Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

ISSN 0378-6986

##### C 292
# Official Journal

Volume 36
### of the European Communities 28 October 1993

Volume 36

28 October 1993

Information and Notices
English edition

Notice No Contents
Page

I Information

European Parliament

Written Questions with answer

93 / C 292 / 01

93 / C 292 / 02

93 / C 292 / 03

No 1593 / 90 by Mr Herman Verbeek to the Commission
Subject : Protests by Dutch and German animal welfare organizations against Harlan CPD, a dog
breeding concern at Austerlitz ( Netherlands ) 1

No 1790 / 91 by Mr Gijs de Vries to the Commission
Subject : EC strategy towards Japan 2

No 1 / 93 by Mr Gijs de Vries to the Commission
Subject : EC strategy towards Japan 2

Joint answer to Written Questions Nos 1790 / 91 and 1 / 93 2

93 / C 292 / 04 No 1837 / 91 by Mrs Christa Randzio-Plath to the Commission
Subject : The destruction of the tropical rain forest of Sarawak ( Malaysia ) 2

93 / C 292 / 05 No 2772 / 9 I by Mrs Mary Banotti to the Commission
Subject : Alcohol advertising 2

93 / C 292 / 06 No 857 / 92 by Mr Carlos Robles Piquer to the Commission
Subject : Payment of subscriptions to scientific journals as part of aid to the former Soviet
Union 3

93 / C 292 / 07 No 1031 / 92 by Mr Willi Rothley to the Commission
Subject : EEIG 4

93 / C 292 / 08 No 1066 / 92 by Mr Joaquim Miranda da Silva to the Commission
Subject : Protection of the cultural and natural heritage 4

93 / C 292 / 09 No 1197 / 92 by Mr Arturo Escuder Croft to the Commission
Subject : Participation of the European Parliament in the Community 's EXPO 92 Pavilion and the
quincentenary events 5

Price : ECU 18 ( Continued overleaf )

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No 1246 / 92 by Lord O'Hagan to the Commission
Subject : Drafting of EC legislation

No 1439 / 92 by the following members : Jessica Larive and Jan Bertens to the
Commission

Subject : Dangers to nuclear safety in the CIS

No 1534 / 92 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : EFTA in the Media programme

No 1607 / 92 by Mr Yves Verwaerde to the Commission
Subject : General system for the recognition of higher education diplomas — French law
doctorate

No 1648 / 92 by Mr Llewellyn Smith to the Commission
Subject : Codex / GATT : Rewriting of Codex rules in the context of HACCP

No 1939 / 92 by Mr Paul Staes to the Commission
Subject : Aid to the Belgian enterprise Fabelta Ninove which may be incompatible with the common
market

No 1940 / 92 by Mr Paul Staes to the Commission
Subject : The privatization of the Belgian state-owned company Fabelta Nonove

No 1941 / 92 by Mr Paul Staes to the Commission
Subject : The Belgian textiles programme

No 1942 / 92 by Mr Paul Staes to the Commission
Subject : Aid to the Belgian company Idealspun

No 1213 / 93 by Mr Paul Staes to the Commission
Subject : Provisions concerning non-voting shares held by the State — approval by the
Commission

Joint answer to Written Questions Nos 1939 / 92 to 1942 / 92 and 1213 / 93

No 2216 / 92 by Mr Hemmo Muntingh to the Commission
Subject : Quality of the water of the River Meuse

No 2350 / 92 by Mrs Brigitte Ernst de la Graete to the Commission
Subject : E25 / E40 motorway link to Liege

No 2363 / 92 by Mrs Mary Banotti to the Commission
Subject : European library

No 2558 / 92 by Mr Pierre Lataillade to the Commission
Subject : Community aid and respect for the rights of children

No 2686 / 92 by Mr Giulio Fantuzzi to the Commission
Subject : Compensatory payments in traditional production zones for durum wheat in
Emilia-Romagna

No 2698 / 92 by the following members : Hiltrud Breyer, Paul Lannoye, Virginio Bettini
and Marguerite-Marie Dinguirard to the Commission
Subject : The Tacis programme

No 2801 / 92 by Mr Marc Galle to the Commission
Subject : Community representation at sport events

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93 / C 292 / 27 No 2812 / 92 by Mr Freddy Blak to the Commission
Subject : Exclusion of Danish writers from consideration for the European Prize for Literature 15

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No 2813 / 92 by Mr Freddy Blak to the Commission
Subject : Exclusion of Danish writers from consideration for the European Prize for Literature 15

Joint answer to Written Questions Nos 2812 / 92 and 2813 / 92 16

No 3023 / 92 by Mrs Sylviane Ainardi to the Commission
Subject : Community information and public relations campaign 16

No 3156 / 92 bv Mr Edward Kellett-Bowman to the Commission

Subject : G24 and G7 expenditure 17

No 3166 / 92 by Mr Juan Bandrés Molet to the Commission t
Subject : Waste treatment plant for Onda, Bechi and Villarreal ( Autonomous Community of
Valencia ) 18

No 3212 / 92 bv Mr Victor Manuel Arbeloa Muru to the Commission

c
Subject : Measures to promote the sponsorship of cultural activities 18

93 / C 292 / 33 No 3226 / 92 by Mr Diego de los Santos López to the Commission

Subject : Defence of the Community rice sector 19

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No 3246 / 92 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Reconciliation with the European heritage 19

No 3309 / 92 by Mr Mihail Papayannakis to the Commission
Subject : Projects in the area of Prevelis 20

No 3320 / 92 by Mrs Concepció Ferrer to the Commission
Subject : Programmes submitted by Spain under the Interreg programme to assist customs
agents 21

No 3333 / 92 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Imposition by Greece of a special tax on airline tickets 21

No 3364 / 92 by Mr David Martin to the Commission
Subject : Policy in regard to depository libraries and European Community documents 22

No 3471 / 92 by Mr Gijs de Vries to the Commission
Subject : The Commission 's right to initiate legislation 22

No 3472 / 92 bv Mr Bartho Bronk to the Commission

Subject : Opinions of the Economic and Social Committee 23

No 3487 / 92 bv Mr Gerardo Fernandez-Albor to the Commission

Subject : Rapid road link between Galicia and Central Europe via the Cantabrian coast 23

No 3506 / 92 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : b Utility of certain adjustments in the fisheries sector 24

No 17 / 93 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Commission funding for the Liberation newspaper in Sarajevo 24

93 / C 292 / 44 No 24 / 93 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Future of Inter-rail 25

( Continued overleaf )

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93 / C 292 / 45 No 40 / 93 by the following members : Florus Wijsenbeek and Rui Amaral to the

Commission

Subject : Exemptions granted by the Commission in the area of maritime transport 25

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No 42 / 93 by Mr Jose Valverde Lopez to the Commission
Subject : Information policy of the Community institutions 26

93 / C 292 / 47 No 176 / 93 by Mr Joaquim Miranda da Silva to the Commission

Subject : Community funding for regional incentive schemes ( SIBR ) subsidies 26

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No 210 / 93 by Mr Alexandros Alavanos to the Commission
Subject : Consequences of the closure of the Syros shipyard 27

No 236 / 93 by Mr Juan de Dios Ramfrez-Heredia to the Commission
Subject : The free movement of vehicles 28

No 256 / 93 by Mr Pierre Bernard-Reymond to the Commission
Subject : Simplification of administrative formalities with a view to enhancing freedom of
movement in the Community 28

No 303 / 93 by Mr Mihail Papayannakis to the Commission
Subject : Structural funds and the environment 29

No 316 / 93 by Mr Barry Desmond to the Commission
Subject : Europass for pensioners 29

93 / C 292 / 53 No 397 / 93 by the following members : Agostino Mantovani, Franco Borgo, Nino Pisoni,
Giuseppe Mottola, Joachim Dalsass, Giulio Gallenzi, Eolo Parodi, Mario Forte, Gabriele
Sboarina, Andrea Bonetti and Aldo de Matteo to the Commission

Subject : Prevention of Ascosphaera Apis 30

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No 402 / 93 by Mr Reinhold Bocklet to the Commission
Subject : Support for events to mark the entry into force of the single market 30

No 403 / 93 by Mr Madron Seligman to the Commission
Subject : UK — Limited list of pharmaceuticals 31

No 407 / 93 by Sir James Scott-Hopkins to the Commission
Subject : EC employees and occupational pension schemes 32

No 447 / 93 by Mr John Cushnahan to the Commission
Subject : Architectural heritage grants 32

No 476 / 93 by Mrs Jessica Larive to the Commission
Subject : Uranium imports 33

No 513 / 93 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Wild birds in the Community 33

No 517 / 93 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : The Greek cotton scandal 33

No 533 / 93 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : The future of writers in Europe 34

No 551 / 93 by Mr Panayotis Roumeliotis to the Commission
Subject : Problems concerning exports of Greek mussels 34

&

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No 557 / 93 by Mr Jean-Pierre Raffarin to the Commission
Subject : Toxin in oysters on the Atlantic coast 35

No 576 / 93 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Amendment of Regulation ( EEC ) No 2052 / 88 35

No 626 / 93 by Mr Michel Debatisse to the Commission
Subject : Imports of tomatoes from Morocco 36

No 646 / 93 by Mr Jose Vazquez Fouz to the Commission
Subject : New fisheries agreements with the Maghreb countries 36

No 656 / 93 by Mrs Mary Banotti to the Commission
Subject : Pornographic TV channels 37

No 660 / 93 by Mrs Christine Oddy to the Commission
Subject : Phare programme 38

No 676 / 93 by Mr Jose Valverde Lopez to the Commission
Subject : Problems for Maghreb nationals crossing the Strait of Gibraltar in summer 38

No 687 / 93 by Mr Virginio Bettini to the Commission
Subject : Transfer of ownership of second-hand cars 38

No 690 / 93 by Mr Ernest Glinne to the Commission
Subject : Recognition of ' Doctorate in dental surgery ' 39

No 748 / 93 by Mr Jean-Pierre Raffin to the Commission
Subject : Community funding for an infrastructure project in South America ( Hidrovia ) 40

No 752 / 93 by Mr Lode Van Outrive to the Commission
Subject : Implementation of the Council resolution concerning the protection of the financial
interests of the Community : implementation of the provisions of paragraph 9 40

No 768 / 93 by Mrs Anne Andre to the Commission
Subject : German VAT 41

No 942 / 93 by Mr Jaak Vandemeulebroucke to the Commission
Subject : VAT on coach journeys in Germany 41

No 983 / 93 by Mr Gerard Deprez to the Commission
Subject : Coach tours : VAT on ' transport ' turnover in Germany 41

Joint answer to Written Questions Nos 768 / 93, 942 / 93 and 983 / 93 42

No 776 / 93 by Mr Yves Verwaerde to the Commission
Subject : Continuing vocational training for the Community officials in 1992 42

No 785 / 93 by Mr Peter Crampton to the Commission
Subject : Fishing : saithe quota 43

A

No 791 / 93 by Mr Barry Desmond to the Commission
Subject : Professional training in nursing 43

( Continued overleaf )

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93 / C 292 / 80 No 799 / 93 by the following members : Jose Vazquez Fouz and Manuel Medina Ortega to
the Commission

Subject : Aid for the small pelagic fisheries sector 44

93 / C 292 / 81 No 801 / 93 by Sir James Scott-Hopkins to the Commission
Subject : Definition of secondary raw materials 44

93 / C 292 / 82 No 802 / 93 by the following members : Agostino Mantovani, Mauro Chiabrando, Franco
Borgo, Mario Forte, Gerardo Gaibisso, Giuseppe Mottola, Ferruccio Pisoni and
Gabriele Sboarina to the Commission

Subject : Regulation of quotas under the common organization of the market in tobacco 45

93 / C 292 / 83 No 803 / 93 by Agostino Mantovani, Mauro Chiabrando, Franco Borgo, Mario Forte,
Gerardo Gaibisso, Giuseppe Mottola, Ferruccio Pisoni and Gabriele Sboarina to the
Commission

Subject : Obligations and payments of advances under the common organization of the market in
tobacco 45

Joint answer to Written Questions Nos 802 / 93 and 803 / 93 46

93 / C 292 / 84 No 805 / 93 by Mr Carlos Robles Piquer to the Commission
Subject : Acquisition of goods in another Member State 46

93 / C 292 / 85 No 807 / 93 by Mr João Cravinho to the Commission
Subject : Delays in ESF payments to Portuguese vocational training organizers 46

93 / C 292 / 86 No 808 / 93 by Mr Sergio Ribeiro to the Commission
Subject : Debate on the laundering of funds from illegal drug trafficking in Portugal 47

93 / C 292 / 87 No 810 / 93 by Mr Gijs de Vries to the Commission
Subject : German packaging regulation 47

93 / C 292 / 88 No 812 / 93 by Mr Paul Staes to the Commission
Subject : EEC subsidy for the Sint-Jans hospital ( Brugge, Belgium ) 48

93 / C 292 / 89 No 813 / 93 by Mr Ben Visser to the Commission
Subject : Imports of canned tuna 48

93 / C 292 / 90 No 814 / 93 by Mrs Jessica Larive to the Commission
Subject : European campaign for the promotion of books and reading 49

93 / C 292 / 91 No 817 / 93 by Mr Peter Crampton to the Commission
Subject ; Fisheries : suspension of third-country imports 49

93 / C 292 / 92 No 818 / 93 by Mr Peter Crampton to the Commission
Subject : Fisheries : French aid to the fishing industry 50

93 / C 292 / 93 No Subject 820 : Social / 93 by and Mr economic Sergio Ribeiro situation to in the the Commission municipality of Marinha Grande — Portugal ... 50 

93 / C 292 / 94 No 834 / 93 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : The Community 's chemicals industry 51

93 / C 292 / 95 No 835 / 93 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission

. Subject : Energy problem facing Crete 51

Notice No Contents ( continued ) Page

93 / C 292 / 96 No 839 / 93 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : The state of the ancient stadium-cum-theatre in Thessaloniki 52

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No 841 / 93 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Situation in Cameroon and EC economic aid 52

No 845 / 93 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Conversion of wetland into go-Kart track 52

No 854 / 93 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Regulatory framework for matters relating to the movement of capital 53

No 856 / 93 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Subcontracting of employees 53

No 894 / 93 by Mr Carlos Robles Piquer to the Commission
Subject : Discriminatory clauses against women in labour agreements 54

No 907 / 93 by Mrs Anne Andre-Leonard to the Commission
Subject : Car taxes 55

No 1079 / 93 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Level of car tax 55

Joint answer to Written Questions Nos 907 / 93 and 1079 / 93 55

No 1016 / 93 by Mr Iñigo Mendez de Vigo to the Commission
Subject : Statements by President Delors concerning recent negotiations between the Community
arid Morocco 55

No 1057 / 93 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Restriction of the Greek cooperative movement and its effects on farmers 56

No 1076 / 93 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : The Sounion National Park in Attica 56

No 1077 / 93 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Programmes to promote local characteristics 57

No 1087 / 93 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Council
Subject : Rights of people from the islands of Imbros and Tenedos 57

No 1108 / 93 by Mr Jose Valverde Lopez to the Commission
Subject : The Commission and special interest groups 57

No 1137 / 93 by Mr Thomas Megahy to the Commission
Subject : European Social Fund : Allocation of funds under Objectives 3 and 4 58

No 1172 / 93 by Mr Panayotis Roumeliotis to the Commission
Subject : Earthquake damage in Pirgos, Ilia 58

No 1186 / 93 by Mrs Mary Banotti to the Commission
Subject : EC emergency care card 58

No 1306 / 93 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Map of Europe leaving out Greece 59

( Continued overleaf )

Notice No Contents ( continued ) p age

93 / C 292 / 114 No 1382 / 93 by Mr Wilfried Telkamper to the Commission
Subject : Representation of the EC energy sector by EdF at Expo 92 59

93 / C 292 / 115 No 1392 / 93 by Mr Madron Seligman to the Commission
Subject : Responsibility of the Commission for the success of the Maastricht Treaty 59

93 / C 292 / 116 No 1402 / 93 by Mrs Hiltrud Breyer to the Commission
Subject : Decommissioning of nuclear power stations 60

93 / C 292 / 117 No 1403 / 93 by Mrs Hiltrud Breyer to the Commission
Subject : Decommissioning of nuclear power stations 61

93 / C 292 / 118 No 1409 / 93 by Sir James Scott-Hopkins to the Commission
Subject : Agricultural watch groups 61

93 / C 292 / 119 No 1410 / 93 by Sir James Scott-Hopkins to the Commission
Subject : Support for agricultural machinery rings 61

Joint answer to Written Questions Nos 1409 / 93 and 1410 / 93 61

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93 / C 292 / 120 No 1429 / 93 by Mrs Nel van Dijk to the Commission
Subject : Negotiations by the Commission with ( Czecho ) Slovakia and Hungary concerning the
Gabcikovo project 62

93 / C 292 / 121 No 1466 / 93 by Mrs Maartie van Putten to the Commission
Subject : TVE proposal videos on environment and development 62

93 / C 292 / 122 No 1477 / 93 by Mr Paul Staes to the Commission
Subject : Activities of the International Organization for Migration within the UN Plan of Action
for Mozambique 63

93 / C 292 / 123 No 1553 / 93 by Mr Alex Smith to the Council
Subject : Supply of weapons to Iraq by Austria 63

s

93 / C 292 / 124 No 1566193 by the following members : Mauro Chiabrando, Bryan Cassidy and Tullio
Regge Subject to : Freedom the Council of movement \ within the European Community 63

93 / C 292 / 125 No 1588 / 93 by Mrs Raymonde Dury to the Council
Subject : Selection panel for works of art for the new Council buildings 64

93 / C 292 / 126 No 1 719 / 93 by Mr Klaus Wettig to the Council
Subject : Design competition ( 93 / S 21-3373 / FR ): New buildings for the Council of the European
Communities and its offices 64

Joint answer to Written Questions Nos 1588 / 93 and 1719 / 93 64

93 / C 292 / 127 No 1619 / 93 by Mr Yves Verwaerde to the Commission
Subject : Monitoring of the utilization of grants made as emergency humanitarian aid 65

93 / C 292 / 128 No 1646 / 93 by Mr Llewellyn Smith to the Council
Subject : Community policy on plutonium 65

93 / C 292 / 129 No 1696 / 93 by Mr John Hume to the Commission
Subject : Credit unions in Ireland and the United Kingdom 65

                                                       
( Continued on inside back cover )

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No 1699 / 93 by Mrs Dorothee Piermont to the Council
Subject : Irradiation of casual workers at EBS in Forbach ( France )

No 1800 / 93 by the following members : Leo Tindemans, Alberto Michelini, Sir
Christopher Prout, Pierre Bernard-Reymond and Friedrich Merz to the Council
Subject : Malta 's application to join the EC

No 1901 / 93 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Council
Subject : Need to exempt Greek island regions from the tax on carbon dioxide emissions and

energy

No 1920 / 93 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Council
Subject : Cotton cultivation in Greece

No 1921 / 93 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Council
Subject : Conviction of Greek journalist without a defence lawyer

No 1999 / 93 by Mr Ernest Glinne to the Council
Subject : Protection of turtles

No 2183 / 93 by Mrs Brigitte Langenhagen to the Council
Subject : Failure to use the German language

No 2267 / 93 by Mr Filippos Pierros to the Council
Subject : Viability of the Committee of Regions

No 2294 / 93 by Mr Gerard Fuchs to the Council
Subject : Conver programme

No 2296 / 93 by Mr Gerard Fuchs to the Council
Subject : Eurocontrol

No 2527 / 93 by Mario Melis, Andrea Raggio and Virginio Bettini to the Council
Subject : Abuse of dominant position by the ' Cartiere Burgo ' paper mills

No 2631 / 93 by Mrs Brigitte Ernst de la Graete to the Commission
Subject : Right of asylum and concept of safe country of origin

No 2635 / 93 by Mr Gerard Fuchs to the Council
Subject : Tax on savings and the Belgian Presidency

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28 . 10 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 292 / 1

I

( Information )

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

WRITTEN QUESTIONS WITH ANSWER

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1593 / 90

by Mr Herman Verbeek ( V )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 21 June 1990 )

( 93 / C 292 / 01 )

Subject : Protests by Dutch and German animal welfare

organizations against Harlan CPD, a dog breeding

concern at Austerlitz ( Netherlands )

In answer to questions by Mrs Seibel-Emmerling ( S ) and
Mrs Bloch von Blottnitz ( ARC ) ( No 939 / 88 ) (*), Mr Clinton
Davis, on behalf of the Commission, told Parliament on

7 December 1988 that the Commission would advise

Parliament when it had received a report from the Dutch
authorities on conditions at the Harlan Sprague Dawley dog
breeding establishment at Austerlitz in the Netherlands . It
appears that Parliament has not yet received this
information .

1 . Has the Commission already received the report from
the Dutch authorities and, if so, when did it inform
Parliament of the contents ?

2 . Does it appear from the report that the beagles at this
establishment are being kept in accordance with the
conditions set out in Directive 86 / 609 / EEC ( 2 )?

3 . Have improvements have been made in the animals '
conditions in the meantime ?

(!) OJ No C 276, 30 . 10 . 1989, p . 5 .

( z ) OJ No L 358, 18 . 12 . 1986, p . 1 .

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission ( J )

(6 July 1993 )

The Commission has been in correspondence with the
Dutch authorities competent for the implementation of
Directive 86 / 609 / EEC concerning the housing of animals by

Harlan Sprague Dawley ( HSD ) at Austerlitz . Their response
can be summarized as follows :

( a ) Since November 1989, the housing of laboratory
animals has to comply with Article 5 of Directive

86 / 609 / EEC . This requires that Member States should
follow the guidelines set out in Annex II . to the
Directive . According to paragraph 6 of the introduction
to Annex II, the guidelines have an advisory status
only .

( b ) The housing of dogs within the HSD facility at

Austerlitz is not inconsistent with Article 5 of the

Directive . There are, however, some discrepancies with
Annex II — of which the guidelines are not mandatory
— particularly with regard to the advice on cage and
pen sizes and the use of grid floors .

( c ) On 6 April 1990, the Dutch authorities came to an
agreement with HSD, under which HSD should inter
alia in due course be obliged to satisfy the guidelines in
Annex II to the Directive . The Dutch Veterinary Chief
Inspectorate is discussing this with HSD .

( d ) The Dutch Veterinary Chief Inspectorate discussed

with Dutch scientists the use of grid floors in dog
housing . Special attention was given to floors with
vinyl-coated expanded metal grates . The outcome of
this discussion was that some types of grid floors have
no negative impact on the welfare of dogs and can even
be recommended . Therefore, the Inspectorate decided
that a grid floor may only be used if its type has been
approved by the Inspectorate .

( e ) A new regulatory act on the housing of laboratory
animals will be prepared in the Netherlands further to
the outcome of the International Workshop on the
Housing of Laboratory Animals, held in Berlin on

17 — 19 May 1993 and further to the discussions within
the Multilateral Consultation at the Convention of the

Council of Europe in Strasbourg, on 29 June / 2 July

1993 .

( x ) The Commission regrets the delay in supplying the answer to

this question .

No C 292 / 2 Official Journal of the European Communities 28 . 10 . 93

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1790 / 91

by Mr Gijs de Vries ( LDR )

to the Commission of the European Communities

(1 September 1991 )

( 93 / C 292 / 02 )

Subject : EC strategy towards Japan

In view of the importance and the nature of EC-Japanese
relations, would the Commission state how many officials
currently employed with DCs I, III, IV, and XIII,
respectively, have a working knowledge of Japanese ?

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1 / 93

by Mr Giis de Vries ( LDR )

to the Commission of the European Communities

(3 February 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 03 )

Subject : EC strategy towards Japan

On 2 July 1991 I asked the Commission, in view of the
nature and importance of EC-Japan relations, how many
officials in Directorates General I, III, IV and XIII had a
working knowledge of Japanese . The Commission has not
yet answered my question ( Written Question
No 1790 / 91 ).

1 . Does the Commission agree that the fact that it has not
yet replied to my question after one-and-a-half years
indicates a lack of strategic thinking in its ranks as
regards relations with Japan ?

2 . Will the Commission now give a prompt reply to my
question ?

Joint answer to Written Questions

Nos 1790 / 91 and 1 / 93

given by Mr Van Miert
on behalf of the Commission

( 28 July 1993 )

1 . The Commission has no statistics to give an exact
picture of officials ' proficiency in non-Community
languages .

2 . As part of its strategy with respect to Japan, the
Commission agrees with the Honourable Member
concerning the need for Japanese-speaking staff and does
what it can to help staff to acquire a command of that
language .

3 . Courses in Japanese are available for staff serving in
Brussels as part of the programme of regular
foreign-language courses organized by the Training Unit .
There are currently four standard courses in progress at
levels 1, 2, 3 and 6 in addition to two courses designed to
improve comprehension and oral proficiency . In all, some

60 officials from all the Directorates-General attend these

courses . Those officials who reach the higher levels emerge
with a good basic command of Japanese .

4 . Furthermore, since 1987 — 88, the Commission has
regularly allowed an official assigned to the Commission 's
Delegation to Japan to take part in its Executive Training
Programme in order to acquire a working knowledge of
Japanese before taking up duties in Tokyo .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1837 / 91

by Mrs Christa Randzio-Plath ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

(1 September 1991 )

( 93 / C 292 / 04 )

Subject : The destruction of the tropical rain forest of

Sarawak ( Malaysia )

What has the Commission done in order to pursue the
demand of the European Parliament for a special
foundation on tropical rainforest with its own funds and its
own judicial structures ?

Answer given by Mr Marin
on behalf of the Commission

( 19 July 1993 )

The Community 's budget decisions taken in 1992 on
Parliament 's initiative made it possible to launch substantial
tropical forest cooperation schemes, mainly as a result of a
specific budget heading for tropical forests, for which the
Commission proposed a regulation . The schemes include
the setting-up of, or contribution to, funds of various types

( in particular the Rain Forest Trust Fund for implementing
the pilot tropical forest conservation programme in Brazil
and the Fondo Amazonio in Colombia ). It should at a later
stage be possible to determine on the basis of this experience
whether it might be worth establishing a specific
foundation .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2772 / 91

by Mrs Mary Banotti ( PPE )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 22 November 1991 )

( 93 / C 292 / 05 )

Subject : Alcohol advertising

i

Approaches to alcohol advertising differ widely among the
Member States . In the context of EC health policy is the

28 . 10 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 292 / 3

Commission prepared to draw up proposals to harmonize
the different Member State approaches, in order to protect
the health of young people in particular against the excessive
use of alcohol ?

Answer given by Mr Flynn
on behalf of the Commission

( 29 July 1993 )

A survey on the consumption of alcohol among children of

11 — 15 years of age reveals that 27% of 15 year olds
consume regularly ( i.e. at least once per week ) beer or cider
and that 31% of 11 year olds consume beer or cider
occasionally . There is a steady increase in alcohol
consumption with age and little difference between girls and
boys .

The Commission is aware of the need for prevention of
alcohol abuse especially among children and young people,
and has already developed several actions in this field
following the Council resolution of 29 May 1 986 on alcohol
abuse ), and the Council resolution of 23 November 1988
concerning health education in schools ( 2 ).

Directive 89 / 552 / EEC of October 1989 on the coordination

of certain provisions relating to the pursuit of broadcasting
activities ( 3 ) includes provisions stating that television
advertising shall not encourage behaviour prejudicial to
health or to safety and sets out criteria to which television
advertising for alcoholic beverages shall comply . This
Directive has been in force since 3 October 1991 .

Furthermore, in addition to carrying out or supporting a
range of preventive actions, the Commission has set up an
inter-service working group which is charged with following
closely developments in the field of advertising, including
alcohol advertising, in order to create appropriate and
timely recommendations for further action .

(!) OJ No C 184, 23 . 7 . 1986 .

( 2 ) OJ No C 3, 5 . 1 . 1989 .

( 3 ) OJ No L 298, 17 . 10 . 1989 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 857 / 92

by Mr Carlos Robles Piquer ( PPE )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 14 April 1992 )

( 93 / C 292 / 06 )

Subject : Payment of subscriptions to scientific journals as

part of aid to the former Soviet Union

Towards the end of 1991 the journal Nature started
publishing an advert asking its readers to pay, on an

individual or collective basis, for annual subscriptions to the
journal for individual researchers or scientific institutions in
the former Soviet Union . The reason given for the request
was that Russia 's great scientific culture was in danger of
disappearing .

Could the Commission arrange for practical aid to
researchers and scientific institutions in the former Soviet

Union to be financed by the Community in the form of
subscriptions to a broad range of specialized reviews which,
for economic reasons, may be beyond the reach of these
people or institutions ?

Answer given by Sir Leon Brittan

on behalf of the Commission

(5 July 1993 )

The Commission is aware of the lack of scientific journals in
the countries of the former Soviet Union . The Commission 's

Programme for Technical Assistance to the Commonwealth
of Independent States ( TACIS ) focuses on the transfer of
know-how essential to economic reform . In close

collaboration with the recipients, the priority sectors and
guidelines for technical assistance were established . The
countries of the former Soviet Union have indicated that the

most important need is for projects which will facilitate the
transition to a market economy . In this context, the
financing of subscriptions to scientific journals cannot be
funded under the Tacis programme .

Projects for cooperation in the fields of science and
technology may be presented to the International
Association for cooperation with scientists of the former
Soviet Union . This association has Belgian legal personality
and its seat is in Brussels . The Community and its Member
States are founding members .

i

The Association is currently being created, with the first
general Assembly of its members envisaged to take place in
Luxembourg on 29 and 30 June 1993 . Project proposals
concerning the acquisition and distribution of specialized
publications have already been formulated . These will be
examined in the framework of the activities of the

Association .

Furthermore, some funds from the Tacis programme have
been reserved for small, individual requests for help,
particularly from those groups which would not usually be
able to receive grants from Tacis . These funds are
administered by the Community Delegation in Moscow . In
exceptional cases, in line with the objectives of the Tacis
programme and, thus, essential to economic reform,
Russian scientists could submit requests for subscriptions to
the Delegation, which would consider these subject to their
guidelines, the available budget and competing requests for
help .

No C 292 / 4 Official Journal of the European Communities 28 . 10 . 93

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1031 / 92 Denmark : 2 + 1 EEIG registered in another Member
State
by Mr Willi Rothley ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities Ireland : 2 + 1 EEIG registered in another Member State

( 27 April 1992 )

( 93 / C 292 / 07 )

Subject : EEIG

Council Regulation ( EEC ) No 2137 / 85 0 ) of 25 July 1985
on the European Economic Interest Grouping ( EEIG ) was
the first instance of the Community providing a legal
framework for a form of association . It would therefore be

interesting to know whether industry has shown any interest
in this particular form of association .

1 . How many EEIGs have been formed in the Community
in the intervening period ?

2 . What is the breakdown of EEIGs by Member State ?

3 . Are figures available for the total numbers employed in
EEIGs ?

4 . Are there any figures for the average number of
employees in an EEIG ?

Portugal : 1 + 1 EEIG registered in another Member State

Not too much should be read into this breakdown at the

present stage . The small number or inexistence of EEIGs in
certain Member States can sometimes be attributed to the

late adoption of national measures implementing
Regulation ( EEC ) No 2137 / 85 .

2 . Apart from figures for the registration of EEIGs, the
Commission does not have any systematic or complete data
on the numbers employed by EEIGs . Nevertheless, the
preliminary results of a general survey on the use of the
structure launched by the Commission in June 1991 indicate
the following .

Of the 195 EEIGs then in existence, 58 sent in replies . These
had a total of 40 employees of their own ( of which three
part-time ) and 60 people working for them on secondment
from the EEIG 's members ( of which one part-time ). The
number of EEIGs with their own staff was 26, each with one
or two employees . This falls well short of the 500-employee
limit laid down by Article 3 ( 2 ) ( c ) of Regulation ( EEC )

No 2137 / 85 .

(!) OJ No L 199, 31 . 7 . 1985, p. 1 .

Answer given by Mrs Scrivener

on behalf of the Commission

( 29 July 1993 )

1 . To the Commission 's knowledge, and on the basis of
data published in the Official Journal of the European
Communities, 277 EEIGs have so far been formed in the
Community . This is an encouraging figure considering how
new the structure is .

For the 20 EEIGs without employees, the head office seems
in almost all cases to coincide with the head office of one of

the members . This is the most simple form of using the
structure : no offices are opened or staff engaged and the
financial commitment remains minimal, at least at the initial
stage of cooperation . The limited number of EEIG
employees is perhaps also due to the fact that most of the
EEIGs having replied to the survey were set up in services
and the distributive trades .

The breakdown by Member State is as follows :

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1066 / 92

Belgium : 93 + 2 EEIGs registered in another Member by Mr Joaquim Miranda da Silva ( CG )
State
to the Commission of the European Communities

Netherlands : 62+1 EEIG registered in another Member ( 30 April 1992 )
State ( 93 / C 292 / 08 )

France : 55 + 1 EEIG registered in another Member State

Subject : Protection of the cultural and natural heritage

Germany : 23 + 1 EEIG registered in another Member
State

United Kingdom : 22 + 1 EEIG registered in another Member
State

Spain : 10+1 EEIG registered in another Member State

Italy : 5 + 1 EEIG registered in another Member State

The Commission intends to draw up proposals for
regulations and directives on conserving the heritage of each
Member State with a view to the completion of the single
market . The deterioration or disappearance of features of
the cultural or natural heritage is a loss for all the peoples of
the world . In view of this, new provisions must be adopted
to establish an effective international system to protect the
world 's cultural and natural heritage .

28 . 10 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 292 / 5

What progress has the Commission made in drawing up the
relevant proposals ? Have internationally recognized bodies
such as Unesco and related organizations ( e.g. the
International Council of Museums ), which have scientific
expertise in the study and appreciation of the world heritage
been consulted ? Has account been taken of the Conventions

for the Protection of the World 's Cultural and Natural

Heritage of 1972 and 1985 ?

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro

on behalf of the Commission

( 29 July 1993 )

The Council has adopted Regulation ( EEC ) No 3911 / 92 on
the export of cultural goods ( ] ) and Directive 93 / 7 / EEC on
the return of cultural objects unlawfully removed from the
territory of a Member State ( 2 ).

In addition, as part of its activities to protect Europe 's
cultural heritage, the Commission consults experts and
specialist bodies such as ICOM and ICOMOS as well as
working together with Unesco and the Council of
Europe .

The new Article 128 inserted in the EC Treaty by the Treaty
on European Union ( in process of ratification ) requires the
Commission to encourage cooperation between Member
States and, where appropriate, to support and supplement
their activities in the area of preserving European cultural
heritage . But the Commission does not plan to launch any
new initiatives for harmonizing Member States ' laws and
regulations on this matter .

It should be noted that before the adoption of these
measures, the Commission had, in 1989 in its
Communication on the protection of national treasures
possessing artistic, historical or archeological value ( 3 ), put
forward a series of guidelines designed to reconcile the
fundamental principle of the free movement of goods with
the principle of protecting ' national treasures ' in the run-up
to the completion of the single market .

On this basis, a series of seminars with Member States has
been held for relevant experts and groups to air their views .
The work carried out by other international bodies such as
the Council of Europe and Unesco has been watched closely .
For example, the Commission has attended, in an observer
capacity, the proceedings of the International Institute for
the Unification of Private Law ( Unidroit ), which was asked
to examine how the provisions of the 19 7 0 Unesco
Convention on the redistribution of cultural property might
be improved .

(*) OJ No L 395, 31 . 12 . 1992 .

( 2 ) OJ No L 74, 27 . 3 . 1993 .

( 3 ) COM(89 ) 594 final, 22 . 11 . 1989 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1197 / 92

by Mr Arturo Escuder Croft ( PPE )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 21 May 1992 )

( 93 / C 292 / 09 )

Subject : Participation of the European Parliament in the

Community 's EXPO 92 Pavilion and the
quincentenary events

At its sitting of 14 October 1988, the European Parliament
adopted a resolution on the participation of the Community
institutions in the celebrations to mark the five-hundredth

anniversary of the discovery of America ( Doc .
A - 174 / 8 8 ) (!).

Given the imminence of these celebrations, can the
Commission say :

1 . whether it has drawn up a programme of action for the
Community Institutions as part of the celebrations of
the five-hundredth anniversary ?

2 . whether provision has been made for Parliament and the
Council to be represented in the Community 's EXPO 92
Pavilion in Seville and, if so, what form this will
take ?

(') OJ No C 290, 14 . 11 . 1988, p . 178 .

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro

on behalf of the Commission

( 27 July 1993 )

1 . The Commission commemorated the five hundredth

anniversary of the discovery of America within the limits of
its budgetary possibilities .

Its action was mainly geared to seminars, conferences,
programmes for young people, inter-university cooperation,
data base networks, Euro-Latin-American libraries and
other cooperation measures .

2 . The Community pavilion at the Universal Exposition
in Seville was designed and made to represent the
Community as a whole and did not therefore include special
sectors for each Community institution . The exhibits in the
Community pavilion provided an overall view,
supplemented by an information and documentation centre
offering visitors publications, interactive terminals and

No C 292 / 6 Official Journal of the European Communities 28 . 10 . 93

access to data bases which included material on the

European Parliament and the Council .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1439 / 92

by the following members : Jessica Larive

and Jan Bertens ( LDR )
The pavilion staff also included Parliament and Council to the Commission of the European Communities
officials . ( 16 June 1992 )

( 93 / C 292 / 11 )

Subject : Dangers to nuclear safety in the CIS

In the CIS the greatest dangers apart from those
WRITTEN QUESTION No 1246 / 92

by Lord O'Hagan ( ED )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 21 May 1992 )

( 93 / C 292 / 10

associated with other types of nuclear power station — are
those involving 1 6 RBMK power stations of the Chernobyl
type . According to Western experts ( such as the IAEA ), they
present an acute danger and cannot be improved .
Nonetheless, the Russians, for example, are not prepared to
close them down, arguing that they have no alternative
source of energy supply .

Subject : Drafting of EC legislation

In the longer term, energy supplies can be secured by various
means, including energy saving measures and alterations to

1 . To what extent is the European Commission using those nuclear power stations which lend themselves thereto,
outside consultants to draft proposals for EC Law ? in order to ensure compliance with Western safety

standards . The Commission is contributing towards this
2 . Is this a satisfactory practice ? longer-term objective, inter alia through the technical
cooperation programme .

1 . To what extent is the European Commission using
outside consultants to draft proposals for EC Law ?

3 . Are those who are going to benefit from the legislation
too closely involved in its preparation ? Is the Commission taking action, in view of the urgent
nature of the problems, with a view to improving energy
supply in the short term as well to such an extent as to

4 . Is the Commission forced to use outsider 's, retained on overcome the problem of the reduction in energy production
a temporary basis, because it has inadequate permanent attendant on the closure of unsafe nuclear power
staff ? stations ?

What else is it doing to promote or enforce the immediate
closure of the 16 most dangerous power stations ?
Answer given by Mr Delors
on behalf of the Commission

( 29 July 1993 )

The Commission has outlined its position on the use of
external staff in two communications to Parliament and the

Council ( J ). In the second of them, it announced its intention
of restoring balance in its resources by converting
appropriations used to pay 2 000 such staff into permanent
posts by 1997 . The 1993 budget authorized 500 of these
conversions .

For the impact of monetary problems on the Commission 's
human resources, the Honourable Member is referred to the
general introduction to the preliminary draft general budget
for 1994 ( 2 ).

f 1 ) The Commission 's approach to the management of resources :

SEC(90 ) 1876 final . Outside staff and the transfer of
administrative appropriations from Pan B to Part A of the
budget : SEC(92 ) 769 final .

( 2 ) COM(93 ) 400 .

What action would it take in response to a refusal by the
relevant authorities ?

Answer given by Sir Leon Brittan

on behalf of the Commission

( 19 July 1993 )

The Commission agrees that nuclear power plants with
RBMK reactors are not of an overall safety standard that
would allow them to run up to the end of their design life .
This is especially true for the earlier of these reactor designs .
The Commission has launched a comprehensive safety
assessment of the reactors and will be in a position to make a
fuller statement on the safety of these reactors when the
results are available .

It is not possible for the countries operating such reactors to
close these plants immediately, given the energy situation
and their economic obligations . Some of these countries rely
on the electricity produced for earning revenues for the
national economy .

                                           

28 . 10 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 292 / 7

The Commission has, therefore, taken a number of Community programmes in which these States participate ).
initiatives to help the countries concerned reinforce the This contribution will be made each year .
security of existing reactors, and within the Phare and Tacis
programmes to enhance energy conservation and to
improve the efficiency of energy production .

The combination of these measures should not only reduce
the threat of accident but also decrease the dependency on
the reactors, enabling them to be closed down at the earliest
possible date .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1607 / 92

by Mr Yves Verwaerde ( LDR )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 24 June 1992 )

( 93 / C 292 / 13

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1534 / 92 Subject : General system for the recognition of

by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos ( NI ) education diplomas — French law doctorate

Subject : General system for the recognition of higher

by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos ( NI )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 16 June 1992 )

( 93 / C 292 / 12

Subject : EFTA in the Media programme

The Community Media programme, which was set up in

1988, will involve seven new countries which are not
members of the EEC . These are EFTA members which,
because of the recent Community agreement with EFTA,
have acquired from the beginning of the year automatic
rights to participate in the programme . The programme 's
budget for the years 1991 — 95 is ECU 200 million and
proposed expenditure for 1992 is expected to amount to
ECU 45 million while the contribution made by these
countries will amount to some 14% . Funding for the
programme, which currently has 16 subsidiary
programmes, is considered inadequate . In view of the above,
is the Commission about to propose an increase in overall
appropriations to the Council of Ministers ?

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro

on behalf of the Commission

( 22 July 1993 )

It is true that Article 9 of Annex M of the Agreement on the
European Economic Area provides for the participation of
EFTA members in the Media programme introduced by
Council Decision 90 / 685 / EEC of 12 December 1990 . The

negotiations concerning the arrangements for participation
are well advanced so that participation can become effective
as soon as the Agreement on the European Economic Area
comes into force . The Commission would point out that the
EFTA financial contribution will be added to that of the

Community . The overall amount will thus be increased in
accordance with Article 82 of the Agreement which states
that ' the amount of the contribution of the EFTA States shall

be additional, both in commitment appropriations and in
payment appropriations, to the amounts entered for the
Community in the general budget on each line
corresponding to the activities concerned ' ( i.e. the

How does the Commission intend to treat the French law

doctorate within the general system for the recognition of
higher education diplomas within the Community ?

Answer given by Mr Vanni d'Archirafi

on behalf of the Commission

( 29 July 1993 )

Directive 89 / 48 / EEC ( ! ) 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 relates only to the recognition of
diplomas for professional purposes .

The French diploma of doctor of law is an academic diploma
which is not required in order to take up and pursue the
profession of lawyer . Academic recognition of such
diplomas is a matter for the Member States and is not
covered by Directive 89 / 48 / EEC .

I 1 ) OJ No L 19, 24 . 1 . 1989 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1648 / 92

by Mr Llewellyn Smith ( S )

to the Commission of the European Communities

(1 July 1992 )

( 93 / C 292 / 14 )

Subject : Codex / GATT : Rewriting of Codex rules in the

context of HACCP

Has the Commission seen and / or commented upon draft
proposals that rewrite Codex general principles of food

No C 292 / 8 Official Journal of the European Communities 28 . 10 . 93

hygiene in the context of Hazard Analysis and Critical — On 17 June 1986, the remaining 128 888 shares were
Control Points ? transferred for Bfrs 24,5 million payable only on
31 October 1993 .

Answer given by Sir Leon Brittan

on behalf of the Commission

( 19 July 1993 )

At the October 1991 meeting of the Codex Alimentarius
Food Hygiene Committee in Washington the United
Kingdom was mandated to carry out a fundamental rewrite
of the General Principles document on Food Hygiene . The
object was to relate the general principles more clearly to
risk factors ( microbiological, chemical and foreign bodies )
and refer specifically to HACCP .

The United Kingdom Department of Health has organized a
workshop on this subject in July 1 992 in which the
Commission participated .

During this session the working group prepared a document
which was presented to the Codex C Committee on Food
Hygiene during its 26th session in Washington, D.C.

1—5 March 1993 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1939 / 92

by Mr Paul Staes ( V )

to the Commission of the European Communities

(1 September 1992 .)

( 93 / C 292 / 15 )

Subject : Aid to the Belgian enterprise Fa belta Ninove which

may be incompatible with the common market

On 29 December 1983 the capital of the Belgian enterprise
Fabelta Ninove was increased by Bfrs 90 666 million
through the subscription of 476 993 non-voting shares by
the Nationale Maatschappij voor de herstructurering van de
National Sectoren ( NMNS — National Company for the
Restructuring ol National Industries ).

This capital injection formed part of a restructuring plan

( although I am not certain whether or not this has been
carried out ).

The company ( which has since been privatized ) bought back
these shares in two tranches :

— On 14 November 1985, 348 105 shares were
transferred for Bfrs 66,1 million payable only on

1 October 1992 .

1 . Was the capital injection in Fabelta Ninove by the
NMNS and the repurchase of the corresponding shares
by the company notified to the EC Commission ?

2 . Should the injection of Bfrs 90 666 million by the
NMNS not be seen as aid incompatible with the
Common Market ?

3 . Should not the accelerated repurchase of the non-voting
shares by the company be seen as further aid to the
company given that shares will not have to be paid for in
full until the end of October 1993 ?

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1940 / 92

by Mr Paul Staes ( V )

to the Commission of the European Communities

(1 September 1992 )

( 93 / C 292 / 16 )

Subject : The privatization of the Belgian state-owned

company Fabelta Nonove

The privatization of the Belgian state-owned company
Fabelta Nonove ( quite apart from the repurchase of shares
from the Nationale Maatschappij voor de herstructurering
van Nationale Sectoren NMNS — National Company for
the Restructuring of National Industries ) was carried out in
two phases :

— On 21 December 1984, the Gewestelijke
Investieringsmaatschappij van Vlaanderen ( GIMV —
Provincial Investment Company of Flanders ) sold
10 100 shares to the Director, Mr Van der Stichelen, for
Bfrs 399 960 . These shares corresponded to a capital
injection of Bfrs 10,1 million ( the company made a profit
of Bfrs 57 million in 1984 ).

— On 10 July 1985, the Belgian Government sold its

205 574 shares to Director Van der Stichelen for the

ridiculously low price of Bfrs 10 278 700 ( payable in
five equal instalments with the final one due as late as

1 September 1989 !). These 205 574 shares
corresponded to a capital injection of Bfrs 216 274 000 !
In that year, the company achieved a turnover of Bfrs

130 million and a profit of Bfrs 71 million .

Is it not the case that the state-owned shares were sold for far

too low a price both times so that in fact these sales
represented aid incompatible with the common market ?

28 . 10 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 292 / 9

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1941 / 92

by Mr Paul Staes ( V )

to the Commission of the European Communities

(1 September 1992 )

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1942 / 92

by Mr Paul Staes ( V )

to the Commission of the European Communities

(1 September 1992 )

( 93 / C 292 / 17 ) 93 / C 292 / 18

Subject : The Belgian textiles programme

Subject : Aid to the Belgian company Idealspun

As part of its textiles programme, the Belgian Government
injected capital into a large number of companies via the
Nationale Maatschappij voor de herstructurering van
Nationale Sectoren ( NMNS — National Company for the
Restructuring of National Industries ) and through the
purchase of non-voting shares .

From the very beginning it was intended that these
companies should buy back these shares in tranches after a
predetermined period and at their nominal value ( recycling
of shares ).

In early 1988, the Belgian Government gave the go-ahead
for the nine share portfolios to be bought back more
quickly . These sales were based on adjusted values so that
the companies only paid 72,5 % of the nominal share value
with the result that they were able to enjoy an additional
government subsidy .

The following transactions were involved :

— UCO paid Bfrs 520,6 million for government owned

shares with a nominal value of Bfrs 718 million .

— Bekaert Textiles paid Bfrs 444 million for government

owned shares with a nominal value of Bfrs 612,6
million .

— The companies De Deerlijkse, Otta Carpet, Polypit,

Ruga Etiket, Tentureia, TIS and Wittock van
Landeghem paid Bfrs 150 million for shares worth
approximately Bfrs 207 million .

Following protests from the EC Commission, the Belgian
Minister for Economic Affairs suspended the recycling of
shares in this manner although the recycling of shares at
their nominal value continued .

1 . Does the accelerated recycling of these nine share

portfolios not represent aid incompatible with the
common market in view of the fact that the companies
paid too little for the shares ?

2 . Has the Commission taken any steps to compel the

Belgian Government to demand additional payments for
these shares from the companies concerned ?

As part of the Belgian Textile Programme, the Belgian
Ministerial Committee for Economic and Social

Coordination ( MCESC ) decided on 9 June 1983 to inject
Bfrs 174 million into the company Idealspun through the
National Maatschappij voor de herstructurering van
Nationale Sectoren ( NMNS — National Company for the
Restructuring of National Industries ) by buying non-voting
shares and to provide an additional issue premium of Bfrs

100 million ( i.e. a total of Bfrs 274 million ).

In addition to this, it granted an interest subsidy of 7 % over
a period of five years on an external loan of Bfrs 247,7
million . Idealspun received Bfrs 58 337 488 in the form of
this interest subsidy ( payment of this subsidy was stopped in

1989 .

The Idealspun case has already received a great deal of
attention at a European level . In its letters of 18 November

1983, 20 December 1983 and 11 January 1984 the Belgian
Government defended the granting of subsidies totalling
Bfrs 224 million . Although the Belgian Government had
initially provided for Bfrs 224 million, the final sum paid
totalled Bfrs 274 million ( with a further Bfrs 58,3 million
being paid via the 7% interest subsidy ).

The Belgian Government thus withheld information from
the EC Commission . The EC decision of 27 June 1984 ruled
that the government investment of Bfrs 224 million
contravened Article 92 of the EEC Treaty . Once again the
sum mentioned was the initial lower sum . This was later

followed by two judgments by the European Court of
Justice (9 April 1987 and 12 February 1991 ).

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

Bfrs 274 million ?

2 . Is not the interest subsidy totalling Bfrs 58 337 488 also
in contravention of Article 92 of the EEC Treaty ?

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

No C 292 / 10 Official Journal of the European Communities 28 . 10 . 93

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1213 / 93

by Mr Paul Staes ( V )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 18 May 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 19 )

Subject : Provisions concerning non-voting shares held by

the State — approval by the Commission

Royal Decree No 20 of 23 March 1982 forms part of the
textiles plan . It made it possible for the State to invest in
dozens of textiles companies by purchasing non-voting
shares . The decree laid down that the companies were to buy
the shares within 1 5 vears of their creation for a minimum of

80 % of their nominal value . Article 6 of the Decree of the

Flemish Region laying down provisions to accompany the
budget for 19 93 now makes it possible for companies to buy
non-voting shares for less than 80 % of their nominal value .
This may constitute a form of aid to the companies
concerned .

1 . Was the Commission informed of the intention to adopt
this measure, pursuant to Article 92 of the EC Treaty ? If
so, when ?

2 . Did the Commission approve the measure ? If so,
when ?

Joint answer to Written Questions
Nos 1939 / 92 to 1942 / 92 and 1213 / 93

given by Mr Van Miert
on behalf of the Commission

( 29 July 1993 )

The Commission 's letter contained no conditions or rules

concerning the repurchase of state holdings in firms under
the plan since the Commission considered that the entire
amount of the Belgian State 's planned holdings ( Bfrs 6,8
billion ) constituted aid .

Following an action for annulment brought by Germany,
the Court of Justice in its Judgment of 20 March 1984
declared the Commission 's decision of 21 November 1981

void, finding that it infringed an essential procedural
requirement .

As previously indicated, in its decision the Commission been
silent on the conditions for the repurchase of the State 's
holding in firms since it considered that all such holdings
constituted aid, thus encompassing any capital loss on
repurchase . This aid could be accepted in the context of
approval of the full restructuring programme . Recovery of
the funds when the State 's holdings were sold would have
effectively reduced the total amount of aid . The repurchases,
even at a price approaching zero, would not contain any
fresh aid on top of the aid already contained in the original
restructuring plan .

The Commission therefore considers that the conditions

governing the repurchase of shares under the restructuring
plan do not contain any fresh aid to the firms and / or private
recipients in question .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2216 / 92

by Mr Hemmo Muntingh ( S )

to the Commission of the European Communities

(1 September 1992 )

( 93 / C 292 / 20 )
In July 1980 Belgium notified to the Commission the main
features of an aid programme it intended to introduce to
assist the textile and clothing industry as part of a recovery
and restructuring programme for that industry ( known as Subject : Quality of the water of the River Meuse
the Claes Plan ).

After long negotiations and several alterations to the plan,
the Commission informed the Belgian authorities by letter
of 18 November 1981 that it did not oppose the scheme 's
implementation for a period of one year ending on
31 December 1982 .

The plan envisaged recapitalization aid to firms in the
industry in the form of low-interest state loans and / or state
participation in the necessary restructuring investments .

The water quality in the River Meuse is still extremely
worrying . A recent study by IRWA ( the Association of
Rhine and Meuse Water Companies ) speaks of dirty and
unhealthy water, the quality of which has not improved over
the last decade . The IRWA calls for immediate action to

clean up the sources of pollution . The national authorities in
the Netherlands, Flanders and Wallonia are failing to take
adequate action . In answer to Written Question
No 640 / 92 (*), the Council stated that the Commission is
empowered to conduct negotiations on the quality of water
courses that cross frontiers .

%

28 . 10 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 292 / 1 1

How does the Commission propose to step up consultations
between the Member States concerned so as to improve the
quality of the Meuse 's water in the short-term ?

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2350 / 92

by Mrs Brigitte Ernst de la Graete ( V )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 23 September 1992 )

What action is open to the Commission to enforce
compliance with EC provisions on water quality ? What ( 93 / C 292 / 21
action does the Commission propose to take in the short
term ?

Subject : E25 / E40 motorway link to Liege

Does the Commission agree that frequent monitoring of the
quality of the Meuse 's water at a large number of sampling
points is therefore essential ? Does the Commission propose
to urge the Member States affected to develop a water
sampling network in the short term ?

Is it possible to apply for money from the LIFE fund to
stimulate activities to clean up the waters of the Meuse ? If
so, what actions does the Commission have in mind ?

(') OJ No C 168, 4 . 7 . 1992, p. 46 .

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission

(6 April 1993 )

The Commission is aware of the talks currently taking place
between the three Member States bordering on the River
Meuse on the adoption of a Convention on cooperation on
the management of the River Meuse and the River
Schelde .

The Commission is able to make use of the procedure
provided for under Article 1 69 of the EEC Treaty to monitor
the application of Community law . Proceedings may be
brought against a Member State for failure to apply one or
more Directives properly, for the failure of the national
implementing measures to conform to the Directives or for
failure to communicate the national implementing

measures .

The quality of the water of the River Meuse is frequently
measured at a number of points along the entire length of the
river by the authorities responsible in the Member States
concerned .

The LIFE fund could provide financial support for
preparatory or demonstration projects which are of
Community interest or are innovative in terms of the
technology or methodology used . These projects must also
fall within the priority areas laid down by the Commission
for 1993 and published in the Official Journal ( 1 ).

( i ) OJ No C 336, 19 . 12 . 1992, clean technologies .

On 30 May 1992 work began on the first stage of the tunnel
linking the E25 and E40 motorways under Cointe hill at
Liege, Belgium .

On that occasion the Minister of Public Works of the

Walloon Region said that the link would cost a further Bfrs

1 800 to 3 700 million, or between ECU 450 and 900
million, and that he intended to apply to the Commission for
subsidies so that it could be completed by 2010 .

1 . Does a budget item exist for subsidies for such
infrastructures in Belgium ?

2 . If so, does the Commission intend to give a favourable
reply to the Minister 's application, bearing in mind that
the value of the infrastructure is disputed in the region
and that no environmental impact assessment has been
carried out ?

Answer given by Mr Matutes

on behalf of the Commission

( 29 July 1993 )

i

Council Regulation ( EEC ) No 3359 / 90 of 20 November
1990 ( J ) for an Action programme in the field of transport
infrastructure with a view to the completion of an integrated
transport market in 1992 allows financial support to be
granted to projects of Community interest . But the projects
approved and listed in Article 3 of the Regulation do not
include any road sections in Belgium .

On the other hand, the proposal on a trans-European
masterplan for the roads does give the A602 Liege-Bastogne
link, including the cross-Liege link intended to fill in the gap
between the northern and southern sections . In future, the
possibility of co-financing will be decided, where
appropriate, by whatever instruments are put in place . In the
transport infrastructure programme for 1993 ( Regulation
3359 / 90 ) the Belgian authorities submitted for co-financing
a project described as ' A602 Motorway at Liege ( link
between the E40 and the E25 ), including two tunnels under
Cointe hill '. However, this project was not eligible under
Article 3 of the said Regulation and therefore did not receive

any support .

As regards the environmental question raised by the
Honourable Member, it should be pointed out that, if an
application is made for support from Community funds for
basic infrastructure of this type, the project must comply

No C 292 / 12 Official Journal of the European Communities 28 . 10 . 93

with all Community policies, including those on
environmental protection .

0 ) OJ No L 326, 24 . 11 . 1990 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2363 / 92

by Mrs Mary Banotti ( I'PE )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 23 September 1992 )

( 93 / C 292 / 22 )

Subject : European library

Could the Commission inform whether they would be
prepared to assist in the establishment of a European library
which would acquire all material available in the US and
Europe and make it available on electronic media to all
colleges and universities in Europe ?

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro

on behalf of the Commission

( 29 July 1993 )

The Commission and its Offices in the Member States can

contribute to synergies between European libraries .

References to this are currently being introduced into
cooperation agreements with non-member countries via a
clause stipulating that relations between the Community
and the country concerned are based on respect for human
rights, and that this is an essential element of the agreement .
Including such clauses in cooperation agreements means
that specific operations can be undertaken with a view to
promoting the entire spectrum of human rights . Protecting
the rights of the child is naturally a priority .

In its resolution of 12 July 1990 ( B3-1436 / 90 ) ( l ),
Parliament expressed the hope that a clause would be
included in cooperation agreements concluded or renewed
with non-Community countries stipulating respect for the
Convention on the rights of the child ( in force since
2 September 1990 ) to which many states have already
acceded .

Has the Commission met Parliament 's request and does it
mention in the text of the agreements that the recipient
countries must devote some of the aid to ' human resources '

and in particular children, with emphasis on the
development of primary health care, measures to prevent
disease and malnutrition, the protection of children against
unfair exploitation, and the right to education ?

(!) OJ No C 231, 17 . 9 . 1990, p. 170 .

Answer given by Mr van den Broek

on behalf of the Commission

( 29 July 1993 )

The rights of the child are an integral part of human rights :
respect for such rights, and their promotion and
preservation, is an essential element of relations between the
Community and non-member countries .

They can also support electronic storage and can a
communications media through area 5 of the specific promoting the entire spectrum of human rights . Protecting
programme for telematic systems of general interest set up the rights of the child is naturally a priority .
under the third framework programme for Community
RTD activities ( 1990—94 ). That is why the new agreement between the Community
and Brazil contains specific provisions offering real scope
for measures to help abandoned and maltreated children, a
problem which is particularly acute in that country .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2558 / 92

by Mr Pierre Lataillade ( RDE )
to the Commission of the European Communities

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2686 / 92

( 27 October 1992 ) by Mr Giulio Fantuzzi ( GUE )

( 93 / C 292 / 23 ) to the Commission of the European Communities

( 29 October 1992 )

Subject : Community aid and respect for the rights of ( 93 / C 292 / 24 )

children

The European Parliament has repeatedly condemned the
intolerable situation of children in many third-world
countries suffering from the problems of underdevelopment

( high infant mortality, aids, exploitation for the purposes of
pornography, prostitution etc .).

Subject : Compensatory payments in traditional production

zones for durum wheat in Emilia-Romagna

Annex II of the recent Council Regulation ( EEC )
No 1765 / 92 (*) lists the traditional production zones for

28 . 10 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 292 / 13

durum wheat entitled to the supplementary compensator ) ( b ) On what grounds are members of the Committee
payment introduced by the reform of the CAP . on Energy refused information on how contracts

are awarded and the outcome of this process so that
In the proposed regulation, the Commission and the they are unable ' to exercise any control over the use
Council did not accept an amendment by the European of taxpayers money ?
Parliament and excluded producers of durum wheat in the
less-favoured areas of the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna 2 . How does the Commission justify the changes in the
from entitlement to such premiums, despite the fact that this contracts covering refitting which absolve the firms
crop has been grown for some time in those areas, is of high concerned from any responsibility for any shortcomings
quality and is closely connected with the food industry in the arising from their work ?
region .

durum wheat entitled to the supplementary compensator )
payment introduced by the reform of the CAP .

2 . How does the Commission justify the changes in the
contracts covering refitting which absolve the firms
concerned from any responsibility for any shortcomings
arising from their work ?

3 . The final disposal of radioactive waste is a serious
Given that their exclusion from such payments may have problem worldwide, and nowhere more so than for
serious consequences for producers in the less developed operators of nuclear power stations in the EC .
areas, which are, incidentally, included in the Integrated
Mediterranean Programmes, and that they are already ( a ) Does the Commission know how the former USSR and
operating at a lower level of profitability, with no real its successors have disposed of radioactive waste so
alternative, can the Commission give its reasons for far ?
excluding such producers and state whether such are^s
could be included in the production zones referred to in
Annex II of the abovementioned regulation ? ( b ) Does the Commission know where the nuclear dumps

( a ) Does the Commission know how the former USSR and
its successors have disposed of radioactive waste so
far ?

( b ) Does the Commission know where the nuclear dumps

involved are ? What are they called ?

( M-OJ No L 181, 1 . 7 . 1992, p. 12 .

( c ) Is the practice compatible with the Commission 's safety
standards ?

( d ) What importance does the Commission attach to the

Answer given by Mr Steichen problem of the disposal of radioactive waste from CIS

on behalf of the Commission reactors ?

on behalf of the Commission

( 13 July 1993 )

( e ) How does the Commission intend to ensure that this
waste is disposed of according to safety criteria which
In the decisions taken by the Council on the reform of the meet with its approval ?
common agricultural policy the enhanced durum wheat aid
was confined to areas which received the original durum 4 . The safety standards for handling radioactive material
wheat aid during the base period . Since then adjustments to vary from Member State to Member State . What safety
the areas eligible for aid have been made in Spain, Portugal standards does the Commission require of recipients of
and France on the basis of a proposal by the Commission . financial resources from the Tacis subprogramme on
Discussion in Parliament and Council on that proposal gave

nuclear safety ?

an opportunity for the claims of other regions of the
Community to be considered but the final Council decision
was limited to the areas initially proposed .

Answer given by Sir Leon Brittan

on behalf of the Commission

(3 August 1993 )

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2698 / 92

by the following members : Hiltrud Breyer, Paul Lannoye,

Virginio Bettini and Marguerite-Marie Dinguirard ( V )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 29 October 1992 )

( 93 / C 292 / 25

Subject : The Tacis programme

1 . ( a ) Why are contracts for studies and projects forming
part of the Tacis programme not publicly
advertised ?

1 . The general procedure for the award of contracts by
the Commission is an open invitation to tender to all
Community enterprises . However, restricted invitation to
tender may be used in particularly urgent situations : the
Tacis programme is one such case, and has accordingly been
the subject of a general accelerated procedure . This is
provided for in Regulation ( EEC ) No 2157 / 91 of 15 July

1991 concerning the provision of technical assistance to
economic reform and recovery in the Soviet Union ( ! ).

In addition to this use of the restricted procedure, contracts
for operations of up to ECU 300 000 may be awarded by
private treaty, where appropriate after an informal
consultation .

4

No C 292 / 14 Official Journal of the E uropean Communities 28 . 10 . 93

Supply contracts are awarded by open invitation to
tender .

The Commission systematically ensures that for every
operation, the tender selected is economically the most
advantageous, taking into consideration the tenderers '
qualifications and the guarantees they offer, and factors
such as cost, quality, the nature and conditions for
execution, running costs and technical merit .

The short lists used in the restricted procedure are
confidential ; this is in accordance with the Commission 's
general Financial Regulation . Some information can,
however, be made available after contracts have been
awarded .

Management and implementation of the technical
assistance programme is the responsibility and the
prerogative of the Commission . The Court of Auditors
verifies all Commission expenditure . After checking the
Commission 's management practices, the Court of Auditors
reports its findings to Parliament .

2 . The Commission has not revised its contracts or

standard contracting conditions . All contracts are aimed at
maximizing the transfer of know-how from the West to the
recipient institutions in the former Soviet Union . They
require the consultancy firm contracted to execute work for
the Commission, comply with the obligations stipulated in
the contract and the terms of reference for the project, and
execute them precisely and completely .

As far as nuclear liability is concerned, neither the Russian
Federation nor Ukraine are parties to the Vienna or Paris
Conventions governing the liability of owners and operators
of nuclear plants . Therefore, companies are largely
unwilling to take the risk of becoming involved in nuclear
safety related assistance, be it in the form of specific studies
for safety improvement or on-site assistance, without
adequate liability cover . Pending the accession of the two
countries to these Conventions, which will take some time,
the Commission is negotiating specific, bilateral ad hoc
arrangements . These negotiations have resulted in a
preliminary solution, enabling companies to get work under

way .

hospitals has been disposed of at central overground
facilities across the former Soviet Union . Spent nuclear fuel
from power stations was never regarded as waste in the
Soviet Union because the policy was to reprocess it with a
view to recovering the unburned uranium and
plutonium .

Several of the former Soviet Union 's management methods
fell short of the level required for safety reasons by the
Community . In particular, facilities for the treatment of the
solid waste produced by nuclear power stations are a recent
development and only a few plants have them ; some liquid
waste disposal methods are no longer compatible with the
latest Community thinking on final storage ( the
requirement that waste be immobilized by solidification
prior to storage ).

The Commission believes that the countries concerned

should be provided with the assistance required for the
development of safety regulations and technology so that
they can manage and store their radioactive waste as safely
as possible ; the Tacis programme provides for such
assistance this year and in subsequent years .

The assistance for the regulatory authorities of the countries
concerned will primarily be aimed at enabling them to apply
and supervise suitable safety measures in a responsible

manner .

4 . Assistance in the target sectors ( studies of the safety of
reactors, nuclear fuel cycle facilities, waste management,
etc .) is coordinated by the Community . It is implemented by
the Tacis programme, most often by consortia of agencies
from different Member States . The Community 's nuclear
safety culture is thereby passed on in a coherent manner .

(!) OJ No L 201, 24 . 7 . 1991 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2801 / 92

3 . The Commission keeps abreast of the radioactive QUESTION
waste management techniques employed in the USSR and its by Mr Marc Galle ( S )
successor states through participation in IAEA working to the Commission of the European
parties, papers presented at international conferences by
experts from the former USSR and the abovementioned ( 16 November 1992 )
countries, and contacts with the authorities of those ( 93 / C 292 / 26 )
countries .

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 16 November 1992 )

( 93 / C 292 / 26 )

The Commission has in the same way acquired a certain

understanding of the interim storage and final disposal
methods and systems in these countries . Almost all
radioactive waste is stored on-site at nuclear plants ( nuclear
power stations, reprocessing factories, etc .) pending
disposal . Waste from research centres, industry and

Subject : Community representation at sport events

At many sport events this summer the European flag was
regularly in evidence, for example on some of the bouquets
presented during the Tour de France .

28 . 10 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 292 / 15

1 . At which sports events has the Commission been general public, but is always modest when compared to the
represented and will it be represented in 1992 ? overal cost of the event .

2 . At which sports events will it be represented in

1993 ?

3 . What department has specific responsibility in this

connection ?

4 . How many representatives are sent and what is their
exact function ?

5 . Is staff specially recruited and, if so, in what
numbers ?

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2812 / 92

by Mr Freddy Blak ( S )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 16 November 1992 )

( 93 / C 292 / 27
6 . What material, e.g. for distribution, are they supplied

with ?

Subject : Exclusion of Danish writers from consideration

7 . What is the cost on each occasion ( cost of for the European Prize for Literature
representation, staff and equipment )?

According to an article appearing in the newspaper
Jyllandsposten, on Wednesday, 8 October 1992, Danish

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro

on behalf of the Commission

(7 July 1993 )

writers were not seriously considered for the European Prize
for Literature for the sole reason that the jury had not been
aware that there were Danish candidates until the meeting
was actually taking place . According to the report, this was
owing to an administrative error by the European
Community .

1 . As 1992 marked a turning-point in the process of
European integration, the Community institutions, in Is it actually true that the Danish candidates for the
particular Parliament and the Commission, sought to bring European Prize for Literature were not included on the
the Community closer to the people by taking part in major original list of candidates for consideration by the jury ?
sporting events such as the Olympic Games and the Tour de
France . If Danish writers were in fact excluded from serious

consideration as a result of an EC administrative error, what
2 . The main activities planned for 1993 include the steps will the Commission take to correct the relevant
European Yacht Race, the European Youth Olympics ( both administrative procedures in future ?
winter and summer games ), the Women 's Tour of the
European Community, the Special Olympics and the Games
of the International Sports Federation of Catholic Teaching
Establishments . The Community will also lend its support
WRITTEN QUESTION No 2813 / 92
to other events, in particular those for the disabled .

Is it actually true that the Danish candidates for the
European Prize for Literature were not included on the
original list of candidates for consideration by the jury ?

by Mr Freddy Blak ( S )

to the Commission of the European Communities

3 . Responsibility for these activities lies with the
Directorate-General for Audiovisual Media, Information, ( 16 November 1992 )
Communication and Culture, and in particular Unit X.C.4 ( 93 / C 292 / 28
— People 's Europe : Information Campaigns, Public
Awareness and Sport . 

( 93 / C 292 / 28

Subject : Exclusion of Danish writers from consideration

4 and 5 . The number of staff involved depends on the for the European Prize for Literature
scale of the activities in question . For some major events, the
Commission lists the help of specialized agencies through
invitations to tender . Wednesday According to, an 8 article October in the 1992 newspaper, Danish Jyllandsposten writers have, of
apparently been excluded from serious consideration for the
6 . A wide range of materials is used, including printed European Prize for Literature . This is unjust and steps
matter, the spoken word and audiovisual media, depending should be taken to remedy matters .
on the nature of the target audience .

7 . The cost to the budget depends on the nature of the
activities concerned, in particular their impact on the

Such a mistake by EC bureaucracy can only serve to increase
resistance to EC cooperation and is particularly regrettable
for the Danish writers concerned . The EC should therefore

No C 292 / 16 Official Journal of the European Communities 28 . 10 . 93

take measures as soon as possible to rectify this error and
ensure that there is no recurrence in future, for the sake of
both EC cooperation and public attitudes to the EC .

What steps will the Commission take to ensure that Danish
writers are given another chance to be considered for the

1992 European Prize for Literature and to ensure that
mistakes such as this do not occur again ?

Joint answer to Written Questions

Nos 2812 / 92 and 2813 / 92

given by Mr Pinheiro
on behalf of the Commission

independent decision by the panel members . They do not
have to justify their decisions and they are bound to respect
the confidentiality of their deliberations .

Finally, it should be pointed out that, while for the first time
since 1990 no Danish title appears on the short list ( six out
of 32 titles ), in accordance with the established competition
rules, writers from five other Member States were not
selected either .

It was accordingly decided that no changes should be made
in the selection process for the 1993 literary prize currently
under way . The entries submitted by Denmark for 1993

are :

( 26 July 1993 ) — Peer Hultberg : Byen og Verden

— Klaus Hoeck : Eventyr

Under the arrangements for the Aristeion European literary
and translation prizes laid down by the Council Committee — Peter Hoeg : Frøken Smillas fornemmeise for sne .
on Cultural Affairs, each member selects no more than three
works to be submitted to an independent European panel .
Each Member State establishes the necessary rules for this They were included in the panel 's first list at the

4 May 1993 in Brussels . They will not receive any

purpose .

In response to the Commission 's request, the Danish
literature information centre ( Dansk Litteratur ­
informationscenter ) nominated three Danish authors for the

1992 literature prize . They were :

— Svend Age Madsen : At Fortaelle menneskene

— Ib Michael : Vanillepigen

— Klaus Rifbjerg : Bjerget i himien

At the first meeting in Brussels on 24 June 1992, the panel
drew up a final list of 32 names, including the three Danish
authors .

In response to the panel 's request, the Commission in
cooperation with the Danish literature information centre
requested independent outside experts to prepare reports on
the three Danish works . The reports were received in
Brussels, and English and French versions were sent to panel
members on 24 August 1 992 together with the reports sent
by the Danish panel member .

At the second meeting on 15 — 16 September 1992 in
Brussels, after a series of votes the panel established a short
list of six works after eliminating 26 entries .

The absence of Danish entries from the short list was not due

to an administrative error on the part of the Commission
departments concerned, which had provided the panel with
all the necessary information so that it could independently
establish the short list . The exclusion of the Danish writers

and of writers from other Member States was the result of an

They were included in the panel 's first list at the meeting on
4 May 1993 in Brussels . They will not receive any different
treatment . The panel, which is completely independent and
whose decision is final, will assess the quality of these works
at the forthcoming meeting in Brussels on
14 — 15 September 1 993 . The short list will be published at
the Frankfurt Fair from 6 to 11 October 1993 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 3023 / 92

by Mrs Sylviane Ainardi ( CG )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 14 December 1992 )

93 / C 292 / 29

Subject : Community information and public relations

campaign

The European Community presented an exhibition of its
measures and projects at the Barcelona Olympic Games .
The total Commission budget of ECU 15,5 million for the
Olympic Games, covered aid to the organizing committees
and funding for its media information and public relations
campaign .

Can the Commission indicate the amount and utilization of

appropriations for its information and public relations
campaign for the Barcelona Olympic Games, as well as the
Albertville Olympic Games and Universal Exhibition in
Seville ?

28 . 10 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 292 / 17

In allocating expenditure between the media, how does the
Commission ensure a fair and balanced representation of
the different communications media, depending on the
country and audience ?

populations . In each case the titles were selected on the basis
of purely commercial criteria ( circulation, readership ) the
aim being to reach the broadest possible section of the
national population .

For the Seville Universal Exposition an appropriation of
ECU 15,3 million was made available to the
Answer given by Mr Pinheiro Commissioner-General .

on behalf of the Commission

( 26 July 1993 )

On 15 March 1989, in response to the wishes of the
European Parliament and the Adonnino report on a People 's
Europe, the Commission decided to associate the
Community with the 1992 winter and summer Olympic
Games, which as large-scale media events offered enormous
opportunities for communication .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 3156 / 92

by Mr Edward Kellett-Bowman ( PPE )

to the Commission of the European Communities

The budgetary authority allocated ECU 14,5 million for the (6 January 1993 )
purpose . Of this amount a direct contribution of ECU ( 93 / C 292 / 30

10 million was made to the Committees responsible for
organizing the Games, i.e. ECU 4 million for the Organizing
Committee for the Winter Olympics in Albertville, and ECU
6 million for the Organizing Committee for the Summer
Olympics in Barcelona .

Subject : G24 and G7 expenditure

Further to your reply to H-1045 / 92 ( ] ), in the
administration of the G24 and G7 funds there must be some

In return for these subsidies the Community image was to be administrative expenditure by the Commission, therefore
projected in the televised mass-impact spectacles of the will the Commission state how much it spends in respect of
opening and closing ceremonies of the Games . administrative costs in the management of G24 and G7

funds ; how much of this comes out of the G24 and G7 funds
With a view to underlining the Community message and how much out of the Commission 's budget ?
conveyed through sponsorship of the Olympic Committees,
the Commission decided to organize an information ( ! ) Debates of the European Parliament No 3-423, October
campaign on the Community and the 1 992 Single Market to 1992 .
be conducted in conjunction with the Olympic Games for a
total amount of ECU 4,5 million .

In return for these subsidies the Community image was to be
projected in the televised mass-impact spectacles of the
opening and closing ceremonies of the Games .

( ! ) Debates of the European Parliament No 3-423, October

1992 .

The five main activities in the campaign were :

information activities at the Olympic sites

Answer given by Sir Leon Brittan

on behalf of the Commission

( 29 July 1993 )
information activities in the Member States

publication of information and promotion material

As the Commission explained in its answer to question
H-1045 / 92, it has no receipts from the G24 or the G7 . The

relations with the media coordination carried out by the Commission on behalf of

these two groups thus forms part of the ordinary work of the
publicity campaign . Commission 's staff .

relations with the media

As regards relations with the press, the press releases issued
for the Games in Albertville and Barcelona were one of the It is not possible to give an exact figure as to the costs of this

coordination work, since the work is spread through a

mainstays of the operation designed to highlight the number of the Commission departments, and many of those
Olympic programme as a whole on the European media

involved spend only a proportion ( often a small proportion )

possible market . The in the press Member releases States were ( press distributed offices as, general widely and as unit of their in time the Commission on such work 's . However External, the Economic G24 Coordination Relations
specialist press ).

Department consists of six officials ( three A-grade, one
B                           - grade and two C-grade ); eight temporary staff ; and 10
The press advertisements produced as part of t he publicity national officials seconded ( with their salaries paid ) by
campaign appeared in the daily press of the Member States, Member States of the G24 .
in over 40 newspapers, reaching an audience of nearly 50
million . The budget was carefully distributed among the
Member States in proportion to their respective

No C 292 / 18 Official Journal of the European Communities 28 . 10 . 93

WRITTEN QUESTION No 3166 / 92

by Mr Juan Bandrés Molet ( V )

to the Commission of the European Communities

(6 January 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 31

Subject : Waste treatment plant for Onda, Bechi and
Villarreal ( Autonomous Community of
Valencia )

The technical report on the ' Project for a sewerage system
and waste treatment plant for Onda, Bechi and Villarreal
( Plana Baixa )' was published on 28 April 1992 in the
Official Journal of the Province of Castellon .

The technical reports reveal that the planned installation to
treat all the urban and industrial waste from the three

abovementioned places thas insufficient capacity and that
the environmental impact : study which is mandatory for this
plant under Community and Valencian legislation ( Royal
Decree No 1302 / 86 ) has not been carried out .

national authorities concerned which are responsible for
this kind of decision .

t 1 ) OJ No L 175, 5 . 7 . 1985 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 3212 / 92

by Mr Victor Manuel Arbeloa Muru ( S )

to the Commission of the European Communities

(6 January 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 32

Subject : Measures to promote the sponsorship of cultural

activities

What measures has the European Commission adopted to
promote the sponsorship of cultural activities following the
resolution of the Ministers for Culture and of the Council of

Ministers of 13 November 1986 ( M ?

The project for the construction of the waste treatment plant
and ERDF sewers fund is . receiving a large Community subsidy from the (') OJ No C 320, 13 . 12 . 1986, p. 2 .

Could the Commission

prescribed environmental
project and that it has the
and urban waste ?

take action to ensure that the

impact study is carried out for the

capacity to treat all the industrial

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro

on behalf of the Commission

( 29 July 1993 )

In their resolution of 13 November 1986 and conclusions of

27 May 1988 the Council and the Ministers of Culture
stressed the important role played by business sponsorship
in respect of European cultural heritage and cultural
activities in general . They asserted that this source of
financing could not replace existing public funding, but
should supplement it .

The Commission opted to support a system of European
networking for associations and bodies already active in this
area, with emphasis on promoting the exchange and
distribution of information on national provisions covering
this area .

To this end, the Commission initially undertook to support
the setting-up of the European Committee for Business, Arts
and Culture ( CEREC ) over a three-year period . This
network brings together many associations and bodies in
the Member States working to encourage sponsorship .
Community support for this initiative came to an end in

1992 .

Any future projects in this area will be supported in terms of
the priority given by the Council ( 12 November 1992 ) and
Parliament ( 21 January 1993 ) to transnational cultural
networks, pursuant to the Commission Communication on
new prospects for Community cultural action ( l ) and under

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission

( 19 July 1993 )

In accordance with Article 4 ( 2 ) of Directive
85 / 337 / EEC ( J ), plans for waste treatment plants are subject
to an environmental impact assessment if the Member States
consider that their characteristics require this to be done .

The Commission has asked the Spanish authorities to let it
have the results of the environmental impact assessment
under the terms of the ERDF arrangements for co-financing
the plant, referred to in the question, which is to be built in
the Valencia region .

On 24 June 1993 the authorities replied that the technical
aspects of the environmental impact asse ssment carried out
by the Polytechnical University of Valencia had been
completed but that it was necessary to await the outcome of
a public enquiry before a final statement on impact could be
made .

The Commission suggests, with regard to the second part of
the question, that the Honourable Member contact the

28 . 10 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 292 / 19

section III of the Kaleidoscope Programme ( encouragement
for networks ).

Answer given by Mr Steichen

on behalf of the Commission

(4 June 1993 )

At the same time, the Commission and the Portuguese
authorities jointly organized a conference on sponsorship
for culture in Europe on 2 and 3 April 1992 . At the end of five direct aid campaigns for the producer in
order to encourage varietal reconversion, the Community
has rice production of the ' variety indica which enables
The aim of the conference was to enable the various parties it to satisfy 40% of the request of the aforementioned
involved in sponsorship to exchange experiences and to variety .
identify the sort of Community action which could usefully
contribute to the development of sponsorship .

It is indeed in the Seville province that the major part ( 50 % )
of the community output is concentrated, which has to cope
This issue is currently being examined in greater depth by on the imports which, before, constituted the only source of
the Committee on Cultural Affairs . supplies of the countries of the north of the Community .

f 1 ) COM(92 ) 149 final . The following table, which accounts for the trend in the
imports of this variety of rice, shows that these have been
decreasing for a few years, undoubtedly in consequence of
the birth of community output .

All these imports are struck, to the entry, of the suitable
regulating right and are subjected to the usual customs
formalities .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 3226 / 92

by Mr Diego de los Santos Lopez ( ARC ) Regarding the imports coming from the Netherlands
to the Commission of the European Communities Antilles ( Curacao ) which are exonerees of the regulating

by Mr Diego de los Santos Lopez ( ARC ) Regarding the imports coming from the Netherlands
to the Commission of the European Communities Antilles ( Curacao ) which are exonerees of the regulating

right under the terms of the decision of the Council at its

(6 January 1993 ) meeting on 25 July 1991, they amounted to 50 981 tonnes

( 93 / C 292 / 33 ) of April 1992 to 16 February 1993 . Currently, the

Community applies a minimum price to the import of rice
originating in the Netherlands Antilles fixed at 550 ECU /t .
Subject : Defence of the Community rice sector This measure will remain in place until 31 August 1993 .

(6 January 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 33 )

Origin of imports

( % )

The Community has in recent years been supporting
change-overs to different varieties in the rice sector .

As a result, rice producers have been receiving subsidies for
growing the ' indica ' variety instead of the ' japonica ' variety .
This was meant to meet demand for a product in which there
was a production shortfall in the Community .

1988 : 350 United States of America 60

1989 : 325 Thailand 15

1990 : 316 India 8

1991 : 297 Surinam 7

Guyana 4

Imports of rice indica
( thousands of tonnes )

Regions such as the ' Marismas del Guadalquivir ' in Bajo Others 6
Guadalquivir ( Andalusia ) have made great efforts to change
to a different variety in accordance with the Community
guidelines .

Today this region and others in the Community are
suffering a major crisis which is due to large-scale imports of
this variety of rice and also coincides with the end of the
subsidy arrangements . It is suspected that many of these
imports are being carried out in a fraudulent manner . Can
the Commission state the quantities and place of origin of
rice imports for recent years ?

WRITTEN QUESTION No 3246 / 92

by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos ( NI )

to the Commission of the European Communities

(6 January 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 34

Subject : Reconciliation with the European heritage
What measures are being taken to check the origin of
imports and avoid major damage to Community markets ?
Does the Commission possess information concerning As the 21st century approaches and European union is
imports for Curasao ? taking shape, the time has come to reconcile the people of

No C 292 / 20 Official Journal of the European Communities 28 . 10 . 93

Europe with their culture, past, present : and future . Given
this need, what action will the Commission take to combat
the confusion and / or indifference that the people of Europe
feel today about the culture of their continent ?

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro

on behalf of the Commission

( 30 July 1993 )

The best answer to the Honourable Member 's question is to

be found in Article 128 of the Treaty on European Union,
which stipulates that ' the Community shall contribute to the
flowering of the cultures of the Member States, while
respecting their national and regional diversity and at the
same time bringing the common cultural heritage to the
fore '.

The Commission therefore intends to encourage
cooperation between the Member States and, if necessary,
to support and complement their activities to improve
accessibility and knowledge of the culture and history of the
European peoples . In its communication entitled ' New
prospects for Community cultural action 1 ( J ), it has already
proposed a number of initiatives which could be
implemented once the Treaty on European Union has been
ratified .

The resources needed to implement this policy are currently
limited, and it will be up to the relevant authorities to make
the necessary budgetary provision so that action in this new
area of Community activity can proceed .

(') COM(92 ) 149 final .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 3309 / 92

by Mr Mihail Papayannakis ( GUE )

to the Commission of the European Communities

(6 January 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 35

Subject : Projects in the area of Prevelis

The area of Prevelis to the south of Rethimnon in Crete is

well known for the Kourtaliotiko Gorge ( containing the
second largest palm forest in Europe ) and Lake Prevelis with
its rare species of flora and fauna . Work has already begun
on an irrigation project in this area under the regional
operational programme with funding from the IMP for
Crete, which will use up most of the remaining water .

In view of the fact that :

1 . Lake Prevelis, which is protected by Greek law ( Official
Gazette No 1242, 18 . 10 . 1973 ) suffered initial damage
in 1972 as a result of an irrigation project, which used
two-thirds of the water in the Kourtaliotiko Gorge,
which originally flowed into this area ;

2 . the result of reducing the flow of water into the lake to a
minimum is obvious, since the present volume is
negligible compared with the original quantities and
cannot guarantee the continued survival of the wetlands
or the vegetation . The region will consequently undergo
fundamental and irreversible deformation ;

3 . on 4 June 1992 at the meeting oftheEnvireg Monitoring
Committee the improvement, development and
protection of the natural environment of the
Kourtaliotiko Gorge and Lake Prevelis was
incorporated into the Envireg programme as part of the
' Crete natural habitat ' package with a total budget of Dr
225 million ;

4 . according to the Greek Technical Chamber for Western
Crete, no environmental impact study has been carried
out . In view of this, how does the Commission reconcile
the inclusion of this area in the Envireg programme for
the protection of natural habitats with funding through
the IMP for Crete of a development project which is
damaging the environment ? What steps will it take,
within the scope of its powers, to secure the suspension
of the project until an environmental impact study has
been carried out and to prevent the deformation of this
area ?

Answer given by Mr Millan
on behalf of the Commission

(9 July 1993 )

The Commission can confirm that Structural Fund

( EAGGF ) cofinancing is envisaged for the ' Kourtaliotis '
irrigation project under the Multifund Operational
Programme for Crete .

As regards the environmental aspects, Greece has informed
the Commission that the competent authorities are about to
have an environmental impact study carried out . Clearly,
the conditions governing the implementation of the project
will need to be specified once the results of this study are
known .

The Commission 's co-financing of this biotope project
under the Envireg programme underlines its concern to
safeguard the area concerned .

The Commission will take into account the results of the

environmental impact assessment before any further
Community funds are provided for the ' Kourtaliotis '
irrigation project .

28 . 10 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 292 / 21

WRITTEN QUESTION No 3320 / 92

by Mrs Concepcio Ferrer ( PPE )
to the Commission of the European Communities

(6 January 1 993 )

WRITTEN QUESTION No 3333 / 92

by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos ( NI )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 25 January 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 36 ) ( 93 / C 292 / 37

Subject : Imposition by Greece of a special tax on airline

Subject : Programmes submitted by Spain under the Interreg

programme to assist customs agents

One of the specific objectives of the Interreg programme is
the promotion of training and employment measures for
workers affected by the abolition of internal borders as a
result of the establishment of the single market .

Member States were to have submitted their programmes in
this area to the Commission in the spring of 1991 .

Can the Commission say what kind of programmes were
submitted by Spain and which of them were approved ?

Answer given by Mr Millan
on behalf of the Commission

( 16 July 1993 )

The Interreg initiative does allow for training and
job-creation measures for those affected by the abolition of
border controls, including customs officers and forwarding

agents .

The joint programmes with France and Portugal under
Interreg do not include specific measures for this group
because provision was not made for aid from the Social
Fund . However, it should be stressed that the projects
submitted by the Spanish authorities as part of this initiative
aim first and foremost to convert those economic activities

which predominated before border controls were abolished .
This strategy should help those concerned in their search for
alternative employment .

Furthermore, on 17 December 1992 the Council adopted a
specific regulation, with a budget of ECU 30 million, to
part-finance the reconversion or restructuring of companies
most affected by the abolition of border controls . To this
end, the Spanish authorities have submitted a large number
of practical projects which are currently being examined by
the Commission .

tickets

Hotel owners, travel agents, and above all airline passengers
are protesting against the imposition of a special tax on
airline tickets by the Greek authorities in order to collect
national funds to be used for the construction of the new

Athens airport at Spata . Will the Commission seek the
abolition of that tax because it infringes the rules on
competition ?

Answer given by Mr Matutes

on behalf of the Commission

(7 July 1993 )

The Commission has not been notified by Greece of the
introduction of the tax to which the Honourable Member

refers .

As regards Community tax provisions, since this tax is levied
when air tickets are issued, and bears no relation to the cost
of the transport service provided, it can be assessed neither
as VAT nor as a tax on turnover, which is prohibited under
Article 33 of the sixth Directive on VAT, 77 / 388 / EEC of

17 May 1977 ( l ).

It would appear that this tax has to be assessed as a charge
on services, and consequently cannot be examined for
discrimination between domestic and international

transport under Article 95 of the EEC Treaty, as those
provisions apply only to products .

If the tax is to be used to prefinance the Sparta airport, it
should be defined as a special airport charge . Although there
is currently no Community legislation on airport fees and
charges, if the imposition of the charge in question were to
discriminate between domestic and Community travellers, it
might constitute an infringement of Article 7 of the EEC
Treaty .

The Commission has asked the Greek authorities to supply
all the relevant information to enable it to examine this

matter in more detail .

The Commission is currently assessing the possibility of
introducing a Community framework for air transport
charges which would be applicable to all Community air
services .

( ] ) OJ No L 145, 13 . 6 . 1977

No C 292 / 22 Official Journal of the European Communities 28 . 10 . 93

WRITTEN QUESTION No 3364 / 92

by Mr David Martin ( S )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 25 January 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 38

Subject : Policy in regard to depository libraries and

European Comm unity documents

The Community currently provides copies of its
publications in English to a number of libraries in the United
States of America . In some cases these documents are heavily
used and have become an important source for researchers
working in fields related to the European Community . The
documents are provided free of charge and are an important
element in raising awareness of the Community overseas
and in furthering understanding of the Community and its
policies .

The cost of providing this documentation is now very high
and the Statistical Office of the EC has apparently decided
that it can no longer afford the cost of sending free copies of
all its documents to depository libraries . This decision is
causing problems to some university libraries in America
who have come to rely on the information but are not in a
position to pay the costs themselves .

Would the Commission please state whether :

1 . it has investigated the possibility of overcoming the
problem of cost by sending bulky documents in the form
of CD-ROM,

2 . it has considered negotiation of a reciprocal
arrangement for European depository libraries with the
US-Federal Government and with other major
countries,

3 . it will make available to a wider public — including
depository libraries — documents currently classified as
SEC documents but which are not of a confidential

nature ?

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro

on behalf of the Commission

( 26 July 1993 )

1 . Eurostat has for the last two and a half years had the
possibility of storing statistical data on CD-ROM : from

1991 onwards a monthly CD-ROM has appeared with the
detailed external trade statistics of the Community from

1976 until today . These data originate from the databank
Comext .

A general CD-ROM appeared in March 1993 with data
from all Community statistics . This CD-ROM is a kind of
electronic statistical yearbook .

2 . The Commission does not at present envisage such an
arrangement . Nevertheless, it may consider this issue in the
future .

3 . SEC documents of Eurostat are the so called ' statistical

documents ' which contain the most detailed statistics and

which are of interest only to specialists . As far as depository
libraries are concerned Eurostat had to terminate the free

distribution of statistical documents for budgetary reasons .
Instead, Eurostat has pointed out that each relay ( such as
DG X for depositary libraries ) is responsible for the choice,
reproduction and distribution of statistical documents .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 3471 / 92

by Mr Giis de Vries ( LDR )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 28 January 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 39 )

Subject : The Commission 's right to initiate legislation

According to a leading article in The Independent of
6 October 1992 (' Big drama, narrow stage '), the
Commission submitted a total of 535 proposals to the
Council of Ministers in 1992 . ' The Commission found that

it had initiated only about 30 measures, or 6%, although
some of these were important . Of the rest, the largest
number flowed from the application of international
agreements . Many others were prompted by requests from,
or decisions by, the Council of Ministers . . .'

1 . How many proposals did the Commission submit on its
own initiative, how many at the request of the Council,
and how many in implementation of an international
agreement ?

2 . Did the Commission submit any proposals at the request
of the European Parliament, and if so, which ones ?

3 . Which were the proposals that the Commission
submitted on its own initiative ?

Answer given by Mr Vanni d'Archirafi

on behalf of the Commission

(5 August 1993 )

The Commission would point out that Article 155 of the
Treaty confers on it the power to initiate legislation in the
areas covered by the EEC Treaty . The Commission is,
therefore, legally and politically responsible for its
proposals, regardless of the fact that they are drawn up at
the request of the Council, Parliament or economic
operators ( see Commission communication on
subsidiarity O ).

28 . 10 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 292 / 23

But in exercising its right to initiate legislation, the In the nine remaining instances the Commission did not act
Commission takes account of a whole range of factors, such on the Committee 's opinion .
as the needs of economic operators, requests from the other
institutions or the outcome of international negotiations . The Commission will forward the list of the proposals for
The figures in the newspaper article referred to by the directives direct to the Honourable Member and to the
Honourable Member must be evaluated in this context . General Secretariat of Parliament .

It is not possible to make comparisons between Commission
proposals drawn up at the request of the Council and
Parliament . For one thing, Parliament 's resolutions call on
the Commission to take all manner of initiatives which do

not necessarily involve requests for legislative proposals,
since they range from specific action under the budget
procedure to the drafting of strategic documents . The
six-monthly report drawn up by the Commission on action
taken on Parliament resolutions shows that the Commission

follows up Parliament requests to a considerable extent .
Secondly, certain initiatives taken by the Commission are in
response to requests from both the Council and Parliament

( for example, proposals on shipping safety or the action
programme on road safety ).

WRITTEN QUESTION No 3487 / 92

by Mr Gerardo Fernandez-Albor ( PPE )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 28 January 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 41 )

Subject : Rapid road link between Galicia and Central

(!) SEC(92 ) 1990 final . Europe via the Cantabrian coast

The Spanish region of Galicia is geographically one of the
most distant from the European Community 's main
economic centres . Its position on the Atlantic coast has
always suggested the need for some type of action to bring it
effectively closer to the nerve centres of the Community
WRITTEN QUESTION No 3472 / 92 economy .

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

of the European Communities However, the Galician dream of a fast road link via the

January 1993 ) Cantabrian coast with the economic centre of Europe is still

no more than a fond wish, despite the excitement felt by
( 93 / C 292 / 40 ) Galicians at the though that such a road might be built .

( 28 January 1993 )

ot the Economic and Social In view of the above and of European Community plans for

the building of major items of infrastructure to give fresh
impetus to economic development throughout the

with regard to which Directives has the Community, does the Commission not consider that the
account of the opinions of the Economic Community 's list of major items of infrastructure should
during the past two years ? include a motorway link via the Cantabrian coast between

Galicia and the Community 's nerve centre, to link up the
remote Galician economy with the most advanced
economies of our Community, which are situated in Central
Answer given by Mr Flynn Europe ?
on behalf of the Commission

Subject : Opinions ot the Economic and Social
Committee

In what cases and with regard to which Directives has the
Commission taken account of the opinions of the Economic
and Social Committee during the past two years ?

( IS July 1993 )

Answer given by Mr Matutes

Between 1 January 1991 and 31 December 1992 the on behalf of the Commission
Commission amended 111 proposals for directives on (5 August 1993 )
which the Economic and Social Committee had given an
opinion .

The road link referred to by the Honourable Member is part
In 82 instances the Commission incorporated some of the of the map for the trans-European road network under
points suggested in the Committee 's opinion into its discussion by the Council .
amended proposals, 17 of which make specific reference to
the Committee 's opinion . However, it is up to the Spanish government or the regional
authorities to submit projects to the European Investment

In 10 instances the Committee 's opinion was favourable and Bank with a request for aid in the framework of the new
the amendment made was in accordance with Parliament 's temporary loan instrument for the period 1993— 94
opinion . adopted by the Edinburgh European Council .

No C 292 / 24 Official Journal of the European Communities 28 . 10 . 93

The new instrument may be used to finance investment in
trans-European transport networks and other investments
in this sector that would improve access between the regions
in question and the trans-European networks . To get
financing going quickly, the EIB will consider projects that
are already under way or about to start up in the near
future .

The Spanish government may also make an application to
the Cohesion Fund if it believes that a given project has a
bearing on trans-European networks and is designed to
promote the interconnection and interoperability of Spanish
transport networks and access to these networks, taking
into account the need to link Galicia to the heart of the

Community .

A request for financing for these section of motorway
referred to by the Honourable Member, which passes
through Galicia, Asturias and Cantabria, could also be
made to the European Regional Development Fund for the
period 1994 — 99 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 3506 / 92

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

( 28 January 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 42 )

Subject : Utility of certain adjustments in the fisheries

sector

Taking into account the conclusions of the EC Council of
Fisheries Ministers regarding the review of the common
fisheries policy and the imperative need to maintain basic
elements in its application, such as the principle of relative
stabilization, the system of the Total Allowable Catch and
Quotas, arrangements governing deviations from the
principle of free entry to the 12 mile zone, etc ., has the
Commission examined the utility of certain adjustments
such as the ones of the multiannual TACs and Quotas, as
well as the introduction of adjustments as regards the
geographical location of resources and the application of
micro-quotas ?

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission

( 15 April 1993 )

In order to focus debate within the Community institutions
and authorities on possible revisions to the policy on the
conservation and management of fishery resources, the
Commission presented a report on the common fisheries
policy ( CFP ) in 1991 ( ! ), on the basis of Article 8 of
Regulation ( EEC ) No 170 / 83 ( 2 ).

For the purposes of this report, the Commission deliberately
widened the scope of its analysis in order to identify the
main and fundamental problems of the CFP and to suggest a
number of guidelines in the light of the opinions canvassed .
These guidelines, in turn, enabled the Council, having
consulted Parliament, to adopt a revised regulatory
framework equipped to resolve the problems which had
been identified .

Regulation ( EEC ) No 3760 / 92 of 20 December 1992 ( 3 ) will
preserve the foundations of the common fisheries policy laid
down in Regulation ( EEC ) No 170 / 83, while at the same
time enabling the necessary reforms to be carried out .

In reply to the specific questions of the Honourable
Member, Articles 4 and 8 will allow the Commission, in the
light of scientific, technical and also economic advice, to
propose limiting the rate of activity of certain fisheries by
restricting catches or fishing effort or both, as required, for
the sake of greater efficiency and transparency, in particular
by identifying in each individual case and on a multiannual
basis the objectives to be pursued and the most appropriate
strategies and management instruments for attaining
them .

With regard to the methods for dividing up these restrictions
among the Member States, the Commission will now be
able, at the request of the Member States concerned and
bearing in mind the principle of relative stability, to propose
certain adjustments to particular allocation formulas to take
account of the mini quotas and the regular exchange of
quotas since 1983, while still respecting the overall balance
of the shares .

(') SEC(91 ) 2288 final .

( 2 ) OJ No L 24, 27 . 1 . 1983 .

( 3 ) OJ No L 389, 31 . 12 . 1992 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1 7 / 93

by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos ( NI )

to the Commission of the European Communities

(3 February 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 43

Subject : Commission funding for the Liberation newspaper

in Sarajevo

At the front line of the war in Sarajevo, in the middle of
ceaseless gunfire, a heroic journalist, Zladko Dizdarevic is
publishing the ' Oslobodjenje ' newspaper, with a staff
consisting of Serbs, Croats and Muslims .

Can the Commission provide funding for this initiative,
which constitutes a ray of hope in this war-torn area and, in
cooperation with international press organizations, propose
the awarding of prize money ?

28 . 10 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 292 / 25

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro Interrail formula for 1993 in order to have some breathing

on behalf of the Commission space to devise a more flexible scheme .

( 27 July 1993 )

The introduction and withdrawal of railway tickets such as

' Interrail ' is part of the management independence of the
The Commission shares the feelings of the Honourable railway companies . The Commission has no legal basis and
Member regarding the merits of the Muslim, Croat and Serb no funds available to subsidise this field of activity .
journalists who contribute to the publication of
' Oslobodjenje ' in Sarajevo .
However, the Commission would regret it if the railway
companies no longer offered Interrail or a similar scheme

This daily is supported by an NGO of a Member State which because it considers the Interrail ticket as good publicity for
provides the newsprint . The Commission has given financial an environment-friendly mode of transport and an excellent
support for the related expenses . means for young people to get to know Europe .

In view of the immensity of the human tragedy taking place
in former Y ugoslavia and the general and persi stent recou rse
to violence and atrocities, Unesco 's 1993 Felix
Houphouet-Boigny peace prize is likely to be awarded to the
journalists of the Sarajevo daily, ' Oslobodjenje ', a symbol of
resistance to nationalism and xenophobia . WRITTEN QUESTION No 40 / 93

by the following members : Florus Wijsenbeek

and Rui Amaral ( LDR )

to the Commission of the European Communities

(8 February 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 45 )
WRITTEN QUESTION No 24 / 93

by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos ( NI )

to the Commission of the European Communities

(3 February 1993 )

Subject : Exemptions granted by the Commission in the area

of maritime transport

( 93 / C 292 / 44

The Commission has granted exeptions in the area of
maritime transport by resorting to a loose interpretation of

Subject : Future of Inter-rail Regulation ( EEC ) No 4056 / 86 ( 1 ). This decision risks

adversely affecting efforts to strengthen the Community
fleet, now regrettably in an advanced state of decline .
A number of European organizations are concerned about
the future of Interrail which is the key to mobility of young
people in Europe and call for railway undertakings, notably Nor is the practice of granting exemptions confined to the
in southern Europe, to be adequately subsidized . Given the area of maritime transport ; it is also being applied to land
enormous benefits of travel for young people, does the transport .
Commission intend to look into this matter and subsidize
the Inter-rail network ? 1 . How can the Commission possibly justify this decision

Subject : Future of Inter-rail

Nor is the practice of granting exemptions confined to the
area of maritime transport ; it is also being applied to land

transport .

1 . How can the Commission possibly justify this decision,
which runs contrary to all efforts to liberalize maritime
transport ?

Answer given by Mr Matutes 2 . Will this unfortunate the Commission decision be prepared ? if necessary to review

on behalf of the Commission

( 30 July 1993 )

At the meeting of the International Railway Union ( UIC )
Passenger Commission in April 1992, some railways
participating in the Interrail scheme had announced their
intention to withdraw from the agreement from 1993
onwards .

However, at the UIC Executive Committee meeting held in
Warsaw on 1 October 1 992,, the Directors-General of the
railways decided to maintain the scheme and to develop it
into a system better suited to the expectations and travel
patterns of young people in Europe . The Executive
Committee has decided provisionally to keep the existing

I 1 ) OJ No L 378, 31 . 12 . 1986, p. 4 .

Answer given by Mr Van Miert

on behalf of the Commission

( 10 August 1993 )

Article 3 of Council Regulation ( EEC ) No 4056 / 86 of
22 December 1986 introduces a block exemption for certain
categories of agreement between members of liner
conferences . The reason for the exemption is the stabilizing
effect of liner conferences on the market in scheduled

No C 292 / 26 Official Journal of the European Communities 28 . 10 . 93

maritime transport . The Regulation applies to maritime
transport only, and the exemption does not cover any other
business carried on by a member of a liner conference .

Although the Commission does not currently judge it
advisable to propose any broadening of the scope of the
Regulation, it is working on a balanced solution to the
problem of multimodal transport .

It does not intend to reconsider the block exemption for
liner conferences .

The Commission is anxious to see the Community fleet
strengthened, and both land and maritime transport
liberalized, and it will not do anything that runs counter to
these objectives .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 42 / 93

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

(8 February 1993 )

new approach to information and communication in a way
that addresses the thrust of this question .

In addition, the Member of the Commission with special
responsibility for Audiovisual, Information,
Communication and Culture, has had a number of meetings
with the President of the European Parliament with similar
objectives in mind . The Commission greatly values the work
on the information policy of the European Communities
being done in the European Parliament 's Committee on
Culture, Youth, Education and the media ( 1 ).

The Commission believes therefore that appropriate
patterns of review and debate are already in place and will
meet the challenge presented by the Honourable
Member .

(M Doc . EN / FR / 22 1 / 22 1401 .

( 93 / C 292 / 46 ) WRITTEN QUESTION No 1 76 / 93

by Mr Joaquim Miranda da Silva ( CG )
to the Commission of the European Communities

Subject : Information policy of the Community
institutions

It is a general phenomenon in all the Member States that
those opposed to ratification of the Treaty on European
Union signed at Maastricht have been complaining at the
lack of information available to the public and the absence
of preliminary debates . True or not, this criticism has given
rise to the widely held view that there is a huge lack of
information regarding the process of building Europe . In
view of this situation, a thoroughgoing evaluation is needed
of the information structures, programmes and activities
undertaken by the Community institutions, the
Commission, the Council and Parliament . Could the
Commission draft a communication to the Council and

Parliament in order to create a joint plan to better prepare
and inform public opinion in the Community, requesting all
necessary cooperation from the governments of the Member
States, with a view to meeting the shared challenge of
keeping the public informed and therefore jointly
responsible for progress towards European Union ?

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro

on behalf of the Commission

(6 July 1993 )

The Commission contributed to the Copenhagen European
Council discussion of openness and has been preparing a

( 17 February 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 47 )

Subject : Community funding for regional incentive
schemes ( SIBR ) subsidies

According to a study carried out by the Southern Electrical
Industries Syndicate ( SIESI ) in Portugal and communicated
to the Portuguese press, the conditions relating to SIBR
subsidies will not be met, thereby dashing hopes of fresh
employment .

Certain undertakings, having agreed to maintain jobs for a
period of time in exchange for large subsidies, have, in the
meantime, been authorized to release workers ( for example
Siemens / Evora ). In certain cases, subsidies have been paid to
unknown and, in fact, non-existent undertakings ( Portsol,
Norelco ). In other cases companies created considerably
fewer jobs than they had undertaken to do in exchange for
subsidies ( Ford Electronica, Deloc-Remy, Tronitec ).

Is the Commission aware of this ? Who is responsible for
modification and supervision and how is this carried out ?
What steps are taken in cases where companies fail to
respect their undertakings or, in cases of proven fraud, what
penalties are imposed on those who have improperly
obtained subsidies ?

28 . 10 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 292 / 27

Answer given by Mr Millan
on behalf of the Commission

( 16 July 1993 )

The services of the Commission were made aware of the

study prepared by the Sindicato das Industrias Electricas do
Sul by articles in the press and reactions published by the
Ministry of the Plan and Territorial Administration, the
Ministry of Industry and Energy and the IAPMEI ( Institute
for the Support of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises and
Investments ).

Article 23 of Council Regulation ( EEC ) No 4253 / 88 (*)
provides that the Member States shall take the necessary

measures :

— to verify on a regular basis that operations financed by

the Community have been properly carried out,

— to prevent and to take action against irregularities,

— to recover any amounts lost as a result of an irregularity

or negligence .

In addition, Article 23 stipulates that the Member States
shall inform the Commission of the measures taken for

those purposes and, in particular, of the progress of
administrative and judicial proceedings .

In the context of the partnership the Commission has asked
the Portuguese authorities to clarify the nature of the cases
referred to in the study .

In the case of a grant beneficiary not meeting the obligations
attached to the grant or of proven fraud, the grant can be
withdrawn and, if appropriate, legal proceedings opened .

H OJ No L 374, 31 . 12 . 1988 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 210 / 93

by Mr Alexandros Alavanos ( CG )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( IS February 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 48 )

Subject : Consequences of the closure of the Syros
shipyard

i

The Greek Minister for Industry, speaking on behalf of the
Greek Government has stated that the Syros shipyard has to
be sold because of the accumulation of debts and Greece 's

commitment to the Community to sell off all the shipyards
except one that will be used for defence purposes .

Furthermore, under Articles 7 and 10 of the seventh
Directive on shipbuilding, unless the shipyard is sold before
31 March 1993, the government is bound by Community
rules to close it and sell its assets . In that event the Syros local
economy will lose about 55 % of its revenue, associated
branches of industry will be ruined and about 1 000 more
jobs will be lost . Given that the Syros shipyard has a small
shipbuilding capacity viewed on a Community scale but that
this is very important for the local island economy and given
that the cost of restructuring or contending with the collapse
of the Syros local economy will be considerable, will the
Commission answer the following questions .

Is the Community considering reviewing the above decision
with particular reference to the Syros shipyard ?

In view of the danger of creating a new region in industrial
decline, what social measures and specific investment
proposals does the Commission have in mind for Syros, to
be financed with the resources at its disposal, primarily the
new Community support framework, in order to deal with
the social and economic consequences of possible closure or
a drastic reduction in employment in the undertaking ?

Answer given by Mr Van Miert

on behalf of the Commission

( 23 June 1993 )

The Commission understands the serious problems that the
population of Syros is facing in the present situation, but the
Commission is not in the position to review its decision as
regards the Neorion Yard . As it is known the Council has
laid down in Article 10 of the seventh Directive that non

contract-related operating aid over the ceiling applicable to
other Member States can be given to the Greek yards in

1991 if granted for the financial restructuring of these yards
in connection with a systematic and specific restructuring
programme linked to the disposal by sale of the yards . The
Commission was able to approve of aid to the yard in the
form of a Dras 16,5 billion debt write-off as the Greek
Government took this decision to grant the aid before the
end of 1 991 and undertook to sell or to close down the yards
before the 31 March 1993 .

As the Commission 's decision was based on the existing
legal and the framework undertaking ( seventh of Directive the Greek on aid Government to shipbuilding a, the )

Commission can not therefore review its position .

As regards counteracting measures, the Commission is
ready to examine, in respect of Articles 92 and 93 EEC
Treaty any proposal the Greek authorities may wish to make
to ensure professional reintegration of workers who may
lose their jobs, such as retraining and employment subsidies .
Should the Greek authorities request financial assistance for

/

No C 292 / 28 Official Journal of the European Communities 28 . 10 . 93

such measures, the Commission would be prepared to
examine the request in the context of the new Community
Support Framework .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 236 / 93

by Mr Juan de I)ios Ramirez-Heredia ( S )

to the Commission of the European Communities

previously registered in another Member State are
consistent with Community law, in particular the rules
concerning free movement of goods ( Article 30 of the EEC
Treaty ).

(!) OJ No C 281, 4 . 11 . 1988 .

( 18 February 1993 ) WRITTEN QUESTION No 256 / 93

( 93 / C 292 / 49 ) by Mr Pierre Bernard-Reymond ( PPE )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 23 February 1993 )

Subject : The free movement of vehicles
( 93 / C 292 / 50

Following the removal of frontiers on 1 January 1993, can
the Commission clarify the following :

1 . Should a Community citizen be in possession of a car
legally and permanently licensed in Belgium, is he
obliged to obtain a Spanish licence should he decide to
take up residence in Spain ? If he then, years later, moves
to the Netherlands, is he obliged to obtain a third licence
from the Dutch authorities ?

2 . Should a Spanish citizen buy a second-hand car in
Germany, is he obliged to obtain a Spanish licence to
enable him to drive it on a permanent basis in Spain ?

Answer given by Mr Vanni d'Archirafi

on behalf of the Commission

( 27 July 1993 )

As indicated in the Commission 's interpretative notice on
procedures for the type-approval and registration of
vehicles previously registered in another Member State (*),
the vehicle must be registered in the country in which its
owner is habitually resident .

This requirement remains unchanged after 1 January 1993,
and a person who owns a vehicle lawfully registered in
Belgium and who decides to take up residence in Spain must
have it registered in Spain once the period of temporary
import which the legislation of that Member State provides
for has expired .

If the same person subsequently decides to take up residence
in the Netherlands, he will be obliged under the existing
rules to have his vehicle registered in that country .

A Spanish citizen who buys a second-hand vehicle in
Germany, where it is already registered, is required to have it
registered in Spain, if that is his country of residence ; in
order to drive freely there .

Of course, the Commission departments monitor the
situation to ensure that registration procedures for vehicles

Subject : Simplification of administrative formalities with a

view to enhancing freedom of movement in the
Community

One of the Community 's key objectives is to encourage the
mobility of European citizens in order to foster trade in the
frontier-free single market .

However, in order to obtain the same welfare benefits as a
young French citizen, such as personal housing aid, a young
Community citizen resident in France must present the same
documents, but also a residence permit which can be issued
only on production of the following documents :

— four passport photos,

— a valid passport,

— a birth certificate giving details of his or her parents,

— a certificate of residence,

— a social security card,

— proof of income,

— a medical certificate .

In the light of this example, what measures does the
Commission plan to take in order to simplify the
administrative formalities with which European citizens,
particularly young people, must comply with a view to
enhancing freedom of movement in the Community ?

Answer given by Mr Vanni d'Archirafi

on behalf of the Commission

( 27 July 1993 )

As the Court of Justice of the European Communities has
made clear on several occasions, a residence permit issued to

28 . 10 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 292 / 29

Community nationals does not in itself establish a right of
residence but is merely proof of it .

Accordingly, a Community national who derives his right of
residence in France from Community law may claim
housing benefit without being required to produce a
residence permit . Reference may be made here to the Court 's
Judgment in Case C-357 / 89 of 26 February 1992 ( 1 ), in

which the Court ruled that Article 7 of the EEC Treaty
precludes an application for funding of study costs from
being subject to possession of a residence permit .

However, according to the directives on the right of
residence, each Member State is required to issue a residence
permit to any national of another Member State can claim
the right of residence and who intends to remain in the host
country for more than three months .

The Commission will ask the French authorities for

clarification on the administrative practice referred to by the
Honourable Member .

Convention apply when deciding on funding from the
structural funds ? Given that there are time-limits for

implementation, does fulfilment of those objectives
form part of Community policy ?

2 . How does the Commission explain the clear
incompatibility between, on the one hand, its replies to
the abovementioned questions and, on the other hand,
its adoption and ratification of directives and
conventions on nature conservation ?

3 . Can it confirm whether the replies in question reflected
the personal views of one of its staff or whether they
expressed the Community 's official position ?

4 . If the answer to the first part of the above question is yes,
how does it intend to tackle the problem of ensuring that
its staff do not undermine the credibility of the European
Community ? If the answer to the second part of the
question is yes, can it state clearly and explicitly what
change has been made to Community policy in respect
of the environment ?

( ! ) Points 41 and 42 of the grounds . Judgment nor yet reported . t 1 ) Debates of the European Parliament No 3-423 ( October
1992 ).

( 2 ) Debates of the European Parlament No 3-424 ( November
1992 ).

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

WRITTEN QUESTION No 303 / 93

by Mr Mihail Papayannakis ( NI )

to the Commission of the European Communities

(1 March 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 51 )

Subject : Structural funds and the environment

In reply to questions Nos H-1051 / 92 ( ] ) and H-l 135 / 92 ( 2 )
by Mrs Banotti on the extent to which the Commission takes
into account the objectives of the directive on the
conservation of natural habitats and the Berne Convention

when deciding on funding from the structural funds, the
Commission said that it did not take these objectives into
account . The Commission also admitted that it did not take

these objectives into account when taking a decision on the
diversion of the Acheloos river . Directive 92 / 43 / EEC C 3 )
provides for a transitional stage before full application ;
however, as far as the Berne Convention is concerned, the
EC submitted the act of ratification on 7 May 1982 and the
Convention entered into force throughout Community
territory on 1 September 1982 . In its replies to the
abovementioned questions, the Commission admits that it is
in breach of the legislation which it was itself responsible for
drawing up and ratifying and that it is in total contravention
of the obligations arising from the Convention . At all events,
the rules governing the structural funds stipulate that
Community legislation and Community policy must be
taken into account when deciding on funding for
projects .

1 . Can the Commission state whether or not the guidelines
and objectives of Directive 92 / 43 / EEC and the Berne

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission

(7 July 1993 )

The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its

answer to oral question No 0-25 / 93, asked on behalf of the
European Parliament 's Committee on the Environment,
Public Health and Consumer Protection, regarding the
Community 's environmental policy ( 1 ).

( ] ) Debates of the European Parliament, No 3-430 ( April
1993 ).

WRITTEN QUESTION No 316 / 93

by Mr Barry Desmond ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

(1 March 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 52 )

Subject : Europass for pensioners

Does the Commission continue to seek the introduction of a

European Over-Sixties Card ( Europass ), if so, what
timetable has been set for the Card, and, could the
Commission elaborate on the precise details of the Europass

No C 292 / 30 Official Journal of the European Communities 28 . 10 . 93

as specified in the Year of the Elderly and Solidarity between
Generations initiative ?

Answer given by Mr Flynn
on behalf of the Commission

( 12 July 1993 )

The Commission is continuing to discuss with Member
States the introduction of a European Over-Sixties Card, in
particular through the Advisory Committee on Older
People where the matter of the Card is on the agenda for
every meeting .

In order to make progress during the European year of
Older People and Solidarity between Generations, 1993, the
Commission published in June a guide to the main
advantages available to older people travelling in the
Community .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 397 / 93

by the following members : Agostino Mantovani, Franco
Borgo, Nino Pisoni, Giuseppe Mottola, Joachim Dalsass,
Giulio Gallenzi, Eolo Parodi, Mario Forte, Gabriele
Sboarina, Andrea Bonetti and Aldo de Matteo ( PPE )

to the Commission of the European Communities

(5 March 1 993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 53 )

Subject : Prevention of Ascosphaera Apis

For some years cases of Ascosphaeriosis have been on the
increase in beekeeping establishments in many European
countries . This is a disease caused by a fungus, Ascosphaera
Apis, which is responsible for more and more deaths among
bee broods .

Since 1991 the damage caused in large areas of northern
Italy ( although it turns out : that the disease is spreading to all
Italian regions and to many EC countries ) is worrying tens
of thousands of bee-keepers, who remember the damage
already suffered in the 1980s as a result of Varroasis, a
serious parasitosis which destroyed hundreds of thousands
of hives in all the countries of Europe .

What steps does the Commission intend to take to halt it or
to encourage proper research by scientific institutions in
order to prevent further loss of production not only by
bee-keepers but also by farmers, who need bees as they carry
out the essential task of pollinating many of their crops,
without which profitable agriculture would not be
possible ?

Answer given by Mr Steichen

on behalf of the Commission

( 24 May 1993 )

Chalky brood is a disease which causes a significant loss of
bees and results in retarded development of the colony .

Medicinal treatments are generally ineffective or provide
only temporary relief, and attempts to find a cure centre on
strict disease prevention measures including the selection of
cleaning bees, annual tray disinfection, periodic wax
renewal, and insulating the hives from the ground .

Research has shown that the causal organism of chalky
brood is widespread . It was generally considered benign,
and of importance only if the colony was in poor condition .
The cause of the recent increased incidence of the disease in

the southern Member States is not known . One hypothesis is
that this is a secondary infection, with chalky brood
attacking colonies that have already been weakened by the
Varroa mite .

In spite of substantial support for research from the
Community, the Varroa problem has not yet been resolved .
A new line of attack, seeking to select Varroa-resistant
breeds of honey bee, will start shortly . This project is being
funded under the AIR programme ( the specific programme
of research, technological development and demonstration
on agriculture and agro-industry including fisheries
1992 — 1996 ). There will be a third call for proposals for the
AIR programme towards the end of this year, and to the
extent that further work can be justified, projects on Varroa,
chalky brood, and other bee diseases will be eligible for
consideration .

In addition to cost-shared research projects, other
accompanying measures such as the mobility and training of
researchers, and the organization of workshops on topics
relevant to the programme may be encouraged .

r

WRITTEN QUESTION No 402 / 93

by Mr Reinhold Bocklet ( PPE )
to the Commission of the European Communities

(S March 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 54 )

Subject : Support for events to mark the entry into force of

the single market

On the eve of the entry into force of the single market,
celebrations were held in many Community towns and cities
to mark the importance of this event .

«

28 . 10 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 292 / 31

Can the Commission state which of these events received

support from Community funds and, in particular :

1 . What type of events were involved ?

2 . In which towns and cities these events took place ?

3 . In each case, the amount of the subsidy provided by the
Community ?

interviewed and the results were used in a book on young
people in Europe called ' Imagine 1'Europe '.

The Member of the Commission responsible for education
and young people sponsored the event, which received a
financial contribution of ECU 70 000 .

' Forum des jeunes federalistes '

Delegates from all sections of the Young European
Federalists met in Rome for a forum on ' Europe after 1993 '
and a musical event .

The Commission made a financial contribution of ECU

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro
10 000 .

on behalf of the Commission

( 12 July 1993 )

Several public events were held in the Member States to
celebrate the arrival of 1993 . The Commission gave moral
or financial support to the following in particular :

Silvesterfest ' Europa ohne Grenzen '

A musical evening at the Prinzregententheater in Munich
was partly televised and accompanied by public celebrations
in the town centre, which was decked out in Community
colours .

' Beacon Europe ' The Commission made a financial contribution of ECU

50 000 .

At midnight on 31 December 1993, young people ( scouts,
Young Federalists and others ) lit beacons at various sites
across the twelve Member States, as well as in Malta and
Cyprus .

\
The participants were also invited to plant twelve trees to
commemorate this symbolic date .

' The European Community on New Year 's Eve '

t

On New Year 's Eve the Dutch television channel, Veronica,
broadcast a popular variety show on the theme of ' Europe
without frontiers '. The channel broadcasts throughout
Holland and can be picked up in Belgium .

Beacons were lit in the capitals and in more than a thousand The producers were given ECU 30 000 .
other smaller places .

The event was supported by Parliament and sponsored by
two members of the Commission . As it marked the end of

the official programme of events organized during the UK
presidency, the London beacon was lit by the British Prime
Minister . A number of political figures took part and the
event was widely covered by national and local media in the
countries concerned .

The Commission made a financial contribution of ECU

100 000 .

r

WRITTEN QUESTION No 403 / 93

by Mr Madron Seligman ( PPE )

to the Commission of the European Communities

(5 March 1993 )

' Les jeux du Ille Millénaire ' ( 93 / C 292 / 55 )

Quizzes about the European Community were held in some
500 Member State universities . After the national

eliminating rounds, a European final was held in Strasbourg
on 19 December 1992 . The winners were awarded Erasmus

grants and work experience placements .

With the cooperation of the press, the quiz received a great
deal of media coverage . The participants were also

Subject : UK — Limited list of pharmaceuticals

The UK Government has given notice of its intention to limit
further the number of medicines available to patients within
its National Health Service . It proposes to extend the
categories of medicines in which there are only a limited
number of medicines prescribable from seven to 17 . This

No C 292 / 32 Official Journal of the European Communities 28 . 10 . 93

will involve major classes of medicines such as
contraceptives and skin disease treatment .

As part of the proposals, it is intended that the few products
that remain available for National Health Service patients in
the said categories will be prescribable only by use of their
generic names . This means that not only will the prescriber 's
clinical choice of treatment be restricted, but also they will

be unable to choose which brand of product they wish to use
or, indeed, which manufacturer should supply the
medicine .

Does the Commission consider that, as compensation for
this infringement of clinical freedom and patient choice, the
period of patent protection by supplementary protection
certificates ( SPCs ) could be extended still further in certain

cases ?

Answer given by Mr Bangemann

on behalf of the Commission

(8 July 1993 )

Article 7 of Council Directive 89 / 105 / EEC of 21 December

1988 i 1 ) relating to the transparency of measures regulating
the pricing of medicinal products for human use and their
inclusion in the scope of national health insurance systems
covers decisions by Members States to exclude individual or
categories of medicinal products from the coverage of their
national health insurance systems .

In particular, the national authorities must, at least every six
months, communicate to the Commission a list of the
products which have been excluded from the scope of their
health insurance system . It was on this basis that the United
Kingdom authorities communicated to the Commission the
measures referred to by the Honourable Member .

As there has been no substantial change to the basic
circumstances which led to the adoption of Council
Regulation ( EEC ) No 1786 / 92 ( 2 ) concerning the creation
of a supplementary protection certificate for medicinal
products, the Commission is not planning any further
proposals in this area at the moment .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 407 / 93

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

(5 March 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 56 )

Subject : EC employees and occupational pension
schemes

What plans does the Commission have to implement its
proposal that company employees who are posted away
from their home countries within the EC for periods of up to
five years should be able to remain members of their home
country 's occupational pension scheme ?

Answer given by Mr Vanni d'Archirafi

on behalf of the Commission

( 20 July 1993 )

At the end of 1992, the Commission issued a consultation
paper on the problems relating to the pensions of employees
temporarily posted to other Member States of the
Community .

A first discussion with Member States ' experts took place in
April 1993 . After further discussions and consultations the
Commission will consider what proposal, if any, to put
forward .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 447 / 93

by Mr John Cushnahan ( PPE )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 11 March 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 57

Subject : Architectural heritage grants

In view of the importance of churches for the Community 's

products, the Commission is not planning any further
proposals in this area at the moment . architectural heritage, will the Commission consider

designating the restoration and conservation of churches as
the theme for architectural heritage grants in the foreseeable
future ?
It should be pointed out that the aim of this certificate is to
protect innovation in the pharmaceutical industry for a
period of 15 years from the date of the first authorization to
place the product on the market, regardless of whether that
product is covered by the health insurance system or not . Answer given by Mr Pinheiro

on behalf of the Commission

( 22 July 1993 )
(!) OJ No L 40, 1 1 . 2 . 1989 .
( 2 ) OJ No L 182, 2 . 7 . 1992 .

In the framework of the annual scheme of ' Support for pilot
projects to conserve the European architectural heritage ' the
Commission intends to designate the conservation and

28 . 10 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 292 / 33

restoration of religious monuments as the theme for

1995 .

of religious monuments as the theme for weather, does the Commission intend to take any steps to set

up a Community regulatory framework laying down
standard measures to be adopted in the event of bad
weather, fires etc . for the protection of wild birds and
species of fauna, irrespective of the general regulations laid
down by the Member States governing hunting under
WRITTEN QUESTION No 476 / 93 normal conditions ?

by Mrs Jessica Larive ( LDR )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 11 March 1993 ) Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission

( 93 / C 292 / 58 )
(8 July 1993 )

Subject : Uranium imports

The Commission reminds the Honourable Member that,

and enriched uranium is being under Article 7 ( 4 ) of Directive 79 / 409 / EEC on the
the EC without authorization from the conservation of wild birds ( J ), the regional or national
Agency ? authorities in the Member States are responsible for hunting

in general, subject to compliance with the principle of wise
use of the species . It therefore has no plans to propose any
Answer given by Mr Matutes particular measures to provide greater protection for birds

on behalf of the Commission in certain conditions, such as bad weather or forest fires .

How much uranium and enriched uranium is being
imported into the EC without authorization from the
Eur atom Supply Agency ?

on behalf of the Commission

(5 July 1993 )
(M OJ No L 103, 25 . 4 . 1979 .

Under the provisions of Article 52 of the Euratom Treaty,
the Euratom Supply Agency concludes contracts relating to
the supply of ores, source materials and special fissile
materials .

Given the global nature of the nuclear fuel cycle,
Community users can take deliveries under those contracts
both inside and outside the Community . The Agency
publishes inter alia data on such deliveries aggregated at
Community level in its Annual Report .

Substantial quantities of nuclear materials also physically
enter Community territory for other purposes e.g. for
reprocessing, conversion and fabrication . The existence of
contracts for such operations is notified to the Supply
Agency under the provisions of Article 75 of the Euratom
Treaty .

All physical imports into the Community of nuclear
materials in the civil cycle — regardless of the reason for
their import — must be reported to the Euratom Safeguards
Directorate under the provisions of Regulation ( EEC )
No 3227 / 76 of 19 October 1976 ( ] ).

(M OJ No L 363, 31 . 12 . 1976 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 513 / 93

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

( 19 March 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 59 )

Subject : Wild birds in the Community

In view of the unprecedented number of wild birds killed
this year in Greece, probably by hunters, during the freezing

WRITTEN QUESTION No 5 1 7 / 93

by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos ( NI )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 29 March 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 60 )

Subject : The Greek cotton scandal

Reports in nearly all Greek newspapers ( 22 January 1993 )
claim that the Greek Government and the Ministry of
Agriculture are implicated in the cover-up of the ' cotton
scandal ' in Greece . The reports state that, with the
connivance of the Community, the Greek authorities are
refusing to disclose the findings or, as the Greek Agriculture
Minister, Mr A. Stavrou, likes to call them, the ' proceedings '
of the joint investigations that have been going on for several
months, as they are afraid ( as one can well imagine ) of the
likely reactions of those who have information about the
case . I would point out that members of cooperatives are
openly declaring in Greece that the affair is being covered up
and that the EAGGF and the Community will accept a
political solution . They are also saying that the EC should
not have any particular difficulty in unmasking all the guilty
parties since this year it is taking over Drs 40 billion from
Greek cotton producers owing to the increase in the
co-responsibility levy, while those implicated in the scandal
have ' swallowed up ' around Drs 20 billion . How does the
Commission intend to deal with this very serious matter ?
Does it not consider that, in order to get to the bottom of this
affair, it should address its enquiries not only to the Greek
Government authorities but also to trade union and

cooperative bodies such as the Greek General
Confederation of Agricultural Cooperatives, the Central
Department for the Management of Domestic Produce,

No C 292 / 34 Official Journal of the European Communities 28 . 10 . 93

etc .? Will the Commission call for clarification of how the

matter has been handled to date ?

Answer given by Mr Steichen

on behalf of the Commission

m

( 14 June 1993 )

As was stated in reply to questions from several Members of
Parliament on this subject, the Commission carried out an
investigation into the operation of DYDv\.GEP and of the
' Cotton Board ' and asked the Greek authorities to carry out
another administrative enquiry in which the Commission
took part . The results of these two enquiries showed that
investigations had to be continued, and the Commission is
doing this .

During the investigations, the Commission contacted the
Greek public authorities as well as the ginning companies,
the spinning mills and the producers .

The Commission has not yet completed the investigations
mentioned above and when they are at an end it will draw all
the appropriate conclusions, either by requiring the Greek
authorities to recover the amounts received unduly, by
proposing necessary improvements to the Greek control
systems, or by amending Community legislation should this

prove necessary .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 533 / 93

by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos ( NI )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 29 March 1993 )

incomes, so that few can support themselves on the income
from this activity alone . The situation does, however, vary
greatly from one Member State to the next, depending on
the cultural policy that a particular country has
developed .

In keeping with the principle of subsidiarity, the
Commission has no powers over cultural, social or fiscal
policy with regard to writers or people employed in
associated activities .

It nevertheless proposes to publish shortly an ' Authors ' and
translators ' guide to Europe ' which will provide
information on the different legal, fiscal and social systems
applicable to authors and translators in each Member State,
with the aim of better informing those concerned and in the
hope that the more advanced systems in some countries will
inspire others to follow their example .

Meanwhile, as part of the ' European City of Culture '
programme, the Commission is collaborating with the
relevant authorities to organize the ' Aristelon ' prize, a
European prize for literature and literary translation .

A pilot project to assist literary translation is also being
organized annually to encourage Community countries to
become better acquainted with each other 's literature .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 551 / 93

by Mr Panayotis Roumeliotis ( S )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 30 March 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 61 ) ( 93 / C 292 / 62

Subject : The future of writers in Europe

Subject : Problems concerning exports of Greek mussels

Given the number of people who are unemployed or
underemployed in the literary field ( publishing houses,
periodicals, radio, television, etc .), how will the
Commission safeguard the future of writers and writers '
unions in Europe ?

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro

on behalf of the Commission

( 12 July 1993 )

Socially and economically, writers suffer from
underemployment and irregular, very unequally distributed

Northern Greek mussel producers are requesting a one-year
postponement of the EEC directive relating to the
compulsory distribution of exported mussels from
authorized distribution centres alone to allow time for the

local distribution centres to be completed .

The producers propose that the mussels provisionally be
distributed from centres in Italy rather than running the risk
of destroying this year 's Greek production of 10 000 tonnes
of mussels which is providing employment for 1500
people .

What view does the Commission take of this proposal ?

28 . 10 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 292 / 35

Answer given by Mr Steichen industry ? How soon can the Commission take action to

on behalf of the Commission meet this urgent situation ?

( 16 July 1993 )

Article 3 ( 1 ) ( b ) of Council Directive 91 / 492 / EEC (*) and
paragraph 6 of Chapter II of the Annex thereto lay down
that for the transport of batches of live bivalve molluscs
from their production area to a dispatch centre, a
registration document identifying the batches and issued by
the appropriate authority at the request of the producer is
required . The document must contain the following
information :

— the producer 's identity and signature ;

— the date of harvesting ;

— the location of the production area in as precise detail as

possible .

The Directive does not rule out transport from one Member
State to another .

The problem raised by the Honourable Member concerning
the harvesting of mussels in northern Greece pending the
completion of the dispatch centres in this region could
therefore be temporarily resolved by sending the mussels to
dispatch centres in Italy, as the producers propose . The
mussels could be transported from the production areas in
Greece to the dispatch c entres in Italy, accompanied by the
aforementioned registration document laid down in
Directive 91 / 492 / EEC and issued by the Greek
authorities .

(!) OJ No L 268, 24 . 9 . 1991 .

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission

( 19 May 1993 )

Having closely followed the development of the
Marennes-Oleron Basin oyster crisis in France, the
Commission is pleased that the health problems involved
have been quickly solved, thereby allowing marketing of the

ovsters - to resume .

As regards the request for emergency aid to be granted to
oyster growers, the Commission did not feel that the
decision to suspend the marketing of Marennes-Oleron
Basin oysters for 15 days justified applying the provisions of
Article 32 of Regulation ( EEC ) No 4028 / 86 relating to
specific measures ( 1 ).

However, if the Member State concerned were to submit a
promotional project meeting the requirements laid down in
Regulation ( EEC ) No 4028 / 86 and Title IX thereof in
particular, which relates to projects of this kind, the
Commission would certainly consider the application .

0 ) OJ No L 376, 31 . 12 . 1986 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 576 / 93

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

( 31 March 1993 )

WRITTEN QUESTION No 557 / 93
( 93 / C 292 / 64 )

by Mr Jean-Pierre Raffarin ( LDR )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 30 March 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 63 )

1

Subject : Toxin in oysters on the Atlantic coast

The spread of a toxin which has been discovered in oysters
on the Atlantic coast is assuming the dimensions of a natural
disaster .

In the Marennes-Oléron basin ( Poitou-Charantes ) alone,
40 000 jobs are at stake .

This disaster is all the more devastating to the oyster growers
of Charentes because they have made great efforts to raise
standards ( by means of quality certifications ) and have
embarked on a huge programme to comply with
Community standards .

What financial measures is the Commission prepared to
take to assist oyster growers and those working in the

Subject : Amendment of Regulation ( EEC ) No 2052 / 88

A supplementary protocol to the Maastricht Treaty
provides for the amendment of Regulation ( EEC )
No 2052 / 88 ( J ) on the financing of industrialized regions .
Does the Community intend to introduce an amendment —
and, if so, how soon — which would facilitate the provision
of Structural Fund resources to regions which are not yet
industrialized ?

0 ) OJ No L 185, 15 . 7 . 1988, p. 9 .

Answer given by Mr Millan
on behalf of the Commission

( 14 July 1993 )

According to Article 9 of Council Regulation ( EEC )
No 2052 / 88, the Council must re-examine this Regulation,

»

No C 292 / 36 Official Journal of the European Communities 28 . 10 . 93

on a proposal from the Commission, prior to 31 December

1993 at the latest .

On 10 March 1993 the Commission sent to the Council

proposals for Regulations ( ] ) amending Regulation ( EEC )
No 2052 / 88 and Regulation ( EEC ) No 4253 / 88 ( 2 ).

As regards the eligibility criteria for regions in industrial
decline, the Commission did not propose any major changes
to the rules governing Objective 2 . The eligibility criteria as
proposed introduce certain elements of flexibility so as to
take better account of specific situations .

The eligibility criteria for regions whose development is
lagging behind ( Objective 1 ) remain unchanged . Under the
terms of Article 5 ( 2 ) of Regulation ( EEC ) No 4253 / 88, in
such regions the regional development plans shall include
measures relating to the conversion of industrial areas and
the development of rural areas .

(!) COM(93 ) 67 final .
( 2 ) OJ No L 374, 31 . 12 . 1988 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 626 / 93

by Mr Michel Debatisse ( PPE )

to the Commission of the European Communities

(1 April 1 993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 65

Subject : Imports of tomatoes from Morocco

Spain, particularly when taken together with the Canary
Islands, is the centre of European Community market
garden production under glass, in particular of tomatoes .

The production season coincides with Moroccan imports
into Europe which, over the last five years, have tripled in
volume ( February and March ).

Early production in southern France, which generally enjoys
favourable market conditions, is an essential contributory
factor to the profitability of structures in this area .

However, it is now caught in a vice between internal
Community production and excessive imports thereby
causing prices to tumble and greatly upsetting the financial
stability of the undertakings involved .

It is essential to find a positive response to this new
development in Europe .

What is the situation concerning Community preference ?
What tomato import management measures can be
introduced during the winter period, when the reference
price does not apply, to regulate supply ?

Answer given by Mr Steichen

on behalf of the Commission

( 18 May 1993 )

The Commission is closely monitoring developments in the
Community tomato market during the period January to
March, paying particular attention to satisfactory sales
figures for Community produce .

It should be pointed out that price levels in the fruit and
vegetables sector are particularly depressed this year and
consumption is down owing to prevailing weather
conditions .

According to the figures, there was no increase in imports of
Moroccan tomatoes to the Community during this critical
period . In 1992 Moroccan exports for the period from

1 January to 31 March totalled 66 893 tonnes compared
with 69 400 tonnes for the same period in 1991 .

According to cumulative statistics for 1993, total imports
for January and February stood at 54 656 tonnes compared
with 55 239 tonnes for the same period in 1992 and 53 700
tonnes in 1991 . Following talks between the Community
and Morocco, Moroccan exporters agreed to restrict their
exports to the Community to 15 300 tonnes during the
month of March . This means that total exports for the
period January to March 1993 will reach 69 900 tonnes, i.e.
more or less the same level as in 1991 and 1992 .

Possible amendments to the import arrangements could
only be considered in association with developments in the
Uruguay Round of the GATT negotiations and taking
account of the outcome of talks which have just begun with
the Mediterranean supplier countries, in particular
Morocco .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 646 / 93

by Mr Jose Vazquez Fouz ( S )

to the Commission of the European Communities

(5 April 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 66 )

Subject : New fisheries agreements with the Maghreb

countries

i
The Community 's Mediterranean policy is an important
aspect of its general policy . However, fisheries do not play as
prominent a role as they should . There exists only one
agreement — that with Morocco — and this is only a partial

agreement .

Given the need to diversify the fleet, draw supplies from new
fishing grounds and have access to waters other than those
of Morocco, it might be useful to conclude agreements with

28 . 10 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 292 / 37

countries such as Algeria and Tunisia, a development which
would be of great interest to Community fishermen .

Does the Commission share this view ?

being contrary to the Television without Frontiers Directive .
Does the Commission intend to investigate this issue in
order that such illegal broadcasting might be outlawed ?

Would it be prepared to try to open negotiations with Answer given by Mr Pinheiro
Tunisia and Algeria ? on behalf of the Commission

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission

( 12 July 1993 )

The Commission fullv shares the Honourable Member 's

opinion on the desirability of concluding fisheries
agreements with certain Maghreb countries .

By a Directive of 25 November 1985 the Council authorized
the Commission to negotiate fisheries agreements with a
number of third countries, including Algeria and Tunisia,
and in recent years there has been a certain amount of
contact with both countries but the degree of interest shown
has not warranted the opening of negotiations .

The Honourable Member should also bear in mind that

Mediterranean geopolitical factors ( absence of an exclusive
economic zone, restricted or overexploited stocks, relatively
large national fleets ) increase the difficulty of concluding
agreements with these countries .

Nonetheless within the framework of common

Mediterranean fisheries arrangements the Commission is,
for the purposes of rational resource management,
increasing its contacts with Mediterranean non-member
countries and this may lead to a change of attitude by
Tunisia and Algeria to the conclusion of agreements .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 656 / 93

by Mrs Mary Banotti ( PPE )

to the Commission of the European Communities

(5 April 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 67

(6 July 1993 )

Council Directive 89 / 552 / EEC ( l ) coordinates certain
national provisions concerning the pursuit of broadcasting
activities, including satellite broadcasting . As such it
provides the legal framework for this type of activity in the
Community by establishing common rules in a number of
areas . One of these areas or ' coordinated fields ' concerned

the protection of minors . Article 22 stipulates that Member
States shall take appropriate measures to ensure that
television broadcasts by broadcasters under their
jurisdiction do not include programmes which might
seriously impair the physical, mental or moral development
of minors, in particular with pornography or gratuitous
violence . Article 2 ( 2 ) provides that Member States shall
ensure freedom of reception and shall not restrict
retransmission on their territory of television broadcasts
from other Member States . However, it also expressly
provides that retransmission may be suspended if a
television broadcast coming from another Member State
manifestly, seriously and gravely infringes Article 22 .

Two types of situation may arise . The offending broadcaster
may come under the jurisdiction of the Member State which
objects to it, when the Member State can act directly against
the broadcaster using national legislation, without
Community law coming into play . Otherwise the
programmes may be transmitted by a broadcaster under the
jurisdiction of another Member State, when the Directive
expressly provides for a procedure whereby the Member
State of reception can, under certain specific conditions,
suspend such retransmission of the incriminated broadcast
on its territory .

Recently and for the first time, a Member State ( in
accordance with Article 2 ( 2 ) of the Directive ) has informed
the Commission of its intention to take action against a
broadcaster which it feels infringes Article 22 . This is the
only example to date of use of the provisions of the Directive
to restrict a television channel broadcasting via satellite
programmes of an allegedly pornographic nature .

In the light of the above, the Commission considers that the
Directive provides a good balance between the objective of
ensuring freedom of reception — which is an essential part
of the freedom of expression recognized by the European
Convention on Human Rights — and its other objectives
such as, for example, the protection of minors .

Subject : Pornographic TV channels
(') OJ No L 298, 17 . 10 . 1989 .

Could the Commission inform me whether pornographic
TV channels transmitting via satellite can be stopped as

No C 292 / 38 Official Journal of the European Communities 28 . 10 . 93

WRITTEN QUESTION No 660 / 93

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

(6 April 1993 )

( 93 /'C 292 / 68 )

Subject : Phare programme

What proportion of parties participating in the Phare
programme are public sector / private sector ?

How many private limited companies have participated in
the programme ? What is the breakdown of where their
company 's registered office is located ?

Answer given by Sir Leon Brittan

on behalf of the Commission

(6 September 1993 )

The Commission is sending directly to the Honourable
Member and to the Secretariat of Parliament a table

containing the information requested .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 676 / 93

by Mr Jose Valverde Lopez ( PPE )

to the Commission of the European Communities

(6 April 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 69 )

Subject : Problems for Maghreb nationals crossing the Strait

of Gibraltar in summer

Each summer, Spanish roads and the port of Algeciras have
serious traffic problems because of a genuine flood of
Maghreb nationals into Europe . 36,1 % of all Maghreb
nationals crossing the Strait of Gibraltar from Algeciras
crossed this frontier point in two four-day periods over the
62 days in which this transit occurred, causing serious
holdups and public disturbances . A minimum amount of
planning and information is necessary for Maghreb
nationals resident in European countries to prevent these
difficulties . What steps could the Commission promote to
encourage the necessary coordination ?

Answer given by Mr Marin
on behalf of the Commission

( IS July 1993 )

The situation described by the Honourable Member has
been brought to the attention of the Commission, which

shares his desire to see a suitable solution to the problems
connected with migrant workers in transit .

The only obvious solution in the short term, however, is
greater cooperation between the Member States and the
non-member countries involved .

With regard to cooperation in border matters between parts
of the Community and adjacent portions of non-member
countries, the Commission published a discussion paper on

16 June of this year which set out guidelines for future
Community initiatives, with the intention of incorporating
them into the rules for the Structural Funds from 1994 .
Among the ideas contained in the paper are options for a
new Interreg initiative for cross-border cooperation, which
will probably include greater cooperation with regions
along the Community 's external frontiers .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 687 / 93

by Mr Virginio Bettini ( V )

to the Commission of the European Communities

(7 April 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 70 )

Subject : Transfer of ownership of second-hand cars

Following the entry into force of the single market and the
free movement of goods within the Community, what steps
will the Commission take to facilitate the transfer of

second-hand cars between Community citizens ?

The registration of such vehicles in the country of the
purchaser is currently hampered by bureaucratic procedures
requiring, for example, consular certification of
signatures .

Answer given by Mr Vanni d'Archirafi

on behalf of the Commission

( 27 July 1993 )

The rules of the EEC Treaty and, more specifically, its
provisions concerning the free movement of goods also
apply to the transfer of motor vehicles between Community
nationals .

The Commission 's interpretative notice on procedure for
the type-approval and registration of vehicles previously
registered in another Member State (*) makes it clear that
Member States are required to type-approve and register
vehicles previously registered in another Member State
within reasonable periods of time and at reasonable

costs .

The Commission does not at present plan to adopt any rules
on this matter over and above the possibility already

28 . 10 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 292 / 39

available since 1 January 1993 of applying for Community
type-approval of vehicles, this approval being valid in all
Member States .

If the Honourable Member has details of administrative

practices obstructing the registration of vehicles from other
Member States, the Commission would be willing to
examine them . On the validity of documents, the
abovementioned interpretative notice states that Member
States are required to accept documents accompanying the
vehicle in the form and manner in which they are legally
valid in the Member State in which they were prepared,
provided they contain the information required for
registration in the importing Member State .

P ) OJ No C 281, 4 . 11 . 1988 .

WRITTEN QUEST ION No 690 / 93

by Mr Ernest Glinne ( S )

to the Commission of the European Communities

(7 April 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 71 )

Subject : Recognition of ' Doctorate in dental surgery '

A French citizen resident in Tahiti ( French Polynesia ) holds a
' Doctorate in dental surgery ' conferred in 1968 by the
Medical Faculty of the St Joseph Jesuit University of Beirut

( Lebanon ).

Although it is recognized as scientifically equivalent to a
French degree, it does not entitle him to practise as a dentist
in France .

However, following written and oral examinations at the
Dental and Stomatology Faculty of the Catholic University
of Louvain, the authorities recognized his degree as being
equivalent to a Belgian degree . The British and Irish
authorities have also authorized him to practise on their
territory .

The French authorities refuse to follow suit, taking refuge
behind Article 1 ( 4 ) of Directive 78 / 687 / EEC (') concerning
the coordination of provisions in respect of the activities of
dental practitioners . This article does not oblige one
Member State to accept recognition by another of training
acquired in a third country, since the Member State granting
recognition cannot monitor it as closely as training acquired
in its own territory . However, in this case, the applicant had
taken examinations in Belgium before securing recognition
of equivalence .

Do the French authorities not recognize the Belgian degree
in dentistry ?

Does the Commission not consider it necessary to make
these Community provisions more flexible given that they
are far removed from the declared spirit of the Treaty of
Maastricht and the idea of ' European citizenship '?

Could recognition of equivalence not be made compulsory
in cases where at least two Member States have recognized a
degree as equivalent to their own national degrees ?

(!) OJ No L 233, 24 . 8 . 1978, p. 10 .

Answer given by Mr Vanni d'Archirafi

on behalf of the Commission

( 20 July 1993 )

According to the information available to the Commission,
the person concerned does not hold the statutory Belgian
diploma of ' licencie en science dentaire ', which the French
authorities would be obliged to recognize automatically
under the terms of Directive 78 / 686 / EEC ( J ), but only a
certificate of recognition of equivalence issued by the
competent national authorities and restricted to national
territory . In the United Kingdom and Ireland he has
obtained, as in Belgium, only recognition of equivalence and
not the diploma stipulated by the Directive .

European citizenship does not necessarily entail the
introduction of Community machinery requiring Member
States to recognize automatically between themselves
education and training received in third countries and hence
not subject to any Community verification . Unlike the
general systems for recognition contained in Directives

89 / 48 / EEC ( 2 ) and 92 / 51 / EEC ( 3 ), the automatic
recognition of diplomas provided for in the ' dentistry '
Directives requires not only the coordination of education
and training — achieved through Directive 78 / 687 / EEC
with regard to dentists — but also the verification of that
education and training .

In the case of education and training given outside the
Community, such verification requires cooperation with the
authorities in third countries . Arrangements for such
cooperation do not yet exist at Community level .

The Commission has pointed out to the Committee of
Senior Officials on Public Health ( 4 ) that the Directive in
question should be amended, as should other directives
specific to certain health professions, in particular to bring
them into line with Directives 89 / 48 / EEC and 92 / 51 / EEC

introducing general systems for the recognition of diplomas .
These two general Directives in fact provide for the
recognition, between Member Staates, of diplomas attesting
education and training which were not received mainly in
the Community, provided that the holders have three years '
professional experience certified by the Member State which
recognized the third-country diplomas . However, this
recognition is not automatic in the same way as that
provided for in the ' dentistry ' Directives, since the two
general Directives do not establish a minimum level of
coordination of education and training and, consequently,

No C 292 / 40 Official Journal of the European Communities 28 . 10 . 93

allow the host Member State to require, subject to certain
conditions, further training to be undertaken in the event of
significant deficiencies .

" The detailed discussions which have taken place within the

Committee have not resulted in a broad consensus that

would allow consideration to be given to presenting to the
Council a proposal bringing the specific Directives into line
with the General Directives as regards the recognition of
third-country diplomas .

The fact remains, however, that recognition granted by one
Member State, or even by two or more, constitutes a
Community aspect which the host Member State should not
ignore by refusing to examine the education and training in
question, even if it is not required, under Community law as
it now stands, to grant such diplomas the automatic
recognition provided for by Directive 78 / 686 / EEC . This has
not occurred in the instance referred to since, as far as the
Commission is aware, the French authorities have examined
the case of the person concerned and have formally notified
him of their decision .

(M OJ No L 233, 24 . 8 . 1978 .

( 2 ) OJ No L 19, 24 . 1 . 1989 .

( 3 ) OJ No L 209, 24 . 7 . 1992 .

( 4 ) Set up by Council Decision 75 / 365 / EEC of 1 6 June 1 975 ( OJ No
L 167, 30 . 6 . 1975 ), as amended by Council Decision
78 / 689 / EEC of 25 July 1978 ( OJ No L 2 . 33, 24 . 8 . 1978 ) in
respect of dental practitioners .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 748 / 93

by Mr Jean-Pierre Raffin ( V )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 15 April 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 72 )

Subject : Community funding for an infrastructure project

in South America ( Hidrovia )

In reply to Written Question No 2509 / 90 ( ! ) by Mr Carlos
Pimenta, the Commission stated that two questions
remained under consideration :

— institutional aspects,

— possible financing of research into the impact of the

Hidrovia waterway project on the Pantanal area .

Can the Commission say what stage it has reached in its
consideration of these two questions as regards the
provision of financial support ?

The Commission invited the representatives of the five
countries concerned to attend a conference on inland

waterways and to make on-the-spot visits . Can it give details

concerning the substance of the talks and the outcome of the
visits ?

In order to avoid the destruction of the Pantanal area, the
largest wetland area in the world, has the Commission
considered alternative solutions to the canalization of the

Paraguay River, or is it prepared to do so ?

(M OJ No C 141, 30 . 5 . 1991, p. 12 .

Answer given by Mr Marin
on behalf of the Commission

( 29 July 1993 )

As the Honourable Member stresses, in its reply to Written
Question No 2509 / 90 the Commission expanded on the fact
that it was expecting to provide support in two areas of
cooperation relating to the Hidrovia project, the one
concerning institutional aspects and the other the
environment .

However, in the event the CIH ( Intergovernmental Hidrovia
Committee ) and the IDB ( Inter-American Development
Bank ) are about to sign an agreement which includes these
two areas so that the matter has automatically been taken
out of the Commission 's hands .

On the other hand, in May 1990 a travelling seminar was
held in Europe for 15 technicians, three from each CIH
country . This study trip allowed the technicians concerned
to see the main inland waterway, sea and river port works
executed in the Community 's different countries .

The Commission will take great care to ensure that the
Pantanal question is given the full attention it deserves .

Clearly, the Commission would like to help the Latin
American countries in the search for a solution which might safeguard the Pantanal or at least ensure that the effect of
any works is kept to the absolute minimum possible .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 752 / 93

by Mr Lode Van Outrive ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 15 April 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 73 )

Subject : Implementation of the Council resolution
concerning the protection of the financial interests
of the Community : implementation of the
provisions of paragraph 9

In the above resolution of 13 November 1991 ( 1 ), the
Council conferred on the Commission the urgent task of

28 . 10 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 292 / 41

i

completing ' in the course of 1992, the study currently
undertaken '. What is the study in question ? Why has the
study evidently not yet been completed ?

Is it possible for this study to be forwarded to me ?

(!) OJ No C 328, 17 . 12 . 1991, p. 1 .

Answer given by Mr Schmidhuber

on behalf of the Commission

( 26 July 1993 )

The study which the Council ( Ministers for Justice ) in its
resolution of 13 November 1991 requested the Commission
to complete in 1992 concerns administrative and criminal
penalty systems of the Member States and the general
principles of the Community system of penalties . The study
was completed in October 1992 .

The study will be transmitted to the Council and Parliament
in late June or early July, at the same time as the comparative
law study of the legal and administrative provisions of the
Member States as requested by the Council in points 9, 10
and 11 of the resolution ' in order to see whether action

should be taken to achieve greater compatibility of these
provisions '. The input reports for both studies will be
attached . The summary reports on the study referred to by
the Honourable Member are being prepared for publication
by the Publications Office of the Communities and will be
available in the very near future .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 768 / 93

by Mrs Anne André ( LDR )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( IS April 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 74 )

Subject : German VAT

Since 1 January 1993 coach operators have been faced with
the unilateral decision by the German motorway authorities
involving an 86 % increase in VAT payable on journeys
through Germany crossing an external Community
border .

Can the Commission indicate clearly whether this measure
by the German Government constitutes discrimination
between resident and non-resident undertakings ?

WRITTEN QUESTION No 942 / 93

by Mr Jaak Vandemeulebroucke ( ARC )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 29 April 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 75 )

Subject : VAT on coach journeys in Germany

Since 1 January of this year Belgian coach firms have had to
pay an extra 86 % of the VAT on coach journeys through
Germany if a coach crosses an external frontier .

This is a form of distorion of competition since it means that
Belgian firms pay more VAT per kilometre than equivalent
German firms .

Is the Commission aware of this increase ? What action does

it intend to take to rectify this distortion of competition ?

WRITTEN QUESTION No 983 / 93

by Mr Gerard Deprez ( PPE )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 29 April 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 76 )

Subject : Coach tours : VAT on ' transport ' turnover in

Germany

By decision of 1 January 1993 concerning VAT on
' transport ' turnover, the FRG increased the rate from 14 to
15 % and changed the basis of assessment ( 8,67 instead of 5
Pfennigs per person per kilometre ), thereby increasing VAT
on tourist coaches crossing the German border from 0,7 to

1,3 Pfennigs per person per kilometre .

Is the Commission aware that German customs officials

demand the payment of VAT on tourist coaches crossing the
border which are only in transit through Germany but are to
cross an external border ?

In view of this, does the Commission therefore agree that
VAT ( 15 % ) on a German coach ( average charge being DM
2 per kilometre ) will amount to DM 0,3 per kilometre
whereas a Belgian coach operator, for example, will have to
pay 1,3 Pfennigs x 37 ( average number passengers on the
basis of official statistics from the Ministry of
Communications ), i.e. 48,1 Pfennigs, amounting to a 60 %
additional charge for the Belgian operator ?

Does the Commission not think that this situation

constitutes discrimination between resident and

No C 292 / 42 Official Journal of the European Communities 28 . 10 . 93

non-resident coach operators and that it is contrary to
Article 27 of the sixth VAT directive ?

Joint answer to Written Questions

Nos 768 / 93, 942 / 93 and 983 / 93

given by Mrs Scrivener
on behalf of the Commission

( 19 July 1993 )

Answer given by Mr Van Miert

on behalf of the Commission

(5 July 1993 )

The number of officials, temporary staff and auxiliary staff
taking part in vocational training courses organized by the
Commission is shown in the tables below .

Table 1 shows the number of people ( broken down by sex
and category ) taking part in courses other than language

courses .

The Commission has already contacted the German sex
authorities with a view to re-examining the procedures and category ) taking part in courses other than language
applicable since 1 January 1993 under the flat-rate scheme courses .
for passenger transport services provided by Community
taxable persons in Germany in respect of journeys to a
non-EC country ( Austria, Switzerland, Poland, the Czech
Republic, etc .)., Table 2 shows the number of people ( broken down by sex
and category ) taking part in language courses organized by
the Commission .

If these contacts do not produce a satisfactory solution
bringing to an end the present differential taxation scheme,
the Commission is determined to take all the measures
necessary to secure compliance with Community law and The total in table 1 (4 178 people ) does not include the
with the rules governing the internal market . people — of all categories — who took part in the following

necessary to secure compliance with Community law and The total in table 1 (4 178 people ) does not include the
with the rules governing the internal market . people — of all categories — who took part in the following

two types of training course organized under the
Commission 's 1992 vocational training programme :
The Commission would draw the Honourable Member 's

attention to the fact that on 30 September 1992 it unveiled a
proposal relating to VAT on passenger transport (*) that is the series of talks on major issues in current European
designed to replace the present arrangements, whereby VAT and world affairs ( one held in 1992 ): 200
is calculated on a territorial basis, with arrangements for

participants ;

paying VAT in the country of departure . Parliament
endorsed the proposal at its January part-session .

the series of talks on major issues in current European
and world affairs ( one held in 1992 ): 200
participants ;

The proposal will resolve the problem at issue and will
significantly reduce the amount of red tape facing the
operators concerned .

(M COM(92 ) 416 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 776 / 93

by Mr Yves Verwaerde ( LDR )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 15 April 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 77 )

Subject : Continuing vocational training for the
Community officials in 1992

How many officials, broken down by category, took part in
vocational training courses in 1992 ?

the general training modules : the ' Grille Standard '

(a modular programme organized around the
Commission 's main spheres of activity ): 3 100
participants .

TABLE 1

Training courses over the period 1 January 1992

to 31 December 1992

Staff who completed a training course

Category Men Women Totals

A 1 164 276 1 440

L 294 354 648

B 450 277 727

C 166 1 001 1 167

D 111 26 137

Aux. 26 33 59

Totals 2211 1 967 4 178

28 . 10 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 292 / 43

TABLE 2 a basis for a certain adjustment of future allocation keys, if
requested by the Member States concerned .

Language courses over the period 1 January 1992

to 31 December 1992 f 1 ) OJ No L 389, 31 . 12 . 1992

Staff who completed a course

Category Men Women Totals

A 495 118 613

L 220 278 498

B 244 190 434

C 69 784 853

D 40 11 51

Aux. 42 79 121

Totals 1 110 1 460 2 570

WRITTEN QUESTION No 791 / 93

by Mr Barry Desmond ( S )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 19 April 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 79 )

Subject : Professional training in nursing

In reference to Written Question No 1784 / 91 ( ] ), Mr Diego
de los Santos Lopez raised the issue of a possible breach of

QUESTION No 785 / 93 Article 1 ( 2 ) of Council Directive 77 / 453 / EEC ( 2 ),

Peter Cramp ton ( S ) subsequently amended by Council Directive 89 / 595 / EEC ( 3 )

of 10 October 1989, which specifies ' full-time training

of the European Communities which must comprise a three year course or 4 600 hours of

19 April 1993 ) theoretical and clinical instruction '. It was stated that in the

( 93 / C 292 / 78 ) instance of Spain this training period does last three years
but only comprises between 1 800 and 2 700 hours .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 785 / 93

by Mr Peter Cramp ton ( S )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 19 April 1993 )

The response of the Commission was that Spain opted for
Subject : Fishing : saithe quota
the three-year course and that it is not therefore necessary
for the training provided during the three years to comprise
For the past three years the French have not taken up even 4 600 hours .
half of their quota for saithe .

Are there any prospects for this quota being re-allocated ?

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission

( 18 June 1993 )

1 . Will the Commission endeavour to ensure that if

diplomas are to be mutually recognized as an integral
part of the setting up of the internal market, then there
must be a ' level playing field ' in areas such as these where
training provides diplomas of equal value in Spain ?

2 . The Commission stated that it would keep the
Honourable Member informed of any further action it
might take on this matter . Will the Commission now
update the position and also indicate if it has received
any further response from Spanish authorities ?

(!) OJ No C 323, 13 . 12 . 1991, p. 39 .

Article 8 ( 4 ) of Council Regulation ( EEC ) No 3760 / 92 of ( 2 ) OJ No L 176, 15 . 7 . 1977, p. 8 .
20 December 1992 ( J ), establishing a Community system ( 3 ) OJ No L 341, 23 . 11 . 1989, p . 30 .
for fisheries and aquaculture, states that, when allocating
fishing possibilities to Member States, the relative stability
principle must be observed, although account could be
taken, if requested, of the development of miniquotas and Answer given by Mr Vanni d'Archiraii
regular quota swaps since 1983 . on behalf of the Commission

( 2 ) OJ No L 176, 15 . 7 . 1977, p. 8 .

on behalf of the Commission

( 16 July 1993 )
France has a relatively large share of the TAC for saithe in
the North Sea, and therefore this cannot be considered as a
miniquota . Nevertheless, since 1986 France has swapped 1 . The Commission aims to take all necessary measures
certain quantities, ranging from 320 to 3 450 tonnes, with to ensure the respect of the provisions of the EC Treaty and
other Member States, particularly Belgium, Denmark, the acts adopted under it . In particular it ensures that the
Germany and the United Kingdom, and this could constitute training programme for nurses responsible for general care

No C 292 / 44 Official Journal of the European Communities 28 . 10 . 93

set out in Directive 77 / 45 3 / EEC is correctly implemented by immediate measures to solve the problem of canned sardines
Member States in order to achieve the coordination of in Arrecife de Lanzarote ?

nursing training in all the Member States, as envisaged by
the Nurses Directive .

. At present, the Commission is not aware of information

which would lead it to believe that there are Member States

other than Spain, which are in breach of the Directive
77 / 453 / EEC .

2 . With reference to the Commission 's response to
Written Question No 1784 / 91 the Honourable Member
will see that the Commission is of the view that a Member

State has the option of the three year period or 4 600 hours
in order to comply with the obligation imposed by Directive
77 / 453 / EEC . If a Member State opted for the first formula,
it must nevertheless guarantee the quality and standard of
training envisaged by the Directive . The Spanish authorities
have responded to the Commission 's query referred to in its
answer to Written Question No 1784 / 9 I. The Commission
is not convinced by the arguments of the Spanish authorities
with respect to Community law .

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission

( 22 June 1993 )

In order to take stock of the situation in the small pelagic
fisheries sector, the Commission staff have procedured two
working documents, the first concerning the sardine
market ( ] ) and the second relating to the herring and
mackerel market ( 2 ).

These documents, which have yet to be examined by a group
of experts from the Council, form a basis for discussion and
consideration which will enable the Commission in the light
of the outcome to make suitable proposals, if necessary .

The Commission is open to any cooperation in the
examination of these documents and to this end is making
the necessary contacts with the various sectors of the
industry concerned .

At present no specific measures are anticipated to deal with
individual problems that arise in the small-scale fishing fleet
and the canned sardine industry at Arrecife, Lanzarote .
WRITTEN QUESTION No 799 / 93 Suitable solutions will have to be found within the scope of
by the following members : Jose Vazquez Fouz and Manuel the general study of the situation in this sector .

Medina Ortega ( S )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 19 April 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 80 )

Subject : Aid for the small pelagic fisheries sector

The Commission and Council are doubtless aware of the

crisis affecting the Community markets and production
sectors relating to small pelagic fish such as sardine,
mackerel and herring in Spain, Ireland, France, the United
Kingdom and Germany in particular .

There is one problem which might be of particular
significance for the small Canary fleet located principally in
Arrecife de Lanzarote . There is very limited demand for
canned fish, its main outlet, because of the large stocks of
canned sardines and marketing difficulties resulting from
the weakness of the traditional African market, the
problems facing the markets in Eastern Europe and the
general fall in demand .

Nevertheless, the Commission and Council should, it
appears, take urgent measures similar to those taken on the
Community market in fresh and frozen fish for other

reasons .

Will the Commission take measures to solve the crisis

currently affecting small pelagic species ? Will it take

(') SEC ( 92 ) 2221 .

( 2 ) SEC(93 ) 430 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 801 / 93

by Sir James Scott-Hopkins ( PPE )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 19 April 1993 )

93 / C 292 / 81

Subject : Definition of secondary raw materials

Will the Commission give a definition of what is meant by
the proposed ' secondary raw materials ' in relation to waste
disposal ?

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission

(6 July 1993 ) a

Waste disposal is covered by Directive 75 / 442 / EEC ( J ), as
amended by Directive 91 / 156 / EEC ( 2 ). Directive
75 / 442 / EEC in its Article 1 ( a ) gives a definition of ' waste '.

28 . 10 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 292 / 45

The same definition is used for the proposed directive on the
landfill of waste . Since these directives deal with waste, not
with secondary raw materials, no definition of secondary
raw materials is envisaged .

However, the Commission is aware of the importance of
specifying the concepts of ' product ', ' secondary raw
material ' and ' waste ' and, if possible, of defining the limits
between these concepts . Currently, the question is being
studied at the international level by the Commission as well
as other organizations, in particular the OECD .

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

( 2 ) OJ No L 78, 26 . 3 . 1991 .

contractual freedom of the producer, the quota of each
processing undertaking may be exceeded, thereby
infringing Article 10 of Council Regulation ( EEC )
No 2075 / 92 and possibly leading to oligopolist
structures, thereby economically undermining the

sector .

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

( 2 ) OJ No L 351, 2 . 12 . 1992, p . 11 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 803 / 93

by the following members : Agostino Mantovani, Mauro
Chiabrando, Franco Borgo, Mario Forte, Gerardo Gaibisso,
Giuseppe Mortola, Ferruccio Pisoni and Gabriele Sboarina

( PPE )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 19 April 1993 )

WRITTEN QUESTION No 802 / 93
( 93 / C 292 / 83 )
by the following members : Mantovani, Chiabrando, Borgo,

Forte, Gaibisso, Pisoni and Sboarina ( PPE )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 19 April 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 82 )

Subject : Regulation of quotas under the common
organization of the market in tobacco

Council Regulation ( EEC ) No 2075 / 92 ( ] ) lays down a
number of fundamental changes to the common
organization of the market in tobacco, including the
abolition of intervention purchasing and the system of
processing premiums .

The processing premium has been replaced with a premium
for cultivation payable when the processor receives the
tobacco from the producer .

1 . Is it true to say that Articles 9 and 10 of Commission
Regulation ( EEC ) No 3477 / 92 ( 2 ) making processors —
who would otherwise forfeit their quotas ( Article 3 ( 3 )
of Commission Regulation ( EEC ) No 3477 / 92 ) —
responsible for issuing and verifying producers '
' cultivation certificates ' do not distort the quota system
and introduce a workable joint system of processing and
production quotas or that they impose a heavy and
burdensome responsibility on processors whose
decisions come to be regarded as final, possibly
modifying legal situations open to interpretation

( Title IV of Commission Regulation ( EEC ) No 3477 / 92
— Transfer of rights ).

i

2 . Is it not true to say that there is a major discrepancy
between Articles 10 ( 3 ) of Commission Regulation

( EEC ) No 3477 / 92 and Article 10 of Council Regulation

( EEC ) No 2075 / 92 in so far as, in order to ensure the

«

Subject : Obligations and payments of advances under the

common organization of the market in tobacco

Council Regulation ( EEC ) No 2075 / 92 lays down a number
of fundamental changes to the common organization of the
market in tobacco, including the abolition of intervention
purchasing and the system of processing premiums .

The processing premium has been replaced with a premium
for cultivation payable when the processor receives the
tobacco from the producer .

1 . Does the Commission consider that the drawing up and
adoption of the provisions contained in Articles 6 and 7
of Council Regulation ( EEC ) No 2075 / 92 and
Articles 9, 10, 12 and 16 of Commission Regulation

( EEC ) No 3477 / 92 avoid imposing a burden on citizens
exceeding the measure necessary to satisfy the public
interests at stake ( proportionality rule ) bearing in mind
that, under the common organization of the market, the
processing sector does not enjoy preferences or priorities
but is obliged to advance money against Community
Funding ( to the amount of the premiums )?

2 . Does the Commission consider that the lack of

coordination between Articles 16 and Article 12 ( 1 ) of
Commission Regulation ( EEC ) No 3478 / 92 ( l ) creates
an enormous discrepancy between processors who have
paid the premium to producers without requesting
advances and those who have received advances under
Article 12 ( 1 ) subjet to the lodging of a security ? In
addition does Article 15 of Commission Regulation

( EEC ) No 3478 / 92 require payment of interest to the
EAGGF, chargeable to the processing in cases where the

No C 292 / 46 Official Journal of the European Communities 28 . 10 . 93

premium is paid to the producer over six weeks after operated in a satisfactory manner with regard to the right of
receipt of the advance ? private persons to purchase goods for their own personal

use and transport them to another Member State .
(!) OJ No L 351, 2 . 12 . 1992, p. 17 .

Joint answer to Written Questions

Nos 802 / 93 and 803 / 93

given by Mr Steichen
on behalf of the Commission

( 24 June 1993 )

The matters raised by the Honourable Member are the
subject of an action brought by a number of Italian
processors . The Commission will therefore set out its
position in detail in the statement of defence that it will
submit to the Court of Justice . The Commission wishes to
state, however, that it considers the provisions mentioned to
be in perfect conformity with Council Regulation ( EEC )

WRITTEN QUESTION No 807 / 93

by Mr João Cravinho ( S )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 21 April 1993 )

No 2075 / 92 . ( 93 / C 292 / 85 )

Subject : Delays in ESF payments to Portuguese vocational

training organizers
WRITTEN QUESTION No 805 / 93

by Mr Carlos Robles Piquer ( PPE )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 19 April 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 84 )

Subject : Acquisition of goods in another Member State

At a dinner-debate on 11 December 1992 in Brussels Mrs

Christiane Scrivener, Member of the Commission, referring
to the abolition of internal borders as of 1 January
commented that there would be no more customs control on

goods and travellers would have no problem in buying the
goods they wished in another Member State of the
Community provided that the goods were intended for their
personal use (' La lettre d'Europe Avenir ', No 24, February

1993, as quoted by Michel Cuperley ).

In the light of experience acquired in the first two months of

1993 does the Commission consider that these forecasts

have been fulfilled and that internal borders between the

Twelve do infact permit the free circulation of goods
purchased by citizens of these Member States, at least when
they are declared for their personal use ?

Answer given by Mrs Scrivener

on behalf of the Commission

(5 July 1 993 )

The Commission considers that the Community legislation
providing for the abolition of customs and fiscal checks at
the Community 's internal frontiers from J January 1 993 has

I was recently contacted by a nifmber of vocational training
organizers in Portugal who have been awaiting ESF
payments for a number of months, having been told that
payment was not possible because of failure by the
Community to transfer funds to Portugal .

I have also learned that the Institute for Employment and
Professional Training ( IEFP ) has stopped approving
training operations because of the lack of funds for many
private Portuguese operators . A number of these organizers
who are considered to make a valuable contribution because

of the quality or innovative nature of the training they
provide have been obliged to reduce their scope of activities
for an unforeseeable length of time ?

Since one of the reform objectives for 1978 was to prevent
vocational training from continuing to be a seasonal activity
by means of two instruments — programming and
guaranteed financing for a four-year period — such a
situation can only be described as anomalous .

Public opinion in Portugal blames the Commission 's failure
for this state of affairs . To what extent is the Commission

responsible ? What responsibilities, if any, do the Portuguese
authorities, in particular the IEFP, have for these delays ?
Can the Commission give detailed justification or an
explanation for the various delays in payment ? What
corrective measures have been taken ? Will compensation be
paid to those affected as a result of the malfunctioning of the
system ? What amounts are currently in arrears ?

28 . 10 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 292 / 47

Answer given by Mr Flynn
on behalf of the Commission

( 21 June 1993 )

There has been a very substantial increase in the payment of
funding in Portugal over the last two years . The most recent
figures received by the Commission from Portugal indicate
that, for some programmes, the full amounts allocated have
now been paid at national level . Portugal may thus have to
take steps to avoid overspending the allocations in the
funding plans for these programmes . However, the
Commission is not aware of any restrictions on access to the
Operational Programmes directed by the IEFP .

On the subject of transfers of ESF funds, the Commission
can confirm that there has been no delay in processing
applications for funding from Portugal .

Allocations from the 1993 tranche and the payment of
advances for some programmes which have not yet started
depend on the Portuguese authorities presenting new
funding plans in accordance with the decisions reached by
the Community Support Framework monitoring committee
on 4 December 1992, together with the balances for 1991
and certificates of implementation for 1992 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 808 / 93

by Mr Sergio Ribeiro ( CG )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 21 April 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 86

Subject : Debate on the laundering of funds from illegal

drug trafficking in Portugal

In view of the Council ol Europe 's Convention, a number of
European Parliament resolutions and Council Directive
91 / 308 / EEC ( J ) on prevention of the use of the financial
system for the purpose of money laundering, in view of the
fact that it is extremely difficult to detect these activities
since they are organized by criminal organizations with the
utmost secrecy, and in view of the fact that money
laundering is taking place in an increasing number of
European countries, is the Commission aware of Portugal 's
efforts to combat these activities and of the legislative and
administrative measures adopted to implement the above
directive and does it consider them to be adequate ?

Answer given by Mr Vanni d'Archirafi

on behalf of the Commission

( 10 August . 1993 )

The Commission is aware that Portugal, having ratified the
Vienna Convention against illicit traffic in narcotic drugs
and psychotropic substances, outlawed laundering of the
proceeds of drug traffic at the end of last year . However,
Portugal has not yet ratified the Council of Europe
Convention on laundering, tracing, seizure and confiscation
of proceeds of crime, which covers the proceeds of all
criminal activities, not just drug trafficking .

Portugal has not yet communicated its national measures
implementing the Council Directive on money laundering .
The Commission has therefore initiated proceedings under
Article 169 of the EEC Treaty .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 810 / 93

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

( 21 April 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 87 )

Subject : German packaging regulation

On 21 November 1991 I tabled Written Question
No 2718 / 91 (!) on possible discrepancies between German
packaging regulations and Articles 30— 36 and 85 of the
EEC Treaty . On 27 March 1992 Mr Bangemann replied on
behalf of the Commission that its departments were
currently examining the German packaging regulation in
question to determine whether it infringed Community
regulations and said that I would be informed of the findings
of the examination . To date, practically one year later, I
have not received any additional response . In the last year,
however, the Commission has had ample time to complete
its investigations . Can the Commission therefore give a clear
answer to the question concerning compatibility of this
regulation with the EEC Treaty as soon as possible ?

(!) OJ No C 162, 29 . 6 . 1992, p. 26 .

Answer given by Mr Vanni d'Archirafi

on behalf of the Commission

( IS July 1993 )

efforts to combat these, activities and of the legislative and The Honourable Commission Member is not yet of in the a position final outcome to inform of the its
administrative measures adopted to implement the above
directive and does it consider them to be adequate ? examination of German packaging legislation . Packaging

and packaging waste pose complex problems both from the
viewpoint of environmental protection and from that of the
(!) OJ No L 166, 28 . 6 . 1991, n . 77 . free movement of goods .

No C 292 / 48 Official Journal of the European Communities 28 . 10 . 93

The Commission would draw the Honourable Member 's

attention to the proposal for a Directive on packaging and
packaging waste ( COM(92 ) 278 final ) which was presented
to the Council on 24 August 1992 ( 1 ). That proposal sets out
the objectives pursued and the principles applied by the
Commission in connection with free movement of goods
and environmental protection .

(!) OJ No C 263, 12 . 10 . 1992 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 812 / 93

by Mr Paul Staes ( V )

to the Commission of the European Communities

The Commission would remind the Honourable Member

that in its answer to Written Question No 422 / 91 it
explained why it could not make public the names of the
members of the international board of experts other than
that of the chairman, who at the time was Mr Yves Boiret,
Chief Inspector of Historic Monuments and an
internationally renowned expert on architectural heritage
conservation .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 813 / 93

by Mr Ben Visser ( S )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 21 April 1993 )

( 21 April 1993 ) ( 93 / C 292 / 89 )

( 93 / C 292 / 88 )

Subject : Imports of canned tuna
Subject : EEC subsidy for the Sint-Jans hospital ( Brugge,
Belgium )

Council Regulation ( EEC ) No 3759 / 92 (*) introduced
import quotas for canned tuna over a four-year period as of

I thank the Commission for its answer to my Written
Question No 422 / 91 ( 1 ).

1 . In its answer the Commission stated that it had no

reason to doubt the probity of the applicants . This was
the situation in October 1991 . Has the Commission

received any further information since then ?

2 . I repeat the second part of my previous question to
which I only received an incomplete answer (I was only
given the name of the chairman of the board dealing
with this matter and not the names of the members

thereof ). Can the Commission give the names of the
members of the board dealing with this matter ?

1 January 19 93 . The 1991 quota amounted to 74 000
tonnes . According to the regulation, this quota does not
apply to ACP countries, which are also exempt from import
levies . The quota does however apply to the Asean
countries, with 1991 being taken as the reference year . It is
increased annually in proportion to the rise in consumption
in the EC, with a minimum of 6% .

The Asean countries object to the introduction of the import
quota, claiming that it runs counter to GATT rules ( Article 1
on MFN treatment, given the fact that the ACP countries are
exempted from Article IX ) and because the Asean countries
are given less favourable treatment than the ACP countries
and the Andean and Central American countries .

( l ) OJ No C 20, 27 . 1 . 1992, p. 3 . 1 . Why was a canned tuna quota introduced as of

1 January 1993 ? Is it justified by the situation in the
fisheries sector ?

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro

on behalf of the Commission

( 26 July 1993 )

2 . Does the introduction of a quota for canned tuna run
counter to GATT rules ?

3 . Why are the Asean countries given less favourable

treatment than other groups of countries ?

4 . Is the Commission prepared if necessary to increase the

The Commission now has additional information

import quota for the Asean countries so they are no

concerning the project for the restoration of St Jan 's longer given less-favourable treatment ?
Hospital in Bruges, Belgium . Now that restoration has been
completed the building is open to the public and serves as a
venue for various cultural events . f 1 ) OJ No L 388, 31 . 12 . 1992, p. 1 .

28 . 10 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 292 / 49

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas WRITTEN QUESTION No 814

on behalf of the Commission

by Mrs Jessica Larive ( LDR )

WRITTEN QUESTION No 814 / 93

on behalf of the Commission

(7 July 1993 ) to the Commission of the European Communities

( 21 April 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 90
Article 21 of Council Regulation ( EEC ) No 3759 / 91 of

17 December 1992 on the common organization of the
market in fishery and aquaculture products introduced
Community provisions covering the import of canned
products manufactured from certain species of tuna
designed to check the growth in imports of these products
for a four-year transitional period prior to total
liberalization of the Community market .

1 . These provisions were introduced to replace, with effect

from 1 January 1993, the national quantitative
restrictions which existed in certain Member States for

these products, and which had been notified to the
GATT .

They are intended to enable the Community industry to
adapt to greater international competition when the
Community market is fully liberalized .

2 . The provisions do not contravene the GATT rules

since :

— they are of limited duration and intended to ensure a

transition between national restrictive rules of

unspecified duration and total liberalization of the
Community market ;

— they guarantee an annual increase irt permitted

import levels ;

— their scope as regards the products concerned is

identical to that of the national quantitative
restrictions which they replace .

3 . The Asean Member States are not treated less favourable

than other third countries in that the measure or quota
applies generally, without distinction by the origin of the
products .

The provisions cannot, however, be applied to third
countries which have signed agreements with the
Community to abolish quantitative restrictions — such
as the Lome Convention or association agreements —
just as the national quantitative restrictions did not
apply to those countries .

4 . The quota, calculated from official foreign trade
statistics, proved to be lower than market needs because
of the frauds in recent years involving products
originating in the Asean countries relating to the nature
of the product ( canned tuna declared as canned bonito
sarda ) in order to benefit from the reduced rate of duties
under the generalized system of preferences . The quota
could be corrected in the light of proceedings currently
being taken against these frauds .

Subject : European campaign for the promotion of books

and reading

Can the Commission give the exact date on which the «
European campaign on the promotion of books and reading
in Copenhagen will be launched ?

What Community initiatives have been adopted for this
campaign ?

Can the Commission say how the European Parliament
resolution on measures to promote books and reading of
21 January 1993 ( A3-01 59 / 92 ) will be included in the
European campaign ?

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro

on behalf of the Commission

( 15 July 1993 )

The campaign for raising European public awareness of
books and reading (' Reading for pleasure ') was officially
launched on 22 April 1993 by the Danish Minister of
Culture, Jytte Hilden, in the presence of the Ministers of
Culture of the 12 Member States of the European
Community and a Member of the Commission .

Throughout the 18 months of the campaign the Member
States and the Community will be taking a variety of
initiatives to promote reading among young people, support
small publishing houses, produce statistics on books or on
the audiovisual media and books .

%

The Commission is planning to take into account
Parliament 's resolution on the promotion of books and
reading ( A3-01 59 / 92 ) in preparing its future actions within
the limits of its resources and competences under the EEC
Treaty .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 8 1 7 / 93

by Mr Peter Crampton ( S )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 21 April 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 91 )

Subject : Fisheries : suspension of third-country imports

If minimum import prices fail to stop the deterioration of the
market situation in the EC fisheries sector, will the

No C 292 / 50 Official Journal of the European Communities 28 . 10 . 93

Commission consider the suspension of certain
third-country fish imports into EC markets ?

accordance with the procedure set out in Article 93 ( 3 ) of the
EEC Treaty, of a proposal to take measures to tackle the
serious situation affecting the fisheries markets . The fact is
that since autumn 1992, and in particular since February

1993, the European market for sea products has seen a very
Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas sharp fall in prices .

on behalf of the Commission

(5 July 1993 ) The Commission will take a decision on this case as quickly
as possible in accordance with the rules set out in the EEC
Treaty .
The Commission is of the opinion that several different
elements have contributed to the present crisis in the
Community whitefish market . With regard to the rules governing the examination of State
aid from the point of view of their compatibility with
One element has been imports into certain Member States Community law, the Commission published guidelines for
from third countries at very low prices . Nevertheless, the examination of State aid in the fisheries sector ( 1 ).
according to available figures from Member States, no
abnormal increase of imported quantities can be observed 0 ) OJ No C 152, 17 . 6 . 1992 .
during the first quarter of 1993 .

In these circumstances, the Commission does not consider it
necessary, at this stage, to undertake measures other than
those which have already been implemented on
25 February, 12 and 25 March 1993 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 820 / 93

In addition to the market management actions pursued by
the Commission, the Council of Ministers on 18 March by Mr Sérgio Ribeiro ( CG )
agreed to recommend to the Member States that they to the Commission of the European
improve the existing national controls in order to comply ( 21 April 1993 )
with the above mentioned actions .

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 21 April 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 93

WRITTEN QUESTION No 818 / 93

by Mr Peter Crampton ( S )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 21 April 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 92 )

Subject : Fisheries : French aid to the fishing industry

The French Fisheries Minister announced in February 1993
a financial aid package of FF 272 million ( £36 million ) for
the French fishing industry .

Can the Commission say whether such aid for the French
fishing industry infringes EC rules on sibsidies ? Would it
care to comment upon the right of Member States to offer
such aid to their fishing industries ?

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission

(5 July 1993 )

The Honourable Member is correct in thinking that the
French authorities have notified the Commission, in

Subject : Social and economic situation in the municipality

of Marinha Grande — Portugal

Marinha Grande, on the coast in central Portugal, has long
industrial traditions, especially in glass which have
developed with a high-tech industry, i.e. mouldings .

These two industries, together with plastics, steel and files,
are of great importance to the social life of the municipality
of Marinha Grande in the district of Leiria, but there is a
crisis and / or indications of a crisis in these industries,
particularly in the glass industry, because of the absence of
an industrial policy and protective measures against a
veritable invasion from Eastern European countries, Turkey
and Mexico, countries which, apart from social dumping,
have national or other incentive measures, which Portugal
no longer has, partly because of its exchange policy .

Following the closure of the Stephens Bros ' training
factory ', a real attack on historical / industrial heritage, and
the regrettable incidents of its auction there is an eminent
risk of the closure of important units currently employing a
thousand active workers, who are surviving by not paying
social security payments, and who are beginning to receive
their salaries late .

The foreseeable developments in this situation will have
disastrous economic and social effects in this area of

Portugal ; it is vital for us to prevent these effects by
recognizing the situation and acting - now .

28 . 10 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 292 / 51

Could the Commission consider the urgent financing of an
in-depth study into the socio-economic situation of
Marinha Grande and the immediate adoption of preventive
measures, in conjunction with the government of the
Member State ?

Answer given by Mr Millan
on behalf of the Commission

( 15 July 1993 )

The Commission would be willing to examine the possibility
of a study on the socio-economic situation of Marinha
Grande if the Portuguese authorities were to put such a
proposal to it .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 834 / 93

by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos ( NI )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 21 April 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 94 )

Subject : The Community 's chemicals industry

The Community 's chemicals industry generally is going
through a difficult period . Exports in particular are badly
affected : whereas last year they allowed for 4,1 % of total
Community exports, this year they will allow for a mere
2,5% . Owing to the difficult situation this year,
unemployment in the sector is expected to rise, a prediction
already borne out by the relevant indicators : last year
unemployment rose by 1,4 %, while this year it is set to rise
by an estimated 1,5 % .

In view of the fact that 2,5 million workers are employed in
the European chemical industry, does the Commission
intend to unveil support measures as soon as possible ?

Answer given by Mr Bangemann

on behalf of the Commission

( 12 July 1993 )

The Commission is aware that the European chemical
industry is suffering difficulties at the present moment, as

are a number of other industrial sectors . In keeping with the
pursuit of a horizontal industrial policy rather than sectoral
initiatives, the Commission will seek to resolve some of the
problems of the chemical industry and other industrial
sectors with such programmes as the Growth initiative and
an early conclusion of the GATT Uruguay Round .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 835 / 93

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

( 21 April 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 95 )

Subject : Energy problem facing Crete

The Greek island of Crete is facing a severe energy problem
and some villages are deprived of electricity ; it has been even
suggested that there might be an electricity blackout during
the summer period when the tourist season is at its peak .
Experts have pointed out that the energy problem can be
solved by exploiting solar and wind energy and other
natural resources, including natural gas . In view of the
above, can the Commission say whether the Greek
Government has submitted for approval a programme
setting out a comprehensive approach ( or individual
initiatives ) to all the problems with Community aid ?

Answer given by Mr Matutes

on behalf of the Commission

( 24 June 1993 )

As the Honourable Member points out in his question,
Crete is facing a severe energy problem . This is due to a rapid
growth in consumption, increased demand during the
summer months when the tourist season is at its peak and
the fact that the island is not linked to the network on the

Greek mainland, so none of its electricity can be supplied
from there .

Under the Valoren programme ( ERDF ), the Greek
authorities proposed building a wind park on Crete with a
generating capacity of 5,1 MW . The Commission agreed to
support this and the project has now been completed .

The plan to link Crete to the network of the Peleponnese was
originally included within the current Community Support
Framework for Greece . However, it was withdrawn because
the public electricity company gave priority to the
construction of a new power station on the island .

I

No C 292 / 52 Official Journal of the European Communities 28 . 10 . 93

Within the framework of the Commission 's energy
programmes ( Thermie and energy planning at regional
level ) several plans to harness and develop local renewable
energy sources have been submitted to the Commission and
approved for cofinancing in recent years .

During the forthcoming discussions concerning the
preparation of the new Community Support Framework for

1994 — 1999, the question of Crete 's energy supply could be
raised by the Greek authorities .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 839 / 93

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

authorities to this effect . The appropriate national, regional
or local authorities have sole responsibility for the
management and protection of historic monuments and
sites .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 841 / 93

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

( 26 April 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 97 )

Subject : Situation in Cameroon and EC economic aid

( 26 April 1993 ) In view of previous European Parliament resolutions on

93 / C 292 / 96 ) democratization in Cameroon and the statement issued by

the Foreign Ministers meeting in EPC expressing concern at
political developments in the country, will the Commission
call for Community economic aid to Cameroon to be
Subject : The state of the ancient stadium-cum-theatre in reviewed ?

( 26 April 1993 )

93 / C 292 / 96 )

Thessaloniki

As a result of the callousness of the contractor and the

indifference of the Greek Ministry of Culture, the ancient
stadium-cum-theatre in Apellou Street in Thessaloniki was
recently filled in with sand, transported there by lorries .
Given that this unprecedented action is the first stage in a
project to erect a block of flats on the site, does the
Commission intend to call on the Greek authorities to

preserve the archaeological finds in Apellou Street which
constitute part of the historic heritage of Greece and indeed,
of Europe ?

Answer given by Mr Marin
on behalf of the Commission

( 14 July 1993 )

archaeological finds in Apellou Street which The Commission is following political developments in
of the historic heritage of Greece and indeed, Cameroon closely . It hopes that the inquiry proposed by

Parliament in its resolution of 17 December 1992 will be

possible soon . The inquiry report will provide a basis for the
Community authorities to evaluate the process of
democratization in Cameroon and the Community 's and
Member States ' positions on cooperation with
Answer given by Mr Pinheiro Cameroon .

on behalf of the Commission

(6 July 1993 )

The Commission 's role in the protection and conservation
of Europe 's cultural heritage is spelled out in the conclusions
of the Council meeting of 12 November 1992 laying down
' guidelines for Community cultural action ' and in the new
Article 128 inserted in the EC Treaty by the Maastricht
Treaty, which is in the process of being ratified .

Community action is to encourage cooperation between
Member States and, if necessary, to support and supplement
their action . The role of the Member States in this area is

preponderant, and action by the Community is
subsidiary .

It is not, therefore, within the Commission 's power to take
steps to protect the ancient stadium-cum-theatre in Apellou
Street, Thessaloniki, nor to intervene with the Greek

WRITTEN QUESTION No 845 / 93

by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos ( NI )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 26 April 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 98 )

Subject : Conversion of wetland into go-Kart track

A wetland on Lesbos is mysteriously being converted into a
go-Kart track at the same time as the Ministry for the
Aegean and the Community have provided Drs. 4 million
under the IMP to protect and develop it . This incredible

28 . 10 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 292 / 53

event is taking place in a cove in the Yeras Gulf over an area
of 1,6 hectares of the ' Dipi Larsos ' wetland which features in
dozens of programmes and activities carried out by
universities and other organizations including the UN,
WWF and the Goulandris Museum . According to a report
drawn up by Mr Andreas Troubis of the Department of the
Environment at the University of the Aegean only farming is
allowed in the area chosen by the owner to set up the
track .

What does the Commission intend to do to save the wetland

from incalculable damage by this project ?

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission

(1 6 July 1 993 )

The biotope ' Dipi Lazsos ' in the Yeras Gulf ( Lesvos Island )
has not been identified as being of Community importance
under Council Directive 79 / 409 / EEC, concerning the
conservation of wild birds ( 1 ), which is the only legal basis
for Community intervention for nature conservation
applicable at present . Nor has Greece classified the zone
under consideration as a Special Protection Area according
to Article 4 of this Directive .

Consequently, it is the responsibility of the Greek
authorities to take the necessary measures for the wise use
and protection of the biotope in question . Community
intervention might only be possible after June 1994, in the
event that Directive 92 / 43 / EEC on the conservation of

natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora ( 2 ) is applicable
to the site in question .

(!) OJ No L 103, 25 . 4 . 1979 .

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

WRITTEN QUESTION No 854 / 93

by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos ( NI )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 26 April 1993 )

Answer given by Mr Christophersen

on behalf of the Commission

( 15 July 1993 )

National measures implementing the Council Directives on
the free movement of capital in banking have been adopted
by the Member States either through statute law or by
administrative means through royal, presidential or
ministerial decrees . The transposition process has been
supplemented by implementing measures taken by central
banks or by other banking supervisory authorities .

The Council Directive 88 / 361 / EEC on the free movement of

capital 0 ) was transposed into national law in most
Member States by 1 July 1990 . Taking the four Member
States benefiting from a transitional period up to the end of

1992, transposition was completed in Spain and Ireland at
the beginning of 1993 and in Portugal at the beginning of
May . In Greece, which was granted an additional
transitional period up to 30 June 1994 for certain
transactions, transposition took place by means of
presidential decree on 23 March 1993 . The Bank of Greece
also issued circulars on 7 May 1993 concerning procedures
for declaring and monitoring capital movements .

In banking, the transposition measures adopted by the
Member States have been supplemented by practical
implementing measures ( circulars, orders and other
instruments ) taken by the banking supervisory authorities,
which, in seven Community countries, are part of the central
bank structure . Most of those authorities have also

exchanged memoranda of understanding detailing the
arrangements for cooperation between them under the
mutual recognition system established by Community
directives .

At 1 June 1993, only Spain had not yet fully transposed into
national law the second Council Directive 89 / 646 / EEC on

the coordination of banking legislation ( 2 ), and this has so
far prevented the Spanish central bank from concluding
memoranda of understanding with the corresponding
authorities in the other Member States .

(») OJ No L 178, 8 . 7 . 1988 .

( 2 ) OJ No L 386, 30 . 12 . 1989 .

( 93 / C 292 / 99 ) WRITTEN QUESTION No 856 / 93

Subject : Regulatory framework for matters relating to the

movement of capital

Given the immediate need to draw up a regulatory
framework covering a number of matters relating to the
movement of capital, will the Commission say whether the
central banks of the Member States have finished taking
decisions on harmonization measures as part of the Single
Market ?

by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos ( NI )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 26 April 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 100 )

Subject : Subcontracting of employees

Officials of the National Bank of Greece allege that the
Bank 's administration intends to recruit on a contractual

No C 292 / 54 Official Journal of the European Communities 28 . 10 . 93

basis between 25 and 30 low paid computer programmers
for its subsidiary, Ethno-Data, who will subsequently be
subcontracted to the parent company, the National Bank .
How does the Commission intend to respond to these
reports, given that subcontracting of labour constitutes an
unacceptable form of exploitation ?

of maintaining a suitable balance in equal treatment for men
and women, and what recommendation could it make to the
respective national authorities to ensure that they do not
endorse labour agreements contracts containing
discriminatory clauses against women ?

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

( 10 June 1993 )

( 11 August 1993 )

There is no Community instrument which governs
conditions of hiring out of workers . Therefore the
Commission can not intervene in the matter raised .

Questions relating to remuneration are also dealt with at
national level . However, it should be noted that the
Community Charter of the Fundamental Social Rights of
Workers emphasized that all employment shall be fairly
remunerated . The Commission is currently preparing an
opinion on this subject .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 894 / 93

by Mr Carlos Robles Piquer ( PPE )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 23 April 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 101 )

Subject : Discriminatory clauses against women in labour

agreements

Despite the various Community principles and provisions
on the subject, there is still clear evidence of discrimination
in employment which greatly harms women . The principles
of sexual equality are still not satisfying women 's
aspirations to be given equal treatment with men in matters
relating to employment .

Evidence of this is provided by the fact that in one Spanish
region, Andalusia, 30 % of labour agreements still contain
discriminatory clauses against women, thus officially
endorsing the state of affairs which is so disadvantageous to
working women .

How, in the Commission 's opinion, can there be official
endorsement, in labour agreements, of discriminatory
clauses against women, thus defeating the Community 's aim

Directive 75 / 117 / EEC ( ] ) and 76 / 207 / EEC ( 2 ) make it clear
that collective agreements play a major part in guaranteeing
the principle of equality in respect of remuneration and
employment conditions within the Community .

Article 4 of Directive 75 / 117 / EEC provides that ' Member
States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that
provisions appearing in collective agreements . . . which are
contrary to the principle of equal pay may be declared null
and void or may be amended .'

This is reiterated in Articles 3 ( b ), 4 ( b ) and 5 ( b ) of Directive
76 / 207 / EEC on equal treatment .

Spanish legislation makes provision for discriminatory
agreements to be declared null and void, and provides
appropriate channels for contesting an agreement or
remedying any discriminatory effects ( Articles 17 and 90.5
of the Law 8 / 80 of 10 March ' Estatuto de los

Trabajadores ').

The Commission therefore considers that Spain has taken
the necessary steps to implement the above-mentioned
provisions of the Community Directives .

It is, however, possible that collective agreements in Spain
still contain elements of indirect discrimination, such as the
downgrading of women 's work, which are difficult to
detect .

In order to obtain recent data on this important matter, the
Commission has arranged for a study to be conducted into
the impact of equality-oriented and discriminatory clauses
in collective agreements in Spain ( covering the years 1990 to /

1992 ). The Commission will forward a copy of the study
report, as soon as it becomes available, to the Honourable
Member and to the Secretariat of the European
Parliament .

(») OJ No L 45, 19 . 2 . 1975 .

( 2 ) OJ No L 39, 14 . 1 . 1976 .

28 . 10 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 292 / 55

WRITTEN QUESTION No 907 / 93

by Mrs Anne André     - Léonard ( LDR )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 27 April 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 102 )

                                     

Subject : Car taxes

According to a study published by the Association of
European Motor Manufacturers, the partial harmonization

countries of VAT rates, which is offset gives by rise m additional to real differences taxes enforced in taxation in some
within the EEC . The same differences are found on the

European market for second-hand cars .

Does the Commission intend to take steps to harmonize car
taxes in the twelve Member States of the European
Community where there are currently blatant differences
within the single market ?

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1079 / 93

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

( 10 May 1993 )

{ 93 / C 292 / 103 )

Subject : Level of car tax

The European automobile industry is proposing that the
level of tax on cars in the Member States should be reviewed

in an attempt to eliminate discrepancies in prices . The
industry claims that car tax has not been affected at all by
the introduction of the single European market on 1 January

1993 while the different levels of taxation constitute the

main reason for fluctuations in the prices of European cars
in the EC . Will the Commission say whether it will review
the level of tax on cars in the Member States ?

Joint answer to Written Questions

Nos 907 / 93 and 1079 / 93

given by Mrs Scrivener
on behalf of the Commission

( 19 July 1993 )

As part of the approximation c>f indirect tax rates, which has
accompanied the abolition of tax frontiers and the
completion of the internal market, the disparities in VAT
rates on cars have been reduced quite considerably :

— in 1987 rates ranged from 12 to 38% ;

In the run-up to the completion of the internal market, it was
not : deemed necessary to approximate any other taxes that
might be levied on the purchase of new cars in some Member
States since they did not entail checks at frontiers . The
Commission will though examine the impact of such taxes
on the operation of the internal market in the report it is to
make shortly to the Council on the functioning of the new
VAT arrangements as they affect new cars .

As regards second-hand cars, the completion of the internal
market and the abolition of tax frontiers have made it

possible for individuals to purchase a second-hand car
without restrictions in any Member State and to return with
it to their country of residence without paying VAT . This
contrasts with the situation that obtained prior to
31 December 1992 in the wake of the Gaston Schul

judgment .

Common arrangements for taxing second-hand cars are
also laid down in the proposal for a Seventh VAT Directive,
which is currently under discussion in the Council . The
Commission firmly hopes that the proposal will be adopted
very shortly in view of its importance for the smooth
operation of the internal market .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1016 / 93

by Mr Iñigo Mendez de Vigo ( PPE )

to the Commission of the European Communities

(3 May 1993 )

93 / C 292 / 104

Subject : Statements by President Delors concerning recent

negotiations between the Community and
Morocco

During his recent visit to the Kingdom of Morocco the
Commission President, Mr Delors, announced the start of
negotiations between the Commission and that country
with the aim of establishing close cooperation in various
sectors including agriculture .

Has the Commission properly assessed the implications of
an agreement of this kind for agriculture, in Community
countries, and more particularly for remote and island
regions such as the Canary Islands ?

Answer given by Mr Delors
on behalf of the Commission

( 30 July 1993 )

since 1 January 1993 they have ranged from 15 to 25 %,
a narrowing in the differential from 26 percentage points During Mr Delors ' visit to Morocco from 25 to 27 February
to 10 percentage points . this year, the discussions focused on closer ties between the

V

No C 292 / 56 Official Journal of the European Communities 28 . 10 . 93

Community and Morocco on issues including
agriculture .

Closer cooperation is likely to be in the interest of both sides,
especially if it is aimed at taking advantage of existing
complementarities .

The Commission will take care to ensure that such

cooperation does not go against European interests .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1057 / 93

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

(6 May 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 105 )

Subject : Restriction of the Greek cooperative movement

and its effects on farmers

The extent to which structural interventions are successful

depends on the extent to which farmers — with their
organizations leading the way — take action to increase
financial resources . In the case of Greek agriculture, these
organizations are the cooperatives . Experience shows that
the farmers ' need for cooperative organizations increases as
protection for products and support for prices decrease and
the market becomes more competitive . In the Community,
cooperatives account for 60 % of the collection, processing
and marketing of all agricultural products . In Greece,
despite the fact that cooperative organizations play a much
smaller role, some state bodies are using all possible means
to try and eliminate the largest cooperatives ( such as
KYDEP, Elaiourgiki and KEOSOE ).

In the light of the above, will the Commission demonstrate
the Community 's profound concern at the Greek state
authorities ' policy of restricting the cooperative movement,
regardless of the future adverse effects on structural
interventions and on Greek farmers ?

Answer given by Mr Steichen

on behalf of the Commission

( 1.5 July 1993 )

Community legislation on agriculture, as regards both the
common organization of markets and structural policy,
recognizes the importance and role of producer groups and
organizations, including cooperatives .

The Community regulations on structures provide for
start-up aid to producer groups and organizations in regions
where there are structural problems relating to the
collection and the marketing of agricultural products . In
Greece, 23 producer groups and 321 organizations have
been recognized, most of them cooperatives .

In the fruit and vegetable sector, producers ' organizations
help to stabilize markets and also effect withdrawals in
connection with intervention . Thus, during the 1992 / 93
marketing year ( position as at 23 April 1993 ), a total of

1 042 197 tonnes was withdrawn from the market by the
Greek organizations . In the case of olive oil, the producer
groups and associations help to manage Community
production aid and may be given responsibility for
implementing measures to improve the quality of olive
oil .

As for the commercial activities of the cooperatives and their
possible financing, it is Member States which take the
decisions to grant national aid, within the Community
rules .

It is clear, therefore, that Community legislation to promote
the cooperative movement has been successful in Greece .
This being so, the Commission cannot confirm that the
Greek cooperative movement is being suppressed .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1076 / 93

by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos ( NI )

to the Commission of the European Communities

(6 May 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 106 )

Subject : The Sounion National Park in Attica

The mayors of Lavrion and Keratea recently claimed that
plans are afoot to develop land in the Sounion National
Park . What will the Commission do to help save the Sounion
National Park from development ?

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission '

(7 July 1993 )

Greece has not classified the zone under consideration as a

Special Protection Area according to Article 4 of Directive
79 / 409 / EEC (*) concerning the conservation of wild birds,
which is the only legal basis for Community intervention for
nature conservation applicable at present . Nor has the area
in question been identified as being of Community
importance under the abovementioned directive .

4

28 . 10 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 292 / 57

Consequently, and in accordance with the principle of
subsidiarity ( Article 130R ), point 4 of the Treaty ), it is the
responsibility of the Greek authorities to take the necessary
measures for the wise use and protection of the biotope in
question .

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

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1077 / 93

by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos ( NI )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 10 May 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 107

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1087 / 93

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

( 10 May 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 108 )

»
Subject : Rights of people from the islands of Imbros and

Tenedos

The people of Imbros and Tenedos now living in Greece
who have been driven from their own country have decided
to claim their rights under the Treaty of Lausanne . Pursuant
to Article 14 of the Treaty they have decided to create a
Greek Imbros Administration . Can the Council support the
aims of the Greek people of Imbros and Tenedos regarding
their rights under the Treaty of Lausanne ?

Answer

Subject : Programmes to promote local characteristics ( 28 September 1993 )

Does the Commission think that Community programmes The Community has no competence with regard to the
to promote local characteristics — traditions, manners and questions raised by the Honourable Member .
customs, folklore — are being implemented satisfactorily so
that individual countries do not lose their identity in a united
Europe but find it a source of inspiration for their future
development ?

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1108 / 93

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro

on behalf of the Commission

( 11 August 1993 )

The new Article 128 ( on culture ) inserted in the EC Treaty
by the Treaty on European Union ( in process of ratification )
states that ' The Community shall contribute to the
flowering of the cultures of the Member States, while
respecting their national and regional diversity and at the
same time bringing the common cultural heritage to the
fore . '

In accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, it is
primarily the Member States which are responsible for
developing and conserving their local cultures, traditions,
customs and national folklore, since they are in the best
position to identify what is at stake and to decide on what
action to take .

However, Commission proposals would be conceivable if
the Member States were to agree that it was necessary for
activities of this type to be supported and complemented at
Community level, for example for the purpose of bringing to
the fore certain common elements in European cultural
heritage .

by Mr Jose Valverde Lopez ( PPE )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 29 April 1993 )

93 / C 292 / 109 )

Subject : The Commission and special interest groups

In the Official Journal of the European Communities ('), the
Commission published a text on dialogue between the
Commission and special interest groups as part of the new
policy of making Community activities more transparent .

The basic problem stemming from this does not concern the
content of the communication ; it lies, rather, in the fact that "
the Commission has stepped up its direct dealings with
special interest groups .

The Community Institutions have provided a specific form
for special interest groups, namely the Economic and Social
Committee . In institutional terms, would it not be more
proper for the Commission to channel all its contacts with
special interest groups via the Economic and Social
Committee, revitalizing it in the process, rather than
increasing contacts with special interest groups in an
isolated fashion, with all the problems that that involves in
terms of ' pressure ' and unrepresentativeness ?

(!) OJ No C 63, 5 . 3 . 1993 .

No C 292 / 58 Official Journal of the European Communities 28 . 10 . 93

Answer given by Mr Delors
on behalf of the Commission

( 29 July 1993 )

The Economic and Social Committee is the institutional

framework provided by the Treaties for economic and social
bodies to express their views . However, there are many
groups representing quite specific interests which often feel
the need independently to establish a direct and informal
dialogue with the institutions, even in the absence of
proposals or guidelines for a Community policy .

The text to which the Honourable Member refers is

designed to clarify existing relations between the
Commission and special interest groups .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1137 / 93

by Mr Thomas Megahy ( S )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 12 May 1993 )

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1172 / 93

by Mr Panayotis Roumeliotis ( S )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 13 May 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 111 )

Subject : Earthquake damage in Pirgos, Ilia

Most buildings in Pirgos, Ilia, were extensively damaged
following three devastating earthquakes on 26 March

1993 .

Initial inspections estimate that 21 % of the buildings will
have to be demolished, 17 % are temporarily uninhabitable
and 62 % are inhabitable but have suffered substantial

damage .

The total extent of the damage is estimated at Drs 25 billion
and most of the population are spending the night outdoors
despite the bad weather .

How does the Commission intend to assist in this situation
of exceptional need ?

93 / C 292 / 110 Answer given by Mr Delors
on behalf of the Commission

Subject : European Social Fund : Allocation of funds under (6 September 1993 )

Objectives 3 and 4

Will the Commission list the amount of ESF allocations to

each Community country for Objectives 3 and 4 in the latest
year for which figures are available ?

Answer given by Mr Flynn
on behalf of the Commission

(7 July 1993 )

European Social Fund

The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to

the reply to the oral question H-494 / 93 by Mr Kostopoulos,
which it gave during question time at Parliament 's May

1993 part-session ( ] ).

( ] ) Debates of the European Parliament No 3-431 ( May 1993 ).

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1186 / 93

by Mrs Mary Banotti ( PPE )

to the Commission of the European Communities

Amounts agreed in the Community Support Frameworks
for programming by the Member States, in 1993 for ( 13 May 1993 )
Objectives 3 and 4 ( 93 / C 292 / 112 )

( 13 May 1993 )

Member State million ecu

Belgium 89,4

Denmark 50,8

Germany 293,9

Spain 288,7

France 447,1

Italy 300,0

Luxembourg 3,6

Netherlands 117,9

United Kingdom 525,7

Total 2 117,1

«

Subject : EC emergency care card

Could the Commission inform me of the present position
regarding the introduction of a European emergency care
card, following the conclusions of the Council of
29 September 1989 ?

Answer given by Mr Flynn
on behalf of the Commission

(8 July 1993 )

Since previous answers on this subject have been given in
response to Written Questions Nos 2017 / 90 ( J ) and

28 . 10 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 292 / 59

1508 / 91 ( 2 ) by Mr Zeller, much progress has been made on
the introduction of a European card for the provision of
immediate medical care . The administrative and legal
problems encountered have been solved in the
Administrative Commission on Social Security for Migrant
Workers . Difficulties remain because of the different levels

of technological development reached in the Member States .
Working Groups of the Administrative Commission on
Social Security for Migrant Workers are engaged in finding a
solution to these technological difficulties but it will be some
time before this is achieved .

(!) OJ No C 35, 11 . 2 . 1991 .
( 2 ) OJ No C 311, 2 . 12 . 1991 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1306 / 93

by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos ( NI )

to the Commission of the European Communities

(1 June 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 113

Subject : Map of Europe leaving out Greece

The map of Europe chosen recently as the emblem for the
European conference of motorists omits Greece . This
omission was pointed out in Rome at the European
transport conference held on 25 — 27 February 1993 . The
European organizers of the conference who designed the
map are chiefly to blame . In view of this incident, does the
Commission intend to press for decisive Community
measures to prevent such occurrences in future ?

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro

on behalf of the Commission

( 27 July 1993 )

The Commission publishes a political map of the European
Community . Many publishers apply for the reproduction
rights which are generally accorded, or use it to produce
other maps .

The Commission does not, however, have the right, nor is it
possible, to take steps in the event of errors in maps of
Europe published by private publishers, or organizers of

events .

The Commission therefore has no means of intervening in
situations of the type described by the Honourable
Member .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1382 / 93

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

(8 June 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 114 )

Subject : Representation of the EC energy sector by EdF at

Expo 92

For what reasons was the energy sector represented
principally by EdF in the official EC section of Expo ' 92 in
Seville, despite the fact that EdF is in no way representative
and cannot claim to be representative, given its heavy
reliance on nuclear power stations ?

i
Who was responsible for taking this decision ?

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro

on behalf of the Commission

( 29 July 1993 )

The exhibition in the European Community pavilion at the
Seville Universal Exposition was a general presentation and
was not, as the Honourable Member would seem to believe,
subdivided by technical category, so there was no separate
energy or other section .

EdF was in fact one of the two sponsors of the Community
pavilion, the other being the European Savings Banks
Groups . They were selected following a scouting process
undertaken by the official Expo'92 agency, Telemundi . This
practice of having financial sponsors was employed by a
large number of participants at the Exposition, including the
Community Member States .

The decision was taken by the Commissioner-General
responsible for Community participation in Expo ' 92 after
the principle of entering into financial partnerships had been
discussed in the Commission .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1392 / 93

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

(8 June 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 115 )

Subject : Responsibility of the Commission for the success

of the Maastricht Treaty

In its answer to my question No 1986 / 92 ( l ) ( Disgraceful
behaviour at Rhodes Airport ) the Commission once again
sought to shelter behind the concept of having no

No C 292 / 60 Official Journal of the European Communities 28 . 10 . 93

competence to intervene in a case where citizens of one
Member State had been unreasonably treated in another
Member State .

I have received similar answers to a number of questions
including those calling attention to mail order fraud across
EC frontiers ( Written Question No 1268 / 92 ( 2 )) and
apparent discrimination against British pilots in France and
Germany ( Written Question No 2885 / 91 ( 3 )). Many MEPs
have also complained at the lack of religious freedom in a
certain Member State leading to an unacceptable degree of
persecution .

I submit that the Commission has done nothing to
encourage a climate favourable to the ratification of the
Maastricht Treaty and to dispel the criticisms voiced in
several Member States about the ' democratic deficit ', by
adopting this seemingly complacent attitude to clear
evidence that the Single Market is being undermined in
important respects .

If citizens ' legitimate grievances are ventilated by their
democratically elected Members of the European
Parliament, but nothing is seen to be done to redress wrongs
under the pretext of the Commission being ' without
competence ' ( however legally correct ), then citizens become
disillusioned and cynical and vote against the further
integration of the Community . This cynicism is enhanced
when the Commission 's draconian powers are evident in
many other fields of activity affecting the general
populations of our Community .

The Commission pays lip service to the principle of human
rights in third countries . When will it recommend to the
Council that it be enabled to secure the rights of European
citizens within the Community itself ?

0 ) OJ No C 90, 31 . 3 . 1993, p. 21 .

( 2 ) OJ No C 345, 30 . 12 . 1992, p . 16 .

( 3 ) OJ No C 269, 19 . 10 . 1992, p . 14 .

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro

on behalf of the Commission

( 29 July 1993 )

treaties . The Honourable Member will no doubt be the first

to acknowledge that the Commission can only act within the
confines of the authority and powers entrusted to it by the
treaties . That principle is indeed of utmost significance in the
context of the national procedures concerning the
ratification of the Maastricht treaty .

All the Member States have I legal systems founded on the
respect of human rights and democracy and providing for
remedies through the courts and administrative procedures
such as the ombudsman or petitions to Parliament for the
purpose of protection of fundamental rights and benefits as
guaranteed by constitutional and national law, as well as
Community law and the European Convention of Human
rights . The Commission does not believe that it should
propose, as suggested by the Honourable Member, to
become a specific enforcement agency for human rights .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1402 / 93

by Mrs Hiltrud Breyer ( V )

to the Commission of the European Communities

(8 June 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 116 )

Subject : Decommissioning of nuclear power stations

1 . What reserves have so far been set aside by the
operators of individual European nuclear power stations for
the dismantling of reactors and permanent storage of
associated radioactive waste ?

2 . What reserves will the operators have set aside by the
time these power stations reach the end of their operational
life ?

3 . Has a light water power reactor ( greater than 400 MW
capacity ) which had been in service for more than 12
months ever been dismantled in Europe ? If so, what was the
cost of dismantling and disposing of the reactor ?

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission

Referring to the string of questions previously tabled by the ( 29 July 1993 )
Honourable Member, the Commission stresses that it is
always grateful to Members of Parliament who draw its
attention to problems, difficulties and disappointments 1 and 2 . Funds for decommissioning nuclear power
experienced by citizens of the Community in their dealings plants are set up in Member States having such plants . Rules,
with the administrations and enforcement agencies of procedures and amounts of these funds vary between
Member States and more particularly m situations where Member States, according to the public or private structure
they are denied rights and opportunities deriving from the of the industry, and the size of the nuclear programme .

28 . 10 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 292 / 61

3 . No LWR power plant rated above 400 MW electrical
rating has yet been dismantled . The largest nuclear power
plant which is currently being dismantled is the
Gundremmingen KRB-A Boiling Water Reactor ( 250 MW
electrical rating ). The plant is one of the four Pilot
Decommissioning Projects of the Communities R&D
Programme on Decommissioning of Nuclear Installation

( 1989 — 1993 ). The completion of decommissioning of
KRB-A is scheduled for 1999 ; the overall cost of DM 250
million is a recent estimate ( 1992 ).

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1403 / 93

by Mrs Hiltrud Breyer ( V )

to the Commission of the European Communities

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1409 / 93

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

(9 June 19.93 )

( 93 / C 292 / 118 )

Subject : Agricultural watch groups

What is the Commission doing to encourage the creation of
' agricultural watch ' groups in Herefordshire,
Worcestershire and West Gloucestershire ?

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1410 / 93

by Sir James Scott-Hopkins ( PPE )

to the Commission of the European Communities

(8 June 1993 )

(9 June 1993 )
( 93 / C 292 / 1 17

( 93 / C 292 / 119

Subject : Decommissioning of nuclear power stations

1 . What is the Commission 's view of the claim made by
American nuclear experts that the cost of decommissioning
a nuclear power station is almost as high as the construction
cost, and on what studies does the Commission base its
assessment of this statement ?

2 . . By how much would the production costs per kWh for
nuclear power stations be increased if operators were
required to set aside reserves equivalent to the
inflation-adjusted construction costs over an operational
life of 25 years, with a view to subsequent
decommissioning ?

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission

( 29 July 1993 )

1 . Studies performed under the Community R&D
programme as well as estimates made available to the
OECD / NEA by various states, including the USA, have

- consistently shown that the cost of dismantling a nuclear

power plant after normal operation is substantially lower
than the construction cost at the same time .

Creation of agricultural cooperatives and in particular those
for the ownership and operation of machinery is supported
by the Commission under Council Regulation ( EEC )
No 2328 / 91 ( ! ). Implementation of this policy is the
responsibility of the Member State . The Commission is
aware of the Severn and Wye machinery ring established by
the English Rural Development Commission 's pilot
' Marches Countryside Employment Programme '. No
Commission funding is involved in this project .

Subject : Support for agricultural machinery rings

What support is the Commission giving to the formation of
agricultural machinery rings ( i.e. cooperative ownership of
agricultural plant and machinery ) in Herefordshire,
Worcestershire and West Gloucestershire ?

Joint answer to Written Questions Nos 1409 / 93

and 1410 / 93

given by Mr Steichen
on behalf of the Commission

(9 July 1993 )

The Commission is aware that agricultural watch groups are
being formed in the United Kingdom for the purpose of
preventing crime and vandalism . While the Commission
would support the aims of such groups it is unable to offer
any financial assistance .

2 . The provision of funds to cover the estimated costs of
decommissioning represents of the order of 1 % of the Commission funding is
electricity generating costs and is already included in the
price of electricity . (M OJ No L 218, 6 . 8 . 1991 .

No C 292 / 62 Official Journal of the European Communities 28 . 10 . 93

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1429 / 93 sought about the temporary water management regime,

by Mrs Nel van Dijk ( V ) awaiting the ruling of the International Court .

to the Commission of the European Communities

(9 June 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 120 )

Subject : Negotiations by the Commission with ( Czecho )

Slovakia and Hungary concerning the Gabcikovo
project

In view of the serious situation in relation to the Danube

dam, including the differences of opinion about the gravity
of the consequences for drinking water supplies and the
woodlands bordering the river, the possibility for the
Slovaks to regulate the water flow unilaterally, the apparent
contradiction between the possibility of generation
electricity while maintaining the previous water level in the
Danube, the symbolic nature of the project for both
countries, the tendency towards propaganda which can be
seen in the reports to the public on both sides of the border,
with the ensuing tensions and the consequences for
international political relations in the region, answers to the
following questions are sought as a matter of urgency :

Can the Commission indicate what progress has been made
in the negotiations thus fare and whether there are plans for
a wide ranging study of the effects of the alternatives
proposed by the committee of experts ?

Does the Commission consider it possible to start an
information campaign, together with the Slovak and
Hungarian authorities, to enable the population on both
sides of the border, on the basis of accurate information, to
contribute to the discussion which must produce a solution
to the conflict ?

Is the Commission prepared, given the international
significance of the natural habitat created in that area by the
Danube, to take or support initiatives seeking to have this
area declared an international nature reserve, the protection
of which will be monitored by an international
committee ?

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1466 / 93

by Mrs Maartie van Putten ( S )

to the Commission of the European Communities

(9 June 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 121 )

Subject : TVE proposal videos on environment and
development

In order to promote the understanding in ACP countries of
those issues concerning the environment and development
in general, a proposal has been put to the Commission by
TVE to continue its service of disseminating videos on these
subjects free to local ACP views . Although recent national
authorizing officers, the president of the Development
Committee and a number of members of the European
Parliament have written to you to support this initiative, as
yet non funding has been made available .

Could I ask you to look at the possibilities of supporting this
very important action which gives visibility to good
governance and the benefits of democratic government ?

Answer given by Mr Marin
on behalf of the Commission

( 30 July 1993 ) »

In response to the request of TVE for financial aid under the
regional funds of EDF in favour of the project ' Moving
pictures in the developing world ', the Commission has been
studying not only the possibility of financial aid, but also
support adapted to the project 's own characteristics .

In 1989, the budgetary line ' Ecology in developing

Answer given by Mr Van den Broek countries ' in fact contributed with ECU 81 500 to the

on behalf of the Commission experimental phase of this project . The considerable

( 10 August 1993 ) amount of ECU 200 000 per year over a two-year period

requested for the second phase cannot qualify for such
financing which does not figure among the priorities laid
down by the Committee for Programming of the budgetary
The Commission would refer to its statement in the plenary line .
meeting on 11 March 1993 .

Answer given by Mr Van den Broek

on behalf of the Commission

( 10 August 1993 )

Since that date, both the ' Slovak and Hungarian
governments have, following approval by their parliaments,
adopted a special agreement for submitting the case to the
International Court of Justice . An agreement is also being

The Commission would add that the project has already
received two running aids under the scheme of aid to non
government organizations for a total amount of ECU

185 000 plus an additional aid of approximately ECU
30 000 under the budgetary line ' environment '.

28 . 10 . 93 Officia ] Journal of the European Communities No C 292 / 63

Given these considerations and bearing in mind the other
financial contributions that TVE has already received, the
project cannot be recommended for further assistance in this
second phase .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1553 / 93

by Mr Alex Smith ( S )

to the Council of the European Communities

( IS June 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 123 )

Subject : Supply of weapons to Iraq by Austria

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1477 / 93

Will the Council make it a condition of acceptance of

Paul Staes ( V ) Austria as a Member State of the European Community that
of the European Communities it produces a full report of the role of Austrian

( 14 June 1993 ) manufacturing companies in supplying equipment and

weapons to Iraq ?
( 93 / C 292 / 122

by Mr Paul Staes ( V )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 14 June 1993 )

Subject : Activities of the International Organization for

Migration within the UN Plan of Action for
Mozambique

The International Organization for Migration ( IOM ) has
been asked by the Secretary-General of the UN to develop an
urgent plan of action for Mozambique .

This initiative concerns the voluntary return of and aid to
internally displaced persons, and aid to demobilized soldiers
in need of such assistance .

1 . Does the Commission agree that this plan of action is a
valuable initiative ?

2 . Is the Commission going to support the plan of action
when decisions concerning material and financial aid to
Mozambique have to be made ?

Answer given by Mr Marin
on behalf of the Commission

( 15 July 1993 )

The Commission has received the IOM 's plan and is
examining it along with other proposals in the same
field .

1 . The Commission is using all the means at its disposal to
encourage Mozambican refugees to return to their
places of origin . In this connection, it is giving a leading
role to reintegration, and is concentrating on the
rehabilitation of Mozambique 's social and economic
infrastructure to enable it to absorb not only the
returnees but also those displaced within the country

( who are present in larger numbers and are worse off
than the refugees ). Against this background, the OIM
plan can be accepted .

2 . The Commission will provide financial support for

operations in the OIM plan which seek to assist
vulnerable individuals arriving in or already in the
country on the same basis as projects put forward by
other national or international entities .

Answer

( 28 September 1993 )

The accession of Austria to the European Union implies that
this country will be bound to fully apply the existing ' acquis
communautaire ' which, as concerns Iraq, includes a trade
embargo . This embargo has been decided in conformity
with resolution 661 ( 1990 ) of the UN Security Council
covering inter alia equipment and weapons, the
implementation of which is mandatory for all Members of
the United Nations and therefore also for Austria .

In the framework of political dialogue with applicant
countries, a meeting at expert level between the EC Troika
and the four applicant countries ( including Austria ) on
conventional arms export was held in Brussels on 23 April

1993 . Although the specific issue of arms embargo on Iraq
was not addressed, the issue of embargoes on third countries
was discussed in general terms and it appeared from the
discussion that similar criteria on the matter were adopted
by the Community and its Member States and the applicant
countries .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1566 / 93

by the following members : Mauro Chiabrando,

Bryan Cassidy ( PPE ) and Tullio Regge ( S )

to the Council of the European Communities

( 17 June 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 124

Subject : Freedom of movement within the European
Community

On 25 March 1993 the authors of this question received the
Council 's answer to Written Question No 66 / 93 ( J ) of
9 February 1993 concerning an incident which occurred at
the Italian customs office at Modane ( on the border between
Italy and France ) involving the confiscation of a car
registered in France and driven by an Italian citizen

( Cordero ).

No C 292 / 64 Official Journal of the European Communities 28 . 10 . 93

The answer given appears incomplete and unsatisfactory,
given that the problem had already been referred to the
Commission 's Directorate-General for Customs Union and

Indirect Taxation ( XXI-01 ) which, by letter of
20 November 1992 ( ref . Sl / mss CE / EM / 92 / cordero ), drew
the attention of the Italian Government to this incident in

completely different and, in the author 's opinion, more
realistic and positive terms .

National working groups, whose examiners are co-opted,
have been set up by the Selection Committee to draw up the
list of artists selected for the competition .

Which Council of Ministers had the responsibility and the
right to take such a decision ? What were the criteria for
appointing the members of the Selection Committee, and
how were they selected ?

The author therefore requests further details and Finally, whatever the status of the members of the Selection
clarification, or at least a consistent answer to this Committee, is it fair on the artists and appropriate in a
question . decision-making procedure that the Committee is not

required to justify its decisions ?
(M OJ No C 101, 13 . 4 . 1993, p. 42 .

Answer

( 28 September 1993 )

In its reply to the Honourable Members ' previous question,
the Council described the general legal framework
applicable as regards the episode to which the Honourable
Members refers .

In fact, as the Council replied previously, restrictions
concerning the use by a resident of a Member State of a car
registered in another Member State are regrettably the
consequence of the persistence of national taxes on motor
vehicles other than VAT which is subject to Community
harmonization .

In this particular case, the customs authorities are required
to apply the national provisions in force, the conformity of
which with Community law is monioted by the
Commission . The Council notes that the Commission has

provided detailed explanations on the subject to the persons
concerned .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1588 / 93

by Mrs Raymonde Dury ( S )

to the Council of the European Communities

( 18 June 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 125

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1719 / 93

by Mr Klaus Wettig ( PSE )
to the Council of the European Communities

( 29 June 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 126 )

Subject : Design competition ( 93 / S 21-3373 / FR ): New
buildings for the Council of the European
Communities and its offices

In the Supplement to the Official Journal of the European
Communities ( ! ), under the heading ' General
announcements ' the Council announced an open
competition for the design of the new Council building in
Brussels .

Because of the specifically individual nature of the artists
profession, its organizational structures are less clear-cut
than those of other professions . In addition, national artists
associations are frequently short of funds . As a result, artists
are therefore not always able to keep themselves regularly
informed about public tenders, for example by means of
regular subscription to the Official Journal of the European

Communities .

1 . Would it be possible to publish such invitations to

tender in specialized publications as well as in the

Official Journal of the European Communities and the
Federal Gazette, in order to improve access for those
concerned ?

2 . On what criteria is the selection board referred to in the

above tendering procedure composed ?

Subject : Selection panel for works of art for the new

Council buildings (!) OJ No S 21, 30 . 1 . 1993, p. 48 .

This year the Council is organizing a competition for artists .
The aim is to gather proposals from creative artists, ' citizens '
of the Community Member States, for works of art to be
placed in the new Council building under construction in
Brussels .

The works are to be selected by a Selection Committee
appointed by the Council . The Committee comprises one
full member and one alternate member per Member State .

Joint answer
to Written Questions Nos 1588 / 93 and 1719 / 93

( 28 September 1993 )

The Honourable Member should note that the Committee

for Selecting Works of Art was set up by Council Decision of

28 . 10 . 93 Official journal of the European Communities No C 292 / 65

12 June 1989 . Pursuant to that Decision, the Committee has
fifteen members, consisting of :

— one representative per Member State,

— one representative for the architects,

— one representive for the General Secretariat of the

Council, and

— one representative for the Staff Committee of the

General Secretariat of the Council .

The members were designated by the States or principals
which they represent ; one alternate member for each of the
full members has been designated in the same way .

Under this Decision of 12 June 1989, the Committee has the
task of selecting the works of art by means of a competition
open to all artists from the Member States .

The resources made available for this purpose are the
responsibility of the Committee . The Committee for
Selecting Works of Art has accordingly drawn up the rules
for the competition and these are to be published in the
Official Journal of the European Communities .

The Committee has also suggested that national Working
Parties should see to it that the notice of competition is
circulated in specialist publications in their respective
countries .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1619 r / 93

by Mr Yves Verwaerde ( LDR )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 22 June 1993 )

93 / C 292 / 127 )

Subject : Monitoring of the utilization of grants made as

emergency humanitarian aid

What mechanisms have been introduced as part of the
financial control of the utilization of grants made as
emergency Community humanitarian aid in order to ensure
proper use of funds channelled through NGOs ?

Answer given by Mr Marin
on behalf of the Commission

( 26 July 1993 )

The Commission uses exactly the same control mechanisms
for emergency humanitarian aid as for other Community
policies and does so in accordance with the Financial
Regulation and the internal rules for implementing the
budget .

The Court of Auditors also carriers out audits on

humanitarian aid in the same way as it does for other areas
of Community activity .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1646 / 93

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

( 22 June 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 128 )

Subject : Community policy on plutonium

Will the Council, as a priority, re-examine the Community
policy on plutonium re-use as nuclear fuel, as set out in
COM(85 ) 401 final, in the light of the significant changes in
energy supply policy, uranium prices and proliferation
concerns over trade in plutonium since 1985 ?

Answer

( 30 September 1993 )

The question put by the Honourable Member refers to the
content of the Illustrative Nuclear Programme under
Article 40 of the Euratom Treaty . That programme was
drawn up by the Commission, which published it in 1985
after obtaining the Opinion of the Economic and Social
Committee .

The periodic updates of the Illustrative Programme, the last
of which was in 1990, are the Commission 's
responsibility .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1696 / 93

by Mr John Hume ( PSE )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 28 June 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 129 )

Subject : Credit unions in Ireland and the United
Kingdom

Will the Commission confirm that :

1 . the adoption by the Council of the Commission 's
amended proposal for a Council regulation on the
statute for a European cooperative society would have
no automatic impact on the current exclusion of credit
unions in Ireland and the United Kingdom from the First
EEC Banking Directive ?

No C 292 / 66 Official Journal of the European Communities 28 . 10 . 93

2 . if a European cooperative society which is a credit union What steps will the Council take to secure suitable
in Ireland or the United Kingdom were established compensation for the victims and their families and ensure
under the European cooperative society regulation, that those responsible are sentenced ?
when adopted, that credit union would be covered by
the current exclusion of credit unions in Ireland and the

United Kingdom from the First EEC Banking
Directive ? Answer

( 28 September 1993 )

Answer given by Mr Vanni d'Archirafi

on behalf of the Commission

( 22 July 1993 )

The Commission confirms that the adoption by the Council
of the regulation on the statute for a European cooperative
society will have no automatic impact on the current
exclusion of credit unions in Ireland and the United

Kingdom from the scope of the First Banking Directive

( 77 / 78 0 / EEC ) ( x ).

The prevention of accidents, such as that mentioned by the
Honourable Member, is covered by Directive
80 / 836 / Euratom of 15 July 1980, as amended by Directive
84 / 467 / Euratom of 3 September 1984, which established
the basic safety standards for the health protection of the
general public and workers against the dangers of ionizing
radiation, and Directive 90 / 641 / Euratom of 4 December

1990 on the operational protection of outside workers
exposed to the risk of ionizing radiation during their
activities in controlled areas .

The consequences under civil and criminal law of such
Such an exclusion will not be directly affected by the accidents are the responsibility of the Member States
transformation of an existing credit union in Ireland or the concerned .
United Kingdom into a European cooperative society when
the above regulation is adopted .

(') OJ No L 332, 17 . 12 . 1977 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1699 / 93

by Mrs Dorothee Piermont ( ARC )

to the Council of the European Communities

( 28 June 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 130 )

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1800 / 93

by the following members : Leo Tindemans ( PPE ), Alberto
Michelini ( PPE ), Sir Christopher Prout ( PPE ), Pierre
Bernard-Reymond ( PPE ) and Friedrich Merz ( PPE )

to the Council of the European Communities

( 12 July 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 131 )

Subject : Malta 's application to join the EC

Subject : Irradiation of casual workers at EBS in Forbach

Will the Council consider opening up negotiations for
( France ) accession with Malta at the same time as with EFT A

countries ?
While carrying out repair work at the EBS particle
accelerator in Forbach, two casual workers, Daniel Leroy
and Giovanni Nespola, were heavily irradiated with beta
rays and suffered permanent health damage . The particle Answer
accelerator did not meet legal standards, had not been
notified to the competent monitoring authorities and was ( 30 September 1993 )
not equipped to measurs exposure to radiation of
personnel .

In connection with enlargement to include countries other
than EFTA countries, the European Council meeting in

Neither of the casual workers were insured, and neither had Lisbon took the view, if the challenges of European Union
been given the slightest hint of the health risk involved in the involving a larger number of Member States were to be met
repair work . The company has until now refused to pay the successfully, progress would also have to be achieved
victims any compensation or call the Chairman and regarding the internal development of the Union and those
Managing Director and the Executive Director to countries ' preparations for accession . The Lisbon European
account . Council further agreed that relations with Malta would be

developed and strengthened on the basis of the Association
What measures and monitoring mechanisms are envisaged Agreement and Malta 's application for accession and by
by the Council to prevent such accidents in future ? intensifying the political dialogue .

Answer

( 30 September 1993 )

Neither of the casual workers were insured, and neither had
been given the slightest hint of the health risk involved in the
repair work . The company has until now refused to pay the
victims any compensation or call the Chairman and
Managing Director and the Executive Director to

account .

28 . 10 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 292 / 67

At its meeting in Copenhagen the European Council
confirmed that its policy on enlargement to include the
EFTA countries did not affect the position of other countries
that had applied for accession to the Union . Each
application would be examined on its own merits .

At its meeting on 19 July 1993, having received the
Commission opinions on the applications for accession
from Cyprus and Malta, the Council welcomed the positive
tone of these opinions on the eligibility and suitability of
Cyprus and Malta to form part of the European Union . It
instructed the Permanent Representative Committee to
examine those opinions in the light of the Council 's
generally positive assessment, with a view to enabling the
Council to adopt a position, at its meeting in October 1993,
on the conclusions proposed by the Commission .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1901 / 93

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

( IS July 1993 )

93 / C 292 / 132

Subject : Need to exempt Greek island regions from the tax

on carbon dioxide emissions and energy

The population of the Greeks island regions, although
approving the aims of an environmental policy, do not agree
with the imposition of a fiscal policy incompatible with the
objectives of economic and social cohesion . The Greek
islanders are at present particularly worried by the proposal
for a Council directive introducing a tax on carbon dioxide
emissions and energy ( 1 ).

They point out the proposal is unfair to the Greek islands

as :

1 . It provides for reductions or exemptions for ' firms with
a high energy consumption ',

Answer

( 28 September 1993 )

All of the issues arising from the proposal for a Directive to
which the Honourable Member refers are at present being
given thorough consideration by the Council . At this stage,
it is too soon to say whether the Council intends to remove
from the scope of the C0 2 / energy tax all sea and air
transport operations serving all the islands of the
Community .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1920 / 93

by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos ( NI )

to the Council of the European Communities

( IS July 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 133 )

Subject : Cotton cultivation in Greece

The outlook for the cultivation of cotton in Greece is

uncertain, particularly following the Community 's CAP
reform and the recent preliminary agreement between the
USA and the EC which provides for a further reduction in
cotton production . High co-responsibility levies, low prices
and production restrictions mean that the outlook for
cotton even bleaker . Aware of this, the representatives of the
Greek cotton producers are asking for the production
ceiling to be raised to 1 million tonnes instead of being
lowered to 701 000 tonnes and for producers to be granted
prices which cover cultivation costs and provide farmers
with a reasonable profit .

Will the Council improve the measures in support of
Community, and especially Greek, cotton producers ?

Answer

( 28 September 1993 )

The Council would first point out that the system of aid for
cotton ( see Regulation ( EEC ) No 1964 / 87 ) ( ! ) in any case
provides for a reduction in aid in line with the amount by
which the quantities guaranteed for each marketing year are
exceeded .

2 . It provides that the tax shall apply to the islands of the
Community, but rightly exempts the French overseas
departments, the Canary Islands, Madeira and the
Azores etc .

, overseas It is true that, in its decisions on agricultural prices and
departments, the Canary Islands, Madeira and the certain related measures for the 1 993 / 94 marketing year, the
Azores etc . Council was faced with a considerable expansion of cotton

cultivation in the Community and therefore agreed to
increase from 15 to 20% the maximum reduction in the

Will the Council therefore on its own initiative remove from

norm price applied if the maximum guaranteed quantity

the serving scope all of the the islands tax all of sea the and Community air transport ? operations fixed the limit for on cotton the amount is exceeded which, and can to be increase carried forward from 5 to to 7 the %

following marketing year if the new ceiling is exceeded ( see
(M COM(92 ) 226 final — OJ No C 196, 3 . 8 . 1992, p . 1 . Regulation ( EEC ) No 553 / 93 ) ( 2 ).

Will the Council therefore on its own initiative remove from

the scope of the tax all sea and air transport operations
serving all the islands of the Community ?

No C 292 / 68 Official Journal of the European Communities 28 . 10 . 93

However, in accordance with the European Parliament 's
wishes, the Council has decided to postpone application of
these increases until the 1 994 / 95 marketing year and, since it
is aware that the increases in the maximum reduction may
affect the income of cotton producers, it has asked the
Commission in its proposal on the norm price for the
1994 / 95 marketing year to provide it with a report on the
latest situation of this market .

(!) OJ No L 184, 3 . 7 . 1987, p . 14 .

( 2 ) OJ No L 154, 25 . 6 . 1993, p . 21 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1921 / 93

by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos ( NI )

to the Council of the European Communities

( IS July 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 134

Subject : Conviction of Greek journalist without a defence

lawyer

A journalist has been convicted in Greece under
circumstances grossly infringing human rights and Article 6
of the Treaty of Rome . A Greek court disregarded the right
of a journalist on an Athens newspaper, Mr Mikhailis
Kourmousis, to be tried with a defence lawyer and sentenced
him to seven months imprisonment .

In view of this serious infringement of human rights and, of
course, of the freedom of the press, what steps will the
Council take to defend the rule of law and human

rights ?

cigarettes . One of the abductors, Severiano Lara Hernandez,
who is a professional dealer in black market turtle eggs, has
been identified by one of the victims, but is being protected
by the Mexican authorities, even though black market
trading in turtle meat and eggs is illegal . Turtle eggs are
considered a delicacy and are worth a lot of money on the
unofficial market .

The violent incident recounted above occurred on the coast

of the province of Chiapas, the former governor of which is
now Minister of the Interior . Biologists working on a rescue
and conservation project all feel intimidated, and protests by
a group of about a hundred artists, led by the writer Homero
Aridjis and the North American ecologist Todd Steiner,
have so far produced no response from the Mexican
Ministers for Fisheries and the Interior, or from the
controlled press in Mexico . South of the Rio Grande, killing
turtles and taking the eggs they have laid in the sand is a
lucrative sport, and raping a woman is not a crime, in
practice . According to officials, Mexico 's image must not be
tarnished now by any action the US media might take on the
turtles, as the agreement on US-Mexican trade is about to be
ratified ( NAFTA, North American Free Trade Association );
the Mexican partner 's reputation must be protected come
what may . . .

Turtles are in a similar situation to whales, under threat of
extinction . What is the Council 's attitude to the need to

preserve this endangered species and to the funding by
international associations of conservation projects rendered
unworkable, particularly overseas, by complicity between
illegal hunters and the authorities ?

Answer

Answer
( 28 September 1993 )

( 28 September 1993 )

Since the circumstances referred to are outside the Council 's

remit, it is not appropriate for the Council to make any
statement with regard to the question raised by the
Honourable Member .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1999 / 93

bv Mr Ernest Glinne ( PSE )

to the Council of the European Communities

( 19 July 1993 )

93 / C 292 / 135

Subject : Protection of turtles

It seems that, in October 1992, two female biologists in
Mexico were abducted, raped and tortured with lighted

As the Honourable Member is aware, the Council is
currently examining a proposal for a Regulation laying
down provisions applicable to the possession of and trade in
species of wild fauna and flora . The Annex to the proposal
lists a number of species of turtle including some whose
habitat is the Mexican coast . Given the objective of the
Regulation, this inclusion should maintain a high level of
protection of these species, which are for the most part
already included in the Annexes to Council Regulation

( EEC ) No 3623 / 82 ( J ) on the implementation in the
Community of the Convention on international trade in
endangered species of wild fauna and flora ( CITES ), which
the above proposal is designed to amend .

(') OJ No L 384, 31 . 12 . 1982, p. 1 .

28 . 10 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 292 / 69

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2 1 83 / 93

by Mrs Brigitte Langenhagen ( PPE )
to the Council of the European Communities

( 28 July 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 136 )

Subject : Failure to use the German language

When German authorities / individuals respond to calls for
tenders, for instance as part of the EC Joint Research
Programme, they are advised by the Commission services to
submit their applications in English or French because they
will thus have a better chance of being considered .

Furthermore, the texts of the annexes to the calls for tenders
which are supplied on request by the Commission are not
usually available in German .

1 . Can the Council list the number of languages in which it
received applications for research projects for the period
between 1989 and 1993 from the individual Member

States ?

2 . In which languages was the research documentation
available ?

3 . Is the Council in a position to confirm that the exclusion
of an official language leads to competitive
disadvantages, notably in the case of authorities / persons
without access to their own translation facilities ?

4 . What measures does the Council intend to take to put an
end to these ' discriminatory practices '?

Answer

( 30 September 1993 )

As this subject comes within the competence of the
Commission, it is not for the Council to answer the question
raised by the Honourable Member .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2267 / 93

by Mr Filippos Pierros ( PPE )

to the Council of the European Communities

(1 September 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 137 )

Subject : Viability of the Committee of Regions

The Committee of Regions, whose establishment by the
Economic and Social Committee is called for in the

Maastricht Treaty, is unlikely to survive the treaty 's
ratification by all Member States because of a lack of money,

according to the ESC 's president, Suzanne Tiemann . The
ESC, she said, has been appropriated less than half the ECU
24 million needed to create the Committee of Regions .

In view of the important role the Committee of Regions will
play in fostering EC economic and social cohesion, and in
view of the Member States ' legal commitment to the
organization, cannot the Council appropriate the money
needed to create a viable Committee of Regions ?

Answer

( 30 September 1993 )

1 . When establishing the draft budget for 1994 on
22 July 1993, the Council took into account the budgetary
rigour prevailing at both national and Community level and,
at its first reading, set the allocation for the Committee of
the Regions at ECU 12 million .

2 . The Council would point out that the Committee of
the Regions has already been allocated ECU 2 million in the
Economic and Social Committee 's estimates for the current

year .

3 . The Council is aware of the importance of the
Committee of the Regions and the part it will play upon
ratification of the Maastricht Treaty, and has decided to
take the necessary measures to enable it to operate in
accordance with the Treaty 's provisions .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2294 / 93

by Mr Gerard Fuchs ( PSE )
to the Council of the European Communities

(1 September 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 138

Subject : Conver programme

The conversion of the armaments industry and military
bases is currently a crucial problem for a large number of
French and European regions affected by the crisis in this
sector, with 350 000 jobs being directly or indirectly
threatened in the Community .

The introduction of the Conver programme may meet
certain requirements . However, many areas where the arms
industry is firmly established and has been directly affected
by the recession and the reduction in the number of orders
are not among the regions traditionally eligible for
Structural Fund assistance under Objectives 1 and 2 .

What steps will the Council take to deal with these
situations ? What are its short - and long-term projects for
military reconversion zones ? Is it possible to introduce an
element of geographical or sectoral flexibility into the
criteria for Structural Fund aid ?

No C 292 / 70 Official Journal of the European Communities 28 . 10 . 93

Answer

( 30 September 1993 ;

1 . The KONVER initiative ( ECU 130 million for 1993
from the ERDF and ESF ) is designed to provide aid to
regions affected by the decline of activities linked to defence
and the building of military bases .

This type of initiative does of course have its limits as
mentioned by the Honourable Member, from which it may
be concluded that there is a need to act with a degree of
flexibility in the geographical distribution of the regional
programmes according to sectoral crises .

2 . These considerations have led the Commission to

propose a consequent amendment to Article 11 of the
coordinating Regulation ( EEC ) No 4253 / 88 of
19 December 1988 . This revised Regulation, incorporating
the proposed amendment, was adopted by Council
Regulation ( EEC ) No 2082 / 93 of 20 July 1993 in the
framework of the reform, of the Structural Funds I 1 ).

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

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2296 / 93

by Mr Gérard Fuchs ( PSE )

to the Council of the European Communities

(1 September 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 139

Subject : Eurocontrol

Is it true that following its invitation to tender for the
refurbishing of 70— 80 workstations at the Maastricht
Control Centre and 150 — 200 control stations in Eastern

Europe, Eurocontol is about to award the contract to an
American tenderer ?

Should not Community preference be a deciding factor in
this field which is vital to European technology ?

from Eurocontrol and of the action which will be taken

regarding that invitation .

It should be noted as a point of general information that on

19 July 1993 the Council — following the conclusions
reached at its meeting on 29 March 1990 — adopted a
Directive on the definition and use of compatible technical
and operating specifications for the procurement of air
traffic management equipment and systems .

Implementation of the Directive will constitute an essential
stage in the harmonization of air traffic systems with a view
to functional integration of the European air traffic system
as a whole which will remedy the problems of overcrowding
of the skies and improve traffic flow in the short term .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2527 / 93

by the following members : Mario Melis ( ARC ),

Andrea Raggio ( PSE ) and Virginio Bettini ( V )

to the Council of the European Communities

(1 September 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 140 )

Subject : Abuse of dominant position by the ' Cartiere

Burgo ' paper mills

Having regard to Article 86 of the Treaty establishing the
EEC,

given that the production and marketing of white paper for
telephone directories is dominated in Italy by the ' Cartiere di
Burgo ' firm 's de facto monopoly,

given that, as the sole telephone concessionary service,
SEAT-STET ( in which the State has a majority holding ) is
the only purchaser of this paper,

given that the ' Cartiere Burgo ' company has achieved this
monopoly through abuse of an economically and legally
dominant position by taking over the Arbatax paper mills '
share of production for supplies to SEAT-STET at a time
when both paper mills were run by the same board of
directors,

What steps will the Council take in response to these directors,
developments, which are particularly alarming for our
industry ? given that this monopoly is disrupting a significant part of
the common market ( i.e. the Italian market for the entire
sector ), to the detriment of consumers ( Lit 100 per kg above
the Arbatax price ) and the economic and social resources of

Answer a vast area in a region coming under Objective No 1

( 28 September 1993 ) ( redundancy payments and prospect of dismissal of workers

at the Arbatax paper mills due to shutdown ),

Answer

( 28 September 1993 )

The Council has not been informed, from the point of view
of the powers conferred on it, of the invitation to tender

given that the limited purchase of paper for yellow pages

. ( not produced on the Italian market ) does not lessen the

28 . 10 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 292 / 71

abuse of dominant position by the ' Cartiere di Burgo ' Answer
firm, ( 30 September 1993 )

does the Council not intend to make appropriate
representations to the Italian Government to ensure that
free market conditions are restored by allowing the Arbatax
papermills and any other interested company to offer the
SEAT-STET company, in which the State has a majority
interest, the supplies which it currently purchases from the
Burgo monopoly ?

Answer

( 30 September 1993 )

With regard to the division of powers between Institutions
laid down by the EEC Treaty the Council can only inform
the Honourable Member, that under Articles 86 and 89 of
the EEC Treaty, this matter falls within the purview of the
Commission .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2631 / 93

by Mrs Brigitte Ernst de la Graete ( V )
to the Council of the European Communities

(1 September 1993 )

93 / C 292 / 141 )

Subject : Right of asylum and concept of safe country of

origin

The conclusions adopted in Edinburgh on 12 December

1992 included among the criteria determining in which
countries there is a serious risk of persecution, the number of
refugees and the number of previous recognitions .

This criterion seems contrary to the Geneva Convention,
and the Belgian State was itself condemned by its Court of
Arbitration for applying the ' twice 5% ' rule, whereby
requests submitted by nationals of a country representing, in
the previous calendar year, at least 5 % of applicants for
asylum and of which less than 5 % had been recognized in
Belgium were to be removed from the normal examination
procedure .

What is the Council 's intention as regards the
harmonization of European policies on the right of asylum
and the concept of safe country origin ?

How does it intend to ask the Member States to review their

harmonization policy with a view to respecting Article 3 of
the Geneva Convention, which prohibits all forms of
discrimination on grounds of the national origin of
applicants for refugee status ?

As the Honourable Parliamentarian will be aware, the
European Council held in Edinburgh on 11 / 12 December

1992 welcomed the progress made by Ministers with
responsibility for immigration matters with particuliar
regard to the adoption of recommendations relating inter
alia to manifestly unfounded applications for asylum and
conclusions on countries in which there is generally no
serious risk of persecution .

Both these texts were adopted by Ministers in London on
the 30 November — 1 December 1992 in the context of

intergovernmental cooperation in which the Council, as
such, has no role to play . It is, however, clear that both texts
relate directly to the work programme adopted by Heads of
State and Government at Maastricht which outlined the

main objectives for harmonizing asylum policy throughout
the 12 Member States . It is equally clear that in the
resolution on manifestly unfounded applications for asylum
which refers to the concept of countries in which there is no
serious risk of persecution, the 12 Member States express
their determination, in keeping with their common
humanitarian tradition, to guarantee adequate protection to
refugees in accordance with the Geneva Convention .

The Twelve state furthermore that an application for asylum
is manifestly unfounded because it clearly raises no
substantive issue under the Geneva Convention .

Moreover, in their conclusions on countries in which there is
generally no serious risk of persecution, it is underlined that
it must be clearly shown in an objective and verifiable way
that circumstances which might in the past have justified
recourse to the Geneva Convention have ceased to exist . In

addition, assessments of the risk of persecution in individual
countries should be based on as wide a range of sources of
information as possible and information from the UNHCR
has a specific place in this framework .

The Geneva Convention is fundamental, therefore, to the
texts adopted by the Twelve on harmonization of asylum
policy .

The Council 's role in the harmonization process relating to
asy lum matters will develop only after the entry into force of
the Treaty on European Union in which asylum policy
becomes a matter of common interest . The Treaty on
European Union prescrives in its Article K 2 that
cooperation in the field of justice and home affairs will be in
compliance with the Convention relating to the status of
refugees .

4ft

No C 292 / 72 Official Journal of the European Communities 28 . 10 . 93

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2635 / 93

by Mr Gérard Fuchs ( PSE )

to the Council of the European Communities

(1 September 1993 )

( 93 / C 292 / 142 )

Subject : Tax on savings and the Belgian Presidency

The ' broad lines ' presented by the Belgian Presidency for its
action during the second-half of 1993 include its intention
to reintroduce the plan for a minimum tax on savings .

This decision is undoubtedly essential if we wish to avoid
competition to lower taxes as a result of the newly
established freedom of movement for capital within the
Community, a tendency which would ultimately deprive
Member States of vital resources in periods of budget
deficits and recession .

I was appointed rapporteur on the subject in 1989 by the
European Parliament 's Committee on Economic and
Monetary Affairs and have had no material to work on as a
result of the Council 's inaction since then . I therefore wish to

know :

1 . what initiative the Presidency intends to take to
reactivate the discussions which have made no progress
over the last three years ;

2 . what timetable it hopes will be adopted to bring this
about ?

y

Answer

( 30 September 1993 )

In order to reactivate the discussions on tax on savings the
Presidency has called a meeting of the ad hoc Working Party
competent to deal with the matter, which is to meet
regularly . The Presidency hopes to lay this matter before the
Council by October .