relationship is
healthy .

Finally, the future development of relations does not depend
only on the present negotiations . Ths Swiss Conseil Fédéral
has retained three options, of which the bilateral approach is
one . The door to the European Economic Area, now

enlarged to include Liechtenstein, remains open . This option
retains all its validity, and it would be inappropriate to
neglect it . For the long term, the Conseil Fédéral sees
menbership of the Community as its strategic goal .

WRITTEN QUESTION E l 842 / 95

by Mihail Papayannakis ( GUE / NGL )

to the Commission

(3 July 1995

( 95 / C 270 / 108 )

Subject : Wind energy in Grecce

The wind farm in Marmari ( Euboia ) which has 17 wind
generators with a total output of 5,1 MW and the wind farm
in Sitia in Crete are the largest wind farms in the
Mec iterranean, having cost a total Drs 3,65 billion .

Two months after they came on stream ( February 1993 )
cracks appeared in the blades of the wind generators which
very soon fell to the ground . In January 1 994 the contractor
company closed both the wind farms for safety reasons and
they remain closed to this day : this harms the image of wind
energy and means significant financial losses for the Greek
Electricity Board which has been deprived of a particularly
environmentally-friendly source of energy .

According to allegations made by Greenpeace on 1 June

1995, the blade of the wind generators in the wind farm in
Euboia which are worth many millions of drachmas ended
up en the waste tip in Karystos where they have been almost
entirely destroyed, having been burnt with other rubbish .
Even though the wind farms are not functioning, the joint
venture concerned which has already received more than
three bilion drachmas is refusing to accept responsibility for
the damage and restore the generators to working order ;
indeed, it has asked for extra funds to fit a new type of blade
which has never been used before .

Since :

— the management of the Greek Electricity Board has not

laken any significant action so far to bring the two wind
farms back on stream in the near future,

— the image of wind energy in Greece is being harmed at

i he very moment when new legislation is being adopted
which opens up new prospects for the development of
environmentally-friendly forms of energy,

— Some 50% of the investment costs were provided by

Community programmes ( IMP, Valoren ),

will the Commission say whether it is aware of this state of
affairs and, if so, what view it takes of it, whether it
considers that on-the-spot checks are necessary and what
mec sures it intends to take to ensure that the two wind farms

come back on stream as rapidly as possible ?

No C 270 / 60 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 16 . 10 . 95

WRITTEN QUESTION E l 85 7 / 95

by Alexandros Alavanos ( GUE / NGL )

WRITTEN QUESTION E-l 844 / 95

by Spalato Belleré ( NI )

to the Commission to the Commission

(3 July 1 995 ) (3 July 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 109 ) ( 95 / C 270 / 110 )

Subject : Wind farm in Marmari ( Euboia ) Subject : Noise levels of motorcycles

The Community has co-financed the establishment in
Marmari ( Euboia ) of a wind farm consisting of 17 wind
generators with a maximum output of 5,1 MW .

Greenpeace ( Greece ) has stated that :

— they suspended operations in January 1994 for ' safety

reasons ', owing to construction faults,

— despite the fact that the company managing the project

( the Greek Electricity Board ) was aware of these
construction faults at a very early stage, it continued to
pay the contractor company, and failed to invoke the
clauses in the contract designed to protect the project
and ensure that the funds are correctly managed .

1 . Can the Commission confirm these allegations ?

2 . What measures does it intend to take to ensure that this

project functions properly and that the funds allocated
by it are properly managed ?

Joint answer to Written Questions

E-l 842 / 95 and E-1857 / 95

given by Mrs Wulf-Mathies
on behalf of the Commission

(. 27 July 1995 )

The Commission part-funded the wind farms on the islands
of Euboea ( Evvia ) and Crete under the Valoren Community

programme .

The Commission is aware that, because of technical
problems, some wind farms in Greece have operated badly,
or not at all . While it is for the national authorities to ensure
the proper completion and use of the investments to which
the Structural Funds have contributed, the Commission has
already asked the Greek authorities for detailed information
on the running of every wind farm financed to date .

The Commission reserves the right to decide, in the light of
the information supplied, on whatever measures may be
necessary to ensure that the Community funds already
granted are used to full effect .

The Commission apparently intends to introduce a further
reduction in permissible motorcycle exhaust noise levels .

This will require manufacturers to make costly adjustments
to silencers ( especially sound-absorbing casings ), which will
affect the production and sales costs of motorcycles .
Permissible noise levels were recently reduced and the
motorcycle industry has been hit by rising costs .

Does the Commission agree that the problem should also be
considered in the light of widerspread tampering with
exhaust systems by irresponsible users and that a Directive
should urge the competent authorities to take appropriate
stringent action to deal with the problem ?

Answer given by Mr Bangemann

on behalf of the Commission

( 31 July 1995 )

In Chapter 9 of its last proposal for a Directive concerning
two and three-wheeled motor vehicles ('), the Commission
proposed renewing as from 1 January 1997 the maximum
permissible limit values for motorcycles, already laid down
in a previous Directive to apply from 1 October 1993 .

It also proposed subsequently reducing these limit values on
the basis of studies and research into technological
possibilities and cost-benefit analysis . Any such reduction
would have to be decided on at least three years before its
entry into force so that the industry can do what is necessary
to ensure that its production meets the new Community
requirements by the date specified .

To deal with the problem of widespread tampering with
exhaust systems by irresponsible users, the Commission
proposed, in Chapter 7 of the same proposal,
anti-tampering measures which, if adopted, would prevent,
as far as possible, unauthorized modifications which could
prejudice safety and damage the environment .

(>) OJ No C 177, 29 . 6 . 1994 .

16 . 10 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 270 / 61

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1853 / 95

( v ) continuous CO extraction systems in parking areas

by Anita Pollack ( PSE ) have been replaced by intermittent systems that respond

to changes in air quality .
to the Commission

(3 July 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 111 )

Subject : Environment and energy saving in Commission

buildings

Bearing in mind the need for environmental protection, has
there been any audit of energy use in Commission buildings,
and can the Commission give details of energy-saving
measures which have been put into practice in the buildings
it occupies ?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen

on behalf of the Commission

( 27 July 1995 )

The Commission operates a three-pronged strategy for the
management and rationalization of energy consumption in

its office buildings in Brussels :

( i ) air-conditioning, heating and power systems are
regularly checked by a high-performance network of
remote management and regulation facilities monitored
via a central control room ; immediate action can thus be
taken in the event of an anomaly ;

( ii ) a specialized firm runs on-going audits of electricity

consumption where systems have been modified

( adjustment of the O-factor, spreading the peak loads at
different times of day, etc .), so that transmission-line
seepage can be kept down and with it the installed
power-rating of the general system ;

( iii ) internal audits of the ratio between power consumption

and surface area occupied are used to identify and
remedy local anomalies .

The energy-saving measures which the Commission has

already taken include the following :

( i ) early-morning air-conditioning and heating start-up

times are based on actual demand, outside temperatures
and occupancy rates ;

( ii ) free cooling systems are in place for ventilation systems

and computer rooms ;

( iii ) burners and coolers are adjusted and maintained very

carefully ;

( iv ) lights are cut off automatically outside normal office

hours ;

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1855 / 95

by José Happart ( PSE )

to the Commission

(3 July 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 112 )

Subiect : Free trade area with Mercosur

Doe :; the Commission want to go beyond the GATT
agreements by opening negotiations with Mercosur and
South America ?

Will this not lead to the dismantling of customs duties, in
other words the end of Community preferences ?

After enlargement to the countries of central and eastern
Europe under the conditions envisaged for the year 2000,
will the southern Mediterraenan countries also be included

in the free trade area ?

Has the Commission considered the extremely dangerous
consequences which this will entail for agriculture in the
European Union ?

Answer given by Mr Marin
on behalf of the Commission

( 25 July 1 995 )

1 . No .

2 . The Council meeting of 12 June approved the
negotiating Directives for an inter-regional framework
agreement covering economic and trade cooperation with
Mercosur . There are no plans at this early stage for a free
trade area : the negotiating Directives are simply designed to
prepare for trade liberalization . The final decision would
have to be the subject of legislation by the Community

institutions .

3 . Liberalization needs to be looked at in a very broad
sense and all sectors in both regions would have to benefit
from it .

4 . There is also the prospect of Community enlargement
and of liberalization for Mediterranean countries, but the

No C 270 / 62 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 16 . 10 . 95

Commission is aware that agriculture is a sensitive area and
will take due account of this .

view to obtaining Community funding under the
operational programmes for certain Objective 1 regions of
Spain .

In view of the characteristics of the programme to
restructure the tomato sector submitted by the Spanish
authorities and the constraints of Community legislation on
WRITTEN QUESTION E l 878 / 95 agricultural structures, the Commission did not accept the
Spanish application for Community funding .

by Jan Sonneveld ( PPE )

to the Commission

(3 July 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 113 )

Subject : European aid to Spanish glasshouse
horticulturalists

A report by a Dutch expert on subsidies in EU horticultural
food production states that the Spanish Government is
proposing to grant subsidies of up to EU 340 000 per
hectare for conversion from outdoor production to
glasshouse production . 75 % of the total would be
contributed by European funds . Apparently the proposal is
currently being studied by the Commission with a view to
delivering an opinion .

1 . Is it true that the Spanish Government is proposing such
conversion premiums of up to ECU 340 000 per hectare
for tomato producers ? What are the exact amounts
proposed ?

2 . What regions are eligible for such support, and what is
the proposed area to which such aid would apply ?

3 . In view of the inevitable danger of market distortion,
ought not the same restrictions to apply to aid for
horticultural crops and installation as exist for poultry
and pig housing and installations ?

4 . Is not such aid contrary to the Commission proposal for
reform of the fruit and vegetables sector, which attaches
considerable value to the unhampered operation of the
market and takes the view that producers ' positions
should be strenghtened mainly by improving market
structures and not by supporting individual
producers ?

5 . Will the Commission hold a general debate with the

Council and the European Parliament on the provision
of subsidies of the above type and amount per
glasshouse horticulturalist ?

Answer given by Mr Fischler
on behalf of the Commission

WRITTEN QUESTION E    - 1 908 / 95

by Bill Miller ( PSE )

to the Commission

(3 July 1995 )

95 / C 270 / 114 )

Subiect : Inter-governmental Conférence

The Commission states that Member States have pooled
their sovereign rights . What steps have been taken to inform
individual Member States of this ?

Answer given by Mr Santer
on behalf of the Commission

( 25 July 1995 )

It is the Member States which conclude and ratify the
various Community treaties and their amendments . They
therefore approve both the principle and extent of whatever
transfer of their sovereign rights is involved, and do so in full
knowledge of the facts .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1911 / 95

by Bill Miller ( PSE )

to the Commission

(3 July 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 115 )

Subject : Inter-governmental Conférence
( 25 July 1995 )

The Commission envisages further enlargement may lead to
The Commission was notified on 7 October 1994 of a different speeds of integration . Will this apply to existing
programme to restructure the Spanish tomato sector with a Member States ?

16 . 10 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 270 / 63

Answer given by Mr Santer
on behalf of the Commission

( 18 July 1995 )

The concept of different speeds of integration already exists
in the context of economic and monetary union and in the
system set up under the Schengen Agreement, although the
latter regrettably remains outside the Community
framework .

There is nothing unusual in allowing one or more Member
States a longer period to adjust to certain new policies . In a
Community comprising a large number of Member States a
certain degree of flexibility is necessary if it is to remain
dynamic and capable of developing new areas of policies .
What is important is that all Member States adhere to the
same objectives, that the flexibility is organized in a single
institutional framework in a way that is consistent with its
general objectives and does not jeopardise the acquis
communautaire . Member States wishing to go further,
should not be prevented from doing so, provided that the
above principles are respected .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1912 / 95

by Bill Miller ( PSE )

to the Commission

(3 July 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 116

Subject : Inter-governmental Conférence

The Commission indicates in its report on the operation of
the Treaty on European Union that it will be listening to the
views of ordinary men and women . How is this being
achieved and what results have been forthcoming ?

representative professional associations ; by the publication
of Commission proposals and through discussions in the
framework of advisory committees . Moreover, all
Commission documents are as a rule made available, on
request, except where disclosure could undermine public or
private interests .

As the Commission stated in its report on the evaluation of
the Treaty on European Union, it is too early to judge fully
the effectiveness of these instruments . It is clear however

that much remains to be done to satisfy public expectations .
Moreover, the national authorities can assist the
Corr mission's efforts for greater participation and
consultation of the public .

WRITTEN QUESTION E    - 1 924 / 95

by Gerhard Botz ( PSE )

to the Commission

(3 July 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 117 )

Subject : EU support for the sending of aid packages by EU

citizens to the countries of central and eastern

Europe

The sending of aid packages to the countries of central and
eastern Europe through the private initiative of EU citizens
helps many people in the countries in eastern Europe
formerly under Communist rule, as well as establishing and
maintaining personal contacts which are politically
important and of European interest .

However, the cost of posting such aid packages is very high
for rhe private individual .

Does the Commission currently give financial support to the
dispatch of aid packages ( e.g . by post by private
individuals ), and if not, does it intend to do so in future ?

Answer given by Mr Santer
on behalf of the Commission Answef giyen by Mf Van den Broek
( 25 July 1995 ) on behalf of the Commission

( 28 July 1995 )

The Commission takes into account the views of citizens as

expressed by their parliamentary representatives ( European
and national ) as well as by inviting their participation and
consultation in its work, especially in the preparation of
legislative proposals . To encourage genuine discussion and
participation of the public, the Commission has put into
place information and consultation procedures and set up a
system to provide better access to documents . Consultation
takes place for instance by means of green and white books
on major Commission initiatives ; by direct consultation of

The Commission does not concern itself with private
consignments of aid supplies sent to central and eastern
European countries by European Union citizens . It would
suggest, however, that such private consignments be
channelled via the non-governmental organizations that are
able to handle such private forms of aid .

No C 270 / 64 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 16 . 10 . 95

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1930 / 95 WRITTEN QUESTION P-1931 / 95

by Maria Colombo Svevo ( PPE ), Livio Filippi ( PPE ), Carlo by Caroline Jackson (

Casini ( PPE ), Pierluigi Castagnetti ( PPE ) and to the Commission

by Caroline Jackson ( PPE )

Casini ( PPE ), Pierluigi Castagnetti ( PPE ) and

Carlo Secchi ( PPE )

( 23 J une 199 S )

to the Commission
( 95 / C 270 / 119 )

(6 July 1995 )

(9 SIC 270 / 118 )

Subject : Detention of minors in Honduras and violation of

the rights of the child

Is the Commission aware of reports by various international
humanitarian organizations that many minors are still
detained in Honduras and are having to share cells with
adult prisoners, and of the fact that some of these minors
have stated that they are regularly subjected to sexual
violence by adult prisoners ?

In view of these serious allegations concerning a blatant
violation by the Honduran authorities of Article 37 of the
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child ( which has been
ratified by Honduras ) as well as the country's own
Constitution and laws, does the Commission not believe
that it must urge the Honduran authorities fully to
investigate the matter and ensure that minors are held and
treated in conditions that are in keeping with universally
recognized fundamental rights ?

Subject : Use of plain language in official documents

What action has been taken by the Commission to follow

up :

1 . Resolution B3-795 / 90, tabled by Caroline Jackson
MEP, on the need for the European Community to use
plain language in official documents ;

2 . Council resolution of 8 June 1993 on the quality of
drafting of Community legislation (')?

(') OJ No C 166, 17 . 6 . 1993, p . 1 .

Answer given by Mr Santer
on behalf of the Commission

( 28 July 1995 )

The Commission would remind the Honourable Member

Answer given by Mr Marin that Parliament did not adopt the motion for a resolution
on behalf of the Commission she cites . But Parliament's President did transmit it by letter

( 31 July 1995 ) to the President of the Commission .

The Commission shares the Honourable Members ' concern

about the treatment of minors in detention in Honduras . It
will try to obtain precise information on the object of their
complaints .

More generally, the Commission is well aware of the
problems affecting minors in Honduras and is supporting a
project there to help street children . One of its objectives is
to promote the rights of the child and denounce any
infringement of those rights .

This project is being carried out by three non-governmental
organizations, Casa Alianza, Compartir and Coipriden
which have considerable experience in working with
children at risk .

The Council resolution of 8 June 1993 lays down guidelines
for the implementation of the Presidency conclusions
following the Edinburgh European Council on 11 and

12 December 1992, to the effect that practical steps should
be taken to make Community legislation clearer and
simpler . Although both the conclusions and the resolution
itself apply formally only to those bodies involved in the
process of drawing up acts for the Council ( paragraph 5 of
the preamble to the resolution ), the Commission naturally
supports those guidelines, which it is at pains to apply both
in the legislation which it adopts autonomously and when
submitting proposals to the Council or, where appropriate,
to the Parliament and the Council .

The Commission, acting on the undertaking it gave at the
Lisbon and Edinburgh European Councils in the run-up to
entry into force of the Union Treaty, has adopted a number
of house rules to make its documents clearer and easier to
read . Its legislative drafting rules contain a number of points
on presentation and layout, to make instruments easier to
follow . The text of the Council resolution is to be annexed

16 . 10 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 270 / 65

to the new edition of these rules, which will shortly be
issued .

to the new edition of these rules, which will shortly be deleterious effect on the environment and / or health ? What
issued .

procedure does it intend to apply to implement such a
measure in line with WTO rules ? When will it take such

action ?
The Commission has taken further measures to improve the
accessibility, clarity and transparency of legislation .
Unofficial consolidation is one of them : instruments on a
given subject are combined into a single text for information
purposes, not however by the legislative procedure and not
in such a way as to affect their validity . Formal Answer given by Sir Leon Brittan

on behalf of the Commission

consolidation is another : a new piece of Community
legislation is enacted by the usual procedures, containing all ( 24 July 1995 )
the provisions still in force and repealing the original
instruments . Proposals for formal consolidation appear in
the Commission's annual work programme .

Answer given by Sir Leon Brittan

on behalf of the Commission

( 24 July 1995 )

Under Article XX of the 1994 General Agreement on Tariffs
and Trade, there is nothing which could be interpreted as
preventing the adoption or implementation by any member
of measures ' necessary to protect human, animal or plant
life or health ' provided that they ' are not applied in a manner
which would constitute a means of arbitrary or unjustifiable
discrimination between countries where the same

concitions prevail, or a disguised restriction on
WRITTEN QUESTION P-l 934 / 95 international trade '.

by Wolfgang Kreissl-Dorfler ( V )

to the Commission

( 23 June 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 120 )

Subject : Importation of genetically modified products into

EU Member States

In accordance with current WTO rules, WTO member
countries may not discriminate against similar products
from other WTO member countries on the basis of

differences in methods of production, e.g . by imposing
import restrictions which affect the price to the final
consumer or by prohibiting imports, etc .

( most-favoured-nation treatment ) .

Does the Commission therefore take the view that, under
current WTO rules, genetically modified cereals and
vegetables from a WTO member country, e.g . genetically
modified tomatoes from the USA, may be imported into EU
Member States ?

Do any EU Member States require such products to be
marked ? If so, which ? If not, is the Commission planning to
introduce such a requirement ?

Can an individual EU Member State prohibit imports of
genetically modified products ? If so, on what grounds ?

Is the Commission considering the exclusion of such
products from most-favoured-nation treatment if the
method by which they are produced clearly or possibly has a

Nevertheless, such controls must comply with the
agreements annexed to the agreement establishing the
World Trade Organization . In particular, Article 2 of the
agreement on the implementation of health and
phytosanitary measures states that they must not be
excessive and must be based on scientific evidence while
Article 5 sets out the conditions for assessing risks and
determining the appropriate level of sanitary or
phytosanitary protection .

In addition, the agreement on technical barriers to trade,
also annexed to the WTO agreement, states in Article 2.2
that the preparation, adoption and application of technical
rules by central government bodies should not lead to the
crea:ion of ' unnecessary obstacles to international trade .
For this purpose, technical regulations shall not be more
trade-restrictive than necessary to fulfil a legitimate
objective, taking account of the risks non-fulfilment would
crea:e . Such legitimate objectives are (...) the prevention of
deceptive practices ; protection of human health or safety ;
animal or plant life or health, or the environment . In
assessing such risks, relevant elements of consideration are
(. . . available scientific and technical information (. . .)'.

The Community is therefore in accordance with WTO rules
in controlling imports of genetically modified products to
fulfil the above objectives, provided that it complies with the
relevant conditions .

Under Community law the release into the environment of
any genetically modified organism, such as genetically
modified corn or tomatoes, is subject to the provisions of
Council Directive 90 / 220 / EEC ( ! ) on the deliberate release
of genetically modified organism into the environment . This
Directive provides that products containing or consisting of

No C 270 / 66 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 16 . 10 . 95

genetically modified organisms may not be placed on the
market before a written consent has been granted by a
competent authority . An environmental risk assessment
taking into account the risk to human health and the
environment connected with the release of products
containing genetically modified organisms has to be carried
out in order to receive the consent, in accordance with the
procedures laid down in the Directive . Labelling and
packaging requirements are proposed by the notifier, while
the final decision is taken by the competent authority . Once
a product has received a written consent, it may be used
without further notification throughout the Community in
so far as the specific conditions of use and the environments
or geographical areas stipulated in these conditions are
strictly observed .

In addition, foods or food ingredients containing or
consisting of genetically modified organisms, or produced
with the aid of biotechnology, fall within the scope of the
Commission proposal for a Regulation on novel foods and
novel food ingredients ( 2 ). This envisages the establishment
of a uniform Community-wide safety evaluation for novel
foods and novel food ingredients and specifies the
conditions under which labelling will be required .

The Commission considers that these provisions, which
apply both to products produced within the Community
and to imports from third countries, are compatible with the
obligations of the Community under World Trade
Organization rules .

In accordance with Articles 30— 36 of the EC Treaty,
Member States may exclude imports of any product only on
the grounds set out therein, notably for the protection of the
health or life of humans, animals or plants .

(') OJ No L 117, 8 . 5 . 1990 .

( 2 ) OJ No C 16, 16 . 1 . 1994 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E    - 1 93 9 / 95

by Graham Mather ( PPE )

to the Commission

(6 July 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 121 )

Subject : EC development aid projects in Papua New

Guinea

The Community runs a comprehensive development aid
programme under its schemes of grants and aids . One of its
EC-financed projects is for the collection of rain water for
the villages of Papua New Guinea . However, recent visits by
constituents of mine show that the villages use well water
which is plentiful and clean . It suggests that the Commission

has not been sufficiently diligent in reviewing this project in
terms of its usefulness, cost or purpose .

Could the Commission indicate what is the basis of this EC

grant and how often it is reviewed ? Could the Commission
further state the cost of EC aid given to Papua New Guinea
per year and how much does the local administration of this
project cost ?

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro

on behalf of the Commission

( 25 f u ly 1995 )

From the resources of The European Development Fund the
Community has made available to Papua New Guinea for its
five-year national indicative programmes ( NIPs ) ECU 34,5
million under Lomé III ( 1985 — 1990 ) and ECU 40 million
under Lomé IV ( 1990 — 1995 ) Convention . In addition,
Papua New Guinea has benefited, in particular, from
resources made available under the following instruments :
Sysmin and Lomé III, ECU 30 million ; Stabex and Lomé III
and IV, ECU 177,5 million and structural adjustment and
Lomé IV, ECU 17,2 million .

Under these two NIPs, financing decisions for the amounts
of ECU 3 263 000 on 6 October 1989 and ECU 6 million on

19 November 1993 were taken by the Commission in
favour of the Papua New Guinea rural water supply
programme ( RWSP ) in accordance with the rules the Lomé
Convention applicable to the financing of multiannual
microprojects programmes .

The Commission is very satisfied with the implementation
of this project by the small local unit ( three engineers, of
which two technical assistants, one accountant, one
secretary, and several qualified plumbers provided by
European volunteer organizations ), which has been put in
place for this purpose and is working efficiently .

For each village benefiting from the RWSP, the technical
solution is carefully chosen after a full meeting of the host
community . Local traditions and the customs of each village
are diligently taken into account, and the final choice is
made on the basis of the desires of the local community,
which is also contributing financially .

In each case the technical feasibility and cost of the type of
water supply requested by the villagers is carefully analysed
by the field engineer who makes his final recommendation
on the simplest, most cost effective and appropriate type of
system, with special consideration being given to health
aspects ( water borne diseases ).

By 1 April 1995 the following installations ( serving about
85 000 people ) had been completed :

— 189 rainwater storage tanks with roof catchments and

taps ;

— 27 shallow wells with hand pumps ;

— 24 gravity feed systems with storage tanks and taps ;

16 . 10 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 270 / 67

— 33 solar powered pumping systems with storage tanks

and taps .

The cost for these installations has been covered as

follows :

— 54 % from the European Development Fund ;

— 28 % by the provincial government and

— 18% by the local communities .

The delegation of the Commission is regularly and closely
monitoring this project . The Commission visited the project
in August 1994, and reported it to be a very well considered
and carefully planned project, and therefore fully
sustainable .

WRITTEN QUESTION E    - 1 96 1 / 95

by Concepció Ferrer ( PPE )

to the Commission

(6 July 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 122 )

Subject : Use of Adapt funds

The Commission has approved the funding of 14
operational programmes within the framework of the new
Community Adapt initiative on adapting the work force to
industrial change .

This initiative has the specific purpose of encouraging

pre-emptive retraining with a view to increasing work force
flexibility and preparing for new requirements as regards
responsibilities and qualifications .

All the Member States except Austria, Finland and Sweden
are beneficiaries of this initiative . In the case of Spain, the
total funding is ECU 256,4 million for a total of 85 865

persons .

Can the Commission provide specific details of the
programmes submitted by Spain and of where they are to be
carried out ?

Adapt, aimed at the adaptation of workers to industrial
chaige . In the case of Spain, the total amount of funds
granted is ECU 256,4 million, of which ECU 230,76 million
are from the ESF ( European Social Fund ) and ECU 25,64
million from ERDF ( European Regional Development
Fund ). Spain is the Member State with the highest allocation
of funds after the United Kingdom .

The Commission is not able at the moment to give concrete
exa nples of the programmes presented because the deadline
for submission has not been reached . The selection of the

first set of projects will take place between October and
November, first at national and then at Community level . In
December 1995 the first projects will be definitely
launched .

Adi.pt is aimed at projects which fulfil the requisites of
trans-nationality, innovation, horizontal coverage

( incustrial and service sectors without any preference a
priori ) and mainstreaming . There are four groups of
measures as a means of achieving the stated requisites :

1, training, counselling, guidance

2, anticipation, networking, new employment
opportunities

3, adapation of support structures and systems

4, information, dissemination, awareness

Through the selection of these type of projects aimed at

industrial adaptation, Adapt is intended to prevent
unemployment by improving qualifications and flexibility
of the labour force, increase competitiveness of industry and
conmerce and to accelerate job creation . All of these are
ma n priorities repeatedly emphasized in the white book on
growth, competitiveness and employment and are key issues
in i he agenda for the process of European integration .

WRITTEN QUESTION E    - 1 964 / 95

by Jaak Vandemeulebroucke ( ARE )

to the Commission

(6 July / 995J

( 95 / C 270 / 123 )

Sunject : Trans-European Networks
Answer given by Mr Flynn
on behalf of the Commission

It appears that the Commission does not consider that the
( 31 July 1995 )
Ramsgate-Ostend ferry link should be included among the
Trans-European Networks .

The Commission approved on the 18 May 1995, 14
operational programmes under the Community initiative Why not ?

No C 270 / 68 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 16 . 10 . 95

Answer given by Mr Kinnock

on behalf of the Commission

( 28 July 1995 )

The proposal for a Decision on Community guidelines for
the development of the Trans-European transport
network ('), which the Commission sent to Parliament and
the Council in April 1 994, aims at the gradual integration of
transport networks on the Community scale .

These guidelines embrace all land, sea and air transport
infrastructures, but only the infrastructures : they do not
include services .

Ferry links such as the Ramsgate-Ostend route constitute
services and are not, therefore, covered by legislation on the
Trans-European transport network .

The indication of ferry links in the Commission's initial
proposal was for illustration and guidance only and does
not assume their identification at the European level, since
these services are not included in the TENs .

At this stage in the procedure ( political agreement on a
common position of the Council ) there is no longer a map of
ports contained in the Decision on the trans-European
network . Projects of common interest concerning seaports
are identified by specific characteristics and can be located in
any Community port .

C ) ( COM(94 ) 106 ) OJ No C 220, 8 . 8 . 1994, as amended hv

( CO M ( 95 ) 48 ) OJ No C 97, 20 . 4 . 1995 .

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2021 / 95

by Kirsten Jensen ( PSE )

to the Commission

DG XVII is responsible for this area . Why is no progress
being made ?

Answer given by Mr Papoutsis

on behalf of the Commission

( 31 July 1995 )

The Commission agrees that lighting accounts for a large
part of electricity demand and that this could be
substantially reduced with correct choice of lamps,
appropriate controls and good lighting design . The price of
energy saving lamps compared with traditional
incandescent bulbs may however make them an
inappropriate choice where they are used for relatively short
periods . The industry has already put a considerable effort
into giving consumers good information, as have various
Member States, and electric utilities . This has resulted in
substantial and rapidly growing sales of compact
fluorescent lamps in particular .

In order to encourage the use of energy efficient and
environmentally appropriate light sources in the domestic
sector, the Commission will very shortly adopt eco-labelling
criteria for lamps . In relation to the energy labelling
framework Council Directive ( 92 / 75 / EEC ) ('), the
Commission has given priority to those white goods for
which the scheme was primarily designed . However,
following a hearing last December, the Commission has
been working on the development of a simple label, that can
be printed on lamp packaging . This, together with the
development of a fair classification scale has proved a
complex task, but it now appears that agreement is close,
and that a Directive should be passed by the end of the

year .

(') OJ No L 297, 13 . 10 . 1992 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2053 / 95

(4 July 1995 )
by Imelda Read ( PSE )

( 95 / C 270 / 124 )
to the Commission

( 12 July 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 125 )
Subject : Energy marking

Work has apparently been going on for several years on the
marking of energy-saving electric light bulbs . Light bulbs
account for 15 % of electricity consumption in the EU, and
this figure may be reduced by between one-quarter and
two-thirds if consumers switch to buying different products,
e.g . with the aid of guidance on marking . The Commission's

Subject : Records on applications for transfer by
prisoners

Does the Commission keep records of how many
applications for transfer have been made by prisoners which

16 . 10 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 270 / 69

have been accepted / rejected in each of the Member
States ?

Answer given by Mrs Gradin
on behalf of the Commission

( 28 July 1995 )

The Commission does not have any records of the number
of applications for transfer made by prisoners which have
been accepted or rejected in Member States .

The question of the transfer of those who have been
sentenced is a matter for national governments and the
Commission has no competence in the matter .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2061 / 95

by Jaak Vandemeulebroucke ( ARE )

to the Commission

( 12 July 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 126 )

Conmission is prepared to reconsider its reply if the
Honourable Member can provide further information
about the Centre .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2064 / 95

by Jaak Vandemeulebrouckc ( ARE )

to the Commission

( 12 July 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 127 )

Subject : European Institute for South and South-East Asian

studies

What were the activities of the European Institute for South
and South-F.ast Asian studies in 1994 ?

What is the Institute's establishment plan ?

Has the Institute any other income apart from the subsidy
from the European Union and, if so, from what sources and
what is the ratio of such revenue to the EU subsidy ?

Answer given by Mr Marin
on behalf of the Commission

Subject : European Centre for Interdependence and ( 31 I u ly 1995 )
Solidarity

What were the activities of the European Centre for
Interdependence and Solidarity in 1994 ?

What is the Centre's establishment plan ?

Has the Centre any other income apart from the subsidy
from the European Union and, if so, from what sources and
what is the ratio of such revenue to the EU subsidy ?

Answer given by Mr Van den Broek

on behalf of the Commission

(2 August 1995 )

The Commission has no knowledge of the activities of the
European Centre for Interdependence and Solidarity, nor
does it have information available about it . However, the

The activities of the institute in 1994 included seminars ( on
the Community, non-governmental development
organizations and the role of women in rural development
in Asia, on investment in India and on the social dimension
of economic development in Asia ) and briefing sessions ( on
the dispute over the Spratly and Paracel islands, on human
rights as envisaged in Islam, on women in Pakistan, on
economic development in Vietnam, on elections in Sri Lanka
and on the Community disaster preparedness programme
and implications for Asia ).

The Institute's establishment plan comprises a seminar and
publications officer ( full time ), a research coordinator ( part
time ), and administrative assistant ( part time ) and a research
director ( as of 3 April 1995 ).

Up to 1994 the only finance for the Institute was a
Community subsidy of ECU 175 000 a year . In 1995 this
limited subsidy restricted the Institute's activities, and it did
nor have access to other income . Then the Institute adopted
a rew development plan and started to play an important
role in the framework of the new strategy for Asia . In 1995

No C 270 / 70 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 16 . 10 . 95

the Commission awarded the Institute an ECU 117 500

contract for a study on ' Understanding Asia values '. This
study will be presented at the Community-Asia cultural
forum, planned for early 1996 in order to follow up the
mutual understanding aspect of the Commission's
communication ' towards a new strategy for Asia ' ('). The
contract sum does not represent a subsidy to the Institute's
budget, but reimbursement of specific costs arising from
work on the study .

of a working group charged with exploring the possibility of
reaching rapidly, and on a plurilateral basis, an agreement
on the development of interim international humane
trapping standards which meet the requirements of the
Regulation .

The Commission firmly hopes that in the framework of such
discussions a solution can be found before the end of the

year which will satisfy the requirements of Regulation

( EEC ) No 3254 / 91 and therefore avoid the recourse to
C ) COM(94 ) 314 . commercial sanctions .

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2071 / 95

by Christian Rovsing ( PPE )

to the Commission

(7 July 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 128 )

Subject : Regulation ( EEC ) No 3254 / 91 of 4 November
1991 on imports of pelts of wild animal species

Does the Commission think it right to risk forcing two of the
EU's main trading partners, the USA and Canada, to test the
legality of Regulation ( EEC ) No 3254 / 91 ('), due to enter
into force on 1 January 1996, in the WTO, and does it think
it right to inflict economic and social ruin on hundreds of
thousands of indigenous people in the Arctic by
implementing that Regulation ?

C ) O J No I. 308, 9 . 11 . 1991, p . 1 .

Answer given by Sir Leon Brittan

on behalf of the Commission

( 28 Julv 1995 )

Although the Commission is fully aware of the need to take
into consideration the points mentioned by the Honourable
Member, it is also of the opinion that the possible effects of
the implementation of the provisions of Article 3.1 of
Regulation ( EEC ) No 3254 / 91 on the living conditions of
the aboriginal people in the Arctic areas should not be
over-estimated and that, on the other hand, there are
grounds to maintain the legality of this Regulation in the
World Trade Organization .

However, the issues mentioned by the Honourable Member
are among the reasons which recently led the Commission to
engage in exploratory discussions with the main fur
exporting countries concerned, regarding the establishment

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2077 / 95

by Marie-Paule Kestelijn-Sierens ( ELDR ) and

Jan Mulder ( ELDR )

to the Commission

( 12 July 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 129 )

Subject : Recent problems in the European horticulture

sector

Growers of tomatoes, cucumbers and other horticultural
produce in Europe have recently been facing extremely low
market prices . In the Netherlands and Belgium in particular
this means that the produce is being sold at below cost . The
main causes of this are said to be imbalances in the market

and exchange rate fluctuations ( including the devaluation of
the Spanish peseta ). There are also reports of an increase in
tomato growing in Spain funded by the European Structural
Funds and the Cohesion Fund . It is also being suggested that
environmental provisions are less strict in the southern
Member States than in the North and, finally, there are
allegations of clumping .

1 . Does the Commission broadly share this analysis ?

2 . How much has been spent to date ( since Spain's
accession ) and what amount is earmarked in the EU
budget for the period from now until 1999 to support
the restructuring of the horticulture sector in Spain and
in particular tomato growing ?

3 . Does the Commission think it a wise policy to provide «
structural support for growing produce of which there is
already a surplus ?

4 . Does the Commission not agree that the time has come
to introduce a European quality mark for agricultural
products so that the consumer knows how produce has
been grown and to ensure fairer conditions of
competition for agricultural producers ?

16 . 10 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 270 / 71

Answer given by Mr Fischler
on behalf of the Commission

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2255 / 95

by Susan Waddington ( PSE )
( 16 August 1995 ) to the Commission

( 18 July 1995 )
The Commission would refer the Honourable Members to

( 95 / C 270 / 131 )

its answer to Written Question No 1878 / 95 by Mr
Sonneveld 0 ).

C ) See page 62 of this Official Journal .

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2152 / 95

by Edith Miiller ( V )

to the Commission

( 12 July 1995 )

( 95 / C 270 / 130 )

Subject : Research into the effectiveness of homeopathy :

budget line B6-7142

Can the Commission explain how it has spent the ECU 1
million set aside in the EU budget for 1994 for research into
the effectiveness of homeopathy and inform Parliament
regarding the projects it will finance with the ECU 3 million
provided for such research in the 1995 budget ( line
B6-7142 ), especially given that it only has five months left in
which to allocate this funding ?

Answer given by Mrs Cresson

on behalf of the Commission

( 28 July 1995 )

As was mentioned to the Honourable Member in the

Commission's answer to her Written Question
No 1 556 / 95 ( J ), research into the effectiveness of
homoeopathy is not being considered at present due to the
lack of any clear legal basis .

The Commission will carry out an evaluation before
considering the commitment of additional appropriations
to pilot projects in this area .

Subject : Entitlement to emergency health care in the

European Economic Area by third-country
nationals

In its White Paper on Social Policy the Commission
mentioned that it intends to amend the social security
coorc ination Regulations to bring third-country nationals
withi i the scope of the rules on emergency health care while
on a temporary stay in another Member State . These
amendments are of great importance to third-country
nationals legally resident in the EEA, who are denied
freedom of movement equal to that of EU citizens, ( in many
cases their sons and daughters ). Can the Commission
provide a timetable for the introduction of these
amendments, and has work on these amendments already
started ?

Answer given by Mr Flynn
on behalf of the Commission

( 31 July 1995 )

With regard to access of nationals from third countries to
healti-care benefits during temporary stays in another
Member State, the Commission is able to inform the
Honourable Member that this problem has already been the
subject of a proposal to amend Regulation ( EEC )
No 1408 / 71 (>)•

Following the Parliament's opinion ( 2 ) on the proposal
whic i had been submitted in 1994 ( 3 ), the Commission sent
a modified proposal ( 4 ) to the Council on 26 June 1995
containing a provision concerning precisely the situation
referred to by the Honourable Member .

C ) 0 [ No L 149, 5 . 7 . 1971 and amending acts ( consolidated
version, OJ No C 325, 10 . 12 . 1992 ).
(') OJ No C 230, 4 . 9 . 1995, p . 50 . ( 2 ) A4-0107 / 95 / Part A.

( 3 ) Of No C 143, 26 . 5 . 1994 .

( 4 ) COM(95 ) 284 final .