Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

ISSN 0378-6986
# Official Journal C 159

Volume 35
### of the Communities European 25 June 1992

Volume 35

25 June 1992

English edition Information and Notices

Notice No Contents Page

I Information

European Parliament

Written Questions with answer

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Price : ECU 14

No 2548 / 90 by Mr Hemo Muntingh and Mrs Jessica Larive to the Commission
Subject : Statement by an official \

No 167 / 91 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Council
Subject : Immediate cease-fire and a settlement of the Cyprus and Palestinian questions 1

No 226 / 91 by Mr Victor Manuel Arbeloa Muru to European Political Cooperation
Subject : Political prisoners in Laos 2

No 267 / 91 by Mrs Christine Crawley to European Political Cooperation
Subject : Imprisonment of Esher Yagmurdereli 3

No 285 / 91 by Mr James Ford to European Political Cooperation
Subject : The death penalty in Japan 3

No 310 / 91 by Mrs Marie - Christine Aulas and Mr Wilfried Telkämper to European
Political Cooperation
Subject : Cambodia 3

No 457 / 91 by Mrs Solange Fernex to the Commission
Subject : Aid to eastern Europe 4

No 672 / 91 by Mr Madron Seligman to the Commission
Subject . EC support for African cattle production poses serious threat to indigenous wild life . . 5

No 686 / 91 by Mr Dimitrios Dessylas to the Commission
Subject : Impact of the Gulf crisis, fraudulent bankruptcy and privatization of Olympic Airways 6

( Continued overleaf )

Notice No Contents ( continued ) Page

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No 1013 / 91 by Mrs Anita Pollack to the Commission
Subject : Petrol pollution 6

No 1443 / 91 by Mr Carlos Robles Piquer to the Commission
Subject : The Spanish National Institute for Aerospace Technology in the context of European
space policy 7

No 1612 / 91 by Mr Florus Wijsenbeek to the Commission
Subject : Botswana 7

No 1625 / 91 by Mr Detlev Samland to the Commission
Subject : Creation of a recognized professional structure for artistes 8

No 1781 / 91 by Mr Bartho Pronk to the Commission
Subject : Cash desks and working conditions in supermarkets 9

No 1830 / 91 by Mr Yves Cochet to the Commission
Subject : Water pollution by liquid sewage 9

No 1832 / 91 by Mr Wilfried Telkämper to the Commission
Subject : EC participation in the Euro-Quebec Hydro-Hydrogen Production Project
( EQHHPP ) 10

No 1867 / 91 by Mr Friedrich Merz to the Commission
Subject : Selection procedure for Open Competition COM / A / 714 for assistant administrators in
legal affairs — published in OJ No C 237, 21 . 9 . 1990 11

No 1883 / 91 by Mr Florus Wijsenbeek to the Commission
Subject : The organization of the caraway seed market 11

92 / C 159 / 19 No 1888 / 91 by Mr Elio Di Rupo to the Commission

Subject : Harmonization of hunting licences at Community level 12

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No 1904 / 91 by Mr Anthony Wilson, Mr Roger Barton, Mr Alan Donnelly,
Mrs Pauline Green, Mr Henry McCubbin, Mr Brian Simpson, Mr David Bowe and
Mr Gary Titley to the Commission
Subject : Postal services in Wales 12

No 1950 / 91 by Mr Ian White to the Commission
Subject : No fault liability 13

No 2008 / 91 by Mr Pierre Bernard-Reymond to the Commission

Subject : Community Amateur Drama programme 13

No 2042 / 91 by Mrs Anita Pollack to the Commission
Subject : Fur trapping 13

No 2055 / 91 by Mr James Ford to the Commission
Subject : Kit cars 14

No 2060 / 91 by Mr Peter Crampton to the Commission
Subject : Hazardous and toxic waste 14

No 2063 / 91 by Mrs Dorothee Piermont to the Council
Subject : EC food aid for Cuba 14

No 2085 / 91 by Mrs Christine Oddy to the Commission
Subject : Rights of entry for gas and electricity boards 15

Notice No Contents ( continued ) Page

92 / C 159 / 28 No 2091 / 91 by Mr Mihail Papayannakis to the Commission
Subject : Co-funding by the Community of a municipal hostel on the island of Symi 15

92 / C 159 / 29 No 2095 / 91 given by Mr Gijs de Vries to the Commission
Subject : Statistics on the audiovisual industry 1 £

92 / C 159 / 30 No 2096 / 91 by Mr Peter Crampton to the Commission
Subject : The effects of traffic pollution on children 's health 16

92 / C 159 / 31 No 2175 / 91 by Mrs Anita Pollack to the Commission
Subject : Drift nets and dolphins 17

92 / C 159 / 32 No 2182 / 91 by Mr Llewellyn Smith to the Commission
Subject : Food hygiene / quality assurance 17

92 / C 159 / 33 No 2277 / 91 by Mr Jose Valverde Lopez to the Commission
Subject : Failure by Spain to comply with Council Directive 85 / 572 / EEC 17

92 / C 159 / 34 No 2278 / 91 by Mr Jose Valverde Lopez to the Commission
Subject : Failure by Spain to comply with Council Directive 86 / 635 / EEC 17

92 / C 159 / 35 No 2279 / 91 by Mr Jose Valverde Lopez to the Commission
Subject : Failure by Spain to comply with Council Directive 87 / 345 / EEC 18

92 / C 159 / 36 No 2280 / 91 by Mr Jose Valverde Lopez to the Commission
Subject : Failure by Spain to comply with Council Directive 88 / 1 82 / EEC 18

92 / C 159 / 37 No 2281 / 91 by Mr Jose Valverde L6pez to the Commission
Subject : Failure by Spain to comply with Council Directive 8 8 / 409 / EEC 18

92 / C 159 / 38 No 2282 / 91 by Mr Jose Valverde Lopez to the Commission
Subject : Failure by Spain to comply with Council Directive 89 / 395 / EEC 18

92 / C 159 / 39 No 2283 / 91 by Mr Jose Valverde Lopez to the Commission
Subject : Failure by Spain to comply with Council Directive 89 / 1 07 / EEC 18

92 / C 159 / 40 No 2284 / 91 by Mr Jose Valverde Lopez to the Commission
Subject : Failure by Spain to comply with Council Directive 89 / 108 / EEC 18

92 / C 159 / 41 No 2285 / 91 by Mr Jose Valverde L6pez to the Commission
Subject : Failure by Spain to comply with Council Directive 89 / 178 / EEC 19

92 / C 159 / 42 No 2286 / 91 by Mr Jose Valverde Lopez to the Commission
Subject : Failure by Spain to comply with Council Directive 89 / 299 / EEC 19

92 / C 159 / 43 No 2287 / 91 by Mr Jose Valverde L6pez to the Commission
Subject : Failure by Spain to comply with Council Directive 89 / 361 / EEC 19

92 / C 159 / 44 No 2288 / 91 by Mr Jose Valverde Lopez to the Commission
Subject : Failure by Spain to comply with Council Directive 89 / 369 / EEC 19

92 / C 159 / 45 No 2289 / 91 by Mr Jose Valverde Lopez to the Commission
Subject : Failure by Spain to comply with Council Directive 89 / 429 / EEC 19

92 / C 159 / 46 No 2290 / 91 by Mr Jose Valverde Lopez to the Commission
Subject : Failure by Spain to comply with Council Directive 89 / 5 1 9 / EEC 19

( Continued overleaf )

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No 2291 / 91 by Mr Jose Valverde Lopez to the Commission
Subject : Failure by Spain to comply with Council Directive 89 / 556 / EEC . .

No 2292 / 91 by Mr Jose Valverde Lopez to the Commission
Subject : Failure by Spain to comply with Council Directive 89 / 647 / EEC . .

No 2293 / 91 by Mr Jose Valverde Lopez to the Commission
Subject : Failure by Spain to comply with Council Directive 90 / 35 / EEC . . .

No 2294 / 91 by Mr Jose Valverde Lopez to the Commission
Subject : Failure by Spain to comply with Council Directive 90 / 128 / EEC . .

No 2295 / 91 by Mr Jose Valverde Lopez to the Commission
Subject : Failure by Spain to comply with Council Directive 90 / 168 / EEC . .

No 2296 / 91 by Mr Jose Valverde Lopez to the Commission
Subject : Failure by Spain to comply with Council Directive 90 / 389 / EEC . .

No 2297 / 91 by Mr Jose Valverde Lopez to the Commission
Subject : Failure by Spain to comply with Council Directive 90 / 388 / EEC . .

No 2298 / 91 by Mr Jose Valverde Lopez to the Commission
Subject : Failure by Spain to comply with Council Directive 90 / 398 / EEC . .

Joint answer to Written Questions Nos 2277 / 91 to 2298 / 91

No 2315 / 91 by Mr Diego de Los Santos López to the Commission
Subject : Equine fever

No 2319 / 91 by Mr Herman Verbeek to the Commission
Subject : Authorization of pesticides

No 2334 / 91 by Mr Jean-Pierre Raffarin to the Commission
Subject : Liability of suppliers of services

No 2335 / 91 by Mr Jean-Pierre Raffarin to the Commission
Subject : Reduction in the taxation of farmers

No 2367 / 91 by Mr Diego de los Santos Lopez to the Commission
Subject : Horse sickness epidemic

No 2811 / 91 by Mr Diego de los Santos Lopez to the Commission
Subject : Compensation for African horse sickness

Joint answer to Written Questions Nos 2367 / 91 and 281 1 / 91

No 2386 / 91 by Sir James Scott-Hopkins to the Commission
Subject : European Energy Charter

No 2404 / 91 by Mr Vassilis Ephremidis to the Commission
Subject : Reductions in the budget for the Rion-Andirrion link

No 2414 / 91 by Mrs Winifred Ewing to the Commission
Subject : Health problems associated with exposure to oilseed rape

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Contents ( continued ) p age

No 2440 / 91 by Mr Hemmo Muntingh to the Commission
Subject : Denmark and the International Whaling Commission 25

No 2457 / 91 by Mr Alex Smith to the Commission
Subject : EC legislation relating to agriculture and animal welfare 25

No 2472 / 91 by Mr Ernest Glinne to the Commission
Subject : Drying out of the Aral Sea 26

No 2492 / 91 by Mrs Cristiana Muscardini to the Commission
Subject : Traffic in rhinoceros horn 27

No 2496 / 91 by Mr Ben Visser to the Commission

Subject : Directive on pressure vessels 27

No 2497 / 91 by Mr Ben Visser to the Commission
Subject : Showing tachograms at roadside checks in Belgium 28

No 2503 / 91 by Mr Gordon Adam to the Commission
Subject : Right of residence for unmarried couples with children 29

No 2507 / 91 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Extension of Chios airport without an environmental impact study 30

No 2522 / 91 by Mr Carlos Robles Piquer to the Commission
Subject : Setting-up of a rural advisory committee 30

No 2538 / 91 by Mr Gerardo Fernández-Albor to the Commission
Subject : Abolition of minimum investment ratios in Spain 30

No 2539 / 91 by Mr Gerardo Fernández-Albor to the Commission
Subject : Community standards for the prevention of food poisoning 31

No 2540 / 91 by Mrs Christine Crawley to the Commission
Subject : Move towards two-year-degrees 31

No 2554 / 91 by Mr Gijs de Vries to the Commission
Subject : Tax incentives for research and development 32

No 2595 / 91 by Mrs Solange Fernex, Mrs Dorothee Piermont, Mr Edward Newman,
Mrs Sylvie Mayer, Mr Proinsias De Rossa, Mr Peter Crampton, Mr Rinaldo
Bontempi, Mrs Mathilde van den Brink, Mr Sergio Ribeiro, Mrs Brigitte Ernst de la
Graete, Mrs Marie-Christine Aulas, Mr Michael Hindley, Mr Alexander Langer,
Mr Wilfried Telkämper and Mrs Eva Maria Quistorp to the Council
Subject : Establishment of a Community budget heading for the conversion of the arms industry
( Recarm ) 33

No 2607 / 91 by Mr Ernest Glinne to the Commission
Subject : Dangers of correction fluid thinner 33

No 2613 / 91 by Mrs Anna Hermans to the Commission
Subject : Training of nursing staff 33

No 2614 / 91 by Mrs Anna Hermans to the Commission
Subject : Nursing staff 34

Joint answer to Written Questions Nos 2613 / 91 and 2614 / 91 34

( Continued overleaf )

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92 / C 159 / 81 No 2617 / 91 by Mrs Marie-Jose Denys to the Council
Subject : Freedom of movement 34

92 / C 159 / 82 No 2627 / 91 by Mr Edward Newman to the Council
Subject : The United Nations World Summit for Children 34

92 / C 159 / 83 No 2628 / 91 by Mr Sergio Ribeiro to the Commission
Subject : The ' deal ' to privatize the Pego power station in Portugal 35

92 / C 159 / 84 No 2630 / 91 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Destruction of a biotope on Rhodes 35

92 / C 159 / 85 No 2636 / 91 by Mr Filippos Pierros to the Commission
Subject : Payment of a fee to European Information Centres for services provided to
undertakings 36

92 / C 159 / 86 No 2643 / 91 by Mr Virgilio Pereira to the Commission
Subject : Common organization of the market in bananas produced in the Community 36

92 / C 159 / 87 No 2668 / 91 by Mrs Jessica Larive to the Council
Subject : EC ambassadors ' junket 37

92 / C 159 / 88 No 2674 / 91 by Mr Carlos Robles Piquer to the Commission
Subject : Further accident at Chernobyl and its shutdown 37

92 / C 159 / 89 No 2676 / 91 by Mr Gary Titley to the Commission
Subject : Solvent abuse 38

92 / C 159 / 90 No 2677 / 91 by Mr Gene Fitzgerald to the Commission
Subject : Duty-free trade and the future of airports in the Community 38

92 / C 159 / 91 No 2678 / 91 by Mr Gene Fitzgerald to the Commission
Subject : The future of duty-free trade in the Community 38

92 / C 159 / 92 No 2713 / 91 by Mr Henry McCubbin to the Commission
Subject : Removal of the duty-free allowance for non-calling vessels 39

Joint answer to Written Questions Nos 2677 / 91, 2678 / 91 and 2713 / 91 39

92 / C 159 / 93 No 2684 / 91 by Mr Carlos Robles Piquer to the Commission
Subject : Reported growth in oil consumption 39

92 / C 159 / 94 No 2690 / 91 by Mr Florus Wijsenbeek to the Commission
Subject : Night-flight permits 40

92 / C 159 / 95 No 2694 / 91 by Mr Jaak Vandemeulebroucke to the Commission
Subject : Recognition by Luxembourg of a Belgian diploma in physiotherapy 40

92 / C 159 / 96 No 2759 / 91 by Mr Jaak Vandemeulebroucke to the Commission
Subject : Freedom of establishment for physiotherapists 40

Joint answer to Written Questions Nos 2694 / 91 and 2759 / 91 41

92 / C 159 / 97 No 2706 / 91 by Mrs Brigitte Ernst de la Graete to the Commission
Subject : Imports of meat from the United States to the EC 41

Notice No Contents ( continued ) p age

92 / C 159 / 98 No 2711 / 91 by Mr Henry McCubbin to the Commission
Subject : Portugal : taxation 41

92 / C 159 / 99 No 2752 / 91 by Mr Proinsias De Rossa to the Commission
Subject : Product liability Directive 42

92 / C 159 / 100 No 2765 / 91 by Mr Mihail Papayannakis to the Commission
Subject : The siting of hotels on beaches in Greece 42

92 / C 159 / 101 No 2779 / 91 by Mrs Mary Banotti to the Commission
Subject : Tempus programme in Romania 43

92 / C 159 / 102 No 2793 / 91 by Mr Mihail Papayannakis to the Commission
Subject : Construction of a new road between Míloi and Kivéri in the province of Argolís 44

92 / C 159 / 103 No 2806 / 91 by Mr Yves Verwaerde to the Commission
Subject : Use of subcontracting in the Commission 's translation service 44

92 / C 159 / 104 No 2842 / 91 by Mr Peter Crampton to the Commission
Subject : Fisheries : Scientific research 45

92 / C 159 / 105 No 2852 / 91 by Mr Freddy Blak to the Commission
Subject : The killing of birds in southern Europe 45

92 / C 159 / 106 No 2892 / 91 by Mr Gianfranco Amendola to the Commission
Subject : Violation of the directive on wild birds by the United Kingdom 46

92 / C 159 / 107 No 2893 / 91 by Mr Gianfranco Amendola to the Commission
Subject : Violation of the Directive on wild birds by Greece 46

92 / C 159 / 108 No 2908 / 91 by Mr Alexander Langer, Mrs Birgit Cramon-Daiber and Mr Virginio
Bettini to the Commission

Subject : Planning and construction of a ferry landing stage in Stromboli ( Italy ) 47

92 / C 159 / 109 No 2933 / 91 by Mr Virginio Bettini to the Commission
Subject : Tendering procedures for road constructions 47

92 / C 159 / 1 10 No 2934 / 91 by Mr Virginio Bettini to the Commission
Subject : Awarding of contracts for high-speed rail links 47

Joint answer to Written Questions Nos 2933 / 91 and 2934 / 91 48

92 / C 159 / 1 1 1 No 2937 / 91 by Mrs Lissy Gröner and Mr Hans Peters to the Council
Subject : German post office 's international transfer charges 48

92 / C 159 / 112 No 2946 / 91 by Mr Arturo Escuder Croft to the Commission
Subject : Interest on EIB loans 48

92 / C 159 / 113 No 2947 / 91 by Mr Arturo Escuder Croft to the Commission
Subject : EIB loans 49

92 / C 159 / 114 No 2948 / 91 by Mr Arturo Escuder Croft to the Commission
Subject : ACP trade statistics 49

92 / C 159 / 115 No 2952 / 91 by Mrs Marie Jepsen to the Commission
Subject : Date for the entry into force of Directive 89 / 686 / EEC on the approximation of the
laws of the Member States relating to personal protective equipment 49

( Continued overleaf )

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92 /C 159 / 116 No 2957 / 91 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Effective operation of the Patras regional hospital 50

92 / C 159 / 1 17 No 2960 / 91 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Protection of the habitat of the loggerhead turtle, caretta caretta, on Zakynthos 50

92 / C 159 / 1 18 No 3014 / 91 by Mr Henry McCubbin to the Commission
Subject : Cost of restructuring the fishing fleet of the former territories of the GDR 50

92 / C 159 / 1 19 No 3016 / 91 by Mr Gordan Adam to the Commission
Subject : Use of square mesh panels 51

92 / C 159 / 120 No 3028 / 91 by Mr John Cushnahan to the Commission
Subject : Colouring agents in food 51

92 / C 159 / 121 No 3029 / 91 by Mr John Cushnahan to the Commission
Subject : Regional planning — participation of voluntary community groups 51

92 / C 159 / 122 No 3042 / 91 by Mr Hugh McMahon to the Commission
Subject : Reform of the Structural Funds 52

92 / C 159 / 123 No 3044 / 91 by Mr Bryan Cassidy to the Commission
Subject : Stagiaire programme — participation by national civil servants 52

92 / C 159 / 124 No 3046 / 91 by Mr Thomas Megahy to the Commission
Subject : Transport of waste intended for reclamation 52

92 / C 159 / 125 No 3054 / 91 by Mr Panayotis Roumeliotis to the Commission
Subject : Economic policy in Greece 53

92 / C 159 / 126 No 3055 / 91 by Mr Jens-Peter Bonde to the Commission
Subject : Compliance with the Eighth VAT Directive 53

92 / C 159 / 127 No 3087 / 91 by Mrs Marie Jepsen to the Commission
Subject : Failure by the Italian authorities to implement fully the Eighth VAT Directive ( VAT
repayment ) 54

92 / C 159 / 128 No 3195 / 91 by Mr Leen van der Waal to the Commission
Subject : Request for VAT repayment by Italy to taxpayers situated outside the country under
the Eighth VAT Directive 54

92 / C 159 / 129 No 3269 / 91 by Mr Niels Kofoed to the Commission
Subject : Failure by Italy to comply with the Council Directive on the refund of value added tax 54

Joint answer to Written Questions Nos 3055 / 91, 3087 / 91, 3195 / 91 and 3269 / 91 .... 54

92 / C 159 / 130 No 321 1 / 91 by Mr Jean-Pierre Raffarin to the Council
Subject : Reform of the CAP and the Uruguay Round . 55

92 / C 159 / 131 No 3254 / 91 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Council
Subject : Support for family farm holdings 56

( Continued on inside back cover )

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No 3271 / 91 by Mr Jaak Vandemeulebroucke to the Council
Subject : EAGGF Guidance Section

No 86 / 92 by Mr Herman Verbeek to the Council
Subject : Europol

No 1 12 / 92 by Mr Herman Verbeek to the Council
Subject : The condition of groundwater in the EEC

No 203 / 92 by Mr Luigi Vertemati to the Council
Subject : European Environment Agency

No 218 / 92 by Mr Jose Valverde Lopez to the Council
Subject : Programme of action on nutrition and health

No 269 / 92 by Mr Freddy Blak to the Council
Subject : Criminalization of conscientious objectors in Greece

No 305 / 92 by Mrs Raymonde Dury to the Council
Subject : Appointment of regional policy observers

No 313 / 92 by Mrs Jessica Larive to the Council
Subject : Native language to be excluded from labels ?

No 334 / 92 by Mr Edward Newman to the Council
Subject : Study on Article 8a

No 345 / 92 by Mr Carlos Robles Piquer to the Council
Subject : Parliament controls on the EIB

No 376 / 91 by Mr Francois Guillaume to the Council
Subject . Implications of unilateral action by the USA against Community agri-foodstuffs

No 384 / 92 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Council
Subject : The campaign against tuberculosis in Europe

No 392 / 92 by Mr Georgios Romeos to the Council
Subject : Ban on the export of instruments of torture

No 458 / 92 by Mr Luigi Vertemati to the Council
Subject : Emigration from the countries of Central and Eastern Europe to the EEC — proposal
made by the Argentinian Government

No 483 / 92 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Council
Subject : Legal action against citizens for refusing to vote

No 495 / 92 by Mr Victor Manuel Arbeloa Muru to the Council
Subject : Recovery of works of art

No 597 / 92 by Mr Sergio Ribeiro to the Council
Subject : The Schengen Agreements

No 607 / 92 by Mrs Raymonde Dury to the Council
Subject : Action taken under Article 1 52 of the Treaty

No 650 / 92 by Mr Marco Taradash to the Council
Subject : The World Bank and pollution in the third world

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25 . 6 . 92 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 159 / 1

I

( Information )

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

WRITTEN QUESTIONS WITH ANSWER

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2548 / 90
by Mr Hemo Muntingh ( S ) and Mrs Jessica Larive ( LDR )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 16 November 1 990 )

( 92 / C 159 / 01 )

Subject : Statement by an official

1 . Is the Commission aware of a statement made by
one of its officials based in Washington on the
appointment of the next President of the Commission ?

2 . Does the Commission approve of public statements
by one of its officials concerning the successor to the
current Commission President, which may prompt a
public debate on the subject ?

3 . Is the Commission considering taking disciplinary
proceedings against the official concerned ?

Answer given by Mr Cardoso e Cunha

on behalf of the Commission

( 27 February 1 992 )

The questions of the Honourable Members probably
refer to a radio interview conducted at the beginning of
September 1990, in which a Commission official was
faced, much to his surprise, with questions about a
possible candidate for the highest ranking Commission

post .

In this event, the official 's opinion was clearly neither
sought nor given in his present capacity, but with a view to
the national political career he made in his home country
prior to his entering the Commission services . The
interview was conducted on the occasion of the
celebration of the tenth anniversary of the political party
of which the interviewee for many years held the key
leadership position, and it dealt with questions regarding
the party 's history, ideology and perspectives . It was
during that interview that, unexpectedly, questions were
raised about the prospects for the interviewee 's immediate

successor as party leader to obtain at some point in time
the highest ranking position in the Commission .

Under these circumstances, it would be farfetched to
affirm that the personal views of the interviewee could be
described as reflecting those of the Commission .

The Commission considers that there is no ground to take

any action in this matter .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 167 / 91

by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos ( S )
to the Council of the European Communities

( 20 February 1991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 02 )

Subject : Immediate cease-fire and a settlement of the

Cyprus and Palestinian questions

Since the end of the 18th century America has intervened
on 380 occasions to safeguard its interests, including 21
interventions since the end of the Second World War :
most of these have been in Third World countries ( the
Philippines, Guatemala, the Congo, Vietnam, Laos, The
Dominican Republic, Chile, Bolivia, El Salvador, the
Lebanon, Grenada, Panama and Liberia ).

Its recent intervention in the Persian Gulf following the
invasion by Saddam Hussein of Kuwait — a region of
vital strategic importance for the USA according to US
President George Bush — has taken place in response to a
Security Council UN Resolution and a very large number
of countries particularly European countries are involved .

This action to implement Security Council Resolutions is
unprecedented — for instance no such action was taken
when Cyprus — a UN Member State — was invaded by
Turkey, or in connection with the Palestinian issue etc .

NoC 159 / 2 Official Journal of the European Communities 25 . 6 . 92

We express our opposition to war, thereby voicing the

pacifist feelings of the Greek people .

We condemn the military, defence and economic aid
given to Turkey by the USA which has been tacitly
acepted by certain influential circles in Greece seeking to
distinguish themselves as agents of American imperialism .

In the light of these brutal interventions in the interal
affairs of other countries, the USA is the last country,
with any claim to be defending international law let alone
world peace .

1 . Calls for the other UN Resolutions, and notably those

on Cyprus and the Palestinian issue, to be
implemented with the same decisiveness, an
immediate cease-fire, the withdrawal of all troops
from the region, their replacement by a UN
peace-keeping force and a diplomatic solution to the
war in the Gulf, allowing Kuwait to regain its
independence and territorial integrity, for this is
possible even at this late stage ;

2 . Calls for the re-constitution of the Panamanian army
which was disbanded by the American occupying
forces and the reintroduction of the national currency
which was replaced by the dollar and insists that
Panama must regain its independence and territorial
integrity ;

3 . Finally, the international community must call for an

end to all imperialistic interventions throughout the
world, especially by the Americans who seek to
dominate the world, using their technological and
defence superiority following the collapse of the
erstwhile powerful socialist system ;

Will the Council of Ministers say what initiatives they
intend to take in the light of the above .

Answer ( )

( 18 May 1992 )

The Community and its Member States do not share the
views expressed by the Honourable Parliamentarian on
the role of the US in the Gulf crisis . In the Gulf crisis the

Community and its Member States, as well as other
members of the international community, took concerted
action in response to a wholly unjustifiable and
unacceptable act of aggression against Kuwait . This
action was undertaken with the full sanction of the United
Nations Security Council and in conformity with the UN
Charter and with principles of international law . At the
start of the crisis and until the very last moment before the
outbreak of hostilities, the Twelve made every effort to
find a peaceful solution to the conflict, compatible with
respect for the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions .
As the Honourable Parliamentarian is aware all these
efforts came to nought in the face of the refusal of the
Iraqi authorities to respect international law and to
withdraw from Kuwait .

The Community and its Member States continue to

support the efforts of the United Nations, aimed at

finding peaceful solutions to conflicts elsewhere in the
world, including the Cyprus question .

From the outset, the Community and its Member States
have given their full support to the Middle East peace
process, cosponsored by the USA and by Russia . As a
participant at the Madrid Conference and more recently
at the Moscow Organizational meeting for the
Multilateral phase of the peace process, the Community
and its Member States have been able to make a full
contribution to negotiations between the parties directly
involved in the peace process .

The position of the Community and its Member States is
based on United Nations Security Council Resolutions
242 and 338 . The Community 's guiding principle remain
those set out in the Venice Declaration of 13 June 1980
and other subsequent Declarations . These include the
principles of land for peace, the right of all States in the
region, including Israel, to live within secure and
recognized boundaries and the right of the Palestinian
people to self determination . If a just, lasting and
comprehensive settlement is to be found to the conflict it
must be acceptable to all the parties involved .

(') This reply has been provided by the Foreign Ministers

meeting in political cooperation, within whose province the
questions came .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 226 / 91
by Mr Victor Manuel Arbeloa Muru ( S )

to European Political Cooperation

( 18 February 1991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 03 )

Subject : Political prisoners in Laos

Members of the UPILD ( Political Union for
Independence, Freedom and Democracy in Laos ),
recently set up in Paris have written to me expressing their
concern at the fate of Thongsouk Saysanthi, the former
Minister of Technology, who was arrested in September

1990, and Colonel Khambou Phimmasen, head of the Lao
People 's Resistance, both of whom are being held in
Samkhe prison in Vientiane . Can the Foreign Ministers
meeting in European Political Cooperation take note of
this deplorable situation ?

Answer

( 18 May 1992 )

The position of the Council and its Member States on
human rights its well known to the Laotian authorities .

25 . 6 . 92 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 159 / 3

However, the Council and its Member States will not
neglect to remind them of it where they consider it
desirable . With this in mind the Presidency takes due note
of the cases referred to by the Honourable Member .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 267 / 91

by Mrs Christine Crawley ( S )
to European Political Cooperation

(4 March 1991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 04 )

Subject : Imprisonment of Esher Yagmurdereli

Are f the Foreign Ministers meeting in Political
Cooperation aware of the case of Esher Yagmurdereli, a
lawyer who has been in prison in Turkey since 1978 . Mr
Yagmurdereli was imprisoned on 5 March 1978, and in
March 1985, he was sentenced to death for leadership of
an organization ' trying to change the Constitution by
force '. This sentence was later commuted to life
imprisonment . He was later offered a pardon on the
grounds of ill health — a pardon which he refused, asking
instead for a fair trial . Would the Foreign Ministers bring
pressure to bear on the Turkish authorities for Mr Esher
Yagmurdereli 's sentence to be quashed and for him to
have a fair retrial with adequate time to prepare a defence
and proper access to lawyers ?

Answer

( 18 May 1992 )

The Community and its Member States are pleased ' to
note that Mr Yagmurdereli was one of several hundred
prisoners released at the time of the April 1991 reform of
the Turkish Anti-Terrorism Act .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 285 / 91

by Mr James Ford ( S )
to European Political Cooperation

(4 March 1991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 05 )

Subject : The death penalty in Japan

Have the Foreign Ministers in Political Cooperation had
discussion recently of the reported police violence, brutal

detention procedures and implementation of the death
sentence in general in Japan, in the light of the findings of
the latest Amnesty International publication, ' Japan, the
death penalty and the need for more safeguards against
ill-treatment of detainees '? Will the Ministers be
endorsing Amnesty International 's call for the Japanese
Government 's ratification of the United Nations
Convention Against Torture without delay ?

Answer

( 18 May 1992 )

The questions raised by the Honourable Member have
not been examined in the context of European Political
Cooperation . The Council and its Member States support
the ratification of international legal instruments in the
field of human rights, such as the United Nations
convention against Torture .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 310 / 91

by Mrs Marie-Christine Aulas and

Mr Wilfried Telkamper ( V )
to European Political Cooperation

(4 March 1991 )

(' 92 / C 159 / 06 )

Subject : Cambodia

Having regard to the annual Resolution adopted by the
UN General Assembly on 10 October 1990 calling on the
international community to assist the Cambodian people,
particularly through UN agencies, does the Council of
Ministers not consider that this is a de facto appeal and to
end the embargo and that, without awaiting the
conclusion of the peace negotiations, it is high time to
take the political decisions needed to implement this
Resolution, in particular :

— by taking measures within the UN agencies ' to provide

financial and material resources for the speedy
repatriation and rehabilitation of Cambodian
displaced persons as well as for the economic and
social reconstruction of Cambodia ',

— by adopting a Community programme of emergency

aid for the Cambodian people,

— by resuming economic relations,

— by taking resolute steps to end all arms supplies to the

warring parties ?

NoC 159 / 4 Official Journal of the European Communities 25 . 6 . 92

Answer

( 18 May 1992 )

The European Community and its Member States
welcomed the agreement on a comprehensive settlement

of the Cambodia conflict and the agreement concerning
the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and
inviolability, neutrality and national unity of Cambodia
signed in Paris on 23 October 1991 and strongly support
the important role assigned to the UN with regard to its
implementation .

The European Community and its Member States
continue to stress the need for self-determination for the
Cambodian people through free, fair and internationally
supervised elections and full respect for human rights .
These are fundamental principles for lasting peace . The

modalities for Community assistance in Cambodia, both
for the repatriation and rehabilitation programmes and
later for the reconstruction of the country, is presently
being examined . The other points raised by the
Honourable Parliamentarians are being addressed within
the framework of the UN plan for Cambodia .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 457 / 91

by Mrs Solange Fernex ( V )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 19 March 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 07 )

Subject : Aid to eastern Europe

The Commission has granted aid to the countries of

eastern Europe and has set up a crisis unit to administer
the funds set aside for Romanian orphanages .

Has the Commission assessed the impact of this aid ?

It is true that certain companies are taking advantage of
this aid to increase the price of their products ( e.g.
Nestle )?

Given that the water is no longer drinkable in many
towns, why has priority been given to sending powdered
milk ?

Answer given by Mr Andriessen

on behalf of the Commission

(2 March 1992 )

During the winter of 1990 / 91, the Commission set up in
Bucharest an aid office and management team to

administer and oversee a number of humanitarian aid
projects, including projects targeted at children,
particularly those living in orphanages and centres for the
handicapped and malnourished . Since mid-September

1991 the Commission has had a coordinator for
Community humanitarian aid who also assists the
humanitarian aid strategy and coordination unit recently
established by the Romanian authorities and responsible
to the prime minister .

The Commission is currently evaluating the effect of the
emergency humanitarian aid given to Romania last
winter .

Officials at various levels have made visits to Romania to
check that the emergency heating programme and the
pilot projects in orphanages have been carried out
correctly . The Commission is aware that the emergency
heating work performed for the winter of 1990 / 91 will
need to be made more permanent and that physical
rehabilitation of the buildings concerned ( insulation,
plumbing and so on ) will need to be undertaken in order
to provide decent living conditions for the children
occupying them . In the same vein, the experience gained
from the pilot programmes has been pi^t to use in the
second phase of humanitarian aid operations, which
include provisions for training of orphanage staff, seeking
alternatives to the housing of children in institutions and
reintegrating those now outside such institutions into
family, school and work life, and establishing a genuine
policy for the protection of children .

The training component of the programme will
undoubtedly have the greatest consequences for the
future of children already in institutions and those who
may occupy them in the future . In addition to providing
on-the-spot staff motivation and awareness measures, the
programme makes provision for a number of orphanages
to hold practical and recognized training courses
( paramedical, medical, management and other courses ).
The experience provided by a pilot project covering a

number of districts should allow the development of a
national protocol for children, making it possible to send
children to establishments suited to their handicap,
prevent wrongful placement in institutions and redefine
the purpose of such establishments for children .

The medical and nutritional programme, which provided

mother 's milk substitutes and vitamin-enriched

cereal / milk formula for children who could not be or
who were inadequately breast-fed ( either at home or in

an institution ), is currently undergoing a thorough
evaluation which is targeting a statistically representative
sample of 820 families ( 10 from rural areas and 10 from
urban areas in each of the 41 districts ). The aim of the
evaluation is to check compliance with the rules for the
execution of the programme, the suitability of the
assistance provided and the opinion of the families, and to
pinpoint any ill effects this type of aid may have produced .
The Commission already has the unprocessed results of
the study, but the final evaluation report is not yet
available . However, the available data indicate that

25 . 6 . 92 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 159 / 5

distribution did indeed take place free, on the basis of a
prescription, that extensive information was given on the
advantages of mother 's milk and the method of making
up the formula ( particularly the need for sterilization of
water and bottles ) and that the number of cases in which
mother 's milk ceased to be used as a result of the

programme was very small . A study is also being carried
out with the help of an NGO to determine the admission
rates, between the autumn of 1990 and now, for centres
for malnourished children, in order to try and establish
the effect of the programme in this area . Once again, the
initial results ( figures and questions asked of staff ) seem
to indicate that the programme providing extra food has
had a real impact of admission rates .

The on-the-spot checks carried out by the management
team and NGOs indicate that the products were delivered
to the recipients and that losses reached less than one
percent of the total . The only two cases of suspected theft
or diversion were handled by the local police, and in one
of the cases those involved were caught .

study in Moldavia, will be dispatching two specialiste
to analyse bacteriological and chemical ( heavy-metal )
pollution .

A village water supply project may then be established by
the Commission as part of the programme of
humanitarian aid for 1992 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 672 / 91

by Mr Madron Seligman ( ED )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 16 April 1991 )

( 92 /C 159 / 08 )
The Commission supplied mother 's milk substitutes in
response to a request from the Romanian Government,
which did not have the foreign exchange to import it ;

Romania does not produce its own, and there is no
alternative for feeding babies ( from birth to one year of
age ) in cases in which breast-feeding is impossible or
inadequate, particularly considering the shortage of food
providing suitable nutrition for children . Quite apart
from the considerable cost involved, it seemed neither
desirable nor justifiable to import liquid mother 's milk
substitute or milk powder accompanied by mineral water
into Romania .

It is not true to say that certain firms are taking advantage
of this aid to increase their prices . Thanks to NGOs '
consultations of laboratories, the Commission was in fact
quoted prices far below the world market rate for the
products concerned .

The Commission is aware of the problem of drinking
water quality and availability in Romania . This is why
the verbal and written instructions given to mothers with
the supplies of milk and cereal under the medical
and nutritional programme emphasized that water
should be sterilized . The programme evaluation also
included a question on the water quality in the various
regions .

However, in the interests of dealing in earnest with the
water problem, and in order to parallel the environmental
component of the Phare programme for economic
restructuring, the Commission has cofinanced a
water-quality study in the region of Moldavia . The results
of this and other studies of which the Commission has
knowledge stress the water availability and quality
problems, particularly in industrial areas . In March

1992, OVR, the organization which carried out the

Subject : EC support for African cattle production poses

serious threat to indigenous wild life

As a means of providing economic support to certain
African States, the EC is willing to purchase locally
produced beef, nothwithstanding the considerable
surplus of European beef held in intervention stocks . The
politico-humanitarian reasons for this policy are
understood .

However, I am advised, that in order to comply with EC
hygiene regulations, ( notably with regard to
foot-and-mouth disease ) vast lengths of fencing are being
erected in countries such as Botswana, in order to
segregate the cattle from wild animals which could be
carriers of the disease . It is alleged that no environmental
assessment had been carried out and that the fencing
project is effectively being financed by the EC .

The potential threat to migratory species is unthinkable .
When pastures or water supplies have been exhausted and
animals need to migrate in search of new resources, they
will encounter an impenetrable fence, hundreds of
kilometres long, which will act as a trap leading to death
from thirst and starvation .

I submit that boosting an unwanted supply of meat at the
cost of suffering and death of thousands of wild animals,
does not really help our African friends . Would the
Commission agree to reconsider its policy in favour
perhaps of promoting wild life reserves, which could
enable African countries to develop a profitable tourist
industry and avoid the risk of soil erosion consequent
upon overgrazing by herds of domesticated cattle ?

No C 159 / 6 Official Journal of the European Communities 25 . 6 . 92

Answer given by Mr Marin
on behalf of the Commission

(5 March 1992 )

If is not easy for any government to strike a balance
between the needs of economic development and those of
preservation of the environment and its wildlife, or to
plan land use in ways which serve fairly the different
populations to which it is answerable . It would be
inconsistent with the Community 's approach to
development cooperation to seek to impose its own views
on the correct balances upon a responsible government .
The Commission has worked closely over many years in
dialogue with the government of Botswana and others to
help them make well-informed decisions and to give
financial support for their implementation .

It is not the case that the Community has financed the
erection of fences, or that these fences were planned
without benefit of environmental impact studies . If is the
case that the importance of well-preserved wildlife as a
tourist attraction is recognized by the governments
concerned . The Commission has, precisely as the
Honourable Member would wish, substantially increased
over recent years its contribution to programmes in the
regions concerned with the preservation of the natural
environment in general and its wildlife in particular .
These programmas have taken advantage of the fact that
the fences, besides protecting domestic species from
infection, protect the wildlife habitat from encroachment
and overgrazing .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 686 / 91

by Mr Dimi trios Dessylas ( CG )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 19 April 1991 )

( 92 / G 159 / 09 )

Subject : Impact of the Gulf crisis, fraudulent bankruptcy

and privatization of Olympic Airways

The European Community has decided to grant subsidies
to the national airlines of Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and
Cyprus to help them absorb the impact of the Gulf crisis .
However,- no subsidies are being granted to the Greek
national airline ( Olympic Airways ), which also suffered
major losses, partly as a result of the well-known
' passenger recommendations ' issued by the United States
and Japan, advising their citizens to avoid travelling to
Greece .

The Greek authorities are refusing to increase the
registered capital of Olympic Airways ( Dr 16 billion ),

although the value of its fleet exceeds Dr 100 billion . It
now has debts falling due which also exceed this figure . At

the same time the Greek Government is persistently
refusing to pay the amount of Dr 300 billion owing to the
airline under its contract with the latter, thereby driving it
to fraudulent bankruptcy . The Greek Government is now
privatizing the airline, the immediate result of which is the
dismissal of over 4 000 employees .

Olympic Airways makes a major contribution to the
Greek economy in a wide range of sectors
( communications, environment, development, finance,
defence, foreign policy, tourism, culture etc .)

What view does the Commission take of the particularly

serious problems set out above, in particular the
bankruptcy and privatization of the Greek airline ? Does
the Commission intend to take measures to promote the
modernization of Olympic Airways, together with its
unified structure, its status as a public undertaking, and its
role in relation to social affairs and development ?

Answer given by Mr Matutes

on behalf of the Commission

( 14 February 1992 )

The European Community has not granted any subsidies

to airlines as a result of the Gulf crisis .

The Commission has simply contracted air carriers to

assist in the repatriation of refugees . It has also submitted
a communication to the Council undertaking to give
positive consideration to any state aids linked to the
additional costs incurred by airlines on security and
insurance premiums .

With due regard for the rules contained in the EEC
Treaty, the Commission welcomes any private or public

initiative aimed at increasing the productivity of
Community airlines .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1013 / 91

by Mrs Anita Pollack ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 22 May 1991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 10 )

Subject : Petrol pollution

Does the Commission intend to make proposals on the
introduction to the EC market of reformulated petrol
such as is now available in the US and which cuts further
pollution emissions including benzene ?

25 . 6 . 92 Official Journal of the European Communities NoC 159 / 7

Answer given by Mr Ripa di Meana

on behalf of the Commission

( 17 March 1992 )

The Commission is kept fully informed of the decisions
taken by the United States Federal Administration as part
of the pollution of the environment by motor vehicles .
Some of those activities concern the quality of the fuel
known as reformulated petrol .

These American regulations meet the environmental
protection requirements, account being taken of a body of
factors that are specific to the United States and relate in
particular to the structure and density of the vehicle fleet
and to ambient pollution conditions .

The Commission intends to conduct an in-depth study,
together with experts from the governments and
industries concerned ( motor vehicle and oil ) of the
relationships between automotive fuel quality ( petrol and
diesel ) and the engine technologies enabling Community
pollution emission standards for motor vehicles to be set
at the lowest levels possible . The Commission also intends
to study the adverse effects of those fuels on health and
the environment .

After carefully examining the matter of benzene emissions

and the resultant pollution the Commission feels that the
laws recently adopted with a view to reducing exhaust and
evaporation emissions from passenger cars ( three-way
catalytic converters and activated carbon filters ) and also
those in preparation on the reduction of VOC emissions
during the distribution and storage of fuels and during
the filling of fuel tanks at service stations guarantee a
sufficiently high level of health and environmental
protection .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1443 / 91

by Mr Carlos Robles Piquer ( PPE )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 12 July 1991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 11 )

In view of the Commission 's interest in space policy,
which was evident at the meeting it organized in Brussels

on 21 March 1991, and in view of Spain 's position as a
medium-sized European power, does the Commission
consider that INTA 's programmes and projects would fit
well into the general framework of a Community space
policy, or, on the other hand, would be more likely to
diverge from it ?

Answer given by Mr Pandolfi

on behalf of the Commission

( 5 February 1 992 )

The Commission is aware of the capabilities and activities
of the Spanish National Institute of Aerospace
Technology ( INTA ). In particular, it recognizes INTA 's
contribution to the European space effort through its
participation in various programmes of the European
Space Agency ( ESA ). The continued development of
programmes within ESA 's long-term plan should allow
the role of INTA to be strengthened, both as a national
institute and as part of the European space technology

sector .

The Community 's role in the European space effort is to
carry out actions complementary to ESA and Member
States, aimed principally at ensuring the optimal
exploitation of the socio-economic and scientific
applications of space technologies as well as ensuring the
environment for development of a competitive European
space industry . Community action is not aimed at the
development of space systems, a task which lies within the
competences of the space agencies . This approach was
outlined by the Commission in its communication on
space to the Council and European Parliament in 1988 (').

O COM(88 ) 417 final .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1612 / 91

by Mr Florus Wijsenbeek ( LDR )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 25 July 1991 )

Subject : The Spanish National Institute for Aerospace ( 92 / C 159 / 12 )

Technology in the context of European space
policy

Set up in 1942 to develop aeronautical technology, the
Spanish National Institute for Aerospace Technolgy
( INTA ) has recently embarked on a phase of great
activity, with a substantially increased budget ; its current
projects include, for example, supersonic tunnel and a
new radar system being built in Germany . INTA, which in
former years launched the Intasat satellite (a single unit ),
is now building Hispasat as a Spanish communications
satellite ; work started on its construction this year .

Subject : Botswana

In reply to my oral question H-0025 / 91 (') about the
Northern Buffalo Fence in Botswana a few months ago
the Commission answered that it was aware of the
possible negative impact of this fence and hydrological
projects for the Okavango Delta and that it had instructed
its delegation in Gabarone to carry out an exhaustive
study into the ecological and environmental impact of
these projects and their effect on animal life .

No C 159 / 8 Official Journal of the European Communities 25 . 6 . 92

Given the significance of this investigation for the local
population and the environment can the Commission
indicate when the investigations were carried out and by
whom ?

Is the Commission prepared to submit the results of these
investigations to the relevant committee on the European
Parliament or to me personally ?

(') Debates of the European Parliament No 3 — 399 ( January

1991 ).

Answer given by Mr Marin
on behalf of the Commission

( 18 March 1992 )

The Commission believes that the question of the
Honourable Member refers to the envisaged Government
project to dredge the Lower Boro in the Okavango Delta .

The Government of Botswana has accepted to postpone
all further works on the Lower Boro, pending an
environmental impact study by the International Union
for the Conservation of Nature ( IUCN ).

The study which is financed by the Government is
on-going . Its results will be made available in the course
of 1992 .

Although the Commission bears no responsibility
whatsoever for the dredging project, which is solely of the

Government 's concern, it may reasonably expect to be
informed, in due course, about the contents of the IUCN
study . In that case, the Commission will communicate the
results of this study to the Honourable Member and to
the Secretariat General of the European Parliament .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1625 / 91

by Mr Detlev Samland ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 25 July 1991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 13 )

Subject : Creation of a recognized professional structure

for artistes

As far as I know there are only two countries in the
Community, France and the FRG, where circus artistes
can receive professional training, and a proper
professional structure exists only in France .

1 . Is it true that, except in France, there is no training for
circus artistes within a statutory professional
structure ?

2 . Does the Commission see any possibility of setting up

a professional structure for artistes in Europe, in
cooperation with the Cedefop, and in the context of
the completion of the single market ?

3 . Does it see opportunities for promoting training for

artistes in the context of existing measures to promote
vocational training ?

. Answer given by Mr Bangemann

on behalf of the Commission

(3 March 1992 )

1 . The Commission has no information on this matter .

2 . As part of the technical work being carried out by
Cedefop on upgrading comparative information on
developments in occupational profiles in the Member
States, experts from the Twelve are examining, alongside
occupations that are undergoing changes and those
which have a major impact in terms of employment and
products, areas in which occupations are still loosely
defined and organized so far as training is concerned .

As regards occupations falling into this last category,
work is also under way in certain Member States ( e.g.
France and the Netherlands ) on delimiting, defining and
establishing ground rules for those acitivities ( and
occupations ) which form a vast area and are classified
under the all too general heading of ' welfare and
leisure-related activities '.

When it comes to deciding on the descriptions of
occupational skills and training arrangements, the
Member States ' experts might opt for several
occupational and training profiles that could apply to
' artistes '.

3 . Artistes are eligible for Community training
programmes such as Eurotecnet and Petra, provided they
meet the criteria laid down in the relevant Council
decisions and specified in the documents concerning the
implementation of such programmes .

Following the Commission communication on vocational
training in the arts field (') the Council and the Ministers
responsible for cultural affairs, meeting within the
Council, called on the Commission, in their conclusions
of 19 November 1990, to review the progress and
requirements as regards vocational training in the cultural
sector, in the light of the objectives of the common
vocational training policy and taking account of existing
Community programmes such as Erasmus, Petra and
Media . This was to be done in close cooperation with the
Member States and international organizations, notably
the Council of Europe .

(') COM(9Q ) 472 final .

25 . 6 . 92 Official Journal of the European Communities NoC 159 / 9

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1781 / 91

by Mr Bartho Pronk ( PPE )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 1 September 1 991 )

( 92 / G 159 / 14 )

Subject : Cash desks and working conditions in
supermarkets

1 . Is the Commission aware that many supermarket
employees suffer from neck and shoulder pains and stress
because of the unergonomic design of cash desks and the
seats used with them, and the monotony of carrying out
the same work for excessively long hours ?

2 . Is the Commission aware of the findings of recent
studies in the Netherlands by the Netherlands Institute
for Working Conditions ( NIA ) ?

3 . Does the Commission agree that steps should be
taken to remedy the problems referred to in question 1
and which have been brought to light by these
investigations, particularly in respect of the design of cash
desks and their accessories and the responsibility of
employers in respect of supermarket staff ?

4 . What measures will the Commission take to bring
about the necessary changes ?

Answer given by Mrs Papandreou

on behalf of the Commission

( 13 November 1 991 )

1 . The Commission is fully aware of the importance of
respecting ergonomic principles in the design of work
stations, particularly where the work in question is
monotonous, continuous or repetitive, as in the example
cited by the Honourable Member .

Its views on this matter are set out in its 1988
communication on its programme concerning safety,
hygiene and health at work ( x ). This programme led to
Council Directive 89 / 391 / EEC on the introduction of
measures to encourage improvements in the safety and
health of workers at work ( 2 ), Article 6(2 ) of which
requires employers to respect certain general principles of
prevention, including several concerned with ergonomics .

2 . The Commission is aware of this report .

3 . and 4 . An employer 's responsibility for the health
and safety of his staff is stated — as far as Community law
is concerned — in Article 5 of Directive 89 / 391 / EEC
which applies entirely to supermarkets . Paragraph 1 of
the Article lays a duty on the employer ' to ensure the
safety and health of workers in every aspect related to the
work ', and paragraph 3 stipulates that ' the workers '
obligations in the field of safety and health at work shall
not affect the principle of the responsibility of the
employer '.

The employer 's obligations, which include an obligation
to provide material or equipment which conforms to the
general principles of prevention, safety and ergonomics
referred to at 1, are set out in more detail in the second
individual Directive within the meaning of Article 16(1 )
of Directive 89 / 391 / EEC, concerning the minimum ty
and health requirements for the use of work equipment by
workers at work ( J ).

Directives 89 / 391 / EEC and 89 / 655 / EEC are to be
incorporated in national law by 31 December 1991 at the
latest .

o OJ No C 28, 3 . 2 . 1988 .
O OJNoL 183, 29 . 6 . 1989 .
O Council Directive 89 / 655 / EEC of 30 November 1989 : OJ No

L 393, 30 . 12 . 1989 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1830 / 91

by Mr Yves Cochet ( V )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 1 September 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 15 )

Subject : Water pollution by liquid sewage

The large number of intensive stockbreeding farms in
certain regions of the Community has given rise to
considerable surplus quantities of liquid sewage from pigs
and poultry, causing a severe deterioration of the quality
of freshwater and coastal waters in these regions .

This is true of the French region of Brittany, for example,
where 53% of the French pig population and 40% of its
poultry population is concentrated on 6 % of the country 's
usable agricultural area .

In order to dispose of this environmentally harmful liquid
sewage, the French Government and the local authorities

NoC 159 / 10 Official Journal of the European Communities 25 . 6 . 92

in Brittany are planning to provide funding for the
construction of industrial liquid sludge processing plants .

The use of public funds for this purpose calls into

question the ' polluter-pays ' principle and the principle of
equal competition between farmers .

1 . Is the processing of liquid sewage covered by
Community environment and farm policy guidelines ?

2 . What is the maximum funding which may be granted

for such projects by Member States and the public
authorities ?

3 . Has the French Government informed the
Commission of the water purification programme in
Brittany, under which funds are earmarked for
projected processing plants in this region ?

4 . What measures does it envisage taking to ensure that

Member States comply with the above principles ?

Answer given by Mr Mac Sharry

on behalf of the Commission

( 5 March 1992 )

1 . and 2 . The Commission is currently drawing up a
global policy for national and Community aid for the
disposal of livestock effluents . This policy will*also cover
aid for the treatment of liquid sewage .

In December 1990 the Commission approped a rate of
national investment aid of 35% for a limited number of
liquid sewage treatment plants in the Netherlands, under
a temporary scheme . The construction of these plants
forms part of a comprehensive policy on livestock
effluents aimed at introducing more restrictive
regulations to solve pollution problems by the year 2000 .

3 . and 4 . Pursuant to Article 93(3 ) of the EEC Treaty,
France notified the Commission on 25 October 1991 of
various industrial treatment plants for liquid sewage and
manure in Brittany . These measures are being studied : the
Commission will adopt a position having regard to the
criteria laid down in Article 92 of the EEC Treaty and
socio-structural measures . Furthermore, an application
was submitted to the Commission in 1991 for Community

aid for the implementation of an industrial liquid sewage
treatment plant under the environmental part of the
Tregor-Northern Brittany programme . No decision will
be taken until the Commission has made its attitude

known on the compatibility of this State aid .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1832 / 91

by Mr Wilfried Telkamper ( V )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 1 September 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 16 )

Subject : EC participation in the Euro-Quebec Hydro ­

Hydrogen Production Project ( EQHHPP )

The EC has a one-third participation in a feasibility study
being carried out concerning the construction of a plant
for the production of hydrogen in James Bay and its
transport to Europe .

1 . To what extent was the environmental impact of

hydrogen production considered in this study ?

Was an assesment made of the effect on Caribou herds
of flooding 5 000 square miles of land and changing
the river levels, for example ?

Is it expected that mercury seepage will occur, as with
the James Bay I plant ?

2 . What conclusions does the study draw concerning the

social and cultural impact on the indigenous Cree and
Inuit population ?

3 . What public or private bodies have been involved in

assessing the ecological, socal and cultural impact of
this plant ?

4 . What will be the extent and nature of EC participation

in the construction of the plant ?

5 . What European undertakings took part in the
feasibility study ?

6 . What European undertakings will take part in the

construction and operation of the EQHHPP project ?

7 . What is being investigated by the EQHHPP
Supplementary Task Programme ? What results have
been obtained ?

Answer given by Mr Pandolfi

on behalf of the Commission

(5 February 1992 )

1 . The Euro-Quebec Hydro-Hydrogen Production
Project ( EQHHPP ) feasibility study ( Phase II of the
project ), which was completed in the spring of 1991,
concerned the possible production of hydrogen by means
of electrolysis in Quebec and its transport and use in
Europe . Sept Isles on the St. Lawrence River was envisage
as the site for a production plant . The EQHHPP is not
specifically linked to the decision about the further
development of hydro-power plants on James Bay . The
Community is not involved in any way in the latter . The
possible environmental and social impact of such a
development is at present the subject of investigations by

25.6 . 92 Official Journal of the European Communities NoC 159 / 11

the Canadian authorities and energy supply undertakings,
but is not directly connected with progress on the
EQHHPP .

As part of the feasibility study, qualitative comparisons
were made of the environmental impact of using
hydrogen and other energy sources, in particular as a
result of emissions of CO2 and other gases, and questions
concerning transport safety and hydrogen storage were
examined .

5 . The Commission is sending directly to the
Honourable Member and Parliament 's Secretariat a list of
the European undertakings involved in the feasibility
study . On the European side, the Ludwig-Bolkow
Foundation was given the task of carrying out the study
on behalf of the joint management group of the
EQHHPP .

6 . It is too early to embark on the implementation of
the project ( Phases III and IV ) at this stage . No decision
has yet been taken, therefore, on the participation of
European undertakings in these phases .

Pending a final decision concerning implementation,
there will be a new phase ( III — 0 ) in which various
applications of hydrogen and questions of safety will be
investigated in demonstration projects . These concern in
particular urban transport systems, aviation, steel
production and the safety and acceptance of the transport
and storage of hydrogen . An appropriation of ECU 8
million has been included in the 1991 budget for this
purpose on Parliament 's initiatiave .

7 . In the EQHHPP Supplementary Task Programme,
in addition to the feasibility study, more detailed
investigations are being carried out relating to the use of
hydrogen ( as fuel for aircraft and road vehicles, combined
heat and power production ), the behaviour of liquid
hydrogen in containers, fuel cells, methylcyclohexane
reaction, etc .

The interim report on the programme will be available
shortly .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1867 / 91

by Mr Friedrich Merz ( PPE )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 1 September 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 17 )

How many candidates with German as their mother
tongue failed the preliminary selection procedure by not
scoring the necessary number of marks in the English
language and French language test respectively ?

2 . Is it true that the failure rate for German
mother-tongue candidates in the preliminary selection
procedure was considerably higher among those offering
English as their first foreign language than among those
offering French ?

3 . If so, how does the Commission account for this ?

4 . Does the Commission consider that the English
language test was more difficult than the French test ?

5 . Is the Commission willing to allow those candidates
who failed the English-language test to sit a new test of
the same order of difficulty as the French test ?

Answer given by Mr Cardoso e Cunha

on behalf of the Commission

(6 February 1992 )

1 . 2 . and 3 . Competition COM / A / 714 was the first to
be held under the new system where there are three
eliminatory tests, including the language test, which
determine whether candidates ' essay papers are marked .

The computer programmes for competition
administration, of which there are some 300, have been
adapted accordingly, but it is not yet possible to provide
the detailed statistics asked for by the Honourable
Member .

Such statistics will probably be available for the
competitions being run at the moment .

4 . and 5 . The selection board for competition
COM / A / 7 1 4, very properly took great care to ensure that
the level of difficulty of the tests designed to assess
whether candidates had a satisfactory knowledge of a
second Community language as the same for all
languages .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1883 / 91

by Mr Florus Wijsenbeek ( LDR )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 1 September 1 991 )

Subject : Selection procedure for Open Competition
COM / A / 714 for assistant administrators in ( 92 / C 159 / 18 )
legal affairs — published in OJ No C 237, 21.9 .

1990

1 . How many candidates with German as their mother
tongue took part in the English and French language tests
respectively ?

Subject : The organization of the caraway seed market

Is the Commission aware that the mixing of different
sorts of caraway seed has led to a serious distortion of the
market ?

No C 159 / 12 Official Journal of the European Communities 25 . 6 . 92

Can the Commission explain how it is that two-year-old
caraway seed from the Community, produced with the
help of intervention, can be marketed mixed together with
one-year-old Polish seed of a lower quality ?

What does the Commission intend to do to improve the
quality of the product on the market ?

How does it intend to prevent the mixing of the two sorts ?

Answer given by Mr Mac Sharry

on behalf of the Commission

( 31 January 1992 )

The marketing of caraway seed has been covered since

1969 by Council Directive 69 / 208 / EEC on the marketing
of seed of oil and fibre plants ('). According to this
Directive, the Member States shall provide that seed of
the plant in question may not be placed on the market
unless it has been officially certified and unless it satisfies
certain conditions which cover inter alia varietal identity
and varietal purity . Such a seed must belong to varieties
which has initially been listed in the national catalogue of

at least one Member State and then ultimately in the
Community Common Catalogue of Varieties .

It should be noted that varieties which meet all the
Community requirements are eligible for admission . In
the view of the Commission the quality of such seeds is
assured by the existing legislation .

The Commission is not aware of the practice of mixing

different sorts of caraway seed, referred to by the
Honourable Member . However, it will of course
investigate further if more details can be provided .

Answer given by Mr Mac Sharry

on behalf of the Commission

( 22 January 1992 )

Community law does not cover the obtention of hunting
permits in the Member States . The differences mentioned
by the Honourable Member can be attributed to historical
developments and current opinions in the Member States .

The differences in procedures for obtaining hunting
permits do not stand in the way of achieving the
Community 's objectives, in particular as regards the
protection of certain birds and in line with the proposal
for a Directive on the conservation of natural and

semi-natural habitats .

Therefore, the Commission sees no urgent need to extend
the Community 's powers in the area indicated by the
Honourable Member .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1 904 / 9 1
by Mr Anthony Wilson, Mr Roger Barton, Mr Alan
Donnelly, Mrs Pauline Green, Mr Henry McCubbin,

Mr Brian Simpson, Mr David Bowe and

Mr Gary Titley ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

(2 September 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 20 )

O OJ No L 169, 10.7 . 1969 . Subject : Postal services in Wales

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1888 / 91

by Mr Elio Di Rupo ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 1 September 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 19 )

Subject : Harmonization of hunting licences at
Community level

At present, hunting permits and discrepancies in the cost
of such permits between the different Member States are
not covered by Community law .

Does the Commission agree that this field would benefit
from harmonization at Community level, in the light of
the completion of the internal market ?

Will it give its views as to whether it would be appropriate
to extend Community responsibilities in this field ?

Wales has its own distinctive language and is poorer in
economic terms than England . With the siting of the
headquarters of Welsh postal services in England, Wales
will lose jobs and the language will be further threatened .

As the promotion of regional diversity is an integral part
of the policy of the European Community, is it just that
the control of the postal services in Wales should be sited
in England ?

Answer given by Mr Bangemann

on behalf of the Commission

( 12 September 1 991 )

The Commission has no jurisdiction to deal with the

question asked by the Honourable Member, which is a
matter solely for the national authorities concerned .

25 . 6 . 92 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 159 / 13

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1950 / 91

by Mr Ian White ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

(2 September 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 21 )

Subject : No fault liability

Has a ' no fault liability scheme ' been tried, operated,
considered or rejected in any of the Member States of the
European Community on the basis of no fault liability for
road accidents where compensation for injury lies
between £ 250 and £ 2 500 ?

Answer given by Sir Leon Brittan

on behalf of the Commission

(2 April 1992 )

No-fault liability schemes have been introduced in, for
instance, New Zealand and some of the States of the USA .
The fundamental legal principles in force within the EEC
vary quite considerably, ranging from a fault-based
system such as the one prevalent in the UK, to a system of
objective responsibility in France under which the
protection of the victim is the main objective in most cases
irrespective of whether the driver was at fault .

In the UK, the Pearson Commission in 1978
recommended that a no-fault compensation scheme be
established for the victims of road accidents .

In May 1991, the Lord Chancellor 's Department in the
UK issued a consultation paper setting out options for a
no-fault compensation scheme for less serious injuries
resulting from traffic accidents and funded by private
insurance . Amongst the possible options are an upper and
lower limit on claims of £ 2 500 and £ 250 respectively, as
referred to by the Honourable Member .

The Commission is not aware of any such no-fault
scheme in operation in any of the EC Member States .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2008 / 91
by Mr Pierre Bernard     - Reymond ( PPE )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 23 September 1991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 22 )

Subject : Community Amateur Drama programme

Amateur drama groups are interested in the possibility of
cultural exchanges among the countries of the European
Community .

In view of the success of the Community 's Media
programme in the audiovisual field, does not the
Commission feel that this kind of programme could be
extended to amateur theatre, or that a specific project
might perhaps be set up to promote exchanges,
particularly exchanges of performances ?

Answer given by Mr Dondelinger

on behalf of the Commission

(6 March 1992 )

An adaptation or extension of the Media programme set
up to encourage the European audiovisual industry
cannot be considered at this stage .

Firstly, the Community does not have sufficient
compentence in the cultural field to enable it to draw up a
programme of this type for the theatre .

Secondly, there is very little similarity between the
audiovisual industry and the theatre, the latter being by
nature extremely fragmentary and almost totally
dependent on public finance .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2042 / 91

by Mrs Anita Pollack ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 23 September 1991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 23 )

Subject : Fur trapping

With reference to the proposed Council Regulation on
the importation of certain furs, will the Environment
Commissioner please say what practical form will the
Commission 's commitment to participate in the
elaboration of international humane trapping standards
take, and what criteria the Commission will use to decide
whether or not a trap may be described as humane ?

Answer given by Mr Ripa di Meana

on behalf of the Commission

( 17 March 1992 )

The Commission is currently considering the best way in
which it can participate in the elaboration of the ISO
International Humane Trapping Standards, now that the
Council Regulation on the importation of certain furs has
been adopted .

It would not like to prejudice the outcome of these
international standards by setting its own criteria for
deciding the humaneness of traps before these standards
have been finalized .

No C 159 / 14 Official Journal of the European Communities 25 . 6 . 92

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2055 / 91 2 . end any disparities in the definitions of
toxic wastes that exist in each Member State ?

2 . end any disparities in the definitions of hazardous and

by Mr James Ford ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 26 September 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 24 )

Subject : Kit cars

When drawing up legislation under the Single Act, does
the Commission intend to create new requirements for
owners / drivers of ( customized, rare, collectors ' or even
classic replica ) cars built by the individual from kits ? Will
the Commission give details of any prospective legislation
in this field, and its intended ramifications ?

Answer given by Mr Bangemann

on behalf of the Commission

( 2 December 1 991 )

The proposal for a Council Directive amending Directive
70 / 156 / EEC on the approximation of the laws of the
Member States exposes the requirements relating to the
approval of new vehicle types and of new vehicles put into
service .

For vehicles produced in small series, such as customized
or classic replica cars, the proposal provides for a flexible
solution, whereby exemptions from the requirements of
the separate Directives can be granted .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2060 / 91

by Mr Peter Crampton ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 26 September 1991 )

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

Answer given by Mr Ripa di Meana

on behalf of the Commission

(3 December 1 991 )

The requirement for the Member States to draw up waste
management plans has been established by the Directives
75 / 442 / EEC on waste ( ! ) and 78 / 319 / EEC on hazardous
waste ( 2 ). In addition, Directive 78 / 319 / EEC required
Member States in its Article 1 6 to draw up a report on the
disposal of toxic and dangerous waste and to submit it to
the Commission . However, the incomplete transmission
of these plans and reports have made it impossible until
now to draw up comprehensive figures on waste arisings
and disposals . The Commission has therefore on the one
hand taken steps towards Member States to comply with
their obligations and on the other hand launched a series
of studies to obtain the information it considers necessary
for the Community waste policy . It is not possible to
indicate at this time, when the results of these activities
will become available .

As to the differences in hazardous waste definitions, these
will be removed by the new directive on hazardous waste,
which provides for a single list of hazardous wastes for
the Community to be drawn up within 18 months .

This Directive is currently before Council for final

adoption .

(') OJNoL 194, 25 . 7 . 1975 .
O OJ No L 84, 31.3.1978 .

( 92 / C 159 / 25 ) WRITTEN QUESTION No 2063 / 91

Subject : Hazardous and toxic waste

EC Directive 91 / 156 (*), requires the competent
authorities in the Member States to draw up waste
management plans indicating type, quantity and origin of
waste to be recovered or disposed of ; any special

arrangements for particular wastes and suitable disposal
sites or installations .

Can the Commission say when it will be in a position to

1 . give reliable figures on the amount of hazardous and
toxic waste that is ( a ) produced and ( b ) processed by
each Member State ?

by Mrs Dorothee Piermont ( ARC )
to the Council of the European Communities

( 26 September 1991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 26 )

Subject : EC food aid for Cuba

Cuba has suffered many serious problems as a result of
the reunification of the former German Democratic
Republic with the Federal Republic of Germany on 3
October 1990 ; the FRG allowed a trade agreement to
expire on 31 December 1990, under which for many years
Cuba had received milk powder in return for industrial
yeast . Under the terms of this agreement Cuba could

25 . 6 . 92 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 159 / 15

count on receiving 20 000 tonnes of milk powder in 1991 .
Since 1 January 1991, however, it has not received a single
gram, and it does not have the foreign currency with
which to obtain the amount it requires on the world
market . It is therefore unable to continue its milk supply
programme to children ( one litre a day for children under
seven ), hospitals and old people 's homes .

1 . Is the Council prepared to include Cuba in the list of
countries which can receive food aid under the terms
of Directive 1420 / 87 / EEC (') of 21 May 1987, so as
to prevent serious deficiency symptoms appearing
among sick and elderly people and children ?

2 . Is the Council prepared to make milk powder
available as food aid to Cuba as soon as possible ?

3 . Is the Council prepared moreover to support Cuban
projects for achieving a stable food supply ?

0 ) OJ No L 136, 26 . 5 . 1987, p. 1 .

Answer

( 18 May 1992 )

Food aid is part of the Community 's cooperation policy
and must be integrated as fully as possible into the
development policies of recipient countries .

The Council wishes to point out that the development of

Community cooperation with Cuba depends on the
process of political and economic reform in that country
and that the possibility of increasing aid to developing
countries in which positive and substantial changes take
place in the area of human rights and democracy was
recognized in the Resolution of 28 November 1991 on
human rights, democracy and development . The
development of cooperation between the Community and
Cuba should therefore be looked at in the light of the
evolution of the situation in that country .

With regard to possible progress in establishing normal
relations with Cuba and ways of improving development
potential in that country, the Community and its Member
States consider that the worrying human rights situation
in Cuba cannot but have a negative effect on relations
between the European Community and Cuba in general .
Pending substantial changes in both President Castro 's
domestic and foreign policy and his regime, the European
Community will reserve its position on contributing to
Cuba 's economic and social development .

Nevertheless, the Community is aware of the needs of
vulnerable sections of the population and is making milk
powder in particular available to them through the
appropriate organizations .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2085 / 91

by Mrs Christine Oddy ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 26 September 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 27 )

Subject : Rights of entry for gas and electricity boards

The British Gas and Electricity Boards have the right of
entry to domestic premises after obtaining the necessary
Magistrate 's signature under the Electricity Act 1989
' Rights of Entry ( gas and electricity boards )'.

Do similar rights of entry exist in other Community
countries ?

Answer given by Mr Bangemann

on behalf of the Commission

(5 March 1992 )

The question raised by the Honourable Member is
outside the Community 's field of competence, and the
Commission is rather uninformed on the situation in the
Member States with regard to right of entry of employees
for gas and electricity companies .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2091 / 91

by Mr Mihail Papayannakis ( GUE )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 26 September 1991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 28 )

Subject : Co-funding by the Community of a municipal

hostel on the island of Symi

Since 1983 a municipal hostel with a capacity of about 100
beds has been under construction on the island of Symi in
the Dodecanese . According to a notice prominently
displayed on a special notice-board in the harbour this
project is being co-financed by the Community . Although
it is generally admitted that this hostel will play a key role
in the tourist development of the island it is still only
half-finished . Will the Commission say whether this
project is really being co-funded by the Community,
giving information concerning the Community 's
contribution, the overall budget for the project and the
work schedule, whether it has investigated why work has
stopped and what it intends to do to ensure that this
important project is completed as soon as possible ?

No C 159 / 16 Official Journal of the European Communities 25 . 6 . 92

Answer given by Mr Mtllan
on behalf of the Commission

( 17 March 1992 )

The project in question was originally financed in the

context of the so-called ' non-quota ' programme in favour
of Greek regions adopted by Council Regulation ( EEC )
No 215 / 84 of 18 January 1984 (').

The total budget for the project was Dr 22 million and the

Community contribution 50 % .

However, the project has undergone numerous revisions
in terms of physical content and, especially in terms of the
budget, which has increased substantially . Therefore,
despite the fact that the original budget for this
investment, including the Community contribution, was
absorbed, the project is still incomplete due to lack of the
additional monies required .

The ' non-quota ' programme expired on 31 December

1989 . However, if the Greek authorities go ahead with the
completion of this project and request further assistance
from the Community, the Commission would be willing
to consider new works associated with the project in the
context of the current structural fund operational
programme for the southern Aegean region .

O OJ No L 27, 31 . 1 . 1984 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2095 / 91

given by Mr Gijs de Vries ( LDR )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 26 September 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 29 )

Subject : Statistics on the audiovisual industry

Parliament has repeatedly called for the collection of
reliable and comparable statistics on the European
audiovisual industry ( for example in the De Vries report
on the European film and television industry, Doc .
A2-347 / 88 ( x ). What action has the Commission taken to

comply with this request ?

o OJNoC69, 20 . 3 . 1989, p. 138 .

Answer given by Mr Dondelinger

on behalf of the Commission

multiannual programme for the development of
European statistics on services (').

Directorate-General X ( Audiovisual Media, Information,
Communication and Culture ) and the Statistical Office of
the European Communities have already started work on
an inventory of the available information, the
development of a methodological framework, and the
design and setting-up of an information category within
the statistical information system for services ( Mercure ).

O CC)M(90 ) 578 final .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2096 / 91

by Mr Peter Crampton ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 26 September 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 30 )

Subject : The effects of traffic pollution on children 's

health

A recent study ' Air Pollution and Child Health ',
commissioned by Greenpeace, has suggested that the fifty
seven per cent increase in the volume of traffic over the
last ten years in Britain is a major contributor to the
increased incidence of asthma, chest infections, hay fever
and cancer in children . Does the Commission agree that
this is an unacceptable threat to children 's health, and
does it intend introducing legislation to reduce the
damage caused by traffic pollution ?

Answer given by Mr Ripa di Meana

on behalf of the Commission

( 28 January 1992 )

The effects of air pollution from motor vehicle exhausts
on the respiratory system of children and on health in
general are well known to the Commission .

A number of Council Directives have already been
enacted to reduce pollutant emissions of motor vehicles .
Very recently, the Council adopted two Directives
(9 1 / 441 / EEC (') and 91 / 542 / EEC ( 2 )) amending
Directive 70 / 220 / EEC and 88 / 77 / EEC setting more
stringent emission values for cars, light duty and heavy
duty vehicles .

( 28 February 1992 ) O OJ No L 242, 30 . 8 . 1991 .
O OJ No L 295, 25 . 10 . 1991 .

The audiovisual industry was listed as a priority sector in
the Commission 's draft Council Decision establishing a

25 . 6 . 92 Official Journal of the European Communities NoC 159 / 17

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2175 / 91

by Mrs Anita Pollack ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

(4 October 1991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 31 )

Subject : Drift nets and dolphins

Does the Commission yet have the results of the study
and project mentioned in its answer to Mr
Monnier-Besombes ( No 1922 / 90 ) ( ! ) and if so have the
results yet been evaluated ? What action will be
forthcoming ?

O OJ No C 85, 28 . 3 . 1991, p. 22 .

Answer given by Mr Marin
on behalf of the Commission

( 16 March 1992 )

The Commission has received the final report of the
study (') mentioned in the Honourable Member 's Written
Question and has analyzed the results .

The Commission, taking account of the available
scientific information and in keeping with the spirit of
Resolution 44 / 225 of the General Assembly of the United
Nations, has put forward a proposal ( 2 ) to amend
Regulation ( EEC ) No 3094 / 86 ( 3 ) with a view to
regulating the use of drift nets by boats flying the flag of a
Member State of the European Communities .

The Fisheries Council of 28 October 1991 took a decision

Answer given by Mr Mac Sharry

on behalf of the Commission

( 29 November 1991 )

The Commission is already informed by the Member

States of the approval number and address of
establishments producing poultrymeat and meat
products, approved according to Council Directive
71 / 118 / EEC of 15 February 1971 on health problems
affecting trade in poultrymeat (*) or Council Directive
77 / 99 / EEC of 21 December 1976 on health problems
affecting intra-Community trade in meat products ( 2 ).
This authorization is linked to the fulfilment of the

hygiene requirements of the Community legislation and
not to the degree of automatization or proportion of
production intended for intra-Community trade .

O OJNoL55, 8.3 . 1971 .
O OJ No L 26, 31 . 1 . 1977 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2277 / 91

by Mr José Valverde Lôpez ( PPE )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 18 October 1991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 33 )

Subject : Failure by Spain to comply with Council
Directive 85 / 572 / EEC

along the lines suggested by the Council, i.e. to limit the
length of drift nets to 2,5 km . The European Parliament Has the Commission served notice upon the Spanish
delivered a favourable opinion on the Commission Government for failing to comply with Council Directive
proposal on 1 1 October . 85 / 572 / EEC on the internal market ('), by neglecting to

notify it of national implementing measures, and what is
(') Contract for a biological study XIV-C - 1, 1989 / 5 . the present situation as regards the infringement
O COM(90 ) 610 final . proceedings ?
O OJ No L 288, 11 . 10 . 1986 .

O OJ No L 372, 31 . 12 . 1985, p. 14 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2278 / 91

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2182 / 91
by Mr José Valverde Lôpez ( PPE )

by Mr Llewellyn Smith ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 18 October 1991 )

( 4 October 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 34 )
( 92 / C 159 / 32 )

Subject : Food hygiene / quality assurance

Has the Commission identified or will it identify the
location of large-volume automated poultry and meat
processing plants where a significant proportion of output
is given over to intra-Community trade ?

Subject : Failure by Spain to comply with Council
Directive 86 / 635 / EEC

Has the Commission served notice upon the Spanish
Government for failing to comply with Council Directive
86 / 635 / EEC on financial institutions and company

No C 159 / 18 Official Journal of the European Communities 25 . 6 . 92

law ('), by neglecting to notify it of national implementing
measures, and what is the present situation as regards the
infringement proceedings ?

of national implementing measures, and what is the
present situation as regards the infringement
proceedings ?

o OJ No L 372, 31.12 . 1986, p. 1 . O OJ No L 194, 22 . 7 . 1988, p. 28 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2279 / 91

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2282 / 91

by Mr José Valverde Lopez ( PPE ) by Mr José Valverde Lôpez ( PPE )

to the Commission of the European Communities to the Commission of the European

by Mr José Valverde Lopez ( PPE )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 18 October 1991 )

( 18 October 1991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 35 ) ( 92 /C 159 / 38 )

Subject : Failure by Spain to comply with Council
Directive 87 / 345 / EEC

Has the Commission served notice upon the Spanish
Government for failing to comply with Council Directive
87 / 345 / EEC on financial institutions and company
law ('), by neglecting to notify it of national implementing
measures, and what is the present situation as regards the
infringement proceedings ?

Subject : Failure by Spain to comply with Council
Directive 89 / 395 / EEC

Has the Commission served notice upon the Spanish
Government for failing to comply with Council Directive
89 / 395 / EEC on consumers ('), by neglecting to notify it
of national implementing measures, and what is the
present situation as regards the infringement
proceedings ?

o OJ No L 185, 4 . 7 . 1987, p. 81 . O OJ No L 186, 30 . 6 . 1989, p. 17 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2280 / 91

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2283 / 91

by Mr José Valverde Lôpez ( PPE )

by Mr José Valverde Lôpez ( PPE ) by Mr José Valverde Lopez ( PPE )

to the Commission of the European Communities to the Commission of the European

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 18 October 1991 )

( 18 October 1991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 36 ) ( 92 / C 159 / 39 )

Subject : Failure by Spain to comply with Council
Directive 88 / 182 / EEC

Has the Commission served notice upon the Spanish
Government for failing to comply with Council Directive
88 / 182 / EEC on the internal market (*), by neglecting to
notify it of national implementing measures, and what is
the present situation as regards the infringement
proceedings ?

Subject : Failure by Spain to comply with Council
Directive 89 / 107 / EEC

Has the Commission served notice upon the Spanish
Government for failing to comply with Council Directive
89 / 107 / EEC on the internal market (*), by neglecting to
notify it of national implementing measures, and what is
the present situation as regards the infringement
proceedings ?

o OJ No L 81, 26 . 3 . 1988, p. 75 . (') OJ No L 40, 1 1 . 2 . 1989, p. 27 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2281 / 91

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2284 / 91

by Mr José Valverde Lôpez ( PPE )

by Mr José Valverde Lôpez ( PPE ) by Mr José Valverde Lôpez ( PPE )

to the Commission of the European Communities to the Commission of the European

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 18 October 1 991 )

( 18 October 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 37 ) ( 92 / C 159 / 40 )

Subject : Failure by Spain to comply with Council
Directive 88 / 409 / EEC

Has the Commission served notice upon the Spanish
Government for failing to comply with Council Directive
88 / 409 / EEC on agriculture (*), by neglecting to notify it

Subject : Failure by Spain to comply with Council
Directive 89 / 108 / EEC

Has the Commission sent reasoned opinions to the
Spanish Government for failing to comply with Council
Directive 89 / 108 / EEC on the internal market (*), by

25 . 6 . 92 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 159 / 19

neglecting to notify it of national implementing measures, 89 / 361 / EEC on agriculture ('), by neglecting to notify
and what is the present situation as regards the it of national implementing measures, and what is
infringement proceedings ? the present situation as regards the infringement

proceedings ?
o OJ No L 40, 1 1 . 2 . 1.989, p. 34 .

0 ) OJ No L 153, 6 . 6 . 1989, p. 30 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2285 / 91

by Mr José Valverde Lôpez ( PPE ) WRITTEN QUESTION No 2288 / 91

to the Commission of the European Communities by Mr José Valverde Lôpez ( PPE )

( 18 October 1991 ) to the Commission of the European Communities

( 92 / C 159 / 41 ) ( 18 October 1 991 )

Subject : Failure by Spain to comply with Council
Directive 89 / 178 / EEC

( 92 / C 159 / 44 )

Subject : Failure by Spain to comply with Council
Directive 89 / 369 / EEC

Has the Commission served notice upon the Spanish
Government for failing to comply with Council Directive
89 / 178 / EEC on the internal market ( 1 ), by neglecting to
notify it of national implementing measures, and what is
the present situation as regards the infringement
proceedings ?

Government for failing to comply with Council Directive Has the Commission served notice upon the Spanish
89 / 178 / EEC on the internal market ( 1 ), by neglecting to Government for failing to comply with Council Directive
notify it of national implementing measures, and what is 89 / 369 / EEC on the environment ('), by neglecting to
the present situation as regards the infringement notify it of national implementing measures, and what is
proceedings ? the present situation as regards the infringement

proceedings ?

o OJ No L 64, 8 . 3 . 1989, p. 18 .

(') OJ No L 163, 14 . 6 . 1989, p. 32 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2286 / 91

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2289 / 91
by Mr José Valverde Lôpez ( PPE )

by Mr José Valverde Lôpez ( PPE )
to the Commission of the European Communities

to the Commission of the European Communities
( 18 October 1991 )

( 18 October 1991 )
( 92 / C 159 / 42 )
( 92 / C 159 / 45 )

Subject : Failure by Spain to comply with Council
Directive 89 / 299 / EEC

Has the Commission served notice upon the Spanish
Government for failing to comply with Council Directive
89 / 299 / EEC on financial institutions and company
law ('), by neglecting to notify it of national implementing
measures, and what is the present situation as regards the
infringement proceedings ?

Subject : Failure by Spain to comply with Council
Directive 89 / 429 / EEC

Has the Commission served notice upon the Spanish
Government for failing to comply with Council Directive
89 / 429 / EEC on the environment ('), by neglecting to
notify it of national implementing measures, and what
is the present situation as regards the infringement
proceedings ?

O OJ No L 124, 5 . 5 . 1989, p. 16 . o OJ No L 203 f, 15 . 7 . 1989, p. 50 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2287 / 91

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2290 / 91

by Mr José Valverde Lôpez ( PPE )

by Mr José Valverde Lôpez ( PPE )
to the Commission of the European Communities to the Commission of the

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 18 October 1991 ) ( 18 October 1991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 43 ) ( 92 / C 159 / 46 )

Subject : Failure by Spain to comply with Council
Directive 89 / 361 / EEC !

Has the Commission served notice upon the Spanish
Government for failing to comply with Council Directive

Subject : Failure by Spain to comply with Council
Directive 89 / 51 9 / EEC

Has the Commission sent reasoned opinions to the
Spanish Government for failing to comply with Council

No C 159 / 20 Official Journal of the European Communities 25 . 6 . 92

Directive 89 / 519 / EEC on the internal market ( ! ), by
neglecting to notify it of national implementing measures,
and what is the present situation as regards the
infringement proceedings ?

notify it of national implementing measures, and^what
is the present situation as regards the infringement
proceedings ?

o OJ No L 19, 24 . 1 . 1990, p. 14 .
O OJ No L 265, 12 . 9 . 1989, p. 30 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2294 / 91

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2291 / 91 by Mr José Valverde Lôpez ( PPE )

by Mr José Valverde Lopez ( PPE ) to the Commission of the European Communities

to the Commission of the European Communities ( 18 October 1991 )

( 18 October 1991 ) ( 92 / C 159 / 50 )

( 92 / C 159 / 47 ) Subject : Failure by Spain to comply with Council
Directive 90 / 128 / EEC

Subject : Failure by Spain to comply with Council
Directive 89 / 556 / EEC

Has the Commission served notice upon the Spanish
Government for failing to comply with Council Directive
89 / 556 / EEC on agriculture ( ! ), by neglecting to notify it
of national implementing measures, and what is the
present situation as regards the infringement
proceedings ?

Has the Commission served notice upon the Spanish
Government for failing to comply with Council Directive
90 / 128 / EEC (') on the internal market by neglecting to
notify it of national implementing measures, and what
is the present situation as regards the infringement
proceedings ?

(') OJ No L 75, 21 . 3 . 1990, p. 19 .

O OJ No L 302, 19 . 10 . 1989, p. 1 .
WRITTEN QUESTION No 2295 / 91

by Mr José Valverde Lôpez ( PPE )

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2292 / 91

by Mr José Valverde Lôpez ( PPE )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 18 October 1991 )

to the Commission of the European Communities ( 92 / C 159 / 51 )

( 18 October 1991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 48 )

Subject : Failure by Spain to comply with Council
Directive 89 / 647 / EEC

Has the Commission served notice upon the Spanish
Government for failing to comply with Council Directive
89 / 647 / EEC on financial institutions and company
law ('), by neglecting to notify it of national implementing
measures, and what is the present situation as regards the
infringement proceedings ?

Subject : Failure by Spain to comply with Council
Directive 90 / 168 / EEC

Has the Commission served notice upon the Spanish
Government for failing to comply with Council Directive
90 / 168 / EEC (') on agriculture by neglecting to notify it
of national implementing measures, and what is the
present situation as regards the infringement
proceedings ?

(') OJ No L 92, 7 . 4 . 1990, p. 49 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2296 / 91
O OJ No L 386, 30 . 12 . 1989, p. 14 .

by Mr José Valverde Lôpez ( PPE )
to the Commission of the European Communities

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2293 / 91 ( 18 October 1 991 )

by Mr José Valverde Lopez ( PPE ) ( 92 / C 159 / 52 )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 18 October 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 49 )

Subject : Failure by Spain to comply with Council
Directive 90 / 35 / EEC

Has the Commission served notice upon the Spanish
Government for failing to comply with Council Directive
90 / 35 / EEC on the internal market ('), by neglecting to

Subject : Failure by Spain to comply with Council
Directive 90 / 389 / EEC

Has the Commission served notice upon the Spanish
Government for failing to comply with Council Directive
90 / 389 / EEC (*) on telecommunications by neglecting to
notify it of national implementing measures, and what
is the present situation as regards the infringement
proceedings ?

(') OJ No L 192, 24 . 7 . 1990, p. 1 .

25 . 6 . 92 Official Journal of the European Communities NoC 159 / 21

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2297 / 91

by Mr José Valverde Lôpez ( PPE )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 18 October 1991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 53 )

Subject : Failure by Spain to comply with Council
Directive 90 / 3 8 8 / EEC

Has the Commission served notice upon the Spanish
Government for failing to comply with Council Directive
90 / 388 / EEC (') on competition by neglecting to notify
it of national implementing measures, and what is
the present situation as regards the infringement
proceedings ?

O OJ No L 192, 24 . 7 . 1990, p. 10 .

— the Spanish authorities have given partial notification

of national measures implementing Directives
89 / 178 / EEC, 89 / 299 / EEC and 89 / 647 / EEC
( referred to in Written Questions Nos 2285 / 91,
2286 / 91 and 2292 / 91 ). If action is not taken on all the
points in the Directives, however, the Commission
will issue a reasoned opinion ;

— the Spanish authorities have also notified the
Commission of national measures implementing
Directives 87 / 345 / EEC and 90 / 35 / EEC ( referred to
in Written Questions Nos 2279 / 91 and 2293 / 91 ).
These are now being considered by Commission
departments .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2315 / 91
by Mr Diego de Los Santos López ( ARC )
WRITTEN QUESTION No 2298 / 91 to the Commission of the European Communities

by Mr José Valverde Lôpez ( PPE )

( 21 October 1991 )

to the Commission of the European Communities ( 92 / C 159 / 55 )

( 18 October 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 54 )

Subject : Failure by Spain to comply with Council
Directive 90 / 398 / EEC

Has the Commission served notice upon the Spanish
Government for failing to comply with Council Directive
90 / 398 / EEC (') on transport by neglecting to notify it of
national implementing measures, and what is the present
situation as regards the infringement proceedings ?

o OJ No L 202, 31.7 . 1990, p. 46 .

Jomt answer to Written Questions Nos 2277 / 91 to

2298 / 91

given by Mr Delors
on behalf of the Commission

(4 March 1992 )

As the Spanish authorities notified the Commission of
national measures implementing Directive 89 / 182 / EEC
( referred to in Written Question No 2280 / 91 ) in May

1989, notice has not been served .

As regards all the other Directives to which the
Honourable Member refers, notice has been served for
failure to notify national implementing measures .

In some of these cases there have been developments in
the proceedings since notice was served :

— the Commission has terminated the proceedings

relating to Directives 86 / 635 / EEC, 89 / 108 / EEC,
89 / 361 / EEC, 89 / 519 / EEC, 90 / 388 / EEC,
90 / 387 / EEC and 90 / 398 / EEC ; these are the cases
covered by Written Questions Nos 2278 / 91, 2284 / 91,
2287 / 91, 2290 / 91, 2297 / 91, 2296 / 91 and 2298 / 91
respectively ;

Subject : Equine fever

According to information published by the agricultural

advisory body of the junta of Andalusia, since July the
nearby Kingdom of Morocco has been suffering an
epidemic of African equine fever . As is well known, the
African continent is the centre of this disease .

Because of its proximity, Andalusia run certain risks,
obviously because of its geographical situation, but even
more because it is still suffering the effects of a resurgence
of equine fever, and this is a particularly dangerous time
of the year for the spread of the disease .

— Does the Commission have information on the

situation of this disease in Morocco ?

— Does the Commission have information on the
importing of horses, even temporarily, from Morocco
and the point of entry into the Community ?

— Has the Commission informed the Spanish
Government of the methods adopted in Andalusia to
prevent the entry of horses ?

— Does the Commission intend to grant financial aid for

the implementation of the Community measures laid
down in these cases, in accordance with Community
Regulations ?

Answer given by Mr Mac Sharry

on behalf of the Commission

( 11 March 1992 )

Outbreaks of African horse sickness have been occurring
in Morocco since July 1991 . The Commission 's source of
information on this matter have been the international
Office of Epizootics and the Moroccan veterinary
authorities .

No C 159 / 22 Official Journal of the European Communities 25.6 . 92

The rules on importation of equidae from third countries

are set by Council Directive 90 / 426 / EEC of 26 June 1990
on animal health conditions governing the movement and
import from third countries of equidae ('). Member States
may not import from any third country in which there has
been any clinical, serological or epidemiological evidence
of African horse sickness during the previous two years
where any vaccination against the disease has been carried
out during the previous 12 months .

Under Article 8 of Council Decision 90 / 424 / EEC on
expenditure in the veterinary field (') the Commission is
looking at the possibility of supporting the control
measures in Morocco by supplying vaccine or financing
its purchase .

o OJ No L 224, 18 . 8 . 1990, p. 42 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2319 / 91

by Mr Herman Verbeek ( V )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 21 October 1991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 56 )

Subject : Authorization of pesticides

In answer to my Written Question No 3006 / 90 (') the
Commission stated that the Dutch Multinannul Crop
Plan was not undermined by Community policy on
pesticide-related harmonization .

1 . Does this mean that the fears voiced by Greenpeace

and others that as a result of the harmonization of
pesticide legislation the Netherlands may be forced to
increase substantially the number of authorized
substances ( from some 300 to almost 700 ) are
unfounded ?

2 . In view of the answer to Question No 3006 / 90, why is

it that Member States will not be premitted to take
more stringent measures to secure a high level of
health and environmental protection in their own
country ?

3 . Can the Commission say whether, under the
Community legislation, the following substances will
have to be allowed onto the market in the
Netherlands : endosulfan, pentachlorophenal,
atrazine, methyl bromide, simazine ?

the placing of plant protection products on the market, a
decrease is more likely in the number of active substances
authorized in the Netherlands compared with the number
of active substances currently authorized . In the event of
an increase, it would be only in the case of substances
which have already passed the selection criteria imposed
by the very strict health and environmental safety
requirements laid down in that Directive . The Directive
specifies a programme to re-evaluate all active substances
currently on the market over a period of 12 years from the
date of its notification .

2 . The Commission considers that the authorization of
plant protection products must satisfy a uniformly very
high level of health and environmental protection in all
the Member States of the Community . However, since the
effects of plant protection products may vary according to
plant health, agricultural and / or environmental
conditions in the various regions of the Community, this
level must be guaranteed by measures which allow for
such regional variations . The instruments provided for in
the Directive enable the Member States to take the
decision authorizing a plant protection product and to
adjust terms applicable on the basis of the individual
regional or local conditions .

3 . It is very difficult as of now to predict whether and
to what extent the plant protection products containing
substances referred to by the Honourable Member will
continue to be authorized after the implementation of the
Directive, both in the Community as a whole or in any
particular Member State . This will depend principally on
the technical evaluation of such substances, to be carried
out under the programme for the re-evaluation of
substances currently on the market . As a result of that
evaluation, a decision will be taken as to whether those
substances may be included in Annex I and, if so, on the
conditions governing their use . Secondly, it will be for the
Member States to judge whether preparations containing
the substances in question satisfy the requirements of
Article 4 of the Directive vis-a-vis the conditions
pertaining in their regions .

o OJ No L 230, 19 . 8 . 1991 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2334 / 91

by Mr Jean-Pierre Raffarin ( LDR )
to the Commission of the European Communities

C ) OJ No C 199, 29 . 7 . 1991, p. 9 . ( 21 October 1991 )
( 92 / C 159 / 57 )

Answer given by Mr Mac Sharry

on behalf of the Commission

( 21 February 1992 )

1 . The Commission considers that, as a result of the
implementation of Directive 91 / 414 / EEC (*) concerning

Subject : Liability of suppliers of services

The proposal for a Council Directive on the liability of

suppliers of services ( COM(90 ) 482 final — SYN 308 )
contains particularly harsh provisions, especially the one
under which a 20-year period of limitation is laid down in
respect of buildings .

25 . 6 . 92 Official Journal of the European Communities NoC 159 / 23

Would the Commission be prepared, after consultation
with representatives of the construction industry, to
exclude this sector from the scope of the above proposal
and draw up another directive specific to the design or
construction of buildings ?

Answer given by Mr Van Miert

on behalf of the Commission

(2 December 1991 )

The Commission is aware of the special problems of the

construction industry and it will formally exclude this
industry from the scope of the draft Directive mentioned
by the Honourable Member . The draft Directive will be
amended appropriately after the European Parliament has
given its opinion .

The Commission has in fact already set up four Drafting
Groups in which all the parties concerned are represented .
These Groups are dealing with the aspects of acceptance,

liability, legal warranty and the financial cover for this
legal warranty . The results of the work of these Groups
will provide the basis for the Commission to decide on the
preparation of a proposal for a Directive specific to the
construction industry .

help farmers in the context of a reformed common
agricultural policy is through fiscal measures . In its
reform proposal ('), the Commission has set out a
comprehensive range of support measures designed to
help farmers . None of these measures are of a fiscal
nature reflecting the Commission 's view that differential
fiscal arrangements within each Member State in favour
of farmers would not be an appropriate instrument .

As the Honourable Member points out, a reduction in the
tax burden is the responsibility of the Member States .

Nevertheless, where indirect taxation at Community level
is concerned, the Commission has put forward the
possibility of a partial exemption from excise duties for
the fuels used in agriculture .

The Commission is also preparing a proposal to provide
for a significant tax concession on biocarburants .

O COM(91 ) 258 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2367 / 91
by Mr Diego de los Santos López ( ARC )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 22 October 1991 )

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2335 / 91 ( 92 / C 159 / 59 )

by Mr Jean-Pierre Raffarin ( LDR )
to the Commission of the European Co mmuni ties

( 21 October 1991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 58 )

Subject : Reduction in the taxation of farmers

Members of the Commission have repeatedly called for a
substantial reduction in Community aid to agriculture,
the desire for which has come to prominence through the
announcement of a reform of the common agricultural
policy in the midst of the GATT negotiations .

The only real way of helping farmers to achieve
profitability is to adjust the tax regime .

New measures to reduce the tax burden on agriculture can
only be adopted at national level . What proposals can the
Commission put forward to ensure that a reduction in
national taxes on agriculture is compatible with the new
fiscal harmonization within the Community ?

Answer given by Mr Mac Sharry

on behalf of the Commission

( 30 January 1992 )

The Commission does not share the view of the
Honourable Member that the only meaningful way to

Subject : Horse sickness epidemic

According to information contained in its reply of 4 July

1991 to this Member, the Spanish Government presented
its report to the Commission on expenditure for the
reimbursement of owners following the epidemic of horse
sickness which occurred in September and October 1990 .

Can the Commission give details of this Spanish
Government report on expenditure, in particular with
regard to recipients in Andalusia ?

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2811 / 91
by Mr Diego de los Santos López ( ARC )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 5 December 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 60 )

Subject : Compensation for African horse sickness

In its reply to my Written Question No 195 / 91 (') on
compensation for the owners of animals suffering from
African horse sickness which have to be slaughtered, the
Commission stated that, on 10 June 1991, Spain sent
the Commission a statement of expenditure incurred in
reimbursing owners in connection with the outbreak in
September and October 1990 .

25 . 6 . 92
No C 159 / 24 Official Journal of the European Communities

Can the Commission provide details of the expenditure
submitted by Spain, in particular that relating to
Andalusia ?

o OJ No C 311, 2 . 2 . 1991, p. 7 .

Joint answer to Written Questions Nos 2367 / 91 and

2811 / 91
given by Mr Mac Sharry
on behalf of the Commission

(2 March 1992 )

The Commission is examining all the supporting
documents supplied by Spain pursuant to Article 2 of
Decision 91 / 8 / EEC ('). The documents cover the costs
committed to reimburse owners for the slaughter and
destruction of animals and the fumigation of infected
holdings .

The Commission will send direct to the Honourable

Member a statement of the Community 's financial
contribution following further examination of the
supporting documents .

o OJ No L 7, 10 . 1 . 1991 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2386 / 91

by Sir James Scott-Hopkins ( ED )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 22 October 1991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 61 )

Subject : European Energy Charter

Have the events of recent weeks in any way affected the
proposed European energy charter, designed to help the
USSR exploit its natural resources, which it was hoped
would be ready to sign by mid-December ?

Answer given by Mr Cardoso e Cunha

on behalf of the Commission

( 28 January 1992 )

The events in the USSR during the third week of August

1991 have obviously affected the work of the
International Conference responsible for drafting a
European Energy Charter . The Union Delegation, which
has continued to speak with a single voice, has in
particular sometimes comprised representatives of several
different republics .

Even if there is still some uncertainty as to the
Delegation 's representativeness, the Delegation
nevertheless indicated a clear political desire during
recent meetings to take part in the work . This made it

possible to sign the Charter as planned on 16 and 17
December 1991 . The basic protocol is to be signed at a
later date .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2404 / 91

by Mr Vassilis Ephremidis ( CG )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 31 October 1991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 62 )

Subject : Reductions in fche budget for the Rion-Andirrion

link

The Greek Government has deducted from the original
budget for the Rion-Andirrion link the appropriation
earmarked for the construction of a railway line on the
road bridge liking the Peleponnese with western Sterea
and Ipiros on the grounds of an alleged 50 % increase in

costs .

Railways are now undergoing considerable development
at international level because of their advantages over
road transport in energy and environmental terms,
particularly in respect of energy consumption, greater
safety at high speed, fuel economy, etc . According to the
competent treaties i.e. the Greek Railways Organization
and the Technical Chamber, the Rion-Andirrion rail link
will, in addition be of great advantage to the areas
concerned in western Greece, particularly when joined up
with the network covering Yugoslavia and Central
Europe and will also play a major role in developing
economic relations with Albania .

In view of this, will the Commission provide funding for
this project as part of its major public works funding
policy, in order to ensure that the railway link is
completed as originally planned ? Have the Greek
authorities made a request along these lines ?

Answer given by Mr Millan
on behalf of the Commission

( 12 March 1992 )

The Commission has indicated to the Greek authorities

its willingness to examine the possibility of structural fund
support for a Rio-Antirio fixed link . The willingness
extends to a possible railway link, although the relative
priority of such a link compared to other railway
development projects would have to be assessed carefully .

Because it has not received an offical request from the
Greek authorities, the Commission has not carried out

25 . 6 . 92 Official Journal of the European Communities NoC 159 / 25

any technical or financial appraisal of the project as
originally planned or as currently proposed .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 24 1 4 / 9 1

by Mrs Winifred Ewing ( ARC )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 30 October 1991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 63 )

Subject : Health problems associated with exposure to

oilseed rape

Can the Commission state what research, if any, it has
carried out on the current and potential human health
risks associated with exposure to the vast acreage of
oilseed crops throughout Europe ?

Answer given by Mr Mac Sharry

on behalf of the Commission

( 11 March 1992 )

The Commission itself has not carried out any research
on potential human health risks associated with exposure
to oil seed rape crops .

It is not aware of any conclusive evidence to date
indicating that the growing of such seed is harmful to
human health .

The only research of which the Commission is aware
concerns a three year project on the human health effects
of the growing of oil seed rape in progress at Aberdeen
University which was commissioned by the Scottish
Office .

The Commission awaits the results of this research with

interest .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2440 / 91

by Mr Hemmo Muntingh ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

United States and Australia adopt a cautious approach to
future commercial whaling . Denmark on the other hand,
made common cause with those countries which were in
favour of a resumption of commercial whaling . In other
areas Denmark generally comes out strongly in favour of
strict nature conservation policies . This striking departure
by Denmark in the IWC prompted debates in the Danish
Parliament during and after the IWC meeting .

Why has Denmark this year abondoned its support for the

cautious IWC policy adopted by the other Member
States ?

What view does the Danish Parliament take of this

matter ? In what areas does it differ from the position
adopted by the other Member States belonging to the
IWC and the European Parliament ? In what ways do the
actions of the Danish Government diverge from these
points of view ?

Will the Commission draw the attention of the Danish

Government to these differences ? Does the Commission
not consider that, although Member States enjoy
individual membership of the IWC, a common cautious
approach within the IWC is preferable ?

Answer given by Mr Ripa di Meana

on behalf of the Commission

( 23 March 1992 )

The Commission is not aware of the reasons for the
changed Danish policy in the context of the International
Whaling Commission, nor of the views of Danish

Parliament on the matter .

As far as the Commission 's position on commerical
whaling is concerned, it should like to refer the
Honourable Member to its reply to Written Question
No 819 / 91 by Mrs Pollack (*).

(') QJ NoC 286, 4 . 11 . 1991 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2457 / 91

by Mr Alex Smith ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 4 November 1 991 )

( 30 October 1991 ) ( 92 / C 159 / 65 )
( 92 / C 159 / 64 )

Subject : Denmark and the International Whaling
Commission

At the 43rd meeting of the International Whaling

Commission in Reykjavik ( 27—31 May 1991 ), differences
emerged between the position of the Danish delegation
and that of other IWC members which, together with the

Subject : EC legislation relating to agriculture and animal

welfare

Will the Commission state what steps they have taken to
ensure that EC legislation applicable to animal welfare
and agricultural environmental protection is applied to
the same standard in countries which export to the EC
particularly those countries of eastern Europe .

NoC 159 / 26 Official Journal of the European Communities 25 . 6 . 92

Answer given by Mr Mac Sharry

on behalf of the Commission

(5 March 1992 )

EC legislation of farm animal welfare covers three broad
areas : farming practice, transport of animals and
slaughter .

In the area of farming practice, three Council Directives
lay down minimum standards for the protection of,
respectively, laying hens kept in battery cages ( x ),
calves O and pigs ( 2 ). In the case of laying hens, the
Commission gave an undertaking at the time of adoption
of the text that it would monitor the level of imports of
eggs from third countries and would, if it appeared that
the Directive was causing a rise in such imports, take the
appropriate action by way of market mechanisms . In the
cases of calves and pigs, both texts contain requirements
for the Commission to obtain guarantees from third
countries that animals exported to the Community have
been kept under conditions equivalent to those laid down
in the Directives .

The Council has recently agreed Directive 91 / 628 / EEC
on the protection of animals during transport ( 2 ), which
applies to the transport of animals within, to and from the
Member States . For animals from third countries, the
Community health certificate will have to be
supplemented by certification that the Directive is beeing
complied with, the animals will be inspected at frontier
posts upon importation and the importer or exporter will
have to give a written undertaking to comply with the
Directive during subsequent transport on the territory of
the Community .

Council Directive 74 / 577 / EEC ( 3 ) on stunning of animals
before slaughter did not contain a specific requirement
for application to imports from third countries .
Nevertheless, the Commission, when inspecting
slaughterhouses in third countries which export to the
Community, has always examined the pre-slaughter
stunning of animals and has taken a serious view of any
deficiencies in this area, since the rules of the Directive
must, in accordance with the general principles of the
Treaty, be respected by exporting third countries .

Concerning the standards of agricultural environmental
protection, the Commission informs the Honourable
Member that it is not able to ensure that EC legislation is
applied in countries exporting to the Community .

As regards the ' agricultural environment ' referred to by
the Honourable Member, if this notion includes the
veterinary field, that is to say rules in relation to the
protection of human and animal health as regards live
animals and products of animal origin, the Community
has in place a certain regime . This must guarantee that
exports to the Community are subject to requirements as
strict as those which apply internally . In principle, the
Member States must ensure that the conditions for

importation from Third Countries are no more
favourable then those which are required for
intra-Community trade .

A harmonized Community regime is being progressively
established for all animals and products of animal origin .
This regime defines certain conditions which must be

respected by the Member States for trade in the
Community . It also established a Community inspection
system in Third Countries of the health status and control
systems of Third Countries and establishments exporting
to the Community, as well as regime for harmonized
health checks of animals and animal products arriving at
the external frontiers of the Community .

o OJ No L 74, 19 . 3 . 1988 .
O OJ No L 340, 11 . 12 . 1991 .
O OJNoL316, 26 . 11 . 1974 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2472 / 91

by Mr Ernest Glinne ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

(4 November 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 66 )

Subject : Drying out of the Aral Sea

The Aral Sea, once the fourth largest lake in the world,

has since 1960 lost 60% of its volume, the water level
having dropped by 35 cm per year, resulting in a total
drop of about 15 metres . Aralst, formerly a port on this
lake, is now situated 100 km from the shore . This is a
major ecological disaster .

Competition between the neighbouring republics to
obtain the necessary water for irrigation to ensure the
precarious survival of certain crops, mainly cotton, jute an
tobacco, is spiralling rapidly and the danger of further
escalation is serious .

What measures would the Community institutions be
prepared to take, especially within the framework of
properly organized international cooperation, in order to :

— review the advantages and disadvantages of the 1986

plan to draw water from the Siberian rivers, despite
the distances involved ;

— prevent the increasing salinity of the irrigated land ;

— promote substitute crops, excluding opium ;

— replenish the Aral See as far as possible ;

— encourage cooperation between the republics
concerned in order to avoid increasingly dangerous
aggravation of their conflicting interests ?

25 . 6 . 92 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 159 / 27

Answer given by Mr Ripa di Meana

on behalf of the Commission

( 23 January 1992 )

The problem referred to by the Honourable Member is
primarily a regional, internal problem of the former
Soviet Union and in particular concerns the Republics of
Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan .

The Commission wishes to point out that it is fully aware
of the seriousness of the ecological problem of the
continuing fall in the level of the Aral Sea and the
increasing damage to its biotope .

However, it wishes to stress that, although urgent calls
have been made on this subject, both directly and
indirectly, there are specific reasons why the Community
authorities are unable to consider them in the present
circumstances .

Although the Aral Sea is part of the geographical area
eligible for Community assistance, it does not qualify to
receive any of the ECU 400 million allocated in 1991 as
aid to the former Soviet Union . The aid has already been
completely absorbed by the five major priorities, which
did not include the environment this year .

Lastly, the Commission wishes to reaffirm its desire to
assist the former Soviet Union in finding a rapid solution
to this major ecological problem and, for this purpose,
will consider the Honourable Member 's proposals . It
regrets that this problem cannot be dealt with at the same
time and be allocated equivalent resources .

It should furthermore be noted that the environment in
the broad sense may be one of the Commission 's priorities
in future aid programmes to the former USSR, in
particular the 1992 programme, to enable effective use to
be made of international solidarity when situations of this
kind arise .

inquiry with regard to both rhinoceros horn and ivory
trafficking, given that the ban on trade therein came into
effect in the 109 countries which are party to the Cites
convention on 18 January 1990 ?

Answer given by Mr Ripa di Meana

on behalf of the Commission

( 17 March 1992 )

International trade in rhino horn — and not the killing of
rhinoceroses — is prohibited under Cites since 1975 . Cites
is implemented throughout the Community since 1
January 1984 under Council Regulation ( EEC )
No 3626 / 82 0 ).

Under Cites, trade in rhinoceros products is only possible
where it concerns specimens acquired before the
provisions of the Convention became applicable to them
( so-called pre-Convention specimens ). Regulation
3626 / 82 prohibits the import from third countries also of
pre-Convention specimens with the exception of antiques,
i.e. worked items proven to be over 100 years old .

Specimens acquired in compliance with Regulation
3626 / 82 can circulate within the Community but only be
commercialized in accordance with Article 6 thereof .

The same provisions apply to the trade in African
elephant ivory, a ban on imports of which was adopted
under Article 10.1 . a of Council Regulation 3626 / 82
effective April 1989 .

(') OJ No L 384, 31 . 12 . 1982 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2496 / 91

by Mr Ben Visser ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2492 / 91
(4 November 1991 )

by Mrs Cristiana Muscardini ( NI )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 92 / C 159 / 68 )

( 4 November 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 67 ) Subject : Directive on pressure vessels

Subject : Traffic in rhinoceros horn

Is rhinoceroses horn still on sale in Member States of the
Community such as the United Kingdom, for example,
given the total ban on the killing of rhinoceros and on
trade in parts of them, and are there plans to conduct an

The Commission is preparing a Directive on pressure
vessels . According to the fifth draft, the Directive will
than also relate 0,5 to bar transport . The tanks ' Verband with a der pressure Technischen greater
Uberwachungsvereine e.V. ' in Essen has pointed out that
the requirements to be met by transport tanks under the
draft Directive differ from those in the ADR agreement .

No C 159 / 28 Official Journal of the European Communities 25 . 6 . 92

In particular, testing of new transport tanks could in
future be carried out by the manufacturer ; this would also
apply to periodic inspections to some extent . The ADR
agreement stipulates that such tests and inspections must
be carried out by independent third parties ( see ADR Rn
211 140 to 211 154 and 212 140 to 212 154 ). As a result of
this change, the requirements to be met by transport tanks
would be lowered .

1 . What is the Commission 's reaction to the above
conclusions by the ' Verband der Technischen
Uberwachungsvereine e.V. '?

2 . Does the Commission continue to take the view that
an international agreement such as the ADR, to which
virtually all non-Community countries in Europe are
party, must not be encroached upon, but, rather, must
continue to guide arrangements for the carriage of
dangerous substances by road, and that European
Community rules must not clash with it ?

3 . Can the Commission give an assurance that the safety

requirements laid down in the ADR will in no way be
diminished in the final draft of the pressure vessels
Directive ?

It is emphasized that a manufacturer who wishes to use a
quality assurance system must first have the approval of a
third party for that system . The operation of that system
is also subject for surveillance by the third party who can
also withdraw the approval if the integrity of that system
is not maintained .

2 . Yes . The need for coexistence and the proper
functioning of both systems, namely the EC legislation
for placing on the market of pressure equipment and
the ADR agreement for the purpose of international
transport of dangerous goods has been widely recognized
by the parties concerned .

o OJNoC 10, 16 . 1 . 1990 .
O OJ No L 380, 31 . 12 . 1990 .

WRITTEN QUESTION [No] [ 2497] [/] [91]

by Mr Ben Visser ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 4 November 1 991 )

Answer given by Mr Bangemann ( 92 / C 159 / 69 )

on behalf of the Commission

(6 February 1992 )

Subject : Showing tachograms at roadside checks in
Belgium

1 . and 3 . The Commission does not share the

conclusions of the ' Verband der Technischen
Uberwachungsvereine ' ( VdTUV ) that the requirements
set out in the draft proposal for a Directive on pressure
equipment would lower the safety standard for transport
tanks for the following reasons :

The essential safety requirements for transport tanks as

set out in the draft proposal take the safety objectives of
the ADR agreement fully into account .

The concern of VdTUV relates to the introduction of

quality assurance techniques as an optional means for
verification of conformity to the requirements of the

Directive .

Those techniques, which are already widely used on a

national and international scale, are recognized at
Community level in the Council resolution on the global
approach to conformity assessment ( 90 / C / 10 / 01 ) ( ! ) and
in the Council Decision 90 / 683 / EEC concerning the
conformity assessment procedures which are intended to
be used in the technical harmonization Directives ( 2 ) as
being of equivalent effectiveness to other methods which

are based on product verification . Almost all Community
Directives of the New Approach style include these
procedures as an option .

Under Regulation ( EEC ) No 3821 / 85 (') a coach driver is
not required to show a tachogram for a day on which he
has not worked . Accordingly, he can avail himself of the
certificate referred to in Article 1 ( j ) of the Council
resolution ( 2 ) or comply with Article 15 ( 2 ), fourth
sentence, of Regulation ( EEC ) No 3821 / 85 .

Belgian inspectors often fail to act in accordance with this
during roadside checks, insisting on the payment of Bfrs

10 000 to settle the matter ( with no possibility of appeal ).
The organization Royal Dutch Transport regards such

action as contrary to Article 3 ( 5 ) of Directive
88 / 599 / EEC ( 3 ).

Despite the fact that a violation may have occurred, it is
doubtful whether Belgian jurisdiction extends so far that
an on-the-spot fine may be imposed in the case of an
infringement by a Dutch driver in France, for example .

1 . Can the Commission spell out to all concerned what
obligations drivers must meet if they are required,
during an inspection, to show that they have not
worked on a particular day ?

2 . Under what circumstances may a driver from Member

State A who is found in Member State B to have

25 . 6 . 92 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 159 / 29

breached Regulation ( EEC ) No 3820 / 85 (") or ( EEC )
No 3821 / 85 in Member State C be penalized, with no
possibility of appeal, in Member State B ?

o OJ No L 370, 31 . 12 . 1985, p . 8 .
O OJ No C 348, 31 . 12 . 1985, p . 1 .
O OJNoL325.29.il . 1988, p . 55 .
O OJ No L 370, 31.12 . 1985, p . 1 .

Answer given by Mr Van Miert

on behalf of the Commission

(5 February 1992 )

1 . The Commission considers that drivers should use a
record sheet only on the days on which they drive and
from the time they take charge of the vehicle . Where, for
exceptional reasons, they have not driven on one or more
days of the week, proof of this may take the form of an
attestation from the employer or an entry on the record
sheets .

2 . Generally speaking, all offences committed by a
non-resident carrier may be subject to jugdment
following a trial by a criminal court or administrative
tribunal with the possibility of appeal, unless the carrier
( or his driver ) decides to waive his right to trial and
accepts the settlement proposed by the inspector . In the
latter case, the carrier expresses his acceptance of the
settlement and so abandons the possibilities offered by the
judicial or administrative proceedings referred to above .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2503 / 91

by Mr Gordon Adam ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 8 November 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 70 )

Subject : Right of residence for unmarried couples with

children

My constituent, a United Kingdom national, is registered
and works under Belgium employment law in Liege . He is
unmarried, and has a new-born child with his girlfriend (a
Danish national ). He has officially recognized the child in
Denmark where the birth took place . His girlfriend has
full custody of the child .

His girlfriend and their baby son wish to live with my
constituent in Liege . She does not wish to work preferring
to stay at home to look after the new-born baby for a
period of 18 month . However, preliminary investigations
with the Belgian authorities have indicated that my
constituent 's girlfriend and their baby ( both EC citizens )

do not have a right of residence since they are not
' economically active '.

They have also been informed that the situation will not
change following the introduction of new regulations
extending the right of residence to so-called
' non-workers '. Moreover, if my constituent 's girlfriend
did reside outside her own country she could lose her
right of maternity assistance despite several years of
making social contributions into her own country 's
scheme .

Could the Commission please clarify the legal issues of
this case and indicate whether such discrimination against
unmarried couples with children is permissible by
Member States ?

Answer given by Mr Bangemann

on behalf of the Commission

(5 March 1992 )

A British national in gainful employment in Belgium is
covered by the provisions of Community law relating to
freedom of movement . Under Directive 68 / 360 / EEC of

15 October 1968, he has a right of residence in that
country, as attested by a residence permit for a national of
a Member State . Article 1 of the Directive also grants the
right of residence to family members, as defined by
Regulation ( EEC ) No 1612 / 68 of 15 October 1968 .
Family members listed in that Regulation include spouses
but not unmarried partners . Accordingly, the unmarried
companion of a British employee living in Belgium has no
right of residence in the country under Community law as
it stands at the moment .

On 28 June 1990 the Council adopted Directive
90 / 364 / EEC on the right of residence, which extends that
right to nationals of Member States who did not enjoy it
under other provisions of Community law . Once this
Directive has been transposed into Belgian law ( the
time-limit laid down is 30 June 1992 ), the unmarried
companion of an employee who does not herself carry on
an economic activity will enjoy an independent right of
residence on the basis of Directive 90 / 364 / EEC, provided
that she meets the conditions laid down by the Directive
regarding resources and social insurance .

Lastly, Community Regulations ( EEC ) Nos 1408 / 71 and
574 / 72 on social security, which provide inter alia for
family allowances to be transferred to another Member
State, do not apply, as matters now stand, to persons not
working .

At all events, social assistance benefits are not regarded as
social security benefits and are expressly excluded from
the scope of those Regulation .

No C 159 / 30 Official Journal of the European Communities 25 . 6, 92

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2507 / 91

by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 8 November 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 71 )

Subject : Extension of Chios airport without an
environmental impact study

The airport on the Greek island of Chios is being
extended despite the fact that no environmental impact
study has been carried out as required by Directive
337 / 85 / EEC (') and Greek Law No 1650 / 86 on
environment protection . Local organizations such as the
Chios Assocation for Ecology and the Environment have
issued a statement complaining about the illegality of this
project and recalling that the Chios municipal Council
has three times expressed its opposition to an extension
of the airport on environmental and social grounds .
Will the Commission say whether it intends to make
representations to the Greek Government to bring this
illegal action to an end and to prevent any extension to
Chios airport ?

Family Organizations in the European Communities ) in
June 1991 states that more than half of the EC 's
population lives in rural areas and, after praising the work
of the Commission and in particular the recent green
paper, proposes that the Commission set up a rural
advisory committee . Does the Commission accept the
figure given by Coface and does it consider the setting-up
of such a committee to be desirable ?

Answer given by Mr Mac Sharry

on behalf of the Commission

( 13 March 1992 )

The Commission can accept the figure given by Coface
since it is no doubt derived from the estimate advanced by
the Commission in its communication to the Parliament
and the Council entitled ' The Future of Rural Society '.

Chios airport ? As to the second part of the question, the Commission is

giving very careful consideration to the setting up of an
o OJ No L 175, 5 . 7 . 1985, p. 40 . appropriate advisory committee on rural development .

Answer given by Mr Ripa di Meana

on behalf of the Commission

(9 April 1992 )

An airport extension is one of the projects listed in
Annex II to Directive 85 / 337 / EEC which, before an

authorization is granted, must be assessed to determine
what the consequences will be, when, as a result of their
nature, size or location, they are likely to have major
effects on the environment .

The Commission will take the measures necessary to

ensure that the provisions of the Directive are adhered to
in the instance mentioned by the Honourable Member .

The Commission has already been in touch with the
Greek authorities and requested additional information
on the extension of the airport on the island of Chios .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2522 / 91

by Mr Carlos Robles Piquer ( PPE )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 8 November 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 72 )

Subject : Setting-up of a rural advisory committee

An interesting document on the future of families in rural

society published in French by Coface ( Committee of

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2538 / 91
by Mr Gerardo Fernandez     - Albor ( PPE )
to the Commission of the European Communities

(8 November 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 73 )

Subject : Abolition of minimum investment ratios in Spain

The measures which the Spanish executive has just

adopted to liberalize capital movements and to remove
exchange controls will allow Spain to become one of the
countries with the most open economies in our
Community .

Nevertheless, it seems paradoxical that, while such
liberalizing measures are being announced, others still
exist that are clearly restrictive, such as the minimum
investment ratios which affect the banking system in
general, and penalize firms and individuals by imposing
higher interest rates on loans than those charged in the
rest of the Community .

Does the Commission not consider that it should give
more weight to the Spanish Banking Association 's request
to abolish these restrictive ratios which give Spanish
banks less advantageous conditions than those in the rest
of Europe, and that it should ask the Spanish executive

25 . 6 . 92 Official Journal of the European Communities NoC 159 / 31

not to discriminate, by these measures, against users of
Spanish banking services ?

Answer given by Mr Christophersen

on behalf of the Commission

( 18 March 1992 )

The investment coefficient imposed on credit institutions
in Spain to buy government paper constitutes a privileged
access of the Treasury to financial markets and affects
also the competitive position of the banking system .
Similar coefficients also exist in other Member States .

Actually, there does not exist an obligation to abolish

such an investment coefficient to the extent that it is
considered compatible with the EC Directives on the
liberalization of capital movements . However, in the
perspective of the creation of an Economic and Monetary
Union in the Community, such compulsory investment
will no longer be tolerated as it is a form of monetary
financing of the public deficit .

Furthermore, the investment coefficient does not seem
contrary to the EC competition rules, since such a
measure is not likely to deprive Articles 85 and 86 of their
practical effectiveness (' effet utile ').

The Court has considered the practical effectiveness of
the competition rules applying to undertakings to be
impaired only in cases where a Member State requires or
encourages restrictive practices prohibited by Article 85,
or reinforces the effects of such practices, or where it
divests its own legislation of its sovereign character by
delegating responsibility for intervention in economic
matters to private traders .

To sum up, the Commission is of the opinion that it is at
the discretion of the Government to consider the
demands of the Spanish Banking Association in this
respect . In principle, this demand will be met from 1
January 1993 according to legislation in force from 1989

which provides for a progressive reduction of this
coefficient .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2539 / 91
by Mr Gerardo Fernandez-Albor ( PPE )
to the Commission of the European Communities

It is obvious that the higher number of food poisoning
incidents in some countries should prompt us to review
Community health and hygiene standards which, in the
food sector, must cover the products and the public
establishments that sell them .

Can the Commission indicate whether it considers the
Community standards on this matter to be sufficient or,
on the contrary, if the hygiene and health standards
intended to prevent food poisoning should be carefully
revised, with the Commission acting as a coordinator and
an arbiter in an area where the different national and
regional attitudes do not have unanimous criteria ?

Answer given by Mr Bangemann

on behalf of the Commission

(5 February 1992 )

The Commission agrees with the Honourable Member
that both climatical conditions and methods of food
preparation relate to food poisoning incidents .

As far as Community legislation is concerned, critical
areas such as meat, fish and poultry are covered by
specific Community Regulations but so far, a framework
Directive which deals with general rules on the hygiene of
foodstuffs, is lacking .

The Commission is currently working on such a proposal
which will contain a.o . provisions for the introduction of
a safety management system ( HACCP ) for food
businesses .

It will be sent to the Council shortly and, once adopted by
the Member States, it is expected that this Directive will
act as a safety net and contribute substantially to the
enhancement of the level of food safety within the
Community .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2540 / 91

by Mrs Christine Crawley ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

(8 November 1991 )

(8 November 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 75 )
( 92 / C 159 / 74 )

Subject : Community standards for the prevention of food

poisoning

The particularly hot summer which has just ended led to

many cases of food poisoning which, in the southern
Community countries, are caused as much by the climate
as by the traditional methods of food preparation .

Subject : Move towards two-year-degrees

In the light of the Commission 's moves to harmonize
qualifications across the EC, would the Commission
comment on the status of ' accelerated ' two-year degrees
that reports in the United Kingdom press say that the UK
Government is encouraging ? In particular will recipients

No C 159 / 32 Official Journal of the European Communities 25.6 . 92

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2554 / 91

of UK ' accelerated ' degrees be at a disadvantage WRITTEN QUESTION No
compared with both recipients of UK three - and by Mr Gijs de Vries ( LDR )
four-year degrees and recipients of degrees from other to the Commission of the European
EC Member States in any or all disciplines, for instance,
science, engineering, and art degrees ? Would there be a ( 14 November 1 991 )
difference in status of degrees in directly vocational and ( 92 / C 159 / 76 )
not directly vocational degrees ?

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 14 November 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 76 )

Answer given by Mr Bangemann

on behalf of the Commission

(4 March 1992 )

The Commission is careful to respect the subsidiarity

principle and so has no comment to make on the value and
level of the training which will be provided in the United
Kingdom as part of the planned two-year degrees in
science, engineering and arts .

Nevertheless, in order to dispel the fear that recipients of
' accelerated ' degrees will be at a disadvantage compared
with recipients of three - and four-year degrees from other

Member States, the Commission would point out that
Directive 89 / 48 / EEC of 21 December 1988 (*) could be
applicable .

For this Directive to be applicable, the general rule is that,
both in the Member State of origin or of provenance and
in the host Member State, the diploma in question must be
a higher-education diploma awarded on completion of
training of at least three years ' duration . However, as far
as training acquired in a Member State of origin or
provenance is concerned, the last subparagraph of
Article 1(a ) of this Directive makes it possible to treat in
the same way as a diploma, within the meaning of the
Directive, other evidence of formal qualification awarded
on the successful completion of education and training
and recognized in a Member State as being of an
equivalent level if it confers the same rights in respect of
the taking-up and pursuit of a regulated profession . It
may be that the qualification referred to by the
Honourable Member, or at least some of them, satisfy
these conditions .

Lastly, the Commission would like to recall that the
purpose of this Directive is to remove, by an appropriate
system of recognition, the obstacle represented in the host
Member State by the requirement of possession of a
qualification determined by national rules . For the
Directive to be applicable, the profession in question must
therefore be a regulated profession in the host Member
State . Where this is not the case, the value of a
qualification awarded in another State, like the value
of corresponding national qualifications, is freely
determined by the potential employer or customer . Here,
therefore, the rules of the free market operate in full .

Subject : Tax incentives for research and development

In answer to Written Question No 2593 / 88 (*), the
Commission indicated that it would make proposals
concerning the treatment of research and development for
company tax purposes ?

What specific proposals has the Commission made ?

O OJ No C 262, 16 . 10 . 1989, p. 58 .

Answer given by Mrs Scrivener

on behalf of the Commission

( 25 March 1992 )

In its communication of 20 April 1990 ( ! ) to the Council
and Parliament, the Commission redefined its guidelines
and priorities for company taxation .

With a view to completion of the internal market, the
priority measures to be taken relate to the removal of tax
barriers to cooperation and the development of
cross-border activities, and in particular the abolition of
double taxation . A number of measures have already been
adopted by the Council : the ' parent companies and
subsidiaries ' Directive, the ' mergers ' Directive and the
Arbitration Convention . Other proposals have been
presented to the Council, namely, a proposal for a
Directive on a common system of taxation applicable to
interest and royalty payments made between parent
companies and subsidiaries in different Member States
and a proposal for a Directive concerning arrangements
for the taking into account by enterprises of the losses of
their permanent establishment and subsidiaries situated in
other Member States .

In the context of Community integration, the
Commission has entrusted to a committee of independent
experts chaired by Mr Ruding, former Dutch Finance
Minister, the task of examining whether Community
action is needed in the field of company taxation,
including the rules for determining enterprises ' taxable
profits . The committee 's report will help it to decide its
position in the matter .

o OJN0LI9, 24 . 1 . 1989 . O SEC(90 ) 601 .

25 . 6 . 92 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 159 / 33

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2595 / 91

by Mrs Solange Fernex ( V ), Mrs Dorothee Piermont

( ARC ), Mr Edward Newman ( S ), Mrs Sylvie Mayer ( CG ),
Mr Proinsias De Rossa ( CG ), Mr Peter Crampton ( S ), Mr
Rinaldo Bontempi ( GUE ), Mrs Mathilde van den Brink
( S ), Mr Sergio Ribeiro ( CG ), Mrs Brigitte Ernst de la
Graete ( V ), Mrs Marie-Christine Aulas ( V ), Mr Michael
Hindley ( S ), Mr Alexander Langer ( V ), Mr Wilfried
Telkamper and Mrs Eva Maria Quistorp ( V )
to the Council of the European Communities

( 14 November 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 77 )

Subject : Establishment of a Community budget heading

for the conversion of the arms industry ( Recarm )

In view of the resolution adopted by the EP on 13 July

1990 O on disarmament, the conversion of the arms
industry and arms exports, and the resolution adopted by
the EP on 18 April 1991 ( 2 ) on the arms trade, particularly
the principle stated in recital H and paragraphs 8, 9 and

10, can the Council say whether it believes a budget
heading for the conversion of the arms industry ( Recarm )
should be entered in the next general budget of the
European Communities ?

O OJ No C 231, 17 . 9 . 1990, p . 209 .
O OJ No C 129, 20 . 5 . 1991, p . 139 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2607 / 91

by Mr Ernest Glinne ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 19 November 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 78 )

Subject : Dangers of correction fluid thinner

The Courrier de l'Escaut of 14 October 1991 reported
that a young person had been found dying from a heart
attack caused by sniffing Tippex thinner .

As there have been similar cases in the past, Belgian
schools have now banned the product, which is abused by
young people for its hallucinogenic effects .

What action does the Commission support or recommend

— particularly with regard to labelling and the serious
health risk involved — in respect of this product, which is
widely used in schools, workplaces and households ?

Answer given by Mrs Papandreou

on behalf of the Commission

( 5 February 1 992 )

The Commission has nothing to add to the answer it gave
to the Honourable Member 's Written Question
No 3047 / 86 (') on possible danger from Tipp-Ex, in
which there was also a reference to the answer to Written
Question No 1858 / 86 ( J ) by Sir James Scott - Hopkins .

O OJ No C 270, 8 . 10 . 1987 .
Answer O OJ No C 157, 15.6 . 1987 .

( 18 May 1992 )

The Council took cognizance with interest of this
question which concerns European Community financial
support for the conversion of the arms industry .

Here, the Council would first of all give a reminder that,
for 1991, the remarks on the Perifra programme referred
to in Article B2-610 of the budget for the current financial
year mention in particular that the conversion
of military installations pursuant to disarmament
agreements is one of the reasons why provision has been
made under this programme for specific local measures to
help the regions and activities concerned .

Additional Community financial support for the
conversion of the arms industry would first require a legal
basis, and the creation of a budget heading on a proposal
from the Commission .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2613 / 91

by Mrs Anna Hermans ( PPE )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 19 November 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 79 )

Subject : Training of nursing staff

The problem of ' burnout ' and excessive psychological
pressure on those engaged in the nursing profession is
partly related to their expectations during training
compared with their subsequent professional experiences
in the field .

Does the Commission have any information concerning
the correlation between students ' aspirations during their
training ( job description, professional ethics and career
expectations ) and their subsequent job satisfaction or lack
of it in the various Member States ?

No C 159 / 34 Official Journal of the European Communities 25 . 6 . 92

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2617 / 91

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2614 / 91 WRITTEN QUESTION No

by Mrs Anna Hermans ( PPE ) by Mrs Marie-José Denys ( S )

by Mrs Anna Hermans ( PPE )
to the Commission of the European Communities

to the Council of the European Communities

( 19 November 1 991 )

( 19 November 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 80 ) ( 92 / C 159 / 81 )

Subject : Nursing staff

In a number of Member States ( Belgium, the Netherlands
and the United Kingdom ) problems exist in the nursing
profession caused by excessive psychological pressure,
resulting in ' burnout ' and resignations . Fewer and fewer
young people are motivated to enter the nursing
profession .

1 . Is the Commission aware of the problem affecting
nursing staff in the various Member States ?

2 . Given the Commission 's responsibility concerning the
health of workers in the Community, will it investigate
the problems of psychological pressure in certain
professions and propose appropriate measures ?

Joint answer to Written Questions Nos 2613 / 91 and

2614 / 91

given by Mr Bangemann
on behalf of the Commission

(9 March 1992 )

Directive 89 / 391 / EEC on the introduction of measures
to encourage improvements in the safety and health of
workers at work (') applies in full to nurses . Article 6

( general obligations on employers ) lays down a number
of general prevention principles concerning work
organization, working conditions and the influence of
environmental factors at the workplace .

By contrast, the organization of the nursing profession,
career prospects and professional ethics are matters
for the Member States . Directives 77 / 452 / EEC

and 77 / 453 / EEC ( 2 ), as amended by Directives
81 / 1057 / EEC O, 89 / 594 / EEC, 89 / 595 / EEC ( 4 ) and
90 / 658 / EEC ( 5 ), merely ensure the free movement of
nurses responsible for general care and the mutual
recognition of their diplomas .

Subject : Freedom of movement

Why is it that, in certain Member States, particularly Italy,

school pupils below the age of 1 8 wishing to organize and
participate in academic exchanges are systematically
refused permission to leave the country ?

Such exchanges are prepared well in advance and at
considerable expense to the families concerned .

In addition, these exchanges have cultural and touristic
value and are as such fully in line with single market
objectives and the free movement of persons . They are
organized by a non-government organization with the
support of the Commission .

Answer

( 18 May 1992 )

1 . It behoves the Commission to ensure that the
provisions of the Treaty and the measures taken by the
institutions pursuant thereto are applied .

2 . Legislation in many Member States imposes
restrictions on young people eligible for conscription who
wish to leave the country .

3 . It is also true that some Member States impose strict
safety conditions ( e.g. insurance policies, number of
accompanying adults ) for these study trips . The reason
for these restrictions is the need to guarantee the greatest
possible safety for students during such trips .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2627 / 91

by Mr Edward Newman ( S )
to the Council of the European Communities

( 19 November 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 82 )
O OJNoL 183, 29 . 6 . 1989 .
O OJ No L 176, 15.7 . 1977 .
O OJ No L 385, 31 . 12 . 1981 . Subject : The United Nations World
O OJ No L 341, 23 . 11 . 1989 .
O OJ No L 353, 17 . 12 . 1990 .

Subject : The United Nations World Summit for Children

The United Nations World Summit for Children was held

in October 1990 . What have the European Communities
done to make progress towards the targets set by the
Summit ?

25.6 . 92 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 159 / 35

The targets were to :

1 . reduce the mortality rate among under-five-year-olds

by a third in every country ;

2 . reduce maternal mortality rate by a half ;

3 . reduce malnutrition by a half ;

4 . provide safe water and sanitation for all ;

5 . provide basic education for all and 80 % of children to

complete primary education ;

6 . reduce adult illiteracy, especially among women, by at

least a half ;

7 . improve the protection of children from abuse,

exploitation and the effects of war .

Answer

( 14 May 1992 )

The Council welcomes the entry into force on 2
September 1990 of the United Nations Convention on
Children 's Rights and the other United Nations activities
in this area . It has not yet received a comprehensive
proposal from the Commission covering this particular set
of problems .

However, conscious of the rights and interests of
children, the Council has always been mindful of their
needs and their vulnerability in various areas such as
education, health, social protection, the protection of
pregnant workers or child-care .

With regard to the specific case of the privatization of the
Pego power station, the Commission does not have the
information necessary for it to comment on the
irregularities referred to by the Honourable Member . It
will ensure, however, that this privatization takes place
within a legal framework which is consistent with
Article 92 et seq . of the EEC Treaty and which it has itself
approved .

billion by the end of this year . Irrespective of one 's
political position with regard to the appropriateness of its
privatization, the way on which it is being privatized is a
cause for serious doubt and concern .

There are three potential purchasers — two consortia
based in the United States and one in Britain . The recent
resignation of the chairman of a company linked to one of
these consortia, following an inquiry into the company 's
involvement in the consortium 's offer, is a further cause
for concern, especially as it is not known what
irregularities led to the inquiry and to the resignation .

In view of the scale of the operation and the circumstances
surrounding it, can the Commission, in particular the
Commissioners responsible for energy policy and
competition policy, say whether it has been following
events and what light it can throw on the matter ?

Answer given by Sir Leon Brittan

on behalf of the Commission

(6 March 1992 )

The Commission is currently analyzing the general
process of public enterprise privatization in Portugal from
the viewpoint of the Community rules on State aids .

The Council is aware of the particularly serious problems
facing children in the developing countries . It hopes that
the children of these countries will derive the maximum
possible benefit from the major efforts of the Community
and the Member States in the field of development
cooperation with the ACP countries and the WRITTEN QUESTION No 2630 / 91
non-associated developing countries .

by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2628 / 91

by Mr Sérgio Ribeiro ( CG )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 19 November 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 83 )

Subject : The ' deal ' to privatize the Pego power station in

Portugal

The Pego power station in Abrantes forms part of the
Portuguese energy industry 's network of installations and
is the result of an investment by the EDP, a public
undertaking, which will have cost approximately Esc 80

( 19 November 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 84 )

Subject : Destruction of a biotope on Rhodes

For some months now, the Phaistos and Elaf companies
have been granted authorization by the departments
responsible to hew stone quarries in the northern sector of
the Greek island of Rhodes . The ' Animal and
Environmental Conservation Union ' has alleged that 200
hectares of woodland will be destroyed and, along with it,
the only biotope in the region of Kaliphies, while
archaeologists predict that archaeological remains of the
ancient town of Ialuso will also be destroyed .

Can the Commission state whether it intends to protect
this region by proposing that the Greek Government close
down the quarries ?

No C 159 / 36 Official Journal of the European Communities 25 . 6 . 92

Answer given by Mr Ripa di Meana

on behalf of the Commission

( 11 March 1992 )

The northern sector of the island of Rhodes is not
classified as a special protection area pursuant to Article 4
of Directive 79 / 409 / EEC on the conservation of wild
birds (') nor does it figure in the inventory of areas
important for the protection of wild birds in the European
Community .

However, the exploitation of quarries is an activity which,
pursuant to Directive 85 / 337 / EEC, should be the subject
of an impact assessment where it involves adverse effects
on the environment .

The Commission will therefore ask the Greek authorities
to supply detailed information to enable it to establish
whether Community legislation has been respected in this

case .

o OJ No L 103,25.4 . 1979, p. 1 .

topic of Euro Info Centres and a new dimension to
information, participants discussed the specific problem
of the cost of information . Charging SMEs for EIC
services was one of the aspects examined .

The principle that EICs provide a non-profit-making
public-interest service was not questioned . A distinction
must be drawn, however, between two types of service .
Straightforward, general information based on the
documents and services which EICs receive gratis from
the Commission is to be supplied to firms free of charge .
More complex services demanding special expertise and
the use of more sophisticated technical resources such as
specific information, partner searching, legislative ' early
warning systems ', etc . may be involved . In such cases, the

EIC will inform the firm in advance .

For its part, the Commission encourages EICs not to
charge for services they supply to each other, so as to
preserve the full network effect .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2643 / 91

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2636 / 91

Mr Pierros PPE by Mr Virgilio Pereira ( LDR )

by Mr Filippos Pierros ( PPE )
to the Commission of the European Communities

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 19 November 1 991 )

( 19 November 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 85 ) ( 92 / C 159 / 86 )

Subject : Payment of a fee to European Information

Centres for services provided to undertakings

The second annual conference of European Information
Centres, which was held in Berlin on 20 — 21 September

1991, discussed inter alia the possibility of charging for
services instead of providing them for free . The sum of
ECU 25 million approved by the Council to cover the
requirements of the network of information centres and
the Community 's general policy in respect of SMUs ( for
the period 1990 — 1993 ) is of course insufficient .
However, the extra burden that will be put on SMUs if
they are forced to pay fees for services provided by the
information centres will above all act as a deterrent and
possibly result in less demand for and use of this network .

What are the Commission 's views on this matter and what

steps does it intend to take ?

Answer given by Mr Cardoso e Cunha

on behalf of the Commission

( 24 January 1992 )

At the Euro Info Centres ' annual conference held in

Berlin in September, which was devoted to the general

Subject : Common organization of the market in bananas

produced in the Community

How does the Commission intend to solve the serious
problem of marketing bananas produced in the
Community ( in Madeira, the Canaries and the French
Overseas Departments ), in view of the economic and
social importance of this crop for those regions, which we
consider should all enjoy the advantage of a common
organization of the market in bananas ?

Answer given by Mr Delors
on behalf of the Commission

(7 February 1992 )

The imminent completion of the internal market means
that measures must be taken to ensure the free movement
of bananas in a Community with no internal frontiers,
and a common import arrangement introduced .

In that context, the Commission is well aware of the social
and economic importance of banana production for the

25 . 6 . 92 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 159 / 37

regions in question and the guidelines it is now drawing
up will take due account of the objectives of Article 39 et

seq . of the EEC Treaty as regards Community producers .

Parliament will, of course, be consulted on the
Commission 's proposals in this area .

the only item of expenditure for the Coreper meeting
charged to the Council budget was travel expenses .

(') Debates of the European Parliament No 3-408 ( September

1991 ).

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2674 / 91

by Mr Carlos Robles Piquer ( PPE )
WRITTEN QUESTION No 2668 / 91

to the Commission of the European Communities
by Mrs Jessica Larive ( LDR )

( 19 November 1 991 )
to the Council of the European Communities

( 92 / C 159 / 88 )
( 19 November 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 87 )
Subject : Further accident at Chernobyl and its shutdown

Subject : EC ambassadors ' junket

I was surprised to hear a statement by Mr Van den Broek,
President-in-Office of the Council of Ministers and
Netherlands Minister of Foreign Affairs, in answer to a
question from the Netherlands Parliament, to the effect
that the travel expenses of the 12 EC ambassadors to the
Netherlands Antilles and Aruba were met by the
European Communities .

Can the Council explain why the European taxpayers '
money is being used for such trips ?

Can the Council say what funds the rotating Presidency
has at his disposal for such purposes ?

Does the Council agree that the Community 's
increasingly slender resources should be used for more
urgent matters ?

Can the Council say to what extent the Netherlands
Antilles will benefit from the information gleaned by the

ambassadors of the Member States ?

Answer

( 18 May 1992 )

1 . The Honourable Member is referred to the oral
reply given by Mr Piet Dankert, President-in-Office of
the Council, to the European Parliament meeting in
plenary session on 10 September 1991 regarding the trip
in question made by the Permanent Representatives
Committee (').

2 . As regards the more general question of the
reimbursement of delegations ' travel expenses in
connection in particular with meetings of the Council and
Council bodies, an appropriation is included each year in
the section of the budget relating to the Council ( Item
2501 of the Council 's budget estimates ). In this instance,

In view of the further accident at the Chernobyl power
station, caused by a short-circuit, does the Commission
know what safety measures have been adopted by the
authorities to prevent the kind of disquiet and agitation
that arose because of a lack of information immediately
following the accident on 26 April 1986 ?

In view of the Soviet decision to close down this power
station what assistance could the Community provide, in
the Commission 's view, to ensure that all the necessary
technical and safety requirements are met for the
decommissioning work, of which not a great deal of
experience has been gained thus far ?

Answer given by Mr Ripa di Meana

on behalf of the Commission

( 28 January 1992 )

The Commission is informed of the decision adopted by

the Ukrainian authorities following the fire at Unit 2 in
Chernobyl on 1 1 October 1991 to shut down this reactor
and to move forward in 1993 the shutting down of the two
other reactor units (1 and 3 ) which are still in operation .
The previous deadline for this action was 1995 .

The Commission is also aware of the fact that under the
process of decentralization going on in the Soviet Union,
the Ukrainian authorities have decided to set up an
autonomous nuclear regulatory body with competence
over all nuclear installations on Ukrainian territory .

In the frame of the technical assistance programme to the
Soviet Union in the field of nuclear safety a number of
project proposals directly related to the decommissioning
of the Chernobyl NPP have been so far received . The
Commission is according to this type of projects its
highest priority and considers that there exists, within the
Community and especially worldwide, significant
experience in decommissioning radioactively
contaminated installations . Community technical
assistance could help to effect the decommissioning and

No C 159 / 38 Official Journal of the European Communities 25 . 6 . 92

dismantling of the Chernobyl reactors under conditions
that would assure the necessary protection of workers, the
people and the environment .

order to establish limit values for occupational
exposure, as required by the Council Directive
80 / 1107 / EEC as modified by Council Directive
88 / 642 / EEC ( 5 ) and the evaluation of other organic
solvents is scheduled for the near future .

3 . The labelling of solvents used in preparations
comes under Directive 88 / 379 / EEC ( dangerous
preparations ) ( 6 ).
WRITTEN QUESTION No 2676 / 91

by Mr Gary Titley ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 19 November 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 89 )

Subject : Solvent abuse

The abuse of solvents has been medically proven to have a

detrimental effect on health and can, in some
circumstances, lead to premature death .

In view of this :

1 . Is the Commission aware of the extent of solvent

abuse within the Community ?

2 . Does the Commission propose any Regulations to
control the way in which solvents are manufactured
and in particular to encourage the use of less toxic
ingredients ?

3 . Will the Commission act to introduce Regulations

governing the labelling of solvents and the way in
which they are retailed ?

Answer given by Mrs Papandreou

on behalf of the Commission

( 7 February 1 992 )

The Commission would draw the Honourable Member 's

attention to the answers to Written Question No 2015 / 88
from Mr Cottrell (') and Oral Question No H-37 / 91
from Mrs Oddy ( 2 ) on the same subject .

1 . The extent of the problem is not easy to ascertain for

the reasons given in the answer to Question
No 2015 / 88 .

2 . The substitution of dangerous by non-dangerous or

less dangerous chemicals compounds is explicitly
mentioned in the Council Directive 89 / 391 / EEC ( 3 )

— Article 6, point 2 f — as one of the general
principles of prevention on which the employer should
base the measures to be taken necessary for the safety
and health protection of workers .

This reference completes the provisions of Council

Directive 80 / 1 107 / EEC ( 4 ) on the protection of
workers from the risks related to exposure to
chemical, physical and biological agents at work .

In addition to the above mentioned requirement for
substitution, the Commission is presently evaluating
particular solvents ( e.g. n-hexane, toluene xylene ) in

C ) OJNoC 227, 4 . 9 . 1989 .
( J ) Debates of the European Parliament, OJ Annex 3-398

( January 1991 ).
O OJNoL 183, 29 . 6 . 1989 .
( 4 ) OJ No L 327, 3 . 12 . 1990 .
O OJ No L 356, 24 . 12 . 1988 .
( 6 ) OJ No L 187, 16.7 . 1988 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2677 / 91

by Mr Gene Fitzgerald ( RDE )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 19 November 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 90 )

Subject : Duty-free trade and the future of airports in the

Community

Since the debate on taxation in the European Parliament
of spring last year, the Commission has worked closely
with the representatives of the major European airports
within the framework of the ultimate abolition of the
practice of duty-free trade of benefit to citizens of the
Community .

Can the Commission say whether a study has been made
on the consequences of the abolition of duty-free trade in
the Community and what are the conclusions, especially
with regard to social costs and employment in the regions
concerned ?

Can the Commission confirm that the consultations
carried out have also taken account of the particular
situation of airports other than those situated at close
proximity to capital cities of Member States ?

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2678 / 91

by Mr Gene Fitzgerald ( RDE )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 19 November 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 91 )

Subject : The future of duty-free trade in the Community

Can the Commission comment on the arguments that
there could be incompatibility between the establishment
of the large internal market without frontiers and the
maintenance of the practice of duty-free trade ?

25 . 6 . 92 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 159 / 39

Can it also say what will be the duration of the
transitional period of adaptation envisaged within the
perspective of the ultimate abolition of duty-free trade in
the Community with the exception of that which is
relevant to third countries ?

Finally can it state precisely what are the measures
proposed for duty-free trade of benefit to the members of
the diplomatic and consular corps who are nationals of
one of the Member States ?

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2713 / 91

by Mr Henry McCubbin ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 21 November 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 92 )

Subject : Removal of the duty-free allowance for
non-calling vessels

Can the Commission provide me with a date for the
publication of its report on the effects of the removal of
the duty-free allowance for non-calling vessels, i.e. those
not calling at a third country port ? Does the Commission
have any plans for the removal of that duty-free
allowance ?

Joint answer to Written Questions Nos 2677 / 91, 2678 / 91

and 2713 / 91

given by Mrs Scrivener
on behalf of the Commission

( 30 January 1992 )

For the reasons stated in the joint answer to Written
Questions Nos 603 / 90 and 780 / 90 ('), the Commission
considers tax-free sales to persons travelling within the
Community to be incompatible with the functioning of
the internal market . However, in view of the difficulties
which their immediate abolition would create in certain
sectors, the Ecofin Council agreed on 1 1 November 1991
that such sales may be maintained up to 30 June 1999,
provided this does not prejudice the removal of tax
frontiers .

The Commission has itself carried out a study on the
socio-economic repercussions for trades affected by the
completion of the internal market, including tax-free
shops . It takes the view that this sector now has enough
time to adapt gradually to the irrevocable disappearance
of tax-free sales in intra-Community travel on 1 July 1999 .

On the matter of tax-free sales to members of a Member
State 's diplomatic and consular corps in other Member
States, please refer to the answer given to Written

Question No 1148 / 91 ( 2 ). As regards VAT, the principles
set forth in that answer are reflected in the text on
transitional VAT arrangements formally adopted on 16
December 1991 by the Ecofin Council .

The same principles are incorporated into the Directive
on the general arrangements for products subject to excise
duty and on the holding and movement of such products,
about which the Ecofin Council reached agreement on 16
December 1991 .

O OJNoC 144, 3.6 . 1991 .
O OJ No C 248, 23 . 9 . 1991 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2684 / 91

by Mr Carlos Robles Piquer ( PPE )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 19 November 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 93 )

Subject : Reported growth in oil consumption

Does the Commission agree with reports ( e.g. ' The New
Oil Boom ', in Newsweek of 21 October 1991 ) that there is
a massive and rapid increase under way with regard to
prospecting for and exploiting oil fields ? If so, what are
the implications for oil supplies on the one hand,
particularly with regard to primary energy supplies in the
Community, and on the other hand, for the efforts being
made as regards energy saving and new technology in the
field of renewable energy ? Finally, what are the
implications with regard to environmental protection ?

Answer given by Mr Cardoso e Cunha

on behalf of the Commission

(9 March 1992 )

There has been an increase in oil exploration and
production activity worldwide though the low levels
experienced during the second half of the eighties explain
part of this large increase . This additional exploration and
production is, however, taking place in selected areas .
One of the areas where activity has increased sharply is
the North Sea where the drilling of exploration and
production wells have increased by 32% in 1991 over

1990 . Capital investments in the same area are expected to
increase from about $13 billion this year to about $15
billion in 1993 . Exploration and appraisal activities would
then be expected to decline to some extent towards the
mid 90 's as most parts of the North Sea will by then have
been explored fairly intensively .

No C 159 / 40 Official Journal of the European Communities 25 . 6 . 92

Concerning oil consumption, the Commission considers
that a worldwide increase from around 66 million barrels
per day in 1990 to some 71—76 million barrels per day in
2000 is likely to take place . This would represent about a

10% increase, but it is expected that EEC and OECD
demand growth would be below this average, whilst
growth in the developing countries, particularly in the Far
East, would be above .

The development of energy-related technologies to

ensure a better and more wide-spread use of renewable
energies and the promotion of energy efficiency, is
considered as a major element for further reducing
dependency on external energy supplies, increasing
diversification of energy sources and improving
environmental conditions .

Research, demonstration and dissemination of results
throughout the Community are considered as important
tools for achieving these objectives .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2690 / 9 1

by Mr Floras Wijsenbeek ( LDR )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 19 November 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 94 )

Subject : Night-flight permits

Is the Commission aware of the decision by five
international European transport undertakings not to use
the Dutch airfield of Beek in Limburg, since night-flight
arrangements are too restrictive there ?

Isl the Commission aware that two of the above
undertakings have transferred their activities from
Maastricht to Cologne and Brussels-Zaventem, where
fewer restrictions apply ?

In view of this, does the Commission not consider that
European rules should be drawn up concerning night
flights, in order to prevent distortions of competition in
this sector ?

Answer given by Mr Van Miert

on behalf of the Commission

( 17 March 1992 )

The Commission has not been officially informed of any

decisions by air transport undertakings regarding the
siting of their activities, as referred to by the Honourable
Member .

As regards nuisance caused by air traffic, the
Commission, following a request made at the informal
Council meeting on transport on 5 and 6 July 1991, is

currently finalizing a full inventory of the rules and
procedures relating to noise around airports .

The results of this inventory should provide a sound

technical base on which to consider ways of reducing
noise pollution around airports, while allowing for the
particular circumstances of each individual airport .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2694 / 91
by Mr Jaak Vandemeulebroucke ( ARC )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 19 November 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 95 )

Subject : Recognition by Luxembourg of a Belgian
diploma in physiotherapy

According to reports, the Luxembourg Government does

not recognize the Belgian diploma in physiotherapy and
Belgians who hold this qualification and who wish to
establish themselves in Luxembourg are required to
satisfy additional conditions, for example completion of a
supplementary course in electrotherapy .

1 . What conditions must be fulfilled for a diploma in

physiotherapy to be recognized by the other Member
States ?

2 . To what extent does the Belgian diploma meet these

conditions ?

3 . Are the conditions imposed by the Luxembourg

Government on qualified Belgian physiotherapists
justified ?

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2759 / 91
by Mr Jaak Vandemeulebroucke ( ARC )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 22 November 1991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 96 )

Subject : Freedom of establishment for physiotherapists

It is reported that Luxembourg applies the following rules
concerning authorization for physiotherapists to practise
within its territory :

— either a one-year conversion course must be followed

in a department recognized by the Ministry for
Health, to be followed by an examination in
electrotherapy,

— or candidates must pass an examination for a diploma

issued by the Luxembourg authorities, including tests

25 . 6 . 92 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 159 / 41

in electrotherapy, professional practice and legislation
in this field .

1 . What European legislation applies to the
establishment of physiotherapists in Member States
other than the one in which they obtained their
diploma ?

2 . Are the conditions imposed by Luxembourg in
conformity with European rules ?

3 . What steps can be taken by those concerned to ensure

that they are able to establish themselves as
physiotherapists ?

Joint answer to Written Questions Nos 2694 / 91 and

2759 / 91

given by Mr Bangemann
on behalf of the Commission

(5 March 1992 )

Council Directive 89 / 48 / EEC of 21 December 1988 on a
general system for the recognition of higher-education
diplomas awarded on completion of professional
education and training of at least three years ' duration (')
could also apply to the profession of physiotherapist
provided that the diploma in question is, both in the
Member State of origin or provenance ( in the case in
point, Belgium ) and in the host Member State
( Luxembourg ), a higher diploma awarded on completion
of a period of training lasting at least three years .

If this condition is not met, the case will be covered by the
proposal — currently under discussion within the Council

— for a Directive on a second general system for the
recognition of professional education and training ( 2 ).

The principle laid down in Article 3 of Directive
8 9 / 4 8 / EEC is that of automatic recognition of the
diploma . It is only where a difference of at least one year 's
training or differences as to substance exist between the
training given that some form of compensation can be
sought by the host Member State ( see Article 4 ). In case of
differences as to substance, the host Member State, i.e.
Luxembourg, can require the migrant to choose between
completing an adaptation period not exceeding three
years or taking an aptitude test provided that the matters
not studied previously are matters of substance for the
exercise of the profession of physiotherapist .
Accordingly, the requirements imposed by the
Luxembourg authorities and referred to by the
Honourable Member are not necessarily in breach of the
Directive .

O OJ No L 19, 24 . 1 . 1989 .

( ) OJ No C 263, 16 . 10 . 1989 ; amended proposal : OJ No C 217,

1.9.1990 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2706 / 91

by Mrs Brigitte Ernst de la Graete ( V )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 21 November 1991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 97 )

Subject : Imports of meat from the United States to the

EC

With effect from 14 October 1991, the Commission
decided to authorize imports of fresh beef and veal and
pigmeat from US abattoirs approved by the Council .

What guarantees has the Commission secured regarding
the ban on the use of growth hormones for fattening
imported cattle ?

How will checks be organized ?

Answer given by Mr Mac Sharry

on behalf of the Commission

(6 May 1992 )

The Honourable Member is referred to the Commission 's
written reply to her Oral Question H - 107 1 / 91 during
question time at Parliament 's November 1991
part-session (').

(') Debates of the European Parliament No 3-411 ( November

1991 ).

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2711 / 91

by Mr Henry McCubbin ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 21 November 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 98 )

Subject : Portugal : taxation

Is the Commission aware that, despite recent
improvements in the Portuguese tax structure on spirit
drinks, discrimination remains in the form of ( a ) an
exemption from alcohol tax for spirits based on figs and
other fermentable fruits and ( b ) a reduced VAT rate (8 %
compared with 17% for all other spirits ) for bulk wine
spirits ? Moreover, what action is the Commission taking
to seek the removal of this discrimination ?

No C 159 / 42 Official Journal of the European Communities 25 . 6 . 92

Answer given by Mrs Scrivener

on behalf of the Commission

( 11 March 1992 )

The question asked by the Honourable Member calls for
the following clarification .

As far as VAT is concerned, under Decree Law
No 233 / 91 of 26 June 1991, the standard rate applies to
all spirits obtained by distilling grape wine, whether old or
immature, spirits not obtained by distilling grape wine
( whisky, gin, vodka, etc .) and liqueurs . Consequently,
Portugal, following intervention by the Commission, has
taken measures that reflect the Commission 's wishes for
the proper implementation of Community law . At
present, therefore, the reduced rate applies only to bulk
spirits obtained by distilling grape wine . The Commission
is planning to pursue contacts with the Portuguese
authorities in order to clarify the situation regarding this
remaining point .

With regard to excise duty, Decree Law No 228 / 91 of 21
June 1991 extended the scope of the duty to spirits and

rum distilled from sugar cane . At present, the only spirits
which are not taxed are those distilled from figs and fruit
other than grapes . The Commission will investigate the
matter further to ascertain whether the said exemptions
are in breach of Article 95 of the EEC Treaty .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2752 / 91

by Mr Proinsias De Rossa ( CG )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 22 November 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 99 )

Subject : Product liability Directive

Will the Commission state what response was received
from the Irish Government in relation to its
non-compliance with Council Directive 85 / 374 / EEC (')
on product liability, what other Member States failed to
implement the directive within the time scale stipulated,
and which Member States have still failed to implement
the Directive ?

o OJ No L 210, 7 . 8 . 1985, p. 29 .

Answer given by Mr Bangemann

on behalf of the Commission

(7 April 1992 )

Pursuant to Article 169 of the EEC Treaty, the
Commission sent the Irish Government on 26 March 1990
a reasoned opinion for failing to notify it of the
transposition into national law of Council Directive

85 / 374 / EEC concerning liability for defective products .
By letter dated 31 May 1990 the Irish Permanent
Representative replied that the competent departments of
the Irish Government had drawn up a bill for this purpose
which was to be discussed with the Commission 's
departments and that it was planned to transpose the
Directive into national law in September 1990 .

In May 1991 the Irish Government informed the
Commission that it had placed the Liability for Defective
Products Bill before the Dail with a view to its adoption
by October 1991 at the latest .

The Commission referred the matter to the Court of
Justice by written application registered on 26 July 1991 .

By letter dated 23 December 1991 the Irish authorities
informed the Commission that the Dail had adopted the
Liability for Defective Products Act, which came into
force on 16 December 1991 .

The Directive was transported into national law, within

the deadline set, by the United Kingdom ( Consumer
Protection Act 1987 ), Greece ( Decree of 31 March 1988 )
and Italy ( Decree No 224 of 24 May 1988 ) and, after the
deadline, by Luxembourg ( Law of 21 April 1989 ),
Denmark ( Law of 7 June 1989 ), Portugal ( Decree-Law
No 383 of 6 November 1989 ), Germany ( Law of 15
December 1989 ), the Netherlands ( Law of 13 September

1990 ) and Belgium ( Law of 25 February 1991 ). As a result,
the infringement proceedings initiated by the Commission
have been terminated .

Hitherto, two Member States, France and Spain, have not
yet transposed the Directive into national law . The
Commission has taken all the appropriate measures to
ensure that these Member States comply with the
transposition requirement as soon as possible .

In view of the situation within the Community, it is
particularly satisfying to note that the approach adopted
in the Directive has been copied by a large number of
non-member countries, including Austria, Norway,
Finland and Iceland ( in legislation ) and Australia ( in a
recent bill ). Sweden and Switzerland have also drafted
laws or embarked on preparatory work based on the
Community model .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2765 / 91

by Mr Mihail Papayannakis ( GUE )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 22 November 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 100 )

Subject : The siting of hotels on beaches in Greece

By Presidential Decree of 23 July 1991 ( Official Gazette
No 474 D ), the Greek Government adopted a number of

25 . 6 . 92 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 159 / 43

controversial and questionable provisions concerning the
location of hotels on certain beaches in Greece . In
the ' controlled tourist development areas ' ( already
overdeveloped for tourist purposes ) in Rhodes, Corfu,
Khalkidiki and Crete the construction of hotels may,
exceptionally, be authorized ' up to the shoreline ', if the
area of their grounds is greater than five hectares . In most
cases, this amounts to building the hotel on the beach,
closing it off to the public . The results are particularly
obvious in a of northern Crete, where all the beaches of
southern Heraklion and about half of the beaches of
southern Lasithi are covered by these provisions . In
addition, they legalize what would previously have been
illegal building and development and, according to local
experts, they are likely to cause ' large-scale and
irreversible destruction of the environment '. These
measures coincide with studies being carried out by the
Ministry of the Environment, Regional Planning and
Public Works and the Greek Technical Chamber on
' environment-friendly ' land use in this area . Since the
foreseeable developments arising from these provisions
are clearly at variance with all guidelines for the balanced
development of tourism in the Community ( see relevant
debates and decisions by the European Parliament ), can
the Commission answer the following questions :

1 . Will it request information and explanations from the

Greek Government on how these provisions dovetail
with IMP and CSF development programmes,
particularly in Crete ?

2 . Will it make it clear to the Greek Government that
measures taken on this scale must not run counter to,
or undermine development programmes being
financed by the Community, invalidating them by
subsequent decisions having the consequences
referred to above ?

3 . Can it give its assurance that, if the above measures
are not repealed, the provisions of Directives
85 / 337 / EEC O and 79 / 409 / EEC ( 2 ) will be applied
in future ?

o OJ No L 175, 5 . 7 . 1985, p . 40 .
O OJ No L 103, 25 . 4 . 1979, p . 1 .

Answer given by Mr Ripa di Meana

on behalf of the Commission

(8 April 1992 )

A hotel complex is one of the projects listed in Annex II to
Directive 85 / 337 / EEC which, before an authorization is
granted, must be assessed to determine what the
consequences will be, when, as a result of their nature,
size or location, they are likely to have major effects on
the environment .

The Commission will take the measures necessary to

ensure that the provisions of the Directive are adhered to
in the instance mentioned by the Honourable Member .

The Commission has already asked the Greek authorities

for information on the decree which, according to the
Honourable Member, authorizes the construction and
enlargement of hotel complexes very close to the sea .

The Greek authorities have not yet replied .

The Honourable Member is also requested to refer to the

answer given to oral question H-987 / 91 by Mr
Romeos ( ! ).

( ) European Parliament Debates, No 3-41 1 ( November 1991 ).

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2779 / 91

by Mrs Mary Banotti ( PPE )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 22 November 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 101 )

Subject : Tempus programme in Romania

Could the Commission provide me with the latest
information on the progress of the Tempus programme in
Romania and any particular problems with Tempus in
Romania ?

Answer given by Mrs Papandreou

on behalf of the Commission

( 23 January 1992 )

The Commission has not encountered any particular
problems with the implementation of Tempus in
Romania .

Romania became eligible to participate in Tempus shortly
before the closing date for receipt of Tempus applications
for academic year 1991 / 92 ( 15 March 1991 ). Therefore, it
was given a separate deadline, of 15 April .

Of the 116 Romanian Joint European Project applications
received ( out of a total 1401 JEP applications ), 55 were
coordinated by the Romanian partners . 63 of these 116
JEP projects were accepted for support ( 54,3 % of
acceptance rate ) for a total amount of ECU 8,2 million .

25 . 6 . 92
NoC 159 / 44 Official Journal of the European Communities

The majority of the projects related to engineering

followed by management and medicine . 23 of the 43
universities in Romania are participating in Tempus
projects . 45% of the accepted JEPs are contracted by
French, 19% with UK and 14% with Belgian institutions .

Perhaps because of the limited preparation time available
for this first Tempus exercise in Romania in 1991, JEPs
tend to be based on already existing links with Western
institutions . In the meantime, the Romanian authorities,
like the other eligible states, have set up a list of subject
areas which they prefer to receive support within the
framework of the Tempus Scheme and these are
published in the Vademecum for 1992 / 93 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2793 / 91

by Mr Mihail Papayannakis ( GUE )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 22 November 1991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 102 )

Subject : Construction of a new road between Miloi and

Kiveri in the province of Argolis

On the coast of the Gulf of Argolis, between Miloi and
Kiveri, a significant area is still preserved in its natural
state or is being cultivated, despite constant
enchroachments and unauthorized building in the past .
This area is of great ecological, archaeological and

historical interest . In the village of Miloi the Lerni lake
and springs where, according to Pausanias, the sanctuary
of Dimitra and valuable remains and statues were to be
found, have already been destroyed . Recent
archaeological exploration, which is still in progress, has
since uncovered statues and other finds in this protected
area . Byzantine, medieval and more recent remains have
also been found . Schools from the surrounding region
( for example, Nafplion ) organize visits by their pupils
to this area in order to make them more
environment-conscious . Plans have now been drawn up to
construct a new road between Miloi and Kiveri running
through this area, for which Dr 24 million have already
been earmarked for 1991 from the Special Regional

Development Fund for Argolis . Many local residents and
environmental organizations consider this project to be a
threat to the historic remains and the environmental
balance in the area, serving no useful purpose or function
since the two villages are already linked by roads which do
not cross the conservation area . There is also reason to
believe that this road is simply a pretext for further
building in this area and tourist ' development ' ( i.e. the
opening of campsites, etc .).

Is the Commission aware of this situation and what view
does it take of it ? Is the project receiving Community

funding, if only indirectly ? Has an environmental impact
assessment been carried out as required ? If not, what steps
will the Commission take to enforce Community law ?

Answer given by Mr Ripa di Meana

on behalf of the Commission

( 10 March 1992 )

At its May 1991 meeting the monitoring committee for
the regional operation programme for the Peloponnese
region withdrew the road project referred to by the
Honourable Member ( originally earmarked for structural
Fund assistance ) for technical and environmental reasons .
Thus the question of Community funding no longer

arises .

The project referred to by the Honourable Member is one
of those listed in Annex II to Directive 85 / 337 / EEC,
which must be made subject to an assessment where

Member States consider that their characteristics so
require . Since the Commission has insufficient
information on the scope of the project it is unable to
assess its effects on the environment .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2806 / 91

by Mr Yves Verwaerde ( LDR )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 5 December 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 103 )

Subject : Use of subcontracting in the Commission 's

translation service

Would the Commission state whether the translation

service over which it has authority has recourse to
subcontracting, either normally or exceptionally ?

If so, what activities were subcontracted in 1989 and

1990 ?

Answer given by Mr Cardoso e Cunha

on behalf of the Commission

( 10 February 1 992 )

The Commission 's Translation Service subcontracts work

in the normal way of things .

25 . 6 . 92 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 159 / 45

The breakdown is as follows :

Pages translated Pages typed

promote such work, called ' Biological studies '; this allows
highly specific work directly linked to CFP decisions to be
financed .

However, under the subsidiarity principle it is the

63 000 86 000 Member States who are responsible for the bulk of

83 000 97 000 research work . The above budget resources are no more

than incentives at best . The sums allocated are too small

to permit detailed coordination . The Commission would
like to be able to strengthen its coordinating role and
therefore wishes to see an increase in budgetary funds for
this purpose . It also proposes to promote, in liaison with
the Portuguese Presidency, close consultation with and
WRITTEN QUESTION No 2842 / 91 between the national research bodies at a meeting planned

Mr Peter S for May 1992 .

1989 63 000 86 000

1990 83 000 97 000

by Mr Peter Crampton ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 5 December 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 104 )

Subject : Fisheries : Scientific research

Does the Commission have any plans to centralize
scientific research into fish stocks ( under the auspices of
the EC ), rather than relying on isolated studies by various
national institutions ?

Answer given by Mr Marin
on behalf of the Commission

( 22 January 1992 )

Since the start of the FAR programme ( Fisheries
Aquaculture Research ) in 1988, most of the research
projects financed have had an international dimension
and the results habe been iacluded in the presentations
given by Member State scientists to meetings of the
various fisheries organizations ( ICES, CGPM ('), NAFO,
etc ) and the Commission 's scientific committees such as
the Scientific and Technical Committee on Fisheries . In
addition, various coordination measures ( seminars,
workshops, publications, etc ) are supported in the context
of marine and aquacultural research, with the
participation of Member States .

Besides the research projects and support for conferences,
etc, the new programme AIR ( agricultural and
agri-industrial research, including fisheries ) provides for
concerted measures whose objective is the coordination
of research activities financed from sources other than the

Community .

The FAR and AIR programmes relate to research aims
which are not necessarily goal-directed and which must
involve a high degree of innovation . They cannot,
therefore, cover targeted studies linked to management of
the CFP . The Commission has another budget heading to

(*) General Fisheries Council for the Mediterranean .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2852 / 91

by Mr Freddy Blak ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 5 December 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 105 )

Subject : The killing of birds in southern Europe

Millions of birds, including robins, chaffinches,
nightingales, wagtails, song-thrushes, harriers and many
others, including protected species, are being killed in
southern Europe . This is a matter which concerns us all .

What steps will the Commission take to put an end to such
cruelty ?

Answer given by Mr Ripa di Meana

on behalf of the Commission

( 19 March 1992 )

Protection of wild birds in the Community — including
the species mentioned by the Honourable Member — is to
a large extent governed by the provisions of Directive
79 / 409 / EEC on the conservation of wild birds . These
provisions include obligations to control hunting .

Implementation of the Directive is primarily a matter for
Member States, the Commission 's role being one of
coordinating and ensuring overall respect for obligations .
The Commission 's concern about issues such as the one

raised in this question, is reflected in several types of
measures, including studies, meetings with national
authorities, and infringement proceedings .

25 . 6 . 92
No C 159 / 46 Official Journal of the European Communities

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2892 / 91

The Commission decided in 1990 that the case should be

by Mr Gianfranco Amendola ( V ) heard before the European Court of Justice . That decision

was suspended in December 1991 pending further
to the Commission of the European Communities examination of the matter, and discussions with the

( 5 December 1 991 ) United Kingdom authorities .

by Mr Gianfranco Amendola ( V )

( 5 December 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 106 )

Subject : Violation of the Directive on wild birds by the

United Kingdom

In June 1989 the EFAH ( European Federation Against
Hunting ) entered a complaint ( No 538 / 89 ) against the
violation by the UK of Articles 7 ( 1 ), 7 ( 2 ), 7 ( 3 ) and 7 ( 4 )
of Directive 79 / 409 / EEC ('). The Commission, on 17
July 1989, replied stating that it had initiated legal action

against the UK Government .

On 7 March 1991, the Commission submitted a proposal
for the amendment of Directive 79 / 409 / EEC, under
which the list of species which may be hunted in the UK
would be extended to include some of those specified in
the EFAH complaint ( e.g. Corvus corone, Corvulus
monedula, Garvulus glandarius, etc .), on the grounds that
they cause damage to agriculture and / or wildlife .

In the case of certain species ( e.g. Streptopelia decaocto,
Larus fuscus and Larus argentatus ), the proposal for the
amendment of Directive 79 / 409 / EEC would not permit
them to be hunted in the UK .

Whether the proposal for the amendment of Directive

79 / 409 / EEC is adopted in its present form or not, it
appears that the UK would not, in any event, respect the
Community legislation on wild birds .

Can the Commission state whether it has continued, or
intends to continue, with the infringement procedure
initiated against the UK, as referred to in its letter of

17 July 1989 ( XI / 008476 ) to the EFAH ? Does the
Commission not consider that in any case it should take
out an infringement procedure against the UK for
violating Directive 79 / 409 / EEC ?

O OJ No L 103, 25 . 4 . 1979, p. 1 .

Answer given by Mr Ripa di Meana

on behalf of the Commission

( 25 March 1992 )

The procedure against the United Kingdom commenced
further to, among other complaints, the one mentioned by
the Honourable Member, is continuing . It concerns the
non-designation of Special Protection Areas for certain
Annex I species, and provisions in the Wildlife and

Contryside Act 1981 which provide for a licensing system
whereby certain birds can be killed or taken at all times .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2893 / 91

by Mr Gianfranco Amendola ( V )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 5 December 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 107 )

Subject : Violation of the Directive on wild birds by

Greece

In September 1988, September 1989 and October 1990 the
European Federation Against Hunting ( EFAH ) and the
EFAP ( Elliniki Fisiolatriki Antikiniyotiki Protovoulia )
complained to the Commission at violation by Greece of
Directive 79 / 409 / EEC ('). For three years running,
authorization has been given for the hunting of species
not included in Annexes II / 1 and II / 2, and Articles 7 ( 4 )
and 9 of Directive 79 / 409 / EEC have not been respected .

Can the Commission state what action it has taken on the
three complaints by the EFAH and the EFAP, and on
what grounds ? Can the Commission also state whether

Greece has adopted similar or identical measures for

1991 / 92 to those of previous years, and, if so, whether it
intends to take out an infringement procedure against
Greece ?

o OJ No L 103, 25 . 4 . 1979, p. 1 .

Answer given by Mr Ripa di Meana

on behalf of the Commission

(9 April 1992 )

The Commission has examined the complaints mentioned
by the Honourable Member and has commenced an
infringement procedure against Greece .

The Commission has just been informed that for the year

1991 / 92 Greece has adopted similar measures to those of
the preceding years . The new facts submitted to the
Commission will be dealt with in the infringement
procedure which has already been started .

25 . 6 . 92 Official Journal of the European Communities NoC 159 / 47

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2908 / 91
by Mr Alexander Langer, Mrs Birgit Cramon-Daiber and

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2908 / 91 The Commission will therefore contact the Italian
Alexander Langer, Mrs Birgit Cramon-Daiber and authorities in order to learn the reasons for the choice of

Mr Virginio Bettini ( V ) Secche di Lazzaro as the location of the building of a

ferry-boat landing stage .
to the Commission of the European Communities

Mr Virginio Bettini ( V )

( 9 December 1 991 J

( 92 / C 159 / 108 )

Subject : Planning and construction of a ferry landing

stage in Stromboli ( Italy )

The Sicilian regional authorities have decided to finance
the construction of a ferry landing stage at Secche di
Lazzaro ( Stromboli ).

On 9 October 1991 the Ministry of the Environment 's
environmental impact assessment committee also
considered a possible alternative location at Punta
Pertuso . The choice of location will make an enormous
difference in terms of environmental impact .

Secche di Lazzaro is a long way from the village and, if
this site were selected, it would be necessary to construct a
steeply ascending road, involving major excavation works
in one of the most beautiful, typical and unspoilt areas of
Aeolia, which is a miniature museum of natural history,
culture, flora and geology, consisting of a series of
dry-walled terraces, century-old olive trees, every variety
of local flora and a projecting rock formation which is in
itself sufficient to reveal a complete cross-section of the
various geological strata .

The construction of a road would completely and
irreparably destroy the features of this site, whereas Punta
Pertuso is in the immediate vicinity of the village and
would not require any road construction . Moreover, the
designer has acknowledged that it is a feasible alternative .

Will the Commission make representations to the
competent Italian authorities, pursuant to Annex II of
Directive 85 / 337 / EEC ('), with a view of ensuring that
the Sicilian regional authorities definitively abandon
plans to locate the landing stage at Secche di Lazzaro ?

O OJ No L 175, 5 . 7 . 1985, p. 40 .

Answer given by Mr Ripa di Meana

on behalf of the Commission

( 25 March 1992 )

The Commission is not able to give its opinion on the
instance referred to by the Honourable Member, since it
does not know the details of the matter .

Moreover, it emerges from a reading of the question that
the opinion of the Italian Ministry for the Environment
has not been clearly expressed on the location of the
project put forward by the regional authorities .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2933 / 91

by Mr Virginio Bettini ( Y )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 9 December 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 109 )

Subject : Tendering procedures for road constructions

Is the Commission aware that, with regard to the
high-speed section of the Verona — Venezia road ( for
which the general contractor is the IRI company ) IRI
itself ( Iritecnica ) is carrying out 43% of the work, and
Ansaldo ( also IRI ) 15% ( which means that 58% of the
work is being carried out directly by the general
contractor ) while the remainder of the work is being done
by the following undertakings : Girola ( 12% ), Salini
( 12% ), Torno ( 12% ) and Del Favero ( 6% ). The same
applies to five other sections, for which the total estimated
budget is Lit 15 to 20 billion ?

Is the Commission aware that it is a fairly frequent
practice in Italy for contracts to be awarded by private
negotiation instead of tendering procedures and that even
the Italian Ministry for Public Works is inclined to avoid
tendering procedures ? Is it aware that this practice will be
extended to the construction of high-speed rail links in
Italy ?

Does the Commission not consider that it should
investigate this questionable system of awarding public
contracts since it effectively eliminates competition by
engineering companies from other Member States ?

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2934 / 91

by Mr Virginio Bettini ( V )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 9 December 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 110 )

Subject : Awarding of contracts for high-speed rail links

Is the Commission aware that, in Italy, the high-speed
Milan — Naples and Turin — Venice rail links will not be
constructed by the railway authorities but will be
contracted out to the TAV Limited Company, which will
construct the new rail links and receive the profits for 50
years ?

NoC 159 / 48 Official Journal of the European Communities 25 . 6 . 92

Is the Commission aware that, although no proper 4 . Is there Community legislation to ensure that
feasibility study has been drawn up and the real costs of European postal services treat their customers more
the operation are not known, the TAV has already fairly ?
selected three general contractors to carry out the work
( IRI, ENI and FIAT ), which have in turn already selected
subcontractors for each of the six sections of the two
Answer
lines ?

( 18 May 1992 )

Joint answer to Written Questions Nos 2933 / 91 and

2934 / 91

given by Mr Bangemann
on behalf of the Commission

( 17 March 1992 )

The Commission is unable to conclude from the
information supplied by the Honourable Member that the
procedure followed for the award of the public works
contract concerned is incompatible with the Treaty rules,
in particular Articles 30 and 59 .

Furthermore, Directive 71 / 305 / EEC, as amended by
Directive 89 / 440 / EEC concerning coordination of
procedures for the award of public works contracts (')
does not apply to subcontracting by transport firms
carrying out inland haulage .

Lastly, the Honourable Member is also asked to refer to
the Commission 's answer to Written Questions 2244 / 91
and 2245 / 91 from Mr Mattina ( 2 ).

1, 2 and 3 . The Council does not have at its disposal
comparative figures of fees charged by the German
Federal Post Office Bank or by other Member States ' post
office banking services for transborder money transfers .

4 . The Council has not adopted specific legislation in
this field, nor have proposals for such legislation been
submitted by the Commission .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2946 / 91

by Mr Arturo Escuder Croft ( PPE )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 9 December 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 112 )

Subject : Interest on EIB loans

o O OJ OJ No No L C 210 89, 9, 21.7 . 4 . 1992 . 1989 . . What private first six interest sector months in rates of Spain 1991 did, Germany the ? EIB apply and Belgium to its loans during to the the

Answer given by Mr Christophersen

on behalf of the Commission

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2937 / 91
by Mrs Lissy Groner and Mr Hans Peters ( S )

to the Council of the European Communities

( 9 December 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 111 )

Subject : German post office 's international transfer
charges

As of 1 July 1991 the German post office increased from

DM 3 to DM 10, that is to say by 300%, their fee for
transferring money from a German giro account to a giro
account in a neighbouring EC Member State .

1 . How do the fees charged by the German post office

compare with those charged by postal authorities
elsewhere in Europe ?

2 . Is the Council aware of disproportionate increases in
fees charged by public services in other EC Member
States ?

3 . How can such charges be reconciled with the notion

of 'A People 's Europe ' and the objective of ' freedom
of movement ' of capital and persons ?

(2 March 1992 )

The EIB borrows virtually all the resources it needs on

financial markets ( essentially via public bond issues ).
Since it is a non-profit-making body, its interest rates
closely mirror the conditions obtaining on financial
markets for each currency, plus a one-off margin to cover
its operating costs . This margin, currently 0,15 %, is lower
than that applied by any other comparable institution .
With this method of setting its rates, which is reviewed
weekly, the EIB is able to offer borrowers the best
possible terms at any given moment and, in practice, to
pass on to them the advantages of its ' AAA ' rating on
financial markets .

The EIB does not differentiate its rates according to the
type of project being financed, its location ( inside or
outside the Community ) or the borrower 's legal form
( public or private ). The rates offered by the EIB are,
therefore, identical — for a given currency, duration and
date of fixing — in Spain, Germany and Belgium as well
as in any other country in which it operates .

25 . 6 . 92 Official Journal of the European Communities NoC 159 / 49

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2952 / 91

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2947 / 91 WRITTEN QUESTION No

by Mr Arturo Escuder Croft ( PPE ) by Mrs Marie Jepsen ( ED )

by Mr Arturo Escuder Croft ( PPE )
to the Commission of the European Communities

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 13 January 1992 )

( 9 December 1 991 )

Subject : EIB loans

( 92 / C 159 / 113 ) ( 92 / C 159 / 115 )

Subject : Date for the entry into force of Directive

What is the total volume of loans granted by the EIB to
the private sector in each Spanish Autonomous
Community ?

Answer given by Mr Christophersen

on behalf of the Commission

( 26 February 1992 )

During 1991 ( situation as at 1 December 1991 ), the EIB
made loans in Spain totalling ECU 2 015 million ( Pta
261 301 million ).

The list of loans, recipients and project locations is being

sent direct to the Honourable Member and to

Parliament 's Secretariat . It will be seen that a number
of investment projects affect several Autonomous
Communities . It should also be noted that financing for
large-scale investment projects is spread over a number of
years and that the data for 1991, when taken in isolation,
are not necessarily representative .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2948 / 91

by Mr Arturo Escuder Croft ( PPE )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 9 December 1 991 )

( 92 / C 159 / 114 )

Subject : ACP trade statistics

What are the 1990 figures ( weight and value ) for
agricultural imports into each Member State from ACP
countries ?

Answer given by Mr Mac Sharry

on behalf of the Commission

(6 May 1992 )

The Commission is sending directly to the Honourable
Member and to the Secretariat of Parliament the
information requested .

89 / 686 / EEC on the approximation of the laws
of the Member States relating to personal
protective equipment

Council Directive 89 / 689 / EEC (') on the approximation
of the laws of the Member States relating to personal
protective equipment is to enter into force on 1 July 1992 .

Producers of personal protective equipment, who fully
support the aims of the Directive, have pointed out,
however, that this date should be put back . The reason for
this is that many of the CEN standards on which
compliance with the Directive is to be based will not
apparently be established by 1 July 1992 and the Member
States ' 12 independent testing bodies which are
responsible for approving the nearly 4 000 different kinds
of breathing equipment available on the market do not
have the capacity to test all these products before that
date . In the light of this situation, will the Commission
take steps to extend the deadline for the entry into force
of the directive so that it can be properly implemented
both for users and suppliers ?

O OJ No L 399, 30 . 12 . 1989, p. 18 .

Answer given by Mr Bangemann

on behalf of the Commission

( 20 March 1992 )

The Commission is aware of the problem raised by the

Honourable Member concerning the fact that some
standards will not have been established when Directive
89 / 686 / EEC relating to personal protective equipment
( PPE ) enters into force .

The question concerns Article 5 ( 3 ) of the Directive which
specifies that, in the absence of harmonized standards,
PPE can continue to be subject to national arrangements
on a transitional basis until 31 December 1992 . The
Commission is examining the possibility of extending the
transition period beyond 31 December 1992 in the light of
the state of advancement of the development work and
of the adoption by Member States of the administrative
and technical provisions necessary to ensure correct
application of the Directive .

No C 159 / 50 Official Journal of the European Communities 25.6 . 92

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2957 / 91

by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 13 January 1992 )

( 92 / C 159 / 116 )

Subject : Effective operation of the Patras regional
hospital

The intensive care unit of the Patras regional hospital is

under threat of closure . The reason for this is that the
contracts of eight of its nurses have expired and the
Minister for Health has refused to renew them despite
proposals from the Board of Directors of the hospital at
Rion, the Scientific Committee and the workers '
representative body . Will the Commission intervene
through the relevant Community programme to avert a
situation which jeopardizes this hospital ?

Answer given by Mr Millan
on behalf of the Commission

( 27 March 1992 )

The question raised by the Honourable Member is a
matter for the Greek authorities . The Commission does
not therefore intend to intervene through a specific
Community programme .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2960 / 91

by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 13 January 1992 )

( 92 / C 159 / 117 )

Subject : Protection of the habitat of the loggerhead

turtle, caretta caretta, on Zakynthos

The Zakynthos environmental movement claims that
there are plans by the local cleansing department to dump
all refuse on the island of Zakynthos in the vicinity of the
holiday resort, at Kalamaki where the loggerhead turtle
lays its eggs . Does the Commission intend to prevent
further destruction of the environment of this Ionian
island and, in particular, the disappearance of the
loggerhead turtle ?

Answer given by Mr Ripa di Meana

on behalf of the Commission

( 13 April 1992 )

The loggerhead turtle ( Caretta caretta ) is listed as a
priority species in Annex I to the Directive on the
conservation of natural habitats and wild fauna and flora .

In consequence, Member States on whose territory the
species is found will be obliged to take appropriate
measures to protect both the turtle and their habitat .

At present, however, the Commission has no legal means
of intervention because the Directive has not yet been
adopted .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 3014 / 91

by Mr Henry McCubbin ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 13 January 1992 )

( 92 / C 159 / 118 )

Subject : Cost of restructuring the fishing fleet of the

former territories of the GDR

Further to the Commission Decision 91 / 540 / EEC (') of

14 October 1991 amending Decision 88 / 139 / EEC ( J ) on
the multiannual guidance programme for the fishing fleet
( 1987 to 1991 ) forwarded by the Federal Republic of
Germany pursuant to Regulation ( EEC ) No 4028 / 86 ( 3 ),
what will be the actual or estimated cost of the financial
contribution by the Community for this restructuring ?

o OJ No L 294, 25 . 10 . 1991, p . 49 .
( 2 ) OJ No L 67, 12 . 3 . 1988, p . 14 .
O OJ No L 376, 31.12 . 1986, p . 7 .

Answer given by Mr Marin
on behalf of the Commission

( 18 February 1992 )

Commission Decision 91 / 549 / EEC of 14 October 1991
integrated the fishing fleet of the former German
Democratic Republic into the Multiannual Guidance
Programme of Germany for the period of 1987 — 1991 .
This Multiannual Guidance Programme for Germany
was adopted in Commission Decision 88 / 139 / EEC of 12

March 1988 .

25 . 6 . 92 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 159 / 51

The main aim of the Multiannual Guidance Programme
for a unified Germany as regards the fleet of the former
German Democratic Republic is to reduce capacity
through permanent withdrawal of vessels .

Within the framework of Commission Decision of 10
December 1991 fixing the maximum amount of eligible
expenditure by Member States in respect of measures to
adjust capacity in the fisheries sector, the amount of
Community reimbursement for Germany of ECU 25,32
million includes around ECU 21,5 million for the fishing
fleet of the former German Democratic Republic .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 3016 / 91

by Mr Gordan Adam ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 13 January 1992 )

( 92 / C 159 / 119 )

Subject : Use of square mesh panels

With reference to the recent Council decision to allow the
use of 90 mm square mesh panels in the cod-end of

100 mm diamond nets :

1 . What evidence does the Commission have regarding

the comparative effect of these 100 / 100 and 100 / 90
nets in relation to the proportion of discards in the
catch ?

2 . Does the Commission have any evidence to support

the claim that square mesh panels in the cod-end at

10 mm less than the diamond mesh should be made
compulsory in all nets ?

Answer given by Mr Marin
on behalf of the Commission

( 10 March 1992 )

1 . It is at present the view of the Commission that the
selectivity of 100 / 100 gear is probably similar to that of

100 / 90 gear and hence that approximately the same
quantities of discards can be expected from either gear . It
is possible that 100 / 90 gear may be slightly more selective
but this position is difficult to support on the basis of
current scientific evidence .

2 . The Commission 's view at present is that scientific
evidence on the selective characteristics of gears
incorporating square mesh panels needs to be the subject
of further and more rigorous research before decision can
be made on whether incorporation of square mesh panels
should or should not be made compulsory .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 3028 / 91

by Mr John Cushnahan ( PPE )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 13 January 1992 )

( 92 / C 159 / 120 )

Subject : Colouring agents in food

Can the Commission give an assurance that its
forthcoming proposals concerning the use of colouring
agents in food will take account of the possible effects of
such additives on the health of children ?

Answer given by Mr Bangemann

on behalf of the Commission

(6 March 1992 )

The Commission has taken into account potential health
effects of colouring matters used in foodstuffs intended
for consumption by children .

The Commission has adopted a proposal for a Council

Directive concerning the use of colours ig food (') and
forwarded it to Council and European Parliament for
adoption under the Article 100A, of the Treaty .

The proposal foresees that colours should not be used in
food for babies and young children .

All colours mentioned in the proposal were evaluated by
the Scientific Committee for Food over the past years .
These evaluations take into account the eventual effects

on adults as well as on children . The Commission 's
proposal takes duly into account the opinion expressed by
the Scientific Committee for Food in order to fulfil the
requirements of Article 100A paragraph 3 (' high level of
protection ') not only for food intended for adults but also
for children .

o COM(91 ) 444 final .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 3029 / 91

by Mr John Cushnahan ( PPE )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 13 January 1992 )

( 92 / C 159 / 121 )

Subject : Regional planning — participation of voluntary

community groups

Would the Commission agree that voluntary community
groups, working at regional and local levels, should be
given an involvement in the preparation of plans and
proposals for Community Structural Fund assistance in
the future ?

No C 159 / 52 Official Journal of the European Communities 25 . 6 . 92

Answer given by Mr Christophersen

on behalf of the Commission

( 21 February 1992 )

As part of its reflection on the future of the structural
policies after 1993, the Commission is studying the
opportunities for strengthening and improving one of the
main principles of the operation of the Funds, i.e.
partnership .

Strengthened by all the suggestions sent by those working
on local development in the regions and areas concerned,
the Commission will strive to increase their involvement
in the implementation of the measures part-financed by
the Community after 1993 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 3042 / 91

by Mr Hugh McMahon ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 13 January 1992 )

( 92 / C 159 / 122 )

Subject : Reform of the Structural Funds

Can the Commission indicate what action they will take
with regard to the Coopers, Lybrand & Deloitte report on
the administration of the European Social Fund,
Objectives 3 and 4 areas, in the UK ? What preliminary
comments does the Commission have to make on the
results of this study ?

Answer given by Mr Christophersen

on behalf of the Commission

(6 March 1992 )

The Coopers, Lybrand & Deloitte report, as well as the
other reports evaluating the Objective 3 and 4
Community support frameworks, have been passed to the
various monitoring committees concerned . These are
working documents for the monitoring committees to use

in their internal discussions on the implementation of
part-financed schemes and, where appropriate, in
deciding to make changes to schemes . The Commission is
now waiting for the committees to give their opinions on
the problems raised in each of these reports .

The Commission for its part considers itself in no way
bound by the conclusions of such report and clearly stated
as much in its transmission notes to the committees . The
Commission will be giving its views on the result of all
these reports in a summarizing document which it will
send to Parliament as soon as it is ready .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 3044 / 91

by Mr Bryan Cassidy ( ED )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 13 January 1992 )

( 92 / C 159 / 123 )

Subject : Stagiaire programme — participation by national

civil servants

Will the Commission provide, for the years 1989 and

1990, a list of civil servants from Member States who have
taken part in the Commission 's stagiaire programme ?

Answer given by Mr Delors
on behalf of the Commission

( 11 March 1992 )

In 1989 and 1990, 40 young British civil servants seconded
by the Management and Personnel Office in London for a
period of five months took part in a special training
programme at the Commission .

At the request of a number of Member States, the
Commission also organized one-week fact-finding visits
during the reference period ; 824 German, 158 British, 153
Dutch, 88 French and 40 Spanish civil servants took part .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 3046 / 91

by Mr Thomas Megahy ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 13 January 1992 )

( 92 / C 159 / 124 )

Subject : Transport of waste intended for reclamation

Fears have been expressed by interested and expert parties
that the uniform document procedure is inadequate to
regulate the transfrontier movement of waste intended for
reclamation : that it supplies the competent authorities
with insufficient information as regards the producer of
the waste, the intended reclaimer, the intended rate or
storage in transit, the transporters, or the nature and
composition of the waste ;

that is does not require the prenotification of the
competent authorities ; and that it does not guarantee that
waste intended for reclamation will actually be reclaimed .

Does the Commission have any plans to address these
fears by establishing a much more stringent system of
control ?

25 . 6 . 92 Official Journal of the European Communities NoC 159 / 53

Answer given by Mr Ripa di Meana

on behalf of the Commission

( 12 March 1992 )

In October 1990, the Commission proposed a Regulation
on the supervision and control of shipments of waste
within, into and out of European Community which will
replace the actual Community 's law on shipment of
waste ( x ). Article 7 of the proposal foresees a special
procedure for shipments of all hazardous waste destined
for recovery .

This procedure seeks to ensure an efficient control of
such shipments . The notifier has to provide the competent
authority of destination with all necessary data such as the
origin and composition of the waste including the identity
of the producer, and, in the case of waste from various
sources, a detailed inventory of the waste and, if
unknown, the identity of the original producers, the
identity of the consignee, who must possess an
appropriate authorized centre, and the existence of a
contractual agreement with the final consignee .

Furthermore the consignee has to declare on the same
document that the recovery operations have actually been
carried out .

o COM(9Q ) 415 final .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 3054 / 91

by Mr Panayotis Roumeliotis ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

. ( 13 January 1992 )

( 92 / C 159 / 125 )

Subject : Economic policy in Greece

In 1991, the Greek public sector borrowing requirement
will remain high or even increase from its 1990 level ( to
21 % from about 16,6 %, where it should have been kept in
accordance with the agreement reached last December on
the granting of a Community-backed loan of ECU 2,2
billion ). This failure, caused by the inability of the Greek
Government to stamp out tax evasion ( according to
international bodies, the unofficial ' black ' economy now
accounts for 40 % of GNP ) is forcing the Government to
increase income tax on wages and salary earners and
pensioners to intolerable levels . This has been
accompanied by a recent 30 % increase in the price of basic
commodities while inflation has remained high ( over

18% ). Industrial output is dropping dangerously
( — 6,8 % ) while unemployment is on the rise . These trends
have been confirmed by experts working for the
authoritative British organization forecasting unit
' Oxford Analytica '. At the same time the government is
continuing to make political appointments in the public

sector . ( 15 000 — 20 000 new appointments having
recently been announced ).

What additional measures will the Commission propose
to the Council within the framework of multilateral

supervision, to ensure that the second loan instalment is
accompanied by measures to protect wage and salary
earners and pensioners from the Government 's unfair
taxation policy and to ensure that Greece is able to
participate in Economic and Monetary Union ?

Answer given by Mr Christophersen

on behalf of the Commission

( 12 March 1992 )

In the framework of the multilateral surveillance
procedures established under Stage I of EMU, national
economic policies are regularly reviewed and discussed in
the relevant Community fora ( Monetary Committee,
Ecofin-Council ). In this context, it has been agreed that
the Member States will present to the Community
convergence plans, which will form the basis for a
systematic assessement of current trends and of the
appropriate policies to allow the Community to achieve
the degree of convergence in economic performance
necessary for transmition to the final stage of EMU .
Where measures of adjustment are necessary, as is the
case with Greece, the specifics of policy adjustment,
including the level of taxation for employees and
pensioners, are matters for the Member State .

Greece being the most divergent economy in the
Community, its economic policy and economic
performance are the subject of particular attention .
Moreover, under the provisions of the Council Decision
of 4 March 1991 granting a Community loan to support
the balance of payments of Greece, the Commission
undertakes regular reviews of economic developments in
Greece and report to the relevant Community bodies . The
loan decision provides for the disbursement of the second
tranche not earlier than the 1 February 1992 . As at
present, the procedures for the disbursal of the second
tranche have not been instigated .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 3055 / 91

by Mr Jens-Peter Bonde ( ARC )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 13 January 1992 )

( 92 / C 159 / 126 )

Subject : Compliance with the Eighth VAT Directive

What steps will the Commission take to ensure that the

Italian authorities comply with the Eighth VAT Directive

No C 159 / 54 Official Journal of the European Communities 25 . 6 . 92

on VAT repayments, in view of the inquiry made by the
Opstrup and Skovgaard firm of lawyers in Arhus on
behalf of the P.C. Holm Pedersen undertaking,
Hvalpsund A / S, Tingvej 33, Hvalpsund, 9640 Farso,
which has over Dkr 2 million owing to it in Italy ? The

Italian Ministry of Finance frequently take over three
years to deal with such matters .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 3087 / 91

by Mrs Marie Jepsen ( ED )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 13 January 1992 )

( 92 / C 159 / 127 )

Subject : Failure by the Italian authorities to implement

fully the Eighth VAT Directive ( VAT
repayment )

The Commission has informed Danish forwarding agents

that it intends to institute proceedings against Italy
pursuant to Article 169 of the EEC Treaty for failure to
comply with the Eighth VAT Directive ( VAT repayment ).
In common with forwarding agents from other EC
Member States, Danish haulage contractors to whom the
Italian authorities owe large amounts of money by way of
VAT repayment, together with interest on late VAT
repayment, are obviously anxious to know when they can
expect to receive settlement .

In view of this, can the Commission say whether it has
already instituted proceedings on this matter under
Article 169 of the EEC Treaty and if so when ? When does
the Commission expect to be informed of the decision by
the Court of Justice on this matter ?

According to the Commission, the Italian Government

has agreed to increase the staff dealing with repayment
applications and to refer the matter to the Italian Minister
of Finance .

1 . Can the Commission confirm that the number of staff
employed by the Italian taxation authorities for this
purpose has in fact been increased ?

2 . If so can the Commission explain why applications
relating to 1988 had still not been considered in
November 1991 and the repayment periods have not
been reduced ?

3 . What further steps will the Commission take to

remedy this situation without delay ?

WRITTEN QUESTION No 3269 / 91

by Mr Niels Kofoed ( LDR )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 29 January 1992 )

( 92 / C 159 / 129 )

Subject : Failure by Italy to comply with the Council

Directive on the refund of value added tax

The Eighth Council Directive No 79 / 1072 / EEC (') on
the refund of value added tax to taxable persons not
established in the territory of the country is not being
properly implemented by the Italian authorities, which
has resulted in Danish haulage contractors losing
substantial amounts of interest .

The Italian authorities take over three years to refund
VAT, despite the fact that the Directive sets the deadline
at six months .

What steps will the Commission take to prevent the

Italian authorities from circumventing the Directive and
what will it do to ensure that the firms affected are
compensated for loss of interest ?

WRITTEN QUESTION No 3195 / 91

by Mr Leen van der Waal ( NI ) o OJ No L 331, 27 . 12 . 1979, p. 11 .

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 24 January 1992 )

( 92 / C 159 / 128 )

Joint answer to Written Questions Nos 3055 / 91, 3087 / 91,

Subject : Request for VAT repayment by Italy to
taxpayers situated outside the country under the
Eighth VAT Directive

A number of oral and written questions have been

concerned with the delay by Italy in refunding VAT to
road hauliers .

3195 / 91 and 3269 / 91

given by Mrs Scrivener
on behalf of the Commission

( 16 March 1992 )

The Commission is already aware of the problems
concerning VAT refunds in Italy to companies established
in other Member States .

25 . 6 . 92 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 159 / 55

The 8th VAT Directive has now been duly implemented
into Italian law . Nevertheless there remain problems due
to its slow application by the Italian administration . The
Commission has therefore several times called on the
Italian authorities to organize their administration in such
a way that the six month time limit can be respected . The
Commission has been informed that the Italian fiscal
administration is presently undergoing a major
restructuring, and the Commission expects that the
treatment of applications for VAT refunds from taxable
persons established in other Member States will be
accelerated, so that the six month time limit will be
respected in the future . Moreover, the Commission has
put the question in general before the heads of the
national tax administration who decided in their meeting
in October 1991 that a group of experts under the
umbrella of the VAT Committee should examine
problems in implementing the 8th Directive and report
back on possible solutions to these problems .

In addition to pursuing the matter on a political level, the
Commission has instituted legal proceeding under the
procedure laid down in Article 169 of the Treaty, as the
Italian authorities do not pay interest on VAT amounts
refunded after the expiration of the six month time limit .
The case has on 15 November 1991 been registered at the

Court of Justice as Case No C-91 / 287 . As the non-respect
of the six month time limit is also a violation of the Italian
national legislation, the Commission can only advise
companies to seek damages before national courts .

Finally, it is not possible for the Commission to estimate
when the Court will be able to pronounce a judgement, as
this depends entirely upon the timetable according to
which the Court organizes its work .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 321 1 / 91

by Mr Jean-Pierre Raffarin ( LDR )
to the Council of the European Communities

( 18 January 1992 )

( 92 / C 159 / 130 )

Subject : Reform of the CAP and the Uruguay Round

As talks on reform of the common agricultural policy and
the Uruguay Round appear to be entering a crucial stage,
French farmers are expressing their profound misgivings .

Dedicated as they are to safeguarding their professional
position as producers and the viability of their farms, they
fear that the proposed reforms will turn the farmer into a
collector of dubious income support payments and spell
the beginning of the end for farming and rural society .

Does the Council consider that current Community
procedures are good enough to allow it to determine the
future of thousands of farming families and country
dwellers, without any Parliamentary debate or vote and
without the agreement of the people concerned ?

Answer

( 18 May 1992 )

The Council considers that the interest groups concerned

have been given every opportunity to state their views on
the proposed common agricultural policy reforms and the
agricultural aspects of the Uruguay Round negotiations .

With its discussion paper on the development and future
of the common agricultural policy, which is submitted on

1 February 1991, the Commission initiated a broad debate
with the Community authorities and with rural and
agricultural circles on the reforms to be envisaged . All the
interest groups concerned had a chance to put forward
their positions and the Commission was able to take them
into consideration before submitting, on 12 July 1991, its
second amendment on which, at Community level, the
professional organizations, the Council and the European
Parliament once again stated their views ( the Parliament
in December 1991 ).

In October and November 1991 the Commission
forwarded its formal proposals for reform of the common
agricultural policy . The professional interest groups at
European level commented on these proposals and
recently put their views to the Council, on 27 January

1992 .

The Council, the European Parliament and the Economic

and Social Committee have begun examining these formal
proposals .

As regards the Uruguay Round negotiations, and in
particular the agricultural aspects, the procedures laid
down by the Treaty have been scrupulously observed . The
European Parliament has been kept informed of the
progress of these negotiations and has been able to
discuss them on various occasions . The professional
agricultural interest groups at European level have also
been following the development of these negotiations and
have given the Council their latest assessment of their
progress, likewise on 27 January 1992 .

Given the extent to which all the bodies and interest
groups concerned have been informed regarding both the
reform of the common agricultural policy and the
Uruguay Round negotiations and given the discussions
which have taken place on the matter, it can be claimed
with justification that at Community level the maximum
has been done to obtain all the relevant views prior to the
final decisions which the Council has to take on these
matters, which will determine the future of European
agriculture .

NoC 159 / 56 Official Journal of the European Communities 25 . 6 . 92

WRITTEN QUESTION No 3254 / 91

by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos ( S )
to the Council of the European Communities

( 29 January 1992 )

WRITTEN QUESTION No 3271 / 91
by Mr Jaak Vandemeulebroucke ( ARC )
to the Council of the European Communities

( 29 January 1992 )

( 92 / C 159 / 131 ) ( 92 / C 159 / 132 )

Subject : Support for family farm holdings

The European Community seems to be facing serious

social problems in agriculture, given that 50% of family
holdings have no one to take them over and 55% of the
agricultural workforce are over 55 years of age . In view of
the situation, will the Council focus on the need to
support family-type holdings which dominate the Greek
agricultural scene as part of the reformed CAP and what
means does it intend to use to achieve this end ?

Answer

( 18 May 1992 )

1 . The Council has always recognized the essential role
played by family farms in Community agriculture and the
desirability of supporting their activities by endeavouring
to find the most appropriate solutions to the problems
encountered by those farms . The Community 's political
structure has therefore focused aid on farms whose
earned income is lower than comparable incomes and has
adopted many specific measures to encourage investments
within limits corresponding to those which are desirable
in family-type farms . Measures moreover exist to
facilitate the setting-up of young farmers . The Council
has strengthened that approach since its decisions on
reforming the Structural Funds .

2 . The Council currently engaged in discussions on
reforming the common agricultural policy which aims

inter alia at taking the problem of small family farms '
incomes into account more effectively and systematically,
in particular by adjusting the measures concerning market
support mechanisms .

The Council has also received proposals concerning

supporting measures ; one of those measures aims at
rendering more attractive Community legislation
encouraging the cessation of farming in order in
particular to alleviate the social problems to which the
Honourable Member refers .

Subject : EAGGF Guidance Section

Council Regulation ( EEC ) No 866 / 90 (*) lays down
provisions on the fund 's contribution to measures to
improve the conditions under which agricultural products
are processed and marketed, in implementation of
Council Regulations ( EEC ) Nos 2052 / 88 ( 2 ), 4253 / 88 ( 3 )
and 4256 / 88 ( 4 ).

What was the Council 's objective in drawing up
Regulation 866 / 90, in particular the second paragraph of
Article 20 and Article 22 thereof .

What are the respective powers of the Member States and

Commission for the selection of projects eligible for
submission on the basis of this Regulation ? Do specific
criteria exist for this purpose and, if so, what are they ?

Do the Member States have discretionary powers ? Are
Member States required to take account of the sectoral
plans to be drawn up in the future on the basis of Council
Regulation ( EEC ) No 866 / 90 ( with a compulsory link
between the projects adopted and the future sectoral
plans )?

Why are projects being extended until 31 December 1991,

since it has already been established that the ' transitional
operational programmes ' in which these projects could be
included must have been submitted by 31 December 1990 ?
Or do other possibilities exist ?

O OJ No L 91, 6 . 4 . 1990, p . 1 .
O OJ No L 185, 15 . 7 . 1988, p . 9 .
( 3 ) OJ No L 374, 31 . 12 . 1988, p . 1 .
O OJ No L 374, 31 . 12 . 1988, p . 25 .

Answer

( 14 May 1992 )

1 . The common measures introduced established by
Council Regulation ( EEC ) No 866 / 90 is aimed at
facilitating the improvement and rationalization of the
treatment, processing and marketing of agricultural
products in the Community ; this measure, which replaces
the earlier Regulation No 355 / 77, is part of the set of
measures to adjust the agricultural structures policy
decided on by the Council in 1989 and 1990 in
implementation of the reform of the Structural Funds .

25.6 . 92 Official Journal of the European Communities NoC 159 / 57

The Council Regulation sets out the kind of investment
covered by Community financial assistance . In particular,
it lays down that financing of these investments should be
provided in the framework of sectoral plans to be
introduced by the Member States, the aim being the
structural improvement of the sectors of the various
products concerned .

The Council Regulation also makes provision for the

adoption by the Commission of Community support
frameworks relating to the sectoral plans ; these
Community support frameworks, drawn up in agreement
with the competent authorities of the Member States
concerned in the framework of the partnership, set out
the priority areas selected for Community assistance, the
total amount of the financial assistance which may be
provided by the Fund and, on an indicative basis, the aid
rates contemplated for contributions from the Fund .

The Commission also decides whether to grant aid from
the Fund in accordance with the procedure of the
Committee on Agricultural Structures and Rural
Development ; this Committee is made up of
representatives from the Member States and it is chaired
by the Commission representative .

2 . The Council Regulation contains transitional rules
to ensure the harmonious transition from the financing
arrangements under Regulation ( EEC ) No 355 / 77 to the
new provisions ; these provisions are intended, on the one
hand, to take into account the projects submitted under
Regulation ( EEC ) No 355 / 77 and, on the other hand, to
extend the specific programmes approved by the
Commission under that same Regulation ; thus the
Regulation provides in particular :

— in the second paragraph of Article 20, that the projects

submitted as of 1 May 1988 in accordance with
Regulation ( EEC ) No 355 / 77 which are not accepted
for assistance may be included in operational
programmes to be financed under 1990 and 1991 as
long as they fulfil the criteria and conditions of the
new Regulation ;

— in Article 22, that the specific programmes approved

by the Commission in accordance with Regulation
( EEC ) No 355 / 77 shall, as a general rule, be extended
until 31 December 1990 ; exceptionally, these
programmes may be extended until 31 December 1991
in order to make financing for the projects referred to
in the second paragraph of Article 20 possible .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 86 / 92

by Mr Herman Verbeek ( V )
to the Council of the European Communities

(6 February 1992 )

( 92 / C 159 / 133 )

Subject : Europol

The European Council gave its approval in Maastricht to
the creation of a European Police Office ( Europol ), the

function of which would, in an initial phase, be to
organize exchanges of information on narcotic drugs
between the twelve Member States of the Community .
This decision was to be implemented at an early date
under the Trevi arrangements in collaboration with the
Commission .

1 . Was there any discussion during the European
Council meeting about the duration of this ' initial
phase ' and about extending Europol 's function in a
possible second phase ?

2 . Bearing the answer to Question 1 in mind, how should

one interpret the statement by the President-in-Office
of the Council, Mr Lubbers, who, during the debate
on the Maastricht summit in the European Parliament
on 12 December, said he saw it as an challenge ' to
introduce a European approach in these fields as well '
( justice and home affairs )? Does this mean
abandoning the intergovernmental path in the long
term ? If so, is there agreement on this amongst the
Member States ?

3 . In what way will the protection of personal data be
safeguarded within the Europol framework ?

4 . What effect will the common policy on drugs have on

policy in the Netherlands which, unlike that in the
other Member States, does not insist that the use of
soft drugs is a crime ?

Answer

( 18 May 1992 )

1 . The Intergovernmental Conference meeting in
Maastricht at the level of Heads of State and of
Government reached agreement on the Treaty on
European Union which contains provisions on
cooperation at Community level in the fields of justice
and home affairs .

2 . Under Article K. 1, the entry into force of the Treaty
will provide the basis for police cooperation for the
purposes of preventing and combating terrorism,
unlawful drug trafficking and other serious forms of
international crime, in connection with the organization
of a Union-wide system for exchanging information
within a European Police Office ( Europol ).

In a declaration included in the Final Act of the
Intergovernmental Conference on Political Union, the
Member States agreed to examine in 1994 at the latest
whether the scope of the initial cooperation should be
widened .

3 . The report from the Trevi Ministers to the
European Council envisages the adoption of provisions
on the protection of personal data .

4 . Europol 's task in the initial phase is to organize
exchanges of information on narcotic drugs between the

12 Community Member States .

No C 159 / 58 Official Journal of the European Communities 25.6 . 92

WRITTEN QUESTION No 203 / 92

WRITTEN QUESTION No 112 / 92 WRITTEN QUESTION No

by Mr Herman Verbeek ( V ) by Mr Luigi Vertemati ( S )

by Mr Herman Verbeek ( V )
to the Council of the European Communities

to the Council of the European Communities

( 13 February 1992 )

(7 February 1992 )

( 92 / C 159 / 134 ) ( 92 / C 159 / 135 )

Subject : The condition of groundwater in the EEC

1 . What were the conclusions of the Ministerial
Conference on groundwater held in The Hague on 26 and
27 November 1991 ?

2 . Does the Council share these conclusions and will it
act upon the recommendations made in the report entitled
' Sustainable use of groundwater ' drawn up by the RIZA
( Netherlands National Institute for Purification of Waste
Water ) and the RIVM ( Netherlands National Institute of
Public Health and Environmental Protection ) for this
conference ?

3 . Does the Council see the alarming results of the
above study, according to which the groundwater in large
areas of the EC is seriously threatened or in bad
condition, as a reason to revise the plans for reforming the
EC 's agricultural policy ; if so, how and if not, why not ?

Answer

( 18 May 1992 )

1 . The Honourable Member is advised to apply to the
organizers of the ministerial seminar in The Hague on
groundwater ( 26 and 27 November 1991 ), i.e. the
Commission and the Netherlands Ministry of the
Environment, if he wishes to obtain the final declaration .

2 . With reference to points 2 and 3 of the question, on
25 February 1992 the Council adopted a resolution on the
future Community groundwater policy in which it took
note of the above declaration and then set out its position
on the state of groundwater and the policy to be followed
in this area .

In the resolution, the Council stated its concern about the
lowering of groundwater levels and / or the pollution of
certain aquifers, and called upon the Commission to
submit a detailed action programme, if possible by the
middle of 1993, and to draft a proposal for revising the
Directive on groundwater by incorporating it into a
general freshwater management policy .

The Council went on to stress in the resolution the
importance of strict observance of the principle of lasting
development and observed that freshwater management
policy could be conducted only through coordinated
action by all agents in the public and private sectors,
taking due account of the principle of subsidiarity .

Subject : European Environment Agency

In view of the various requests by Parliament and
individual Members of Parliament and the most recent
positions adopted by the European Parliament and the
Commission on amendments to the regulation
establishing the European Environment Agency with a
view to moving it from one Member-State capital to
another every six months, and since this proposal
constitutes sheer provocation in that it responds neither to
the Community 's requirements nor to the need to solve
environmental problems, will the Council take a decision
on this matter without delay in order to avoid prolonging
this ludicrous situation in which the activities of the
Agency are being hampered as a result of petty and

incomprehensible rivalry over the seat of Parliament ?

Will the Council show a minimum of consistency with the
decisions taken at the last Summit, strengthening the
Community 's environmental powers and giving priority
to creating the necessary environmental policy
instruments, of which the main one should be the
European Environment Agency ?

Answer

( 18 May 1992 )

The Council shares the Honourable Member 's view that

the European Environment Agency constitutes an
instrument which should be given priority for
implementation of Community policy on the
environment . It is well aware of the urgent need to
establish the seat of the European Environment Agency .
The Presidency will spare no effort to bring about the

necessary conditions for rapid agreement on the seat of
this new decentralized Community public-law body . It is
for the Governments of the Member States, by common
accord, to resolve this question which, as the Honourable
Member will be aware, has been linked to the whole issue
of the seats of the institutions .

Moreover, there is no proposal before the Council for an
amendment to the Regulation establishing the European
Environment Agency .

25 . 6 . 92 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 159 / 59

WRITTEN QUESTION No 218 / 92

by Mr José Valverde Lôpez ( PPE )
to the Council of the European Communities

( 13 February 1992 )

( 92 / C 159 / 136 )

Subject : Programme of action on nutrition and health

The resolution of 3 December 1990 of the Council and of
the representatives of the Governments of the Member
States meeting within the Council concerning an action
programme for nutrition and health (') acknowledged
that it is important to organize and promote a programme
of events and activities aimed primarily at increasing
public awareness of the role of a proper diet in
maintaining health . Accordingly it calls on the competent
authorities of the Member States to take appropriate
measures to carry out the programme by means of the
necessary coordination procedures .

One year has now passed . What steps have been taken to
implement the programme and what progress has been
made ?

( l ) OJ No C 329, 31 . 12 . 1990, p. 1 .

Answer

( 18 May 1992 )

The Council has not to date received any proposal from

the Commission in this area . However, the Portuguese
delegation wishes to have a number of Council
conclusions adopted at the Health Council meeting on 15
May 1992 which would reaffirm the importance of the
action considered and would urge the Commission once
again to submit to the Council the proposal for action
referred to in the resolution of the Council and the
representatives of the Governments of the Member States
on nutrition and health to which the Honourable Member
referred and which was adopted on 3 December 1990 .

to comply with general human rights requirements . This
should no longer be tolerated in a state which belongs to
the European Community .

What action does the Council propose to take to put an
end to this unacceptable practice and ensure that Greece 's
rules on military service come into line with those in the
other Member States of the Community ?

Answer

( 18 May 1992 )

The Council is aware of the importance which the

Honourable Member attaches to this issue .

On a general level, the Council has on many occasions
stated its deep commitment to respect for human rights,
both inside and outside the Community . On 5 April 1977
it adopted, in conjunction with the Commission and the
Parliament, a joint declaration stressing ' the prime
importance they attach to the protection of fundamental
rights, as derived in particular from the constitutions of
the Member States and the European Convention for the
Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental
Freedoms ' ( ! ).

This position has been regularly confirmed by the Heads
of State and Government and it also reflected in a passage
in the Treaty on European Union signed in Maastricht on
7 February 1992 ( Article F ( 2 ) of the Common
Provisions ):

' The Union shall respect fundamental rights, as
guaranteed by the European Convention for the
Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental
Freedoms signed in Rome on 4 November 1950 and as
they result from the constitutional traditions common
to the Member States, as general principles of
Community law '

Although the Council is deeply committed to respect for
human rights, it can, however, act only within the limits of
the powers conferred upon it by the Treaties . It is not,
therefore, able to adopt a position on specific cases as
described by the Honourable Member .

o OJ No C 103,27.4 . 1977 .
WRITTEN QUESTION No 269 / 92

by Mr Freddy Blak ( S )
to the Council of the European Communities

( 24 February 1992 )

( 92 / C 159 / 137 ) WRITTEN QUESTION No 305 / 92

Subject : Criminalization of conscientious objectors in

Greece

In Greece, conscientious objectors are persistently treated
like criminals and imprisoned in military gaols for long

terms .

Despite repeated calls by the European Parliament,
among others, the Greek Government continues to refuse

by Mrs Raymonde Dury ( S )
to the Council of the European Communities

( 27 February 1 992 )

( 92 / C 159 / 138 )

Subject : Appointment of regional policy observers

In its opinion on the fourth periodic report on the
economic situation of the regions ('), the Economic and

No C 159 / 60 Official Journal of the European Communities 25 . 6 . 92

Social Committee suggests that the Member States should
appoint regional observers responsible for studying the
application of regional policy measures and for presenting
reports to the Commission and the Member States .

What does the Council think of this suggestion ?

o OJ No C 339, 31 . 12 . 1991, p. 6 .

Answer

( 18 May 1992 )

The suggestion by the Economic and Social Committee to
which the Honourable Member refers is addressed to the

Member States ; it is not for the Council to reply for them .

Furthermore, as the Honourable Member is certainly
aware, the Treaty on European Union signed in
Maastricht on 7 February provides for a Committee of the
Regions, the functions and powers of which have still to
be defined .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 313 / 92

by Mrs Jessica Larive ( LDR )
to the Council of the European Communities

( 27 February 1 992 )

Answer

on behalf of the Commission

( 18 May 1992 )

1 . It is the responsibility of the Commission to draw up
proposals to amend Council Directives . In the case in
point the Council has received no proposals from the
Commission . If the Commission were to exercise its
initiative of submitting a proposal to amend Article 14 of
Directive 79 / 112 / EEC, the Council would of course
examine it with great interest .

2 . The prime objective of Community provisions on
the labelling of foodstuffs is indeed to convey to
consumers clear, precise and easily understandable
information concerning the characteristics of those
foodstuffs .

In the context of the present wording of Article 14 of
Directive 79 / 112 / EEC, it must be stressed that the
requirement that a language be easily understood by the
purchaser is incompatible with a situation where, in a
given region, large sections of the population did not have
access to information on the content of foodstuffs that
they consumed every day . In other words, the situation
described by the Honourable Member should not arise if
Article 14 is correctly applied .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 334 / 92

by Mr Edward Newman ( S )
to the Council of the European Communities

( 92 / C 159 / 139 ) ( 27 February 1 992 )

( 92 / C 159 / 140 )

Subject : Native language to be excluded from labels ?

Is the Council aware that the current wording of
Article 14 of Directive 79 / 1 12 / EEC (') is open to
interpretations that may restrict the use of native
languages on labels etc . ( an example being the recent draft
law in the Netherlands making the use of Dutch
non-compulsory ) ?

Does the Council agree that this can lead, in smaller
language areas than the Netherlands, to the unacceptable
situation whereby large groups of the population who
only speak their mother tongue no longer have access to
information about the content of the foodstuffs they
consume every day ?

Is the Council willing to propose that in Article 14 of
Directive 79 / 112 / EEC the words 'a language easily
understood by the purchaser ' be amended to read ' at
least, the language of the country '?

Subject : Study on Article 8a

At the January 1991 part-session, Mr Wohlfart,
President-in-Office of the Council informed Parliament
that and their meeting on 4 December 1990 the Council at
the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the 1 2 meeting within
the Council decided the time had come to request that
studies, involving the Commission, be carried out in order
to define more clearly the scope of Article 8 a of the EEC
Treaty to make clear whether this Article refers to the free

movement of only Community citizens or of third
country nationals as well .

Mr Wohlfart responded to the question on whether the
Commission would present a proposal on the definition
and scope of Article 8a and he replied that at that stage
this was not planned .

Can the Council give precise details of these studies which
were presumably financed out of the Community budget ?

O OJ No L 33, 8 . 2 . 1979, p. 1 . Is it possible to have a copy of these studies ?

25 . 6 . 92 Official Journal of the European Communities NoC 159 / 61

Answer

( 18 May 1992 )

At the meeting of the Council ( Internal Market ) on 25
February 1992, the Commission representative raised the
subject referred to by the Honourable Member . However,
the Commission has not yet taken any initiative or
forwarded any communication on the matter .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 345 / 92

by Mr Carlos Robles Piquer ( PPE )
to the Council of the European Communities

( 27 February 1 992 )

( 92 / C 159 / 141 )

Subject : Parliament controls on the EIB

The monograph Loans to build the European Community
published by the EIB ( Spanish edition 1990, ES ISBN
92-861-0204-6 ) reminds us that its Governors are
' responsible to their respective Parliaments ' ( p. 7 ), i.e. to
the parliaments of the Member States to which the
ministers who comprise the Board of Governors belong .
The monograph makes no reference whatever as to
whether the Bank or any of the other bodies it mentions

( Board of Directors, Management Committee, Audit
Committee ) is similarly answerable to the European
Parliament . This fact highlights an imbalance, and
negates the statement contained a few lines earlier on the
same page, to the effect that the decision-making process
is not based on political considerations, since all the
bodies in question and their staff are independent in
carrying out their duties and responsible only to the Bank .

Does the Council think that the time has come to rectify
this part of the current democratic deficit by making some
of these bodies legally responsible to the European
Parliament ?

Answer

( 18 May 1992 )

As a financial institution of the European Community,
the fundamental purpose of the European Investment
Bank is, by granting loans and giving guarantees, to
facilitate types of investment which help to achieve the
objectives of Community policies . This task is defined in
Article 130 of the Treaty of Rome and has been
confirmed and enlarged on by the Single Act and the texts
concerning European Union . For example, one of the first
criteria of eligibility for an EIB loan is that the investment
should make a practical contribution to such objectives .
This is an necessary condition, but is not in itself
sufficient . To ensure effective allocation of its resources,
which it borrows on the capital markets, the EIB must also

ensure that the investments which it finances are
economically justified, technically viable, compatible with
environmental protection requirements and — in the case
of investments in the production sector — financially
profitable .

These are the aspects relating to the intrinsic quality of

investment projects which the EIB assesses using its
professional judgment . Its Statute, which is an integral
part of the Treaty of Rome, lays down in Article 11 ( 2 )
and Article 13 ( 8 ) that the Board of Directors, the
Management Committee and the staff of the EIB shall be
responsible only to the Bank .

The question of relations between the European
Parliament and the European Investment Bank was the
subject of a European Parliament resolution adopted in
April 1983 ('), which confirms recognition of the
autonomous status of the EIB within the Community
structure and expresses a wish for regular meetings
between the Bank and the relevant European Parliament
Committees, a wish with which the EIB has been and
remains very happy to comply .

(') OJ No C 128, 16 . 5 . 1983, p. 99 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 376 / 91

by Mr François Guillaume ( RDE )

to the Council of the European Communities

( 27 February 1992 )

( 92 / C 159 / 142 )

Subject : Implications of unilateral action by the USA

against Community agri-foodstuffs

In 1987 the USA unilaterally decided to raise duties on
certain products, up to 100%, by way of retaliation
against the Community directive prohibiting the import af
hormone-treated veal .

Peeled tomatoes are among the products hardest hit by
this action and the net loss to the Community has been
estimated at US $ 322,560 000 and the equivalent of 9 000
full-time jobs .

What does the Council intend to do to ensure that normal
trade in these products between the Community and the
US in restored ?

Answer

( 18 May 1992 )

The Council has, on numerous occasions, condemned the
unilateral GATi - illegal measures taken by the US in

No C 159 / 62 Official Journal of the European Communities 25 . 6 . 92

January 1989 against Community exports of a number of

products, including canned tomatoes, in retaliation
against the Community 's ' Hormones ' Directive .

It asked the Commission to make every effort, both
bilaterally and in the multilateral context, to seek a
satisfactory solution . In this context, the Commission has
seized every opportunity to point out to the US the illegal
and unjustified nature of these measures and to call for
their withdrawal . Despite some reduction in the level of
US retaliation as a result of the efforts of the task force
established jointly by the US and the Community to seek
ways of encouraging US exports of hormone-free meat,
the bulk of the US measures remain in force . The Council
therefore called upon the Commission to redouble its
efforts to seek the total withdrawal of the US measures .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 384 / 92

by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos ( S )
to the Council of the European Communities

( 27 February 1992 )

( 92 / C 159 / 143 )

Subject : The campaign against tuberculosis in Europe

Several European countries have a high incidence of
tuberculosis . The most significant example is Greece
where, on the eve of the 21st century, there are between

5 000 and 10 000 new cases and 250 deaths each year .
Nevertheless, the Greek medical world points out that in
recent years the campaign against TB has slackened off or
even been completely abandoned . Many TB sufferers are
not treated in hospitals, and scientists therefore believe
that the official number of cases is probably inaccurate .
The number of new cases, which may be four times higher
than the figure quoted, is due to the fact that, because of
technical problems, only 50% — or even less — of
children are vaccinated . According to World Health
Organization standards, this figure should be at least
85 % . It is therefore absolutely vital that we know how the
Council proposes to deal with this problem and, in
particular, how the governments of the Member States
plan to reorganize their systems of prevention in order to
protect children, and indeed the entire population of the
EEC, against this disease .

Answer

( 14 May 1992 )

1 . The Council has not received any proposals for
measures concerning cooperation in connection with the
campaign against tuberculosis .

2 . As for the organization of systems to prevent
tuberculosis, and health systems in general, responsibility
lies with the Member States .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 392 / 92

by Mr Georgios Romeos ( S )
to the Council of the European Communities

( 27 February 1 992 )

( 91 / C 159 / 144 )

Subject : Ban on the export of instruments of torture

According to recent reports by ' Amnesty International ',
British firms are exporting instruments used for torture to
the Third World .

Does the Council intend to demand explanations from the
British authorities and, since this activity constitutes a
blatant attack on human rights, both in the Community
and in the rest of the world, does it intend to demand a
ban on the production and export of instruments of
violence ?

Answer

( 18 May 1992 )

The Council has no knowledge of the allegations
contained in the Honourable Member 's question . Such
facts, even if proven, would certainly not come within the
Council 's remit .

However that may be, the Council is convinced that the
Community Member States are contributing all over the
world to the safeguarding of human rights and doing

their utmost to ensure that practices as odious and
degrading as torture cease for all time .

In this regard the Council would remind the Honourable
Member that the preamble to the Treaty on European
Union confirms the Community 's commitment to the rule
of law and the principles of liberty, democracy and respect
for fundamental rights and freedoms . Lastly, all the
Member States without exception have signed and ratified
the European Convention of the Council of Europe
against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and
Degrading Treatment or Punishment .

25.6.92 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 159 / 63

WRITTEN QUESTION No 458 / 92

by Mr Luigi Vertemati ( S )

by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos ( S )
to the Council of the European Communities

WRITTEN QUESTION No 483 / 92

to the Council of the European Communities to the Council of the European

(9 March 1992 ) (9 March 1992 )

(9 March 1992 )

( 92 / C 159 / 145 ) ( 92 / C 159 / 146 )

Subject : Emigration from the countries of Central and

Eastern Europe to the EEC — proposal made by
the Argentinian Government

The situation in the countries of Central and Eastern

Europe will remain critical for some time to come because
of the food shortages . The employment situation in those
countries is bound to increase the numbers of
unemployed, one of the reasons being the partial
demobilization of the armed forces . It is therefore
probable that the end of dictatorship and the painful and
contradictory process of democratization will make
millions of people free to emigrate from those countries .

1 . Does the Council not consider that :

( a ) a joint policy should be drawn up as soon as
possible by the 12 Member States of the
Community to tackle in a unified manner the
problems which will arise ?

( b ) measures should be agreed with the governments

of the individual countries concerned to prevent
mass emigration on a scale impossible ta cope
with ?

2 . What does the Council think of the Argentinian

Government 's declared willingness to accept a
substantial quota of immigrants from Eastern Europe
if the EEC and the governments concerned draw up,
together with Argentina, a plan and assistance
measures to be jointly administered for a period of
five years ?

Answer

( 18 May 1992 )

1 . At its meeting in Maastricht the European Council
had before it a report on immigration and asylum which
stated that ' over recent years Member States have
increasingly felt the need to harmonize their migration
and asylum policies with regard to third-country
nationals '.

This report is accompanied by a work programme and
timetables . The European Council gave its agreement to
them and instructed the Ministers concerned with
Immigration to put them into effect .

2 . The report provides for measures involving
migrants ' countries of origin or transit .

3 . The Council can but welcome the willingness of
third countries to accept migrants .

Subject : Legal action against citizens for refusing to vote

Legal proceedings are being taken against the inhabitants
of an entire village in the prefecture of Imathia for refusal
to vote in the parliamentary elections of 18 June 1989 .
Does the Council consider that the decision to take legal
action against citizens on these grounds is in accordance
with the Community 's democratic principles or that it is,
on the contrary, a violation of individual and civil rights ?

Answer

( 14 May 1992 )

It is not for the Council to comment on events covered by
a Member State 's national law .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 495 / 92
by Mr Victor Manuel Arbeloa Muru ( S )
to the Council of the European Communities

(9 March 1992 )

( 92 / C 159 / 147 )

Subject : Recovery of works of art

Will a Community directive be drawn up in the near
future to facilitate the recovery of works of art plundered
from certain Community Member States ?

Answer

( 14 May 1992 )

A proposal for a Directive concerning the return of
cultural objects unlawfully removed from the territory of
a Member State was forwarded by the Commission on 20
January 1992 and the European Parliament 's opinion has

been requested .

This proposal for a Directive is submitted in the context
of the establishment of the internal market and Article 14
specifies that ' this Directive shall apply only to cultural
objects unlawfully removed from the territory of a
Member State on or after 1 January 1993 '.

No C 159 / 64 Official Journal of the European Communities 25 . 6 . 92

Article 36 of the EEC Treaty still applies with regard to
the protection of national treasures of artistic, historical
or acheological value .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 597 / 92

by Mr Sérgio Ribeiro ( CG )
to the Council of the European Communities

( 19 March 1992 )

( 92 / C 159 / 148 )

Subject : The Schengen Agreements

The Schengen Agreements are soon to be ratified in

Portugal . Basically they concern questions such as
individual freedoms, immigration, drugs, right of asylum,
terrorism, exchange of information between police forces
and access to confidential data . Many of these questions
will doubtless be incorporated into the Treaties
( following the Maastricht Summit ).

What precise areas of competence are given to the police

which subjects it made use of the right conferred on it by
Article 152 of the EEC Treaty to request the Commission
to submit any appropriate proposals for the attainment of
the common objectives during the period from 1 January

1987 to 31 December 1991 ?

O OJ No C 55, 2 . 3 . 1992, p. 44 .

Answer

( 14 May 1992 )

The Council has already had occasion to inform the

Honourable Member of the fact that, as regards formal
recourse to the provisions of Article 152 of the Treaty, it
does not have the statistical information requested at its
disposal .

However, the Honourable Member 's attention is drawn
to the fact that in practice formal recourse to Article 152 is
replaced by dialogue between the two institutions
concerned within the framework of the institutional
provisions of the EEC Treaty .

and what does the ' Schengen Information System ' consist
of ? What answer was given or will be given to the
objections of refugees and third-country workers and
their representative organizations ? WRITTEN QUESTION No 650 / 92

by Mr Marco Taradash ( V )
to the Council of the European Communities

Answer

( 14 May 1992 )

The Schengen Agreements were concluded outside the
framework of the European Communities and the
Council is therefore not competent to reply to a question
concerning those Agreements .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 607 / 92

by Mrs Raymonde Dury ( S )
to the Council of the European Communities

( 23 March 1992 )

( 92 / C 159 / 149 )

Subject : Action taken under Article 152 of the Treaty

The offhand manner in which the Council replied to
Written Question No 1963 / 91 (') appears to indicate that
it has not understood its significance . I wish to know
whether use has been made of this procedure which,

in my view, can make a vital contribution to effective
interinstitutional action within the Community . Can the
Council therefore state how many times and in respect of

( 23 March 1992 )

( 92 / C 159 / 150 )

Subject : The World Bank and pollution in the third world

In the light of the fact that on 8 February 1992 The
Economist carried an extract from a memorandum written
by Lawrence Summers, chief economist at the World
Bank, which included the following passage :

' Just between you and me, should n't the World Bank
be encouraging more migration of the dirty industries
to the LDCS ? I can think of three reasons :

1 . The measurement of the costs of
health-impairing pollution depends on the foregone
earnings from increased morbidity and mortality .
From this point of view a given amount of
health-impairing pollution should be done in the
country with the lowest cost, which will be the country
with the lowest wages . I think the economic logic
behind dumping a load of toxic waste in the
lowest   - wage country is impeccable and we should face
up to that .

2 . The costs of pollution are likely to be non-linear
as the initial increments of pollution probably have
very low cost . I've always thought that
under-populated countries in Africa are vastly
wm / er-polluted . . . Only the lamentable facts that so

25.6.92 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 159 / 65

much pollution is generated by non-tradable industries
( transport, electrical generation ) and that the unit
transport costs of solid waste are so high prevent
world-welfare-enhancing trade in air pollution and

waste . .

I should like to know whether the Council endorses the
analysis made by Lawrence Summers, which will probably
lead to opportunities in terms of financial incentives for
governments which encourage the transfer of highly

polluting industrial activities to the southern part of the
world, or, if this is not the case, whether it intends to ask
for Summers ' dismissal .

Answer

( 14 May 1992 )

The Council does not usually comment on press articles

or on statements from international institutions .