Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

ISSN 037 8-6986

#### C88
# Official Journal

Volume 38
### of the European Communities 10 April 1995

#### C88

Volume 38

###### Information and Notices

English edition

Notice No Contents p age

I Information

European Parliament

Written Questions with answer

95 / C 88 / 01 E - 1704 / 94 by Antoni Gutiérrez Diaz to the Commission
Subject : Treatment of solid urban waste on Majorca 1

95 / C 88 / 02 E-1761 / 94 by Winifred Ewing to the Commission
Subject : Administrative costs of development aid from EU ( Supplementary answer ) 2

95 / C 88 / 03 E-2000 / 94 by Carmen Díez de Rivera Icaza to the Commission
Subject : LIFE and tourism 2

95 / C 88 / 04 E-2142 / 94 by Leo Tindemans to the Commission
Subject : Provision of services 2

95 / C 88 / 05 E-2148 / 94 by Antoinette Spaak to the Commission
Subject : Action taken on the resolution of Parliament on the promotion of bee-keeping in the
Community 3

95 / C 88 / 06 E-2156 / 94 by Stephen Hughes to the Commission
Subject : Risks to public health from electricity distribution 4

95 / C 88 / 07 E-21 80 / 94 by Giulio Fantuzzi to the Commission
Subject : Administration of quotas for processed tomato products 4

95 / C 88 / 08 E-21 87 / 94 by Jose Apolinário to the Commission
Subject : Eligibility for Interreg II 5

95 / C 88 / 09 E-2188 / 94 by Jose Apolinário to the Commission
Subject : Non-inclusion of certain municipalities as areas eligible for Interreg II 5

Joint answer to Written Questions E-2187 / 94 and E-2188 / 94 5

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E-2255 / 94 by David Bowe to the Commission
Subject : Labelling of dangerous goods in transit

E-2267 / 94 by Luciana Castellina to the Commission
Subject : Audiovisual programmes for the ACP / ALA countries

E-2271 / 94 by Anita Pollack to the Commission
Subject : Advertising

E-2292 / 94 by Panayotis Lambrias to the Commission
Subject : Absence of data regarding Greece in tables drawn up by the Statistical Office

E-2298 / 94 by Blaise Aldo to the Commission
Subject : Negative effects of duty-free imports of products from ACP countries on French overseas
departments and territories

E-2327 / 94 by Carmen Díez de Rivera Icaza to the Commission
Subject : Fifth report on the social, economic and development situation of the regions of the
European Union ( Competitiveness and cohesion : trends in the regions )

E-23 32 / 94 by Sergio Ribeiro to the Commission
Subject : Monitoring compliance with legislation on the free movement of Member State nationals
within the Community

E-2333 / 94 by Sergio Ribeiro to the Commission
Subject : Issuing of residence permits

E-2344 / 94 by Jean-Pierre Raffarin to the Council
Subject : Amount allocated in the budget to the Socrates and Leonardo Programmes

E-2358 / 94 by Christine Oddy to the Commission

Subject : Somport tunnel, Aspe valley, France

E-2379 / 94 by Josu Imaz San Miguel to the Commission
Subject : Promotion of wine consumption

E-23 80 / 94 by Salvador Garriga Polledo to the Council
Subject : Requests of the European Parliament concerning the Council ( economic and finance
ministers )

E-23 8 1 / 94 by Salvador Garriga Polledo to the Council
Subject : Democratic controls and the process of economic and monetary union

E-23 90 / 94 by Gerardo Bianco, Giovanni Burtone, Antonio Graziani, Danilo Poggiolini,
Carlo Secchi, Giampaolo D'Andrea, Maria Colombo Svevo, Livio Filippi and Pierluigi
Castagnetti to the Commission
Subject : Independence of national central banks and the EC Treaty

E-23 92 / 94 by Alexandros Alavanos to the Commission
Subject : Progress of re-afforestation in Greece ( Supplementary answer )

E-2396 / 94 by Jaak Vandemeulebroucke to the Commission
Subject : Dioxin deposits in the North Sea

E-2422 / 94 by Jean-Yves Le Gallou to the Commission
Subject : Utilization of appropriations under Article B2-514

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95 / C 88 / 27 E-2423 / 94 by Jean-Yves Le Gallou to the Commission
Subject : STOA studies 14

95 / C 88 / 28

95 / C 88 / 29

95 / C 88 / 30

E-2425 / 94 by Jean-Yves Le Gallou to the Commission
Subject : List of congresses, meetings and activities funded from Item A 3050 15

E-2431 / 94 by Yves Verwaerde to the Council
Subject : Tomlinson report on the management of Parliament 's building projects in Brussels . . 15

E-2442 / 94 by Angela Sierra Gonzalez to the Commission
Subject : Support for dam construction 15

95 / C 88 / 31 E-2444 / 94 by Angela Sierra Gonzalez to the Commission
Subject : Irrigation projects 16

95 / C 88 / 32 E-2445 / 94 by Angela Sierra Gonzalez to the Commission

Subject : Funds for irrigation 16

95 / C 88 / 33

E-2456 / 94 by Nuala Ahern to the Commission
Subject : Nuclear re-processing plant Thorp ( Sellafield, UK ) and Environmental Impact Assessment
( EIA ) directive 17

95 / C 88 / 34 E-2475 / 94 by Cristiana Muscardini to the Commission

Subject : Villanova d'Albenga and Luni-Sarzana airports 17

95 / C 88 / 35

95 / C 88 / 36

95 / C 88 / 37

95 / C 88 / 38

E-2476 / 94 by Cristiana Muscardini to the Commission
Subject : Right of the armed forces to form associations 17

E-2485 / 94 by Jean-Pierre Raffarin to the Commission
Subject : Growing marginalization of certain areas in Europe 18

E-2486 / 94 by Jean-Pierre Raffarin to the Commission
Subject : Adjustment programmes for the successive enlargements of the Union 18

E-2491 / 94 by Jean-Pierre Raffarin to the Commission

Subject : Common audio-visual policy in Europe 19

95 / C 88 / 39 E-2496 / 94 by Christine Crawley to the Commission
Subject : Size of bananas 19

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E-2504 / 94 by Gijs de Vries and Jan Mulder to the Commission
Subject : Distortion of competition in connection with veterinary checks 20

E-25 06 / 94 by Marianne Thyssen to the Commission
Subject : EP 's powers with regard to the implementation of the GATT provisions on the rice
sector 20

E-25 15 / 94 by Marie-France Stirbois to the Council
Subject : Sacem ( French performing rights society ) 20

E-2521 / 94 by Michl Ebner to the Commission
Subject : Harmonization of taxation on heating oil 21

E-2528 / 94 by Jose Apolinário to the Commission
Subject : Financial transfers to Portugal under the Community Support Framework 1989 — 1993

( CSF I ) in 1994 21

( Continued overleaf )

Notice No Contents ( continued ) Page

95 / C 88 / 45 E-58 / 95 by Jose Apolinário to the Commission
Subject : Financial transfers to Portugal under the First Community Support Framework during
1994 21

Joint answer to Written Questions E-2528 / 94 and E-58 / 95 21

95 / C 88 / 46 E-2531 / 94 by Jose Apolinário to the Commission
Subject : Interreg 2 — partnership principle 22

95 / C 88 / 47 E-2536 / 94 by Godelieve Quisthoudt-Rowohl and Doris Pack to the Commission
Subject : Measures to ensure unified and effective legal protection of industrial property rights
within the EC 22

95 / C 88 / 48 E-2554 / 94 by Mihail Papayannakis to the Commission
Subject : Dumping of toxic waste in the village of Kouroupitos in Crete 23

95 / C 88 / 49 E-2562 / 94 by Carlos Robles Piquer to the Commission
Subject : Promotion of business participation in European Union humanitarian projects 23

95 / C 88 / 50 E-25 66 / 94 by Christine Oddy to the Commission
Subject : UK blacks and Asians and qualifications 24

95 / C 88 / 51 E-2573 / 94 by Christine Oddy to the Council
Subject : Child soldiers 25

95 / C 88 / 52 E-2585 / 94 by Carlos Pimenta to the Commission
Subject : GATT / WTO agreements 25

95 / C 88 / 53 E-25 89 / 94 by Gerardo Fernandez - Albor to the Commission
Subject : Abolition of shanty towns in the European Union 26

95 / C 88 / 54 E-2592 / 94 by Sergio Ribeiro to the Commission
Subject : Construction of a shipyard in Wismar, Germany 26

95 / C 88 / 55 E-2600 / 94 by Alexandros Alavanos to the Commission
Subject : Bankruptcy of the German travel company ' Mit uns reisen GmbH ' 27

95 / C 88 / 56 E-2611 / 94 by Amedeo Amadeo to the Commission
Subject : Civil defence . . 28

95 / C 88 / 57 E-2612 / 94 by Amedeo Amadeo to the Commission
Subject : Wine market 28

95 / C 88 / 58 E-26 14 / 94 by Amedeo Amadeo to the Commission
Subject : Companies responsible for pollution 29

95 / C 88 / 59 E-2625 / 94 by Johanna Maij-Weggen and Peter Pex to the Commission
Subject : Use of official languages at Europol in The Hague 29

95 / C 88 / 60 E-2643 / 94 by Jean-Pierre Raffarin to the Commission
Subject : European Union aid for the countries of eastern Europe 30

95 / C 88 / 61 E-2650 / 94 by Hiltrud Breyer to the Commission
Subject : Garching research reactor 30

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Notice No Contents ( continued ) p age

95 / C 88 / 62 E-2651 / 94 by Alexandros Alavanos to the Commission
Subject : Payment of tobacco premiums directly to growers 31

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E-2652 / 94 by Armelle Guinebertière to the Commission
Subject : Concern expressed by Community ( in particular French ) truffle producers regarding the
conditions under which truffles are imported from the countries of eastern Europe 31

E-2655 / 94 by Glyn Ford to the Council
Subject : Eurobail 32

E-2659 / 94 by Salvador Garriga Polledo to the Commission
Subject : Narrow EMS currency exchange rate bands 32

E-2660 / 94 by Salvador Garriga Polledo to the Commission
Subject : EMS rules as an obligatory criterion of compliance and convergence 32

Joint answer to Written Questions E-2659 / 94 and E-2660 / 94 32

E-2662 / 94 by Jose Apolinário to the Commission
Subject : Mértola-Castro Marim road link - 33

E-2666 / 94 by Pierre Bernard-Reymond to the Commission
Subject : Implementation of the Directive of 30 November 1989 concerning the minimum safety
and health requirements for the workplace 33

E-2675 / 94 by Marie-France Stirbois to the Commission
Subject : Situation of the beef and veal market in Europe 34

E-2678 / 94 by Giovanni Burtone to the Commission
Subject : Funding in Italy for projects covered by the FIFG ( Financial Instrument for Fisheries
Guidance ) 35

E-26 82 / 94 by Hiltrud Breyer to the Commission
Subject : Trans-plantation of foetal tissue : 35

E-26 8 3 / 94 by Hiltrud Breyer to the Commission
Subject : Network of European CNS Trans-plantation and Restoration 36

E-2719 / 94 by Christine Crawley to the Commission
Subject : Student loss of benefits on Euroform-funded course 36

E-2727 / 94 by Anne Andre-Leonard, Wilmya Zimmermann and Maartje van Putten to
the Commission

Subject : Follow-up to the UN International Conference on Population and Development ( ICPD,
5-13 September 1994 in Cairo ) 37

E-2733 / 94 by Kirsten Jensen to the Commission
Subject : Infant formulae 38

E-2752 / 94 by Fernand Herman to the Commission
Subject : Combining the office of Commissioner with an elective office 38

E-2756 / 94 by Lyndon Harrison to the Commission
Subject : Biennial review of excise within the European Union 39

( Continued overleaf )

Notice No Contents ( continued ) Page

95 / C 88 / 78 E-2763 / 94 by Joaquin Sisó Cruellas to the Commission
Subject : Age-related discrimination in employment 39

95 / C 88 / 79 E-2768 / 94 by Carmen Díez de Rivera Icaza to the Commission
Subject : UN framework convention on climate change 39

95 / C 88 / 80 E-2770 / 94 by Carmen Díez de Rivera Icaza to the Commission
Subject : The Espoo Convention 40

95 / C 88 / 81

95 / C 88 / 82

95 / C 88 / 83

E-2776 / 94 by James Moorhouse to the Commission
Subject : Pan-Am Integrated Rural Development Project 40

E-2777 / 94 . by James Moorhouse to the Commission
Subject : Pan-Am Integrated Rural Development Project 40

E-2778 / 94 by James Moorhouse to the Commission
Subject : Pan-Am Integrated Rural Development Project 40

95 / C 88 / 84 E-2780 / 94 by Jose Apolinário to the Commission
Subject : Euro Info Centres and the business sector 41

95 / C 88 / 85 E-2788 / 94 by Karl-Heinz Florenz to the Commission
Subject : Plant protection product exports 41

95 / C 88 / 86

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E-2791 / 94 by Alexandros Alavanos to the Commission
Subject : Community tyre re-cycling initiative 42

E-2822 / 94 by Giuseppe Rauti to the Commission
Subject : Measures against child prostitution 42

E-2833 / 94 by Raymonde Dury to the Commission
Subject : Discrimination in recruitment 43

E-2840 / 94 by Jaak Vandemeulebroucke to the Commission

Subject : ESF accounting system 44

E-2843 / 94 by Jaak Vandemeulebroucke to the Commission
Subject : Projects funded under the LEDA Programme 44

E-2854 / 94 by Glyn Ford to the Commission
Subject : Sale of tortoise shell in Rangoon 45

E-2876 / 94 by Bernd Lange to the Commission
Subject : Forthcoming essential EU legislation against air pollution by emissions from motor
vehicles — stage to be reached by the year 2000 45

E-2889 / 94 by Maria Colombo Svevo to the Commission
Subject : Fourth action programme on equal opportunities for women and men 46

E-9 / 95 by Clive Needle to the Commission

Subject : Child prostitution 46

95 / C 88 / 95 E-12 / 95 by Terence Wynn to the Commission
Subject : Tobacco 46

95 / C 88 / 96 E-30 / 95 by Erika Mann to the Commission

Subject : Anti-dumping proceeding concerning Portland cement originating in Poland, the Czech
Republic and the Slovak Republic 47

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( Continued on inside back cover )

Notice No Contents ( continued ) Page

95 / C 88 / 97 E-44 / 95 by Marie-Paule Kestelijn-Sierens to the Commission
Subject : Cosmetics based on alpha-hydroxy acid 48

95 / C 88 / 98 E-53 / 95 by Jose Apolinario to the Commission
Subject : Cohesion Fund — projects in Portugal 49

95 / C 88 / 99 E-60 / 95 by Karl-Heinz Florenz to the Commission
Subject : ' Stage from the year 2000 ' — the future European measures to be taken against air
pollution by emissions from motor vehicles 49

95 / C 88 / 100 E-69 / 95 by Roy Perry to the Commission
Subject : First-aid requirements under Fishing Directive 92 / 29 49

95 / C 88 / 101 E-l 01 / 95 by Christoph Konrad to the Commission
Subject : Listing of fields falling within the remit of the Committee on Economic and Monetary
Affairs and Industrial Policy in the Official Journal of the European Communities 50

95 / C 88 / 102 E-292 / 95 by Jose Apolinario to the Commission
Subject : Reports of the Special Agriculture Council — 1994 50

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10 . 4 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 88 / 1

I

( Information )

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

WRITTEN QUESTIONS WITH ANSWER

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1704 / 94 Answer given by Mr
on behalf of the Commission

by Antoni Gutierrez Diaz ( GUE )

to the Commission ( 28 October 1994 )

(1 September 1994 )

( 95 / C 88 / 01 )

Subject : Treatment of solid urban waste on Majorca

The Autonomous Community of the Balearic Islands has
approved and authorized the General Plan for the
Management of Solid Urban Waste on the island of
Majorca, which provides for the incineration of all such
waste and the building of an incineration plant in Son
Reus .

According to a number of very credible non-governmental
organizations, this solution to the problem of solid urban
waste on Majorca infringes several aspects of Community
law, in particular Directives 91 / 156 / EEC ( x ) on waste,
85 / 339 / EEC ( 2 ) on containers of liquids for human
consumption, 91 / 157 / EEC ( 3 ) on batteries and
accumulators containing certain dangerous substances and
85 / 337 / EEC ( 4 ) on the assessment of the effects of certain
public and private projects on the environment .

What information does the Commission have about the

General Plan for the Management of Solid Urban Waste on
the island of Majorca ? How will it ensure that this plan and
the Son Reus incinerator comply with Community law on
waste and the environment ?

(!) OJ No L 78, 26 . 3 . 1991, p . 32 .

( 2 ) OJ No L 176, 6 . 7 . 1985, p . 18 .

( 3 ) OJ No L 78, 26 . 3 . 1991, p . 38 .

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

With respect to the Honourable Member 's first question,
the waste management plan on the island of Majorca, which
is part of the general waste management plan on the Balearic
Islands, has already been examined by the Commission .

In view of the results of the environmental impact
assessment carried out on each island, the waste
management plan on the Balearic Islands intends to use an
incineration plant ( in Son Reus ) on the island of Majorca
which will convert solid urban waste into energy ( this plant
will account for approximately 7% of total electricity
consumption ). Other solutions ( filling, composting ) have
been proposed for two other large islands .

Moreover, the waste management plan on Majorca states
explicitly that current legislation on the environment

( whether Community, national or local ) will be applied as is

necessary .

Article 3.1 of Council Directive 91 / 156 / EEC of 18 March

1991 on waste provides for the Member States to take
appropriate measures to encourage the prevention or the
reduction of waste production and its harmfulness and to
make for its upgrading through recycling or use as a source
of energy . This Article does not favour any of the different
possibilities of waste management to be employed by the
Member States . The Member States are still responsible for
determining their own waste management strategy . The fact
that the waste management plan on the island of Majorca
has provided for all waste to be incinerated means that it
cannot be considered as an infringement of the provisions of
the abovementioned Directive .

No C 88 / 2 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 10 . 4 . 95

Under Article 3 of Council Directive 85 / 339 / EEC of 27 June

1985 on containers of liquids for human consumption, the
Member States have to establish programmes to reduce the
tonnage and volume of such containers . Spain was criticized
by the Court of Justice for failing to communicate these
programmes ( C - 192 / 90, Decree of 10 December 1991 ).

Spain has not yet served notice of national measures
implementing Council Directive 91 / 157 / EEC of 18 March

1991 on batteries and accumulators containing dangerous
substances and the aforementioned Directive 91 / 156 / EEC .

The Commission has initiated the necessary infringement
proceedings .

As regards any possible infringement of provisions of
Council Directive 85 / 337 / EEC of 27 June 1985 on the
assessment of the effects of certain public and private
projects on the environment, the information the
Commission has is that the incinerator project, the
construction of which is provided for in the waste
management plan, was subject to an environmental impact
assessment . Therefore, no infringement of the provisions of
the Directive has occurred .

The Commission 's administrative expenditure on
development aid in 1993 stood at ECU 160 million, 4,8 % of
total expenditure on development aid .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2000 / 94

by Carmen Diez de Rivera Icaza ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 19 September 1994 )

( 95 / C 88 / 03 )

Subject : LIFE and tourism

Can the Commission say how many tourism-linked projects
have been approved within the LIFE Programme, and what
their salient features are ?

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission

( 19 January 1994 )

In 1993 the Commission granted financial aid to the
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1761 / 94 following five tourism-linked projects under the financial

by Winifred Ewing ( ARE ) instrument for the environment ( LIFE ):

to the Commission

(1 September 1994 )

— environmental protection and the development of

tourism in the Haute Vallée de la Loue ( France ),

( 95 / C 88 / 02 )
— ecological management of the coastal tourist area in

Emilia-Romagna ( Italy ),

Subject : Administrative costs of development aid from

EU

Has the Commission ever calculated the percentage of its
development aid budget which is spent on administrative
costs ? Will it please provide information on these costs in
relation to overall budget allocations for development
aid ?

Answer given by Mr Marin
on behalf of the Commission

— management programme for national parks in
Ireland,

— pilot plan for the sustainable development of the

drainage basin of Lake Plastira ( Greece ),

— combined measures to protect and develop the natural

and cultural development of the Zagori region
( Greece ).

( 16 November 1994 ) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2 142 / 94

by Leo Tindemans ( PPE )

to the Commission

The Community had ECU 3 180 million for operational
expenditure on development aid in 1993, of which ECU

1 808 million from the general budget and ECU 1 372
million from the European Development Fund . This sum
does not include expenditure on cooperation with the
central and eastern European Countries and the
independent States of the former Soviet Union ( Title B7-6 of
the Budget ) nor that for ' External aspects of certain
Community policies ' ( Title B7-8 ).

( 13 October 1994 )

( 95 / C 88 / 04 )

Subject : Provision of services

Before Council Directive 89 / 646 / EEC ( x ) of 15 December

1989 ( Second Council Directive on the coordination of

10 . 4 . 95 L §N Official Journal of the European Communities No C 88 / 3

laws, regulations and administrative provisions relating to WRITTEN QUESTION E-2148
the taking up and pursuit of the business of credit by Antoinette Spaak ( ELDR )
institutions ) came into force, was the requirement that a to the Commission
Belgian credit institution must be authorized in France in
order to provide such services consistent with the provisions ( 13 October 1994 )
of the Treaty of Rome on the freedom to provide ( 95 / C 88 / 05 )
services ?

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2148 / 94

to the Commission

( 13 October 1994 )

( 95 / C 88 / 05 )

( x ) OJ No L 386, 30 . 12 . 1989, p . 1 .

Answer given by Mr Vanni d'Archirafi

on behalf of the Commission

( 20 December 1994 )

Before Council Directive 89 / 646 / EEC of 15 December 1989

( Second Banking Coordination Directive ) came into force,
the Commission did not rule out the possibility of a Member
State requiring a credit institution which was already
authorized in its home country of origin and wished to
supply banking services on its territory by way of freedom to
provide services to seek a second authorization .

However, the Commission considers that :

— authorization should be granted upon request to any

institution which was established in another Member

State and met the conditions laid down in the legislation
of the Member State in which it wished to do

business ;

— these conditions should not duplicate the equivalent

statutory conditions already met in the Member State in
which the institution was established, and the
supervisory authorities in the host Member State should
take account of controls and checks already carried out
in the home Member State ;

— the authorization requirement could be retained only if it

was justified in the public interest, e.g. where there was a
need to protect consumers although there might be cases
in which no such protection was necessary .

In order to assess whether the required authorization was
consistent with Community law, it would therefore be
necessary to examine the nature of the banking services
offered by way of freedom to provide services and the need
for protection of the recipient of such services . For example,
the granting of credit does not normally carry the same level
of risk for the consumer as the collection of deposits .
Similarly, a distinction must be made between provision of
services to other credit establishments or institutions and the

provision of services to private individuals . However, on the
basis of the information supplied by the Honourable
Member, it is not possible to express an opinion on a
particular case .

Subject : Action taken on the resolution of Parliament

on the promotion of bee-keeping in the
Community

In its resolution, adopted in the conclusions of the report by
Mr Mertens ( A2-0091 / 85 ) ( a ) on the promotion of
bee-keeping in the Community, Parliament, in particular,
called on the Commission to recommend even greater
support than hitherto for measures relating to research in
the following aeras :

— bee diseases and preventive measures, in particular to

combat the main cause of disease at the present time, the
varroa mite ;

— the eradication of disease and interception of the killer

bee ;

— the effect of chemicals used to combat bee diseases ( the

residue problem );

— the effect of pesticides on the development and health of

bee colonies ;

— the importance of the honey-bee for the maintenance of

wild plant life and hence for ecological balance ;

— the importance of the honey-bee for crop pollination ;

— the effects of individual ingredients of honey on human

health .

Can the Commission state what action it has taken on

Parliament 's call for these measures to be introduced ?

(!) OJ No C 343, 31 . 12 . 1985, p . 121 .

Answer given by Mr Steichen .
on behalf of the Commission

(8 December 1994 )

Bee-keepers ' organizations received aid for combating
varroasis in 1986, 1987 and 1989 . This financial assistance
paid for awareness-raising and information campaigns
dealing among other things with the prevention of residues
in honey, surveys to determine the extent of infection and
training, advisory and information programmes for
bee-keepers .

Under the 1984 — 1989 agricultural research programme
eight research projects were selected concerning varroasis
control and bee diseases, with Community funding of ECU
365 000 .

No C 88 / 4 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 10 . 4 . 95

The Commission funded two technical seminars on

varroasis in the United Kingdom and Belgium, in 1992 and

1993 .

Under the current agricultural and agro-industrial research
programme the Commission has received a project
concerning the selection of breeding of varroasis-resistant
bees, which could do away with the need for chemical
treatments and hence eliminate residues .

The Commission is aware of the importance of bee-keeping
in safeguarding the ecological balance in country areas, and
of the role of pollination in crop production . It funded a
seminar on pollination held in Brussels in 1992 .

It has recently forwarded a discussion paper on European
apiculture (*) to the Council and Parliament and put
forward proposals for improving the sector .

(M COM(94 ) 256 final .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2156 / 94

Although exposure to such fields in excess of the limits laid
down in the proposed Council Directive on the minimum
health and safety requirements regarding the exposure of
workers to the risks arising from physical agents (*) cannot
be excluded, the possibility of that occurring from overhead
power lines, electricity substations and other components in
the electricity transmission and distribution network is
extremely remote . For example, a person standing directly
and continuously under a high-voltage line at the minimum
distance possible for distribution networks in the
Community ( typically 7 meters ) will be subjected to
exposures several orders of magnitude below the limits
referred to above, and two to three orders of magnitude
below the even lower limits ( 2 ) suggested by the
international non-ionizing radiation commission for
members of the public .

(!) OJ No C 230, 19 . 8 . 1994 .

( 2 ) ' Health Physics ' 58 ( 1990 ), I, pp . 113-122 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2 180 / 94

by Giulio Fantuzzi ( PSE )

by Stephen Hughes ( PSE )

to the Commission
to the Commission

( 18 October 1994 )

( 21 October 1994 )

( 95 / C 88 / 07 )
( 95 / C 88 / 06

Subject : Risks to public health from electricity
distribution

Will the Commission provide comparative figures to show
how likely it would be for members of the public to
approach or exceed the limits on exposure to fields and
waves laid down in the Directive on Protection of Workers

from exposure to physical agents, as a result of exposure to
overhead power lines, electricity substations and other
components in the distribution network ?

Answer given by Mr Flynn
on behalf of the Commission

(6 February 1995 )

Depending on the conditions of exposure, particularly in
relation to time and location, and the size, shape and
position of an exposed person, electric and magnetic fields
at the frequency range involved in electricity transmission
and distribution might produce variable and non-uniformly
distributed currents inside the body whose effects may range
from mild irritant or faint flickering sensations to
respiratory tetanus and fibrillation .

Subject : Administration of quotas for processed tomato

products

Regulation ( EEC ) No 668 / 93 ( 1 ) provides for transfers of
the quotas granted to processing undertakings for
concentrated, peeled and other products according to
certain fixed percentages, but the provisions discriminate
heavily against undertakings which do not process peeled

tomatoes .

This mechanism could easily be replaced without
prejudicing in any way the aim of respecting the production
quotas as a whole, and could also encourage greater
competitiveness between tomato processing undertakings .

Can the Commission say whether it intends to :

1 . remedy this illogical situation by proposing that the
three different kinds of tomato processing be replaced
by a single processing sector ;

2 . provide for the abolition of the mechanism for transfer
between the various types of product in the quotas
allocated to firms, at least in the short term ;

10 . 4 . 95 I EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 88 / 5

3 . reconsider the whole question of quotas for processed

tomatoes in the context of the recent proposal for
reform of the fruit and vegetable COM ?

(!) OJ No L 72, 25 . 3 . 1993, p . 1 .

eligible for Interreg II and state the technical reasons for
this ?

Joint answer to Written Questions

E-2187 / 94 and E-2188 / 94

Answer given by Mr Steichen on behalf of given by the Mr Commission Millan

on behalf of the Commission

( 21 November 1994 )
( 10 January 1995 )

Regulation ( EEC ) No 668 / 93 provides for three uses for
fresh tomatoes sent for processing . This categorization and
the quotas assigned to each use reflect the situation on the
Community market . However, were market trends to
indicate that there were underlying changes in this
breakdown of uses, the Commission could adapt the quotas
accordingly .

Eliminating the system of transfers between products would
make the quota system even more rigid and therefore '
constitute an additional hindrance to the processing
industries ' adjustment to market trends .

In its communication to the Council and Parliament 0, the
Commission emphasized the drawbacks of market
management through the use of production or processing

quotas .

(M COM(94 ) 360 final .

All areas on internal Community borders de-lineated at
administrative level III of the Nomenclature of Territorial
Statistical Units ( NUTS III ) are eligible for cross-border
cooperation programmes financed under the Interreg II
Community Initiative .

In Portugal NUTS III level means ' Grupos de Concelhos '.

The municipality of Braga is located in the Cavado NUTS III
area which has a border with Spain and so is eligible under
this Initiative .

The municipalities of Gouveia and Fafe are located in the
NUTS III areas of Serra da Estrela and Ave respectively
which are not situated on a border and so are not eligible
under Interreg II .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2255 / 94

WRITTEN QUESTION E-21 87 / 94 by David Bowe ( PSE )

by José Apolinârio ( PSE ) to the Commission

to the Commission (9 November 1994 )

( 21 October 1994 ) ( 95 / C 88 / 10 )

( 95 / C 88 / 08 )

Subject : Labelling of dangerous goods in transit

Subject : Eligibility for Interreg II

Can the Commission explain the technical reasons why the
municipality of Gouveia, in the Guarda district ( Portugal )
was not included as one of the areas eligible for the Interreg
II Community Programme ?

What progress has been made on labelling of dangerous
goods in transit ? Is the Commission now considering a
parallel system of using both the existing Hazchem and
Kemler systems ?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2188 / 94 on behalf of the Commission

by José Apolinârio ( PSE ) (9 February 1995 )
to the Commission

( 21 October 1994 )

The Commission is aware of the importance of the Hazchem
( 95 / C 88 / 09 )
emergency action code as used in the United Kingdom for
the placarding of vehicles and rail wagons carrying

of certain as areas dangerous goods .

Subject : Non-inclusion of certain municipalities as areas

eligible for Interreg II

Can the Commission confirm that the Fafe and Braga
( Portugal ) municipalities have not been included as areas

Despite considerable discussions at international level under
the auspices of the UN European agreements concerning the
international carriage of dangerous goods by road ( ADR )

No C 88 / 6 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 10 . 4 . 95

and the international carriage of dangerous goods by rail

( RID ), the United Kingdom has not until now received the
necessary support of the other contracting States to the ADR
and RID to secure agreement on a composite placard
incorporating UK Hazchem code and RID / ADR Kemler
code .

The Commission acknowledges the undoubted benefits
offered to the UK fire services by their Hazchem system .
When drawing up its draft proposal for a Directive on the
transport of dangerous goods by road, recently adopted by
the Council, the Commission proposed a derogation for the
United Kingdom allowing the Hazchem emergency action
code to be mentioned ( Articles 6, 8 of Directive 94 / 55 / EC ).
A comparable derogation has been drafted for rail

transport .

However at international level discussions are continuing
and in these discussions the representatives of fire brigades
now play a more active role . It is still the intention to develop
on the basis of these discussions a common code which will

then incorporate the best elements of the Hazchem system
into the international ADR and RID regulations and which
would consequently become part of Community legislation
on the transport of dangerous goods .

applicable to administrative activities of this type . The
purpose of these rules is, of course, to ensure
non-discrimination and equal opportunities for all
participants and to oversee the various phases of the
procedure .

Furthermore, the amount referred to in the question is
inconsistent with the facts . The budgetary impact of the
measure will not be known until tenders have been

evaluated .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2271 / 94

by Anita Pollack ( PSE )

to the Commission

(9 November 1994 )

( 95 / C 88 / 12 )

Subject : Advertising

Which Member States ban advertising during children 's TV
programmes ?

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro

on behalf of the Commission
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2267 / 94

by Luciana Castellina ( GUE )

to the Commission

(9 November 1994 )

( 95 / C 88 / 11 )

Subject : Audiovisual programmes for the ACP / ALA
countries

The Commission has decided to award the contract for the

audio-visual programmes for the ACP / ALA countries to an
operator . ( Tender No 948-141-50628 ).

As this is a major contract worth ECU 5 million, and a
sensitive matter concerning the Union 's image abroad, what
special measures has the Commission taken in awarding this
contract ?

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro

on behalf of the Commission

( 16 January 1995 )

The ' Television without frontiers ' Directive 89 / 552 / EEC ( ),
which Member States were required to transpose into
national legislation by 3 October 1989, contains a section
coordinating the rules on advertising ( Chapter IV ).

Article 11, for example, states that children 's programmes
whose programmed duration is less than 30 minutes may
not be interrupted by advertisements . In addition to this
restriction and the other rules laid down in the Directive,
Article 3 allows Member States to impose stricter or more
detailed rules on broadcasters under their jurisdiction, in the
areas covered by the Directive .

However, the freedom which the Directive grants to the
Member States in respect of broadcasting organizations
under their jurisdiction is without prejudice to compliance
with the rules of the Treaty and, more specifically, Article 59
EEC . Thus any measures must be proportionate to the
objective of general interest being pursued .

As far as the Commission is aware, only the Flemish
Community in Belgium and Greece impose a general ban on
advertising during or immediately before and after
children 's programmes .

( 12 January 1995 )

The invitation to tender for the production of audio-visual 0 ) OJ No L 298, 17 . 10 . 1989 .
programmes for non-member countries has been organized
in compliance with the Directives on public procurement

10 . 4 . 95 | EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 88 / 7

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2292 / 94

by Panayotis Lambrias ( PPE )

to the Commission

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2298 / 94

by Blaise Aldo ( RDE )

to the Commission

( 15 November 1994 ) ( 15 November 1994 )

( 95 / C 88 / 13 ) ( 95 / C 88 / 14 )

Subject : Negative effects of duty-free imports of products

Subject : Absence of data regarding Greece in tables drawn

up by the Statistical Office

The tables drawn up by the Statistical Office often contain a
blank where Greece is concerned and a note is added saying
simply that no information is available .

from ACP countries on French overseas

departments and territories

Does the Commission envisage taking steps to ensure that
products originating in ACP countries, which are currently
imported duty-free into French overseas departments and
territories, no longer undermine the production of local
goods, especially in the Antilles ?

European regions overseas cannot compete favourably,

This occurred recently in the table published on the teaching under these conditions, with products originating in ACP
of foreign languages and also in the comparative table on countries, where production costs are markedly lower
employment trends in the various countries of the European owing to socio-economic factors which go against our own
Union . The latter subject is very topical and urgent and is of basic social requirements . This is therefore totally unfair
particular concern to the European Parliament . If a country competition .
such as Greece is not contained in an analytical table
published by Eurostat, it is impossible to draw objective
comparisons and to assess the effectiveness of measures
taken to combat unemployment .
Answer given by Mr Delors
on behalf of the Commission

Will the Commission say what measures it is taking to (6 January 1995 )
ensure that this repeated failure to provide information does
not continue and whether every effort is made on each
occasion to ensure that the comparative tables that are The Community has taken account of the Honourable
published are as complete as possible ? Member's considerations :

— The Community already took account of the situation of

Answer given by Mr Christophersen

on behalf of the Commission

( 10 January 1995 )

Where it is stated in Eurostat publications that statistics for
Greece are not available, this always means not that these
statistics have been omitted but that it has been impossible
to obtain the corresponding information from the Member
State .

With a view to improving the availability of Greek statistics,
a plan financed by the Community Structural Funds was
implemented over the period 1989 — 1 993, and a new plan is
now being prepared along the same lines .

the French overseas departments in the first Lome
Convention of 1975 . While the various Lome

Conventions gave preferential access to products
imported from the ACP States into the Community,
application of these preferential arrangements was
expressly ruled out in the overseas departments for
certain products such as rum, sugar and bananas which
are particularly sensitive for these regions .

— Some provisions of the Fourth Lome Convention

supplement the arrangements governing access to the
overseas departments for products originating in the
ACP States :

— Articles 177 and 178 of the Fourth Lome

Convention allow a safeguard clause to be applied if
a sector of the economy of a Community region ( in
this case the overseas departments ) faces
difficulty .

— Annex XXXIV states that ' the Community shall

have the right during the life of the Convention to
amend, in the light of the economic development
requirements of the French overseas departments,
the arrangements governing access to the latter 's
markets for products originating in the ACP States
referred to in Article 168(2 )'.

No C 88 / 8 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 10 . 4 . 95

However, to obtain the cheapest prices possible for
consumers and processors in the overseas departments, the
French authorities themselves successfully asked for certain
agricultural products originating in the ACP States to be
allowed to enter the overseas departments free of customs
duties or agricultural levies under the specific supply
arrangements provided for by Poseidom despite the fact that
these products would be dutiable if imported into the rest of
the Community .

Finally, Annex XXXII of the Fourth Lome Convention calls
on the overseas departments and neighbouring ACP States
to promote their cooperation, in particular in trade matters .
Similarly, Title IV of Poseidom highlights and encourages
regional cooperation measures for better integration of the
overseas departments in their geographical areas

( Caribbean and Indian ocean ). The Commission welcomes
the recent progress in this field between the overseas
departments and the countries of the Organization of
Eastern Caribbean States .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2327 / 94

by Carmen Diez de Rivera Icaza ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 15 November 1994 )

( 95 / C 88 / 15

Subject : Fifth report on the social, economic and
development situation of the regions of the
European Union ( Competitiveness and cohesion :
trends in the regions )

1 . Could the Commission say why the figures for per
capita income relating to two regions of the European Union

( Madeira and the Azores ) do not appear in the statistics
tables annexed to the fifth report on the situation of the
regions of the European Union ( Competitiveness and
cohesion : trends in the regions )?

2 . Could the Commission provide such information ( per
capita GNP ) anyway ?

Answer given by Mr Millan
on behalf of the Commission

(7 December 1994 )

The data for regional gross domestic product per head of
population are provided by the Statistical Office based on
data from the national statistical institutes . The national

statistical institute of Portugal has not provided information
for the Azores and Madeira .

The Commission is not therefore in a position to provide the
data requested . The Portuguese authorities have, however,
begun to include the Azores and Madeira in the estimates of
national GDP in the figures for 1991 onwards . They have
not yet indicated when the regional data for these areas will
be made available to the Statistical Office .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2332 / 94

by Sérgio Ribeiro ( GUE )

to the Commission

( 15 November 1994 )

(9 SIC 88 / 16 )

Subject : Monitoring compliance with legislation on the free

movement of Member State nationals within the

Community

Despite current legislation on the freedom of movement,
citizens of one Member State wishing to reside or work in
another Community Member State still face discrimination
and they still have to contend with bogus contracts, low
wages, long working hours and poor working and living
conditions and have no right to social security ; moreover aid
for associations which seek to organize and support such
citizens is being drastically reduced or even abolished .

Given that these citizens are not yet represented in the
Immigrants Forum, I would ask the Commission what
measures it intends to take to back up the efforts that are
being made to remove existing barriers to the genuine free
movement of citizens of the Member States as part of the
integration of the Single Market ?

Answer given by Mr Flynn
on behalf of the Commission

(6 February 1995 )

To the extent that the first part of the Honourable Member 's
question concerns the matters raised by his Written
Question No 2184 / 94, he is invited to refer to the
Commission 's answer to that question (*).

Community migrants organizations are eligible for associate
membership of the European Union migrants forum . For
example, the Irish organizations in the United Kingdom
have taken up this opportunity and their representative is on
the forum management board .

H OJ No C 36, 13 . 2 . 1995 .

10 . 4 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 88 / 9

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2333 / 94

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2344 / 94

Sérgio Ribeiro ( GUE ) by Jean-Pierre Raffarin ( PPE )

to the Commission to the Council

by Sérgio Ribeiro ( GUE )

to the Council

( 15 November 1994 )

( 16 November 1994 )

( 95 / C 88 / 17 ( 95 / C 88 / 18

Subject : Issuing of residence permits Subject : Amount allocated in the budget to the Socrates and

Leonardo Programmes

The Dutch Government has recently introduced new fees of
FL 50 and 500 respectively for issuing residence and / or
establishment permits . Such fees are applicable to citizens of
the Member States and third countries alike .

Article 7(1 ) of Directive 73 / 148 / EEC (*) provides that
residence permits issued to nationals of a Member State shall
be issued and renewed free of charge or for a fee not in excess
of the fees and charges applicable to nationals of that
Member State for the issue of identity cards . Will the
Commission say if it is aware of this decision by the Dutch
Government and whether or not this violates the provisions
of the Directive in question ?

0 ) OJ No L 172, 28 . 6 . 1973, p . 14 .

At its meeting of 21 June 1994 in Luxembourg the Council
of Education Ministers decided to cut by ECU 240 million
the amount allocated in the budget to the new student
mobility programmes ( Socrates and Leonardo ) under the
Commission 's original proposal .

It also rejected a plan to set up a Council affording the
various partners in Education, including students, the
opportunity to play a part in the creation of a genuine
European dimension for education .

What were the reasons for these decisions ?

Answer

Answer given by Mr Vanni d'Archirafi (1 March 1995 )

on behalf of the Commission

( 11 January 1995 )

The Commission is aware of the new rules in the

Netherlands relating to the fees for issuing residence permits
to nationals of Member States and to members of their

family .

It would recall that fees for residence permits
( Verblijfskaart ) may not exceed the fees charged for identity
documents issued to Dutch nationals . If they were higher,
this would be contrary not only to Article 7(1 ) of Directive
73 / 148 / EEC but also to the corresponding provisions of the
other relevant Directives relating to residence for
Community nationals ( Directive 68 / 360 / EEC of 15 October
1968 concerning workers ( x ), Directives 90 / 364 / EEC and
90 / 365 / EEC of 28 June 1990 concerning persons who have
ceased their occupational activity ( 2 ), and Directive
93 / 96 / EEC of 29 October 1993 concerning students ( 3 )).

The Commission will contact the Dutch authorities once

again with a view to obtaining all useful information in this
connection . Where necessary, it will initiate the proceedings
provided for in Article 169 of the EC Treaty .

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

As stated in the Council 's reasons regarding the Socrates
Programme which accompany the common position
adopted by the Council on 18 July 1994 with a view to
adopting the European Parliament and Council Decision
establishing the Community action programme
' Socrates ' ( a ), the figure of ECU 760 million estimated as
necessary ' strikes an acceptable balance between the wish to
support a programme unanimously backed by the Council
and the need to reflect the requirements of a tight budget '. It
should, however, be pointed out that some delegations
abstained ( 2 ) from the vote on the common position on the
Socrates programme, which is currently the subject of a
conciliation procedure in the course of which this question
will be raised .

The funds estimated as necessary for the Leonardo
Programme ( ECU 620 million ), which were approved on
6 December 1994, are justified in similar terms .

A Council affording the various partners in education the
opportunity to play a part in the framing of programmes
was not included since they have many opportunities in the
Community context to make known their views on the
European dimension of education .

( 2 ) OJ No L 180, 13 . 7 . 1990 . (M OJ No C 244, 31 . 8 . 1994, p. 51 .

( 3 ) OJ No L 317, 18 . 12 . 1993 . ( 2 ) Press release of 18 . 7 . 1994 .

No C 88 / 10 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 10 . 4 . 95

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2358 / 94

by Christine Oddy ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 15 November 1994 )

( 95 / C 88 / 19 )

indicated in the above proposal for the multi-modal
transport network, the trans-European road network in its
current configuration is approximately 58 000 km long, of
which 43 000 km already exist and 15 000 km are to be
built by 2004 ( these refer mainly to re-alignment or
substitution of existing, parallel, congested low-quality
roads ).

Subject : Somport tunnel, Aspe valley, France (!) OJ No L 175, 5 . 7 . 1985 .
( 2 ) OJ No L 103, 25 . 4 . 1979 .

( 3 ) OJ No L 206, 22 . 7 . 1992 .

Is the Commission aware that the building of the Somport ( 4 ) COM(94 ) 106 .
tunnel in the Aspe valley, France, would have a detrimental
effect on the National Park of the Western Pyrenees ?

If this scheme is approved as part of a 120 000 km
Europe-wide motorway network, how will the increase in
CO2 emissions be justified under the Convention on Climate
Change agreed at the Unced Conference ? WRITTEN QUESTION E-2379 / 94

by Josu Imaz San Miguel ( PPE )

to the Commission

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard ( 22 November 1994 )

on behalf of the Commission ( 95 / C 88 / 20 )

(7 February 1995 )

Subject : Promotion of wine consumption

The impact assessment of the planned Somport tunnel and
its slip road, as carried out in 1993 pursuant to Directive

85 / 337 / EEC on the assessment of the effects of certain
public and private projects on the environment (*), states
that the tunnel is situated in the centre of the Pyrenees
National Park .

Given the ecological importance of the site, the Commission
has asked for further information from the French

authorities as to whether, in carrying out this project,
Directive 79 / 409 / EEC on wild bird conservation ( 2 ) and
Directive 92 / 43 / EEC on the conservation of natural habitats
and of wild fauna and flora ( 3 ) have been duly taken into

account .

The impact of increasing CO2 emissions on the greenhouse
effect is of a global nature and cannot be usefully assessed at
the level of a single road project .

The Commission has however announced that the
multimodal trans-European transport network ( 4 ) will be
the subject of strategic environmental assessment and that
this assessment together with socio-economic assessment
will be part of the basis for revising the network . In view of
the importance of the transport sector 's share and in
particular road transport 's share in total greenhouse gas
emissions and the forecast growth in emissions from
transport, this issue will be an important feature of this

assessment .

It should be noted however that the figure of 120 000 km
which is quoted in the question concerning the
trans-European road network is not correct . As it is

The objective of restoring equilibrium in the wine sector
should be based on a suitable consumption promotion
policy, to the same extent as, if not more so than, on the
reduction of excess production . Possibilities for market
expansion exist both in the central and northern Member
States and in third countries . Medical experts have, in
addition, expressed the view that moderate consumption of
wine is beneficial to health . A controlled expansion in wine
consumption could form a significant counterweight to the
social and environmental problems likely to arise from a
reform based on production outbacks alone .

In view of the above, has the Commission considered
strengthening the existing means of promoting wine
consumption, via the creation of a genuine policy for trade
and public relations based on quality and on the medical
opinions concerning the beneficial effects of moderate wine
consumption ?

Answer given by Mr Steichen

on behalf of the Commission

(9 January 1995 )

The Commission 's proposal for reform of the common
organization of the market in wine (*) provides for the
current provisions concerning measures to expand the
market in table wine to be replaced by new provisions,
under Title IV, ' Promotion of products of quality ', with a

10 . 4 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 88 / 11

view to achieving a fully-fledged promotion policy while
taking full account of public health requirements and the
relevant aspects of social policy . This quality promotion
strategy is intended to cover both the Community market
and third countries and will be implemented in a reasonable
manner with regard to health considerations .

The proposal is currently being studied by the Council .

In addition, the Commission has presented a
communication and a proposal for a European Parliament
and Council Decision based on Article 118a of the EC

Treaty adopting a programme of Community action on
health promotion, information, education and training
within the framework for action in the field of public
health ( 2 ), which provides for health information and
education measures concerning the prevention of alcohol
abuse and measures to train health professionals in the early
detection of alcoholism .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2381 / 94

by Salvador Garriga Polledo ( PPE )

to the Council

( 17 November 1994 )

( 95 / C 88 / 22

Subject : Democratic controls and the process of economic

and monetary union

Does the Council not consider it essential to strengthen
democratic controls in respect of the process of economic
and monetary union, so a to enable the European
Parliament and the national parliaments to reach informed
opinions concerning the convergence programmes before
they are referred back to the Council ?

Answer

(!) COM(94 ) 117 . (1 March 1995 )

( 2 ) COM(94 ) 202 .

The drawing up and submission of convergence
programmes are the exclusive responsibility of the Member
States . It is therefore for each State to take the initiatives it

deems appropriate in this field .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-23 80 / 94

by Salvador Garriga Polledo ( PPE )

to the Council
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2390 / 94

( 17 November 1994 )

( 95 / C 88 / 21 )

Subject : Requests of the European Parliament concerning

the Council ( economic and finance ministers )

Can the Council explain why it has ignored the requests
of Parliament to the effect that the opinions and
recommendations of the Council of economic and finance

ministers concerning the convergence programmes of the
Member States should be made public ?

Answer

(1 March 1995 )

Whenever a convergence programme has been examined,
the Council has reached conclusions which are published in
the press release for the meeting concerned .

by Gerardo Bianco ( PPE ), Giovanni Burtone ( PPE ), Antonio
Graziani ( PPE ), Danilo Poggiolini ( PPE ), Carlo Secchi ( PPE ),
Giampaolo D'Andrea ( PPE ), Maria Colombo Svevo ( PPE ),

Livio Filippi ( PPE ) and Pierluigi Castagnetti ( PPE )

to the Commission

( 22 November 1994 )

95 / C 88 / 23

Subject : Independence of national central banks and the EC

Treaty

Is the Commission aware of the fact that the Italian

Government interfered in the appointment of the General
Manager and senior executives of the Bank of Italy ?

Does the Commission not consider that such interference is

incompatible with the letter and spirit of the Treaty on
European Union, which stipulates that, during the second
stage for achieving economic and monetary union, each
Member State shall start the process leading to the
independence of its central bank ?

How does the Commission intend to guarantee compliance
with the rules on national central bank independence with a
view to moving on to the following stages in the process of
economic and monetary union ?

No C 88 / 12 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 10 . 4 . 95

Answer given by Mr Christophersen

on behalf of the Commission

( 12 January 1995 )

It is not for the Commission to comment on rumours

concerning alleged interference on the part of a Member
State government .

This rule must be strictly observed, particularly in
connection with the independence of central banks, a
principle which, as the Honourable Members point out, is
enshrined in Article 109e of the EC Treaty as regards the
beginning of the third stage . It is with a view to the transition
to the third stage that the Commission and the European
Monetary Institute are required under Article 109j to
present to the Council a report that includes an examination
of whether each Member State 's national legislation is
compatible inter alia with the provisions of the Treaty
governing the independence of national central banks .

re-afforestation projects not implemented and which
regions were affected ?

Supplementary answer given by Mr Fischler

on behalf of the Commission

(8 March 1995 )

Further to its answer of 13 January 1995 ( ), the
Commission is sending the information requested direct to
the Honourable Member and to Parliament 's Secretariat .

(!) OJ No C 42, 20 . 2 . 1995, p . 41 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2396 / 94

by Jaak Vandemeulebroucke ( ARE )

to the Commission

( 23 November 1994 )

( 95 / C 88 / 25

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2392 / 94

by Alexandros Alavanos ( GUE )

to the Commission

( 22 November 1994 )

( 95 / C 88 / 24

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

Subject : Dioxin deposits in the North Sea

For public health reasons it has been decided to take steps to
achieve a drastic reduction in dioxin deposits in the North
Sea . As part of this endeavour, Belgium has evidently
undertaken to achieve a reduction of over 70% .

Can the Commission confirm that, far from diminishing,
dioxin deposits are now in fact increasing ? Will the
Commission take measures to remedy this, and if so, what
measures ?

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission

(6 January 1995 )

Belgium has, together with the other North Sea States, given
a national, political commitment to achieve reductions of
the order of 70 %, or more, of total deposits of dioxins to the
North Sea, provided that the use of best available
technology or other low waste technologies enables such a
reduction . This commitment was given in 1990 in the
ministerial declaration of the third international conference

on the protection of the North Sea .

The North Sea States will be giving information on the
implementation of the above declaration at the next
conference which will be held in June 1995 . The
information requested concerning deposits of dioxins is not
yet available .

The Commission will consider whether further Community
action is necessary to reduce deposits to the North Sea when
sufficient information is available on the present deposits

10 . 4 . 95 LEN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 88 / 13

from the North Sea States and their effects on the North

Sea .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2422 / 94

by Jean-Yves Le Gallou ( NI )

to the Commission

( 30 November 1994 )

( 95 / C 88 / 26 )

Subject : Utilization of appropriations under Article
B2-514

Can the Commission provide a list of operations and
seminars financed under Article B2-514 and associations

and organizations receiving such appropriations for training
and information activities in respect of payments for 1993
and 1994 ?

Answer given by Mr Steichen

on behalf of the Commission

( 13 January 1995 )

Article B2 514 allows the financing of training and
information measures of European interest concerning
agriculture . Initially, these measures were restricted
exclusively to the European Council of Young Farmers

( CEJA ) and the European Training and Promotion Centre
for Farming and Rural Life ( Cepfar ).

Since 1990, budget item B-514 has been allocated greater
resources with a view to financing, in addition to the
activities of the CEJA and the Cepfar, specific measures
undertaking by other organizations, either under
agreements concluded with the Commission or on a
piecemeal basis .

In 1993 and 1994 agreements were concluded with :

— the CEJA for its programme of seminars to European

young farmers ' organizations and for a young farmers '
exchange programme ;

— the Cepfar for its seminar programme and for a specific

measure for the new Nordic Member States ;

The CEJA and the Cepfar also receive a subsidy to cover
the interpreting costs arising from their various
activities ;

— the Committee of Professional Farming Organizations

for a programme of information visits for agricultural
organizations, schools and training centres and
agricultural decision-makers and for a computerized

network for the dissemination of statistical information,
regulations, decisions and other agricultural
information ;

— the international agricultural and rural christian youth

movement, for a seminar programme . However, this
measure was not renewed in 1994 ;

— the European association for farming and rural training

for a seminar programme and a contribution to
interpreting costs ;

— the European Federation of Agricultural Workers '

Union for seminars, meetings and training and
information measures aimed at those in key positions in
European agricultural workers ' organizations .

In addition, within the framework of a programme of
information visits to Brussels for agricultural organizations,
the Commission contributed to the travel and hotel

expenses of specialized regional or sectoral groups with a
view to bringing them into contact with the departments
and officials responsible for agriculture . In both 1993 and

1994, some 100 groups were welcomed, totalling more than
3 000 individual participants .

The beneficiaries for more narrowly targeted measures of
this kind are selected on the basis of requests, and in
collaboration with the main representative professional
organizations, so that the measure can be as thorough as
possible .

Lastly, about one third of the appropriation is used to meet
specific requests from agricultural organizations for
seminars, symposia, European days on specialized or
general themes, selected by the Commission according to the
guidelines set out in the budget remarks . The following
organizations received financing for seminars in 1993 and

1994 ( situation at 30 November 1994 ):

1993

— Prosema ( Spain )
— European Civic Forum
— LOK ( Denmark ), seminar and information visit

— Chrétiens dans le monde rural ( Christians in rural
society )
— Agricultural cooperatives of Epirus-Corfu
— GGLF ( Germany, farm workers )
— Salizal ( Spain, quality foodstuffs fair )
— Fadear ( France )

— COPA, women s committee

— Ampeva, European wine-growing inspectors
— FUJA ( young farmers in Wallonia )
— Gesase ( Greek farmers )
— Wervel ( Flanders — Belgium )

— Maisons familiales rurales

— Paseges ( Greek agricultural cooperatives )

No C 88 / 14 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 10 . 4 . 95

— ICOS ( Irish agricultural cooperatives ) — Centre agricole stratégies ( Centre for Agricultural
— Bund der Deutschen Landjugend ( for the new German Strategies )

Länder ) — Agrar Bündnis ( Agricultural League )
— Club de Bruxelles — Fédération nationale des groupements de défense
— Ephémères ( Agricultural groups in the Oise district ) sanitaire du bétail ( Natural animal health protection

— Europel ( Specialist in milk production at European federation )
level ) — Bund der Deutschen Landjugend ( German Young

— Ehne ( Spanish Basque Country ) Farmers ' League )
— — ICA (
Cogeca ( European agricultural cooperatives )
— Cevilar ( European wine-growers ) — INRA / Medef (

—

— CNA ( Portugal ) Cogeca

— — ICA ( Intercommunity Faculty Agraria )
Cogeca ( European agricultural cooperatives )
— Cevilar ( European wine-growers ) — INRA / Medef ( Mediterranean areas )

—

— CNA ( Portugal ) Cogeca

— Plataforma Rural ( Catalonia ) — CAP Portugal

— Coldiretti Turin — Rural Initiative ( Spain )

— Coldiretti Turin —
— COAG ( Spain ) — Agricultural cooperatives of Epirus-Corfu
— ICA ( Intercommunity Faculty Agraria ) — Coordination paysanne européenne
— ACRE ( Spain ) — Sydase ( Greece )

— ICA ( Intercommunity Faculty Agraria ) — Coordination paysanne européenne
— ACRE ( Spain ) — Sydase ( Greece )

— Forum ländlicher Raum ( Rural Forum ) — Coldiretti ( Italy )
— Ktinotrofiki — Mondial du vin
— Organic farming in Greece — Forum ländlicher Raum

— Lambrakis press ( dissemination of publication in

— Reifea ( European inter - university network of

Greece ) agricultural teachers )

— CAP ( Portugal ) — Ehne ( Spanish Basque Country )
— Agra Europe ( France ) — FO / FGTA ( France )

Greece )

— Comité central propriété forestière ( Belgium ) — FGA-CFDT ( France )

— F.Ö.M. ( Allemagne ) — Setaa ( Portugal ), two grants : one for an information visit

— Coordination paysanne européenne ( Belgium ) and one for the organization of a seminar

— F.L.A.A.I. ( Italy )

1994 — F.I.S.B.A. ( Italy )

— Setaafoc ( Portugal ) — S.I.D. ( Denmark )
— LOK ( Denmark )
— Vlaams Agrarish centrum ( Flemish Agrarian Centre ) In addition, in
— Agri-Maubeuge ( France ) appropriations under

1994

— Rural Forum Scotland

— European farming confederation
— Arbeitsgemeinschaft bäuerlicher Landwirtschaft ( Small

farmers ' group )
— Club de Bruxelles

— Macra na feirme ( young farmers, Ireland )
— Cumann foghlaeireachta ( Ireland )
— Salon de l'agriculture de montagne ( upland farming
fair )

In addition, in both 1993 and 1994 part of the
appropriations under this item ( ECU 100 000 ) was used to
help finance interpreting costs of seminars and meetings,
alongside or instead of direct grants, on a piecemeal
basis .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2423 / 94

— Paseges ( Greece ) by Jean-Yves Le Gallou ( NI )

to the Commission

— ICOS ( Ireland )
— Teagasc ( Ireland ) ( 30 November 1994 )
— Irish Farmers ' Association ( 95 / C 88 / 27

to the Commission

( 30 November 1994 )

( 95 / C 88 / 27

— CNA ( Portugal )
— Comité central de la propriété forestière ( Central

Committee for Forestry )
— Confédération paysanne ( Women's Farming

Subject : STOA studies

Confederation ) Has the Commission already had studies carried out by

— — COPA Club Demeter, Women 's committee trafficking STOA on the in impact the EEC of as immigration a whole ? on the growth of drug

— Deutsche Landwirtschaft Gesellschaft ( German

Confederation )

— COPA, Women 's committee

Agricultural Association ) If so, what studies ?

— Gesase

— Jardins familiaux européens If not, will the Commission initiate such studies without
— European Public Service Councils delay ?

10 . 4 . 95 I EN | Official Journal of the European Communities No C 88 / 15

Answer given by Mr Flynn WRITTEN QUESTION E-2431 / 94
on behalf of the Commission by Yves Verwaerde ( PPE )
( 16 January 1995 ) to the Counci i

( 31 January 1995 )

( 95 / C 88 / 29 )
The Commission does not take part in the work of the
STOA ( Scientific and Technological Options Assessment ),
which is an internal parliamentary working party . It does,
however, occasionally lend technical assistance when Subject : Tomlinson report on the management of .
requested to do so . Parliament 's building projects in Brussels

The Commission is not, therefore, in possession of any
information concerning the studies referred to by the
Honourable Member since there have been no contacts with

STOA in the fields in question .

Will the Council give its views on the revelations contained
in the Tomlinson report on the management of Parliament 's
building projects in Brussels ?

Answer

(1 March 1995 )

QUESTION E-2425 / 94 The report to which the Honourable Member refers is

Le Gallou ( NI ) addressed to the Bureau of the European Parliament and is

to the Commission therefore an internal European Parliament document on
which the Council is not obliged to comment .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2425 / 94

by Jean-Yves Le Gallou ( NI )

( 30 November 1994 )

( 95 / C 88 / 28 )

Subject : List of congresses, meetings and activities funded

from Item A 3050

Can the Commission indicate what subsidies were granted
under Item A 3050 for each of the congresses, meetings and
activities receiving such payments in the period 1993 / 94 ?

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2442 / 94

by Angela Sierra González ( GUE )

to the Commission

( 30 November 1994 )

( 95 / C 88 / 30 )

Answer given by Mr Delors Subject : Support for dam construction
on behalf of the Commission

( 13 January 1995 ) If DG VI of the Commission is not prepared to provide
EAGGF-Guidance funds for an irrigation scheme, how does
it ensure that any associated request for ERDF or Cohesion
Fund support for dam construction is reviewed with a view

as a p.m . entry in 1993 . For 1994, to the reduction in size or abandonment of the dam to take
appropriation of ECU 500 000 as a account of reduced water requirements ?

Item A-3050 began as a p.m . entry in 1993 . For 1994,
Parliament entered an appropriation of ECU 500 000 as a
subsidy for the European Jamboree . To date, ECU 400 000
has been paid out . The balance ( ECU 100 000 ) will be
released as soon as the Commission has received an interim

report and a statement of account concerning the use made
of the subsidy .

A subsidy of ECU 5 000 was paid in 1994 to the ULB 's
Institut d'Etudes europeennes from revenue available for
re-utilization to be recovered in 1995 .

Answer given by Mr Millan
on behalf of the Commission

( 16 January 1995 )

It is for the Commission, acting in agreement with the
Member State and in the framework of the multiannual

programming of the whole range of assistance from the

No C 88 / 16 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 10 . 4 . 95

Structural Funds to a particular region or area, to decide
whether to grant assistance from the European Regional
Development Fund ( ERDF ) for the construction of dams .

Applications from the Member States, mostly in the form of
operational programmes, are subjected to prior appraisal
both to establish that they comply with the requirements of
the legislation and Community policies and assess their
impact on the achievement of the objectives sought and to
ensure the coordination of assistance from the various

Funds .

If the total cost of the project exceeds ECU 25 million,
applications from the Member States for assistance from the
ERDF must include an analysis of the costs entailed and of
the socio-economic advantages of the project, including the
likely rate of utilization and the forecast impact of the
project on the development of the region in question .

In accordance with the principle of subsidiarity,
implementation of the project is the responsibility of the
Member State concerned .

irrigation projects . Under the partnership and subsidiarity
system, selecting the most appropriate methods of
assessment in each particular case is a matter for the national
and regional authorities responsible for the definition and
implementation of structural assistance . The results of the
prior appraisal of the medium-term socio-economic benefits
of the set of measures proposed are given in aid applications .
An irrigation project is usually only one component in a
multi-sectoral rural development strategy .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2445 / 94

by Angela Sierra González ( GUE )

to the Commission

( 30 November 1994 )

( 95 / C 88 / 32 )

Subject : Funds for irrigation

to In applications the the case environmental of for the finance Cohesion objectives for Fund dams of, the with this Commission financial particular instrument considers attention . The regions Community of Spain Support recognizes Framework the need for the ' to ensure Objective that 1
Assistance from the Cohesion Fund is granted only if the measures to supply water infrastructure take account of the
project complies with those objectives . guidelines conditions of for the irrigation new CAP projects, which in lay certain down areas substantial ' ( CSF,

Chapter 1, Section 1.4 ). What specific procedures will the
Commission follow to ensure that all new irrigation
receiving EU funds are compatible with the reformed CAP
and will produce economic benefits for the farmers
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2444 / 94 concerned ?

by Angela Sierra González ( GUE )

to the Commission

( 30 November 1994 ) Answer given by Mr Steichen

on behalf of the Commission
( 95 / C 88 / 31

( 12 January 1995 )

Subject : Irrigation projects

It is made quite clear in the Community Support Framework

Has the Commission ever investigated the economic
appraisal methods used by Member States in relation to
irrigation and other water management projects ? What
conclusions did the Commission draw from any such
investigation concerning the ability of the Member States '
appraisal methods to guarantee that Structural Fund
expenditure will secure ' medium-term economic and social
benefits ', as required by Article 14(2 ) of Regulation ( EEC )
No 2082 / 93 (*)?

(!) OJ No L 193, 31 . 7 . 1993, p . 20 .

Answer given by Mr Steichen

on behalf of the Commission

( 17 January 1995 )

The Commission has to date undertaken no particular
investigation of prior appraisal methods in relation to

( CSF ) for the Objective 1 regions of Spain that water
infrastructure should take account of the guidelines of the
new common agricultural policy ( CAP ).

To ensure that this is done, the CSF provides that measures
to improve or extend irrigated areas will be examined in
detail when the application for aid to those regions is
received ( CSF, Chapter 2, Section 2.2.9 ).

The Commission will use this examination to check that

irrigation measures are compatible with the CAP on the
basis of applications for Community assistance . At this
stage, for all forms of assistance ( operational programmes ),
the Spanish Objective 1 regions have justified measures for
the improvement or creation of irrigated areas . The
Commission has checked that they comply with the CAP
and that there are clear benefits for the farmers

concerned .

10 . 4 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 88 / 17

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2456 / 94

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2475 / 94

by Nuala Ahern ( V )

Nuala Ahern ( V ) by Cristiana Muscardini ( NI )

to the Commission to the Commission

to the Commission

( 30 November 1994 )

( 30 November 1994 )

( 95 / C 88 / 33 ) ( 95 / C 88 / 34 )

Subject : Nuclear re-processing plant Thorp ( Sellafield, UK )

and Environmental Impact Assessment ( EIA )
directive

1 . Is a Thermal Oxide Nuclear Re-processing plant,
of a type exemplified by Thorp at Sellafield, UK, a
project subject to Annex 1 to the EIA Directive
85 / 337 / EEC (*)?

2 . Is a Thermal Oxide Nuclear Re-processing plant,
of a type exemplified by Thorp at Sellafield, UK, a
project subject to Annex 11 to the EIA Directive
85 / 337 / EEC ?

3 . If the answer to either 1 or 2 above is yes, will the
Commission please indicate the specific category or
categories which cover this type of project ?

4 . If the answer to either 1 or 2 above is yes, will the
Commission indicate whether BNFL Pic complies with the
EIA Directive for the Thorp facility ?

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

Subject : Villanova d'Albenga and Luni-Sarzana airports

1 . Does the Commission know whether its services are

assessing the project submitted by the Liguria Region to
develop Villanova d'Albenga and Luni-Sarzana airports for
tourism and sports travel ?

2 . If they are, how long will it take them to complete their
assessment and make their comments and additions ?

Answer given by Mr Millan
on behalf of the Commission

( 16 January 1995 )

The Commission has received no application for
part-financing for the projects to which the Honourable
Member refers .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2476 / 94

by Cristiana Muscardini ( NI )
Answer given by Mr Bjerregaard to the Commission

on behalf of the Commission

( 30 November 1994 )
(7 February 1995 )

( 95 / C 88 / 35 )

Directive 85 / 337 / EEC on the assessment of the effects of

certain public and private projects on the environment
requires an environmental impact assessment ( EIA ) to be
carried out before development consent is given .

According to the Article 4, paragraph 1, an EIA is
mandatory before development consent is given to projects
that fall under Annex I, including ' installations solely
designed for the permanent storage or final disposal of
radioactive waste '. If a project is of a kind that falls under
Annex II ' installations for the production or enrichment of
nuclear fuels ' (3 ( g )) or ' installations for the re-processing of
irradiated nuclear fuels ' (3 ( h )) or ' installations for the
collection and processing of radioactive waste ( unless
included in Annex I )' (3 ( i )) an EIA has to be carried out
where the Member State considers that its characteristics so

require ( Article 4, paragraph 2 ).

The Commission is not aware of any current projects at
Thorp which fail to comply with the abovementioned
requirements .

Subject : Right of the armed forces to form associations

With reference to the resolution adopted by the European
Parliament on the right of members of the armed forces to
form associations, and the report of the Legal Affairs
Committee ( Doc . 1-1387 / 83 ) ( l ) on the same subject, how
did the Member States respond to Parliament 's requests
and, in particular,

— have their servicemen been granted the right, in
peacetime, to establish, join and actively participate in
professional associations in order to protect their social
interests ?

— have the legal provisions of the individual States on these

matters been approximated, taking into account the
relevant articles of the United Nations ' Universal

Declaration of Human rights, the Council of Europe 's
Convention and the Protection of Human Rights and
Fundamental Freedoms and the European Social
Charter ?

(!) OJ No C 127, 14 . 5 . 1984, p . 86 .

No C 88 / 18 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 10 . 4 . 95

Answer given by Mr Flynn
on behalf of the Commission

( 16 January 1995 )

The Commission is aware of the trends which are becoming
apparent in the Member States, and which seem likely to
become more pronounced, concerning the right of members
of the armed forces to form associations .

There is a further, more specific reference to planning in
Article 129b EC dealing with the new policy on
trans-European networks, refers to the particular account to
be taken of island, landlocked and peripheral regions .

The decisions taken by the Edinburgh European Council
have provided greater resources for the less-favoured
regions .

In this context, and on the basis of objective statistical

It is following the steps being taken at European level to criteria, the Commission has identified the regions where
harmonize national legislation in this area with particular disparities are greatest . Such regions are eligible for
interest . For example, at its meeting on 14 October 1994 in measures under Objective 1 of the Structural Funds and
Luxembourg, the Professional Council for defence hence for the corresponding Community assistance .
personnel of Eurofedop ( European Organization of the
International Federation of the Public Services ) urged the
governments of the five Member States which do not yet
recognise the right of association of European armed forces
personnel to take immediate steps to apply the European
Social Charter . WRITTEN QUESTION E-2486 / 94

by Jean-Pierre Raffarin ( PPE )

to the Commission

( 30 November 1994 )

( 95 / C 88 / 37 )

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2485 / 94

by Jean-Pierre Raffarin ( PPE )

to the Commission

( 30 November 1994 )

( 95 / C 88 / 36 )

Subject : Growing marginalization of certain areas in

Europe

The XXII general assembly of the Conference of Peripheral
Maritime Regions of Europe, held in Cagliari, Sardinia,
unanimously adopted a final resolution which notably
included the following paragraph :

' The regions of the CPMR wish to remark furthermore
that spatial planning policies should take into
consideration the increasing marginalization of certain
European areas which are jeopardized by growing
disparities .'

How does the Commission intend to respond to this
concern expressed by the regions belonging to the
CPMR ?

Answer given by Mr Millan
on behalf of the Commission

( 16 January 1995 )

Article 130a of the EC Treaty requires the Community to
' aim at reducing disparities between the levels of
development of the various regions and the backwardness of
the least-favoured regions, including rural aeras .'

Subject : Adjustment programmes for the successive
enlargements of the Union

The XXIInd general assembly of the Conference of
Peripheral Maritime Regions of Europe, held in Cagliari,
Sardinia, unanimously adopted a final resolution which
notably included the following paragraph :

' The regions of the CPMR remind the Commission that
the various enlargements of the Union have always been
accompanied by adjustment programmes and hope that
an initiative in this direction may be taken '.

How does the Commission intend to respond to this
concern expressed by the regions belonging to the
CPMR ?

Answer given by Mr Millan
on behalf of the Commission

( 16 January 1995 )

Only the third enlargement of the Community to include
Spain and Greece in 1986 was accompanied, with the
adoption of the Regulation on the IMPs ( integrated
Mediterranean programme ) in 1995, by adjustment
programmes of the type to which the Honourable Member
refers .

The Commission does not consider that the accession of

Austria, Sweden and Finland will have a particular negative
impact at regional level on the Community, and more
specifically on the regions bordering on the new Member
States .

10 . 4 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 88 / 19

However, the Interreg Community Initiative will introduce
cooperation programmes for the new border areas designed
to stimulate the conomic development of areas directly
affected by the enlargement of the Community .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2491 / 94

by Jean-Pierre Raffarin ( PPE )

of support, the recipient sectors or the ways in which such
finance should be used .

The Commission has studied these suggestions and drawn
up practical proposals in the light of its consultations on the
Green Paper concerning the strengthening of the European
programme industry .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2496 / 94

to the Commission

by Christine Crawley ( PSE )
( 30 November 1994 ) to the Commission

to the Commission

( 95 / C 88 / 38 )

Subject : Common audio-visual policy in Europe

In order to encourage television stations which braodcast
European programmes, the French channels have proposed
that funding equivalent to 1 % of the budget for the
European Structural Funds be allocated to them .

Such a contribution on the part of the Community would
encourage a growth in trade in audio-visual products and
cinema films within Europe .

Although the allocation of Structural Fund resources has
been decided for the next six years, what proposals does the
Commission have for promoting the wider distribution of
European broadcasts ?

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro

on behalf of the Commission

( 10 January 1995 )

The Structural Funds contain no provision for incentives for
television stations to broadcast European programmes .

The figure of 1 % of the budget of the Structural Funds
referred to by the Honourable Member was proposed by
various public figures and professional organizations at the
European Audiovisual Conference as a target to be reached
in the matter of support for the European programmes
industry by the end of the century .

However, this consensus as to a common target for the level
of funding must not be allowed to disguise the great variety
of proposals put forward by professional circles concerning
the origin of finance, its distribution between various types

( 30 November 1994 )

( 95 / C 88 / 39

Subject : Size of bananas

I am aware that procedures are being taken to enhance the
quality control of bananas . Will the Commission be banning
the sale and importing of bananas below a certain size ? If so,
what is the minimum size being considered ?

Answer given by Mr Steichen

on behalf of the Commission

( 16 January 1995 )

The Commission issued quality standards for bananas in
Regulation ( EC ) No 2257 / 94 ( 1 ). Community arrangements
for monitoring compliance with these standards are
currently being drafted . The quality standards to not apply
to the marketing in the Community of plantains, bananas
for processing or fig-bananas, the latter being a product
quite different from the more usually marketed variety .

On the matter of sizing, the standards do indeed contain
provisions laying down a minimum length for quality
bananas of 14 centimeters, to be measured along the convex
face of the fruit . It should be stressed that this minimum

length is the result of a consensus among all the trading
interests concerned .

Finally, it should be pointed out that the standards also
allow for a tolerance margin in respect of size, and for the
exemption of bananas produced in Madeira, the Azores, the
Algarve, Crete and Lakonia, where the climatic conditions
mean that bananas do not reach 14 cm in length . These
smaller bananas may still be marketed, but only as fruit of
quality class II .

(!) OJ No L 245, 20 . 9 . 1994 .

No C 88 / 20 1 EN | Official Journal of the European Communities 10 . 4 . 95

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2504 / 94

by Gijs de Vries ( ELDR ) and Jan Mulder ( ELDR )

to the Commission

The Commission can confirm that, in accordance with
Article 1(3 ) of Directive 85 / 73 / EEC, ' any direct or indirect
refund of the fees . . . shall be prohibited '.

( 30 November 1994 ) H OJ No L 32, 5 . 2 . 1985 .

( 95 / C 88 / 40 ) ( 2 ) OJ No L 340, 31 . 12 . 1993 .

( 3 ) OJ No L 302, 31 . 12 . 1972 .

( 4 ) COM(94 ) 346 .

Subject : Distortion of competition in connection with

veterinary checks

Is the Commission aware that :

1 . a number of Member States are failing to charge the cost
of carrying out the veterinary checks provided for
in Directive 90 / 675 / EEC ( J ) to the consignor, the
consignee   - or their agent,

2 . Belgian port authorities, while charging for these checks,
reimburse such expenditure in whole or in part to the

payer,

3 . as a result of such practices, cargoes are being diverted to
ports with ' flexible ' checking systems ?

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2506 / 94

by Marianne Thyssen ( PPE )

to the Commission

( 30 November 1994 )

( 95 / C 88 / 41 )

Subject : EP 's powers with regard to the implementation of

the GATT provisions on the rice sector

In view of the very short period remaining for the Union to
meet its GATT obligations, can the Commission state what

Is the Commission prepared to take action to prevent this measures it plans to take to enable Parliament to study the
distortion of competition ? Commission proposals to implement the GATT provisions,

given the economic implictions of the latter for agriculture in
0 ) OJ No L 373, 31 . 12 . 1990, p . 1 . particular and, more specifically, the rice sector ?

Is the Commission prepared to take action to prevent this
distortion of competition ?

Answer given by Mr Steichen

on behalf of the Commission

Answer given by Mr Fischler
on behalf of the Commission

( 12 January 1995 ) ( 10 February 1995 )

At Community level the financing of checks and inspections
involving livestock products is regulated by Directive
85 / 73 / EEC ( ! ), as amended by Directive 93 / 118 / EEC ( 2 ).
Member States must finance the checks provided for in
Directive 90 / 675 / EEC . Pending, decisions setting
Community fees, the Member States may charge national
ones . Community fees have already been set for meat
covered by Directive 72 / 462 / EEC ( 3 ).

In principle, from 1 July 1994 all Member States should
have charged a minimum flat-rate amount of ECU 5 per
tonne . This date is now being discussed by the Council . In
addition, the Commission has presented the Council with a
proposal aimed at setting Community fees for fishery
products ( 4 ). 

The Commission intends to propose other common rules to
the Council for other livestock products, in line with what
was agreed when Directive 93 / 118 / EEC was adopted, i.e.
' taking account of the specific nature of the products to be
checked, the nature of the checks to be made and the
advisability, having regard to the rules on competition, of
setting a Community fee '. It also intends to carry out a
survey of the current situation in all Member States in order
to obtain reliable information .

On 13 October 1994 the Commission submitted to the

Council the proposals necessary to give legal effect to the
results of the Uruguay Round negotiations and the
Parliament gave its opinion on the proposals on
15 December 1994 . These proposals also included the
measures to be applied in the rice sector .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2515 / 94

by Marie-France Stirbois ( NI )

to the Council

( 31 January 1995 )

( 95 / C 88 / 42 )

Subject : Sacem ( French performing rights society )

In France, Sacem requires all users of music to pay fees
calculated as a percentage of revenue . In Luxembourg, it
collects a fixed fee based on the number of seats in an

establishment and the price of drinks .

10 . 4 . 95 | EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 88 / 21

French fee-payers thus find themselves in an entirely
different and totally unfair position :

— their average fee is four to five times higher .

— because the fee is based on turnover, it unfairly taxes all

investments on promotion, publicity, the performance
and staff, and thus the work of the owner or

manager .

Is this unfair treatment not an infringement of Community
law ?

What action does the Council intend to take to stop these
practices which are in breach of the Treaty of Rome ?

1992 on the approximation of the rates of excise duties on
mineral oils (*), Member States are required to apply a
minimum rate of excise duty on heating gasoil of at least 1 8
ECU per 1 000 litres . The same Directive requires the
Commission to present a report, together with appropriate
proposals, on the existing minimum rates of duty, before the
end of 1994 . The report and proposals must take into
account the proper functioning of the internal market, the
real value of the rates of duty and the wider objectives of the
Treaty . The Council will be asked to adopt the
Commission 's proposals only after consulting the
Parliament .

(!) OJ No L 316, 31 . 10 . 1992 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2528 / 94

Answer by José Apolinârio ( PSE )

(1 March 1995 ) to the Commission

( 30 November 1994 )

( 95 / C 88 / 44 )
Rules governing the activities of collective management
societies in the field of copyright and associated rights have
not been harmonized at Community level, as the Council Subject : Financial transfers to
has not received any proposals from the Commission on the Community Support
subject . ( CSF I ) in 1994

Subject : Financial transfers to Portugal under the
Community Support Framework 1989 — 1993

( CSF I ) in 1994

Can the Commission provide detailed information on the
financial transfers under the Community Support
Framework 1989 — 1993 effected in 1994 ( sums for each
programme and / or sub-programme and the dates when the
funds actually became available )?
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2521 / 94

by Michl Ebner ( PPE )

to the Commission

( 30 November 1994 )

WRITTEN QUESTION E-58 / 95

by José Apolinârio ( PSE )

to the Commission
( 95 / C 88 / 43 )

( 30 January 1995 )

95 / C 88 / 45
Subject : Harmonization of taxation on heating oil

The harmonization of the conditions of competition is a
necessary step in the process of European unification . Given
the differences in the tax regimes for heating oil in the
various Member States of the European Union, can the
Commission say whether it intends to take steps to ensure
that the taxation of heating oil — in particular where it is
used for industrial purposes — is harmonized at European
level ?

Subject : Financial transfers to Portugal under the First

Community Support Framework during 1994

Will the Commission state precisely the amount of financial
resources allocated to Portugal under the First Community
Support Framework during 1994, indicating the relevant
dates and the amounts allocated to each Operational
Programme ?

Joint answer to Written Questions

E-2528 / 94 and E-58 / 95
Answer given by Mrs Scrivener given by Mrs Wulf-Mathies

on behalf of the Commission on behalf of the Commission

( 10 January 1995 ) (2 March 1995 )

As far as the scope of the excise duty on mineral oils is
concerned, this has to a vary large extent been harmonized
in Directive 92 / 81 / EEC ( J ). With regard to the question of
rates, under Council Directive 92 / 82 / EEC of 19 October

The Commission is sending direct to the Honourable
Member and to Parliament 's Secretariat a table containing
the information requested .

No C 88 / 22 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 10 . 4 . 95

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2531 / 94

by José Apolinârio ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 30 November 1994 )

( 95 / C 88 / 46 )

Subject : Interreg 2 — partnership principle

The local authorities in the Algarve ( Portugal ) have not to
date been involved in the selection of specific projects
submitted to the European Commission for funding under
the Interreg 2 Programme . In view of the provisions of the
regulations on the Structural Funds, can the Commission
explain the role of local authorities in the selection of
projects submitted for funding through the Interreg 2
Programme and indicate how it intends to guarantee the
involvement of local authorities in this Community
initiative ?

Answer given by Mr Millan
on behalf of the Commission

( 16 January 1995 )

At the beginning of November, the Commission received
from the Portuguese and Spanish authorities a proposal
concerning the Interreg II Community Initiative .

The Commission is currently discussing with national
authorities how local authorities can be involved in the

choice of projects .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2536 / 94

by Godelieve Quisthoudt-Rowohl ( PPE ) and

Doris Pack ( PPE )

to the Commission

( 30 November 1994 )

. ( 95 / C 88 / 47 )

Subject : Measures to ensure unified and effective legal

protection of industrial property rights within
the EC

1 . Can the Commission give a time-table for uniform
measures which are needed in the EU and would be

sufficient to achieve effective legal protection of industrial
property rights, healthy economic development, and the
protection of existing jobs and the creation of new ones,
bearing in mind that national laws no longer have powers in

this field, given that the EU 's internal borders have been
abolished, and ensuring that SMUs may also develop their
full potential in the single European market ?

2 . Are there plans to implement the European Patent for
the Common Market of 15 December 1989 ( : ) within a
reasonable time and at an acceptable cost, so that it may
become effective and justify its existence ?

3 . Can the European Patent of 5 October 1973, which,
because of its extremely high cost, is used only as a barrier in
a few countries, still be regarded as an appropriate European
instrument to fulfil its purpose all over the world,
particularly in comparison with conditions in the USA and
the Far East ?

4 . Laws on the legal protection of industrial property
rights under patent law, such as the German Patented
Designs Law, differ widely in the various EU countries, and
this distorts conditions of competition . What measures are
being taken to set up an appropriate legal protection system
on a uniform legal basis within the EU Single Market, which
would be appropriate to wider application in the Far East,
and take into account that, pursuant to Article 87 of the
EEC Treaty, the precedence established under this
legislation may be used straight away to establish
precedence of Community law over national law, although
in some EU countries, such as Germany, there is still a ' stay
of execution ' for this legislation ?

( J ) OJ No L 401, 30 . 12 . 1989, p . 1 .

Answer given by Mr Vanni d'Archirafi

on behalf of the Commission

( 16 January 1995 )

On 8 December 1994 the Council . ( Internal Market )
adopted a resolution concerning the entry into force at the
earliest possible date of the Agreement of 15 December

1989 relating to Community patents . According to the
information provided by the Member States that have not
yet ratified the Agreement, the relevant national procedures
are expected to be completed in 1995 . The Commission is
very alive to the problem of the cost of the future procedure
and will do its utmost to ensure that the matter is dealt with

objectively by the Member States .

The European Patent Office, which is responsible for issuing
European patents under the control of the European Patent
Organization, is not a Community institution . The
Commission is not, therefore, in a position to take direct
action in an attempt to resolve any particular problem
arising in connection with the cost of European patents .
However, in the context of the work currently going on in

10 . 4 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 88 / 23

the European Patent Office, the Commission, in its capacity
as observer on the Administrative Council, will do all in its
power to draw the attention of the Contracting States '
delegates to the need for a European patent to be obtainable
at an attractive cost .

The Commission is fully aware that quite different
legislative provisions currently apply in respect of utility
models ( Gebrauchsmuster ). In preparation for a
consultative document on the harmonization of the

different systems of utility models that is to be sent to
interested parties in 1995, the Commission is looking into
the economic importance of this form of protection and into
the constraints that this might impose on the achievement
and operation of the Community-wide market .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-25 54 / 94

by Mihail Papayannakis ( GUE )

to the Commission

(5 December 1994 )

( 95 / C 88 / 48 )

Subject : Dumping of toxic waste in the village of
Kouroupitos in Crete

The eleventh Commission report to the European
Parliament on monitoring the application of Community
law in 1993 states that the Greek authorities have failed to

notify the Commission that they have taken the measures
necessary to comply with the judgment handed down by the
European Court of Justice on the disposal of toxic waste in
the village of Kouroupitos in Crete .

Will the Commission say what measures it has taken against

Greece and what stage the procedure under Article 171 of
the Treaty on European Union has now reached ?

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard

on behalf of the Commission

( 10 February 1995 )

As the Honourable Member points out in his question,
Greece has failed to take the necessary measures to comply
with the judgment of the Court .

The Commission has therefore sent a letter of formal notice

instituting proceedings against Greece in accordance with
Article 169 of the EC Treaty for failure to meet the
obligations imposed on it by Article 171 of the Treaty .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2562 / 94

by Carlos Robles Piquer ( PPE )

to the Commission

(5 December 1994 )

(9 SIC 88 / 49 )

Subject : Promotion of business participation in European

Union humanitarian projects

The Community funds earmarked by the European
Commission for supply contracts charged to the budgetary
lines for humanitarian aid and development cooperation
total more than one billion pesetas per year . These funds are
allocated by means of appropriate invitations to tender and
competitions .

However, the majority of European Union enterprises,
particularly those based in the least developed regions, do
not hear about the opportunities for contracts offered by the
abovementioned Community programmes to assist
countries suffering the effects of armed conflict or natural
disasters .

Can the Commission say whether it considers the present
level of dissemination of information concerning the
procedures for tendering ( deadlines, guarantees and
conditions of payment ) among European enterprises to be
sufficient to promote their participation in the
abovementioned programmes ?

Moreover, does the Commission consider that it should
establish facilities of some kind to enable enterprises to
reduce the cost of transporting aid supplies to their
destination .

Answer given by Mr Marin
on behalf of the Commission

( 16 January 1995 )

In order to ensure equality of access for Member States '
firms which supply humanitarian aid products the
Commission publishes notices of invitation to tender in the
' L ' series of the Official Journal of the European
Communities in the nine official languages . Firms have a
period of 15 days from the date of publication to submit
their tenders .

Firms wishing to participate in invitations to tender are
provided with information about deadlines, securities,
terms of payment and conditions for mobilizing different
types of aid .

The costs of transporting food aid-to the place of destination
are borne by the Commission as indicated in Regulation

( EEC ) No 2200 / 87 laying down general rules for the
mobilization of products to be supplied as Community food
aid .

No C 88 / 24 | EN Official Journal of the European Communities 10 . 4 . 95

For its part the European Community Humanitarian Office
( ECHO ) issues invitations to tender solely for emergency
food aid ( budget heading B7-511 ). There are two types of
tender :

1 . Since food aid for refugees from the war in former
Yugoslavia — particularly in Croatia, Serbia and
Montenegro — is supplied directly by the Commission
via the European Community Task Force ( set up by the
heads of State and Government at the Birmingham
European Council in October 1992 ) and because of the
share-out of responsibilities between the UNHCR and
the Commission, invitations to tender are restricted .
Firms are selected from a short list of undertakings
which have already participated, or expressed a wish to
participate, in a Commission invitation to tender .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2566 / 94

by Christine Oddy ( PSE )

to the Commission

(5 December 1994 )

( 95 / C 88 / 50 )

Subject : UK blacks and Asians and qualifications

Having now received a copy of the UK trade union GMB
report ' Divided by Degrees ', further to my question ( Written
Question E-1965 / 94 ( J )), will the Commission now state
what remedial steps it will take to reduce unemployment
amongst UK blacks and Asians ?

H OJ No C 30, 6 . 2 . 1995, p . 40 .
2 . Food aid products for the Republics of the CIS and the
Middle East are purchased in accordance with
Regulation ( EEC ) No 2200 / 87, namely open invitations
to tender published in the Official Journal of the
European Communities .

Answer given by Mr Flynn
on behalf of the Commission

(6 February 1995 )

The Commission mainly ensures access to information for
firms intending to participate in invitations to tender in the
development cooperation framework financed under the
European Development Fund ( ACP countries ) and the As the Honourable Member is aware, unemployment is a
Community budget ( ALA and MED countries ) by problem not only for black and Asian minorities but for
publishing these invitations to tender in the ' S ' series of the several other vulnerable groups in all the Member States .

Official Journal of the European Communities .

In addition the Commission disseminates all sorts of

information about the projects which it finances in the ' blue
pages ' of a specialist publication called ' The Courier '.

The Commission also tries to encourage participation by
increasing access to project and tender documentation via its
network of offices in the Member States . Conferences for

firms interested in these contracts are organized on a regular
basis, with the participation of Commission officials .

The cost of transporting the products supplied is of course
included in the amount of the tender and completely covered
by Community financing .

The attention of the Honourable Member is drawn to the

Commission 's white paper on growth, competitiveness,
employment and the recent white paper on social policy ( J )
and also the section on ' integration ' of the Commission
communication on immigration and asylum of February

1994 ( 2 ) which take up the question .

In so far as ethnic minorities may need special assistance to
bring them to a position enabling them to compete
effectively in the labour market, the Commission intends to
give the subject continued high priority in the budget line
which allows it to support projects promoting harmonious
co-habitation of peoples in the Community .

As the Honourable Member is aware, the principal
instrument in this case is the European Social Fund,
particularly under Objective 3 . The new programme for
Objective 3 in the United Kingdom gives priority to the
long-term unemployed and the young unemployed . Insofar
as ethnic minority groups are disproportionately
represented in these groups, they should receive a greater
share of resources . In addition, a new priority of those
excluded from the labour market forms part of the
Objective 3 Programme for the first time this year . Although
ethnic minority groups are not specifically named under this

10 . 4 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 88 / 25

priority, they are an important part of other named
categories, for example, homeless people, residents of inner
cities, and those needing training in English as a second
language .

(!) COM(94 ) 333 final .

( 2 ) COMÍ94 ) 23 final .

2 . measures are in place which may discriminate against
third parties if they are appropriate to achieving the
stated objective .

3 . measures are in place which require conformity by third
parties where they are appropriate to protecting the
integrity of EU measures ?

Answer given by Sir Leon Brittan

WRITTEN QUESTION E-25 73 / 94 on behalf of the Commission

by Christine Oddy ( PSE ) ( 10 February 1995 )
to the Council

( 31 January 1995 )

Subject : Child soldiers

( 95 / C 88 / 51 ) 1 . When products are deemed to be ' like ' (' produits
similaires ' in the French translation ) certain rules apply for
international trade, notably the most favoured nation clause

( MFN ) of GATT Article 1 and the national treatment
principle of GATT Article III .

Existing international law forbids the recruitment of
children under the age of 15 into the armed forces, yet,
according to a report from Quaker Peace and Service,
children younger than 15 have been recruited into armies,
and twenty-seven countries recruit children between the
ages of 15 and 18 .

What is the Council 's attitude to recruitment of

children ?

Answer

(1 March 1995 )

The Council is unable to express its view on a matter for
which the Union has no competence .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-25 85 / 94

by Carlos Pimenta ( ELDR )

to the Commission

(5 December 1994 )

( 95 / C 88 / 52 )

Subject : GATT / WTO agreements

What classifications on interpretations are required to
current GATT / WTO agreements to ensure that, where
appropriate, and with particular regard to measures to
protect people, animals or the environment :

1 . distinctions can be made with regard to the processes
used to develop ' like ' products,

The general agreement gives no definition of the concept of
like product . However, a variety of criteria ( apart from tariff
classification ) have been suggested by GATT case law and
by GATT working groups including a product 's properties,
its nature and quality ; varying nature of inputs of a product
( e.g. if it has a vegetable, animal or synthetic origin ) a
product 's end-use in a given market and consumers ' tastes
and habits .

Since GATT Article III covers only measures affecting
products as such, it has been considered that products may
be ' like ' irrespective of their production method .

However the panel report on ' United States — measures
affecting alcoholic and malt beverages ', adopted in 1992,
noted that Contracting Parties were not prevented from
using their fiscal and regulatory powers for purposes other
than to afford protection to domestic production . Moreover
the new Uruguay Round agreement on technical barriers to
trade ( TBT ) has marked a certain development in this
respect . Annex 1 to the TBT code lays down the ' terms and
the definitions ' for the purposes of the agreement . The
definition of technical regulation and standards is : 'a
document which lays down product characteristics or their
related processes and production methods '. The prevailing
interpretation of this wofding is that distinction can be
made between like products if the production method by
which a product has been produced affects the
characteristics of the product ( e.g. leaves traces of
chemicals ).

2 . The GATT 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 )) and
for the conservation of natural resources ( Article XX

( g )).

No C 88 / 26 ΓΕΝ Official Journal of the European Communities 10 . 4 . 95

However a number of conditions need to be fulfilled, such
as that such measures are not 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 .

3 . GATT / WTO rules allow the Community ( or any other
GATT contracting party or WTO member ) to require
imported products to be in conformity with standards and
regulations applicable to products manufactured in the
importing country .

WTO members are recommended to adopt international
standards as far as sanitary and phytosanitary measures

( SPS ) and technical regulations and standards ( TBT ) are
concerned . However, WTO members are allowed to deviate
from international standards and implement stricter
measures if these prove to be necessary in the fulfilment of a
legitimate objective pursued because of ' fundamental
climatic or geographical factors or fundamental
technological problems ' ( TBT code Article 2.2 ) or if there is
' scientific justification or as a consequence of the level of
sanitary and phytosanitary protection a Member determines
to be appropriate . . .' ( SPS Article 3.3 ). In any case these
measures should be non-arbitrary, non-discriminatory,
should not result into a disguised restriction on
international trade and should not be more trade restrictive

than necessary .

and find adequate solutions to the problem of makeshift
dwellings by providing decent housing for those currently
living in inhuman conditions ?

Answer given by Mr Flynn
on behalf of the Commission

( 15 February 1995 )

The Commission feels that the situation of slum dwellers is

unacceptable .

In the White Paper on European Social Policy ( a ), the
Commission states that ' housing is also a key issue in
combating social exclusion and may also be an important
source of new jobs '. The Paper also states that the
Commission will coordinate these actions ' so as to provide a
well-structured and comprehensive contribution in this
field '.

phytosanitary protection a Member determines Apart from the ECSC Framework Programme, which grants
. . .' ( SPS Article 3.3 ). In any case these loans at a particularly low rate to workers in coal and steel
be non-arbitrary, non-discriminatory, companies, the Community has no competence in this field .
result into a disguised restriction on However, the Commission is pursuing various small
trade and should not be more trade restrictive projects on housing issues ( publications, financial aid,
. cooperation with non-governmental organizations ( NGO ))

and has launched a European initiative to prevent urban
decline . In addition, since 1991, the Commission has been
particularly active in the exchanges promoted by the
meetings of the Ministers responsible for housing . One
result has been the European exchange programme in the
field of housing, and it is through this programme that the
Commission hopes to draw attention to the living
WRITTEN QUESTION E-25 89 / 94 conditions of slum dwellers .

by Gerardo Fernandez     - Albor ( PPE )

to the Commission (!) COM(94 ) 333 final .

(5 December 1994 )

( 95 / C 88 / 53 )

Subject : Abolition of shanty towns in the European

Union

There are still many shanty towns in the southern European
Union Member States where the inhabitants do not have the
minimum facilities which all human beings require to satisfy
their most basic needs .

Clearly, we in our respective societies in the European Union
cannot allow ourselves to accept the existence of such
shanty towns — centres of poverty and a source of shame
amidst the burgeoning development and consumerism of
urban areas .

Does the Commission therefore believe that Member States

must devise a policy to prevent the spread of shanty towns
by means of specific preventive measures where possibile

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2592 / 94

by Sérgio Ribeiro ( GUE )

to the Commission

(5 December 1994 )

95 / C 88 / 54

Subject : Construction of a shipyard in Wismar, Germany

There have been reports in the media that a shipyard to be
built in Wismar, Germany, is to receive funding in excess of
ECU 300 million .

The news has met with some bewilderment in Portugal,
where — supposedly on account of Community Directives

10 . 4 . 95 lEN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 88 / 27

— the Setenave shipyard, similar in design to the projected WRITTEN QUESTION E-2600 / 94
new hence yard being, is forced undergoing to ' shed a series ' workers of capacity, entailing reductions very serious and by Alexandros to the Commission Alavanos ( GUE )
social consequences .

(8 December 1994 )

( 95 / C 88 / 55 )
The news also corroborates the thinking of the trade unions
and the Workers ' Committee, who maintain that the revival
of shipbuilding could constitute the starting-point for a
viable shipping industry and are seeking to oppose the policy Subject : Bankruptcy uns reisen GmbH of the ' German
being pursued .

Subject : Bankruptcy of the German travel company ' Mit

uns reisen GmbH '

Is the Wismar shipyard consistent with Community
shipbuilding policy ? Have the Portuguese Government and
the Solisnor / Setenave management made any moves to
ensure that Portugal can continue to engage in an industrial
activity of the utmost economic and social importance ?

Answer given by Mr Van Miert

on behalf of the Commission

( 11 January 1995 )

The German travel company ' Mit uns reisen GmbH ' has
suspended payments, with the result that hotel-owners and
tourist agencies are facing losses of Dr 750 million in Crete
and Dr 2 billion in Greece as a whole . What measures will

the Commission take to satisfy the legal demands of the
Greek firms which have suffered losses ? Does the

Commission intend to take measures to introduce a
standard between tour operators and hotels and establish
provisions that will provide protection for hotel-owners,
local agencies and tourists ?

Answer given by Mr Papoutsis

on behalf of the Commission

( 10 February 1995 )
Re-structuring aid to shipbuilding, in particular investment
aid and aid for closures, is governed by Articles 6 and 7 of
the Seventh Directive on aid to shipbuilding
( 90 / 684 / EEC ( 1 )). These articles apply and have applied to It is regrettable for all concerned when a
all yards in the Community, including those in the ex-GDR At the European level, the package
and in Portugal . 90 / 314 / EEC i 1 ), which took effect

The re-structuring aid provided to the ex-GDR yards,
including the aid provided to the MTW yard in Wismar,
takes place in the context of an overall reduction in
shipbuilding capacity in the ex-GDR of 40% . At the
moment the Commission is monitoring the capacity
reduction to assure compliance with the Seventh
Directive .

The Commission has not yet received a notification of the
planned re-structuring of the Portuguese shipbuilding
industry and cannot give an opinion at this moment .
However, it may be recalled that in the proposed text an
' agreement respecting normal competitive conditions in the
commercial shipbuilding and repair industry ' within the
framework of the OECD a possibility is foreseen to allow a
maximum re-structuring aid of 17,7 million contos to the
Portuguese shipbuilding industry .

(!) OJ No L 380, 31 . 12 . 1990 .

It is regrettable for all concerned when a firm ceases trading .
At the European level, the package travel Directive
90 / 314 / EEC i 1 ), which took effect from 1 January 1993,
aims to provide protection and compensation for the
consumer who has purchased a package holiday, travel or
tour in the event of cancellation or when the travel agent or
the tour operator selling the package becomes insolvent or
bankrupt . The directive still has to be implemented in
Greece, and in Germany it has only just taken effect .

The Directive requires travel agents and tour operators to
have insurance, bonding or guarantees to cover consumers '
losses in the event of insolvency or bankruptcy . It has been
left to the Member States to decide upon how to implement
this measure at the national level .

While the relationship between travel agents and tours
operators is dealt with indirectly, the Directive does not
include specific measures covering compensation for losses
of intermediaries resulting from their contractual
relationships which each other in the supply of packages .

Under Article 220 EC Treaty, work is continuing on the
draft convention on bankruptcy which, while respecting the
substantive law of the Member States, will deal with certain
international aspects of bankruptcy procedures in the
Community . This work should help to define who pays in
the event of bankruptcy .

No C 88 / 28 I EN Official Journal of the European Communities 10 . 4 . 95

The Commission does not plan to present proposals in this
field, in order to go beyond the provisions mentioned
above .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2612 / 94

by Amedeo Amadeo ( NI )

to the Commission

(!) OJ No L 158, 23 . 6 . 1990 . (8 December 1994 )

( 95 / C 88 / 57 )

Subject : Wine market
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2611 / 94

by Amedeo Amadeo ( NI )

to the Commission

(8 December 1994 )

( 95 / C 88 / 56 )

Subject : Civil defence

The recent disasters which have occurred in Europe,
particularly in northern Italy, have revealed the serious
short-comings in civil defence services in general .

Every Member State of the Community has its own
organization to deal with civil defence and the provision of
first aid in the event of unexpected natural incidents causing
widespread death and destruction .

Can the Commission put forward a Directive providing for
the establishment of a European coordination centre that
will bring together different experiences and strengthen
Community civil defence cooperation ?

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard

on behalf of the Commission

(7 February 1995 )

The Commission has introduced several measures as part of
Community cooperation on civil defence .

Since 1987, five Resolutions have been adopted by the
Council which have led to specific measures for training
operators to deal with disasters such as forest fires, chemical
accidents and floods .

On 31 October 1994, the Council adopted a new
resolution (*) on strengthening Community cooperation on
civil protection in the event of natural and technological
disasters which will increase the number of measures taken

in this area .

However, given that there are differences between the civil
protection organizations of the Member States ' national
administrations, the establishment of a European
coordination centre would not contribute anything to
Community cooperation on civil defence .

(!) OJ No C 313, 10 . 11 . 1994 .

The Commission 's decisions in the wine sector seem to be

determined by an over simplistic arithmetically-based policy
that would merely reduce the excessive annual output ( 190
million hectolitres ) and increase the limited consumption
( 154 million hectolitres ).

It seems essential to reduce supply by a selection process and
to impose rules that are the same for all, including
non-member producer countries, so as to prevent
competition that exclusively benefits non-member exporter
countries and disadvantages Community producers .

Does the Commission not consider that it should act along
these lines to prevent the loss of market share in the sector
for DOC ( controlled denomination of origin ) wines, which
represent 70 % of exports and about 40 % of Community
production ?

Answer given by Mr Steichen

on behalf of the Commission

(9 January 1995 )

In its proposal for a Council Regulation ( EC ) on reform of
the common organization of the market in wine ( 1 ), the
Commission revealed the existence of a serious permanent
imbalance between supply and demand on the wine
market .

In order to restore balance, production must be reduced to
levels compatible with utilization . This has required the
fixing of a Community reference production, distributed
among the Member States .

Clearly, however, the distribution of the regional and
individual efforts needed to achieve this reduction in

production can be neither mathematical nor arbitrary, and
not all vineyards will be equally affected .

The Commission has therefore proposed the adoption of
multiannual regional viticultural adjustment programmes
to be drawn up in partnership by the Community, the
Member State and the region . Theses programmes are the
chief tool for re-structuring the market in wine and will
determine the means chosen by each region to achieve
this .

10.4.95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 88 / 29

A wide array of measures ( green cropping, yield restriction,
abandonment, re-structuring, etc .) is available from which
the regions are to select those most suited to their specific
circumstances and to the viticulture development strategy
determined by the Member State . Certain vineyards may
also be exempt from all obligations, such as those producing
quality wines produced in specified regions .

With regard to access to the Community market for wine
from third countries, it should be remembered that the
reductions in customs duties negotiated under GATT also
benefit European wine .

Moreover, imports of wine from third countries are subject
to compliance with quality characteristics . All other
preferential conditions are the result of trade agreements
concluded by the Community with certain countries ( 2 ) and
are governed by the Community 's overall external policy .

(!) COM(94 ) 117 final .

( 2 ) For example, the opening of Community tariff quotas for wine

from Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania ( Regulation ( EEC )
No 3671 / 93 ).

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2614 / 94

by Amedeo Amadeo ( NI )

to the Commission

(8 December 1994 )

( 95 / C 88 / 58 )

Subject : Companies responsible for pollution

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard

on behalf of the Commission

(7 February 1995 )

The question put by the Honourable Member implies a
uniform rule on Community environmental policy .

Community policy on the environment varies . Community
legislation on the prevention and reduction of pollution is
essentially sectoral . Where industrial plants are concerned,
for example, the Community has adopted the best
techniques available which do not cost excessive amounts
and take regional situation into account .

Article 130r ( 2 ) of the EC Treaty states that ' Community
policy on the environment shall aim at a high level of
protection taking into account the diversity of situations in
the various regions of the Community .'

Even the proposal for a Council Directive on the integrated
prevention and reduction of pollution aims to differentiate
the standards and limits of emissions from the plants
according to region .

As regards the Honourable Member 's proposal to
implement corollary measures to ensure strict compliance
with the Commission 's proposals, it must be emphasized
that better prevention and greater reduction of industrial
pollution affects all Member States and that it is up to them,
under Article 5 of the EC Treaty, to take all general and
specific measures to ensure fulfilment of the obligations
arising out of the Treaty or resulting from action taken by
the Community institutions to help it to achieve its
tasks .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2625 / 94

by Johanna Maij-Weggen ( PPE ) and Peter Pex ( PPE )

The differences which exist between the various national or
to the Commission
regional regulations in the Member States and the absence of
the necessary harmonization at Community level have (8 December 1994 )
contributed to the establishment of industries responsible ( 95 / C 88 / 59 )
for pollution throughout the Community ( one thinks, for
example, of the giant poultry concern in Wallonia ).

(8 December 1994 )

( 95 / C 88 / 59 )

Can the Commission propose a Directive prohibiting the
establishment of firms which do not comply with the
requirements already laid down in Community Directives
on the kitting out of structures and the use of anti-pollution
equipment simply on the grounds that they will maintain
and protect employment ?

Subject : Use of official languages at Europol in The

Hague

As the remarkable manoevering as regards the use of official
languages at the European Trademarks Office shows, the
position of official languages in the institutions of the
European Union is not always as clear as it might be .

1 . Will the Commission state what rules it is proposing on
Can it also adopt corollary measures to ensure strict the use of languages at Europol headquarters, which is
compliance by all Member States ? to be based in The Hague, in the Netherlands ?

No C 88 / 30 r EN Official Journal of the European Communities 10 . 4 . 95

2 . Will the Commission explain how it plans to approach
such problems in future, particularly now that the
number of official languages is increasing steadily ?

During the 1992 / 93, 1993 / 94 and 1994 / 95 exercises, the
European Council has approved ECU 680 million in
balance of payments support to the central and eastern
European Countries ( CEEC ) ( of which ECU 105 million in
grants ).

Answer given by Mr Flynn
on behalf of the Commission Since 1992 ECHO has provided an additional ECU

896,8 million of emergency humanitarian assistance to the
( 16 January 1995 ) CEEC .

The working languages for Europol will be laid down in the
Convention to establish Europol .

The Honourable Members may care to note that the Treaty
on European Union does not give the Commission a right of
initiative concerning Europol ( Article K 3.2 ).

The draft text is currently under negotiation, but despite
efforts to conclude work during the German Presidency,
work will need to be taken forward in the first half of

1995 .

The Commission observes the language arrangemetns for
the Communities set out in Regulation 1 / 58 (*) as amended
by sucessive accession treaties .

(*) OJ No 17, 6 . 10 . 1958 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2643 / 94

by Jean-Pierre Raffarin ( PPE )

to the Commission

(8 December 1994 )

95 / C 88 / 60

Subject : European Union aid for the countries of eastern

Europe

Can the Commission give a breakdown for 1992, 1993 and
1994 of the total aid granted by the European Union to
non-member countries of eastern Europe ?

Answer given by Sir Leon Brittan

on behalf of the Commission

( 11 January 1995 )

Total aid granted by the Community to countries og eastern
Europe amounts to :

( in ECU million )

1992 1993 1994

Phare 1 014,3 1 003,7 979

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2650 / 94

by Hiltrud Breyer ( V )

to the Commission

(1 December 1994 )

( 95 / C 88 / 61 )

Subject : Garching research reactor

1 . Why, when answering my urgent question
( E - 19 94 / 94 ( J )), and despite her specific queries, did the
Commission fail to name the country of origin of the 400 kg
of highly enriched uranium for the Garching research
reactor ?

2 . Is it correct that the highly-enriched uranium comes
from ' Community surplus stocks ' originally from the
USA ?

3 . If not, what is its country of origin ?

4 . If yes, when and how was the relevant institution in the
USA informed that this highly enriched uranium from
' Community surplus stocks ' is to be used in the Garching
research reactor ?

5 . Was the US Congress informed ?

6 . When and how did the USA approve the use of the
highly enriched uranium in the Garching research
reactor ?

7 . Can the Commission confirm that the ESA acted

illegally in handing the highly enriched uranium over to the
Garching research reactor without the knowledge and
approval of the USA ? Does this constitute a breach of the
USA-Euratom agreement ?

8 . What view does the Commission take of the fact that

highly enriched uranium from the USA is to be used in the
Garching research reactor, although the USA has already
announced its opposition to the reactor ?

Tacis 418,6 471,8 460
0 ) OJ No C 30, 6 . 2 . 1995, p . 45 .

10 . 4 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 88 / 31

Answer given by Mr Oreja
on behalf of the Commission

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2652 / 94

by Armelle Guinebertière ( RDE )
( 16 January 1995 ) to the Commission

(2 December 1994 )

1, 2 and 3 . The details requested by the Honourable ( 95 / C 88 / 63 )
Member are business secrets and cannot be divulged
without the explicit agreement of the parties concerned .

Subject : Concern expressed by Community ( in particular

4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 . The use of the fuel in question at the
Garching reactor is not subject to the prior notification of
the American authorities, nor to their authorization, even
where all or part of the fuel may have originated in the
United States .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2651 / 94

by Alexandros Alavanos ( GUE )

to the Commission

(2 December 1994 )

95 / C 88 / 62 )

Subject : Payment of tobacco premiums directly to

growers

Once again Greek tobacco growers are protesting loudly for
Community tobacco premiums to be paid directly to
growers rather than via traders . In its Special Report
No 8(93 ) ( a ), the Court of Auditors proposes a scheme for
direct payments to growers .

What is the Commission 's view of the Court 's proposal and
the growers ' consistent demand ? Does it intend to amend
Regulation ( EEC ) No 2075 / 92 ( 2 ) on the common
organization of the market in raw tobacco in order to
resolve the problem of tobacco premiums by legislation and,
if so, when ?

(!) OJ No C 65, 2 . 3 . 1994, p . 1 .

( 2 ) OJ No L 215, 30 . 7 . 1992, p . 70 .

Answer given by Mr Steichen

on behalf of the Commission

(9 January 1995 )

The Council decided in July 1994 to allow premiums to be
paid directly to tobacco producers . This decision was
applicable as from the 1994 harvest .

Implementation of the decision requires the amendment of
Council Regulation ( EEC ) No 2075 / 92 ( which the
Commission will be proposing shortly ) and of the
Commission 's implementing regulations .

French ) truffle producers regarding the conditions
under which truffles are imported from the
countries of eastern Europe

Under agreements recently concluded between the
European Community and certain countries of eastern
Europe such as Hungary, Bulgaria, Slovakia and Poland,
truffles will be imported into the Community in accordance
with provisions which are a source of concern to
Community producers, particularly those in France .

Article 20(4 ) in the chapter on agriculture in the agreement
of 16 December 1991, for example, states that Hungary and
the Community will grant mutual concessions on a
harmonious and reciprocal basis .

The import conditions are in fact highly advantageous to the
countries in question and will enable them to flood the
Community market with large quantities of truffles without
regard for the quality thereof .

It is likely that prices will be forced down as a result and that
competition will be distorted to the detriment of
Community producers ( according to the National
Federation of Truffle Producers, black truffle production in
France, Italy and Spain was only about 50 tonnes in
1993 / 94, which is much less than what will be imported
from eastern Europe ).

Has the Commission taken into account the difficulties

experienced by Community ( especially French ) producers as
a result of the marketing ( under a rather vague appellation )
of imported ' truffles ' whose quality in terms of taste is
greatly inferior to that of French truffles ?

Furthermore, does the Commission not think that the
nature and variety of truffles from eastern Europe should be
determined, established and displayed ?

Finally, how does the Commission plan to protect
consumers from being misled regarding the nature and
quality of truffles ?

Answer given by Mr Steichen

on behalf of the Commission

( 13 January 1995 )

The Community has granted preferential tariff concessions
on truffles only to Hungary, which can export a quota of

127 tonnes at a preferential rate of duty of 3,2% .

No C 88 / 32 ΓΕΝ Official Journal of the European Communities 10 . 4 . 95

However, the statistics available to the Commission show
that no fresh or processed truffles ( under customs codes
0709 52 00 and 2003 20 00 ) are imported from the four
countries listed by the Honourable Member .

The rate of duty applied to other non-member countries is
currently 8 % and will be gradually reduced to 6,4 % by

1 July 2000 in accordance with the Community 's
commitments under the Uruguay Round of GATT
negotiations .

As part of the common agricultural policy, the truffle sector
is governed by the market organization for fruit and
vegetables and the Commission monitors developments in
this sector closely .

With regard to the quality of Community and imported
truffles and the protection of consumers, the Community is
proposing that producers should protect and exploit certain
specific products under Regulations ( EEC ) No 2081 / 92 on
geographical indications and designations of origin and

( EEC ) No 2082 / 92 on certificates of specific character ( 1 ).
Truffles fall within the scope of these Regulations .

f 1 ) OJ No L 208, 24 . 7 . 1992 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2655 / 94

Union-wide harmonization of the substantive rules of

domestic law for all issues identified .

Moreover, no Member State has suggested examining the
issue raised by the Honourable Member .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2659 / 94

by Salvador Garriga Polledo ( PPE )

to the Commission

( 14 December 1994 )

( 95 / C 88 / 65 )

Subject : Narrow EMS currency exchange rate bands

Does the Commission consider the re-introduction of the

narrow exchange rate bands for the EMS currencies to be an
obligatory convergence criterion for stages II and III of
EMU ?

If so, when does the Commission consider that these narrow
bands will have to be re-introduced ?

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2660 / 94

by Glyn Ford ( PSE )

by Salvador Garriga Polledo ( PPE )
to the Council

to the Commission

( 19 December 1994 ) ( 14 December 1994 )

95 / C 88 / 64
( 95 / C 88 / 66 )

Subject : Eurobail Subject : EMS rules as an obligatory criterion of compliance

and convergence

In view of the numerous cases of Europeans in Member
States held in jails for indefinite periods awaiting trial for
offences which, in their own country, would qualify them
for release on bail, this phenomenon being particularly
highlighted by the case of my own constituent, lorry driver
John Harrower, what steps are Ministers taking to agree

terms of a Eurobail system for the harmonization of judicial
liberties ?

Answer

(1 March 1995 )

Does the Commission consider compliance with the EMS
discipline to be an essential convergence criterion for stages
II and III of the EMU ?

If so, when does the Commission expect to complete the
EMS with the 12 Member States ?

Joint answer to Written Questions

E-2659 / 94 and E-2660 / 94

given by Mr Christophersen
on behalf of the Commission

The Honourable Member is reminded that under ( 16 January 1995 )
Article K.l of the Treaty on European Union issues relating
to judicial cooperation in criminal matters are one of the
areas regarded as being of common interest . Work under the The exchange rate criterion concerning exchange rate
' third pillar ' thus seeks to promote and facilitate judicial stability is defined in the EC Treaty ( Article 109j ) and in the
cooperation among Member States ; its aim is not Protocol on convergence criteria, in the following terms :

10 . 4 . 95 LEN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 88 / 33

— observance of the normal fluctuation margins provided

by the exchange rate mechanism ( ERM ) of the European
monetary system ( EMS )

— absence of severe tensions

— absence of a devaluation on its own initiative

for at least tht two years preceding the examination in order
to assess whether it is possible to move to the third stage of
economic and monetary union ( EMU ).

The Commission considers the functioning of the ERM
under its current characteristics to be satisfactory and
therefore it considers it advisable not to modify it . The
Commission recognizes the importance of exchange rate
stability and the need to continue to pursue policies
consistent with the objective of price stability and sound
public finance . Decisions on the transition to the third stage
of EMU will be taken in full accordance with the relevant

Articles of the EC Treaty and the Protocol on the
convergence criteria .

As for Member States which do not participate in the ERM,
it is up to them to take the initiative to participate . Once the
Member State concerned has formulated its willingness to
participate in the ERM and put forward its proposal, it is up
to the ministers and governors of central banks of Member
States to take the decision by mutual agreement . In order to
be able to participate in the third stage of EMU, the Member
States concerned will have to take into account the Treaty
requirements .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2662 / 94

by José Apolinârio ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 14 December 1994 )

( 95 / C 88 / 67 )

Subject : Mértola-Castro Marim road link

The people in the border area between Portugal and Spain
along the lower Guadiana river have long been calling for a
new road to be built to replace the existing EN122, and such
a road has been promised on numerous occasions .

The Operational Programme on Transport in the
1994 — 1999 CSF for Portugal or the Interreg 2 Programme
could be used to satisfy the demands of the people in the area
concerned .

Could the Commission say whether funding is available
under the CSF or Interreg 2 to finance the building of such a
road ?

Answer given by Mr Millan
on behalf of the Commission

( 16 January 1995 )

The transport sub-programme of the programme for the
modernization of infrastructure in the Community support
framework for Portugal 1994 — 1999 makes no specific
provision for a project to construct an alternative road to the
EN - 122 between Mertola and Castro Marim .

However, the programme runs for six years and, depending
on the selection criteria laid down for the ' Internal mobility '
measure, the project could be eligible .

As far as the Interreg II Community Initiative is
concerned, the sub-programme ' improving cross-border
communications ' of the Portuguese section of the joint
proposal with the Spanish authorities includes a measure to
improve access which could also cover this project .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2666 / 94

by Pierre Bernard-Reymond ( PPE )

to the Commission

( 14 December 1994 )

( 95 / C 88 / 68 )

Subject : Implementation of the Directive of 30 November

1989 concerning the minimum safety and health
requirement 's for the workplace

To my knowledge, four countries have not yet begun
implementing Directive 89 / 655 / EEC of 30 November 1989
on the minimum health and safety requirements for the use
of work equipment by workers at work (*). As this situation
could create a serious distortion of competition, does the
Commission envisage reminding these four countries of
their duty ?

In addition, does the Commission have an assessment of the
cost involved in the implementation of this Directive ? If not,
does it intend to make such an assessment ?

0 ) OJ No L 393, 30 . 12 . 1989, p . 13 .

Answer given by Mr Flynn
on behalf of the Commission

( 16 January 1995 )

Three Member States have not yet informed the
Commission of national measures taken to implement
Directive 89 / 655 / EEC concerning the minimum safety and
health requirements for the use of work equipment by
workers at work . Infringement procedures have therefore
been instituted against them under Article 169 of the EC
Treaty .

No C 88 / 34 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 10 . 4 . 95

Article 4 ( 1 ) of the Directive states that the employer must
obtein and / or use work equipment which, if provided to
workers in the undertaking and / or establishment for the
first time after 31 December 1992, complies with the
provisions of any relevant Community Directive which is
applicable and with the minimum requirements laid down in
the Annex, to the extent that no other Community Directive
is applicable or is so only partially .

Work equipment already provided to workers in the
undertaking and / or establishment by 31 December 1992
must comply with the minimum requirements laid down in
the Annex to the Directive no later than four years after that
date .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2675 / 94

by Marie-France Stirbois ( NI )

to the Commission

(6 December 1994 )

(9 SIC 88 / 69 )

Subject : Situation of the beef and veal market in Europe

According to the Court of Auditors, the Union 's budget is
ECU 890 million worse off as a result of imports ( averaging
600 000 tonnes annually ) of beef and veal at a reduced rate
of duties or duty free . We also know that Community
production exceeds demand by 600 000 tonnes per year .

Can the Commission explain why reduced rates are
maintained, contrary to Community preference ?

The Commission has further reduced prices by encouraging
the slaughter of milk cows ; has it taken any action to assist
Community producers ?

Answer given by Mr Steichen

on behalf of the Commission

( 12 January 1995 )

As the Commission pointed out in its replies to the remarks
by the Court of Auditors in its latest report, the
Community 's beef surplus dates only from 1981 .

During the years of shortage from 1960 to 1973, when there
was an average annual shortfall of between 600 000 and
700 000 tonnes, the Community, in line with the objective
of Article 39 of the Treaty, sought to guarantee security of
supply by concluding preferential agreements with a large
number of third countries in the framework of multi-lateral

arrangements bound under GATT . These concessions were
reciprocated with advantages involving other products and

other areas, which explains why, when structural surpluses
arose ( from 1981 ), it was not possible to break the
agreements which had been concluded without a general
re-negotiation and loss of the advantages gained . The period
of shortage ended in 1973, after the Community had been
expanded to include three Member States which were major
beef producers, and as a result of the expectations raised by
the premium systems and the introduction of public
intervention .

While it is true that slaughterings of dairy cows caused by
reductions in milk quotas have from time to time increased
the supply of beef in the short term, it is also true that the fall
in the dairy herd, by reducing the number of calves born, has
helped to stabilize the meat market . In addition, since 1991,
mainly as part of the reform of the common agricultural
policy, a series of measures to control production have been
introduced, as follows :

— imports of calves and young cattle limited to 425 000

head ( in 1990 such imports amounted to 850 000
head );

— individual producer quotas for the suckler cow premium

( intended to curb the growth in the number of suckler
cows ) and regional quotas for the premium for male
animals ;

— a stocking density above which the animals on the

holding are not eligible for premiums . Although the
effect of this was still limited in 1993 it will be felt

increasingly in following years and should encourage
producers to further extensify or disintensify their
farming systems ;

— a weight limit on carcases for intervention .

At the same time as these production control measures, the
reform greatly stepped up direct support to producers in the
form of numerous premiums intended not only to promote
extensification but also, and above all, to make producers
less dependent on price fluctuations . The slaughtering of
dairy cows, which are by-products of milk production and
account for only some 20 % of market supply, has not
contributed to the fall in prices as the Honourable Member
alleges . On the contrary, the fall in the number of dairy
cows, by reducing the number of calves born, has greatly
contributed to the contraction in supply and to the firming
of prices . This trend is likely to continue since, with dairy
cow productivity rising steadily by some 2% a year,
producers will need fewer cows in order to meet their milk

quota .

Lastly, the favourble market trend has made it possible to do
without public intervention since autumn 1993 and to sell
off most of the beef stocks . In mid-December 1994 these

amounted to only 80 000 tonnes as against 1,1 tonnes two
years previously .

10 . 4 . 95 1 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 88 / 35

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2678 / 94

by Giovanni Burtone ( PPE )

to the Commission

(9 December 1994 )

( 95 / C 88 / 70

Subject : Funding in Italy for projects covered by the FIFG

( Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance )

The Finance Committee, set up under Law No 41 of

17 February 1982 by the Italian Ministry for Agricultural,
Food and Forestry Resources reached a decision in October
on how the total sum of Lit 150 bn available under the FIFG

should be distributed .

The Committee decided to give priority to the areas outside
Objective 1 on the grounds that increasing the beneficiaries
share would provide a financial incentive, thereby
stimulating development . The Region of Sicily has had only
three of its projects approved, amounting to little more than
Lit 11 bn ( only 6,8% of the national total ). The projects
rejected include those submitted by the Trapani Consortium
for Fisheries Exploitation and the Rome company
' Ecosfera ', relating in both cases to measures to be carried
out in the provinces of Agrigento and Trapani . They are
considered particularly important by the Region of Sicily,
from both a technical and a financial point of view, and
because they concern areas which account for 35 % of the
Italian fishing industry .

Given the above, can the Commission say whether :

1 . it regards the criteria for the national distribution of
funds as arbitrary, since they penalize Objective 1 areas
on the basis of discriminatory assessments which run
counter to the basic principles governing the Structural
Funds, whose aim is to promote development in the
most disadvantaged areas of the Community ?

2 . it considers the percentage of funding allocated to Sicily
as unfair, given the capacity of the Sicilian fishing
fleet ?

3 . it believes that direct examination of the projects by
the European Union would have resulted in a fairer
assessment of the Sicily projects ?

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission

(6 January 1995 )

The Commission assures the Honourable Member that

distribution of financial assistance from the Financial

Instrument for Fisheries Guidance ( FIFG ) has scrupulously
respected the indications drawn up at the time of the
Edinburgh European Council .

When negotiating with Italy on the Community programme
drawn up by her in accordance with the two Regulations
( EEC ) No 2080 / 93 ( J ) and ( EEC ) No 3699 / 93 ( 2 ) on the
FIFG, the Commission ensured that the basic Regulations
and the principles drawn from the common fisheries policy
would be fully respected in a framework of effective
cooperation and partnership with the national authorities,
with due respect for its own responsibilities and powers .

Allocation within a Member State of the assistance provided
by the FIFG is in fact the responsibility of the national
authorities the Commission would point out to the
Honourable Member that Community legislation on the
Structural Funds, of which the FIFG is one, in fact debars
direct assessment and selection of individual projects .

(!) OJ Nó L 193, 31 . 7 . 1993 .

( 2 ) OJ No L 346, 31 . 12 . 1993 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2682 / 94

by Hiltrud Breyer ( V )

to the Commission

( 14 December 1994 )

( 95 / C 88 / 71 )

Subject : Trans-plantation of foetal tissue

1 . What value does the Commission attach to the Ethical

Guidelines on the trans-plantation of foetal tissue drawn up
as a pledge by Nectar ( Network of European CNS
Trans-plantation and Restoration )?

2 . Are there plans to implement legal measures regulating
transplants of foetal tissue throughout the Union ? If so, how
would these differ from the Nectar guidelines ?

3 . How many times has the trans-plantation of foetal
brain tissue into Parkinson 's disease sufferers been clinically
tested ? In which Member States has this already been tested,
and how many patients were involved ? Which Member
States have already planned such transplants ?

4 . What is the estimated therapeutic success of the
transplants ?

5 . What measures do the Commission and the Member

States intend to take in order to curb the possible trade in
foetal tissue ?

6 . In addition to the project headed by Professor
Bjorklund ( Sweden ), is further research into embryonic or
foetal tissue ( e.g. research into the culture of embryonic

No C 88 / 36 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 10 . 4 . 95

cells, trophic factors, cell lines ) to be sponsored, either as
part of the Biomed Programme or in other ways ?

Answer given by Mrs Cresson

on behalf of the Commission

(9 February 1995 )

1 . The Commission has not taken up a position on the
Ethical Guidelines on the trans-plantation of foetal tissue
drawn up by Nectar .

2 . Issuing regulations on the trans-plantation of foetal
tissue does not fall within the Community 's jurisdiction .

3 . At present there is no systematic register of clinical
tests at European level . As part of the research programme in
the field of biomedicine and health, a research project
initiated in October 1994 on the treatment of Parkinson 's

disease by the trans-plantation of foetal cells provides for
the establishment of a register of clinical tests and a
comparative analysis of the results .

4 . The conclusions of the abovementioned research

project are not yet available .

5 . The Commission encourages discussion at
Community level on the ethical and legal aspects of human
tissue banks . A seminar on this subject was held in The
Hague in November 1994, the report of which will be
published and sent to the Honourable Member .

6 . The Biomed 2 Programme recently launched its first
call for research proposals . Research into embryonic or
foetal tissues is not excluded from the work programme .
The Commission is carefully examining the ethics of this
kind of research . A group of independent experts on the
human embryo and foetus ( HEF ) has recently been set up to
this effect .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2683 / 94

2 . Which of the Network 's programmes are
supported ?

3 . What reasons can the EU give for its support of this
research organization ?

4 . What documentation does the EU receive concerning
Nectar 's activities ( annual reports, congressional
documents, etc )?

5 . From which countries do the research teams involved

in the Nectar network originate ?

Answer given by Mrs Cresson

on behalf of the Commission

(9 February 1995 )

1 . The Commission supports two three-year research
projects carried out by Nectar, one since December 1993 for
an amount of ECU 200 000 and the other since October

1994 for an amount of ECU 350 000 .

2 . The first research project is on the treatment of
Huntington 's disease through the trans-plantation of foetal
brain cells . The other project deals with the treatment of
Parkinson 's disease through the trans-plantation of foetal
brain cells .

3 . These projects tie in with the objective of the Biomed 1
work programme ( research in the field of biomedicine and
health ).

4 . Each project is subject to an annual report . Final
reports will be submitted at the end of the project .

5 . T earns from the following Member States are working
on the first project : Germany, France, the Netherlands,
Sweden and the United Kingdom .

Teams from the following Member States are working on
the second project : Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Spain,
France, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United
Kingdom .

by Hiltrud Breyer ( V ) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2719 / 94

to the Commission
by Christine Crawley ( PSE )

( 16 December 1994 ) to the Commission

( 95 / C 88 / 72 ) ( 16 December 1994 )

95 / C 88 / 73

Subject : Network of European CNS Trans-plantation and

Restoration

1 . How long has the EU supported the Network of
European CNS Trans-plantation and Restoration ( Nectar ),
and what is the amount of this support ?

Subject : Student loss of benefits on Euroform-funded

course

Is the Commission aware that young trainees on a
Euroform-funded Historic Building Restoration course are

10 . 4 . 95 | EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 88 / 37

actively discouraged by the UK 's social welfare system from
making the most of their course ? The South Birmingham
College has set up European partnerships for this successful
and important course . Students training on other courses on
the TEC-administered Training for Work programme
receive a training allowance and can travel in Europe as part
of their course without loss of allowance . However,
students on the Historic Building Restoration course remain
' unemployed ' and receive no allowance but are in receipt of
unemployment benefit . If they travel abroad ( for two weeks
on this course ) they lose their entitlement . Does the
Commission feel that students are disadvantaged by this and
would the Commission comment with reference to the spirit
of a Unified Europe ?

Answer given by Mr Flynn
on behalf of the Commission

( 17 February 1995 )

The Commission has discussed this matter on several

occasions with the United Kingdom authorities responsible
for the implementation of the Euroform Community
initiative ( Department of Employment ) in the context of
transnational trainee mobility founded via the European
social fund .

The Commission has been informed that the British

Government view is that the payment of allowances to
trainees whilst undertaking a course supported by the
European social fund is an eligible item of expenditure, and
the guidance issued to potential applicants makes this clear .
It is, in the government 's view, the responsibility of the
applicant organization to take this into account when the
application is submitted .

The Commission is aware of problems which can arise in
relation to loss of certain benefits by trainees when
undertaking training abroad ( e.g. housing benefit ), and
encourages project organizers to tke this into account when
planning traineeships abroad and advising potential
participants . The Commission remains committed to the
aim of promoting trans-national trainee experience within
the Community initiatives, although certain Member States,
in view of the overall scale of activity and available budget,
give higher priority within their operational programmes to
mobility for other target groups such as trainers .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2727 / 94

by Anne André-Léonard ( ELDR ),
Wilmya Zimmermann ( PSE ) and Maartje van Putten

( PSE )

to the Commission

( 16 December 1994 )

( 95 / C 88 / 74 )

Subject : Follow-up to the UN International Conference

on Population and Development ( ICPD,
5-13 September 1994 in Cairo )

At the Cairo Conference on Population and Development,
the European Union committed itself to increase the budget
for projects on population-related issues to ECU 300 million
by the year 2000 .

How will this increase be implemented during the next five
years ?

Which projects and programmes are foreseen in the coming
years in the countries of Asia, Latin America, the
Mediterranean, the Middle East and the African, Caribbean
and Pacific countries ?

Answer given by Mr Marin
on behalf of the Commission

(6 February 1995 )

At the International Conference on Population and
Development held on 5-13 September 1994 in Cairo the
Community did not set a precise figure for total aid by the
15-strong Community for population-related projects in the
year 2000 . The Commission does however, in its
communication to the Council and Parliament, propose to
significantly increase the amount of aid allocated to
population-related issues (*). To that end, it will suggest to
the Council and to Parliament that the amount of aid be

stepped up to ECU 300 million between now and the year
2000 by means of transfers and increases in the appropriate
budget headings on condition that Community partners
from developing countries put forward enough projects to
merit the increase .

Total expenditure to be covered partly by the EDF and
partly by the budget, is expected to rise from ECU 100
million in 1995 through ECU 140 million in 1996, ECU 180
million in 1997, ECU 220 million in 1998 an ECU 260
million in 1999 to ECU 300 in the year 2000 .

The Commission already has some projects planned for

1995 in Egypt, Syria, Morocco, and Bangladesh . It will
redouble its efforts to develop others in Asia, Latin America
and the Mediterranean, as well as in the ACP countries,

No C 88 / 38 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 10 . 4 . 95

within the framework of the programming missions for the

8th EDF .

(M COM(94 ) 100 final .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2733 / 94

by Kirsten Jensen ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 16 December 1994 )

( 95 / C 88 / 75 )

Subject : Infant formulae

Experts say that there is no guarantee that partially
hydrolyzed products can be consumed without risk by
persons suffering from allergies .

1 . Has the Commission taken account of the fact that with
Directive 91 / 321 / EEC i 1 ), it is possible to market
partiajlly hydrolyzed products with labelling such as
' reduced allergy content ' or ' hypoallergenic ', with the
result that the consumer could be misled into thinking
that tjhe product is actually suitable for persons with
allergies ?

2 . Can the Commission guarantee that there is no health
risk to persons with allergies who take these partially
hydrolyzed products ?

i 1 ) OJ No L 175, 4 . 7 . 1991, p . 35 .

Answer given by Mr Bangemann

on behalf of the Commission

(9 February 1995 )

Directive 91 / 321 / EEC on infant formulae and follow-on

formulae does not permit the marketing of products
containing hydrolyzed proteins and bearing claims such as
' hypoallefgenic ' or ' reduced allergen content '.

The Commission is currently discussing with Member States
a draft amendment to the Directive in order to allow such
marketing and claims . The draft is based on the report (*) of
the scientific committee for food and includes, in line with
that report, the specifications which products should meet
in order to be able to bear the above claims .

It should be stressed that these products would not be
intended for people allergic to milk proteins .

( ! ) Food-science and techniques-reports of the scientific committee

for food ( 28th Series, EUR 14452 ).

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2752 / 94

by Fernand Herman ( PPE )

to the Commission

( 13 December 1994 )

( 95 / C 88 / 76 )

Subject : Combining the office of Commissioner with an

elective office

Commissioners, who are chosen for their general
competence ' shall, in the general interest of the
Communities, be completely independent in the
performance of their duties '. ( Article 10 of the Treaty of
Brussels, known as the Single European Act ).

Consequently,

1 . is it permissible for European Commissioners to hold an
elective office at the same time as their European
office ?

2 . can Commissioners stand as candidates for elective

office while they hold the office of Commissioner ?

Answer given by Mr Santer
on behalf of the Commission

(1 February 1995 )

1 . Newly appointed Members of the Commission have
always, of their own accord, desisted from professional
activities and given up elective offices whose importance
would be such as either to restrict the time available for the

performance of their duties on the Commission or to create
a risk of a conflict of loyalty which might cast doubt on their
complete independence or compromise the general interest
of the Community, as stated in Article 157(2 ) of the EC
Treaty .

The Commission has therefore never had to deal with any
case which raised difficulties in this respect .

In answer to parliamentary questions, however, it has stated
the view that the office of Member of the Commission

would be incompatible with that of a Member of the
European Parliament ( a ) or a national parliament ( 2 ), but
not, in principle, with that of a local government councillor
( Written Questions Nos 657 / 73 and 54 / 74 ) ( 3 ).

2 . As regards Members of the Commission standing for
election, the practice is to regard the performance of the
duties of a Member of the Commission as incompatible with
campaigning for election to a national parliament or the
European Parliament . Consequently, where a Member of
the Commission is standing for election, he or she takes no

10 . 4 . 95 | EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 88 / 39

part in the work of the Commission as long during the
campaign ( 4 ).

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2763 / 94

by Joaquín Sisó Cruellas ( PPE )

to the Commission

f 1 ) This point is in any case ' specifically covered by ' Article 6(1 ) of

the Act the election of the ( 21 December 1994 )

the Act concerning the election of representatives to the
European Parliament by direct universal suffrage .

( 95 / C 88 / 78 )

Subject : Age-related discrimination in employment

The rapid ageing of the European population is giving rise to
new problems, one of which is age-related discrimination in
employment, with respect to recruitment and training .

Does the Commission intend to adopt measures to eliminate
age-related discrimination in recruitment and training ? If so,
what measures will be involved ?

Could legislation on the matter be introduced at Union
level ?

Answer given by Mr Flynn
on behalf of the Commission

(6 February 1995 )

The Commission 's white paper ' European social policy — a
way forward for the Union ' ( J ) emphasizes the importance
of the economic and social role of older people and promises
further proposals for action in this field . There is, however,
no specific competence for adoption of binding legislation in
the matter of age discrimination at Community level . The
Commission is aware of this issue and has sponsored a
number of initiatives, including a major study, on the effects
of age discrimination .

(M COM(94 ) 333 final .

( 2 ) Oral question H-437 / 84 by Mr Lomas . Proceedings of the

European Parliament 320 / 84 .

( 3 ) OJ No C 39, 6 . 4 . 1974 ; OJ No C 97, 16 . 8 . 1974 .

( 4 ) See inter alia the answers to Written Questions Nos 124 / 68 ( OJ

No C 83, 23 . 8 . 1968 ) and 858 / 76 ( OJ No C 70, 21 . 3 .
1977 ).

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2756 / 94

by Lyndon Harrison ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 21 December 1994 )

{ 95 / C 88 / 77 )

Subject : Biennial review of excise within the European

Union

To help implement the first of the biennial reviews called for
by Article 8 of Directive 92 / 84 / EEC ( J ), the Commission has
called for two pieces of research to be conducted by Groupe
Bossard and Price Waterhouse . One consultancy is dealing
with cross-border shopping by individuals and the other
with determining whether competition between drinks
categories exists and, if it does, examining whether excise in
any way influences that competition .

Both reports will contribute directly to the on-going public
debate about the excisability of alcoholic beverages .

Is the Commission able to confirm that the reports of both
consultancies will be in the public domain and, if so, to
indicate when the publication of both texts can be
expected ?

(!) OJ No L 316, 31 . 10 . 1992, p . 29 .

Answer given by Mr Monti WRITTEN QUESTION E-2768 / 94
on behalf of the Commission by Carmen Diez de Rivera Icaza ( PSE )

(8 February 1995 ) to the Commission

( 21 December 1994 )

( 95 / C 88 / 79 )
The Commission does not envisage formal publication of
the reports .

However, copies of both have already been sent to the
Parliament .

Subject : UN framework convention on climate change

Can the Commission state which Member States have so far

ratified this convention ?

No C 88 / 40 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 10 . 4 . 95

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard

on behalf of the Commission

( 14 February 1995 )

about 5 160 families in total ( i.e. about 38 000
people ).

With the exception of Belgium all the Member States have
ratified the UN framework convention on climate

change .
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2777 / 94

by James Moorhouse ( PPE )

to the Commission

(9 January 1995 )
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2770 / 94

( 95 / C 88 / 82

by Carmen Diez de Rivera Icaza ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 21 December 1994 )

( 95 / C 88 / 80 )

Subject : The Espoo Convention

Can the Commission state which Member States have

ratified this convention ?

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard

on behalf of the Commission

Subject : Pan - Am Integrated Rural Development Project

When was the Pan - Am Rural Development Project for Tibet
given final approval by the EU Commission ?

Answer given by Sir Leon Brittan

on behalf of the Commission

(7 February 1995 )

(7 February 1995 ). The Pan           - Am rural integrated development project was
officially approved by the Commission on 11 November

1994, following unanimous approval by the Member States
As at 9 January 1995, Spain, Austria and Sweden are the on 19 October 1994 .
only Member States to have ratified the Espoo Convention
on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary
Context .

The Community and the other Member States are currently
in the final stages of introducing the measures needed to
ratify this Convention . WRITTEN QUESTION E-2778 / 94

by James Moorhouse ( PPE )

to the Commission

(9 January 1995 )

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2776 / 94 ( 95 / C 88 / 83 )

by James Moorhouse ( PPE )

to the Commission

(9 January 1995 )

( 95 / C 88 / 81 )

Subject : Pan-Am Integrated Rural Development Project

Subject : Pan-Am Integrated Rural Development Project

When will the Pan - Am Rural Development Project in Tibet
formally commence ?

How many people in the Pan - Am area of Tibet will benefit
from the Pan - Am Rural Development Project ? Answer on behalf given of by the Sir Commission Leon Brittan

Answer given by Sir Leon Brittan

on behalf of the Commission

( 10 February 1995 )

The project will benefit 1 450 families within the
irrigation scheme itself ( i.e. about 10 000 people ) and

(7 February 1995 )

The financing agreement to be concluded between the
Commission and China has not yet been signed . Only when
this has been done can the project begin .

10 . 4 . 95 LJN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 88 / 41

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2780 / 94

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2788 / 94

José Apolinârio ( PSE ) by Karl-Heinz Florenz ( PPE )

to the Commission to the Commission

by José Apolinârio ( PSE )

to the Commission

(9 January 1995 )

(9 January 1995 )

( 95 / C 88 / 84 ( 95 / C 88 / 85 )

Subject : Euro Info Centres and the business sector Subject : Plant protection product exports

Does not the Commission feel that it would be preferable if
the Euro Info Centres were sited in premises other than
official administrative buildings of the Member States ? How
does it explain the fact that, according to the list of Euro Info
Centres for 1993 / 94 distributed by the Commission ( DG
XXIII ), the Euro Info Centre PT-506 is located in a public
administration building and not in a building housing a
business or business finance or support organization ( such
as PT-505 or PT-508 for example )?

To which central and eastern European countries have plant
protection products been supplied using funds from the
Phare Programme ? What quantities have been supplied ( in
tonnes per annum by country ) and what steps are taken to
ensure that the products are appropriately stored and
used ?

Answer given by Mr Van den Broek

on behalf of the Commission

(6 February 1995 )
Answer given by Mr Papoutsis

on behalf of the Commission

( 10 February 1995 )

The premises housing the Euro Info Centres ( EICs ) which
currently form the network were selected following an
invitation to tender published in the Official Journal at the
start of 1989 .

Various criteria were taken into consideration, such as
knowledge of the local and regional SME situation and
diversity of the buildings housing the Centres, so that all
types of information outlet would be properly represented
and an even, dense geographical spread achieved . As the
Honourable Member of Parliament points out, certain EICs
have thus been housed in private-sector buildings ( consular,
business and banking premises ) and others in public
administration buildings ( regional or national ). The varied
status of the premises housing the Centres and the
consequently diverse nature of the network have proved an
undeniable asset . Moreover, even where they are located in
private-sector buildings, the EICs have, by virtue of their
contract, a ' public service ' role .

As regards the particular case of the EIC in Faro, the only
applicant for the Algarve region, this EIC is one of the most
active members in the Portuguese network . Its managers
have developed a dynamic strategy enabling them to reach
businesses through personal visits, targetted mailshots and
other personalized information products . As a member of
the BC-Net and BRE networks, this EIC is also very active in
seeking business partners and cooperation opportunities for
businesses in the region .

The extensive Community support through the Phare
Programme to central and eastern European countries
includes supplies of crop protection chemicals to some of the
partner states, namely Poland, Bulgaria and Albania . These
supplies were necessary at the time because of the specific
need to protect local agricultural production . Indeed, during
the first stages of economic transformation, in many
countries the regular supply of essential agricultural inputs
was disturbed and sporadic external assistance was
provided by Community and other donors . Since then,
Phare ressources have been mainly used for the provision of
technical assistance and investment in the various priority
sectors defined by the partner countries strengthening the
restructuring process . All crop protection chemicals
supplied in the Phare Programme were distributed in
agreement with the FAO International Code for the
distribution and use of pesticides and were approved for use
in the Member States of the Community .

In 1990 the Community agreed with the Polish authorities a
programme for the supply and internal distribution of crop
protection chemicals, including technical assistance to
ensure adequate use and stockage and the reinforcement of
the local capacity to reduce and monitor the impact of
pesticide use on the environment . Under the 1990 Phare
Programme for Poland, 6 000 tons of crop protection
chemicals, to a value of ECU 47 million, were imported and
distributed ( in 1990 ) in the Polish countryside to protect the
four main arable crops ( cereals, potatoes, sugar beet and
rape ) and thus stop the disastrous decline in food
production . The supply, distribution and use of the
pesticides were accompanied by a series of actions :

— Establishment of a team to monitor and control the

progress of the programme and provide an ' early
warning system ' in case of difficulties ;

No C 88 / 42 f EN Official Journal of the European Communities 10 . 4 . 95

— Training of trainers for farmers and distribution of

technical materials for pesticides use ;

— Training of new entrepreneurs for the development of a

new, market-based agrochemical distribution system ;

— Supply of scientific equipment and scientific cooperation

with specialized institutes in western Europe to reinforce
the Polish capacity to monitor and reduce the
accumulation of pesticide residues in the air, water and
land .

In the second quarter of 1991, 1 000 tons of pesticides have
been supplied to Bulgaria to a value of ECU 5 million . They
have been received and controlled by the state department of
plant protection products . Distribution has been
implemented by seven companies authorized by the
government and specialized in trade with plant protection
and veterinary products . The same companies were in
charge of the proper storage usually required for this type of
input . No specific technical assistance has been provided as
the products supplied were usually applied and well-known
in Bulgaria .

During 1992, the Community supplied 214 tons of
pesticides to Albania to a value of ECU 2 million . The
request was determined on the basis of the types of crops
grown in the country, the need to maximise domestic
production previously imported, and the types of pesticides
the Albanian authorities and farmers were capable of using
legally, responsibly and safely . About 100 specialists are
officially authorized by the Albanian Government to sell
pesticides provided they follow the strict rules defined by
local authorities . The Community pesticides have been
properly and safely stocked and have been supplied with
labels written in Albanian, indicating composition,
instructions for users, safety rules and caution notice .

increase the number of tyre-collection companies to 50 . The
Commission has concluded that this is not a case of State aid

within the meaning of Article 92(1 ) of the Treaty and that
the Danish initiative is consistent with Community law .

Will the Commission extend this action to the whole

European Union to reduce the number of tyres which end up
on tips, encourage tyre-collection companies in the twelve
Member States and encourage the creation of new jobs ?

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard

on behalf of the Commission

( 13 February 1995 )

The strategy for waste management ( ) together with the
Council resolution of 7 May 1990 on waste policy ( 2 ) and
Council Directive 91 / 156 / EEC of 18 March 1991 ( 3 )
amending Directive 75 / 442 / EEC ( 4 ) on waste formed the
basis of a study by a Working Party on Used Tyres . The
Working Party has sent the Commission a report
recommending an overall approach to the problem rather
than the introduction of a charge on the sale of new

tyres .

The Commission is currently considering what action to
take on the report .

(!) SEC(89 ) 934 final .

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

( 3 ) OJ No L 78, 26 . 3 . 1991 .

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

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2822 / 94

by Giuseppe Rauti ( NI )
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2791 / 94 to the Commission

by Alexandros Alavanos ( GUE )

( 11 January 1995 )

to the Commission ( 95 / C 88 / 87 )

(9 January 1995 )

{9 SIC 88 / 86 )

Subject : Measures against child prostitution

Subject : Community tyre re-cycling initiative

To ensure that fewer used car-tyres end up on tips and that
they are collected and re-cycled, the Danish Government has
introduced a very small environmental tax on tyre sales to
support companies which collect and re-cycle used tyres . It
is estimated that the scheme, which guarantees a reasonable
profit for companies collecting used tyres, will raise the
proportion of tyres re-cycled from 35 % to 80 % and

Is the Commission aware of the increasingly frequent press
reports, new books, conferences and meetings — organized
in particular by religious organizations — on child
prostitution in Third-World countries and elsewhere, which
is always linked to poverty and adverse social conditions
( from Brazil to eastern Europe ).

It is estimated that every year throughout the world a further
one million children aged between 8 and 15 years old ( and

10 . 4 . 95 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 88 / 43

even some aged between four and five-years old ) are led into
prostitution . Along the ' street of sex ' in Patpong ( Bangkok )
child prostitution is blatant and it has been said that the
children concerned ' are women at ten, old at 20 and dead at
30 ', one of the reasons being that pimps use drugs and
alcohol to ensure that their sordid business is as profitable as
possible . There are even travel agencies which almost
explicitly sell ' tourist packages ' offering ' thrills ' of this kind
in South-East Asia and South America, and it is estimated
that in Thailand alone 800 000 adolescents and children are

involved and are exploited ruthlessly .

Bearing this in mind, does the Commission appreciate how
complex and serious the problem is ? Does it have any
statistics on the subject or, in any case, is it monitoring the
situation ? Finally, what measures does it intend to take
against this worldwide crime to which no one should remain
indifferent ?

Answer given by Mrs Gradin
on behalf of the Commission

improving cooperation in various fields, including the trade
in human beings . The steps envisaged go from the extension
of liaison officers ' responsibilities to the establishment of a
manual on the legal provisions and the administrative rules
applicable in the various Member States .

Furthermore, work is under way in the relevant Council
working party to identify potential weaknesses in police
cooperation in combating the trade in human beings .

Moreover, countries which ratify the Convention on the
Rights of the Child ( adopted in November 1989 and ratified
by over 160 countries, including Thailand ) undertake to
protect children against all forms of sexual exploitation and
abuse, and to take the appropriate steps to ensure that
children are not encouraged or forced to take up illegal
sexual activities and are not exploited through prostitution
or other illegal sexual practices .

(9 February 1995 ) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2833 / 94

by Raymonde Dury ( PSE )

to the Commission

The Commission is aware of the worrying development of
child prostitution networks, particularly in countries
suffering from poverty and worsening social conditions .

These principles were reaffirmed in the action programme
adopted by the June 1993 world conference on human
rights, which outlined, among other things, the steps which
should be taken to combat child prostitution, child
pornography and other forms of sexual abuse .

However, the Commission has no powers of its own to take
or propose measures to directly combat this phenomenon .
Judicial and police cooperation in criminal matters is among

the subjects of common interest which Member States
discuss in the Council with a view to coordinating their
action, but the Commission has no right of initiative .

At their meeting in November 1993, the Ministers for
Justice and Home Affairs put combating the trade in human

beings and prostitution on their work programme for 1994 .
At the same time, they adopted a series of recommendations
aimed at heightening diplomatic authorities ' awareness of
this scourge and strengthening the role of liaison officers in
the Member States or non-member countries where these

prostitution networks originate, so as to encourage
exchanges of information .

At the Berlin meeting of the Ministers of Justice and Home
Affairs of the Member States, the applicant countries and
the countries of central and eastern Europe, held on

8 September 1994, it was decided to look at ways of

( 11 January 1995 )

( 95 / C 88 / 88 )

Subject : Discrimination in recruitment

During administrative tests, prior to training, for people
applying to become air hostesses, an applicant was called for
interview by the personnel department of Sabena, the
Belgian airline . At the end of the interview, she asked how
she had done . The answer she received was that the

interview had gone well and that her slight lack of practice in
Dutch would not prevent her from being recruited .
However . . . her ' stature ', which was described ( with
gestures to back it up !) as ' massive ', barred her completely
from the job .

Could the Commission investigate this discrimination in
recruitment practised by Sabena ? If the facts turn out to be
correct, what steps does the Commission propose to
take ?

Answer given by Mr Flynn
on behalf of the Commission

( 10 February 1995 )

The Commission regrets that an applicant for air hostess
training should be rejected in the manner described .

No C 88 / 44 | EN | Official Journal of the European Communities 10 . 4 . 95

As this rejection was not based on different selection criteria
for men and women in a form likely to contravene the
relevant provisions of Community law, this type of
discrimination in access to training is a matter for the
national law of Member States .

As Community law does not contain specific provisions in
this field, the Commission is unable to take any action .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2840 / 94

by Jaak Vandemeulebroucke ( ARE )

to the Commission

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2843 / 94

by Jaak Vandemeulebroucke ( ARE )

to the Commission

( 11 January 1995 )

( 95 / C 88 / 90 )

Subject : Projects funded under the LEDA Programme

I should like an overview of the activities carried out under

the LEDA Programme in the years 1992 — 1994, broken
down by Member State and accompanied by descriptions of
the various projects . What was the budget for each ?

Answer given by Mr Flynn
( 11 January 1995 ) on behalf of the Commission
( 95 / C 88 / 89 )
( 10 February 1995 )

Subject : ESF accounting system

The local employment development action ( LEDA )
Programme does not provide direct project funding, but
finances activities such as mini-circuits on specific themes,

the findings in the Annual Report of the experts ' visits, international meetings, a range of
concerning the financial year 1993, will publications, and local development instruments . So far the
impose requirements on public vocational major local development instruments are the LEDA
in the Member States with the aim of

management development programme helping local

accounting system specific to the ESF ? practititioners launch new projects and manage

programmes, the LEDA school ( an annual international
foundation course for practioners from LEDA and other
areas ), and the LEDA practical manual (a tool for local
employment creation ).

Answer given by Mr Flynn
on behalf of the Commission

On the basis of the findings in the Annual Report of the
Court of Auditors concerning the financial year 1993, will
the Commission impose requirements on public vocational
training institutions in the Member States with the aim of
developing an accounting system specific to the ESF ?

In the years 1992 — 1994 five mini-circuits with networking
( 16 February 1995 ) activities of an average duration of two years have examined
the process of local labour market management culture and
development, solutions for long-term unemployed, the
issues of re-structuring of traditional industries and the role

accounting systems used by public of social actors in local development . The annual LEDA
training and in view of the subsidiarity school was organized in 1992 in Aidipsos ( Greece ) on
does not intend to oblige development of human resources and SMEs, in 1993 in
implement a general European Social Estepa ( Spain ) on local diversification strategies, and in

In view of the various accounting systems used by public
bodies for vocational training and in view of the subsidiarity
principle, the Commission does not intend to oblige
Member States to implement a general European Social
Fund ( ESF ) accounting system .

It is, however, important that accounting systems ensure
that the information necessary for management, monitoring
and reporting purposes is consistently collected . Accounting
systems of public bodies sometimes only partially meet
specific ESF needs . This point is regularly subject to control
after which recommendations are made by the Commission .
The way in which Member States meet these
recommendations is their responsibility .

1994 in Leeuwaarden ( Netherlands ) on the management of
local development process .

The LEDA Programme has a annual budget of ECU 2
million . Its 42 pilot zones are in all Member States, except
Luxembourg . In the period covered, regions from the new
Nordic Member States and Norway as well as from eastern
and central Europe have held associate status . A map of the
LEDA network is sent to the Honourable Member and to

the Secretariat-General of the Parliament .

10 . 4 . 95 LEN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 88 / 45

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2854 / 94

by Glyn Ford ( PSE )

to the Commission

( 16 January 1995 )

( 95 / C 88 / 91 )

Subject : Sale of tortoise shell in Rangoon

Has the Commission made representations to the Burmese
authorities about the fact that in Rangoon there are large
quantities of tortoise shell to be found on open sale ?

1 . Can the Commission confirm that it will meet the above

deadline ? If not, what are the obstacles involved ?

2 . What grounds will the Commission give for those of its

proposals which were put forward by industry ? When
will it forward the relevant studies to Parliament ?

3 . Do these studies»cover all technologies currently being
developed by European industry ?

4 . When will the Commission inform Parliament about the

current state of progress as regards the definition of new
limit values ?

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard (!) OJ No L 100, 19 . 4 . 1994, p . 42 .

on behalf of the Commission

(9 February 1995 )

The Commission has no information on the sale of tortoise

shells in Rangoon .

International trade in four tortoise species occurring in
Myanmar is subject to the provisions applying to Appendix
II of the convention on international trade in endangered
species of wild fauna and flora ( Cites ), namely : Geochelone
platynota, Indotestudo elongata, Manouria emys and
Manouria impressa .

Under the provisions of Article lO.l.b ) of Council
Regulation ( EEC ) No 3626 / 82 ( J ), imports into the
Community of the latter two species have been prohibited
since 1987 . Trade in the other two species is subject to the
issue of an import permit .

It should be noted that Cites only regulates international
trade and that Myanmar is not a party to that
convention .

0 ) OJ No L 384, 31 . 12 . 1982 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2876 / 94

by Bernd Lange ( PSE )

to the Commission

(4 January 1995 )

( 95 / C 88 / 92 )

Subject : Forthcoming essential EU legislation against air

pollution by emissions from motor vehicles —
stage to be reached by the year 2000

Directive 94 / 12 / EC (*) of the European Parliament and the
Council of 23 March 1994 stipulates that the Commission
shall submit by 31 December 1994 proposals for achieving
substantial reductions in emissions from motor vehicles .

Answer given by Mr Bangemann

on behalf of the Commission

(8 February 1995 )

Directive 94 / 12 / EC of 23 March 1994 established new

stringent emission limit values for new passenger cars
approved from 1996 . The Directive also stipulated in
Article 4 that the next stage of the Community 's measures
against emissions from motor vehicles to be enforced after
the year 2000, will be based on a new multi-faceted
approach . Under this approach, measures will be designed
to produce effects meeting the requirements of the
Community 's future air quality criteria and will be based on
a comprehensive assessment of their cost effectiveness in
reducing emissions from motor vehicles .

In order to prepare the forthcoming proposal, the auto / oil
programme has been set up . This programme, a unique
collaboration between the Commission and the automobile
and petroleum industries, is examining inter alia the effects
on emissions resulting from the reformulation of fuels and
new engine technologies through different activities . An
important part of this evaluation of effects will be provided
by the results of a vehicle and fuel testing programme
currently being carried out by the two industries . The
proposal will also be based on air quality modelling and will
cover all the technologies developed by the European
industry as listed in Article 4 of Directive 94 / 21 / EC . An
examination of non-technical measures, and the potential
contribution that these could make to reducing emissions, is
also being undertaken .

The industry testing programme will be completed soon and
the full results presented to the Commission by March 1 995 .
At the same time, the air quality modelling component of the
programme and an assessment of the cost effectiveness of
the potential contributing measures to reducing noxious
pollutants from passenger cars are being finalized . The
Commission will review the results of the programme in the

No C 88 / 46 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 10 . 4 . 95

second quarter of 1995 with a view to presenting a proposal
to the Council and the Parliament in the third quarter .

A meeting with Parliament representatives took place on
23 January 1995 with a view to presenting the status of the
work already accomplished in the framework of the auto / oil

programme

3 . Once a proposal has been finalized and approved by
the Commission, the Community institutions will be
formally consulted during the second half of 1995 in
accordance with the procedures for the adoption of a
Council Decision .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-9 / 95

by Clive Needle ( PSE )

to the Commission
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2889 / 94

by Maria Colombo Svevo ( PPE )

to the Commission

( 16 January 1995 )

( 19 January 1995 )

( 95 / C 88 / 94 )

( 95 / C 88 / 93 ) Subject : Child prostitution

Subject : Fourth action programme on equal opportunities

for women and men

The abovementioned programme is of crucial importance,
particularly during a period of serious employment and
social problems which tend to hit women hardest . There is
relatively little time in which to draw up the programme as it
is scheduled to enter into force on 1 January 1996 .

1 . Can the Commission report on the progress of
proceedings and inform Parliament whether a working
document on the programme in question has already
been drawn up ?

2 . Can it state whether and how it intends to involve the

European Parliament in the proceedings for drawing up
the actual programme ?

What steps are being taken by the Commission with regard
to the widespread child prostitution in Thailand and the
Philippines ?

Answer given by Mrs Gradin
on behalf of the Commission

( 23 February 1995 )

The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its
answer to Written Question No 2822 / 94 ( x ).

0 ) See page 42 of this Official Journal .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-12 / 95

Answer given by Mr Flynn by Terence Wynn ( PSE )
on behalf of the Commission to the Commission

( 13 February 1995 ) ( 19 January 1995 )

( 95 / C 88 / 95 )

1 . The Commission agrees with the Honourable
Member about the importance of the future fourth
programme on equal opportunities for men and women in
the present context of far-reaching socio-economic change .
Preparation of the programme thus necessitates careful
consideration, a process which is now in progress . The
Commission is actively involved in drawing up the main
guidelines for the programme .

2 . Informal discussions on this subject will be held
with the most closely concerned bodies, including the
European Parliament 's Committee on Women 's Rights . A
Commission document will serve as a basis for these

discussions .

Subject : Tobacco

According to the information published in the Zambian
Financial Mail of 1 9 April 1 994, the European Development
Fund is financing projects to support tobacco growers in

Zambia and Malawi .

1 . Is this information correct ?

2 . If this infomation is correct, how much has been
allocated to this and does the Commission feel that it is

the role of the European Union to support such projects
in developing countries ?

10 . 4 . 95 I EN 1 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 88 / 47

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro

WRITTEN QUESTION E-30 / 95

on behalf of the Commission

by Erika Mann ( PSE )
( 10 February 1995 ) to the Commission

( 12 January 1995 )

( 95 / C 88 / 96 )

The European Development Fund ( EDF ) is financing a
project to support export development in Zambia . This
project consists of a ECU 5 million credit facility available to
producer associations of four specific sectors in Zambia
with export potential, including the tobacco sector and an
equivalent amount for the supply inter alia of technical
assistance to promote the further export development of
these four sectors, but also the identification and promotion
of other sectors with export growth potential .

The sectors chosen for assistance under this project were
those offering the best possibilities to generate additional
exports and having strong producer associations . Tobacco
is a long established export crop and an important cash
crop . While tobacco production in Zambia had been in
decline, climatically and agriculturally Zambia has a high
potential to produce large quantities of excellent quality
tobacco . Given the world demand for the Virginia
flue-cured tobacco and Burley tobacco produced by
Zambia, there is no reason to exclude financial assistance to
the tobacco sector in Zambia . Community imports of these
tobaccos have grown during the last five years and the
alternative to supply by ACP States, including Zambia,
would be to increase the opportunities available to US and
Brazilian production .

Subject : Anti-dumping proceeding concerning Portland

cement originating in Poland, the Czech Republic
and the Slovak Republic i 1 )

The anti-dumping proceeding was initiated by the
Bundesverband der deutschen Zementindustrie ( Federal
Association of the German Cement Industry ). The
Commission is currently conducting extensive
investigations among cement manufacturers in the countries
concerned and in Germany .

1 . What implications would the imposition of punitive

duties have particularly for SMEs among the cement
manufacturers in the countries concerned, and could it
not run counter to the EU 's general aim of promoting the
market economy transformation process and structural
change in these countries ?

2 . Can the conflict not also be resolved under the trade

agreements concluded with the countries concerned ?

3 . The Commission recently imposed heavy fines on EU

enterprises participating in a cement cartel . Are the
directorates-general involved in the anti-dumping and
cartel proceedings working together or independently of
one another ?

The EDF financed in 1986 in Malawi the North-West
(!) OJ No C 117, 28 . 4 . 1994 .
Mzimpba flue-cured tobacco project, a five-year
programme worth ECU 4,8 million for the training and
settlement of 400 small-holders . The aim was to extend to

small-holders the production of flue-cured Virginia
tobacco, to boost income and living standards in an area of Answer given by
very low development, and to favour the diversification on behalf of
from Burley tobacco . (6

Answer given by Mr Van den Broek

on behalf of the Commission

(6 February 1995 )

The project was concluded and its result achieved . Since
funds are still available under this project, they are currently
used to foster the re-forestation programme and reduce the
environmental consequences of tobacco curing .

Since 1986 no other programme in support of tobacco has
been funded and there are no plans to do so in future . One of
the aims of the EDF programmes in Malawi is the
diversification of exports . Other donors ( Usaid, WB ) are
implementing programmes to increase tobacco production,
since this is perceived as the only short-term solution to
improve small-holders ' revenues .

Since the proceedings have not yet been concluded, the
Commission is not in a position to reply to the specific
questions . However, in a more general fashion the following
can be said :

1 . There are no small or medium-sized producers or

exporters involved in the proceedings . In any event,
negative effects on the economic transformation process
in the countries concerned are not expected . The aim of
any anti-dumping measure is to restore fair competition,
which is a basic condition for an economically sound
re-structuring process .

Furthermore, as far as overall trade between the
Community and these countries is concerned, the level
of exports affected by the proceeding is minimal ( 0,8 %
of total exports from Poland, 1,5 % from the Czech
Republic and 2,5 % from the Slovak Republic ).

No C 88 / 48 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 10 . 4 . 95

In this respect it may also be noted that the present
proceedings are qualified as a ' regional case ', that is, it
concerning only part of the Community market . In
accordance with the basic anti-dumping legislation of
the Community Council Regulation ( EC )
No 3283 / 94 ( 1 ), the exporters concerned will therefore
be given the opportunity to offer price undertakings,
which, when accepted, will avoid the imposition of
anti-dumping duties . A general consequence of
undertakings is that they enable the companies
concerned to retain the full revenue of the export sales,
which might be even higher than that received during the
period of dumped exports .

2 . The present proceedings are being conducted in full
conformity with the agreements concluded between the
Community and the countries concerned . These
agreements contain provisions regarding dumping
matters, which generally do not lend themselves to a
different approach from that provided for in the
Uruguay Round agreement, which is duly reflected in
Community anti-dumping legislation .

3 . With reference to the recent Commission Decision to

fine Community cement producers, it should be noted
that the Commission, when deciding in anti-dumping
proceedings, takes into account the aspects of
competition within the Community which may be
relevant to its findings on injury suffered by Community
industry or inflicted on the interests of the
Community .

With regard to the specific Decision cited, an
examination is now taking place to establish if, or to
what extent, the decision to fine some companies or
organizations involved in the anti-dumping proceedings
concerning cement, might affect these proceedings . In
this examination the usual inter-service cooperation
takes place .

(!) OJ No L 349, 31 . 12 . 1994 .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-44 / 95

by Marie-Paule Kesteliin-Sierens ( ELDR )

to the Commission

( 25 January 1995 )

( 95 / C 88 / 97 )

Subject : Cosmetics based on alpha-hydroxy acid

The cosmetic industry has recently brought a number of new
anti-ageing products onto the market . These ' acid creams '
based on alpha-hydroxy acid ( AHA ), although clearly
effective, irritate the skin and have a certain degree of
toxicity . This puts them in a rather different category from

traditional beauty products . Despite their obvious
effectiveness and their irritating properties, these products
are not really medicines either . In the United States these
' active ' beauty products are classed as ' cosmeceuticals ', and
must conform to higher standards than ordinary cosmetics,
but not so far to the same standards as pharmaceutical
products .

Could the Commissione say :

1 . Whether it has information regarding this category of

beauty products and the long-term effects, and possibly
dangers, of using AHAs on a regular or even a daily
basis ?

2 . Whether it takes the view that regulatory measures by

the Commission are needed to ensure that the sharply
increasing use of AHAs in cosmetics is subject to tighter
controls ?

3 . Whether it considers that stricter rules should be laid

down for this category of cosmetics than those provided
for in Council Directive 76 / 768 / EEC ( l ) on the
approximation of the laws of the Member States relating
to cosmetic products ?

(!) OJ No L 262, 27 . 9 . 1976, p . 169 .

Answer given by Mrs Bonino

on behalf of the Commission

( 17 February 1995 )

1 . The use of natural and synthetic alpha-hydroxy acids

( AHA ), principally lactic, glycolic, malic and citric acids, has
been common in cosmetic products since the 1980s, mainly
for their property of stimulating cell regeneration so as to
improve the appearance of the skin . Control of their
potential for causing irritation is a critical factor which is
normally taken into account in cosmetics formulations, in
which they are used individually, in combinations, or in the
form of complex compounds which may or may not be
associated with other acids such as salicylic acid .

2 . With the exception of salicylic acid, which appears in
the list of permitted preservatives, these cosmetics
ingredients are not mentioned in the Annexes to Directive
76 / 768 / EEC . The Commission, which keeps abreast of
scientific data published in the literature, is not aware of any
undesirable effects associated with their use in cosmetics or

of the existence of experimental data suggesting long-term
skin toxicity . It will continue to monitor investigations of
the mode of action on the skin and the general toxicity of
these substances .

Furthermore, as from 1 January 1997, information on
various aspects including an ' assessment of the product for

10 . 4 . 95 [ EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 88 / 49

human health, the undesirable effects and proof of the effect
claimed ' for all cosmetic products placed on the market will
have to be available to the national control authorities,
in accordance with the provisions of Directive
93 / 35 / EEC ( l ).

3 . For over 25 years AHA have been used in high
concentrations for topical application by dermatologists for
the treatment of dry skin resulting from psoriasis or
ichthyosis or to provoke chemical peeling .

On the other hand, cosmetic products containing AHA are
clearly covered by the definition of cosmetic products in
respect of the mode of application and objectives of their
use . They are not intended to prevent diseases . The expected
effects ( improvement of the skin in terms of firmness,
moisture, condition, softness, reduction of wrinkles ) are
typically cosmetic . At the moment the Commission has no
plans for stricter rules for this category of beauty
products .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-60 / 95

by Karl-Heinz Florenz ( PPE )

to the Commission

( 30 January 1995 )

( 95 / C 88 / 99 )

Subject : ' Stage from the year 2000 ' — the future European

measures to be taken against air pollution by
emissions from motor vehicles

Directive 94 / 12 / EC ( J ) of 23 March 1994 calls on the
Commission to submit a proposal for a substantial
reduction in emissions from motor vehicles by 31 December

1994 ( Stage from the year 2000 ).

plans for stricter rules for this category of beauty Can the Commission confirm that it is respecting this time
products . schedule, and does it intend to base its proposals on

feasibility studies or costs / benefit analyses submitted by the
industry ?
f 1 ) OJ No L 151,23 . 6 . 1993 .

( l ) OJ No L 100, 19 . 4 . 1994, p . 42 .

Answer given by Mr Bangemann

WRITTEN QUESTION E-53 / 95 on behalf of the Commission

by José Apolinârio ( PSE ) (3 March 1995 )
to the Commission

( 30 January 1995 )

( 95 / C 88 / 98 ) The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its
answer to Written Question No 2876 / 94 (').

Subject : Cohesion Fund — projects in Portugal (') See page 45 of this Official Journal .

Will the Commission say which projects have already been
approved in respect of Portugal under the Cohesion Fund,
and indicate the amount of the Communities ' financial

contribution and the date on which the respective projects
were submitted by the Member State in question, the date on
which they were approved by the Commission services, and,
finally, the date on which Communities ' aid in respect of
each project was actually made available to the Portuguese
authorities ?

Answer given by Mrs Wulf Mathies

on behalf of the Commission

( 23 February 1995 )

The Commission is sending direct to the Honourable
Member and to Parliament 's Secretariat a table containing
the information requested .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-69 / 95

by Roy Perry ( PPE )

to the Commission

( 18 January 1995 )

( 95 / C 88 / 100 )

Subject : First-aid requirements under Fishing Directive

92 / 29

Can the Commission confirm that Directive 92 / 29 / EEC (')
stipulates that fishing vessels fishing more than three miles
out to sea are obliged by law to carry 620 separate items of
first-aid equipment on board ?

(!) OJ No L 113, 30 . 4 . 1992, p . 19 .

No C 88 / 50 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 10 . 4 . 95

Answer given by Mr Flynn
on behalf of the Commission

( 17 February 1995 )

Directive 92 / 29 / EEC on minimum safety and health
requirements for improved medical treatment on board
vessels is based on Article 118A EC Treaty . It applies to any
sea-going vessel and not only to fishing vessels . Vessels are
classed in three categories taking into account their possible
distance from the nearest port with adequate medical
equipment . Those with no limitation on length of trips are in
category A, those staying very close to shore or with no
cabin accommodation other than a wheelhouse are in

category C.

Annex II of the Directive gives a list of medical supplies
including medicines such as analgesics, antibiotics, etc . and
medical equipment such as bandages, thermometer, etc .
Medical supplies for vessels in category A include 98 items
of which 46 are medicines . For vessels in category C medical
supplies include 15 items of which 8 are medicines . For the
intermediate category 70 items are required of which 39 are
medicines . In addition, vessels carrying dangerous
substances specified in the international maritime
dangerous goods code published by the international
maritime organization must carry the necessary antidotes
defined in the code .

If the omission was intentional, what were the reasons for

it ?

Answer given by Mr Oreja
on behalf of the Commission

( 21 February 1995 )

The Commission does not have sufficient details of the

matter to be able to investigate the problem raised and is not
therefore in a position to answer the question at the
moment . It would ask the Honourable Member to provide
more details, including the reference of the incorrect
publication .

The Honourable Member will be aware that the Office for

Official Publications of the European Communities is an
inter-institutional service which published material supplied
by several institutions, and he may find that the publication
in question was on behalf of the Parliament rather than the
Commission .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-292 / 95

by José Apolinârio ( PSE )

WRITTEN QUESTION E-101 / 95 to the Commission

by Christoph Konrad ( PPE )

(9 February 1995 )

to the Commission 95 / C 88 / 102 )

(8 February 1995 )

( 95 / C 88 / 101 ) Subject : Reports of the Special Agriculture Council —

1994

Subject : Listing of fields falling within the remit of the

Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs
and Industrial Policy in the Official Journal of the
European Communities

The Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs and
Industrial Policy is responsible inter alia for the fields of
' trade ' and ' small and medium-sized undertakings '.
However, these do not figure among the fields listed in the
Official Journal of the European Communities as falling
within the committee 's remit .

As far as the Commission is aware, was this omission
intentional, or did somebody simply forget to include these
fields in the list in the Official Journal ? If the latter is the
case, will the Commission correct the error ?

Does the Commission plan to provide Members of the
European Parliament with the reports of the SAC for 1994 ?
If so, could it send copies to me ?

Answer given by Mr Oreja
on behalf of the Commission

(6 March 1995 )

The Commission takes the view that it has no jurisdiction in
this matter . It feels that the question ought to be put to the
Council .