Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

ISSN 0378-6986

#### C 42
# Official Journal

Volume 38

### of the European Communities

Information and Notices
English edition

20 February 1995

Notice No Contents
Page

I Information

European Parliament

Written Questions with answer

95 / C 42 / 01 E-1662 / 94 by Alexandros Alavanos to the Council
Subject : European Parliament resolution on relations between Albania and Greece 1

95 / C 42 / 02 E - 199 1 / 94 by Paraskevas Avgerinos to the Council
Subject : Albanian authorities ' detention of members of the Greek minority party ' Omonoia ' 1

Joint answer to Written Questions E-1662 / 94 and E-1991 / 94 2

95 / C 42 / 03 E-1665 / 94 by Mihail Papayannakis to the Commission
Subject : Socio-economic situation of Volos 2

95 / C 42 / 04 E-1690 / 94 by Jaak Vandemeulebroucke to the Commission
Subject : Shipyards — abolition of subsidies 2

95 / C 42 / 05 E - 1694 / 94 by Sergio Ribeiro to the Council
Subject : Trade in bananas — waiving of customs duties by the German Government 3

95 / C 42 / 06 E-1706 / 94 by Carlos Robles Piquer to the Council
Subject : Political situation on the Comoro Islands 3

95 / C 42 / 07 E-l 775 / 94 by Imelda Read to the Commission
Subject : Access of parliamentary assistants to the buildings of the Commission 3

95 / C 42 / 08 E-1785 / 94 by Georg Jarzembowski to the Commission
Subject : Access to Commission premises for parliamentary assistants 4

Joint answer to Written Questions E-1775 / 94 and E-1785 / 94 4

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E-1776 / 94 by Sir Jack Stewart-Clark to the Commission
Subject : Directive on zoos

E-1793 / 94 by Anne Van Lancker to the Council
Subject : Final approval of the proposal for a Directive on atypical forms of employment

E-l 796 / 94 by Anne Van Lancker to the Council
Subject : Preparation for the United Nations Conference on Women ( Peking 1995 )

E-l 8 11 / 94 by Cristiana Muscardini to the Council
Subject : Discrimination in the insurance industry in Germany

E-l 830 / 94 by Christine Crawley to the Council
Subject : Dental health inequalities

E-l 834 / 94 by Wilhelm Piecyk to the Commission
Subject : VAT arrangements within the internal market — new motor vehicles

E-l 840 / 94 by Alexandros Alavanos to the Commission
Subject : Problems with proposals for revising the wine Regulation

E-l 841 / 94 by Alexandros Alavanos to the Commission
Subject : Protection mechanism for water-melons

E - 1854 / 94 by Alex Smith to the Council

Subject : Paris Commission call for halt of operations at Thorp nuclear-reprocessing plant in the
United Kingdom

E-l 882 / 94 by Kirsten Jensen to the Council
Subject : Improvements to language teaching in France

E-l 889 / 94 by Alexander Falconer to the Commission
Subject : Commission action on Parliament 's recommendation on the report on the storage,
transport and reprocessing of nuclear fuels ( Supplementary answer )

E-l 90 1 / 94 by Alexander Falconer to the Council
Subject : Council action on Parliament 's recommendation on the report on the storage, transport
and re-processing of nuclear fuels

E-1921 / 94 by Jessica Larive to the Council
Subject : Representation of women in the European institutions

E-l 929 / 94 by Alexandros Alavanos to the Commission
Subject : Measures to alleviate the problems of growers of Oriental tobacco in Greece

E-1939 / 94 by Luis Sá to the Commission
Subject : Commission monitoring of the Spanish national hydrological plan

E-l 958 / 94 by Christine Oddy to the Council
Subject : Rwanda

E-l 964 / 94 by Christine Oddy to the Commission
Subject : Central Anti-Fraud Unit

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95 / C 42 / 26 E - 1969 / 94 by Alex Smith to the Council
Subject : Smuggling of nuclear materials 12

95 / C 42 / 27 E-1970 / 94 by Alex Smith to the Council
Subject : Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty 13

95 / C 42 / 28 E - 1997 / 94 by Carmen Díez de Rivera Icaza to the Commission

Subject : National and trans-national systems of payment 13

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E-2005 / 94 by Carlos Robles Piquer to the Council
Subject : Negotiations on extending the NPT ( Non-Proliferation Treaty ) 14

E-2008 / 94 by Kirsten Jensen to the Commission
Subject : Serbian participation in scientific conference . 14

E-2039 / 94 by Anita Pollack to the Commission
Subject : Trans-European road network 15

E-2053 / 94 by Jesus Cabezón Alonso to the Council
Subject : Recruitment of staff for the Committee of the Regions 15

E-2055 / 94 by Mihail Papayannakis to the Commission
Subject : Construction of a marina in Marathon, Attica 16

E-2079 / 94 by Wolfgang Kreissl-Dörfler to the Council

Subject : Shooting of birds in Italy 16

95 / C 42 / 35 E-2089 / 94 by Mihail Papayannakis to the Commission
Subject : Implementation of Leader Programme in a national park 17

95 / C 42 / 36 E-2094 / 94 by Ben Fayot to the Commission

Subject : Media concentration 18

95 / C 42 / 37 E-2 108 / 94 by Joaquin Sisó Cruellas to the Commission
Subject : Combating fraud 18

95 / C 42 / 38 E-2109 / 94 by Joaquin Sisó Cruellas to the Commission
Subject : Combating fraud 19

95 / C 42 / 39 E-2 1 1 0 / 94 by Joaquin Sisó Cruellas to the Commission
Subject : Combating fraud 19

95 / C 42 / 40 E-21 11 / 94 by Joaquin Sisó Cruellas to the Commission
Subject : Combating fraud 20

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E-2 134 / 94 by Alexander Langer to the Commission
Subject : High-speed railway projects in the Po Valley 20

E-2146 / 94 by Joan Vallvé to the Commission
Subject : Lorenzo Natali journalism prize and the Catalan language : . . . 21

E-2147 / 94 by Antoinette Spaak to the Commission
Subject : Communication on Community action in support of culture 21

E-2168 / 94 by Hiltrud Breyer to the Council

Subject : Euratom-USA negotiations 22

( Continued overleaf )

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95 / C 42 / 45 E-2 174 / 94 by Hiltrud Breyer to the Commission
Subject : Euratom-USA negotiations 22

95 / C 42 / 46 E-2 175 / 94 by Hiltrud Breyer to the Council
Subject : Illegal transfer of lithium-6 from Russia to the EU 24

95 / C 42 / 47 E-21 89 / 94 by Celia Villalobos Talero to the Commission
Subject : Residence of cross-border workers 24

95 / C 42 / 48 E-2 190 / 94 by Maria Izquierdo Rojo to the Commission
Subject : Boosting the Euro-Arab University of Granada 25

95 / C 42 / 49 E-2 193 / 94 by Alexandros Alavanos to the Commission
Subject : Television advertising 25

95 / C 42 / 50 E-2 197 / 94 by Carmen Fraga Estévez and Miguel Arias Cañete to the Commission
Subject : Illicit practices by Chile which are obstructing the transport of swordfish caught by the
Community fleet 26

95 / C 42 / 51 E-2204 / 94 by Carlos Robles Piquer to the Council
Subject : Witch-burning in South Africa 26

95 / C 42 / 52 E-2209 / 94 by Salvador Garriga Polledo to the Commission
Subject : Disappearance of the Cohesion Funds 27

95 / C 42 / 53 E-22 16 / 94 by Giulio Fantuzzi to the Council
Subject : Tax measures affecting cooperatives in Italy 27

95 / C 42 / 54 E-2221 / 94 by David Bowe to the Commission
Subject : Anaphylaxis 27

95 / C 42 / 55 E-2223 / 94 by David Morris to the Commission
Subject : Car seat-belt safety 28

95 / C 42 / 56 E-2228 / 94 by James Nicholson to the Council
Subject : National service in Greece and the continuing plight of conscientious objectors 28

95 / C 42 / 57 E-2232 / 94 by Anita Pollack to the Commission
Subject : Flow of river Ganges — environmental consequences in Bangladesh river Gorai 29

95 / C 42 / 58 E-2234 / 94 by Anita Pollack to the Commission
Subject : Peanut allergy 29

95 / C 42 / 59 E-2236 / 94 by Wolfgang Kreissl-Dörfler to the Commission
Subject : Incorportion of social clauses in the EU 's generalized system of preferences 30

95 / C 42 / 60 E-2240 / 94 by Julio Añoveros Trias de Bes to the Council
Subject : Directive on food additives other than colours and sweeteners 30

95 / C 42 / 61 E-2244 / 94 by Ian White to the Commission
Subject : Double-decker buses 31

95 / C 42 / 62 E-2250 / 94 by Anne Andre-Leonard to the Commission
Subject : European beer tour 31

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E-2256 / 94 by Peter Truscott to the Council
Subject : East Timor 32

E-2259 / 94 by Anthony Wilson to the Commission
Subject : Effect of World Bank funding on the poor 32

E-2268 / 94 by Alexandros Alavanos to the Commission
Subject : Maritime pollution caused by continual spillages of petroleum products 33

E-2286 / 94 by Yiannis Roubatis to the Council
Subject : Violation of the religious freedoms and independence of religious communities in
Albania 33

E-2297 / 94 by Anne Andre-Leonard to the Commission

Subject : European audio-visual fund 34

E-2304 / 94 by Jaak Vandemeulebroucke to the Commission
Subject : Ferry disasters 35

E-2310 / 94 by Graham Watson to the Commission
Subject : Distributional impact and reform of EU development aid 35

E-23 12 / 94 by Thomas Megahy to the Commission
Subject : AIDS awareness campaigns 36

E-2320 / 94 by Christine Oddy to the Commission
Subject : Third World trade in textiles 36

E-2321 / 94 by Christine Oddy to the Council

Subject : Arms embargo in Bosnia 36

E-2323 / 94 by Helena Torres Marques to the Commission
Subject : Utilization of the Structural Funds and the Cohesion Fund in 1994 37

E-2328 / 94 by Carlos Robles Piquer to the Commission
Subject : Ecological alternatives to municipal rubbish dumps 37

E-23 3 8 / 94 by Hiltrud Breyer to the Commission
Subject : Information on the quality of water 38

E-2356 / 94 by Christine Oddy to the Council
Subject : Extrajudicial killings of Kurds in Turkey 38

E-2361 / 94 by Christine Crawley to the Council
Subject : Human rights abuses in Turkey 39

Joint answer to Written Questions E-2356 / 94 and E-2361 / 94 39

E-2359 / 94 by Christine Oddy to the Council
Subject : Persecution of Ahmadi Muslims in Pakistan 39

E-23 60 / 94 by Christine Oddy to the Council
Subject : Street children in Colombia 39

E-2369 / 94 by Sergio Ribeiro to the Commission
Subject : Report on activities carried out in the field of design under the Sprint Programme ... 40

( Continued overleaf )

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Contents ( continued ) Page

E-2385 / 94 by Raymonde Dury to the Commission
Subject : Information campaign on listeriosis 40

E-2388 / 94 by Raymonde Dury to the Commission
Subject : Anti-dumping procedures 41

E-2392 / 94 by Alexandros Alavanos to the Commission
Subject : Progress of re-afforestation in Greece 41

E-2424 / 94 by Jean - Yves Le Gallou to the Commission
Subject : STOA studies 42

E-2430 / 94 by James Nicholson to the Council
Subject : Land-mine warfare 42

E-2446 / 94 by Simon Murphy to the Commission
Subject : Basis of GATT / WTO Agreements 42

E-2455 / 94 by Alexander Langer to the Commission
Subject : Environmental impact assessment on the ' MOSE ' project for the lagoon of Venice 43

E-25 10 / 94 by Carlos Robles Piquer to the Commission
Subject : Livestock trails (' Royal drove roads ') 44

E-2514 / 94 by Yvan Blot to the Commission
Subject : Teaching of Greek and Latin 44

E-2527 / 94 by Jose Apolinario to the Commission
Subject : Impact on the environment of the sinking of the S. Miguel 44

E-2571 / 94 by Christine Oddy to the Council
Subject : Abuse of human rights by Saddam Hussein 45

E-26 16 / 94 by Gary Titley to the Commission
Subject : Cot deaths 45

E-2702 / 94 by Ralf Walter to the Commission
Subject : Allocation of EC funds to the ' Landkreis ' Bernkastel-Wittlich, Rhineland-Palatinate 45

E-2703 / 94 by Ralf Walter to the Commission
Subject : Allocation of EC funds to the ' Landkreis ' Rhein-Hunsriick-Kreis, Rhineland ­
Palatinate 46

E-2704 / 94 by Ralf Walter to the Commission
Subject : Allocation of EC funds to the ' Landkreis ' Cochem-Zell, Rhineland-Palatinate ...... 46

E-2705 / 94 by Ralf Walter to the Commission
Subject : Allocation of EC funds to the ' Landkreis ' Westerwald-Kreis, Rhineland-Palatinate ... 47

E-2706 / 94 by Ralf Walter to the Commission
Subject : Allocation of EC funds to the ' Landkreis ' Koblenz, Rhineland-Palatinate 47

E-2707 / 94 by Ralf Walter to the Commission
Subject : Allocation of EC funds to the ' Landkreis ' Rhein-Lahn Kreis, Rhineland-Palatinate ... 47

E-2708 / 94 by Ralf Walter to the Commission
Subject : Allocation of EC funds to the ' Landkreis ' Neuwied, Rhineland-Palatinate 48

( Continued on inside back cover )

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95 / C 42 / 100 E-2709 / 94 by Ralf Walter to the Commission
Subject : Allocation of EC funds to the ' Landkreis ' Mayen-Koblenz, Rhineland-Palatinate .... 48

95 / C 42 / 101 E-2710 / 94 by Ralf Walter to the Commission
Subject : Allocation of EC funds to the ' Landkreis ' Birkenfeld, Rhineland-Palatinate 48

95 / C 42 / 102 E-2711 / 94 by Ralf Walter to the Commission
Subject : Allocation of EC funds to the ' Landkreis ' Bad Kreuznach, Rhineland-Palatinate 49

95 / C 42 / 103 E-2712 / 94 by Ralf Walter to the Commission
Subject : Allocation of EC funds to the ' Landkreis ' Altenkirchen, Rhineland-Palatinate 49

95 / C 42 / 104 E-2713 / 94 by Ralf Walter to the Commission
Subject : Allocation of EC funds to the ' Landkreis ' Ahrweiler, Rhineland-Palatinate 50

95 / C 42 / 105 E-2714 / 94 by Ralf Walter to the Commission
Subject : Allocation of EC funds to the ' Landkreis ' Trier-Saarburg, Rhineland-Palatinate 50

95 / C 42 / 106 E-2715 / 94 by Ralf Walter to the Commission
Subject : Allocation of EC funds to the ' Landkreis ' Daun, Rhineland-Palatinate 50

95 / C 42 / 107 E-2716 / 94 by Ralf Walter to the Commission
Subject : Allocation of EC funds to the ' Landkreis ' Bitburg-Priim, Rhineland-Palatinate 51

95 / C 42 / 108 E-2759 / 94 by Anne Andre-Leonard to the Council
Subject : Recognition of Kurdish identity in a multi-cultural Europe 51

###### EN

20 . 2 . 95 | EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 42 / 1

I

( Information )

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

WRITTEN QUESTIONS WITH ANSWER

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1662 / 94

by Alexandros Alavanos ( GUE )

to the Council

(1 September 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 01 )

Subject : European Parliament resolution on relations
between Albania and Greece

On 28 October 1993 the European Parliament adopted a
resolution in which it ' calls on the Greek and Albanian

Governments to work together and cooperate in a
comprehensive and coordinated manner at political,
economic and cultural levels, since this would contribute to
peace in this region of the Balkans '. In addition, the
resolution ' calls on the Albanian Government in future to

avoid violent actions which endanger the safety of the Greek
minority '.

Will the Council say whether it has taken note of this
resolution and what measures it has taken to implement the
above paragraphs, particularly in the light of the recent
tensions between the two countries ?

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1991 / 94

by Paraskevas Avgerinos ( PSE )

to the Council

(5 September 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 02 )

Subject : Albanian authorities ' detention of members of the

Greek minority party ' Omonoia '

In allowing the Albanian authorities to detain members of
the Greek minority party ' Omonoia ' for a period of months
now, the Albanian Government is in flagrant violation of

human rights, fundamenal civil liberties and the safeguards
which should apply in any just and civilized State . The
following points are of particular note :

— The Greeks have been held in custody for months on the

basis of trumped-up charges ( which have only recently
been made public ) which make it a criminal offence for
' Omonoia ' to take part in political activity and which
provide incontrovertible evidence of the violation of
human rights and basic civil liberties .

— The procedure hitherto followed by the Albanian

authorities and the conditions in which the prisoners
have been held in custody are unacceptable . It is reported
that during this long period of detention, the ' Omonoia '
members have been held in appalling conditions which
endanger their health and lives . Moreover, neither
their relatives nor representatives of humanitarian
organizations have been allowed to visit them and they
have not been given the opportunity to contact or be
represented by lawyers .

— The spurious charges against them try to implicate the

Greek Government in so-called acts of hostility against
Albania, crudely and provocatively distorting the truth .
This unacceptable provocation follows a whole
catalogue of other provocative acts by the Albanians
affecting religious freedom, freedom of education and
the right to take part in political activity .

— It is obvious that the Albanian Government is aiming at

systematic intimidation .

In view of this, will the Council say :

1 . What information it has about this case which is a

flagrant violation of human rights ?

2 . Whether it will review the question of economic aid to

this country, which is riding rough-shod over human
rights and fundamental legal principles ?

No C 42 / 2 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 20 . 2 . 95

3 . What it is doing and what it intends to do to restore

respect for international law and human rights in this
particular case ?

Joint answer
to Written Questions E-1662 / 94 and E-1991 / 94

( 16 January 1995 )

The European Union keeps following closely the situation in
Albania, not least as regards human rights, the situation of
the minorities and the rule of law . It has furthermore in

recent high level contacts with the Albanian Government
expressed the Union 's wish to see a relaxation of the
unfortunate tension in the bilateral relations between one of

its member states and Albania and declared its readiness to

work for a normalization of these relations .

The EU has on several occasions called on the Albanian

Government to respect its CSCE engagements and
guarantee the right of all members of minorities to enjoy
their fundamental right to develop inter alia their own
cultural and religious identity in the framework of
internationally accepted standards .

The EU attaches importance to the process of political and
economic reform in Albania, and will continue to work with
the Albanians to promote both . The Council is currently
considering macro-economic assistance to Albania . At its
4 October session the Council expressed the hope that
relations between Greece and Albania would improve, and
dialogue between them resume . Albanian leniency at the
revision of the Omonoia process could contribute to such a
development .

On the occasion of the first meeting of the Joint Committee
of the EU - Albania Trade and Cooperation Agreement in
March this year it was stressed that the continuation of
assistance is closely linked to progress made in economic
and political reforms .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-l 665 / 94

reduced capacity, and more than 6 000 people are
unemployed .

In addition to the aid to be granted under the next
Community support framework for Greece, will the
Commission say :

1 . Whether special assistance will be granted to tackle the

above problems in the form of Community loans and
subsidies in the context of the structural programmes
already under way in the region and

2 . What activities are covered by these programmes ?

Answer given by Mr Millan
on behalf of the Commission

(3 November 1994 )

The Operational Programme for Thessaly ( 1994-1999 )
includes measures to support the secondary sector,
particularly in the fields of business competitiveness and
vocational training, and combat unemployment in the
region . They will be financed by the European Regional
Development Fund and the European Social Fund .

Furthermore, the ' Industry and services ' programme in the
Community support framework ( CSF ) for Greece includes
integrated measures for the restructuring of declining
industrial areas, of which Volos is one .

In addition, the ' On-going training ' programme in the CSF
for Greece includes vocational training measures for
workers or unemployed workers in areas affected by
industrial decline .

Finally, on the basis of proposals by the Greek Government,
measures could be implemented under the Community
Initiatives to assist the town of Volos .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1690 / 94

by Mihail Papayannakis ( GUE )

by Jaak Vandemeulebroucke ( ARE )
to the Commission

(1 September 1994 )

to the Commission

(1 September 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 03 ( 95 / C 42 / 04 )

Subject : Socio-economic situation of Volos

Despite being an important industrial centre, Volos, the
capital of the Province of Magnesia, experienced a steady
decline in industrial activity during the five-year period from

1988-1993 . Dozens of factories, mainly in the textile,
clothing and steel industries have closed or are operating at

Subject : Shipyards — abolition of subsidies

Is it true that there are plans to prohibit all subsidies or
support to shipyards ?

If so, why ?

20 . 2 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 42 / 3

Answer given by Mr Van Miert

Answer

on behalf of the Commission

( 22 December 1994 )
( 18 October 1994 )

On 17 July 1994, as a result of negotiations begun in
September 1989 within OECD, an agreement was signed ad
referendum between the Community, Korea, the United
States, Japan and Scandinavia which effectively prohibits
direct subsidies to shipyards from 1 January 1996 .
Financing — whether or not underwritten by the State — for
the purchase or construction of vessels will still be allowed,
but the credit terms applicable to domestic shipowners will
have to be the same as under export-credit arrangements .
The Agreement also features binding anti-dumping
machinery designed to combat injurious pricing .

The Agreement is expected to achieve what has always been
the Community 's objective — mainly via the sixth and
seventh Council Directives on aid to shipbuilding — namely
to maintain a competitive industry capable of meeting
head-on, without State support, the challenges of world
markets . While that policy has already made it possible to
lower the aid ceiling from 28 % in 1988 to 9 % in 1994, the
injurious-pricing instrument provided for in the Agreement
is expected to put an end to what was the only remaining
justification for maintaining the aids : below-cost pricing .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1694 / 94

by Sérgio Ribeiro ( GUE )

to the Council

(1 September 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 05 )

Subject : Trade in bananas — waiving of customs duties by

the German Government

In June 1993 the EC Court of Justice rejected an action
brought by the German Government requesting the
suspension of the Regulation on bananas, which is designed
to protect Community products ( from the Caribbean,
Madeira, etc .) and those from countries with which the
Community has special relations ( the ACP countries, which
include former Portuguese colonies ).

In a clear act of defiance against the Court 's judgment, the
German Government apparently decided ( symbolically !) to
open its borders on 15 March 1994 to bananas from Latin
America, thereby flouting the Regulation whose suspension
it failed to achieve by legal means in accordance with
Community law .

The Council is not aware of any German Government
measures such as those mentioned by the Honourable
Member .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1706 / 94

by Carlos Robles Piquer ( PPE )

to the Council

(1 September 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 06 )

Subject : Political situation on the Comoro Islands

In view of the way in which the general elections on the
Comoros have been held — particularly the second round —
does the Council take the view that they can be regarded as
free and fair, or, rather, that the ballot has been marred by
fraud on a large scale, as alleged by a number of political
groups ? In this connection, can the Council provide
information regarding the situation of Ahmed Fouad
Mohamed Fuad, Member of Parliament, who was arrested
by a group of soldiers on 20 December 1993, in apparent
contradiction of the guarantees enshrined in the amended
Constitution of 1990 ?

Answer

( 16 January 1995 )

The political situation on the Comoro Islands has not been
discussed in the CFSP framework . With regard to the
situation of the Member of Parliament Ahmed Fuad,
arrested in December 1993, he was released on May 10

1994 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-l 775 / 94

by Imelda Read ( PSE )

to the Commission

(1 September 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 07 )

Subject : Access of parliamentary assistants to the buildings

of the Commission

Considering that the Written Question E-467 / 94 (*) on the
access of parliamentary assistants to the Commission 's
buildings, tabled by Franco Iacono, MEP, has been given an
inconclusive reply by the Commission ;

If this is true, does the Council plan to take any action ? If so, considering that the access to the Parliament 's buildings is

what ? free for Commission employees by simply showing their

No C 42 / 4 I EN Official Journal of the European Communities 20 . 2 . 95

service card, including auxiliaries, agents temporaires,
prestataires de service and stagiares ;

considering that concerning access to the Commission,
parliamentary assistants are treated as persons outside the
European institutions ;

considering that simplified access to the Commission is
essential to the duties of parliamentary assistants, whose
work in turn is essential to the functioning of the European
Parliament ;

considering that Members of the European Parliament have
complained that their work has been impeded by the
Commission 's restrictions on their assistants ;

on the basis of exactly which decision are parliamentary
assistants prevented from simplified access to the
Commission ?

what measures will the Commission take to simplify the
access of parliamentary assistants to the Commission,
independent of possible further action by the European
Parliament ?

( J ) OJ No C 349, 9 . 12 . 1994, p . 34 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-l 785 / 94

by Georg Jarzembowski ( PPE )

to the Commission

(1 September 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 08 )

Subject : Access to Commission premises for parliamentary

assistants

The Commission 's answer to Written Question E-467 / 94 by
Mr Franco Iacono, MEP, on access to Commission premises
for parliamentary assistants, is unsatisfactory .

All Commission employees, including ancillary staff,
temporary staff, service providers and trainees enjoy
unrestricted access to Parliament 's buildings on production
of their passes, whereas Members ' parliamentary assistants
are treated like outsiders as regards access to Commission
offices .

In view of the complaints by Members of the European
Parliament that their work is being obstructed by the
restrictions imposed by the Commission on their
parliamentary assistants, what is the specific reason for
parliamentary assistants being refused easy access to
Commission offices ?

What steps will the Commission take to facilitate access for
parliamentary assistants, independently of further measures
by Parliament ?

Joint answer to Written Questions

E-1775 / 94 and E-l 785 / 94

given by Mr Delors
on behalf of the Commission

( 29 November 1994 )

The Commission is an institution which prides itself on
being open to all those who need access . The rules currently
in force with regard to access to Commission buildings were
laid down by its security committee .

These stipulate that Commission staff covered by the Staff
Regulations, persons who have contractual relations with
the Commission, and staff of other institutions covered by
the Staff Regulations, have access to Commission buildings
simply by showing their staff card .

Others may gain access to the Commission by complying
with the appropriate procedures : leaving proof of identity at
the reception and contacting the official they wish to visit
before leaving reception .

However, the Commission is prepared to review these
arrangements with the appropriate departments of the
European Parliament, particularly in the light of the
decisions regarding the status of parliamentary assistants
which are to be taken by Parliament .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-l 776 / 94

by Sir Jack Stewart-Clark ( PPE )

to the Commission

(1 September 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 09

Subject : Directive on zoos

The Commission report to the European Council ( )

Easy access to Commission premises is crucial for the work proposed that the proposal for a Directive on zoos ( 2 )
of parliamentary assistants, whose work is vital to the should be withdrawn and replaced by a recommendation

functioning of Parliament . following consultation with the Parliament . Can the

20 . 2 . 95 l_EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 42 / 5

Commission explain why no such consultation has taken
place and why no recommendation on zoos has yet been
published ?

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1796 / 94

by Anne Van Lancker ( PSE )

to the Council

(1 September 1994 )
(M COM(93 ) 545 final .

( 2 ) COM(91 ) 177 final — OJ No C 249, 24 . 9 . 1991, p . 14 . ( 95 / C 42 / 11 )

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission

( 13 October 1994 )

The Commission adopted a global position on the
application of the principle of subsidiarity to existing and
proposed Community legislation on 8 June 1994 . In the case
of the zoos Directive it was decided to withdraw the 1991

proposal and to replace it by a recommendation . A proposal
to this effect will be prepared in the near future .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-l 793 / 94

by Anne Van Lancker ( PSE )

to the Council

(1 September 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 10 )

Subject : Final approval of the proposal for a Directive on

atypical forms of employment

What time limit will the German Presidency of the Council
set for the final approval of the proposal for a Directive on
atypical forms of employment ?

Subject : Preparation for the United Nations Conference on

Women ( Peking 1995 )

What consultations has the Council initiated between the

Member States in preparation for the UN Conference on
Women ( Peking 1995 )?

Has the European Union prepared a separate . report on
progress achieved in the Union on equal opportunities for
men and women and on women 's employment, health and
education ?

Does the Council not think that, in view of the increasing
climate of violence and threats to women, an international
legal instrument should be introduced specifically to deal
with this problem ?

Answer

( 20 December 1994 )

The Council has not yet decided on the procedure for
coordinating Member States ' positions with a view to the
Fourth World Conference on Women ( Peking, September
1995 ).

No separate report from the European Union of the type
referred to by the Honourable Member is available at

present .

The Council is concerned about violence against women
throughout the world and considers that effective national
measures and international cooperation are required to
eliminate such violence .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-l 8 11 / 94

Answer by Cristiana Muscardini ( NI )

( 20 December 1994 ) to the Council

(1 September 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 12 )
Following a draft text submitted by the Presidency, the
Council meeting on 22 September 1994 discussed the
question of part-time and fixed-term working . Subject : Discrimination in the insurance industry in

Germany

The Council is actively pursuing its discussions on this issue
and will return to it at its meeting on 6 December 1994 .

In Federal Germany there is serious discrimination in the
insurance industry based on the nationality of clients .

Is it true that insurance companies claim an increase in the
premium solely on the grounds that the insured person is not

No C 42 / 6 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 20 . 2 . 95

a German citizen, such an increase being termed a Answer
' supplement for foreigners '? Is the Commission aware that ( 20 December 1994 )
this supplement is claimed even from citizens of the
Union ?

In particular, is it correct that the insurance company
Schweiz Direct ( legally registered in Munich under No HRB
85778 ), in a document for internal use sent to its agents
entitled ' Rules governing insurance offers ( motor vehicles ),
as of 1 October 1993, FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY ',
expressly forbids agents from signing contracts of any kind
with Greek, Spanish, Turkish or Yugoslav citizens, nor may
partly or fully comprehensive policies be drawn up for
Italian or Portuguese citizens or for citizens of eastern
Europe ?

Does the Council not consider that any kind of
discrimination based on nationality infringes the principle
of the equal dignity of the peoples of the Union, opening the
way to contemptible racist behaviour, and that it is
something to be condemned primarily on human rights
grounds but also in terms of the Treaties and secondary
legislation ?

What action does the Council intend to take to prohibit this

behaviour in a Member State of the Union and to prevent
similar cases from occurring in the future in any of the
Member States ?

Answer

( 20 December 1994 )

It is not for the Council but for the Commission to ensure

that the provisions of the Treaty and of Community
legislation are properly applied within the insurance
business, as in other economic sectors .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-l 830 / 94

by Christine Crawley ( PSE )

to the Council

(1 September 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 13

Subject : Dental health inequalities

Would the Co uncil explain the current approach it is taking
in the context of WHO Year of Oral Health, to health
education strategies employed to address the dental health
inequalities amongst ethnic communities and host
populations and further what, if any, measures are in place
to improve the situation in the long term ?

The Council has not taken any specific measures in
connection with the WHO 1994 Oral Health Year .

Health care systems remain the responsibility of the
Member States . As regards prevention the Council has,
however, received a proposal for a Decision on a
programme of Community action on health promotion,
information, education and training within . the framework
for action in the field of public health . This 1995-1999
programme does not refer to oral health in particular but
provides, among other actions designed to have a positive
effect in this respect, for Community support for integrated
health promotion projects specifically targeting
underprivileged groups, including immigrant populations .

For health care provided within social security schemes,
Regulation ( EEC ) No 1408 / 71 lays down that employees
and self-employed workers who are nationals of a Member
State and reside in another Member State shall have equality
of treatment with that received by workers who are
nationals of the host Member State . It is the responsibility of
the Commission to ensure that Community provisions in
this connection are properly applied .

In general the application of social security schemes to
nationals of third countries depends on the legislation of the
Member States .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1834 / 94

by Wilhelm Piecyk ( PSE )

to the Commission

(1 September 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 14 )

Subject : VAT arrangements within the internal market —

new motor vehicles

It is reported that most Danish motor vehicle dealers refuse
to sell new vehicles to German citizens on the alleged
grounds that the Danish import centre

— does not deliver cars any more,

— is ceasing to operate,

— would impose a charge which would be impossible to

pay .

Dealers who nonetheless risk such sales impose a ' foreigner
surcharge ' of between 10 and 40% of the price which
Danish citizens pay .

20 . 2 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 42 / 7

1 . Is the Commission aware of this situation ?

2 . Does the Commission share the view that such a practice
represents unacceptable discrimination on the grounds
of citizenship and goes against the principles of the
internal market and the People 's Europe ?

3 . What action does the Commission intend to take in this

matter ?

Answer given by Mr Van Miert

and thus be more willing to supply new vehicles to
customers from other Member States . The Commission

expects to publish a revised Regulation in the first half of

1995 .

(!) OJ No C 329, 18 . 1 . 1991, p . 20 .

( 2 ) COMÍ94 ) 49 .

on behalf of the Commission WRITTEN QUESTION E-1840 / 94

( 31 October 1994 ) by Alexandros Alavanos ( GUE )

to the Commission

The phenomenon referred to in the question finds its origin
in the very high rates of taxation applicable to cars in
Denmark . In order to achieve a minimum level of sales to

compensate for such rates, manufacturers set pre-tax prices
at a level which is considerably lower than in other Member
States and does not reflect the real cost of production . Such
prices attract purchasers from other Member States, in
particular from neighbouring Germany . Danish distributors
have an interest in supplying these customers but
manufacturers must feel that they would not be able to
sustain abnormally low prices for an ever increasing number
of sales through the Danish distributors . They apparently
exert pressure over these distributors not to supply cars to
purchasers who are not subject to Danish taxation .

Regulation ( EEC ) No 123 / 85, which provides for a block
exemption for exclusive dealership arrangements between
car manufacturers and their distributors and has been

further clarified in a Commission communication clarifying
the activities of automobile intermediaries ( x ), authorizes
manufacturers to impose in their agreements with exclusive
dealers a ban on resales to other resellers ( other than
approved dealers ) but not to individual customers . A ban on
sales to private individuals who are not subject to Danish
taxation would amount to a breach of Article 85

paragraph 1 of the EC Treaty . Individuals or intermediaries
acting on their behalf who can prove such infringement are
entitled to pursue the matter before a national tribunal in
order to obtain damages from the manufacturer or possibly
the dealer .

In order to eliminate the source of the phenomenon the only
remedy would be to lower the level of the Danish tax . In its
last communication on the automobile industry ( 2 ), the
Commission stated that it would ensure that this tax is

compatible with the proper functioning of the internal
market . Contacts have already been established on this
point with the Danish authorities .

Meanwhile the Commission is currently considering
modifying Regulation ( EEC ) No 123 / 85 which expires at
the end of June 1995 . If the revised Regulation were to bring
about more flexible relationships between manufacturers
and dealers, this would lead to the emergence of dealers who
would be better able to resist the pressure by manufacturers

(1 September 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 15

Subject : Problems with proposals for revising the wine

Regulation

Under the Commission 's proposals for revising the
Regulation on wine, wine production is to be cut, vines
grubbed, the use of sugar in winemaking retained and
expanded, preventive and ad hoc distillation abolished and
aid for must abolished . Given that a general and
across-the-board application of such measures would alter
the character of mountain regions and wipe out small local
communities and traditional culture in many regions of the
Community, what steps will the Commission take to ensure
that the changes to the Regulation on wine take account of
the characteristics of socially and environmentally sensitive
areas ?

Answer given by Mr Steichen

on behalf of the Commission

(8 November 1994 )

The proposal on the reform of the common organization of
the market in wine intends regional wine-growing
adjustment programmes to be priority instruments for
achieving market equilibrium .

Drawn up by the national and regional authorities, in
collaboration with the Commission, these programmes are
intended to provide the means to enable each region affected
to achieve its lower production target while taking account
of its specific features .

The methods, set out in Article 4 of the Commission
proposal, include green cropping, methods for restricting
yield, and measures to remedy structural problems such as
the maintenance of vines on steep slopes or ground liable to
erosion .

No C 42 / 8 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 20 . 2 . 95

This approach is therefore totally in keeping with
subsidiarity and makes it possible to take account of the
local features to which the Honourable Member refers .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1841 / 94

by Alexandros Alavanos ( GUE )

to the Commission

(1 September 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 16 )

Subject : Protection mechanism for water-melons

The delay in revising Regulation ( EEC ) No 1035 / 72 ( J ) on
fruit and vegetables has aggravated what are already major
problems affecting the distribution and marketing of most
fruits and vegetables . Water-melons are one of the most
vulnerable products but, although they are covered by
Regulation ( EEC ) No 1035 / 72, they cannot utilize the basic
protection mechanisms ( withdrawal and / or export subsidy )
available to other products covered by the same Regulation .
Given that in such cases the un-revised Regulation ( EEC )
No 1035 / 72 allows a product to be bought in the event of a
' serious crisis ', what steps will the Commission take to use
that provision and ensure that it also applies of
water-melons ?

(!) OJ No L 118, 20 . 5 . 1972, p . 1 .

Answer given by Mr Steichen

on behalf of the Commission

(7 November 1994 )

The Commission considers that the current state of the
common agricultural policy is not conducive to an extension
of market support in the form requested, namely an
extension of the list of products included in the intervention
scheme . A better guarantee of producer incomes would be
achieved by matching supply and demand and by
reinforcing the economic role of the producer
organizations .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1854 / 94

by Alex Smith ( PSE )

to the Council

(1 September 1994 )

(9 SIC 42 / 17 )

Subject : Paris Commission call for halt of operations at

Thorp nuclear-reprocessing plant in the United
Kingdom

At the end of June 1994, the Governments of Ireland, Spain,
the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland and
Portugal called on the United Kingdom Government to stop
operations at its nuclear-processing plant, Thorp .

This call came at the annual meeting of the Paris
Commission, the inter-governmental body that regulates
marine pollution in the seas within the North-East Atlantic

area .

Noting that this call comes from the Governments of five
Member States and two applicant countries, does the
Council plan to take any action on this call ?

Answer

( 22 December 1994 )

The Council would remind the Honourable Member that

the provisions of the Euratom Treaty, in particular those of
Chapter III on health protection, and all the relevant
Community legislation apply to these plants .

It is for the Commission to ensure that Community
provisions in this field are properly applied and, if it sees fit,
to respond to this appeal .

The Honourable Member will be aware, however, that the
June 1994 joint meeting of the Oslo and Paris Commissions

( Ospar ) recommended ( recommendation 94 / 9 ) that the
Nuclear Energy Agency of the Organization for Economic
Cooperation and Development be requested to carry out a
thorough technical review and an assessment of the
reprocessing and non-reprocessing options for spent fuel
management inter alia in relation to their effect on the
reduction or elimination of discharges of radioactive
substances, and to report any progress to Ospar 1995 .

20 . 2 . 95 I EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 42 / 9

Supplementary answer given by Mr Oreja

WRITTEN QUESTION E-l 882 / 94 Supplementary answer given by Mr
on behalf of the Commission

by Kirsten Jensen ( PSE )

to the Council ( 14 December 1994 )

(1 September 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 18 )

Subject : Improvements to language teaching in France

Does the Council intend to increase appropriations for
language teaching in the 1995 budget so that France receives
increased aid, since it appears from the press that the
knowledge of languages in France is so poor that President
Mitterand would feel threatened by a Commission President
who was unable to speak French ?

Further to its answer of 5 October 1994 { l ), the Commission
is now able to provide the following additional
information .

As set out in the Council Decision of 15 December 1989 on

the fourth five-year shared-cost research and development
programme in ' management storage of radioactive waste

1990-1994 ' ( 2 ) research on advanced processes to minimize
the production of waste and to reduce the volume of waste
to be disposed of is being carried out and the potentialities of
transmutation are being studied .

The JRC is conducting research on partitioning and
Answer transmutation in the framework of its specific research
programmes adopted by the Council in April 1992 .

( 22 December 1994 )

(!) OJ No C 30, 6 . 2 . 1995 .

( 2 ) OJ No L 395, 30 . 12 . 1989 .
The Lingua Programme, in which all the Member States
participate, was set up in order to encourage the study of the
languages of the European Union . The appropriations for
this programme are granted under the annual budgetary
procedure .

As to the other aspects of the question, it is not for the
Council to comment on articles in the press .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-l 889 / 94

by Alexander Falconer ( PSE )

to the Commission

(6 September 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 19 )

Subject : Commission action on Parliament 's
recommendation on the report on the storage,
transport and reprocessing of nuclear fuels

What action has been taken to implement recommendation

14 of the amended report on the environmental and public
health aspects of the storage, transport and reprocessing of
nuclear fuels, A3-0220 / 93, by Mr Llewellyn Smith ( a ), as
supported by Parliament on 16 July 1993, requiring the
Commission to develop proposals for the minimization of
the production of nuclear wastes ? Will the Commission
make a detailed statement on any research conducted by the
Commission, Euratom and the Joint Research Centre into
the reduction of long-lived radioactive isotopes through
transmutation ?

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1901 / 94

by Alexander Falconer ( PSE )

to the Council

(1 September 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 20

Subject : Council action on Parliament 's recommendation

on the report on the storage, transport and
re-processing of nuclear fuels

What consideration has been given to, and what consequent
decision taken by the Council on recommendation 2 on the
non-export of nuclear waste or spent irradiated nuclear fuel
to ACP States of the amended report on the environmental
and public health aspects of the storage, transport and
reprocessing of nuclear fuels, A3-0220 / 93 by Mr Llewellyn
Smith (*), as supported by Parliament on 16 July 1993 ?

(!) OJ No C 255, 20 . 9 . 1993, p . 255 .

Answer

( 20 December 1994 )

The Council can assure the Honourable Member that it

attaches great importance to the problem of radioactive
(!) OJ No C 255, 20 . 9 . 1993, p . 255 . waste management .

No C 42 / 10 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 20 . 2 . 95

In this connection it points to Council Directive progress made in the representation of women in
92 / 3 / Euratom of 3 February 1992 on the supervision and decision-making posts ?
control of shipments of radioactive waste and the Council
resolution of 15 June 1992 on the renewal of the (!) OJ No C 61, 28 . 2 . 1994, p . 248 .
Community Plan of Action in the field of radioactive

waste .

Answer

The above Directive has made it possible to set up strict
arrangements to monitor the movements of radioactive
waste between Member States .

The Council has also endorsed the principle that each
Member State is responsible for the management of its own
radioactive waste .

Furthermore, the Council is examining the Commission
communication of 2 March 1994 on a Community strategy
for radioactive waste management ( 1 ).

(M COM(94 ) 66 final .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1921 / 94

by Jessica Larive ( ELDR )

to the Council

( 12 September 1994 )

(9 SIC 42 / 21 )

( 20 December 1994 )

The Council has certainly noted the resolution on women in
the decision-making process . The report to which the
Honourable Member refers has just been forwarded to the
Joint Committee on equal opportunities for women and

men ( Copec ), a committee set up at the General Secretariat
of the Council .

The Council is not in a position to supply any further details,
since the equal opportunities policy within the Council
Secretariat will take shape in the light in particular of the
opinions which the Copec will deliver . The Committee in
question met for the first time on 17 June 1994 .

For information, the Honourable Member will find
attached particulars of the number of women holding
category A posts at various levels within the General
Secretariat .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1929 / 94

by Alexandros Alavanos ( GUE )

to the Commission

( 12 September 1994 )

Subject : Representation of women in the European
institutions ( 95 / C 42 / 22 )

Has the Council noted the Larive report ( A3-0035 / 94 ( ))
on women in the decision-making process, which the
European Parliament adopted unanimously on 1 1 February

1994 ?

If so,

1 . Can the Council inform the European Parliament of the
measures it has so far taken with regard to a positive
recruitment policy ?

2 . How does the Council intend to follow up paragraph 5
of the Larive report in particular ?

3 . Does the Council intend to set target figures with a view
to striking a balance between men and women in A 1 to
A5 posts ?

4 . Can the Council say how many women it employs in the
various A grades ?

5 . Can the Council give an assurance that it will report to
the European Parliament in writing on 1 March 1995

( one year after the adoption of the Larive report ) on

Subject : Measures to alleviate the problems of growers of

Oriental tobacco in Greece

In the Xiromeros region of Aetolo-Akarnania, Oriental
tobacco of the Tsebelia variety is the sole crop from which
some six thousand families make a living . A 24 % reduction
in quotas, the steep fall in this year 's prices, and the general
restrictions imposed by the Community 's tobacco
regulation are creating acute social problems and
desperation among the local community which led them to
boycott the European elections en masse .

Will the Commission support measures to alleviate the
enormous problems in the region, such as :

1 . Funding a long-term development study in the
region,

2 . Exempting from the reduction in quotas regions where
Oriental tobacco is the sole crop,

3 . Permits for new growers,

4 . Exceptional income support for a region heading
initially towards an explosive social situation and
ultimately, de-population ?

20 . 2 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 42 / 11

Answer given by Mr Steichen

on behalf of the Commission

(7 November 1994 )

The economic and social development of the region requires
a long-term policy, certain aspects of which could be
incorporated in structural measures . In this context, the
advisability of a study could be considered under the
partnership arrangements, providing the Greek authorities
ask for this within the Monitoring Committee for one of the
Structural Funds ' Objective 1 programmes .

It should be noted that the Council decided to fix guarantee
thresholds for each group of varieties and to base their
distribution on objective criteria .

The Commission emphasizes that Commission Regulation

( EEC ) No 3477 / 92 on the quota system (*) sets out the
procedure for transferring quotas, which may cover the case
of new growers .

The reform of the common organization of the market in
tobacco undertaken in 1992 was dictated by the need to
renovate the sector and encourage retraining in more
marketable qualities of product .

The Commission wishes to inform the Honourable Member

that provision for the Tsebelia variety has already been
made along these lines in Article 14 of Council Regulation

( EEC ) No 2075 / 92 on the common organization of the
market in raw tobacco ( 2 ) and, more particularly, in
Commission Regulation ( EEC ) No 3616 / 92 ( 3 ), in the form
of a three-year programme for the conversion of plantations
of inter alia Tsebelia tobacco to varieties more in line with

market requirements or to other agricultural crops . The
programme may comprise specific measures to compensate
growers for any loss of income due to the conversion .

(!) OJ No L 351, 2 . 12 . 1992 .

Independently of any bilateral contacts between the
Portuguese and Spanish authorities, can the Commission

state :

1 . whether it has monitored the drawing up of this

plan ;

2 . whether it intends to take action if necessary to protect

the various interests involved, especially as regards the
full implementation of Community legislation, with
particular reference to the environment ?

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission

(7 December 1994 )

The Honourable Member is requested to refer to the
Commission 's answer to oral question H-0594 / 94 of Mr
Barros Moura at the parliamentary Question Time of
November 1994 ( J ).

The plan in question has not yet been submitted to the
Commission for co-financing through the Structural Funds
or other Community financial instruments . Should the
measures set out in the plan be presented, the Commission
will ensure that the rules and conditions for Community
financial instruments are applied, particularly concerning
the environment and, more specifically, as arising from
Directive 85 / 337 / EEC relating to environmental impact

assessments .

( x ) Parliamentary debates ( November 1994 ).

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1958 / 94

( 2 ) OJ No L 215, 30 . 7 . 1992 .

( 3 ) OJ No L 367, 16 . 12 . 1992 . by Christine Oddy ( PSE )

to the Council

( 12 September 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 24 )

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1939 / 94

by Luis Sa ( GUE ) Subject : Rwanda

to the Commission

( 12 September 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 23 )

What moves will the Council of Ministers be taking to help
solve the tragic situation in Rwanda ?

Has the Council agreed to give financial support to the
refugees who have fled Rwanda and urgently need
Subject : Commission monitoring of the Spanish national assistance ?

hydrological plan

The Spanish national hydrological plan has given rise to
justified anxiety, in particular as regards its effects on such
international rivers as the Douro and the Guadiana . It

appears evident, for instance, that its environmental impact
cannot be assessed in terms of Spain alone but concerns the
entire course of the rivers concerned, and that there are
interests involved which require protection .

Answer

( 16 January 1995 )

The Honourable Member will be aware of the adoption, on
24 October 1994, of the common position on Rwanda ( J ).

No C 42 / 12 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 20 . 2 . 95

In the framework of the follow-up of this common position,
and apart from the very considerable humanitarian
assistance provided by the Community and by Member
States, the European Commission has informed the Council
on various actions it has undertaken according to the
pertinent institutional arrangements ( EDF ). These include
i.a . a short term rehabilitation plan to cover immediate
needs for ECU 5 million and a European contribution of up
to 50 human-rights observers to the deployment of
Human-Rights Observers in Rwanda, within the
framework of the agreed UN action in this field . Several
Member States also contribute bi-laterally to this UN
initiative .

On 25 November 1994, on the basis of orientations
presented by the Commission, the Council recommended an
immediate rehabilitation action programme for social and
productive structures in Rwanda of up to ECU 67
million .

On 28 November 1994, the Council issued a statement on
Rwanda which stressed in particular the need for a regional
conference on refugees in Central Africa in view of the
deteriorating situation in the refugee camps which entails
the risk of regional destabilization .

In 1994, when resources were being allocated, the
Commission allocated 50 new posts to Directorate SG.G

( Uclaf ). These 50 posts ( including five C posts ) were
established at Parliament 's urging to reinforce the
operational capacity of this Directorate .

Uclf is only one of several departments dealing with fraud .
Units in other Directorates-General also work in this

field .

2 . The Commission allocated ECU 117,852 million to
fraud prevention in 1993 ( Section III, appropriations in
parts A and B together ). This amount was increased by 1 8 %
for 1994 .

These appropriations are mainly intended to assist Member
States to finance their operations in accordance with the
Regulations . The Member States received 94% of the
funds .

The use made of these funds, the number of cases reported

by the Member States and the relevant amounts are set out
in the Commission 's 1993 Annual Report on the Fight
against Fraud ( J ).

(!) OJ No L 283, 29 . 10 . 1994 . (M COM(94 ) 94 final .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-l 964 / 94

by Christine Oddy ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 12 September 1994 )

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1969 / 94

by Alex Smith ( PSE )

to the Council

( 12 September 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 25 ) ( 95 / C 42 / 26

Subject : Central Anti-Fraud Unit Subject : Smuggling of nuclear materials

How many staff are employed by the Central Anti-Fraud
Unit since it was established in 1987 ?

How much money does the European Commission employ
on combating fraud, and what is the ratio of expenditure on
fraud to the amount of fraud uncovered ?

What confirmed incidents of the smuggling of nuclear
materials or nuclear weapons components or dual-use
technologies from eastern Europe or former Soviet Union
countries have been brought to the attention of the Council
since August 1991 ?

Answer

( 16 January 1995 )
Answer given by Mr Van Miert

on behalf of the Commission

( 30 November 1994 ) The Treaty contains no specific provisions or mechanisms
whereby the Council is notified of any incidents involving
the smuggling of nucleare materials ( nor indeed of any other

1 . In 1987, two officials were assigned to the anti-fraud forms of smuggling ). Nevertheless, the Federal Republic of
unit . Between 1990 and 1993 the number of posts in this Germany, as the Presidency, informed the Council in a note
unit was increased to 35 . dated 16 June 1994 of disturbing developments concerning

20 . 2 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 42 / 13

this phenomenon, at least on the basis of cases on file in
Germany .

After an initial discussion on the question of the smuggling
of nuclear materials by the Usedom Council, the General
Affairs Council recently agreed, at its meeting on 4 October

1994, to organize the discussions to be held in the run-up to
the Essen European Council to identify swift and effective
solutions .

to work for a successful outcome of this conference, i.e., for
the indefinite extension of the Treaty .

The objectives of the European Union were not only set out
at the Corfu Summit, but have also led to the adoption of a
joint action for the preparation of the 1995
NPT-Conference in July 1994, which is the first of its kind in
the field of the Common Foreign and Security Policy of the
European Union .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-l 970 / 94

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1997 / 94
by Alex Smith ( PSE )
by Carmen Diez de Rivera Icaza ( PSE )
to the Council

to the Commission

( 12 September 1994 )

( 19 September 1994 )
( 95 / C 42 / 27 )

( 95 / C 42 / 28 )

Subject : Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

What are the reasons for Member States of the Council

supporting the unlimited extension of the 1968 Nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty, as set out in the Corfu Summit
declaration, at the fifth quinquennial review and extension
conference of the NPT to be held in New York in April

1995 ?

Answer

( 16 January 1995 )

Subject : National and trans-national systems of payment

In view of the need to consolidate the People 's Europe, can
the Commission say what steps are being taken to
harmonize the enormous differences which still exist

between the various Member States with regard to systems
of payment, commission, percentages, etc ., and,
furthermore, state by what date it intends to submit a
Directive on this subject ?

Answer given by Mr Vanni d'Archirafi

on behalf of the Commission

As the Honourable Member knows, the prevention of the ( 19 October 1994 )
proliferation of nuclear weapons has always been one of the
highest priorities of the European Union . Developments in
Iraq and in the Korean Peninsula have only served to In the area of payment systems, the
heighten this concern .

The Non-Proliferation Treaty is the cornerstone of the
global nuclear non-proliferation in system, as the sole
international legally binding instrument of its kind open to
the accession of all States . Accession to the Treaty also
requires the conclusion of the full-scope safeguards
agreements with the International Atomic Energy Agency .
Since its entry into force the NPT has provided the best
possible framework for the prevention of the proliferation
of nuclear weapons, for negotiations on nuclear
disarmament and for the promotion of the peaceful uses of
nuclear energy .

The 1995 NPT-Conference is a unique opportunity to
further the objective of non-proliferation by extending the
Treaty unconditionally and indefinitely . The Members of
the EU fully endorse the request of the European Parliament
— resolution of 24 June 1993 — to commit themselves

In the area of payment systems, the main efforts of the
Commission are directed at the issues of transparency and
performance of remote cross-border payment, on the one
hand, and the elimination of risks in cross-border credit
transfer and settlement systems, on the other hand .

As to the first issue, the Commission encouraged the
discussions between the European Credit Sector
Associations and representatives of consumers, SMEs and
the distributive trades . This led to the agreement, in March

1992, on guidelines ( x ) for customer information, for
implementation by January 1 1993, which the Commission
undertook to monitor . In December 1993, noting that the
situation was not satisfactory, the Commission decided to
proceed to a definitive review of the situation in 1994 and,
failing sufficient progress, to bring about the necessary
legislation . The 1994 review is nearing completion and the
Commission will discuss the results with all interested

parties, before deciding on the appropriate follow-up . The
Commission will keep the Parliament fully informed of the

No C 42 / 14 r EN Official Journal of the European Communities 20 . 2 . 95

results of both the 1994 review and of its proposed action
following the subsequent consultation .

As to the second issue, the Commission noted in its working
document of March 1992 that certain features of the law in

a number of Member States, together with the differences
between Member States ' laws relating to payment systems,
were a source of uncertainties of a legal nature . Early in

1993, the Commission convened a working group of
government experts and central bank representatives with a
view to establishing an inventory of the legal situation in
particular in the areas of payment netting and settlement
finality . The Commission is confident that this more precise
identification of the issues mentioned will be completed by
the end of 1994 . The next phase of work, planned to start in
early 1995, will be to explore whether the uncertainties thus
identified need to be addressed at Community level and, if
so, which solutions would be the most appropriate .

(*) Annex A to SEC(93 ) 621 final of 27 March 1992 ; Commission

working document : ' Easier cross-border payments : breaking
down the barriers '.

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2005 / 94

by Carlos Robles Piquer ( PPE )

to the Council

Does the Council intend to take the European Parliament 's
recommendations into account in the negotiations now
under way on this subject ?

(!) OJ No L 205, 8 . 8 . 1994, p . 1 .

Answer

( 16 January 1995 )

The Honourable Member is right to point out that the
principles underlying the joint action adopted by the
Council regarding the 1995 Conference of the States parties
to the NPT coincide with those also recommended by the
Parliament in its resolution of 24 June 1993 . As for the
second part of his question, it should be made clear that the
joint action on security under the CFSP does not encompass
questions of energy supply . The Honourable Member may
rest assured that the Council will give due consideration to
the European Parliament recommendations he refers to at
the appropriate time and place .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2008 / 94

by Kirsten Jensen ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 19 September 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 30 )

( 21 September 1994 )

Subject : Serbian participation in scientific conference
( 95 / C 42 / 29 )

Will the Commission state whether the joint funding by the
EU of a scientific conference attended by a fairly large
number of Serbian participants ( Third International
Subject : Negotiations on extending the NPT Congress of Neuro-endocrinology, 3 to 8 July 1994 ) is

( Non-Proliferation Treaty ) consistent with UN Resolution 757 ?

On 8 August 1994, The Official Journal of the European
Communities published the joint action adopted by the
Council regarding the 1995 Conference of the States parties
to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons

( 94 / 509 / CFSP ) ( 1 ). Surprisingly, the Council has ignored the
resolution adopted by the European Parliament at its
part-session in April 1994 .

Nonetheless, Article 1 of the text of the joint action sets out
principles which coincide with those recommended in the
report in question, i.e. the strengthening of the international
nuclear non-proliferation system by extending the Treaty
and promoting its universality . However, there is no
reference to the need, in the interests of such universality, to
take account of the possible energy priorities affecting
countries and groups of countries with growing short - and
medium-term requirements .

Answer given by Mr Ruberti
on behalf of the Commission

(9 November 1994 )

The Third International Congress of Neuro-endocrinology,
held in Budapest, was one of several hundred high-level
research meetings which benefit from financial support

every year .

The supported events are selected on the basis of scientific
excellence and European dimension . The Budapest congress
corresponded fully to these criteria .

As organizer of the Congress, the Semmelweis University in
Budapest, on behalf of the International Society of

20 . 2 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 42 / 15

Endocrinology,

management .

was solely responsible for its WRITTEN QUESTION E-2053 / 94

by Jesús Cabezón Alonso ( PSE )

to the Council
Subsequent information indicates that, out of a total of
some 500 participants from 37 countries, fifteen scientists (3 October 1994
from Belgrade attended the Congress on a purely personal ( 95 / C 42 / 32 )
basis .

(3 October 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 32 )

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2039 / 94

by Anita Pollack ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 22 September 1994 )

95 / C 42 / 31

Subject : Recruitment of staff for the Committee of the

Regions

Can the Council indicate the selection criteria which have

been or are to be used in the recruitment of officials for the

Committee of the Regions ?

How many appointments have been made so far and how
many are planned in the Committee of the Regions and to
Subject : Trans-European road network which budget will these posts be charged ?

Why did the motorway working group not have any
representation from any environmental organization while
at the same time having representatives from car
manufacturers, construction companies and the oil
industry ? Answer

( 20 December 1994 )

Answer given by Mr Oreja
on behalf of the Commission

(1 December 1994 )

The Commission normally consults national and
international experts and the professional groups concerned
when drawing up proposals for masterplans for
trans-European road networks . Seven modal network
groups have been set up in this way in recent years for roads,
conventional and high-speed rail, combined transport,
inland waterways, ports and airports .

The Motorway Working Group operates under the
Transport Infrastructure Committee set up by Council
Decision 78 / 174 / EEC ( 1 ). It is chaired by a Commission
representative and consists solely of experts in the
construction and operation of the road network .

In addition to hearing representatives of the national
authorities, users and operators, the Working Group listens
to the views of representatives of the car industry and
construction companies but not the oil industry .

The Working Group has also put forward
recommendations to limit the environmental impact of the
network . These will be taken into account in particular in
assessing the strategic environmental impact of the
network .

O OJ No L 54, 25 . 2 . 1978 .

The rules of procedure of the Committee of the Regions lay
down that officials are appointed according to their grade
by either the Secretary-General or the Bureau following a
proposal from the Secretary-General . The same rule applies
to temporary and auxiliary staff . The Council 's competence
in this area is limited to the appointment of the
Secretary-General on a proposal from the Bureau . The
recruitment of the staff of the General Secretariat of the

Committee of the Regions therefore remains an internal
Committee matter and the Council may not indicate the
recruitment criteria applied by the Committee .

It should be noted, however, that certain general criteria are
laid down in Article 27 of the Staff Regulations of Officials
of the European Communities and in Article 12 of the
Conditions of Employment of other servants and are
directed in particular toward securing the services of
persons of the highest standard of ability, efficiency and
integrity recruited on the broadest possible geographical
basis from among Member State nationals .

The Honourable Member may find the number of budget
posts filed or planned for the Committee of the Regions in
Section VI ( Economic and Social Committee and
Committee of the Regions ) of supplementary and amending
budgets Nos 1 and 2 of 1994 and of the preliminary draft
budget for 1995 .

No C 42 / 16 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 20 . 2 . 95

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2055 / 94 Answer given by Mr Millan
on behalf of the Commission

by Mihail Papayannakis ( GUE )

to the Commission (8 November 1994 )

(3 October 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 33 )

Subject : Construction of a marina in Marathon, Attica

According to the ' Agios Panteleimon ' Society for the
Protection of the Environment and culture of the Coast of

Marathon, Attica, a ' shelter for fishing boats ' is being
constructed at the Marathon Mound beach . This shelter is

in fact a marina for 250 vessels because there are only four
fishing boats active in the area and they do not need a
shelter .

Bearing in mind that :

the coast has already undergone change in this area owing to
a makeshift breakwater which altered the shoreline ;

The project mentioned by the Honourable Member was to
have received structural fund assistance in the context of the

Community support framework for Greece for 1989-1993 .
Both technical preparation and construction of the project
were to have been covered by the aid in question .

In the event, because of administrative problems within the
national administration, the construction of the project
could not go ahead . The balance of the aid in question, after
payment for the technical studies, was therefore transferred
to be used for other purposes . The technical studies financed
did not include an environmental impact assessment .

Should the Greek authorities wish to pursue the project in
the context of the second Community support framework

( 1994-1999 ), they will, of course, have to comply with
relevant Community and national legislation on the
environment .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2079 / 94

by Decision No 7342 / 15.11.63 of the Ministry of Culture, by Wolfgang Kreissl-Dörfler ( V )
the Marathon region was declared an archaeological site in to the Council
need of protection pursuant to Law 5351 / 32 ; October 1994

to the Council

(3 October 1994 )

local residents and numerous archaeological organizations
have protested vigorously against the construction of the
marina, and

in order to build the marina, Community funds of Dr

135 000 000 have been transferred from essential

flood-prevention projects in the Marathon region, even
though it is well known that people who live in the region
suffer constantly from floods and numerous leaks from the
damaged water mains,

1 . Is the Commission aware of the plans in questions and
the transfer of Community funds from flood-prevention
projects to the construction of the marina ?

2 . Does the Commission know whether the necessary
environmental impact study has been carried out for
that project and published in due time pursuant to
Directive 85 / 337 / EEC ( 1 )? and

3 . What steps will the Commission take within its powers

to ensure protection for the public land on the
Marathon Mound coast which is being damaged by
un-authorized building in an area designated an
archaeological site ?

( 95 / C 42 / 34 )

Subject : Shooting of birds in Italy

What is the Council 's view on the statements made at the

end of August 1994 by the Italian Environment Minister,
Altero Matteoli, and his colleague, Agriculture Minsiter
Adriana Poli Bertone, in which they said that the shooting of
chaffinches, brambling finches, water snipes, curlews and
other migratory birds in italy should again be permitted —
even in nature reserves ?

Has the Council discussed the intentions of the Italian

Government at one of its meetings ?

Has the Council tried to influence any drafting of a law
allocating responsibility for the shooting of birds to the
regional authorities ?

What does the Council intend to do in order to ensure that

Italy does not contravene the EU Directive on the
conservation of wild birds ?

Answer

( 20 October 1994 )

The Council has no knowledge of the Italian Government 's
intentions regarding the possibility of suspending the ban on
(!) OJ No L 175, 5 . 7 . 1985, p . 40 . the shooting of the birds referred to in the question under

20 . 2 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 42 / 17

examination . It should, however, be pointed out that water
snipes ( black-tailed godwits ), bar-tailed godwits and
curlews may not be hunted in Italy, in accordance with
Council Directive 79 / 409 / EEC of 2 April 1979 on the
conservation of wild birds and in particular with Annex II
thereto as amended by Directive 94 / 24 / EEC .

Chaffinches are included in Annex I to Directive

79 / 409 / EEC as amended by Directive 91 / 244 / EEC . Article 4
provides for special protection for the species mentioned in
that Annex, including a ban on hunting .

It should be recalled that it is for the Commission to monitor

application of the Directive in the Member States .

( c ) Directive 85 / 337 / EEC ( 3 );

( d ) the Bern Convention .

1 . How is it possible to promote a new project under the
Leader Programme when a legal decision is still pending
on the recent implementation of a Leader project by the
' Popular Foundation and Development ' company of
Konitsa, which illegally built houses in the Aoos
valley ?

2 . What are the selection criteria for projects under the

Leader Programme ?

3 . Will the Commission make representations to the Greek
authorities to prevent the implementation of this illegal
investment which contravenes several Community
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2089 / 94 laws ?

by Mihail Papayannakis ( GUE )

to the Commission

(6 October 1994 )

(M OJ No L 103, 25 . 4 . 1979, p . 1 .

( 2 ) OJ No L 206, 22 . 7 . 1992, p . 7 .

( 95 / C 42 / 35 ) ( 3 ) OJ No L 175, 5 . 7 . 1985, p . 40 .

Subject : Implementation of Leader Programme in a
national park

Answer given by Mr Steichen

The Association for the Development of Zagoria is
proposing to launch project under the Leader Programme of
some Dr 300 million in the Zagoria area, within the
boundaries of the Vikos-Tymphi-Aoos national park, aimed
at the ' development of tourism in the Tymphi mountain
area '. The project includes the construction of lifts and
eventually a ski centre would be built on the Tymphi
plateau . If this project were implemented, the opening up of
access roads and the construction of large ski slopes would
have serious consequences :

1 . the rare beauty of the landscape would be altered and
new sites of erosion would be created ;

2 . the effect on the flora would be catastrophic and one of
the rare woods composed solely of mountain cedar
would be damaged ;

3 . permanent sites of nuisance would be created to the

detriment of the wildlife of this area, which is an
important habitat for rare and endangered species such
as bears, chamois, the bearded vulture and the golden
eagle .

The implementation of the project would also

contravene :

( a ) Directive 79 / 409 / EEC (*), Article 4, since the
Vikos-Tymphi-Aoos national park is on the
Community list of 16 regions requiring special
protection ;

( b ) Directive 92 / 43 / EEC ( 2 ), which stipulates that in this

period a special LIFE Programme must be implemented
in Greece for the protection iand conservation of the
brown bear ;

on behalf of the Commission

(8 November 1994 )

1 . The Commission does not know whether the project
mentioned by the Honourable Member will be included in
the Leader II Programme which is still being prepared in the
Member State in question and has, therefore, not yet been
forwarded to the Commission .

Moreover, as stated in its communication on Leader II, the
Commission has no intention of intervening in the selection
of individual projects .

2 . The Commission would like to point out that the
various actors concerned and also the public authorities
involved ( local, regional or national ) must comply with the
selection criteria for operations which are set out in full in
the communication . It is possible that other more specific
criteria, adapted to the situation in each region or Member

State, may be applied under the partnership arrangements,
when drafting the Commission Decision .

3 . Lastly, it goes without saying that the Commission
will ensure, with the necessary stringency and in line with its
responsibilities, compliance with Community and national
legislation on environmental issues . The Commission will
draw the attention of the Greek authorities to the project in
question .

No C 42 / 18 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 20 . 2 . 95

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2094 / 94

by Ben Fayot ( PSE )

to the Commission

(6 October 1994 )

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2108 / 94

by Joaquín Sisó Cruellas ( PPE )

to the Commission

(6 October 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 36 ) 95 / C 42 / 37

Subject : Combating fraud
Subject : Media concentration

In December 1993 the Commission submitted a Green

Paper on media concentration setting out a number of
options for and questions to be answered by the media
concerned .

Parliament put forward its proposed solutions in its
resolution A3-0435 / 93 of 20 January 1994 ( 1 ).

When will the Commission draw conclusions from the study
and take the steps required ?

0 ) OJ No C 44, 14 . 2 . 1994, p . 177 .

Answer given by Mr Vanni d'Archirafi

on behalf of the Commission

Irene is a centralized data bank which gathers information
from the existing information network between Member
States and the Commission for combating fraud, and it
constitutes a fundamental element in cooperation with the
Member States .

Can the Commission state which different types of data
Irene gathers, how reliable these are and what they are
usually used for ?

Are the criteria adopted by the different Member States
when gathering these data uniform ( i.e. do they use the same
identification codes, etc .)?

Given that a large part of the information gathered is
provided by Member States, what bodies are responsible for
gathering data ? Are they all public bodies, or are private
bodies also involved ?

(3 November 1994 )
Answer given by Mr Schmidhuber

on behalf of the Commission

( 24 November 1994 )
The Commission has now adopted a communication ( ) to
Parliament and the Council on the follow-up to the
consultation ' Pluralism and process media concentration relating to the in the Green internal Paper market on The Irene database gathers data
— an assessment of the need for Community action ' ( 2 ). In Community States in accordance rules relating with to their the
the interim report, the Commission presents the results of Community budget — the common
the concerning consultations concentration held on in the the media need for and Community an analysis action of the resources mutual assistance, Structural ( 2 ). Funds and the
options set out in the Green Paper . On the strength of this
analysis, the Commission considers that a Community
initiative on media ownership might prove to be necessary . The data include the Member State or
In view of the sensitive and complex nature of such an and the amount, the provision which has
initiative, the Commission will look more closely into some nature of the irregularity and the practices
matters, particularly those relating to content, and will and the administrative and judicial
launch another round of consultations on these issues on the

basis of a questionnaire . It will take a definitive decision in
the light of this work and could propose a Community The Commission analyses the data in
initiative in the course of 1995 . It wishes to maintain close policy for combating fraud against the
contacts with Parliament throughout this process . Its control departments can operate

The Irene database gathers data notified by the Member
States in accordance with their obligations under the
Community rules relating to the various aspects of the
Community budget — the common agricultural policy, own
resources, Structural Funds and the Cohesion fund (*) and
mutual assistance ( 2 ).

The data include the Member State or States, the product
and the amount, the provision which has been infringed, the
nature of the irregularity and the practices used to commit it,
and the administrative and judicial procedures .

the light of this work and could propose a Community The Commission analyses the data in order to develop its
initiative in the course of 1995 . It wishes to maintain close policy for combating fraud against the Community budget .
contacts with Parliament throughout this process . Its control departments can operate more effectively as a

result of having fuller general information and better
knowledge of the various fraud mechanisms, in particular in
(!) COM(94 ) 353 final . high-risk sectors, and there is greater transparency as to the

( 2 ) COM(92 ) 480 final . action taken on these data, including recovery measures .

( 2 ) COM(92 ) 480 final .

To facilitate data collection and analysis, the Commission
encourages the Member States to use the appropriate

20 . 2 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 42 / 19

standard form and it is studying the possibility of Answer given by Mr Flynn
computerizing the notification procedure used by the on behalf of the Commission
relevant national bodies . The Member States are responsible ( 24 November 1994 )
for designating these bodies . A list of them is being sent
direct to the Honourable Member and to Parliament 's

Secretariat-General for information .

( : ) Council Regulation ( EEC ) No 595 / 91 of 4 March 1991
concerning irregularities and the recovery of sums wrongly paid
in connection with the financing of the common agricultural
policy, Articles 3, 4 and 5, OJ No L 67, 14 . 3 . 1991 . Council
Regulation ( EEC, Euratom ) No 1552 / 89 of 29 May 1989
implementing Decision 88 / 376 / EEC, Euratom on the system of
the Communities ' own resources, Article 6(3 ), OJ No L 155,
7 . 6 . 1989 . Council Regulation ( EEC ) No 4253 / 88 of
19 December 1988 laying down provisions for implementing
Regulation ( EEC ) No 2052 / 88 as regards coordination of the
activities of the different Structural Funds, Article 23(1 ), OJ No
L 374, 31 . 12 . 1988 . Council Regulation ( EEC ) No 1164 / 94 of
16 May 1994 establishing a Cohesion Fund, Article 12, OJ No
L 130, 25 . 5 . 1994 .

( 2 ) Council Regulation ( EEC ) No 1468 / 81 of 19 May 1981 on

mutual assistance between the administrative authorities of the

Member States and cooperation between the latter and the
Commission to ensure the correct application of the law on
customs or agricultural matters, Article 14, OJ No L 144, 2 . 6 .

1981 .

In its anti-fraud strategy work programme for 1994 the
Commission announced its intention to install an

experimental freephone service to allow European citizens
to provide information on fraud directly to the
Commission .

In deciding on this course of action the Commission took
into account the results in certain countries which use such

systems . The system which is currently being installed is
experimental in nature and further development will depend
on initial results .

Citizens will be informed of the existence of the freephone
through publications and press releases issued by the
Commission . Further consideration is being given to the
possibility of encouraging citizens to supply information .

The service is being installed in Brussels where it will be
monitored by the Commission 's specialised anti-fraud
services . The information collected will, after analysis, be
used as the basis for enquiries .

Information given on the freephone will be treated as
confidential and the identity of the callers will be
protected .
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2 109 / 94

by Joaquín Sisó Cruellas ( PPE )

to the Commission

(6 October 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 38 )

WRITTEN QUESTION E-21 10 / 94

by Joaquín Sisó Cruellas ( PPE )

Subject : Combating fraud to the Commission

(6 October 1994 )

One of the future instruments for combating fraud will be ( 95 / C 42 / 39 )
the setting up of a direct, free telephone line, allowing any
citizen to report specific cases of fraud in complete
confidentiality . Subject : Combating fraud

Has any pilot project been carried out to ensure optimal use
of this method ?

How are citizens at large to be informed of the existence of
this telephone, and how are they going to be encouraged to
supply information of this kind ?

Where does the Commission think that this telephone line
should be installed, and how is its use envisaged ?

What will be the rights and obligations of users thereof ?

With the objective of achieving maximum simplification of
the Community legislative framework for combating fraud,
the creation of general guidelines on administrative
sanctions within the Union is an essential consideration .

What action is currently being taken in this respect ?

Does a draft of these guidelines exist ? If so, where has it been
published ?

What will be the deadline for adopting these general
guidelines on administrative sanctions with the Union ?

No C 42 / 20 ΓΕΝΊ Official Journal of the European Communities 20 . 2 . 95

Answer given by Mr Flynn
on behalf of the Commission

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2134 / 94

by Alexander Langer ( V )
(2 December 1994 ) to the Commission

( 13 October 1994 )

The Commission shares the Honourable Member 's view ( 95 / C 42 / 41 )

that the protection of the Community 's financial interests is
a matter that concerns all Community policy areas and that
general legislation is therefore needed to determine Subject : High-speed railway projects
administrative penalties . It has accordingly presented to the
Council a proposal for a Regulation enacting general rules
and providing for penalties in all areas where it would The Italian parliament has on several
appear necessary to protect the Community 's financial projects for high-speed rail
interests (*). line and

Subject : High-speed railway projects in the Po Valley

f 1 ) OJ No C 216, 6 . 8 . 1994 .

The Italian parliament has on several occasions considered
projects for high-speed rail links in the Po Valley

( Milan-Bologna line ) and expressed the view that, given the
number of urban centres in the region ( including cities such
as Modena and Reggio Emilia ) and for a wide range of
environmental and social reasons, such projects must be
restricted to modernization of existing lines and that the
speed limit should not be raised above 200 kp / h .

Given the extent of development in the area, how does the
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2111 / 94 Commission view this problem ?

by Joaquín Sisó Cruellas ( PPE )

to the Commission

(6 October 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 40 on Answer behalf given of the by Commission Mr Oreja

( 30 November 1994 )

Subject : Combating fraud

The Commission, aware of the need to combat fraud, has
stressed the need to continue to incorporate sanctions into
implementing legislation .

What sanctions have been incorporated hitherto, and what
fresh sanctions are being considered ?

In which areas is greater stringency to be introduced ?

Answer given by Mr Schmidhuber

on behalf of the Commission

( 12 December 1994 )

In recent years the Commission has systematically included
provisions for penalties in the implementing measures based
on Regulations concerning the common market
organizations . It will continue this policy . It has put forward
a proposal for a Regulation extending systematic
administrative penalties to all areas of the budget, including
both expenditure and revenue ( 1 ).

(!) OJ No C 216, 6 . 8 . 1994 .

The European master plan for high-speed trains includes a
new line allowing speeds of at least 250 km / h between Milan
and Bologna and from there towards Florence .

It falls to the Italian authorities and the project supervisor to
determine the technical criteria for the lines appearing in the
master plan in the light of existing and future mobility
problems and in compliance with the rules on
environmental impact, particularly Council Directive
85 / 337 / EEC f 1 ).

In many regions of Europe forecast demand for mobility
over the next 20 years means that modernization of existing
lines will not be sufficient to ensure both the quality of
service required by users and the capacity demanded by the
growing movement of goods and people .

Such appears to be the case in this region of Italy . New lines
in densely populated areas will therefore have to be created
in accordance with Directive 85 / 337 / EEC and the particular
criteria which each Member State may establish regarding
noise levels, impact on water, etc .

(M OJ No L 175, 5 . 7 . 1985 .

20 . 2 . 95 L EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 42 / 21

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2 146 / 94

by Joan Vallvé ( ELDR )

to the Commission

( 13 October 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 42 )

Subject : Lorenzo Natali journalism prize and the Catalan

language

Each year the Commission awards the Lorenzo Natali Prize
for journalism ( 1 ). Newspaper and magazine articles on
development cooperation may be entered for the
competition, withthe proviso that they be published in one
of the official languages of the European Community .

Given that, in accordance with the Spanish Constitution of
1978, Catalan is an official language in Catalonia and the
Balearic Islands and that it is in widespread use in public life,
including in the media, and given that it is the sole official
language of another European State, Andorra, which joined
the United Nations in 1993 and becomes a member of the

Council of Europe in 1994, and in view of the fact that in its
resolution of 11 December 1990 ( Doc . A3-169 / 90 ) the
European Parliament called on the Commission and the
Council to adopt measures to promote the use of Catalan in
the European institutions, can the Commission say whether
it intends to review the situation in order to allow entries for

this prize to be in Catalan ?

(*) OJ No C 192, 15 . 7 . 1994, p . 12 .

Answer given by Mr Delors
on behalf of the Commission

( 12 December 1994 )

announcing that late 1994 would see two proposals for
multi-annual programmes, concerning respectively the
protection of the heritage and the dissemination and
translation of works of literature and drama . The

Commission stated that these proposals for programmes
would be submitted to the Council . Can the Commission

state in what form and according to what calendar it intends
to obtain Parliament 's opinion on these proposals ?

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro

on behalf of the Commission

( 18 November 1994 )

The Commission communication on ' European
Community action in support of Culture ( Article 128 of the
EC Treaty )' ( J ) was sent to Parliament and the Council on
25 October 1994 . Two proposals for decisions are attached
to this communication : the first establishing a programme
to support artistic and cultural activities having a European
dimension — Kaleidoscope 2000, and the second
establishing a support programme in the field of books and
reading — Ariane .

The procedure that applies in the field of culture is defined in
Articles 128 and 189b(2 ) of the EC Treaty namely, the
Commission presents a proposal to Parliament and the
Council . The Council, acting unanimously, after obtaining
the opinion of Parliament, adopts a common position which
is communicated to Parliament . Thus, it is for Parliament to
deliver an initial opinion . Once the Council adopts its
common position, the Parliament must express its views
within three months .

The Commission is currently examining the possibilities of
amending the conditions governing the Lorenzo Natali prize
for journalism so that articles may be eligible even if they are
not one of the nine official Community languages . The Commission will shortly be sending a communication
to Parliament and the Council with a proposal on the
protection of the heritage . In order to prepare this
communication and the proposals for specific decisions
which will follow it, the Commission set up a strategy for
consulting national authorities and the experts and

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2 147 / 94 professionals concerned through a series of meetings with

which Parliament was associated . On 4 and 5 October

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2 147 / 94

by Antoinette Spaak ( ELDR )

to the Commission

( 13 October 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 43 )

1994, the Commission, together with Parliament, also
organized a conference on ' the citizen and the cultural
heritage ' which was attended by over 250 people in order to
ensure that consultation was as wide as possible .

Subject : Communication on Community action in support I 1 ) COM(94 ) 356 final .

of culture

On 2 August 1994 the Commission published a
communication on Community action in support of culture,

No C 42 / 22 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 20 . 2 . 95

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2168 / 94

Answer

by Hiltrud Breyer ( V ) ( 20 December 1994 )

to the Council

( 12 October 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 44 )

Subject : Euratom-USA negotiations

The USA and Euratom are negotiating a cooperation
agreement to replace, as of 1 January 1996, the 1958
agreement which expires at the end of 1995 .

1 . Is it true that the Commission 's negotiating mandate to
the Euratom delegation seeks to abolish the USA 's
reservation of prior consent ?

2 . If so, on what grounds is the Commission no longer
willing to accept the now decades-old modus
operandi ?

3 . On what kind of development of an informed opinion
within the EU is this negotiating mandate based ?

4 . Has the principle of prior consent led in the past to
obstacles in Euratom 's sphere of activity ? If so, in what
respect and for what specific reasons ?

5 . Does the Council agree with Fabrizio Caccia Dominioni
and Wilhelm Gmelin, who believe that

( a ) that the principle of prior consent is linked to

' bilateral control ';

( b ) that acceptance of the reservation of prior consent

strengthens bilateral controls ' at the cost of
international controls ', whereby

( c ) the Non-Proliferation Treaty would be ' weakened
and ultimately become superfluous '?

6 . If the agreement is not extended, what consequences
does the Council foresee for :

( a ) USA / EU cooperation in the field of atomic

energy

( b ) the Non-Proliferation Treaty and the imminent

NPT Extension Conference ?

7 . In an essay Dominioni / Gmelin talk about ' Community
interests and legislation with regard to the transfer of
nuclear material from the military sector into the sphere
of the peaceful use of nuclear energy '.

( a ) In what connection — past, present or future — has
nuclear material from the military sector been
transferred to the civilian sector within the EU ?

( b ) What is the definition of ' Community interest ' in

this connection ?

The Directives for the negotiation by the Commission of an
agreement for cooperation between the European Atomic
Energy Community and the United States of America were
the subject of a Council Decision dated 16 December 1991 .
They were drawn up in compliance with the provisions of
the second paragraph of Article 101 of the Euratom
Treaty .

Those Directives incorporate the principles and obligations
already laid down in the Cooperation Agreement of July

1958 and in the Additional Agreement of June 1960 . They
also take into account technological, commercial and
industrial developments in the nuclear field since those
Agreements were concluded .

The principle of prior consent for significant nuclear
operations was introduced by a US law ( Nuclear
Non-Proliferation Act ) promulgated in 1978, subsequent to
the date of entry into force of the current Agreement . Since
then a US Presidential derogation, signed annually, has
made it possible to continue applying the current
Agreement .

The Council can assure the Honourable Member that every
effort is being made to ensure that the new Agreement on
nuclear cooperation with the United States is concluded
before the date of expiry of the current Agreement .

The Council is not aware of the views and article to which

the Honourable Member refers in points 5 and 7 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2 174 / 94

by Hiltrud Breyer ( V )

to the Commission

( 18 October 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 45

Subject : Euratom-USA negotiations

The USA and Euratom are negotiating a cooperation
agreement to replace, as of 1 January 1996, the 1958
agreement which expires at the end of 1995 .

1 . Is it true that the Commission 's negotiating mandate to
the Euratom delegation seeks to abolish the USA 's
reservation of prior consent ?

2 . If so, on what grounds is the Commission no longer

( c ) What does ' Community legislation ' mean in this willing to accept the now decades-old modus

connection ? operandi ?

20 . 2 . 95 | EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 42 / 23

3 . On what EU decision-making process is this negotiating
mandate based ?

4 . Has the principle of prior consent led in the past to
obstacles in Euratom 's sphere of activity ? If so, in what
respect and for what specific reasons ?

5 . Does the Council agree with Fabrizio Caccia Dominioni
and Wilhelm Gmelin, who believe that

N ( a ) that the principle of prior consent is linked to
' bilateral control ';

( b ) that acceptance of the reservation of prior consent

strengthens bilateral controls ' at the cost of
international controls ', whereby

( c ) the Non-Proliferation Treaty would be ' weakened
and ultimately become superfluous '?

6 . If the agreement is not extended, what consequences
does the Council foresee for :

( a ) USA / EU cooperation in the field of atomic

energy

( b ) the Non-Proliferation Treaty and the imminent

NPT Extension Conference ?

7 . In an essay Dominioni / Gmelin talk about ' Community
interests and legislation with regard to the transfer of
nuclear material from the military sector into the sphere
of the peaceful use of nuclear energy '.

(a ) In what connection — past, present or future — has
nuclear material from the military sector been
transferred to the civilian sector within the EU ?

( b ) What is the definition of ' Community interest ' in

this connection ?

( c ) What does ' Community legislation ' mean in this
connection ?

Answer given by Mr Oreja
on behalf of the Commission

( 12 December 1994 )

1 to 4 and 6 . Directives for the negotiation by the
Commission of a nuclear cooperation agreement between
the European Atomic Energy Community and the United
States of America were agreed by the Council on
16 December 1991 . They were established under the
provisions of Article 101 of the Euratom Treaty . The
proposed new agreement with the USA will replace the
Euratom / US agreements of 1958 and 1960 ( as amended );
the latter expires on 31 December 1995 .

The present Euratom / US agreement provides for US prior
consent only for the retransfers out of the territory of the
Community of nuclear material under US safeguards
obligations . With the adoption in 1978 by the US Congress
of the nuclear non-proliferation act ( NNPA ), US domestic
law requires a significant extension of US prior consent
mechanisms .

The prior consent mechanism contained in the present
Euratom / US agreement applies, as mentioned above, to
re-transfers of material to countries outside the Community
area only . Consequently this type of prior consent
mechanism should not lead to difficulties within the

territory of the Community .

The Commission has made clear to the US Government,
through representations that have, in particular, included a
letter to US Secretary of State, dated 2 March 1994, that US
claims for consent rights in the Community on Reprocessing,
enrichment and storage provisions for sensitive nuclear
material are not compatible with the very essence of an
agreement between two equal partners who have attained a
comparable leading position in the use of nuclear energy
and are equally strongly committed to nuclear
non-proliferation . In its representations to the US
Government the Commission has further indicated that at a

time when the Treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear
weapons is coming up, in April / May 1995, for indefinite
extension, US insistence on additional bilateral controls for
it to exercise in the Community appears counter productive .
The Commission asked the US Government to develop
another equivalent mechanism in the area of consent rights
on nuclear fuel cycle operations so as to permit conclusion
of the proposed new agreement . Such a mechanism would
be exercised reciprocally by the Community and the US .

In a letter to the Commission of 17 June 1994 the Secretary
of State confirmed the Community 's status as a world leader
in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and as second to none
in its commitment to nuclear non-proliferation .

The Commission and US administration are making
progress in the negotiation of the proposed EC / US peaceful
nuclear cooperation agreement . Both the US administration
and the Commission wish to maintain the fruitful

cooperation in the use of nuclear energy and the extensive
trade in nuclear items that has taken place for more than
three decades .

5 and 7 . The article to which reference is made by the
Honourable Member was published on the responsibility of
the authors and, as indicated in the article itself, the
considerations and views therein are not necessarily those of
the Commission .

However the Commission would like to point out that :

( a ) it can in no way be excluded that military nuclear
material be transferred to peaceful uses, e.g. for the

No C 42 / 24 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 20 . 2 . 95

purpose of energy production ; in such cases, whenever
nuclear material was transferred into the civil domain,
such material would be subject to the provisions of
Chapter VII of the Euratom Treaty and, as relevant, to
one of the three safeguards agreements between
Euratom, its Member States and the IAEA ;

( b ) it is no doubt in the interest of the Community to

strengthen the international non-proliferation
regime ;

( c ) the Euratom Treaty is a main source of Community
legislation .

not, why not ? If so, in which plant does the plutonium
found in Munich originate ?

7 . Who now owns the plutonium found in Munich ?

Answer

( 20 December 1994 )

The Council notes that the information requested is a matter
for the authorities of the Member State concerned and for

the Commission, within the framework of its powers under
the Euratom Treaty .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2 189 / 94

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2 175 / 94 by Celia Villalobos Talero ( PPE )

by Hiltrud Breyer ( V ) to the Commission

to the Council ( 12 October 1994 )

( 21 October 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 46 )

Subject : Illegal transfer of lithium-6 from Russia to the

EU

In August 1994, experts from the European Institute for
Transuranium Elements in Karlsruhe discovered an illegal
transfer from Moscow to Munich of plutonium together
with as much as one kilogram of lithium-6 . Lithium-6 is
used exclusively to produce tritium, which fuses with
deuterium to produce the explosive force of the hydrogen
bomb . According to the ' Nuclear Weapons Databook '

( Cambridge, Mass ., 1984 ), all the tritium production
reactors in the USA combined produced a total of 2,8 kg of
tritium in 1981 . Clearly, therefore, the lithium find in
Munich is both quantitatively very significant and very
valuable .

1 . How many grams of lithium-6 were transferred from

Moscow to Munich this summer ?

2 . At which sites is lithium-6 produced in the EU and how
much does each site produce ?

3 . Where does the lithium-6 found in Munich originate ?

4 . Who now owns the lithium-6 found in Munich ?

5 . What is the link between lithium-6 and the allegedly new
dangerous substance known as ' red mercury '?

6 . Have the investigations into the origin of the plutonium
found with the lithium-6 in Munich been completed ? If

( 95 / C 42 / 47 )

Subject : Residence of cross-border workers

Can the Commission say whether the French authorities in
St Jean de Luz, Biarritz and other places in France are legally
entitled to stop Spanish citizens who live there but who
work in Spain from obtaining right of residence in the
country in which they live ? Are the French authorities legally
entitled to require those citizens to produce administrative
documents, such as electricity receipts, employment
certificates, identity cards, passports, etc ., simply for the
purpose of granting them a temporary one-year residence
permit which they have to renew each year ?

Answer given by Mr Vanni d'Archirafi

on behalf of the Commission

(9 November 1994 )

Citizens of the European Union who work in the territory of
one Member State and wish to reside in another have a right
of residence in the territory of the latter Member State . In
accordance with Council Directive 90 / 364 / EEC of 28 June

1990 on the right of residence O, all Community citizens
enjoy the right of residence provided that they are covered
by sickness insurance and have sufficient resources to avoid
becoming a burden on the social assistance system of the
host Member State during their period of residence . This
Directive supplements Community law, which previously
provided only for a right of residence for workers in the
Member State of employment .

The Directive has been transposed into national law by
virtually all the Member States, including France .
Consequently, subject to information which the

20 . 2 . 95 [ EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 42 / 25

Commission will be seeking from the French authorities
about the conditions referred to by the Honourable
Member, a Community national who wishes to continue
working in one Member State while residing in another has
the right to obtain a residence permit which is valid for five
years, on condition that he can produce a valid identity card
or passport and provide evidence that he meets the
conditions referred to above .

The Commission will be certain to pass on to the
Honourable Member the information which the French

authorities provide in this connection .

(!) OJ No L 180, 13 . 7 . 1990 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2 190 / 94

by María Izquierdo Rojo ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 12 October 1994 )

(9 SIC 42 / 48 )

Subject : Boosting the Euro-Arab University of Granada

The ' Mediterranean ' funding committee has already
approved the Commission 's proposals for a Euro-Arab
programme of management development ( to be
implemented by the Euro - Arab University of Granada )
within the framework of management training, endowed
with funding of ECU 8 million .

Can the Commission provide me with all the available
information on this project ?

Answer given by Mr Marin
on behalf of the Commission

(8 November 1994 )

In the light of the favourable opinion delivered by the
Mediterranean Committee on the proposed support for
establishing a Euro-Arab University in Granada, the
Commission recently decided to make available the sum of
ECU 8,3 million for establishing the Euro - Arab
management school as the first component of the
University . The purpose of the school is to train business
leaders from the Arab countries and the Member States,
with the aim of fostering mutual economic and trade
relations .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2193 / 94

by Alexandros Alavanos ( GUE )

to the Commission

( 21 October 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 49 )

Subject : Television advertising

Directive 89 / 552 / EEC ( ), which was incorporated into
Greek law by Presidential Decree 236 / 1992, lays down
specific conditions relating to the quality of television
advertising aimed at minors . According to various
consumers ' organizations, such as the EKPZ ( Consumers '
Union for the Quality of Life ), this legislation is not being
enforced and young television viewers are suffering
considerable harm .

Can the Commission state whether the content of television

advertisements is being duly monitored in Greece ? If so,
what effect is this having ? What steps does it intend to take
to ensure that the Directive in question is implemented in
Greece ?

(!) OJ No L 298, 17 . 10 . 1989, p . 23 .

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro

on behalf of the Commission

(6 January 1995 )

By Presidential Decree of 10 July 1992, Greece correctly
transposed Article 11 of Directive 89 / 552 / EEC, which lays
down rules on the insertion of advertisements in children 's

programmes .

Greece must apply these provisions to its broadcasting
authorities in the form in which they are transposed into its
domestic law and in accordance with the means at its

disposal .

The Commission shares the Honourable Member 's concern

that the rules on advertising, in particular those designed to
protect minors, should be respected by all broadcasting
services within the jurisdiction of the Member States .

In view of the facts put forward by the Honourable Member
and information in a report by a consumers ' organization

( the Union of Consumers ) on advertising in Greece, the
Commission wrote to the Greek authorities on 9 November

1994, asking them to ensure that the Directive is properly
applied to the broadcasting authorities within their
jurisdiction .

The scale and scope of the project call for additional .
information to be supplied as part of this answer ; given its
extensive nature, the Commission is sending that If the provisions of the
information direct to the Honourable Member and to the Commission will not fail to
Parliament Secretariat . Article 169 of the EC Treaty .

If the provisions of the Directive are not applied, the
Commission will not fail to commence proceedings under

No C 42 / 26 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 20 . 2 . 95

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2197 / 94

by Carmen Fraga Estévez ( PPE ) and

Miguel Arias Canete ( PPE )

to the Commission

( 21 October 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 50 )

Subject : Illicit practices by Chile which are obstructing the

transport of swordfish caught by the Community
fleet

Four years ago the Government of the Republic of Chile
implemented measures which are obstructing and hindering
the transport into the Community customs area of
swordfish caught by Community vessels . These measures
are contrary to Regulation ( EEC ) No 2641 / 84 ( J ).

The Chilean authorities are demanding that an animal
health certificate be provided by the competent authority of
the country of origin for merchandise in transit, which
would require every vessel to have on board a health
inspector with the power to issue such certificates as well as
a complete analytical laboratory .

The real aim of the measures is to prevent these catches
reaching Community territory from Community vessels
while using Chilean territory simply for the purposes of
trans-shipment, a practice which poses no danger to the
inhabitants of that country . It should be pointed out that in
recent years Chile has dramatically increased its exports of
fish, especially swordfish, to Spain ( by 229 % between 1986
and 1990 ).

In the light of the above, does the Commission consider that
the examination procedure provided for in Article 6 of
Regulation ( EEC ) No 2641 / 84 should be set in motion and,
if Chile persists in these illicit practices, that any of the
measures provided for in Article 10(3 ) of the Regulation
should be adopted ?

of any interest to the Community fleet as it is too far from
normal maritime routes . Furthermore, these possibilities do
not extend to highly migratory species such as swordfish

( the product of interest to Community fishermen ).

In respect of possible investigations in the framework of
Regulation ( EEC ) No 2641 / 84, the Commission will
analyse the data to be provided by the interested parties and
will decide whether the conditions laid down permit the
opening of an investigation .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2204 / 94

by Carlos Robles Piquer ( PPE )

to the Council

( 21 October 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 51 )

Subject : Witch-burning in South Africa

Despite the freedom attained by the South African people
and the clear progress achieved by its new Government, it
appears that some young militants belonging to the parties
that fought for freedom use this freedom to continue the
practice of ' necklacing ' people who are of their own race but
not to their liking . More specifically, this barbaric form of
murder is being used against fellow citizens of both sexes
and of various ages who are accused of practising
witchcraft . According to the New York Times of
17 September 1994, the number of people killed in this way
in a single district is higher than the total figure of 73
acknowledged by the South African police .

if Chile persists in these illicit practices, that any of the Given the priority accorded to the democratization of South
measures provided for in Article 10(3 ) of the Regulation Africa under the common foreign and security policy, can
should be adopted ? the Council confirm these reports, and if so, has it made any

representations to the South African Government to express
the horror they have occasioned ?
f 1 ) OJ No L 252, 20 . 9 . 1984, p . 1 .

Answer given by Mr Marin
on behalf of the Commission

( 30 November 1994 )

The Chilean authorities informed the Commission in early

1994 that the Official Circular imposing the sanitary
certificate ( No 240 of 1990 ) was not then being applied . The
current situation is not entirely clear, in particular as regards
straddling and highly migratory stocks .

There are some trans-shipment possibilities at Arica and
Punta Arenas . However, it appears that the latter port is not

Answer

( 16 January 1995 )

The Council cannot confirm the reports referred to by the
Honourable Parliamentarian and the events described have

not been discussed within the framework of CFSP . The

Council would like to underline that the present
Government of South Africa, which has resulted from the
first democratic elections in that country, has committed
itself to respect for Human Rights and establishing the rule
of law .

20 . 2 . 95 | EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 42 / 27

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2209 / 94

by Salvador Garriga Polledo ( PPE )

to the Commission

( 13 October 1994 )

such that they are threatening not only its development but
also its very survival ?

( 95 / C 42 / 52 ) Answer

( 22 December 1994 )

Subject : Disappearance of the Cohesion Funds

Can the Commission confirm that the EEA Financial

Mechanism will be abolished in 1998 along with the
Cohesion Funds provided for in the Agreement establishing
the EEA ?

Are there any plans to amend the institutional agreement so
as to allow for a Cohesion Fund to be continued

indefinitely ?

If so, what kind of funding is envisaged ?

It is not for the Council to comment on tax measures applied
in Italy as referred to in the Honourable Member 's
question .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2221 / 94

by David Bowe ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 21 October 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 54 )

Answer given by Mr Van den Broek

on behalf of the Commission

(2 December 1994 ) Subject : Anaphylaxis

The agreement on the European Economic Area provides
for the establishment of a financial mechanism by the EFT A
States . The funds agreed for this mechanism are available for
a period of five years which started to run on 1 January

1994 .

There are no plans to amend the EEA agreement in this

respect .

Has the Commission considered taking measures to
minimize the problem of anaphylaxis (a severe allergic
reaction which is possibly fatal ) by :

1 . adding peanut, nut and seed derivatives to the present
lists in the Food Intolerance Bank,

2 . lowering or cancelling the 25 % cut-off rule in present

Regulations governing packaged foods, and

3 . preventing ingredients from being identified by generic
names on labelling .

Answer given by Mr Bangemann

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2216 / 94 Answer given by Mr
on behalf of the Commission

by Giulio Fantuzzi ( PSE )

to the Council ( 12 December 1994 )

( 21 October 1994 )

95 / C 42 / 53 The Commission is aware of the problems that incomplete
labelling of foodstuffs can cause to people suffering from
allergies . Discussions on this subject took place recently at

Subject : Tax measures affecting cooperatives in Italy Community level and at international level within the

framework of Codex Alimentarius .

Socio-economic undertakings are very important in Europe
as a whole . The Community has taken measures to
strengthen this economic sector and safeguard its
specifically social objectives . The Commission 's
Directorate-General XXIII recently put forward a
multi-annual work programme in favour of cooperative
societies . How does the Council view that tax measures

taken by the Italian Government through the law on finance

(' Finanziaria '), whose impact on the cooperative sector is

The scientific committee for food was entrusted by the
Commission with a study which aims to make a list of
foodstuffs or ingredients causing allergy or intolerance and
to estimate the population affected by these allergies as well
as the danger to health . This study should be finalized at the
beginning of next year and should make it possible to
evaluate the need to amend Directive 79 / 112 / EEC (*) on the
labelling of foodstuffs .

No C 42 / 28 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 20 . 2 . 95

The Commission is not responsible for the management of
the food intolerance bank .

(!) OJ No L 33, 8 . 2 . 1979 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2223 / 94

by David Morris ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 21 October 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 55

Subject : Car seat-belt safety

is that the occupant has in all probability been saved from
far more severe injury, or death, as a result of wearing the
belt .

For these reasons the Commission disagrees with the
suggestion that lap belts are ' not only unsafe, but positively
dangerous '. The Commission maintains contact with
research institutions and other organizations active in the
area of vehicle safety and is unaware of any recent research
which might support such an allegation . The Commission
would welcome information on this point .

Community Directives on vehicle safety are subject to
adaptation in the light of technical development and, in
particular, those relating to seat belts are presently under
active review, but the Commission has no plans to propose a
change to outlaw lap belts in the centre rear seating position
of passenger cars .

(!) OJ No L 220, 29 . 8 . 1977 .
Research into the safety record of ' lap belts ' in the back seats
of cars and front seats of vans has shown that they are not
only unsafe, but positively dangerous .

Vehicle manufacturers, when challenged on the safety of
these belts or threatened with claims for compensation,
maintain that they comply with EU legislation .

In the light of the recent research evidence, what action will
the Commission take to ensure that EU safety standards for
seat belts are amended to outlaw dangerous designs ?

Answer given by Mr Bangemann

on behalf of the Commission

(7 December 1994 )

Directive 77 / 541 / EEC ( ), as amended, requires three-point

( shoulder and lap ) seat belts to be fitted in the rear outboard
seating positions of passenger cars . This has been the case
for some years and all new vehicles sold now conform to this
requirement where relevant . It is only where a third, centre
seating position is provided that a two-point ( lap ) belt is
required under the terms of the Directive .

Whilst there are occasional accidents in which an unbelted

passenger has sustained fewer injuries than would have been
the case if restrained, these are isolated events and by far the
overwhelming situation is that most car occupants are better
off when wearing a seat belt . A two-point belt, whilst not
offering the same level of protection as a three-point belt, is
nevertheless significantly safer than no belt at all . Technical
reasons also make it difficult for manufacturers to offer a

three-point belt for the centre seating position, particularly
in hatchback vehicles .

Even when wearing a three-point belt it is possible for an
occupant to sustain injuries attributable to the restraining
effect of the belt on the body ; what needs to be remembered

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2228 / 94

by James Nicholson ( PPE )

to the Council

( 18 October 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 56 )

Subject : National service in Greece and the continuing

plight of conscientious objectors

On 25 April 1994, under the initiative of the Greek Miniser
of Justice, Law 2207 / 94 was implemented with a view to
relieving congestion in Greek prisons . In the context, Justice
Minister Kouvelakis informed the Greek press that
conscientious objectors were to be included under this
law .

Given these facts, is the Council aware that the Greek
Ministry of Defence as well as a number of prison directors
are refusing to apply the provisions contained in Law
2207 / 94 to a number of conscientious objectors who would
be eligible for release but continue to be held in Greek
prisons ? Is the Council prepared to raise this issue with the
Greek authorities and call for the immediate release of these

prisoners ?

Is the Council also aware that a number of conscientious

objectors, released after Law 2207 / 94 has been invoked,
have received notification from their military recruiting
offices that they must report for military duty in the armed
forces once again ? Given that they have not served the
equivalent of twice the regular military term in prison,
refusal to enlist would result in an even heavier prison
sentence than the one originally passed . What action can the
Council take to ensure that these individuals are not

punished for a second time ?

20 . 2 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 42 / 29

Answer reliability is dependent on an agreement between India and

( 20 December 1994 ) Bangladesh on the sharing of Ganges water . There have been

many attempts in the past to negotiate such an agreement
without result . There are recent indications that Bangladesh
is trying to internationalize the issue through raising the
The Council is unable to take a position on matters which problem in international fora ( e.g. UN ).
are the entire responsibility of the Member State in question
and for which the Union has no competence .

Answer

( 20 December 1994 )

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2234 / 94

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2232 / 94
by Anita Pollack ( PSE )

by Anita Pollack ( PSE ) to the Commission

to the Commission
( 26 October 1994 )

( 26 October 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 58 )
( 95 / C 42 / 57 )

Subject : Flow of river Ganges — environmental
consequences in Bangladesh river Gorai

Is the Commission aware of reports that barrages on the
Ganges in India are allegedly causing sesonal drying up of
the river Gorai in Bangladesh and increased salinity seeping
inland from the Bay of Bengal ? Are there any discussions or
plans with India, Nepal and Bangladesh about the problems
concerning the water of the Ganges ?

Subject : Peanut allergy

What is the latest state of play in regard to peanut allergy ?
Has the Scientific Committee for Foods completed its
investigations and are there any plans for labelling and
particularly for educating those involved in the catering
trade about the dangers of peanuts to those with an
allergy ?

Answer given by Mr Bangemann

Answer given by Mr Marin on behalf of the Commission
on behalf of the Commission

( 12 December 1994 )
(9 December 1994 )

The Commission is aware of the differences in opinion
between Bangladesh and India about the impact that
barrages on the Ganges in India allegedly have on the water
regime of the Ganges once it crosses into Bangladesh
territory, and the effects of this on the water regime of the
river Gorai and other subsidiary rivers as well as on the
saline front .

The problem has been studied in detail within the context of
the south-west water resources management project of the
flood action plan . The project known as FAP-4 was financed
by the Asian Development Bank in collaboration with
UNDP . The study confirms that the current flow regime for
the Ganges has indeed significantly diminished since
construction of the Farakka barrage in India . Since the
current low flow regime is inadequate to support both
significant expansion of irrigation ( essential for the future
development and food security of the region ) as well as
allocation of sufficient discharge for salinity control at
Khulna, the study recommends that initially priority be
given to irrigation . A barrage across the Ganges would be
necessary to augment the amount of water at Khulna up to a
level of about 250 m 3 /s necessary for salinity control .
Ensuring adequate releases at Farakka for long-term

The scientific committee for food is expected to complete its
examination of the problem of food allergies and
intolerance by the end of the first quarter of 1995 .

In the light of the conclusions of the committee, the
Commission will consider the need to propose an
amendment to Directive 79 / 112 / EEC (*) on the labelling of
foodstuffs .

However, the provisions of the Directive are primarily
concerned with the sale of pre-packaged foodstuffs . It is the
responsibility of Member States to determine whether the
same information should be provided to consumers in
respect of non-prepackaged products, including meals sold
in restaurants or canteens . Furthermore, the Commission
considers that it is for Member States to determine whether

specific measures are necessary for the education of those
involved in the catering trade .

(») OJ No L 33, 8 . 2 . 1979 .

No C 42 / 30 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 20 . 2 . 95

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2236 / 94

by Wolfgang Kreissl-Dörfler ( V )

to the Commission

( 26 October 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 59 )

Subject : Incorportion of social clauses in the EU 's
generalized system of preferences

In its document COM(94)0212 on the role of the GSP in the
decade from 1995 to 2004, the Commission proposes to
include social and environmental clauses in the EU 's

generalized system of preferences . These clauses are to be
conceived as incentives and are to take the form of

supplementary tariff preferences .

At the same time, the Commission proposes to restrict the
GSP in future to the poorest developing countries .

However, the least developed countries, the so-called
LLDCs, along with certain States in South America in which
the cultivation of drugs is widespread, already enjoy full
exemption from customs duties on imports of their products
into the EU .

In the Commission 's view, can the social and environmental
clauses really act as incentives to these groups of States, as
intended ?

Answer given by Mr Marin
on behalf of the Commission

(5 December 1994 )

As set out in the communication from the Commission to

the Council and Parliament referred to by the Honourable
Member, the proposal for a new GSP scheme, which has in
the interim been submitted to the Council, plans to exempt
the least developed countries from all duties ( as the current
scheme does ) (*). The relevant countries will therefore
continue to receive the most favourable treatment

possible .

Paradoxically, however, this means they will not gain any
special advantage from the social and environmental
clauses . This squares with the underlying concept of these
positive clauses, whereby the promotion of social and
environmental progress depends primarily on a basic level of
economic development . As the least developed countries
have obviously not yet reached such a level, it is of the
utmost importance that they receive the best possible
treatment in the basic GSP .

The same reasoning applies mutatis mutandis to the Andean
countries, whose basic economic development as hamstrung

by the political, economic, social and human costs of the
fight against drug production and trafficking .

(!) COM(94 ) 337 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2240 / 94
by Julio Añoveros Trias de Bes ( PPE )

to the Council

( 18 October 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 60 )

Subject : Directive on food additives other than colours and

sweeteners

What reasons led the Council, in its joint position 15 / 94,

10 March 1994, to change the classification of beer from
Annex I to Annex III of the draft Directive on food additives

other than colours and sweeteners ?

Does the Council realise that this new change could
seriously damage the Spanish, British, Portuguese, Irish and
French industries ?

Answer

( 20 December 1994 )

1 . Annex I to the common position referred to by the
Honourable Member is a positive list of generally permitted
additives and contains no fodstuffs . On the other hand,
Annex III to that common position lists preservatives and
antioxidants which are permitted with the proviso that they
may be used only in the foodstuffs referred to in that Annex
under the conditions specified therein . In the case of beer,
the only changes made by the Council to Annex III consist
in

— permitting the use of benzoates in alcohol-free beer in

keg up to a maximum level of 70 mg / 1 and

— reducing from 30 to 20 mg / 1 the maximum level of

sulphur dioxide and sulphites permitted in beer,
including low-alcohol and alcohol-free beer .

Presumably, the question put by the Honourable Member
rather concerns the extension to Annex II, i.e. the list of
foodstuffs in which only a limited number of the additives
from Annex I may be used . That extension — introduced as
part of the common position — includes beer, for which the
number of permitted additives is now limited to 12 instead
of the 106 from Annex I as proposed by the
Commission .

Generally speaking, the Council extended the list of
products in Annex II in order to take account, first and

20 . 2 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 42 / 31

foremost, of the need to protect the consumer . Also,
according to the most recent scientific and toxicological
information available, some additives ought to be permitted
only for certain foodstuffs and under well-defined
conditions . Lastly, the Council believes that a food additive
ought to be permitted only if it has been established that
there is a technical need for it .

2 . The Council is of the opinion that the only additives
constituting a technological necessity in the case of beer are
those listed in Annex II to its common position and that the
industry requires no other additives for brewing beer .

Moreover, by adding beer to the list in Annex II, the Council
accommodated the wish expressed by Parliament in its
opinion of 26 May 1993 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2244 / 94

by Ian White ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 26 October 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 61 )

Subject : Double-decker buses

Do the Commission proposals for a harmonized Directive
on the construction of buses and coaches envisage an end to
the construction of double-decker buses and, if not, would
the possibility of a 30 % seat loss for both the lower and
upper decks of double-decker buses not make such vehicles
uneconomic ?

This Directive will apply to all buses and coaches and,
therefore, includes specifications for double-decker buses .

Of course, the Commission has no intention of putting an
end to construction of double-decker buses . On the

contrary, the EEC type-approval system will lay down
specifications making it possible to place buses approved in
one Member State on the market in other Member States

without technical barriers .

The possible 30 % loss of seating space would occur only if a
second staircase were made mandatory . No provision is
made for this in the draft proposal, which requires two
staircases only if the capacity of the top deck exceeds 50

passengers .

However, when laying down the safety specifications
applicable to all vehicles, including double-decker buses, it
will be necessary to set minimum limits, particularly for the
number of doors and the seating room per passenger . It is
not surprising that the Member States have different
policies, reflecting differences in their positions on the
balance between safety, accessibility and comfort . It is up to
the Commission to find an acceptable compromise on these
points, which will be discussed once again at the next
meeting of the Working Party .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2250 / 94

by Anne André-Léonard ( ELDR )

to the Commission

( 26 October 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 62

Subject : European beer tour
Answer given by Mr Bangemann

on behalf of the Commission

(7 December 1994 ) The tourist organizations of the Belgian province of
Luxembourg, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the
French department of Meuse wish to start up a European
beer tour .

As stated by the Honourable Member, the Commission is
drafting a proposal for a Directive on certain specifications
for buses and coaches for submission to Parliament and the

Council .

This will cover the safety aspects such as rollover stability,
coachwork strength to minimize the risk of crushing in the
event of rollover, the number and dimensions of the exits
and emergency exits, the space needed for seated and
standing passengers, the specifications for the doors and
accessibility .

The proposal is the last to be made by the Commission in
this area with a view to completion of a European
type-approval system for buses and coaches, similar to the
system already in place for private cars .

Can the Commission indicate which European programme
could offer financial support for this type of initiative ?

Answer given by Mr Vanni d'Archirafi

on behalf of the Commission

( 13 December 1994 )

The Commission publishes several times a year in the

Official Journal of the European Communities in the
context of the action plan to assist tourism, calls for
proposals relating to one or more parts of the plan .

No C 42 / 32 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 20 . 2 . 95

A route for tourists, to which the Honourable Member
refers, could possibly meet the criteria laid down for two
parts of the plan, those on rural and cultural tourism . It is
possible that further calls could be published for these

sectors .

Additionally, in the context of Structural Funds Interreg II
Community Initiative 1994-1999 provisions has been made
for the promotion of cooperation between internal border
areas of the Community .

Under this initiative provision has been made for the
support of operations where a development impact can be
foreseen on both sides of the borders concerned and that

their planning, and where possible implementation, is
undertaken on a cross-border basis .

Interested parties should consult the guidelines for this
initiative ( 1 ) and contact their local or regional authorities .
The development of tourism is one of the examples given in
the guidelines and a proposal for a European beer route
could in principle be considered as a part of an Interreg
programme, to be submitted through the Member States
concerned .

f 1 ) OJ No C 180, 1 . 7 . 1994 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2256 / 94

by Peter Truscott ( PSE )

to the Council

( 16 November 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 63

Subject : East Timor

Can the Council outline what political action it is taking to
end the illegal occupation of East Timor by Indonesia ?

Answer

( 16 January 1995 )

The Honourable Member may refer to the answers to
Written Question E-1817 / 94 and oral questions H-0402 / 94
and H-0481 / 94, and the statement by the EU on
23 November 1994 before the UNGA Third Commission,
which reflect the latest EU position on the recent events in
Jakarta and East Timor .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2259 / 94

by Anthony Wilson ( PSE )

to the Commission

(9 November 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 64 )

Subject : Effect of World Bank funding on the poor

What steps is the Commission taking to ensure that World
Bank funds will be spent differently to fulfil the Council of
Ministers pledge that European Union aid for structural
adjustment programmes pay special attention to the effects
on the poor ?

Answer given by Mr Marin
on behalf of the Commission

( 30 November 1994 )

Earlier IMF and World Bank supported ( adjustment )
programmes did not incorporate sufficiently, in the
Commission 's view, specific measures to protect the poor
from the adverse effects of price increases and cuts in
government expenditures . Such programmes usually gave
priority to economic growth rather than redistribution .
Although it is clear that no major redistribution can take
place without substantive economic growth, the
Commission has always paid special attention to the social
dimension of programmes and has taken concrete measures
in order to ensure that its own policy of directing funds to
the social sectors, namely education and health, is properly
implemented, in particularly in its support to structural
adjustment programmes .

The Commission has taken the following concrete measures
to ensure that anti-poverty issues are tackled by the World
Bank :

— Active participation in the special programme of

assistance for highly indebted and low income countries
in sub-Saharan Africa ( SPA ) framework stressing the
need to re-design conventional approaches in particular
in the following areas :

( a ) Taking into account the socio-political context of

adjustment, by reviewing the implementation of
conditionality and by improving the sequencing of
economic reforms, thus also enhancing
' internalization ' of policies . The Commission chairs
with Usaid a SPA working group on the subject of

' economic reform in the context of political
liberalization '.

( b ) Improvement of the equity orientation of public

expenditure policies in the context of the SPA
working group .

— Preparation of studies assessing specific issues
concerning the poverty orientation of structural

20 . 2 . 95 1 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 42 / 33

adjustment programmes ( e.g. study on ' equity
orientation of revenue collection systems in ACP
countries ').

— participation in the discussion and formulation of

national, country specific reform policies, usually to be
fixed in the policy framework papers .

In past years a general consensus has grown among donors
that long term growth and the sustainability of reforms can
be best safeguarded by closer attention to the social effects
of stabilization and restructuring measures . In the last SPA
meeting held in Paris, it was noted that poverty alleviation
and the introduction of specific anti-poverty measures
inside adjustment programmes had become a priority for all
geographical services of the World Bank .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2268 / 94

by Alexandros Alavanos ( GUE )

to the Commission

(9 November 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 65

Subject : Maritime pollution caused by continual spillages

of petroleum products

Since 1992 the shore and coastal area of Aghii Theodori
near Attica in the vicinity of the Motor Oil refinery has been
frequently subject to pollution from petroleum products ;
although the Greek authorities are aware of this state of
affairs, they have not as yet reached any conclusion as to the
source of these spillages and have taken no counter
measures . The Motor Oil company has in the past cleared up
petroleum spillages on the shore outside the refinery .
Following the rainfall on 7 October 1994 an oil slick
appeared at sea . Local representatives and the harbour
authorities consider that the ground-water in the region has
been contaminated by spillages of petroleum products .

Will the Commission say :

— Has Community legislation aimed at combating major

sources of pollution, ground-water pollution and
pollution of the shores and sea by petroleum products
been translated into national law ? ( Council resolutions
of 7 February 1983 on aquatic pollution, of 19 June

1990 on maritime pollution and of 6 May 1994 on
coastal areas, the Directives and subsequent
amendments 76 / 160 / EEC (*) concerning the quality of
bathing water, 76 / 464 / EEC ( 2 ) on pollution caused by
certain dangerous substances discharged into the
aquatic environment of the Community, 80 / 68 / EEC ( 3 )
on the protection of ground-water against pollution,

86 / 85 / EEC ( 4 ) on the control and reduction of pollution

caused by the spillage of hydrocarbons, Council
Decisions 81 / 420 / EEC ( 5 ) and 83 / 101 / EEC ( 6 ) on
combating pollution of the Mediterranean ).

— What action does it intend to take to ensure that the

relevant Community legislation is implemented and that
the root cause of this continuing pollution is tackled ?

(!) OJ No L 31, 5 . 2 . 1976, p . 1 .

( 2 ) OJ No L 129, 18 . 5 . 1976, p . 23 .
( 3 ) OJ No L 20, 26 . 1 . 1980, p . 43 .

( 4 ) OJ No L 77, 22 . 3 . 1986, p . 33 .

( 5 ) OJ No L 162, 19 . 6 . 1981, p . 4 .

( 6 ) OJ No L 67, 12 . 3 . 1983, p . 1 .

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission

( 12 December 1994 )

In addition to the Community instruments ( Directives,
Decisions ) mentioned by the Honourable Member, there is
Directive 75 / 439 / EEC of 16 June 1975 on the disposal of
waste oils (*), which also applies in the territorial waters of
the Member States .

Greece has communicated measures incorporating the
Directives mentioned by the Honourable Member into
national law .

The attention of the Greek Government will be drawn to the

problems outlined by the Honourable Member .

(!) OJ No L 194, 25 . 7 . 1975 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2286 / 94

by Yiannis Roubatis ( PSE )

to the Council

( 16 November 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 66 )

Subject : Violation of the religious freedoms and
independence of religious communities in
Albania

The draft for the new Albanian Constitution constitutes a

flagrant violation of the religious freedoms and
independence of the religious communities in Albania .
Article 7(4 ) provides that the head of every religious
community in Albania must be an Albanian citizen, have
been born in Albania and have lived there for the last 20

years . In particular :

No C 42 / 34 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 20 . 2 . 95

— Article 7(4 ) violates the basic right of religious
communities to manage their own internal affairs, and
notably to choose their own religious leaders .

— It is obvious that Article 7(4 ) is directed exclusively

against the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania
and, in particular, the distinguished person of
Archbishop Anastassios who has been unanimously
recognized by all orthodox churches ;

— the Albanian Government is seeking by this means to

render the Church of Albania leaderless because no

Albanian clergyman is yet able to fulfil the
pre-conditions for assuming the duties of head of the
church ;

— it is noteworthy that the draft constitution requires the

heads of religious communities to have been resident in
Albania continuously for a longer period of time than
the Albanian head of State ( 10 years ) or Albanian MPs

( two years );

— the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania, the

oldest and largest church in the country has been
persecuted more than any other church over the last 50
years . Unfortunately, after a period of three years during
which the political system was being reorganized, it is
now being persecuted once again .

In view of the above will the Council please say :

1 . What information it has about the violation of the

religious freedoms and independence of the religious
communities in Albania ?

2 . What it intends to do to prevent the adoption of the

controversial article referred to above ?

3 . Whether it intends to re-examine the framework for

economic aid to Albania, a country which by its actions
is violating the religious freedoms and independence of
its religious communities ?

Answer

( 16 January 1995 )

The Council notes that the draft constitution to which the

member refers was defeated in a referendum on

6 November .

Regarding EU-Albania relations and the matter of economic
aid to Albania the Council refers to its answers to Written

Questions E-1662 / 94 and E-1991 / 94 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2297 / 94

by Anne André-Léonard ( ELDR )

to the Commission

( 15 November 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 67 )

Subject : European audio-visual fund

Since the European audio-visual conference, which was held
from 30 June to 2 July 1994 in Brussels, there has been an
increasing amount of discussion about the setting-up of an
audio-visual fund, the order of magnitude of which would
be 1 % of Structural Funds and which would aim to develop
the internal market in audio-visual programmes .

Can the Commission say how much consideration it has
given to this and whether it plans in 1995 ( centenary of the
invention of cinema ) to submit a proposal to Parliament and
the Council aiming to create such a fund ?

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro

on behalf of the Commission

(2 December 1994 )

A number of proposals to establish a fund to develop the
internal market in audio-visual programmes were indeed
made at the European audio-visual conference which was
held, on the Commission 's initiative, in Brussels on 30 June
and 1 and 2 July . The various proposals differ widely as to
those qualifying for assistance and as to the operational
methods of the fund, but the order of magnitude is always
around 1 % of the Structural Funds .

Under-financing of programmes emerged during
consultations as an issue central to the competitiveness of
the European programmes industries . In the course of a
thorough-going study of the matter, as well as analyzing the
proposals made at the conference, the Commission is
exchanging views with potential investors ( in particular in
banking circles ), producers and distributors . Initial results
indicate several pointers for the stimulation of
investments .

Incentives to distributors to invest in production would be
likely to improve audience targeting and thus the
commercial potential of the programmes .

Mechanisms to stimulate private investment are not
intended to remove the risk involved ( by covering it with
public funds ) but to increase investment overall in line with
free market principles . These incentives should offer only
partial guarantees to investors in order to give the public
funds a strong multiplier effect .

20 . 2 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 42 / 35

The Commission is continuing its work with a view to
adopting a new financial instrument based on these
guidelines . In 1995 it will present a communication on the
financing of the programmes industry, possibly with a
specific proposal for a Community mechanism .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2304 / 94

by Jaak Vandemeulebroucke ( ARE )

to the Commission

( 15 November 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 68

Subject : Ferry disasters

Is the Commission considering introducing, in the very near
future, stricter technical requirements for ferries operating
within the waters of the Union ?

Is it considering banning bow-doors and requiring vessels
currently in service to be modified accordingly ?

Will the Commission, in accordance with the opinion of the
European Parliament 's Committee on Transport and
Tourism, also impose heavier penalties on private
individuals and persons who contravene safety
regulations ?

Answer given by Mr Oreja
on behalf of the Commission

(9 January 1995 )

show the specific impact of interventions on poorer income
groups ?

What is the Commission 's estimate, for the most recent year
for which figures are available, of the percentage of its aid
spending allocated to the provision of basic needs ? What is
the percentage for interventions directly targeted on poorer
income groups ?

Has a timetable been agreed for the EU 's forthcoming aid
review ? When will the Commission be making available to
the public its Momorandum to the Development Accounts
Committee, which was prepared for this aid review ?

Answer given by Mr Marin
on behalf of the Commission

( 29 November 1994 )

1 . The Commission has not carried out any evaluations
limited to the distributional impact of aid and its effects on
poverty alleviation .

The Commission analyses not only the impact on the
intended beneficiaries but also the sustainability of this
impact in line with the criteria adopted within the
Development Assistance Committee ( DAC ) of the OECD .
There have been 1 000 evaluation reports covering
Commission-managed aid from the early 1980 's up to the

present .

2 . The amounts decided in 1992 and 1993 for basic

needs ( education, health, water supply and public health,
and rural development ) are :

The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its ( million ECU )

statement during the debate on safety on ferries at Total basic needs %
Parliament 's 27 October 1994 part-session (*).

1992

(M Debates of Parliament ( October 1994 ).

EDF 6 7 364,700 2 591,700 35

EDF 7 2 812,700 472,700 17

1993

EDF 6 7 380,260 2 586,750 35

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2310 / 94 EDF 7 4 763,428 1 230,086 26

by Graham Watson ( ELDR )

to the Commission

( 15 November 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 69

Subject : Distributional impact and reform of EU
development aid

How many evaluations has the Commission undertaken
which analyse the distributional impact of EU aid, and thus

The breakdown of the aid is on a sectoral basis, and it is not
possible to identify ' poorer income groups '.

3 . Finally, the aid review is planned for April 1 995, while
the memorandum on the Community 's development aid

( 1993 ) to the DAC has been available to the public since
August 1994 .

No C 42 / 36 ΓΕΝ Official Journal of the European Communities 20 . 2 . 95

Answer given by Sir Leon Brittan

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2312 / 94 Answer given by Sir Leon
on behalf of the Commission

by Thomas Megahy ( PSE )

to the Commission ( 15 December 1994 )

( IS November 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 70

Subject : AIDS awareness campaigns

In view of the continuing danger from AIDS and the success
of the ' Europe against AIDS ' campaign launched in May

1994, does the Commission have plans to follow this up
with support for other AIDS campaigns in the near
future ?

Answer given by Mr Flynn
on behalf of the Commission

( 10 January 1995 )

Faced with the continuing spread of the AIDS epidemic, and
following the success of the ' Europe Against AIDS '
campaign launched in May 1994, the Commission intends
renewing its support for a similar campaign in 1995 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2320 / 94

by Christine Oddy ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 15 November 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 71 )

Subject : Third World trade in textiles

Will the Commission press for a GATT agreement which
will :

— ensure in Stage One all handloom and cottage industry

products from all countries are free of restrictions, so as
to benefit the poorest people first ;

— stress that the full 16 % must represent a genuine

liberalization with the EU lifting those MFA quotas
which are actually utilized, and from across the range of
products including clothing ;

— ensure that in Stage One quotas are lifted on products in

which the poorest countries have a high share so that
they can benefit first and fastest . This will enable them to
establish their markets before facing unrestricted
competition with the bigger economies such as Hong
Kong ;

— commit the EU not to use any safeguard mechanisms

against Least Developed and low-income countries or
small suppliers of textiles and clothing ?

With regard to the impact of the first stage of integration of
textiles and clothing products into normal GATT rules and
disciplines under the WTO Agreement on textiles and
clothing ( ATC ), the Commission would observe :

— the Community does not impose restrictions on
handloom and cottage industry products from any
country except from India . The Commission has even
offered to remove the remaining restrictions against
India   - if the latter is able to open up its domestic textiles
and clothing market ;

— the Community does not impose either quotas or duties

on imports of textiles and clothing from the poorest
developing countries ;

— the poorest developing countries are unlikely to benefit

from early integration . For example, imports of textiles
and clothing from Bangladesh are subject neither to
quotas nor duties while imports from more competitive
suppliers such as China or Indonesia are restricted and
subject to import duties . As a result of this privileged
situation, Bangladesh has been able to increase its
exports to the Community from ECU 200 million in

1988 to ECU 710 million in 1993 ;

— the ATC limits the possibility for importing countries to

take safeguard action against least developed countries
or small suppliers .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2321 / 94

by Christine Oddy ( PSE )

to the Council

( 16 November 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 72 )

Subject : Arms embargo in Bosnia

Does the Council of Ministers not consider that any lifting
of the arms embargo in Bosnia could result in innocent
civilians, including Muslims, being injured and killed in
cross-fire ?

Answer

( 16 January 1995 )

The European Union has repeatedly confirmed its clear and
firm position on the arms embargo : a political solution to
the conflict in Bosnia-Hercegovina must be pursued . until all

20 . 2 . 95 LJN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 42 / 37

avenues are exhausted, and a decision by the United Nations
Security Council to lift the arms embargo must consequently
remain a last resort .

It is of critical importance that the peace process under way
should not be undermined by a decision that could have
dangerous and incalculable consequences .

The European Union has already expressed the view that
lifting the arms embargo would require the withdrawal of
Unprofor from Bosnia and Herzegovina . At Essen, the
European Council considered that, if Unprofor were obliged
to withdraw, the implications for Bosnia and its civilian
population would be severe .

full year . Substantial commitments are expected at the end
of the year to take account of programmes under Objectives
2, 4, 5a and 5b on which decisions are still to be taken .

The Commission will produce these data when the
budgetary year is closed .

(!) OJ No L 34, 7 . 2 . 1994 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2328 / 94

by Carlos Robles Piquer ( PPE )

to the Commission

( 15 November 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 74 )
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2323 / 94

by Helena Torres Marques ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 31 October 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 73 )

Subject : Utilization of the Structural Funds and the
Cohesion Fund in 1994

Can the Commission say what commitments have been
entered into the budget for 1994 and provide the most
recent figures available concerning expenditure with regard
to each of the twelve Member States and the individual

Structural Funds ? Can it also provide similar information
on the Cohesion Fund with regard to the four countries to
which it is applicable ?

Answer given by Mr Delors
on behalf of the Commission

(6 December 1994 )

Commitment appropriations entered in the 1994 general
budget ( ] ) in respect of the Structural Funds total ECU
21 322 250 000 :

EAGGF Guidance Section - 3 342 800 000

FIFG 418 950 000

ERDF 9 029 700 000

ESF 6 456 800 000

Community initiatives 1 706 000 000

Subject : Ecological alternatives to municipal rubbish
dumps

One of the threats to our ever-changing society is an issue
facing many local authorities, that of waste disposal .
Conventional rubbish dumps are regarded as an outdated
solution to the problem .

The filling to capacity of rubbish dumps in many towns and
cities of southern Europe creates major health, sociological,
hygiene, economic and environmental problems . For
example, it is known that the dumping of waste results in the
formation of gases, the destruction of the countryside and
the pollution of surface and underground water . In the near
future, rubbish dumps must be replaced by other forms of
waste disposal which provide some additional benefit, such
as the generation of energy through the appropriate
treatment of waste .

By way of guidance to local authorities which still opt for the
outdated system of rubbish dumps, could the Commission
say what the European Union 's medium - and long-term
policy is on the subject and what proposal it puts forward to
such authorities in order to encourage them to adopt a
modern, effective solution to the problem of urban waste
disposal ?

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission

(2 December 1994 )

Transitional measures 368 000 000 Under the Council resolution dated 7 May 1990 (*), which

welcomes and supports the communication from the
Commission on the Community strategy for waste, the

Appropriations for the Cohesion Fund total ECU dumping of waste must, wherever possible, be considered to
1 853 000 000 . be a last-resort means of disposal . The aim of that strategy is

to point waste management towards other forms of
The data available at present on expenditure incurred in processing which promote recovery or upgrading in order to
conserve natural resources .

Transitional measures 368 000 000

Appropriations for the Cohesion Fund total ECU
1 853 000 000 .

1994 are partial and do not give a complete picture for the

No C 42 / 38 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 20 . 2 . 95

This direction must be followed, in practical terms, by
the Member States on the basis of the waste management
plans provided for in Article 7 of Council Directive
75 / 442 / EEC ( 2 ) on waste, as amended by Council Directive
91 / 156 / EEC ( 3 ). Under those waste management plans
Member States must take appropriate steps to promote the
prevention or reduction of waste production, and to develop
the up-grading of waste for re-cycling, re-use or recovery

purposes .

The Commission feels, as regards the Honourable
Member 's question as to whether the Commission was in a
position to put forward a model to municipal authorities in
order to find an effective means of treating household
refuse, that it was not competent in this area since the
Member States were responsible for implementing waste
management plans and because any waste management
policy must take account of the specific local features of
each municipality .

Nevertheless, the tipping of waste is one of the means of
waste disposal for which very stringent standards must be
provided in order to protect the environment, and more
particularly to avoid adverse effects on the ground, the
subsoil, surface and ground water, air, fauna and flora .

The Commission has therefore sent the Council a proposal
for a Directive on the dumping of wastes ( 4 ) which
incorporates the aims set out above .

(!) OJ No C 122, 18 . 5 . 1990 .

( 2 ) OJ No L 194, 25 . 7 . 1975 .

(• 3 ) OJ No L 78, 26 . 3 . 1991 .

( 4 ) COM(91 ) 102 final, OJ No G 190, 22 . 7 . 1991 ; Opinion of

Parliament of 28 . 10 . 1992, OJ No C 305, 23 . 11 . 1992 ;
Amended proposal COM(93 ) 275 final, OJ No C 212, 5 . 8 .

1993 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2338 / 94

by Hiltrud Breyer ( V )

to the Commission

( 15 November 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 75 )

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission

( 15 December 1994 )

In the context of the current revision of Council Directive

80 / 778 / EEC relating to the quality of water intended
for human consumption ( 1 ), the Commission has
commissioned a study on the economic and technical
aspects related to the pesticide parameter contained in
Annex I of this Directive . The final report will be available in
May 1995, and therefore the replies to points 1 and 3 are of
a provisional nature .

1 . Although most Member States make considerable
efforts to monitor pesticides in water there is no
comprehensive and harmonized database . In view of the
technical complexity and high cost, the monitoring
programmes are normally adapted to regional needs as
the land use pattern basically determines whether
pesticides should be used, and if so which .

2 . Eurostat 's work on establishing Community water
statistics is still in the preparatory phase . However, the
standing committee on statistics and economics of the
international water supply association collects and
publishes basic data for most Member States .

3 . As the raw water sources used for the production of
drinking water differ considerably from region to
region, the authorities take different measures to protect
sources . Unless Community or state aid is given, the
Member States are not obliged to inform the
Commission about these measures . However, the above
mentioned study will endeavour to describe types of
measures and their effectiveness in avoiding pollution of
raw waters by pesticides . .

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

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2356 / 94

by Christine Oddy ( PSE )

Subject : Information on the quality of water to the Council

( 16 November 1994 )

Does the Commission have :
( 95 / C 42 / 76 )

1 . Comprehensive findings on the pollution of water by
pesticides in the EU ?

2 . Details of the structure of water supply in the EU
( quantities of water, origin, population supplied )?

Subject : Extrajudicial killings of Kurds in Turkey

Is the Council aware that 14 journalists have been murdered

3 . Information on steps taken by Member States to prevent in Turkey since 1992, and that nine worked for one

the pollution of drinking water ? newspaper ?

20 . 2 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 42 / 39

There are persistent allegations that these and other
extrajudicial executions in the Kurdish region of Turkey
were by agents of the State .

What measures will the Council take to ensure a thorough
investigation into these killings ?

Could the Council please explain why the identical
Question to the above ( No E-440 / 94 ) was not answered ?

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2361 / 94

by Christine Crawley ( PSE )

to the Council

( 16 November 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 77

Subject : Human rights abuses in Turkey

Following very disturbing evidence I have received
regarding the disappearance of journalists in Turkey,
working on the paper Ozgurgundem, would the Council do
all it can to find out information regarding the following
journalists ?

Hafiz Akdemir,
Yahya Orhan,
Musa Anter,
Kemalkilic,
Ferhat Tepe,
Abdolvahap Timurtas .

Joint answer
to Written Questions E-2356 / 94 and E-2361 / 94

( 16 January 1995 )

The Council has repeatedly shared the concerns of Members
as to the non-respect of the freedom of press in Turkey .

Honourable Members are invited to refer to the answer

given to oral question H-1312 / 93 .

The European Union furthermore recalls its declaration of

31 March 1994 concerning the situation of human Rights in
Turkey and will continue to stress in its relations with
Turkey the necessity of respecting the human rights as
enshrined in the UN International Bill of Human Rights and
other UN instruments, in the European Convention on
Human Rights and various documents of the CSCE .
Question E-440 / 94 by Ms Oddy has not been answered by
the Council following Article 167 of the internal rules of the
European Parliament .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-23 59 / 94

by Christine Oddy        - PSE )

to the Council

( 16 November 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 78 )

Subject : Persecution of Ahmadi Muslims in Pakistan

In response to my Written Question E-3 183 / 93 (*) on the
persecution of Ahmadi Muslims in Pakistan, the Council
asserts that ' the Ahmadi faith is not condemned by the
constitution ' of Pakistan . Is the Council aware that it is

argued that the legalization of discrimination against
Ahmadi Muslims began in 1974 when the National
Assembly of Pakistan declared Ahmadis as non-Muslim ?

Will the Council ensure that the Government of Pakistan

remove Ordinance XX, which makes it a criminal offence to
practise or preach the Ahmadi faith ?

t 1 ) OJ No C 84, 21 . 3 . 1994, p . 17 .

Answer

( 16 January 1995 )

The Honourable Member may refer to the joint answer to
written questions E - 1266 / 94 and E-960 / 94 on Ahmadi
Muslims in Pakistan .

The issue has once again been raised by the European Union
at the meeting of the Troika at senior officials level with
Pakistan in Bonn on 7 November 1994 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2360 / 94

by Christine Oddy ( PSE )

to the Council

( 16 November 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 79

Subject : Street children in Colombia

Is the Council aware that thousands of street children in

Bogota, Colombia live in fear of assassination by death
squads, allegedly hired by local business people ?

Up to 40 children every month are shot on the streets ?

What measures will the Council take to ensure that the

Colombian authorities take effective steps to halt these
murders ?

No C 42 / 40 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 20 . 2 . 95

Answer

( 16 January 1995 )

I would refer the Honourable Member to the reply given in
response to Written Question No E-961 / 94 on the same
subject .

In addition to what is said in the aforementioned response, I
would underline that the European Union continues to
follow closely the human rights situation in Colombia and,
in this context, the Heads of Mission in Bogota have drafted
recently a report on the subject at the request of the Political
Committee .

On the other hand, in line with what was said in the
above-referred answer concerning the third
institutionalized Ministerial Meeting of the Foreign Affairs
Ministers of the Rio Group countries and the European
Union, in the fourth meeting held in Sao Paulo on 22 / 23
April 1994, Ministers reiterated the commitment of their
governments concerning the observance of the rule of law
and in particular, amongst the topics that might be included
in order to develop the already existing dialogue between
both sides, it was agreed — and it is accordingly reflected in
the Sao Paulo declaration of 23 April 1994 — to give
priority to the implementation of national plans for the
protection of children, in particular homeless and
abandoned children, in accordance with the provisions of
the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the
Child .

I would like to point out, in this respect, that the European
Union presented to the third committee the draft text which
resulted in Resolution 48 / 136 of the UN General Assembly
on the difficult situation of street children . This resolution

denounces comprehensively the plight of these children,
expresses deep concern and urges governments to pay
attention to this situation and to look for solutions, while
inviting the committee for the rights of children to consider
the possibility to formulate a declaration on street children .
Along the same lines, the European Union presented to the
third committee this year another draft resolution on this
same problem .

Can the Commission state whether this report has been
produced and distributed ?

Answer given by Mr Bangemann

on behalf of the Commission

( 10 January 1995 )

The Sprint Programme aims to promote the awareness of
firms, notably SMEs, of the potential benefits of design in
bringing new products to the market and to increase the
application of design concepts and tools in the innovation

process .

In order to achieve these objectives Sprint has organized
since 1988, every two years, the European Community
design prize . A book is published every two years featuring
the firms and organizations which won or were
nominated .

In addition Sprint commissioned from the ' Agence pour la
promotion de la creation industrielle ' a survey in each
Member State, of all relevant information related to design,
such as details of design promotion organizations and other
professional associations, design schools, magazines,
national policies and measures to promote design . The
results of this survey, called the European design guide, will
be published at the beginning of 1995 .

The above activities and others which have been supported
by Sprint to promote design, are still experimental in nature .
They may be reviewed on the basis of the results of the final
evaluation of the programme which is currently being
carried out and which will be in the report that the
Commission will submit to the Parliament, the Council and
the Economic and Social Committee after the end of the
programme ( December 1994 ).

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2385 / 94

by Raymonde Dury ( PSE )

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2369 / 94 to the Commission

by Sérgio Ribeiro ( GUE )

( 22 November 1994 )

to the Commission 95 / C 42 / 81

( 15 November 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 80 )

Subject : Report on activities carried out in the field of

design under the Sprint Programme

In a resolution adopted in March 1 994, Parliament called on
the Commission to draw up a report on activities carried out
in the field of design under the Sprint Programme .

Subject : Information campaign on listeriosis

According to medical opinion, foetuses could be in danger if
pregnant women contract listeriosis . Will the Commission
address itself to the matter in connection with public health
policy and encourage the Member States to conduct
information campaigns aimed at target groups potentially at
risk from listeriosis ?

20 . 2 . 95 I EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 42 / 41

Answer given by Mr Flynn
on behalf of the Commission

(3 January 1995 )

Listeriosis is a communicable disease transmitted through
food, to which pregnant women, the elderly and patients
with immuno-deficiency are particularly vulnerable . In the
event of an outbreak it is up to the national public health
authorities to take the necessary measures, which include
reminding both medical personnel and the general public of
the recommendations concerning the prevention of
listeriosis among these specific population groups . In
accordance with the two communications it has adopted on
this subject ( dated 1 July 1994 ( l ) and 5 October 1994 ( 2 )),
the Commission for its part is proposing to support health
information and education measures covering all
communicable diseases, including listeriosis .

(!) COM(94 ) 202 .

( 2 ) COM(94 ) 413 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2388 / 94

by Raymonde Dury ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 22 November 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 82

Subject : Anti-dumping procedures

What measures has the Commission proposed with a view
to expediting decisions taken in connection with
anti-dumping procedures ? Have the measures already been
implemented ? What has been the outcome ?

Answer given by Sir Leon Brittan

on behalf of the Commission

( 14 December 1994 )

In March 1994, the Council introduced mandatory time
limits for anti-dumping investigations ( Council Regulation
( EC ) No 521 / 94 ( a )). These will require provisional
measures to be taken within nine months and the full

investigation to be completed within fifteen months .

However, the Council also decided ( Article 2 ) that these
time limits would only enter into force following another
Decision by the Council, to be taken before 1 April 1995 on
the basis of a Commission proposal to be submitted once the
necessary staffing resources had been made available .

Discussions on these staffing resources are taking place and
when they are successfully concluded and provision is made
for them in the 1995 budget, the Commission will make a

proposal to the Council setting the date for the entry into
force of time limits .

(!) OJ No L 66, 10 . 3 . 1994 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2392 / 94

by Alexandros Alavanos ( GUE )

to the Commission

( 22 November 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 83 )

Subject : Progress of re-afforestation in Greece

Over the last decade ( 1984-1993 ) a total of 539 029
hectares of forestry were destroyed by fire in Greece . The
ecological consequences of these fires are becoming
increasingly evident . In particular, the ecological cycle of
water has been disturbed, as is shown by the increased
incidence of drought and the widespread flooding of urban,
tourist and agricultural areas : last week floods killed 14
persons, made thousands of others homeless and caused
incalculable damage .

Will the Commission say :

1 . Whether it can provide a survey of re-afforestation

projects that have been undertaken in Greece over the
last decade ( indicating units of a hundred hectares and
the regions concerned )?

2 . What requests for co-funding have been submitted by

the Greek authorities over the last decade ?

3 . Which regions have benefited from re-afforestation

projects co-funded by the Community over the last
decade and what level of Community funding was
available ?

4 . How much money was approved for funding
re-afforestation projects which were aborted so that the
money was diverted elsewhere ? Why were these
re-afforestation projects not implemented and which
regions were affected ?

Answer given by Mr Steichen

on behalf of the Commission

( 13 January 1995 )

The research undertaken by the Commission to answer the
Honourable Members question has revealed that this is a
very extensive and complex matter . More detailed
investigations are necessary, involving a number of
departments . The Commission will inform the Honourable
Member of the outcome of these investigations once they are
completed .

No C 42 / 42 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 20 . 2 . 95

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2424 / 94

by Jean-Yves Le Gallou ( NI )

to the Commission

( 30 November 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 84 )

Subject : STOA studies

world . Countless innocent civilians have been killed or

maimed by these mines, even when direct hostilities have
ended . In Cambodia alone, land-mine warfare has resulted
in approximately 30 000 amputees . In the light of the all too
numerous causes of human suffering, what form of
coordinated action has the European Union taken to reduce
the threat of injury or death to innocent civilians by land
mines ?

Has the Commission already had studies carried out by
STOA on the impact of immigration on unemployment Answer
within the EEC as a whole ?

( 16 January 1995 )

If so, what studies ?

If not, will the Commission initiate such studies without
delay ?

Answer given by Mr Flynn
on behalf of the Commission

( 16 December 1994 )

The Commission has not carried out any studies on the
impact of immigration on unemployment, either in the
context of scientific and technical options assessment

( STOA ) or any other study programme . The Commission
does not have the intention at present of carrying out any
such studies .

The Commission set out its views on the causes of the

current high rate of unemployment and its proposals for
improving the employment situation in the white paper on
growth, competitiveness and employment which was
transmitted to the European Council of December 1993 .

The follow-up report and the action plan for employment
was recently examined by the European Council at Essen .
The actions taken by the Member State will be monitored by
the Commission according to the usual procedures .

The Council can reassure the Honourable Member that a

coordinated European Union action does exist on
anti-personnel land mines .

The EU has been among the main promoters of the Review
Conference of the 1980 ' Convention on prohibition or
restrictions on the use of certain conventional weapons
which may be deemed to be excessively injurious or have
indiscriminate effects ', to be held in 1995 . The Council
considers that good progress is being made on a revised
version of Protocol II, concerning land mines . The EU
advocates, in the framework of this Protocol, stricter
restrictions and additional prohibitions as well as sound
verification measures . Moreover, Protocol II should cover
not only international but also internal armed conflicts .

In addition, the EU attaches great importance to de-mining
activities and has contributed to several de-mining actions,
in particular in Asia ( Cambodia ), Latin America
( Nicaragua ), Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia and
Mozambique .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2446 / 94

by Simon Murphy ( PSE )

to the Commission

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2430 / 94 ( 30 November 1994 )

by James Nicholson ( PPE ) ( 95 / C 42 / 86 )

to the Council

( 30 November 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 85 Subject : Basis of GATT / WTO Agreements

Subject : Land-mine warfare

United Nations ' sources estimate that there are at least 100

million primed land mines in various countries around the

Does the Commission believe that it will be necessary to
negotiate a stronger basis within the GATT / WTO ­
Agreements to ensure that non-discriminatory trade ­
related measures to protect people, animals or the
environment are recognized as legitimate ?

20 . 2 . 95 LEN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 42 / 43

Answer given by Sir Leon Brittan accordance with the relevant provisions of paragraphs 1
on behalf of the Commission through 8 of Article 5 ' ( SPS Code, Article 3.3 ).

( IS December 1994 )

1 . No, although the Commission will seek to clarify
WTO principles further in the work already launched on WRITTEN QUESTION E-2455 / 94
trade and the environment . by Alexander Langer ( V )

to the Commission

( 15 November 1994 )

2 . The GATT / WTO texts explicitly support the goal of ( 15
environmental protection together with the pursuit of ( 95 / C 42 / 87
sustainable development . Most importantly the agreement
establishing the WTO provides in its preamble that the
trading system ' should be conducted with a view to raising Subject : Environmental impact
standards of living, ensuring high employment and large and project for the lagoon of
growing volume of real income . . . while allowing for the
optimal use of resources in accordance with the objective of
sustainable development, seeking both to protect and On 24 October 1994 the Mayor
preserve the environment and to enhance the means of doing Cacciari, made a formal request to
so '. letter No 13102 for an

Subject : Environmental impact assessment on the ' MOSE '

project for the lagoon of Venice

3 . The GATT system already gives scope to
non-discriminatory trade measures necessary to protect
people, animals, plants and in general the environment .

The GATT itself allows contracting parties to take measures
which run counter to their normal GATT obligations, if
these measures are necessary to protect human, animal and
plant life and health ( Article XX ( b )) or for the conservation
of natural resources ( XX ( g )). A number of conditions need
to be fulfilled, requiring measures not to be applied in a
manner which would constitute a means of arbitrary or
unjustifiable discrimination between countries where the
same conditions prevail, or a disguised restriction on
international trade .

4 . The WTO agreements on technical barriers to trade

( TBT ) and on sanitary and phytosanitary measures ( SPS )
also recognize the legitimate objective of the protection of
environment and human, plant and animal life and health .
Both the SPS and TBT recommend WTO members to adopt
international standards as far as sanitary and phytosanitary
measures and technical regulations and standards are
concerned . However, WTO members are allowed to deviate
from international standards under a number of conditions,
such as that the measures are not discriminatory, arbitrary,
unjustifiable nor more trade-restrictive than necessary ' to
fulfil the legitimate objective, taking into account the risk
non-fulfilment would create ' ( TBT, Article 2.2 ). Another
condition for implementing a higher level of environmental
protection is that the relevant international standards or
relevant parts would be ' ineffective or inappropriate means
for fulfilment of the legitimate objective pursued, for
instance because of fundamental climatic or geographical
factors or fundamental technological problems ' ( TBT Code,
Article 2.4 ) and if ' there is scientific justification, or as a
consequence of the level of sanitary or phytosanitary
protection a member determines to be appropriate in

On 24 October 1994 the Mayor of Venice, Massimo
Cacciari, made a formal request to the Italian Government

( letter No 13102 ) for an environmental impact assessment
to be conducted in accordance with the procedures laid
down by the European Union prior to implementation of the
' MOSE ' project to control tides in the lagoon of Venice
through the use of large barrages, for adequate resources to
be provided to ensure that it was conducted in accordance
with EU legislation, and for the various scenarios and the
costs and benefits to be properly assessed . On 26 September

1994, the Venice City Council had voted against the
' MOSE ' project ( put forward as a priority measure by the
Consorzio Nuova Venezia, which is advocating extensive
structural works that would turn the lagoon into a highly
artificial area ) and called for a series of measures ( including
closing the lagoon to petrol tankers and reorganizing the
harbour canals ) to protect the lagoon and the city of
Venice .

What steps can the Commission take to ensure that the
environmental impact assessment called for is carried out as
thoroughly as possible, that this unique site is not damaged
by over-ambitious projects and that appropriate
environmental and technical measures are at last taken to

protect it ?

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission

( 12 December 1994 )

The Commission would draw attention to the fact that
under Directive 85 / 337 / EEC ( l ) the developer has to supply
in an appropriate form information relevant to the project
and the main effects on the environment and that the

national authorities have to give an assessment .

This analysis must also take account, among other things, of
the direct and indirect effects that the project may have on
material goods and cultural heritage and of the main
alternatives examined by the developer .

No C 42 / 44 ΓΕΝ Official Journal of the European Communities 20 . 2 . 95

It will therefore be possible as part of this procedure to take
account of all the points raised by the Honourable
Member .

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

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2510 / 94

by Carlos Robles Piquer ( PPE )

to the Commission

( 30 November 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 88 )

Subject : Livestock trails (' Royal drove roads ')

In past times, in an age that was more pastoral than
agricultural and where the economy was dominated by the
primary industries rather than the tertiary sector, the drove
roads reserved for seasonal migration or nomadism had
played an important and undoubtedly useful role in the
stock-farming sector and in the economy of the day . In
Spain, for instance, they were the property of an institution
established in 1273 called the ' Honrado Concejo de la
Mesta de Pastores ' ( Honourable Council of the Association
of Herdsmen ).

Attempts are now being made to re-establish a system of this
kind geared to the needs of the present . In Spain a law on
livestock trails is being drafted and flocks of sheep are once
again being driven through the main roads of Madrid, which
are constantly congested with traffic .

Can the Commission say whether similar developments
have occurred in other Member States and whether a law of

the kind proposed would be compatible with the reform of
the common agricultural policy as part of an environment
friendly, productive and competitive economy geared to
present needs ?

subjects, through which students can learn about classical
society and culture . Article 128 of the Treaty states that
action by the Community should be aimed inter alia at
' improvement of the knowledge ... of the culture and
history of the European peoples '.

I also note that the Commission has a European Bureau for
lesser used languages and that a European Charter for
Regional or Minority Languages was adopted in 1992 .
Latin and Greek were omitted in both cases .

Could the Commission not submit a proposal to the Council
for a Directive on the teaching of Latin and Ancient Greek in
the European Union ? Could the Commission not suggest to
the budgetary authorities, the Council and the European
Parliament that a specific heading be created to encourage
the teaching of Ancient Greek, Latin and classical
literature ?

Answer given by Mr Ruberti
on behalf of the Commission

( 20 December 1994 )

The Commission, while recognising the contribution of
Ancient Greek and Latin to our appreciation of European
civilization, would draw the Honourable Member 's
attention to Article 126 of the EC Treaty, which states that
the Community shall ' contribute to the development of
quality education by encouraging cooperation between
Member States and, if necessary, by supporting and
supplementing their action, while fully respecting the
responsibility of the Member States for the content of
teaching and the organization of education systems and
their cultural and linguistic diversity '.

The content of teaching and the organization of education
systems is a matter for the Member States .

The Commission would also like to inform the Honourable
Member that the European Bureau for lesser used languages

Answer given by Mr Steichen

on behalf of the Commission

of the Commission ( i.e. modern, regional or minority languages spoken within

the Community ) is independent of the Commission .
(9 January 1995 )

The Commission does not have the information

requested .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2514 / 94

by Yvan Blot ( NI )

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2527 / 94

by José Apolinârio ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 30 November 1994 )

to the Commission ( 95 / C 42 / 90

( 30 November 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 89 ) Subject : Impact on the environment of the sinking of the

S. Miguel

Subject : Teaching of Greek and Latin

Ancient Greek and Latin have made an undeniable

contribution to European civilization . However, in several
countries, there is a decline in the teaching of both these

What information does the Commission have concerning
the cargo of the S. Miguel, recently sunk by the Portuguese
authorities in an area 200 miles off the coast of Portugal,
which, according to environmentalist organizations,

20 . 2 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 42 / 45

included material which is highly damaging to the
environment ?

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

certain offences, including the removal of the ears and the
branding of the forehead of army deserters .

on behalf of the Commission
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2616 / 94

( 11 January 1995 ) by Gary Titley ( PSE )

to the Commission

The Commission does not have the information ( 29 November 1994 )
requested . ( 95 / C 42 / 92 )

Subject : Cot deaths

WRITTEN QUESTION E-25 71 / 94

by Christine Oddy ( PSE )

to the Council

(5 December 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 91 )

Subject : Abuse of human rights by Saddam Hussein

What will the Council do to oppose abuse of human rights

by Saddam Hussein in Iraq ?

Answer

1 . Is the Commission aware of a recent television

programme in the UK which suggested that the chemical
used for the fire-proofing of cot mattresses may be
responsible for cot deaths ?

2 . Has the Commission carried out any research into this
matter and, if it has, will it give details ?

3 . What measures has the Commission taken to ensure

the highest possible standards of cot safety across the
EU ?

Answer given by Mr Flynn
on behalf of the Commission

(6 January 1995 )

( 16 January 1995 ) The Commission is aware of claims in a television
programme and in the British press linking cot deaths with
fire-retardant substances in mattresses, or fire-retardant

remains extremely concerned about treatment of mattresses . The Commission has not carried
in Iraq . For years the EU has been out research into this matter and is not therefore in a
rights issues regarding Iraq . position to substantiate or refute the claims made . However
resolution of the third committee of in the context of the programme of research in bio-medicine
of arbitrary Iraq by continues the executions EU denouncing to, violate cruel, inhuman human the fact reducing and ' coordinated health sudden the case-control Commission infant death studies is syndrome financing to determine rates a project in Europe ways entitled ' the of
torture and . The results of which are not yet available .

The European Union remains extremely concerned about
the human rights situation in Iraq . For years the EU has been
involved in human rights issues regarding Iraq .
Consequently the draft resolution of the third committee of
UNGA 49 was co-sponsored by the EU denouncing the fact
that the Government of Iraq continues to violate human
rights by summary and arbitrary executions, cruel, inhuman
and degrading treatment, torture and disappearances . The
European Union is equally concerned about reports on
Government involvement in the murder of a member of the

opposition in Beirut and about attacks on UN guards and
NGOs in Northern Iraq . These latter activities are in clear
contravention of the relevant Security Council
Resolutions .

The European Union calls on the Government of Iraq to
respect human rights and to allow immediate and
unconditional stationing of human rights monitors
throughout the country, especially in the southern marsh
area where the population is a particular target of systematic
persecution . The European Union also urges the
Government of Iraq to end its policy of wide-scale
repression throughout Iraq and its internal embargoes
which add to the repression of which the Kurds and the
Marsh Arabs are already victims . The Union also condemns
recent decrees introducing mutilation as a penalty for

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2702 / 94

by Ralf Walter ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 16 December 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 93 )

Subject : Allocation of EC funds to the ' Landkreis '
Bernkastel-Wittlich, Rhineland-Palatinate

Can the Commission supply the following information for
the ' Landkreis ' Bernkastel-Wittlich, Rhineland-Palatinate,
for the periods beginning July 1979 and July 1989 ?

No C 42 / 46 I EN Official Journal of the European Communities 20 . 2 . 95

1 . The amount of funding received from the EU Structural

Funds, with a breakdown by individual fund or
Community measure .

2 . The number of jobs created or preserved with the aid of

this funding .

3 . The amount of EU research funding allocated to the

region .

4 . The amount of EU funding allocated to the region for
the development of human resources under EU training

programmes .

5 . The amount of EU funding allocated to the region for
pilot projects under other budget headings, such as the
integration of migrant workers and environmental and
energy projects .

5 . The amount of EU funding allocated to the region for

pilot projects under other budget headings, such as the
integration of migrant workers and environmental and
energy projects .

Answer given by Mr Delors
on behalf of the Commission

( 11 January 1995 )

The Commission is collecting the information it needs to
answer the question . It will communicate its findings as
soon as possible .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2704 / 94

by Ralf Walter ( PSE )
Answer given by Mr Delors
on behalf of the Commission to the Commission

( 11 January 1995 ) ( 16 December 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 95 )

The Commission is collecting the information it needs to
answer the question . It will communicate its findings as
soon as possible .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2703 / 94

by Ralf Walter ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 16 December 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 94 )

Subject : Allocation of EC funds to the ' Landkreis '
Rhein-Hunsriick-Kreis, Rhineland-Palatinate

Can the Commission supply the following information for
the ' Landkreis ' Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis, Rhineland ­

Palatinate, for the periods beginning July 1979 and July

1989 ?

1 . The amount of funding received from the EU Structural

Funds, with a breakdown by individual fund or
Community measure .

2 . The number of jobs created or preserved with the aid of

this funding .

3 . The amount of EU research funding allocated to the

region .

4 . The amount of EU funding allocated to the region for

the development of human resources under EU training

programmes .

Subject : Allocation of EC funds to the ' Landkreis '
Cochem-Zell, Rhineland-Palatinate

Can the Commission supply the following information for
the ' Landkreis ' Cochem-Zell, Rhineland-Palatinate, for the
periods beginning July 1979 and July 1989 ?

1 . The amount of funding received from the EU Structural

Funds, with a breakdown by individual fund or
Community measure .

2 . The number of jobs created or preserved with the aid of

this funding .

3 . The amount of EU research funding allocated to the
region .

4 . The amount of EU funding allocated to the region for
the development of human resources under EU training

programmes .

5 . The amount of EU funding allocated to the region for

pilot projects under other budget headings, such as the
integration of migrant workers and environmental and
energy projects .

Answer given by Mr Delors
on behalf of the Commission

( 11 January 1995 )

The Commission is collecting the information it needs to
answer the question . It will communicate its findings as
soon as possible .

20 . 2 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 42 / 47

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2705 / 94

by Ralf Walter ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 16 December 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 96 )

Subject : Allocation of EC funds to the ' Landkreis '
Westerwald-Kreis, Rhineland-Palatinate

Can the Commission supply the following information for
the ' Landkreis ' Westerwald-Kreis, Rhineland-Palatinate,

for the periods beginning July 1979 and July 1989 ?

1 . The amount of funding received from the EU Structural
Funds, with a breakdown by individual fund or
Community measure .

2 . The number of jobs created or preserved with the aid of
this funding .

3 . The amount of EU research funding allocated to the
region .

4 . The amount of EU funding allocated to the region for
the development of human resources under EU training

programmes .

5 . The amount of EU funding allocated to the region for
pilot projects under other budget headings, such as the
integration of migrant workers and environmental and
energy projects .

1 . The amount of funding received from the EU Structural

Funds, with a breakdown by individual fund or
Community measure .

2 . The number of jobs created or preserved with the aid of

this funding .

3 . The amount of EU research funding allocated to the

region .

4 . The amount of EU funding allocated to the region for
the development of human resources under EU training

programmes .

5 . The amount of EU funding allocated to the region for
pilot projects under other budget headings, such as the
integration of migrant workers and environmental and
energy projects .

Answer given by Mr Delors
on behalf of the Commission

( 11 January 1995 )

The Commission is collecting the information it needs to
answer the question . It will communicate its findings as
soon as possible .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2707 / 94

Answer given by Mr Delors
on behalf of the Commission by Ralf Walter ( PSE )

to the Commission
( 11 January 1995 )

( 16 December 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 98 )
The Commission is collecting the information it needs to
answer the question . It will communicate its findings as
soon as possible . Subject : Allocation of EC funds to the ' Landkreis '

Rhein-Lahn Kreis, Rhineland-Palatinate

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2706 / 94

by Ralf Walter ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 16 December 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 97

Subject : Allocation of EC funds to the ' Landkreis ' Koblenz,

Rhineland-Palatinate

Can the Commission supply the following information for
the ' Landkreis ' Rhein-Lahn Kreis, Rhineland-Palatinate, for
the periods beginning July 1979 and July 1989 ?

1 . The amount of funding received from the EU Structural
Funds, with a breakdown by individual fund or
Community measure .

2 . The number of jobs created or preserved with the aid of

this funding .

3 . The amount of EU research funding allocated to the

region .

Can the Commission supply the following information for 4 . The amount of EU funding allocated to the region for
the ' Landkreis ' Koblenz, Rhineland-Palatinate, for the the development of human resources under EU training
periods beginning July 1979 and July 1989 ? programmes .

No C 42 / 48 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 20 . 2 . 95

5 . The amount of EU funding allocated to the region for
pilot projects under other budget headings, such as the
integration of migrant workers and environmental and
energy projects .

Answer given by Mr Delors
on behalf of the Commission

( 11 January 1995 )

The Commission is collecting the information it needs to
answer the question . It will communicate its findings as
soon as possible .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2708 / 94

by Ralf Walter ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 16 December 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 99 )

Subject : Allocation of EC funds to the ' Landkreis '
Neuwied, Rhineland-Palatinate

Can the Commission supply the following information for
the ' Landkreis ' Neuwied, Rhineland-Palatinate, for the
periods beginning July 1979 and July 1989 ?

1 . The amount of funding received from the EU Structural

Funds, with a breakdown by individual fund or
Community measure .

2 . The number of jobs created or preserved with the aid of
this funding .

3 . The amount of EU research funding allocated to the

region .

4 . The amount of EU funding allocated to the region for

the development of human resources under EU training

programmes .

5 . The amount of EU funding allocated to the region for

pilot projects under other budget headings, such as the
integration of migrant workers and environmental and
energy projects .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2709 / 94

by Ralf Walter ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 16 December 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 100 )

Subject : Allocation of EC funds to the ' Landkreis '
Mayen-Koblenz, Rhineland-Palatinate

Can the Commission supply the following information for
the ' Landkreis ' Mayen-Koblenz, Rhineland-Palatinate, for
the periods beginning July 1979 and July 1989 ?

1 . The amount of funding received from the EU Structural
Funds, with a breakdown by individual fund or
Community measure .

2 . The number of jobs created or preserved with the aid of

this funding .

3 . The amount of EU research funding allocated to the
region .

4 . The amount of EU funding allocated to the region for
the development of human resources under EU training

programmes .

5 . The amount of EU funding allocated to the region for
pilot projects under other budget headings, such as the
integration of migrant workers and environmental and
energy projects .

Answer given by Mr Delors
on behalf of the Commission

( 11 January 1995 )

The Commission is collecting the information it needs to
answer the question . It will communicate its findings as
soon as possible .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2710 / 94

by Ralf Walter ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 16 December 1994 )
Answer given by Mr Delors
on behalf of the Commission ( 95 / C 42 / 101

( 11 January 1995 )

The Commission is collecting the information it needs to
answer the question . It will communicate its findings as

soon as possible .

Subject : Allocation of EC funds to the ' Landkreis '
Birkenfeld, Rhineland-Palatinate

Can the Commission supply the following information for
the ' Landkreis ' Birkenfeld, Rhineland-Palatinate, for the
periods beginning July 1979 and July 1989 ?

20 . 2 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 42 / 49

1 . The amount of funding received from the EU Structural

Funds, with a breakdown by individual fund or
Community measure .

2 . The number of jobs created or preserved with the aid of

this funding .

3 . The amount of EU research funding allocated to the

region .

4 . The amount of EU funding allocated to the region for

the development of human resources under EU training

programmes .

5 . The amount of EU funding allocated to the region for

pilot projects under other budget headings, such as the
integration of migrant workers and environmental and
energy projects .

5 . The amount of EU funding allocated to the region for

pilot projects under other budget headings, such as the
integration of migrant workers and environmental and
energy projects .

Answer given by Mr Delors
on behalf of the Commission

( 11 January 1995 )

The Commission is collecting the information it needs to
answer the question . It will communicate its findings as
soon as possible .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2712 / 94

by Ralf Walter ( PSE )
Answer given by Mr Delors to the Commission
on behalf of the Commission

( 16 December 1994 )
( 11 January 1995 )

( 95 / C 42 / 103 )

The Commission is collecting the information it needs to
answer the question . It will communicate its findings as
soon as possible .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2711 / 94

by Ralf Walter ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 16 December 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 102 )

Subject : Allocation of EC funds to the ' Landkreis ' Bad

Kreuznach, Rhineland-Palatinate

Can the Commission supply the following information for
the ' Landkreis ' Bad Kreuznach, Rhineland-Palatinate, for
the periods beginning July 1979 and July 1989 ?

1 . The amount of funding received from the EU Structural

Funds, with a breakdown by individual fund or
Community measure .

2 . The number of jobs created or preserved with the aid of

this funding .

3 . The amount of EU research funding allocated to the

region .

4 . The amount of EU funding allocated to the region for
the development of human resources under EU training

programmes .

Subject : Allocation of EC funds to the ' Landkreis '
Altenkirchen, Rhineland-Palatinate

Can the Commission supply the following information for
the ' Landkreis ' Altenkirchen, Rhineland-Palatinate, for the
periods beginning July 1979 and July 1989 ?

1 . The amount of funding received from the EU Structural
Funds, with a breakdown by individual fund or
Community measure .

2 . The number of jobs created or preserved with the aid of

this funding .

3 . The amount of EU research funding allocated to the
region .

4 . The amount of EU funding allocated to the region for

the development of human resources under EU training

programmes .

5 . The amount of EU funding allocated to the region for
pilot projects under other budget headings, such as the
integration of migrant workers and environmental and
energy projects .

Answer given by Mr Delors
on behalf of the Commission

( 11 January 1995 )

The Commission is collecting the information it needs to
answer the question . It will communicate its findings as
soon as possible .

No C 42 / 50 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 20 . 2 . 95

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2713 / 94

by Ralf Walter ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 16 December 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 104 )

Subject : Allocation of EC funds to the ' Landkreis '
Ahrweiler, Rhineland-Palatinate

Can the Commission supply the following information for
the ' Landkreis ' Ahrweiler, Rhineland-Palatinate, for the
periods beginning July 1979 and July 1989 ?

1 . The amount of funding received from the EU Structural
Funds, with a breakdown by individual fund or
Community measure .

2 . The number of jobs created or preserved with the aid of
this funding .

3 . The amount of EU research funding allocated to the
region .

4 . The amount of EU funding allocated to the region for
the development of human resources under EU training

programmes .

5 . The amount of EU funding allocated to the region for

pilot projects under other budget headings, such as the
integration of migrant workers and environmental and
energy projects .

1 . The amount of funding received from the EU Structural
Funds, with a breakdown by individual fund or
Community measure .

2 . The number of jobs created or preserved with the aid of
this funding .

3 . The amount of EU research funding allocated to the

region .

4 . The amount of EU funding allocated to the region for

the development of human resources under EU training

programmes .

5 . The amount of EU funding allocated to the region for

pilot projects under other budget headings, such as the
integration of migrant workers and environmental and
energy projects .

Answer given by Mr Delors
on behalf of the Commission

( 11 January 1995 )

The Commission is collecting the information it needs to
answer the question . It will communicate its findings as
soon as possible .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2715 / 94

by Ralf Walter ( PSE )

to the Commission

Answer given by Mr Delors
on behalf of the Commission

( 16 December 1994 )
( 11 January 1995 ) ( 95 / C 42 / 106 )

The Commission is collecting the information it needs to
answer the question . It will communicate its findings as
soon as possible .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2714 / 94

by Ralf Walter ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 16 December 1994 )

95 / C 42 / 105 )

Subject : Allocation of EC funds to the ' Landkreis '
T rier-Saar burg, Rhineland-Palatinate

Can the Commission supply the following information for
the ' Landkreis ' Trier-Saarburg, Rhineland-Palatinate, for
the periods beginning July 1979 and July 1989 ?

Subject : Allocation of EC funds to the ' Landkreis ' Daun,

Rhineland-Palatinate

Can the Commission supply the following information for
the ' Landkreis ' Daun, Rhineland-Palatinate, for the periods
beginning July 1979 and July 1989 ?

1 . The amount of funding received from the EU Structural

Funds, with a breakdown by individual fund or
Community measure .

2 . The number of jobs created or preserved with the aid of

this funding .

3 . The amount of EU research funding allocated to the
region .

4 . The amount of EU funding allocated to the region for

the development of human resources under EU training

programmes .

5 . The amount of EU funding allocated to the region for

pilot projects under other budget headings, such as the

20 . 2 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 42 / 51

integration of migrant workers and environmental and WRITTEN QUESTION E-2759 / 94
energy projects . by Anne André-Léonard ( ELDR )

to the Council

Answer given by Mr Delors
on behalf of the Commission

( 11 January 1995 )

The Commission is collecting the information it needs to
answer the question . It will communicate its findings as
soon as possible .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2716 / 94

by Ralf Walter ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 16 December 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 107 )

Subject : Allocation of EC funds to the ' Landkreis '
Bitburg-Priim, Rhineland-Palatinate

Can the Commission supply the following information for
the ' Landkreis ' Bitburg-Priim, Rhineland-Palatinate, for the
periods beginning July 1979 and July 1989 ?

1 . The amount of funding received from the EU Structural
Funds, with a breakdown by individual fund or
Community measure .

2 . The number of jobs created or preserved with the aid of
this funding .

3 . The amount of EU research funding allocated to the
region .

4 . The amount of EU funding allocated to the region for
the development of human resources under EU training

programmes .

5 . The amount of EU funding allocated to the region for

pilot projects under other budget headings, such as the
integration of migrant workers and environmental and
energy projects .

Answer given by Mr Delors
on behalf of the Commission

( 11 January 1995 )

The Commission is collecting the information it needs to
answer the question . It will communicate its findings as
soon as possible .

( 23 December 1994 )

( 95 / C 42 / 108 )

Subject : Recognition of Kurdish identity in a multi-cultural

Europe

In the context of the campaign for ' Recognition of the
Kurds ', launched by the Confederation of Kurdish
associations in Europe, will the Council give its support and
backing to this campaign ?

Recognition of their identity would guarantee the Kurdish
people social, legal and cultural rights . One million Kurds
live in Europe with minority status .

The Turkish State 's reaction to this issue has been violent,
and the Kurdish and Turkish peoples are involved in a real
tragedy .

All these elements constitute an argument in favour of
recognition, which would be a first step towards resolving
the conflict .

It would benefit the Turks and the Kurds, and also the
European peoples .

Answer

( 16 January 1995 )

The Council recalls that it has expressed repeatedly the
European Union 's pre-occupation about the strict respect of
human rights, the observance of the rule of law and
democratic principles in Turkey and has underlined on
numerous occasions the necessity to find a solution to the
Kurdish question through a political dialogue while
condemning strongly terrorism of any origin as a means to
solve this question .

The European Union supports the territorial integrity of
Turkey and welcomes the constitutional reforms proposed
by the Turkish Government .

The Council is not contemplating any participation in the
campaign referred to by the Honourable Member .