Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

# Official Journal

### of the European Communities

###### Information and Notices

English edition

ISSN 0378-6986

#### C 320

Volume 36

26 November 1993

Notice No Contents p age

I Information

European Parliament

Written Questions with answer

93 / C 320 / 01 No 590 / 90 by Mr Gerard Deprez to the Commission
Subject : Operation of the counterpart funds in Poland 1

93 / C 320 / 02 No 582 / 92 by Mr Ingo Friedrich to the Commission
Subject : Discrimination against German by EC institutions 1

93 / C 320 / 03 No 818 / 92 by Mrs Anne Andre to the Commission
Subject : Sporting and cultural patronage 2

93 / C 320 / 04 No 1726 / 92 by Mr Jaak Vandemeulebroucke to the Commission
Subject : Languages used by DG XII 3

93 / C 320 / 05 No 2049 / 92 by Mr Lode Van Outrive to the Commission
Subject : Application of the Commission 's action programme on implementation of the
Community Charter of Fundamental Social rights for workers 3

93 / C 320 / 06 No 2119 / 92 by Mr Gerardo Fernandez-Albor to the Commission
Subject : Publicizing the Treaty of Maastricht 4

93 / C 320 / 07 No 2174 / 92 by Mrs Martine Lehideux to the Commission
Subject : Spread of organized crime linked to drugs trafficking 4

93 / C 320 / 08 No 2288 / 92 by Mr Jan Bertens to the Commission
Subject : Reducing the age limits for taking part in Community programmes 5

93 / C 320 / 09 No 2529 / 92 by Mr Jaak Vandemeulebroucke to the Commission
Subject : Language used by the Erasmus programme 6

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Notice No

93 / C 320 / 10

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No 2579 / 92 by Mrs Christiana Muscardini to the Commission
Subject : Tax injustice by the Italian Government

No 2878 / 92 by Sir James Scott-Hopkins to the Commission
Subject : Clips used in abattoirs

No 2931 / 92 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Natural asbestos in Greece

No 3065 / 92 by Mr Neil Blaney to the Commission
Subject : Annual report on acquired fishing rights

No 3112 / 92 by Mrs Marie - Anne Isler Beguin to the Commission
Subject : Aid to the project for a test track at Morhange ( France )

No 3140 / 92 by Mr Manfred Vohrer to the Commission
Subject : Differences in the treatment of refugees in EC Member States

No 3298 / 92 by Mr Jean-Pierre Raffin to the Commission
Subject : Investigation of a complaint P 89-910 ( non-compliance by France with two environmental
directives )

No 3331 / 92 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Virginia tobacco in Greece

No 3390 / 92 by Mr Herman Verbeek to the Commission
Subject : Labelling of veterinary medicines

No 3461 / 92 by Mrs Cristiana Muscardini to the Commission
Subject : Decision to create a nature reserve in Valleandona

No 3510 / 92 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Construction and management of Spata airport

No 3513 / 92 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Destruction of the Vikos-Aoos National Park in Greece

No 844 / 93 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Taverna-cum-shelter in Greek national park

Joint answer to Written Questions Nos 3513 / 92 and 844 / 93

No 101 / 93 by Mr Kenneth Stewart to the Commission
Subject : Oil spillage from the Liberian tanker Braer

No 202 / 93 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Quality of heating oil

No 278 / 93 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Operation of quarries on archaeological sites in Greece

No 302 / 93 by Mr Mihail Papayannakis to the Commission
Subject : Reshaping the coastline at Ixia ( Rhodes )

Contents ( continued ) Page

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Notice No Contents ( continued )

93 / C 320 / 27 No 313 / 93 by Mr Barry Desmond to the Commission
Subject : Funding for underground electric cables

93 / C 320 / 28 No 381 / 93 by Mr Thomas Megahy to the Commission
Subject : Assessment of levels of unemployment

93 / C 320 / 29 No 416 / 93 by Mr Pierre Lataillade to the Commission
Subject : Informing the public and families of the measures in their favour in the process of
Community integration

93 / C 320 / 30 No 490 / 93 by Mr Mihail Papayannakis to the Commission Subject : Agricultural cooperatives

93 / C 320 / 31 No 512 / 93 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Diversion of the Acheloos river

93 / C 320 / 32 No 518 / 93 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : The situation of mussel farmers in the region of Pieria .

93 / C 320 / 33 No 559 / 93 by Mr Gerardo Fernández-Albor to the Commission
Subject : A tourist map of Galicia and northern Portugal

93 / C 320 / 34 No Subject 561 : Period / 93 by of Mr validity Carlos of Robles tourist number Piquer plates to the on Commission some cars in t certain Member States .

93 / C 320 / 35 No 668 / 93 by Mr Thomas Megahy to the Commission
Subject : Structural funds : financial control, monitoring and evaluation

93 / C 320 / 36 No 688 / 93 by Mr Pavlos Sarlis to the Commission
Subject : Discrimination in taxation of businesses

93 / C 320 / 37 No 732 / 93 by Mr Rafael Calvo Ortega to the Commission
Subject : Assistance for the use of recycled paper

93 / C 320 / 38 No 819 / 93 by Mr Peter Crampton to the Commission
Subject : Fisheries : health and hygiene rules for third-country imports

93 / C 320 / 39 No 850 / 93 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Financial mechanisms for attracting investment in SMEs

93 / C 320 / 40 No 853 / 93 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Woodland between Voula and Vouliagmeni in Attica . .

93 / C 320 / 41 No 857 / 93 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Social policy issues

93 / C 320 / 42 No 890 / 93 by Mrs Astrid Lulling to the Commission
Subject : Consumers ' Consultative Committee

93 / C 320 / 43 No 899 / 93 by Mr Pierre Lataillade to the Commission
Subject : Major crisis in the fisheries sector

93 / C 320 / 44 No 931 / 93 by Mrs Mary Banotti to the Commission
Subject : CAP funding involving the destruction of hedgerows

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93 / C 320 / 60

No 950 / 93 by Mrs Cristiana Muscardini to the Commission
Subject : ERDF funding 24

No 957 / 93 by Mr Alexandros Alavanos to the Commission
Subject : New financial programme for Kalamata 25

No 976 / 93 by Mr Gerhard Schmid to the Commission
Subject : European Brown Hare Syndrome ( EBHS ), a virosis affecting the European hare 25

No 1007 / 93 by Lord O'Hagan to the Commission
Subject : Oil spillages at sea - 25

No 1013 / 93 by Mr Leen van der Waal to the Commission
Subject : Causes of the worldwide rise in temperature 26

No 1042 / 93 by Mr Leen van der Waal to the Commission
Subject : - Criteria for aid from the Structural Funds - 26

No 1047 / 93 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : The fate of the Greek sugar industry and the effects on Greek beet producers 27

No 1056 / 93 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Fate of acreage aid for cereals and oilseeds 27

No 1073 / 93 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Support for ' open universities ' 28

No 1091 / 93 by Mr Jean-Pierre Raffin to the Commission
Subject : Destruction of the bearded vulture in France 28

No 1101 / 93 by Mr Maxime Verhagen to the Commission
Subject : Effective cooperation between the Commission 's DG I and DG VIII 29

/

                                              - «
No 1120 / 93 by Mrs Patricia Rawlings to the Commission
Subject : European Heritage campuses 29

No 1131 / 93 by Mrs Anita Pollack to the Commission
Subject : Transport of animals 30

No 1170 / 93 by Mr Filippos Pierros to the Commission
Subject : Special reduced rate of tax on consumption in the Dodecanese 30

No 1229 / 93 by Mr Peter Crampton to the Commission
Subject : Composition of coordinating and monitoring committees European Regional
Development Fund 31

No 1243 / 93 by Mr Ernest Glinne to the Commission
Subject : The cement industry and the forming of cartels : violations of Article 85 of the Treaty of
Rome 31

&

\
93 / C 320 / 61 No Subject 1261 : Subsidies / 93 by Mrs to higher Barbara education Duhrkop Dührkop institutions to the Commission i 32

93 / C 320 / 62

No 1277 / 93 by Mr Reimer Böge to the Commission
Subject : Health Directive 92 / 46 / EEC 32

»

. Notice No Contents ( continued ) Page

93 / C 320 / 63 No 1328 / 93 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission

Subject : Compensatory aid for Greek market gardeners 33

93 / C 320 / 64 No Subject 1329 : Adjustments / 93 by Mr in Sotiris Greek Kostopoulos farming to the Commission ♦ 33

♦

93 / C 320 / 65

No 1332 / 93 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Tobacco subsidies and exports 34

93 / C 320 / 66 No 1337 / 93 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : The peregrine falcon 34

93 / C 320 / 67 No 1373 / 93 by Mr Gerardo Fernandez - Albor to the Council
Subject : Current situation regarding the European St James 's Way Foundation 35

«

93 / C 320 / 68 No 1436 / 93 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Community cereal production 35

93 / C 320 / 69 No 1445 / 93 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the « Commission - &
Subject : European dimension in school curricula 35

»

' \                                                                                                                                                         - »
93 / C 320 / 70 No 1465 / 93 by Mr Madron Seligman to the Commission

Subject : Discrimination over pension entitlement 36

93 / C 320 / 71 No 1520 / 93 by Mrs Lissy Gröner to / the Commission

Subject : Suicide rate in the European Community ; 36

93 / C 320 / 72 No 1565 / 93 by Mr Alex Smith, to European Political Cooperation
Subject : Iraqi nuclear programme 37

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93 / C 320 / 73 No 1604 / 53 by Mr Edward McMillan-Scott to the Council
Subject : Death occurring in another Member State 37

93 / C 320 / 74

93 / C 320 / 75

93 / C 320 / 76

93 / C 320 / 77

t .» ♦

No 1659 / 93 by Mr Lode Van Outrive to the Commission
Subject : Organization of the European Youth Event in Brussels — 3 — 6 July 1993 37

No 1715 / 93 by Mr Thomas Megahy to the Commission
Subject : Abolition of United Kingdom Wages Councils and sex discrimination 38

No 1731 / 93 by Mr Carlos Robles Piquer to the Council
Subject : Delay by government bodies in paying invoices 38

E-l 822 / 93 by Mr Victor Arbeloa Muru to European Political Cooperation
Subject : Prisoners in Lebanon « 39

93 / C 320 / 78 E-l 823 / 93 by Mr Victor Arbeloa Muru to European Political Cooperation
Subject : Whereabouts of Aziz al-Sayyid Jassem in Iraq 39

( Continued overleaf )

Notice No Contents ( continued ) p age

93 / C 320 / 79

E - 18 82 / 93 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to European Political Cooperation
Subject : Property of Greeks in Istanbul at the mercy of Turkish authorities through prosecution of a
lawyer " ; 39

t
93 / C 320 / 80 E-1966 / 93 by Mr Ernest Glinne to European Political Cooperation

Subject : Community attitude towards the dictatorship in Haiti 39

93 / C 320 / 81

E-1968 / 93 by Mr Ernest Glinne to European Political Cooperation
Subject : Opportunity to freeze the accounts of Haitian dictator Raoul Cedras 40

Joint answer to Written Questions E-1966 / 93 and E-1968 / 93 40

93 / C 320 / 82 E-1997 / 93 by Mr Ernest Glinne to European Political Cooperation
Subject : ' Political cleansing ' in Colombia 41

93 / C 320 / 83

93 / C 320 / 84

93 / C 320 / 85

93 / C 320 / 86

93 / C 320 / 87

93 / C 320 / 88

93 / C 320 / 89

E-2002 / 93 by Mr Alexandros Alavanos to the Commission
Subject : Waste incineration plant in Attica 42

E-2060 / 93 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Selective choice of businessmen to accompany the Prime Minister on visits 42

E-2062 / 93 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Cement monopoly - contrary i to competition rules 43

a

E-2505 / 93 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Council
Subject : Research < and technical development programmes 43

Subject E-2582 : Reform ♦ / 93 by Mr of « the Sotiris Structural Kostopoulos Funds to the Council 44

E-2637 / 93 by Mr Paul Staes to the Council
Subject : World conference on the environment in Rio : inclusion in Community policy ...... 44

E-2658 / 93 by Mr Ernest Glinne to the Council
Subject : ' Relocation ' of public contractors and trade to the detriment of the Community and the
Member States 45

93 / C 320 / 90 E-2660 / 93 by Mr Ernest Glinne to the Council
Subject : Pollution of the Cubatao Valley in Brazil by European industrial firms 46

93 / C 320 / 91 E-2690 / 93 by Mr James Ford to the Council

Subject : Mort-aux-Juifs 47

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26 . 11 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 320 / 1

i

( Information )

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

WRITTEN QUESTIONS WITH ANSWER

WRITTEN QUESTION No 590 / 90

by Mr Gerard Deprez ( PPE )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 16 March 1990 )

( 93 / C 320 / 01 )

Subject : Operation of the counterpart funds in Poland

Can the Commission provide information on :

1 . the arrangements for the operation of the counterpart

funds in Poland ;

»

2 . the selection criteria and the nature of the rural

development projects to be financed ?

Answer given by Sir Leon Brittan (*)

on behalf of the Commission

(2 July 1993 )

In application of Council Regulations ( EEC ) No 2247 / 89 of
24 July 1989 and ( EEC ) No 457 / 90 of 22 February 1990,
the Community provided Poland with aid in the form of
foodstuffs for sale on the Polish market .

The receipts from these sales were paid into a special
account with a Polish bank, the Bank for Food Economy
( BGZ ), and constitute a counterpart fund which is managed
by a Foundation for the development of Polish villages . The
counterpart fund is managed by the Polish government
subject, on major issues, to the Community 's prior
approval . The Polish authorities have likewise undertaken
to guarantee the Foundation 's acceptance of any
on-the-spot checks by the Commission and the Court of
Auditors on its use of the counterpart funds .

Projects likely to be eligible for credit were identified by the
Foundation 's board and should correspond to the following
objectives :

increasing the quantity and quality of agricultural
production ;

promoting the development of processing chains for
agricultural products ;

increasing the efficiency of purchasing operations for
raw materials together with transport, storage and
sale ;

encouraging the production of agricultural machinery
and machinery for the foodstuffs sector ;

promoting the development of infrastructure and the
improvement of living conditions in rural areas .

Since the first half of 1990 the rate of interest on loans has

been fixed at three quarters of the Central Bank 's basic rate .
The lending rules also require the investor to provide at least

10% of the overall investment .

On 30 June 1990 half the projects being financed concerned
the processing of pork, beef and poultry . The other half
concerned the processing of fruit and vegetables, cereals and
investment in agricultural holdings . Grants have been made
for the construction of water-supply and waste - water
disposal systems and the provision of telephone networks
and gas in rural areas .

( J ) The Commission regrets the delay in answering this
question .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 582 / 92

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

( 19 March 1992 )

( 93 / C 320 / 02 )

Subject : Discrimination against German by EC
institutions

Numerous examples of discrimination against the German
language by the EC institutions have been reported in the

No C 320 / 2 Official Journal of the European Communities 26 . 11 . 93

press ( for example Siiddeutsche Zeitung of 11 February

1992 ). The following examples are given :

— a French director-general is reported to have forbidden a

German EC official to give a speech in German in an
Eastern European capital ;

— the Commission drafted its contracts and

correspondence relating to European aid for Russia in
English and French only, despite the fact that Eastern
Europeans would find it easier to correspond in
German :

application forms and standard contracts are not
available in German .

1 . Are these allegations true ?

2 . If so, what changes will the Commission make in order
to introduce more satisfactory and fairer linguistic
arrangements ?

3 . Does the Commission agree that linguistic differences
should not lead to discrimination in the Community 's
day to day business ?

Answer given by Mr Delors
on behalf of the Commission

( 13 September 1993 )

The Commission agrees that linguistic differences should
not lead to discrimination and does its best to avoid such
problems, where possible, in its day to day business .

/
not, therefore, trying to obtain Community aid on his own
account but is tendering for public contracts, for the benefit
of the recipient states, which will be awarded by these states
in consultation with the Commission .

This inevitably influences the choice of language : firstly, the
contractor must take account of the national language of the
recipient country or other languages understood there, since
the contract can only be carried out in direct cooperation
with the recipient . This varies from case to case, depends on
the subject matter and is not regulated by the Community .
Secondly, a solution must also be found to facilitate the joint
execution of the tendering procedure leading up to the
award of the contract and enable the work of all concerned

to run smoothly . Consequently, the Central and Eastern
European recipient countries have decided in principle not
to insist on the use of their own official languages in
connection with the public contracts awarded by them and
for their benefit . The Commission, too, has not stipulated a
particular language, but takes the lead from its partners .
Thirdly, in practice English has proved to be the working
language in which all those concerned are generally able to
communicate directly . The Commission accordingly takes
account of the wishes of the recipients if, as often happens,
they propose English as the working language . The terms of
the tender accordingly indicate, as a rule, that in the interest
of convenience tenders should if possible be submitted in
English .

The Commission believes that the principles set out here
offer an appropriate and reasonable solution to the
problem .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 818 / 92

It is not true that a French Director-General in the
Commission refused to allow a speech to be made in by Mrs Anne André ( LDR )
German in an Eastern European capital . On the contrary, to the Commission of the European
the Commission always does its utmost to adapt to each ( 14 April 1992 )
audience and decides on the languages to be used for a

( 93 / C 320 / 03 )

speech in consultation with the organizers .

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 14 April 1992 )

( 93 / C 320 / 03 )

It is a strict rule and constant practice of the Commission to Subject : Sporting and cultural patronage
reply to everyone who applies to its departments for
information, in writing or orally, in the Community Under the Maastricht agreements, the European
language of information used by the in correspondent connection . with This is the particularly Phare-Tacis true Community has been given certain areas of responsibility in
Programme for Central and Eastern European countries and the field of culture .
the former Soviet Union .

There are inevitably special circumstances affecting the
drafting of tender documents for contracts financed under
Phare and Tacis . Phare and Tacis were not set up as internal
programmes to support the Community 's own economy but
form part of the Community 's foreign trade and
cooperation policy with the recipient countries and are
intended primarily to finance the technical assistance which
these countries need to reform their economies along market
economy lines . Anyone interested in Phare-Tacis contracts is

In some Member States, companies and undertakings which
provide sporting or cultural patronage are allowed to
deduct the relevant amounts from their tax bill .

Does the Commission have a clearly defined policy in this
respect ?

Will the system of tax deduction in certain Member States be
harmonized throughout the European Community by the
end of 1993 ?

26 . 11 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 320 / 3

Answer given by Mrs Scrivener

on behalf of the Commission

( 19 July 1993 )

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2049 / 92

by Mr Lode Van Outrive ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

(1 September 1992 )

Expenditure by companies on sporting or cultural ( 93 / C 320 / 05 )
patronage may, for tax purposes, rank as business
expenditure or as a gift, with the conditions governing
deductibility from corporation or income tax being set out Subject : Application of the
in national tax legislation . programme on

deductibility from corporation or income tax being set out Subject : Application of the Commission 's action
in national tax legislation . programme on implementation of the Community

Charter of Fundamental Social rights for
The Commission takes the view that possible workers
harmonization of the deductibility rules for such
expenditure is not a priority need as regards the deepening On 27 November 1990 the Commission adopted a
of the internal market . Accordingly, it has no plans at communication to the Council on ' the living and working
present to place any proposals for action in this sphere conditions of citizens resident in frontier regions, with

before the Council .

On 27 November 1990 the Commission adopted a
communication to the Council on ' the living and working
conditions of citizens resident in frontier regions, with
special reference to frontier workers ' { x ).

One of the major problems facing frontier workers is direct
taxation . The Commission states that it will be taking a look
at the various possibilities and will be reporting back in the
near future . Can the Commission reveal the conclusions of

its studies ? What concrete measures does the Commission
WRITTEN QUESTION No 1726 / 92
intend to take to solve this problem ?
by Mr Jaak Vandemeulebroucke ( ARC )
to the Commission of the European Communities (M CC)M(90 ) 561 .

(1 July 1992 )

( 93 / C 320 / 04 )

Answer given by Mrs Scrivener

Subject : Languages used by DG XII on behalf of the

( 29 July 1993 )

on behalf of the Commission

Is it true that the Directorate-General recently circulated a
brochure on Brite-Euram II that was available only in
English ?

English ? In 1979 the Commission presented a proposal for a

Directive concerning the harmonization of income taxation

Is a Dutch version available ? provisions with respect to freedom of movement for

workers within the Community (*).
Why were Dutch-speaking European information centres
sent brochures in another language ? - In spite of discussions stretching over several years, the
Council was unable to act on the proposal since a number of
Member States were opposed, in particular, to the principle
of taxing the income of frontier workers in the country of

Answer given by Mr Delors residence . Moreover, a number of frontier workers '
on behalf of the Commission associations argued that charging tax in the country of

(3 August 1993 ) residence would, in many cases, result in higher taxation

than at present ( e.g. for those crossing between Belgium and
Luxembourg and between Denmark and Germany ).

Is a Dutch version available ?

Answer given by Mr Delors
on behalf of the Commission

(3 August 1993 )

For practical and financial reasons, the Brite / Euram II
brochure 'A universe of possibilities ' was not produced in
the nine Community languages .

This brochure is intended as a supplement to the
information file and not to replace it, the latter being
available in all nine languages .

The text relating to the programme of work was taken from
Annex I to the Council Decision ( ! ), likewise available in the
nine languages .

(!) OJ No L 269, 25 . 9 . 1991, p. 30 .

In view of these facts, the Commission last year withdrew its

1979 proposal .

The Commission considers that persons working in a
Member State other than that in which they are reisident
should normally be covered by tax arrangements that are
equivalent to those applicable to residents . Article 7 ( 2 ) of
Regulation ( EEC ) No 1612 / 68 on freedom of movement for
workers within the Community also stipulates that a worker
who is a national of another Member State ' shall enjoy the
same social and tax advantages as national workers '.

Against this background, the Commission intends shortly to
present a new proposal to the Council .

/

No C 320 / 4 Official Journal of the European Communities 26 . 11 . 93

As regards case-law on this question, the Court of Justice, in
its judgment of 26 January 1993 in Case C-l 12 / 91 Werner
v. Finanzamt Aachen, found that Article 52 of the EEC
Treaty did not preclude a Member State from charging its
nationals who exercised their professional activity in its
territory and who earned all or almost all their income there
or owned all or almost all their assets there more tax when

they did not reside in that Member State than when they
did .

The Treaty on European Union has triggered a wide-ranging
public debate and the appearance of an unprecedented
number of books and special reports in the press and on
radio and television, as well as major information
campaigns by the governments signatory to the Treaties,
political parties and other opinion leaders . The Community
institutions, especially Parliament and the Commission,
have contributed within the limits of their respective remits
to disseminating information to as many citizens as
possible .

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro

on behalf of the Commission

( 29 July 1993 )

However, the Court did not rule at all in the judgment on the institutions, especially Parliament and the . Commission,
nationals scope for of a Member other Member State States to apply . The the Court same has policy since had to have contributed within the limits of their respective remits

to disseminating information to as many citizens as

referred to it a further request for a preliminary ruling the possible .
aim of which is to clarify whether a non-resident national of
another Member State may be charged more income tax
than a resident of a Member State . The Commission has published brochures and mass
circulation folders on the Treaty on European Union and on
the aspects affecting the public most directly .
H OJ No C 21, 26 . 1 . 1980 .

The Commission shares the Honourable Member 's view

regarding the need to continue information efforts after
ratification . Implementation will provide an opportunity to
put out more substantial information on the contents of the
Treaty using every available media resource . This is one
facet of the new information strategy adopted by the
Commission at the end of June .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2119 / 92

by Mr Gerardo Fernandez-Albor ( PPE )
to the Commission of the European Communities

(1 September 1992 )

( 93 / C 320 / 06 ) WRITTEN QUESTION No 2174 / 92

by Mrs Martine Lehideux ( DR )

to the Commission of the European Communities

Subject : Publicizing the Treaty of Maastricht

(1 September 1992 )

( 93 / C 320 / 07 )

The information available to ordinary people on the content
of the Treaty on European Union signed on 7 February 1992 Subject : Spread of organized crime linked to drugs
in Maastricht does not seem to have made a significant

trafficking

contribution towards enabling the man in the street to
appreciate the Treaty 's importance and how it could affect
his life in the future . From the report by the European Parliament 's committee of
inquiry it emerges that organized crime linked to drugs
trafficking is a world-wide phenomenon .
The population of the Member States as a whole who are
certainly disturbed unaware by this . of the Treaty 's importance may be Does removal the of Commission customs barriers not consider between the, therefore Member, that States the as

Subject : Spread of organized crime linked to drugs
trafficking

disturbed unaware by this . Treaty may Does removal the of Commission customs barriers not consider between the, therefore Member, that States the as

of 1 January 1993 will considerably facilitate the trafficking
of drugs within these states ?
Consequently, in view of the circumstances surrounding
publicity for the Treaty of Maastricht, does the committee
not consider that further information should be provided in
terms of campaigns on radio and television and in the press
and through other communication and advertising media in Answer given by Mr Flynn

on behalf of the Commission

order to ensure that it is not only Heads of State of
government who recognize the Treaty 's importance but also (7 September 1993 )
the ordinary Community citizen, given that this will help to
ensure that the Maastricht agreements are accepted by the
most important representative of popular sovereignty in the The Commission agrees with the analysis by Parliament and
Community — the citizen of Europe ? its Committee of Inquiry that the production, traffic and

Answer given by Mr Flynn
on behalf of the Commission

(7 September 1993 )

The Commission agrees with the analysis by Parliament and
its Committee of Inquiry that the production, traffic and

26 . 11 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 320 / 5

consumption of drugs give rise to crime of various kinds and
scale, much of which is committed by international criminal
organizations .

In order to contend with these serious and urgent problems,

both inside and outside the Community, the Commission
possesses only limited means of action at present . For the
most part, the Member States are responsible for fighting
crime .

With regard to drug trafficking, the Community 's internal
physical borders are no longer necessarily the strategic point
where most drugs are seized and drug traffickers arrested .
Since drugs are mainly produced outside the Community
monitoring of trans-border drugs trafficking will in future
be at its most effective at external borders and sensitive

points of entry such as international ports and airports and
on routes and means of inland, maritime and air transport .
An array of measure have been taken with a view to
tightening controls at external borders ( for example :
relocation of police and customs officers, more systematic
use of modern drug detection methods, training and
exchange programmes for officials, development of
information systems, etc .).

The Community, in the exercise of its powers and in
accordance with the aims laid down by the 1988 United
Nations Convention against Illicit Trade in Narcotic Drugs
and Psychotropic Substances, has adopted three
instruments to combat drugs and associated trafficking :

— Regulation ( EEC ) No 3677 / 90 of 13 December 1990 ( as

amended by Regulation ( EEC ) No 900 / 92 ) laying down
measures to be taken to discourage the diversion of
certain substances to the illicit manufacture of narcotic

drugs and psychotropic substances ;

— Council Directive 92 / 109 / EEC of 14 December 1992 on

the manufacture and placing on the market of certain
substances used in the illicit manufacture of narcotic
drugs and psychotropic substances ; this Directive deals
with production and trade in precursors in the
Community ;

— Council Directive 91 / 308 / EEC of 10 June 1991 on the

prevention of use of the financial system for the purpose
of money laundering .

The Treaty on European Union offers new prospects for
strengthening action by the Community and its Member
States . Action could be taken under the common foreign and
security policy in respect of producer countries and / or
transit countries outside the Community, while the
provisions of Title VI on cooperation in the fields of justice
and home affairs can be applied internally . These provisions
relate to judicial matters, customs and police, as well as the

fight against drug addiction and international fraud . The
objectives of the cooperation referred to in Article K.l ( 9 )
are the prevention of and fight against unlawful drug
trafficking and other serious forms of international crime, in
connection with the setting-up of a European police Office

( Europol ). Only the Member States have a right of initiative
in some matters, but the Commission welcomes the fact that
the fight against organized drug-related crime is one of the
priorities of this new European cooperation .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2288 / 92

by Mr Jan Bertens ( LDR )

to the Commission of the European Communities

(8 September 1992 )

( 93 / C 320 / 08

Subject : Reducing the age limits for taking part in

Community programmes

In view of the forthcoming completion of the internal
- market there is also a need to give junior vocational training

an international slant . In the Netherlands the foundations
are laid in junior secondary vocational education ( LBO ),
where students make their first choice in the field of the

technical and caring professions in the second year, when
they are 14 or 15 . This initial phase ends when they are 16 ;
the qualifying part of the course is mostly with employers on
a contractual basis, which reduces the possibilities for
exchanges .

However, most Community exchange programmes are
directed towards the 16-plus age group, so LBO students are
excluded from the outset . Does the Commission agree that
there are grounds here for lowering the age limit of 16 for
Community programmes such as Petra and Lingua to 15 for
LBO students ?

Lowering the age limit would open up possibilities within
this form of vocational education for developing activities
that would help create more international course
programmes and the organization of international
traineeships, so that pupils leaving secondary education
would enter the job market better prepared for change . Is
the Commission willing to propose reducing the age limit to
cover this group, to give students in vocational education
the opportunity of training in other European countries,
getting a wider range of technical training, making contact
with young people from a variety of cultural backgrounds
and thus adding a European dimension to their
education ?

Answer given by Mr Ruberti
on behalf of the Commission

( 29 July 1993 )

The Council Decision of 22 July 1991 on the launching of
the second phase of the Petra programme for the initial

No C 320 / 6 Official Journal of the European Communities 26 . 11 . 93

vocational training of young people and their preparation
for adult and working life states that the programme is
intended for young people aged up to 28 who are is one of
the following situations : young people receiving initial
vocational training ; young workers who are in employment
or are available on the labour market according to national
laws and / or practices and have received initial vocational
training or practical work experience ; young people who are
no longer receiving initial vocational training and are taking
part in an advanced programme in order to complete their
training . Thus, apart from the upper age limit, the eligibility
of young people is not based on their age but on their being
in one of the situations described above .

As regards that part of the programme concerned with the
placement of young people in a country other than their
own, the young people mentioned by the Honourable
Member should, in principle, be eligible if they are in one of
the above situations ( e.g. receiving technical education ). The
Commission totally agrees with the Honourable Member
that young people receiving technical or vocational training
should be given the opportunity to gain work experience in
another Community country, although it must be
recognized that the funds available for the programme are
limited .

As regards Lingua, the Council Decision of 28 July 1989
establishing this programme does indeed indicate that the
measures designed to promote language-related exchanges
for young people normally concern trainees and students in
the 16 — 25 age group .

However, the Commission will take account of the
Honourable Member 's suggestions when putting forward
its new proposals for the extension of the programme .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2529 / 92

by Mr Jaak Vandemeulebroucke ( ARC )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 12 October 1992 )

she do this ? What will she do if there is heavy demand for a
programme that is not taught in the language of the host
country ?

(!) OJ No C 141, 19 . 5 . 1993, p. 19 .

Answer given by Mr Ruberti
on behalf of the Commission

( 29 July 1993 )

Under the Erasmus programme, funds are provided for the
language training of students as part of the financial
assistance given to institutions of higher education for the
development of Inter-University Cooperation Programmes

( ICPs ). A part of the mobility grants awarded to students
may also be spent on language training .

As one of the qualitative selection criteria for the ICPs, the
Guidelines for applicants for Erasmus and Lingua

( Action'II ) mention the seriousness of the language training
received by students with inadequate mastery of the
language of the host country . Language training should
begin in the home country prior to departure and continue
in the host country as an integral part of the study
programme followed .

In addition, the Lingua programme, Action II of which is
concerned with inter - university cooperation and the
mobility of students and teachers of foreign languages, is
specifically aimed at ' increasing opportunities for teaching
and learning foreign languages in the Community and, in
particular, encouraging competence in the least widely used
and least taught foreign languages '.

The internationalization of higher - education means that
parts of courses are often given in a language other than that
of the host country .

( 93 / C 320 / 09 ) WRITTEN QUESTION No 2579 / 92

by Mrs Christiana Muscardini ( NI )

to the Commission of the European Communities

Subject : Language used by the Erasmus programme
( 27 October 1992 )

( 93 / C 320 / 10 )
In its answer to my Written Question No 1564 / 92 ( ) of
7 September 1992, Commissioner Papandreou stated that
the Commission encourages institutions to provide tuition
in less common languages . Subject : Tax injustice by the Italian Government

Is the Commission aware of the unacceptable treatment of

How does the Commission, do this ? Has financial scope Italian tax payers, who have had to put up with long queues
been created, or are smaller subsidies being granted ? in order to obtain from the Italian land registry offices the

documents required for payment of the latest in a whole
The Commissioner also says that students are required to series of taxes, which the Government has decided to impose
follow courses in the language of the host country . How will on dwelling-house owners ? 

26 . 11 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 320 / 7

Does it not consider that the Italian Government should be WRITTEN QUESTION
asked to speed up its bureaucratic and administrative by Mr Sotiris
procedures, which are among the most obstructive in

to the Commission of the

Europe, in order to bring tax levels and relations between
the State and its citizens into line with the most advanced ( 24 November
European standards ? ( 93 / C 320 / 12

WRITTEN QUESTION No 293 1 / 92

by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos ( NI )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 24 November 1992 )

Answer given by Mrs Scrivener Subject : Natural asbestos in Greece

on behalf of the Commission

( 28 July 1993 )

Responsibility for determining rules on administering taxes
on income from real estate and local taxes on real estate lies

with the individual Member States .

Community law, as it stands at the moment, does not
impose any restrictions on how Member States are to
administer their legislation on taxes of this type, provided
that it complies with the fundamental principles and
freedoms laid down in the EEC Treaty . As far as the
Commission is aware, rules on such taxation are not
contravening these fundamental principles and freedoms .

As regards administrative procedures, these are also the
responsibility of individual Member States . In its annual
economic report for 1993, the Commission made some
general comments to the effect that Member States should

be encouraged to improve the efficiency of their public

sector .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2878 / 92

by Sir James Scott-Hopkins ( PPE )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 23 November 1992 )

( 93 / C 320 / 11 ) .

Subject : Clips used in abattoirs

Are clips made from ' board ' with mild steel wire coated with
either copper or tin, used in the abattoirs and wholesale
meat traders ' stores, to be banned or otherwise
restricted ?

Answer given by Mr Steichen

on behalf of the Commission

( 29 July 1993 )

The Commission is not aware of the restrictions referred to

in the question .

Natural asbestos, which is found throughout Evvia and
other regions of Greece, eventually causes mesothelioma of
the lungs, one of the worst instances of cancer . Studies
carried out by lecturers in social medicine at the University
of Thrace and pulmonology at the University of Ioannina,
have shown that so-called ' Metsovo lung ' is caused by
breathing in asbestos from the soil in the region and, in
1987, data collected by the Institute for Research into chest
diseases revealed that there are areas in Kilkis, Pellis, the
Cyclades ( Tinos ) and, in particular in Evvia, where
calcification is endemic . Given that the public received
virtually no information, particularly in the case of the
population in these areas of Greece, and that as a result
entire villages are built of carcinogenic stone, will the
Commission :

1 . arrange for research into this important matter and
publish the results ?

2 . recommend that the Community assist in identifying the

buildings, and in particular homes, containing natural
asbestos and that alterations are carried out to eliminate

the risk of exposure to asbestos ?

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission

( 19 May 1993 )

Asbestos has been in widespread use since the beginning of
the century and has certain very useful technical properties .
However, asbestos fibres are dangerous, especially when
inhaled, and have resulted in the occurence of asbestosis,
lung cancer and mesothelioma . They were recently classified
as category 1 carcinogens, that is, as substances known to
cause cancer in man .

Directive 87 / 217 / EEC ( ) on the prevention and reduction
of environmental pollution by asbestos lays down measures
and provisions for the use of asbestos, the working of
products containing asbestos, the demolition of buildings,
structures and installations as well as the transport,
deposition and landfill of waste containing asbestos fibres
with a view to preventing and reducing pollution by
asbestos in the interest of the protection of human health
and the environment . Any process directly associated with
the mining of the ore is excluded from the scope of this
directive . Asbestos fibres can be found in low

concentrations in the ambient air of all built-up regions . The

«

V

No C 320 / 8 Official Journal of the European Communities 26 . 11 . 93

widespread occurrence of asbestos fibres within the
Community did not, however, lead to the establishment of
specific rules concerning asbestos in the ambient air ( even if
many buildings are constructed with materials containing
asbestos ).

The reported heavy pollution by asbestos must, however, be
considered as a local problem . It is atypical, and in line with
the principle of subsidiarity, should be tackled on a national
or regional level in the first instance . As far as wastes
containing asbestos fibres or dust from the demolition of
buildings or the removal therefrom of asbestos or materials
containing'asbestos is concerned, a Member State may, in
order to protect health and the environment, introduce
provisions which are more stringent than those of Directive
87 / 217 / EEC in compliance with the conditions laid down by
the Treaty ( Article 9 of 87 / 217 / EEC ).

WRITTEN QUESTION No 3 1 1 2 / 92

by Mrs Marie-Anne Isler Beguin ( V )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 14 December 1992 )

( 93 / C 320 / 14 )

Subject : Aid to the project for a test track at Morhange

( France )

Given the number of requests for Community support for
\ the conversion of military bases and arms industry sites,
many of which are outside the eligible areas, has the
Commission provided for safeguards against megalomaniac
projects such as the building of a motor car test track on a
former military site in the commune of Morhange

(') OJ No L 85, 28 . 3 . 1987 . ( France )?

In order to make the project more appealing to the local
population, it is claimed that it will entail 300 new jobs,
although similar circuits at Magnycourt ( France ) and
Hockenheim ( Germany ) actually gave rise to only 13 and

15 jobs respectively .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 3065 / 92

Neil Blaney ( ARC ) Has the Commission taken measures to ensure that projects
of the European Communities subsidized by the Community as part of the conversion of

former military sites and arms production plants are

December 1992 ) implemented within a genuine long-term development plan

( 93 / C 320 / 13 ) for the regions concerned ?

by Mr Neil Blaney ( ARC )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 14 December 1992 )

Subject : Annual report on acquired fishing rights

Will the Commission undertake to make a full annual report
on Community bilateral fishery agreements with third
countries ?

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission

»
( 22 July 1993 )

The Commission is prepared to provide Parliament with
information on fisheries agreements, as it does regularly to
each meeting of the Subcommittee on Fisheries . While the
Commission does not intend to undertake to present a full
annual report on the Community 's bilateral fisheries
agreements with non-member countries, it will consider, in
agreement with Parliament and pursuant to the Code of
Good Conduct, how best it can improve the quality of
information to Parliament on fisheries agreements .

Answer given by Mr Millan
on behalf of the Commission

(6 August 1993 )

Under Konver, a special Community measure to offset the
negative effects on regions of the reduction in military
spending and the opening of markets to the countries of
Eastern Europe, the Commission asked each Member State
to provide it with a short-list of projects regarded as priority
at national level .

No . funding was granted in respect of the project referred to
by the Honourable Member .

So far as Konver for 1993 is concerned, Member States have
been asked to submit proposals to the Commission by
31 August 1993 .

26 . 11 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 320 / 9

WRITTEN QUESTION No 3140 / 92

by Mr Manfred Vohrer ( LDR )

by Mr Jean-Pierre Raffin ( V )
to the Commission of the European Communities

WRITTEN QUESTION No 3298 / 92

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

(6 January 1993 ) (6 January 1993 )

(6 January 1993 )

( 93 / C 320 / 15 ) ( 93 / C 320 / 16 ) 

Subject : Differences in the treatment of refugees in EC

Member States

Are there any differences in the treatment of refugees in the
individual EC Member States and what information is

available concerning :

«
— numbers of refugees admitted and admission criteria

— availability of legal assistance

— - subsistence allowances

< «
— . average period of stay and deportation policy ?

Subject : Investigation of a complaint P 89-910
( non-compliance by France with two
environmental directives )

On 28 August 1989 Mr G. Monnier-Besombes, MEP,
lodged a complaint with the Commission about France 's
failure to comply with Directives 79 / 409 / EEC C 1 ) and
85 / 337 / EEC ( 2 ) with regard to the Poitiers wetlands

( western France ) ( No P 89-910 )

1 . Why is it that, after three years, investigation of this

complaint has still not been completed ?

2 . When can we hope for a Commission reply to this

complaint ?

3 . Is the Commission aware that several proj ects have since
been submitted for motorways through the Poitiers
wetlands and that the drying-out of these natural
wetlands is continuing on an intensive basis, in blatant
violation of France 's commitments to the Community to
Answer given by Mr Flynn protect this area ?
on behalf of the Commission

(3 September 1993 )
(!) OJ No L 103, 25 . 4 . 1979, p . 1 .

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

Member States ' legislation governing asylum policy have a
number of common features but differences between them

also remain . Ministers responsible for immigration policies
are seeking to minimize the impact of these differences by
harmonizing their asylum policies . As this work at present
takes place in a strictly intergovernmental framework, the
role of the Commission has so far been limited, but new
arrangements will apply once the Treaty on European Union
enters into force .. The Commission can nevertheless state
that so far as concerns the admission criteria, there is a
common framework in that all Member States are party to
both the Geneva Convention on Refugees of 1951 and the
New York Protocol of 1967 . The harmonization process
will inter alia have to establish a common interpretation of
the definition of ' refugees ', as contained in Article 1 A of the
Geneva Convention . So far as concerns the differences in

material treatment of refugees and asylum-seekers, inter alia
the availability of legal assistance, subsistence allowances
and the average period of stay and deportation policy,
questionnaires have been developed by Immigration
Ministers, the answers to which should give a clear view of
the differences between the policies of Member States .

Answer given by Mr Delors
on behalf of the Commission

(3 September 1993 )

The Commission has actively pursued its investigation of the
Honourable Member 's complaint about the deterioration of
the Poitiers wetlands . By letter dated 1 July 1993 it informed
him, as complainant, of the latest developments in the

matter .

i

The Commission has no knowledge of other infringements
of Directives 79 / 409 / EEC and 85 / 335 / EEC generating
comparable deterioration of the Poitiers wetlands . If the
Honourable Member has information to hand regarding
infringements of these Directives in the area concerned, the
Commission would be glad to receive it .

No C 320 / 10 Official Journal of the European Communities 26 . 11 . 93

WRITTEN QUESTION No 3331 / 92

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

( 25 January 1993 )

( 93 / C 320 / 17 )

Subject : Virginia tobacco in Greece

In this report the problem of Virginia tobacco is dealt with in
some depth . The report concludes that special reconversion
measures should be applied to compensate Greek producers
for the investments they undertook in 1991 . The total cost
to the Community of this action amounts to ECU 20
million . A further 25 % will have to be financed by the
Member State . The Commission adopted Regulation ( EEC )
No 8 81 / 93 for the implementation of this measure on

15 April 1993 ( 2 ).

(!) COM(93 ) 71 final .

There are without a doubt a number of varieties of tobacco ( 2 ) OJ No L 92, 16 . 4 . 1993 .
in Greece which are problematic and are in need of
restructuring . However, it is odd, to say the least, that
measures should also be proposed to restrict the production
of those varieties for which there is a market demand, which
do not create surpluses and, most importantly, which a few
years ago were being promoted and heavily invested in . A
typical example is Virginia tobacco . WRITTEN QUESTION No 3390 / 92

1 . The Community has a severe shortage of this variety ;
Greece, moreover, can produce the best quality because
of soil and climatic conditions .

2 . There is increased international demand for Virginia

tobacco because of the anti-smoking movement and the
fact that smokers are turning to cigarettes with less tar
and nicotine .

3 . Greece has promoted the cultivation of this variety with
Community encouragement and aid as an alternative to
the programme for restructuring varieties which are not
in demand .

4 . The Community has funded a multiannual Community
research programme ( Agrimed ) with excellent results .

5 . In Greece in recent years investment of Dr 17,2 billion
has been made ( with Dr 6,2 billion from the EAGGF and
Dr 0,7 billion from the IMPs ) under Regulation ( EEC )
No 355 / 77 ( 1 ), Regulation ( EEC ) No 866 / 90 ( 2 ) and
development Law No 1262 / 82 .

In view of the above, can the Commission explain the
contradictory policy proposed for Virginia tobacco
produced in Greece ?

(>) OJ No L 51, 23 . 2 . 1977, p . 149 .
( 2 ) OJ No L 91, 6 . 4 . 1990, p . 1 .

Answer given by Mr Steichen

on behalf of the Commission

( 20 July 1993 )

The Commission would like to draw the attention of the
Honourable Member to the report which it presented to the
Council on 19 February 1993 on tobacco quotas in
Greece ( M.

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

( 25 January 1993 )

( 93 / C 320 / 18 )

Subject : Labelling of veterinary medicines

According to the relevant EC directive, from 10 October

1991 ( after a 10-year transitional period ) Member States
may no longer allow veterinary medicines to be sold unless
fully labelled . The Netherlands, however, at the request of
the veterinary medicines industry, has recently decided to
extend the transitional period .

1 . Is the Commission a aware of this ?

2 . Does the Commission agree that the extension of the
transitional period means that the misuse of veterinary
medicines, for example for promoting growth, will still
be possible ?

3 . Have any other Member States extended the transitional
periods in respect of the labelling of veterinary
medicines ?

4 . Does the Commission regard the decision by the
Netherlands as in conflict with EC rules ? If so, what
steps does the Commission intend to take to modify
policy in the Netherlands ?

Answer given by Mr Bangemann

on behalf of the Commission

(3 August 1993 )

             

1 and 4 . The Commission has not been informed by the
government of the Netherlands of any legislation to prolong
the time limit of 10 October 1991, provided for by
Article 51 of Directive 81 / 851 / EEC (*), for the completion
of the review of old veterinary medicinal products first
authorized before the entry into force of the Directive .

26 . 11 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 320 / 11

2 . As a general rule, the Commission considers the clear
and correct labelling of veterinary medicinal products, as
required by Directive 81 / 851 / EEC, is essential to ensure the
safe and effective use of veterinary medicinal products .

3 . The Commission is not aware that any other Member
State has adopted specific provisions on labelling of
veterinary medicines in derogation from Directive
81 / 851 / EEC . However, the Commission is aware that
certain other Member States have encountered difficulties in

completing the review of old veterinary medicines within the
time limit laid down by the Directive . The Commission will
continue to press the Member States concerned to complete
the review promptly, and will, if appropriate, invoke the
procedures laid down by Article 169 of the EEC Treaty .

(!) OJ No L 317, 6 . 11 . 1981 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 3461 / 92

by Mrs Cristiana Muscardini ( NI )

to the Commission of the European Communities

This project is classified as an Annex II project of Directive

85 / 337 / EEC ( 1 ), for which the Member State 's competent
authorities must examine whether an environmental impact
assessment is required due, inter alia, to its nature, size or
location .

The nature reserve of Valleandona has not been classified as
a special protection area under Directive 79 / 409 / EEC ( 2 ).
Therefore, the establishment of such a nature reserve is
under the competence of the national authorities, and any
discussion on this matter should be addressed to them

directly .

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

( 2 ) OJ No L 103, 25 . 4 . 1979 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 3510 / 92

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

( 28 January 1993 )

( 25 January 1993 ) ( 93 / C 320 / 20 )

( 93 / C 320 / 19 )

Subject : Construction and management of Spata airport

Subject : Decision to create a nature reserve in
Valleandona

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

The inhabitants of Valleandona have repeatedly informed
the various authorities of their opposition to the site chosen
for an urban waste disposal dump and the creation of
environmentally protected areas . The local authorities have
nevertheless consistently disregarded the express wishes of
the inhabitants, who have nevertheless set up ad hoc
committees to oppose decisions taken by the district,
municipal and regional authorities . Does the Commission
not consider that it should intervene in order to ensure that

the legitimate wishes of the inhabitants of Valleandona are
respected by those actually elected to do so ?

The example of Valleandona is in fact symptomatic of the
cavalier attitude of the authorities to the rights of those they
have been elected to represent rather than exploit for the
sake of diametrically opposed interests . Will the
Commission take suitable measures to close the growing gap
between politicians and the rest of society ?

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission

( 19 July 1993 )

The question refers to the siting of an urban waste disposal
dump located near the nature reserve of Valleandona
( Asti ).

The construction and management of Spata airport
constitutes a political and social scandal in Greece and the
contracts signed so far are widely considered to be
particularly blatant examples of foreign exploitation . Greek
Socialist MPs have alleged that :

1 . Although Salomon Brothers Ltd ( the Greek
Government 's adviser in respect of Spata airport ) was
dismissed as adviser to the British Government

following a stock exchange scandal in America and
banned from a number of US States, it has nevertheless
managed to extend its contract with the Greek State
from six months to 22 months, without any justification
being published ( and has readjusted its monthly fee from
$US 125 000 to $US 200 000 ).

2 . Linklaters-Paines has been engaged as legal adviser for a
fee of Dr 90 000 per man hour .

3 . The above contracts have not been published, nor have

expenses so far — exceeding Dr 1,5 billion — been
monitored .

4 . A draft contract has been drawn up under which the
project is to be jointly financed by the Greek public and
private investors ( 65 % and 35 % respectively ).

Furthermore :

( a ) The budget for the project is swelling
unconscionably,

No C 320 / 12 Official Journal of the European Communities 26 . 11 . 93

( b ) Tax exemptions are being granted ( postponement of

VAT etc .) to the private undertaking concerned,

( c ) Passengers arriving at this airport will have to pay a tax
on airport tickets (a different rate for domestic and
international flights ),

( d ) A site of 1 650 hectares has been made available for this
project and

( e ) No environmental impact studies have been carried out
in respect of the airport project .

In view of the above does the Commission intend to examine

whether the measures taken by the Greek authorities are
legal ?

Answer given by Mr Millan
on behalf of the Commission

( 20 July 1993 )

The points raised by the Honourable Member are essentially
a matter for the Member State concerned . If and when the

project in question is proposed for structural fund assistance
the Commission . will, in accordance with its general
practice, thoroughly examine all aspects of relevance to
Community legislation .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 3513 / 92

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

( 28 January 1993 )

( 93 / C 320 / 21 )

Subject : Destruction of the Vikos-Aoos National Park in

Greece

The Greek Ornithological Society and the Society for the
Protection of Nature in Epirus have alleged that EC funds
are being used to destroy the Vikos-Aoos National Park .
The above organizations point out that EC funds are being
used within the framework of the Leader programmes to
finance projects including : the construction and / or
widening of a road from the bridge of Konitsa to Moni
Stamiou in an important woodland biotope in the National
Park and the construction of a building at Desi near Moni
Stomiou in the gorge of the River Aoos . What action does
the Commission intend to take, given that these projects will
involve

1 . the cutting down of scores of trees,

2 . erosion and landslips on the wooded slopes near the
road and

3 . the degradation of one of the most beautiful mountain
woodland areas in Greece which is also one of the most

important refuges for wild animals ?

WRITTEN QUESTION No 844 / 93

by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos ( NI )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 26 April 1993 )

( 93 / C 320 / 22 )

Subject : Taverna-cum-shelter in Greek national park

A taverna-cum-shelter is to be built with Community funds
in the national park situated between the Vikos Gorge and
the River Aoos in the prefecture of Ioannina . This strange
project is to be carried out in the area of Desi above the
monastery at Stomion . The newspaper Eleftheros reported
on 23 December 1992 that an illegal plan is afoot to
construct a road and a building which will ultimately be a
taverna, with the aid of subsidies from the Community 's
Leader programme disguising the project as development
work for the construction of a mountain-shelter . If this

project is carried out it will have severe effects on the wild
flora and fauna in the national park . Will the Commission
therefore ask for an investigation into the whole matter ?

Joint answer to Written Questions Nos 3513 / 92

and 844 / 93

given by Mr Steichen
on behalf of the Commission

( 26 July 1993 )

The Commission was informed by the two ecological
associations mentioned in the Honourable Member 's

question about the situation in the Vikou-Aoos special
protection area .

It at once sent a letter to the Leader group ' Epirus A.E. '
asking for full information and for the group 's opinion on
the allegations made by the ecological associations, pointing
out all the consequences in the event of violation or
non-application of the Community legislation on the matter

( Directives 85 / 337 / EEC on the assessment of the effects of
projects on the environment (*) and 79 / 409 / EEC on the
conservation of wild birds ( 2 )).

The Commission was assured that the operations in
question were not receiving Community funding under the
Leader programme .

On the question of conservation and management of natural
resources in the Vikou-Aoos park, the Commission has
contacted the Greek authorities to obtain the views of those

responsible for the park on the extent of the work in
question and its possible impact on the conservation
potential of the area .

í 1 ) OJ No L 175, 5 . 7 . 1985 .

( 2 ) OJ No L 103, 25 . 4 . 1979 .

26 . 11 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 320 / 13

WRITTEN QUESTION No 101 / 93

V by Mr Kenneth Stewart ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 10 February 1993 )

( 93 fC 320 / 23

Subject : Oil spillage from the Liberian tanker Braer

The Commission is aware of the recent disaster and oil
spillage from the tanker ' Braer ', a Liberian-registered vessel
under an ' FOC ', off the Shetland Islands .

When will the Commission take action to ban these ships
from European waters, ships which use a register of
convenience in a country which ignores its responsibility ?

When will the Commission bring forward
recommendations to Member States and the Council for

coastal monitoring of ships carrying dangerous cargoes in
European waters ?

Will the Commissioner institute a full European inquiry into
this disaster, bearing in mind the ' Amoco Cadiz ', ' Exon
Valdez ', ' Mont Louis ', ' Derbyshire ', ' Kowloon Bridge ' and
many more of these massive bulk carriers and tankers,
which must throw doubt on the sound structure of such

vessels ?

Will the Commission also investigate why the ' Braer ' and
the ' Aegean Sea ', which hit rocks off the Spanish coast
creating a 70 000 tonne oil spill, were sailing so close to
shore ?

Answer given by Mr Matutes

on behalf of the Commission

( 14 July 1993 )

It appears from Lloyds casualty records and from detention
statistics gathered under the Paris Memorandum on Port
State Control, that ships flying certain flags of convenience
have a below average safety record and are thus more likely
to cause oil pollution at sea .

As indicated in its communication 'A common policy on safe
seas ' the Commission is already working on a programme of
action, including the tightening up of ship inspections by
Member States acting as port States, with the objective of
banning sub-standard ships, irrespective of their flag .

The Council adopted in December 1992 a directive
concerning minimum requirements for vessels bound for or
leaving Community ports and carrying dangerous or
polluting goods . This directive introduces notification

obligations and should be followed by a further measure
before the end of the year to establish a fuller reporting

system .

The investigation of accidents is subject to the provisions of
international law which make it the sole responsibility of the
flag State and the coastal State concerned to conduct an
investigation . The Commission has no jurisdiction to do so .
However, the Commission will follow very closely the cases
under investigation by national authorities .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 202 / 93

by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos ( NI )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 17 February 1993 )

( 93 / C 320 / 24 )

Subject : Quality of heating oil

In view of the recent problems affecting many central
heating burners the relevant authorities in Greece are asking
for the quality of heating oil to be improved or for a
substitute to be found . In view of this, does the Commission
intend to propose European minimum standards for fuel
used in the Community, as a means of protecting the
interests of consumers ?

Answer, given by Mr Matutes

on behalf of the Commission

(3 September 1993 )

The Commission considered the need for standardization of

refined petroleum products in the context of completion of
the single market and took the view that motor vehicle fuels

( petrol, diesel and LPG ) should be covered by European
standards . The European Committee for Standardization
has, at the request of the Commission, prepared three
standards for motor vehicle fuels, which were adopted at the
end of December 1992 .

Vith regard to other petroleum products, the Commission
asked an outside consultancy to consider the need for
further European standards . It was concluded, even for fuel
oil, that this was not the case .

The Commission does not at the moment have any plans to
ask the European Committee for Standardization to draw
up a European standard for heating fuel oil . The national
authorities of each Member State are nevertheless

No C 320 / 14 Official Journal of the European Communities 26 . 11 . 93

responsible for taking whatever action is necessary to ensure
the protection of consumers of fuel oil in compliance with
Community law .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 278 / 93

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

( 24 February 1993 )

( 93 / C 320 / 25 )

was deemed to be insufficient and, after it was published,
serious objections were raised on many grounds and
reservations were expressed as to the advisability of the
project and the environmental and wider social and
economic effects it would have . No assessment has been

made, for example, of the effect which the transported sand
and the change in the gradient of the sea-bed ( from 6 to
3,5 % ) will have on the marine environment and marine life
around Ixia . The environmental impact assessment also
contains a study of the social benefits of the project which
does not, however, take account of the fact that the resulting
economic benefits and new jobs generated by the project
will automatically lead to a loss in revenue and a reduction
in equivalent jobs in other areas of Rhodes .

Given that the municipal authorities of Rhodes, the

Subject : Operation of quarries on archaeological sites in Workers ' Centre, the Technical Chamber and other local

Greece associations have repeatedly registered their opposition to

the project, can the Commission state whether :
Quarries will continue to operate on archaeological sites in
Greece for a further two years by virtue of the law recently
adopted by the Greek Parliament . Will the Commission call 1 . it is aware of the project and the fact that it is being

funded by the Community ?

on the Greek authorities to close the quarries located on
archaeological sites immediately ?

Subject : Operation of quarries on archaeological sites in

Greece

1 . it is aware of the project and the fact that it is being
funded by the Community ?

2 . it considers that it should ask the relevant Greek

authorities for clarification of the benefits of an

investment which will cause environmental damage ?
Answer given by Mr Pinheiro

on behalf of the Commission

(1 July 1993 ) 3 . work it intends on the to project recommend should to not the begin Greek until authorities the necessary that

modifications have been made and both the studies have

been reviewed ?
The Commission has no powers to legislate for the
management and protection of archaeological sites . The
national authorities are alone responsible for these matters ;
in the present case that means the Greek authorities .

The Commission cannot therefore intervene in support of
the immediate closure of quarries in archaeological sites in
Greece .

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission

( 28 July 1993 )

1 . The Commission is aware of the project in question
which is included for Community co-financing in the
WRITTEN QUESTION No 302 / 93 Interreg Operational Programme for Greece .

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

« 2 . The Commission requested clarification from the
(1 March 1993 ) relevant Greek authorities on the environmental aspects of

( 93 / C 320 / 26 ) this project . It is informed that the environmental study

concerned was approved by the relevant Greek authorities
and that the objections raised were rejected by the Ministry
Subject : Reshaping the coastline at Ixia ( Rhodes ) of Environment .

«
(1 March 1993 )

( 93 / C 320 / 26 )

Nine hotel owners are proposing to build a breakwater

1 800 and in the of Ixia Rhodes the

1 800 m long and 2,5 m high in the bay of Ixia ( Rhodes )
which will enclose various underwater and above-water
port structures, the main purpose of which will be to hold
the artificial beach in place . The project will cost, around Drs
2 billion and will be partly funded by Interreg . It has already
been put out to tender . The environmental study carried out

3 . In the circumstances, there are no grounds for
Commission to intervene to halt work on the project .

26 . 11 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 320 / 15

WRITTEN QUESTION No 313 / 93   
by Mr Barry Desmond ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

(1 March 1993 )

WRITTEN QUESTION No 381 / 93

by Mr Thomas Megahy ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

(3 March 1993 )

( 93 / C 320 / 27 ) ( 93 / C 320 / 28 )

Subject : Funding for underground electric cables

1 . Is the Commission providing incentives for
underground cables, other than assistance to poorer regions
via the ERDF ?

2 . If as it claims ( answer to Question No 610 / 92 ( : ) by
Mr Millan for the Commission ), the Commission is not in a
position to calculate the finance available for underground
— as opposed to overhead — cable projects, how can it

adequately control Structural Fund financing of cable
installation - programmes ?

3 . It is generally accepted, on the one hand, that
underground cables are ecologically preferable to overhead
cables and, on the other hand, that — - even where technical

feasibility and geographical conditions allow — the
installation of underground cables is invariably more costly .
In these circumstances, will the Commission seek to
promote the environmentally friendly option by ensuring
that future programmes for the installation of underground
cables ( not yet operational ) receive a greater financial
incentive ?

(M OJ No C 281, 29 . 10 . 1992, p. 31 .

Answer given by Mr Millan
on behalf of the Commission

(4 August 1993 )

1 . No specific Community aid is granted for burying
powerlines, other than that granted by the European
Regional Development Fund as part of the Community 's
structural policy .

2 . The Commission can confirm that the choice of

individual projects financed by the ERDF under an
operational programme and the technical features of the
said projects are the responsibility of the Member State
concerned .

3 . The rates at which the Structural Funds finance energy
investment plans may not exceed the limits laid down in
Article 13 ( 3 ) of Regulation ( EEC ) No 2052 / 88 (*) and are
differentiated in accordance with the provisions of
Article 17 of Regulation ( EEC ) No 4253 / 88 ( 2 ).

Subject : Assessment of levels of unemployment

In view of its importance in the formation of policy at
Community level, has the Commission considered devising
a common system for assessing the extent and rate of
unemployment, so that misleading comparisons such as the
United Kingdom government 's recent claim that Britain ' is
the only EC country where the female unemployment rate is
less than that for males ' would no longer be lent
credence ?

Answer given by Mr Christophersen

on behalf of the Commission

( 27 May 1993 )

The Commission has for more than 10 years provided
unemployment rates that allow comparison between

- Member States . These rates are calculated according to
standardized rules ( recommendation of the 13th
International Conference of Labour Statisticians of the ILO )
and based on the results of the Community Labour Force
Survey . Monthly up-dated rates are published in the
Eurostat bulletin ' Unemployment '.

These calculations confirm that the United Kingdom is the
only Member State where the female unemployment rate is
lower than that for males . This is true for all ages and marital
status ( single, married, widowed or divorced ).

It can be explained by the conjunction of two factors :

— a high activity rate for women : at 52 % it is the second

highest in the Community after Denmark, much higher
than the EC average ( 43% );

— a very low proportion of women among those who are

registered as unemployed by the public employment
service ( 28 % ), along with Ireland one of the lowest in
the Community, and much lower that the EC average

differentiated in accordance with the provisions of ( 50% ). In effect, the national unemployment system in
Article 17 of Regulation ( EEC ) No 4253 / 88 ( 2 ). the UK encourages women to opt for a different status

from men which reduces their ability to register as
(!) OJ No L 185, 15 . 7 . 1988 . unemployed and claim benefits .

( 2 ) OJ No L 374, 31 . 12 . 1988 .

No C 320 / 16 Official Journal of the European Communities 26 . 11 . 93

WRITTEN QUESTION No 416 / 93

by Mr Pierre Lataillade ( RDE )

and its target audience must be the European electorate,
both actual and potential, in its entirety .

to the Commission of the European Communities

The Commission believes that the concerns underlying the
(5 March 1993 ) Honourable Member 's questions are adequately addressed

( 93 / C 320 / 29 ) by its information activities and has no plans for additional

proposals .

( 93 / C 320 / 29 )

Subject : Informing the public and families of the measures

in their favour in the process of Community
integration

The reaction of the public to the Maastricht Treaty has
provided a serious warning about the current democratic
deficit in the functioning of the Community institutions .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 490 / 93

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

The credibility of Europe and renewed public confidence ( 12 March 1993 )
will not be achieved by promises but by respecting the ( 93 / C 320 / 30 )
commitments undertaken in respect of citizens, particularly

by proving to them that the single market was not an
objective in itself but also a means of ensuring the social
wellbeing of the Community as a whole .

Subject : Agricultural cooperatives

In view of the major upheavals in farming, particularly
following the CAP reform, agricultural cooperatives, which
can sell farm products directly, may be an alternative
solution enabling certain farmers to continue their activities .
This form of small-scale farming however requires
amendments to existing legislation on marketing standards
in order to facilitate direct sale by the establishment of
collective sales outlets .

Has the Commission considered means of promoting this
system of small-scale farming and collective sales outlets ? Is
it considering amendments to current legislation so as to
make the establishment of such sales outlets feasible and

viable ?

1 .

2 .

Does the Commission agree that efforts to explain the
process of European integration and ensure
transparency must take the form of information for
families and that support from the public will be
obtained if their needs are taken into account ( including
men, women, children and elderly persons from all
sections of society )? Does it intend to put forward
proposals to this end ?

Does the Commission not agree that it is necessary to
conduct a further large-scale public information
campaign, carry out a study into the implications of the
single market for families and notify the European
Parliament, the Ministers responsible for the family and
organizations concerned with family issues in the
Community of the conclusions of such a study ?

Answer given by Mr Steichen
3 . What does it intend that economic

What steps does it intend to ensure that economic
measures are accompanied by a genuine family policy
and that ' the Community 's activities in all spheres are
guided by such considerations ?

(9 August 1993 )

The Commission regards the development of craft activities
as an important form of diversification for agricultural
holdings .

on behalf of the Commission

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro

on behalf of the Commission

on behalf of the Commission Tl>e Community cart contribute to the financing of

(3 September 1993 ) corresponding investments through the European

Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund ( EAGGF ),
Guidance section, within the framework of either Objective
5(a ) or Objectives 1 or 5(b ). Examination of the aid
What the public debate about the Treaty on European applications under the various regulations is carried out by
Union revealed was not so much an information shortfall as the national administrations .
a lack of public support .

(3 September 1993 )

The Commission 's information and communication policy,
enjoying ' resources that are decidedly modest as the
Honourable Member will be aware, must, be directed
towards defending and illustrating the Community policies
and supporting the plans for Political and Economic Union,

Within the framework of Objective 5(a ), the general system
of aid for investments in agricultural holdings introduced by
Title IV of Regulation ( EEC ) No 2328 / 91 (*) makes it
possible to grant aid for investments relating to the
manufacture and sale of farm produce on the farm . The aid
may relate to an individual holding or to a number of

1

26 . 11 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 320 / 17

holdings grouped together with a view to the merger of all or
part of the holdings under the conditions laid down in
Article 9 of that Regulation . They would therefore apply to
a common sales outlet situated on the land of one of the

member holdings of the group . However, the Commission
considers, as it stated at the time the Regulation was
adopted by the Council, that the craft activities concerned
are small-scale activities carried out on the farm the main
aim of which is to provide alternative employment for farm
labour .

Under Objectives 1 and 5(b ), the development of craft
activities is encouraged by measures which can take very
different forms : preliminary studies preceding the
investment ; investment relating to the manufacture and sale
of farm produce, whether carried out on the holding 's jand
or not ; commercial organization and promotional measures
relating to the products . Some regions have put the various
possibilities to good use through an overall sectoral
approach covering all the above stages .

(!) OJ No L 218, 6 . 8 . 1991 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 512 / 93

by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos ( NI )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 29 March 1993 )

What view does the Commission take of this ?

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

Answer given by Mr Millan
on behalf of the Commission

( 26 July 1993 )

The Commission is aware of the representations made by
the Confederation of Etoloacarnania concerning the
Acheloos river diversion project .

It continues to take such representations into account in its
consideration of the environmental impact and other
aspects of the project . The Commission has explained the
situation regarding Acheloos on several occasions to the
Parliament and will continue to do so as matters evolve . No

decision regarding the allocation of structural funds to the
project earmarked for assistance in the current Community
Support Framework for Greece has been taken .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 5 1 8 / 93

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

( 93 / C 320 / 31 ) '
( 29 March 1993 )

( 93 / C 320 / 32 )
Subject : Diversion of the Acheloos river

The Confederation of Non-residents of Etolia Karnania,
which is a third level organization including four federations
and 120 associations, recently protested at the projected
diversion of the Acheloos, pointing out that it will have very
serious effects ( environmental, economic and social ) ... if
work is continued on the project and the work
completed .

1 . The Confederation points out that no overall
environmental impact assessment has been carried out
covering all the above problems arising from diversion
of the river and relating to the creation of reservoirs and
the wetlands in Mesolongion and the Thessalian
plain .

2 . It expresses fears that there will be a serious
deterioration of wetlands in the Acheloos and

Mesolongion which are protected under the Ramsar (?)
Convention and Council Directive 79 / 409 / EEC (*).

3 . The Confederation stresses that to date there has been

no assessment of the unfavourable economic

implications with regard to fish-breeding and
agriculture in Etolia Karnania, together with the loss of
large areas near the dams .

4 . Finally : it points out that the diversion will lie at the root
of disputes between the areas concerned with regard to
the use of the water from the Acheloos river .

Subject : The situation of mussel farmers in the region of

Pieria

This year 's production of mussels, in excess of 10 000
tonnes, is in danger of being ruined in Pieria, which is driving
the mussel farmers in this region to despair . This situation
has been created by the Community directive which rules
that, as from this year, mussels can only be delivered from
dispatch centres . However, such a centre is only at the
planning stage in Pieria . The Association of Mussel Growers
of Pieria stress that unless all the mussels are harvested

within three months, the mussels will become detached from
their ropes and fall on to the seabed because of the extra
weight produced by the baby mussels in the cluster, with
disastrous results for producers . In view of this, does the
Commission intend to take any measures to prevent this
disaster, such as delaying the entry into force of the directive
until July 1993, when the dispatch centres will be built ?

Answer given by Mr Steichen

on behalf of the Commission

( 23 July 1993 )

Article 3 of Council Directive 91 / 492 / EEC of 15 July 1991
laying down the health conditions for the production and

No C 320 / 18 Official Journal of the European Communities 26 . 11 . 93

placing on the market of live bivalve molluscs i 1 ) provides
that the mussels must be handled hygienically and, if
necessary, purified in establishments approved for that
purpose and complying with the conditions laid down in
Chapter IV of the Annex to the Directive . Member States
had to adopt national measures to comply with the Directive
prior to 1 January 1993 . However, Article 5 gives Member
States the opportunity to allow additional time for
establishments to comply with the approval conditions .
Only establishments already operating on 31 December
1991 and having submitted an application by 1 July 1992 at
the latest can qualify for such an exemption . In the case
referred to by the Honourable Member, the establishment
had not yet been built and was unfortunately not able to
benefit from the exemption .

                               -,

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

For the purposes of the programme, the Commission has
published a series of invitations to tender and calls for
proposals aimed inter alia at obtaining support for the
development of new European cultural tourism
routes ( 2 ).

The Commission thus hopes to receive suitable proposals
for initiatives which might encourage cross-border
cooperation in this connection .

í 1 ) OJ No L 231, 13 . 8 . 1992 .

( 2 ) OJ No C 128, 8 . 5 . 1993, p . 7

WRITTEN QUESTION No 561 / 93

by Mr Carlos Robles Piquer ( PPE )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 30 March 1993 )

WRITTEN QUESTION No 559 / 93
( 93 / C 320 / 34 )
by Mr Gerardo Fernandez-Albor ( PPE )

to the Commission of the European Communities

Subject : Period of validity of tourist number plates on some
( 30 March 1993 ) cars in certain Member States

cars in certain Member States

( 93 / C 320 / 33 )

Subject : A tourist map of Galicia and northern Portugal

In this year of St James Santiago de Compostela, there is a
clear need for a tourist map of Galicia and northern
Portugal, to illustrate to the thousands of visitors coming to
Santiago the huge opportunities available to the traveller in
the surrounding region .

Does the Commission believe that the Community could
make a special contribution to Santiago year by sponsoring
and encouraging the compilation of a tourist map of Galicia
and northern Portugal showing all the cultural tourism
circuits and specialized tourist routes ( rural, sports and
religious tourism, sjpas, etc .), thereby helping consolidate the
Community 's involvement in the events around Santiago
this year and, at the same time, officially endorsing
cooperation in the sphere of tourism by the two regions on
either side of the Spanish-Portuguese border ?

Answer given by Mr Vanni d'Archirafi

on behalf of the Commission

( 24 September 1993 )

The Community action programme to assist tourism,
approved by Council Decision 92 / 421 / EEC of 13 July

1992 ( : ), makes it possible to produce tourist information
materials of the type suggested by the Honourable
Member .

The action programme provides for the implementation of
various priority measures covering cultural tourism and
other aspects .

The new macroeconomic framework, through which the
single market is affecting all intra-Community economic
relations, is having a sharp impact on certain national
practices .

One of these is the custom of allowing tourists in certain
countries to drive their vehicles under a temporary import
licence, thereby entitling them to use a tourist number plate
and enjoy the benefits deriving therefrom .

The thousands of people currently driving with tourist
plates in certain Member States, such as Spain, are
wondering what their fate will be following the introduction
of new legislation as a result of the entry into force of the
single market .

Can the Commission clarify the rules to be followed in
relation to vehicles with tourist number plates ? What
likelihood is there that it will remain possible to have similar
systems enabling non-resident foreigners and tourists in
certain Community countries . to continue enjoying the
advantages available to them now with tourist plates ?

Answer given by Mrs Scrivener

on behalf of the Commission

(9 July 1993 )

Directive 83 / 182 / EEC ( l ) lays down rules on the temporary
use in one Member State of means of transport coming from
another Member State .

From 1 January 1993, Directive 83 / 182 / EEC was repealed
by - Directive 91 / 680 / EEC ( 2 ) as regards VAT but remained

26 . 11 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 320 / 19

v

in effect as regards all taxes other than VAT and, in The procedures for follow-up and assessment are defined in
particular, vehicle excise duty . the new regulations and will be specified when new

operations are being negotiated .
In other words, since that date the temporary use of a car on
the territory of another Member State has been subject to (!) OJ No L 70, 16 . 3 . 1990 .
the same conditions as previously . ( 2 ) OJ No L 185, 5 . 7 . 1988 .

in effect as regards all taxes other than VAT and, in
particular, vehicle excise duty .

(!) OJ No L 70, 16 . 3 . 1990 .

( 2 ) OJ No L 185, 5 . 7 . 1988 .

( J ) OJ No L 105, 23 . 4 . 1983 .

( 2 ) OJ No L 376, 31 . 12 . 1991 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 668 / 93

by Mr Thomas Megahy ( S )

to the Commission of the European Communities

(6 April 1993 )

( 93 / C 320 / 35 )

I
Subject : Structural funds : financial control, monitoring and

evaluation

Does the Commission intend the financial control,
monitoring and evaluation of programmes to be undertaken
directly by the Community or by the Member States on the

Community 's behalf ?

Answer given by Mr Millan
on behalf of the Commission

( 20 July 1993 )

The concepts of financial control, follow-up and assessment
relate to different ends and objectives . The regulatory
provisions which govern them take this disparity into
account . Generally, the Member States and the Commission
have a role to play in each of these fields .

Both the Financial Regulation ( EEC ) No 610 / 90 ( J ) and the
Regulations ( EEC ) No 2052 / 88 ( 2 ) and No . 4253 / 88 ( 3 )
concerning the Structural Funds lay down detailed rules for
the application of financial control, mainly to provide the
Commission with a better understanding of the control
systems established by the Member States . The responsible
departments within the Commission bear the primary
responsibility in relation to these procedures as do those
responsible at national level . The Financial Control
department carries out its specific responsibilities in
collaboration with its corresponding national counterparts .
Furthermore, the proposals for amendments to the
Regulation governing the Funds make provision for the
Commission to determine exactly how these controls should
be carried out .

As regards monitoring and assessment the main emphasis
is on a partnership approach, particularly as regards
assessment and initiatives undertaken by the Member States
and the Commission .

( 3 ) OJ No L 374, 31 . 12 . 1988 .

" WRITTEN QUESTION No 688 / 93

by Mr Pavlos Sarlis ( PPE )

to the Commission of the European Communities

(7 April 1993 )

( 93 / C 320 / 36 )

Subject : Discrimination in taxation of businesses

Products sold by establishments providing refreshments and
services in Greece ( confectioners, cafes, restaurants etc .) are
subject to a 5 % surtax payable to the municipalities and
communes ( local authorities ), without any distinction being
made between refreshments served by a waiter and those
sold in package form and not consumed on the spot .

The same packaged products sold in food shops and
supermarkets are not subject to the additional 5 % tax
payable to the local authorities . The imposition of this tax
on packaged products purchased directly by the consumer
places establishments selling refreshments at a further fiscal
disadvantage compared with food shops and supermarkets,
thereby infringing the principles of free competition .

What steps will the Commission take to end the tax
discrimination between establishments selling refreshments
and food shops in Greece ?

Answer given by Mrs Scrivener

on behalf of the Commission

(6 July 1993 )

As the Commission has already pointed out in its answer to
Written Question No 20 / 93 by Mr Kostopoulos J 1 ), the
charging of a local tax on products sold by establishments
providing refreshments and services ( confectioners, cafes,
restaurants, etc .), with the rate of tax varying according to
the sales premises, does not constitute an infringement of
Community tax law .

In particular, the tax cannot be classed as a turnover tax,
which would be prohibited under Article 33 of the Sixth
Council Directive on VAT ( 77 / 388 / EEC ) of 17 May
1977 ( 2 ), since it does not satisfy the criteria established by
the Court of Justice of the European Communities for taxes
that can be regarded as turnover taxes .

«

No C 320 / 20 Official Journal of the European Communities 26 . 11 . 93

At present, the Commission has no plans to present a
proposal which would spread tax burdens equally among all
trades .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 819 / 93

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

(>) Oj No C 185, 7 . 7 . 19-93 . ( 21 April 1993 )

( 2 ) OJ No L 145, 13 . 6 . 1977 . ( 93 / C 320 / 38 )

Subject : Fisheries : health                                 - and hygiene rules for
third-country imports

WRITTEN QUESTION No 732 / 93 Apart from asking Member States to ensure that health and

hygiene rules are rigorously applied to third-country

by Mr Rafael Calvo Ortega ( LDR ) imports of white fish, what measures can the Commission

to the Commission of the European Communities initiate to ensure that such rules are obeyed and
enforced ?

WRITTEN QUESTION No 732 / 93

by Mr Rafael Calvo Ortega ( LDR )

( 14 April 1993 )

( 93 / C 320 / 37 ) '

Subject : Assistance for the use of recycled paper I

Small and medium-sized undertakings in the printing
industry in Spain encounter numerous obstacles in
obtaining adequate information on the advantages of using
recycled paper, both in economic terms and from the more
general point of view of environmental protection .

This situation gives particular cause for concern in the case
of local and regional newspapers, most of whose editors and
the large majority of whose readers are in favour of
switching to recycled paper in order to contribute to the
protection of the environment .

1 . What type of aid has been provided for to encourage the

use of recycled paper by the above undertakings and to
promote the necessary technological adjustments ?

2 . What mechanisms has the Commission introduced to

ensure that the information concerning this aid reaches
those for whom it is intended more effectively ?

3 . What has been the result of these measures and

, information provided in the case of Spain ?

Answer given by Mr Steichen

on behalf of the Commission

(4 August 1993 )

Enforcement of the health and hygiene rules for fishery
products imported from third countries is the responsibility
of the Member States . Council Directive 90 / 675 / EEC f ) of

10 December 1990 lays down the principles governing the
organization of veterinary checks on products entering the
Community from third countries, and Commission
Decision 93 / 13 / EEC ( 2 ) of 22 December 1992 establishes
the procedures for veterinary checks at Community border
inspection posts on products entering the Community from
third countries . Under Article 20 of Directive 90 / 675 / EEC,
the Commission may carry out on-the-spot checks, and
Article 21 establishes the procedures to be followed in the
event of disputes between two Member States, the
Commission taking part in the inspections to be carried out
and taking the appropriate measures to remedy
shortcomings . The Commission 's Veterinary and
Phytosanitary Inspection Office ( VPIO ) is responsible for
the checks and has already begun its visits to border
inspection posts in the Member States .

(!) OJ No L 373, 31 . 12 . 1990 .

( 2 ) OJ No L 9, 15 . 1 . 1993 .
Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission

( 17 August 1993 )

No Community aid has been granted to encourage small and
WRITTEN QUESTION No 850 / 93
medium-sized firms to use recycled paper .

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

The only Community instrument designed to encourage the to the Commission of the
use of recycled paper is Council recommendation ( 26 April 1993 )
81 / 972 / EEC of 3 December 1981 ( M.

( 93 / C 320 / 39 )

The Commission has not mounted any specific information
campaign in this connection in the Member States . Subject : Financial mechanisms for attracting investment in

SMEs

(') OJ No L 355, 10 . 12 . 1981 .

Does the Commission agree that existing financial
mechanisms should be extended through the dissemination,

26 . 11 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 320 / 21

evaluation and processing of the findings of scientific
research in the Community to increase the flow of
investment in SMEs ?

Answer given by Mr Vanni d'Archirafi

on behalf of the Commission

( 23 September 1993 )

The Commission agrees on the importance of SMEs since
they create jobs and employment and contribute to
economic growth . Moreover, SMEs will play an important
role in the economic recovery of Europe, due to their

flexibility and capacity to adapt to low growth .

To address the financing needs of SMEs ( access to credit,
reinforcement of their equity base ), the Community has
developed a whole range of instruments :

1 . In addition to the global loans to SMEs V granted by the
European Investment Bank ( EIB ) through financial
intermediaries ( ECU 3 258 million in 1992 ), the
Commission has participated actively in the launching
of the initiatives adopted by the Edinburgh European
Council in December 1992 to create and stimulate
financial support for SMEs . These include the creation
of the European Investment Fund ( EIF ) to improve
economic growth . Among its objectives are the
provision of financial guarantees for loans to SMEs and,
later, the provision of equity is also envisaged . The
shareholders in this Fund are the Community, the EIB
and financial institutions, and through it both private
and public, national and Community partners support
investments in SMEs to strengthen economic growth .

The Edinburgh European Council also gave its support
to the establishment by the EIB of a Temporary Lending
Facility of ECU 5 billion, to accelerate the financing of
infrastructure projects, « notably in the form of
transeuropean networks . The instrument also includes a
raising of the intervention ceilings for loans under the
facility ( from 50 to 75 % for EIB tending with respect to
total cost of the projects and from 70 to 90% for
cumulative Community finance ).

The recent European Council in Copenhagen invited the
EIB in cooperation with the Commission to extend the
Edinburgh Facility to SMEs by allocating ECU 1 billion
of the total ECU 3 billion increase of this temporary
lending facility in their favour . In addition, the Ecofin
Council is invited to examine how those SME loans

could benefit from interest rates subsidies up to a
maximum of 3 % over five years .

2 . Various Community initiatives seek to promote access

to venture capital for SMEs wishing to increase their
equity :

— The Seed Capital scheme sponsored the creation

of 24 new seed capital funds investing in early
stage businesses . These now form the core of a
professional grouping, the European Seed Capital
Fund Network, comprising 41 seed funds located in
all Member States with a total of ECU 265 million

under management .

— The Eurotech Capital scheme aims to stimulate

private investment particularly in the area of equity
capital for the SMEs which are developing
transnational, high technology projects . A network
of 1 1 European venture capital firms selected by the
Commission have committed themselves to invest

globally some ECU 170 million in high technology
firms carrying transnational projects .

— The Venture Consort scheme encourages
investments by venture capital companies in SMEs in
all industrial and service sectors by means ' of
transnational syndicates of investors . 51 projects,
representing a total contribution of some ECU 10
million, have been supported by the Venture
Consort scheme since 1987, with a leverage effect on
private funds ranging from three to 10 .

3 . In the context of the Community regional policy, the
reform of the structural funds in 1988 has allowed them

to contribute to productive investments and to ease
the access of SMEs to finance . Regional   - policy and
enterprise policy are linked as SMEs play a significant
role in regional development .

A recent study carried out on behalf of the Commission
has shown that the cost of bank loans and the securities

taken by financial institutions were slowing down the
development of large numbers of SMEs in certain
assisted regions . In those regions, the absence of
operators providing other types of instruments like
leasing or venture capital put SMEs at a
disadvantage .

To improve the financial environment of SMEs in
assisted regions of the Community, the regional policy

supports :

— co-financing of national aid regimes with a regional

purpose to encourage productive investments ;

— advice to « SMEs on financing matters ;

— measures to develop alternatives to traditional bank

finance .

4 . Acting on the basis of the ECSC T reaty, the Commission
is pursuing a conversion policy to revitalize the areas
affected by the reduction of activity in the coal and steel
industries .

No C 320 / 22 Official Journal of the European Communities 26 . 11 . 93

Granting conversion loans helps to create new and
economically healthy activities or to transform existing
companies . This sectoral conversion policy fits into the
more general efforts made by the Community, with the
aid of Structural Funds and other existing financial
instruments, to convert regions or areas seriously
affected by industrial decline . It helps to reinforce the
local economic structure by making resources available
to business and in particular to SMEs . These resources
enable them to prepare for the large internal market .

5 . By means of various research and technological
development programmes, the Community also helps to
fund transnational projects before they are industrially
competitive .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 853 / 93

With this in mind, the Commission has drawn the attention
of the Greek Minister of Agriculture to the issues raised by
the Honourable Member .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 857 / 93

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

( 26 April 1993 )

( 93 / C 320 / 41 )

Subject : Social policy issues

by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos ( NI ) There are a number of very important social policy issues

which must be addressed as soon as possible . These include :

to the Commission of the European Communities arrangements regarding working hours, the functioning of

( 26 April 1993 ) works ' councils at Community level, the simplification of

( 93 / C 320 / 40 ) procedures determining their composition, the protection of

young people at work, social marginalization, the role of
collective bargaining agreements at Community level,
economic migration etc . Can the Commission say what
Subject : Woodland between Voula and Vouliagmeni in progress has been made as regards these Community social

Attica policy issues ?

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

( 26 April 1993 )

( 93 / C 320 / 40 )

Attica

One of the last green areas in Attica, the woodland area
between Voula and Vouliagmeni, is being commercially
exploited in breach of the law while the Ministry for
Agriculture does nothing . Answer given by Mr Flynn
on behalf of the Commission

Could the Commission point this out to the Greek ( 15 September 1993 )
authorities and ask them to take immediate steps to protect
this area ?

The Commission attaches particular importance to the
issues mentioned by the Honourable Member .

Answer given by Mr Steichen

on behalf of the Commission

(2 September 1993 )

In the absence of Community legislation on the matter and
since the use of woodlands falls within the exclusive

competence of the Member States, the Commission is not in
a position to intervene directly to protect the woodland area
referred to by the Honourable Member .

The Commission attaches great importance to the
conservation of the Community 's forests, especially in
Mediterranean regions, where forests are a particularly
important but fragile element in the conservation of
ecological balances .

Many of these questions were addressed at the Labour and
Social Affairs Council on 1 June 1993 .

The proposal for a directive on the setting up of a European
works council ( to inform and consult workers ) in
undertakings and groups of undertakings of European scale
and the proposal for a directive on the protection of young
people at work have also been discussed . The Council has
invited the Committee of Permanent Representatives to
pursue both matters .

Where social marginalization is concerned, the Commission
adopted a Communication on 23 December 1992 entitled \

'
Towards a Europe of solidarity — intensifying the fight
against social exclusion, promoting integration ' ( : ) which

r

26 . 11 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 320 / 23

outlines possible future Community measures in this area .
This communication is now being discussed by all those
concerned in order to determine the conditions for

implementation .

With regard to collective agreements at European level, the
provisions of the agreement on social policy will make it
easier to conclude collective agreements at European level .
Management and labour are, however, by definition
responsible for concluding or not concluding such

agreements .

Where migration is concerned a distinction must be made
between the free movement of workers, which is one of the
basic freedoms of the EEC Treaty, and the right of entry and
abode granted to nationals of third countries, which is the
responsibility of the Member State concerned .

f 1 ) COM(92 ) 542 final .

valid nominations from all the relevant consumer

organizations as required by the Commission Decision of

17 December 1989 setting up the CCC ( 1 ).

It may be noted that the outgoing CCC continues in office
until it is renewed, in accordance with Article 5 ( 2 ) of the
Commission Decision .

                                 The Commission is currently evaluating the work carried
out by the CCC during its first term of office from 1990 to

1992 to see whether any initiatives might be necessary in
order to improve the operation of the CCC .

(!) OJ No L 38, 10 . 2 . 1990 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 899 / 93

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

WRITTEN QUESTION No 890 / 93
( 27 April 1993 )

by Mrs Astrid Lulling ( PPE )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 93 / C 320 / 43 )

( 23 April 1993 )

( 93 / C 320 / 42 ) Subject : Major crisis in the fisheries sector

Subject : Consumers ' Consultative i Committee

The Consumers ' Consultative Committee ( CCC ), an
advisory body to the Commission, was s due to be newly
appointed on 1 January 1993, in accordance with the
regular cycle, to serve for the next three-year term .

This has still not happened . The practice used to be that the
old committee would continue to meet until \ a new

committee had taken office . This practice has now been
abandoned .

Why has a new committee not yet been appointed ?

Is it true that one organization is refusing to put forward its
candidates for appointment to the new committee with the
aim of doing away with the committee in the future ?

If the above allegation is correct, will the Commission
nevertheless appoint a new committee, as it is important
that the committee should be fully operational in the early
days of the internal market in order to represent consumer
interests during the current transitional period ?

Answer given by Mrs Scrivener

on behalf of the Commission

( 11 May 1993 )

The Consumers ' Consultative Council ( CCC ) has not yet
been renewed because the Commission has not yet received

The current crisis dramatically highlights the inadequacies
in the Common Customs Tariff as regards fisheries . This

comes as no surprise in so far as, by virtue of conventional
exceptions and the generalized system of preferences,
two-thirds of Community imports of fisheries products are
not subject to the Common Customs Tariff .

Is it not therefore time to review the Community 's trading
policy with third countries and, in particular, its guiding
principle in the conclusion of fisheries agreements, i.e. access
to markets in exchange for access to resources ?

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission

(1 July 1993 ) '

                          
The Common Customs Tariff, the average rate of which is in
the region of 12% for fishery products, is a means of
ensuring Community preference and thereby protecting
Community production .

However, numerous tariff concessions either unilateral or
under multilateral agreements have been introduced in the
context of policies pursued by the Community .

»

Such concessions are, in general, the result of the progressive
liberalization of international trade ( tariff concessions
accorded under the GATT negotiations ) and of policies of
cooperation with developing countries ( GSP schemes, Lome

No C 320 / 24 Official Journal of the European Communities 26 . 11 . 93

Convention, trade cooperation agreements, etc .) or aimed at
strengthening economic and political links with certain
States ( EFTA countries and implementation of the EEA ).

In addition, the Community has granted unilateral tariff
concessions, including under the Common Fisheries Policy,
in exchange for fishing rights in the waters of third
countries, on the basis of existing fishery agreements ( in
particular, the agreements with Morocco, Greenland,
Iceland and, recently, Argentina ).

The Community has also granted unilateral tariff
concessions ( quotas or suspension of customs duties )
dependent on satisfactory and competitive supplies of raw
materials to the Community processing industries .

The Commission considers that, following the loss of fishing
opportunities with the establishment of 200-mile zones,
access to the waters of third countries constitutes, at this
state, a key element of the CFP . It is only by such fishing
agreements that certain Community vessels are able to
continue fishing .

funding is being provided for such projects and that the EC
would outlaw such practices which are doing such damage
to the environment ?

Answer given by Mr Steichen

on behalf of the Commission

( 12 July 1993 )

County Councils in Ireland were part funded by the
Community EAGGF ( Guidance Section ), under Regulation
( EEC ) No 1820 / 80 (*) for the stimulation of agricultural
development in the west of Ireland . This implemented
works such as road improvement and the provision of main
water supply . In the case of roads this could have included
widening and removal of sharp bends . The Commission
agreed with the Member State that environmental damage
would be minimal . Funding for . this regulation was
exhausted in 1989 and no further EAGGF funding has been
allocated to County Councils .

Diversification and / or a combination of counterpart (') OJ No L 180, 14 . 7 . 1980 .
concessions ( financial, commercial, exchange of fishing
rights, transfer of technology and know-how, etc .) are but
one means by which the conclusion of fishing agreements
with the Community can be made attractive for the other
parties .

Given the dependence of the Community market on third
country imports, the market ' quotas ' granted to third
countries in exchange for fishing quotas in their waters, and
the policy of unilateral concessions decided annually, also
ensure that the Community market receives its supply of
deficit species .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 950 / 93

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

( 29 April 1993 )

( 93 / C 320 / 45 )
Lastly, any abandonment of the principle of market access in
exchange for access to resources would merely hasten the
dismantling of the Common Customs Tariff .
Subject : ERDF funding

The deadline fixed by the EEC authorities for submitting
applications for reimbursement of expenses borne by the
Member States in connection with regional development
programmes runs out on 30 June 1993 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 931 / 93

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

( 29 April 1993 )

( 93 / C 320 / 44 )

Subject : CAP funding involving the destruction of
hedgerows

There are many reports in Ireland that County Councils, at
the behest of the EC, are causing serious damage to the
environment by destroying hedgerows and hedgerow trees
in particular . Could the Commission confirm that no EC

Which Member States have taken advantage of the funds
provided under the ERDF ? How much was earmarked for
Italy, and how much has actually been used ?

Answer given by Mr Millan
on behalf of the Commission

( 26 July 1993 )

The first planning period under the Reform of the Funds
ends on 31 December 1993 . The national and Community

26 . 11 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 320 / 25

funds available for the period need to be committed by that
date . Payments may continue to be made for a further two

years .

A total of some ECU 5 466 million ( 1989 prices ) of the
ERDF is available to Italy for the five year period under the
Community Support Framework . Some 65 % of that had
been committed by 31 December 1992 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 95 7 / 93

by Mr Alexandros Alavanos ( CG )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 29 April 1993 )

( 93 / C 320 / 46 )

Subject :. New financial programme for Kalamata

In 1991 the European Community, in conjunction with the
European Council of Town Planners held a competition on
urban, rural and trans-frontier planning between towns in
EC Member States . The town of Kalamata was awarded a

prize for an urban planning project comprising a ten-year
development programme to deal with the consequences of
the earthquake which struck the town in 1986 . The
municipality of Kalamata has informed us that the cost of
this project amounts to Dr 20 billion .

In view of the importance attached by the Community to
town planning and environmental matters and the fact that
there is no provision for state funding programmes of this
kind, will the Commission say how it views the idea of
launching a new financial programme for the
implementation of the award-winning project ?

Answer given by Mr Millan
on behalf of the Commission

( 30 July 1993 )

One of the criteria for awarding special mention to the city
of Kalamata in 1991 was the extent to which the

Development Plan had been implemented following the
earthquake of 1986 .

For this purpose the European Community granted ECU 15
million from a special budget line between 1986 and 1989 .
Kalamata has also drawn supplementary resources in loans
from the European Investment Bank . In addition other
funds have been allocated for development projects in
Kalamata under the Community Support Framework .

The Commission does not envisage proposing a new
financial programme for the implementation of projects
which received awards under the competition .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 976 / 93

by Mr Gerhard Schmid ( S )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 29 April 1993 )

( 93 / C 320 / 47 )

Subject : European Brown Hare Syndrome ( EBHS ), a virosis

affecting the European hare

1 . Is the Commission aware of the EBHS virus, from
which an increasing number of European hares are dying,
and of the extent to which\it has spread in Europe ?

2 . Can research into the spread and transmission of the
EBHS virus be supported by European Community
funds ?

Answer given by Mr Steichen

on behalf of the Commission

( 27 July 1993 )

1 . The Commission is aware of the outbreak of the
European Brown Hare Syndrome in the Community .

2 . A third ' call for proposals ', foreseen in the middle of
1993 for the Community Research and Technological
Development Programme in the field of ' Agriculture and
Agro-Industry, including Fisheries ' ( 1990 — 1994 ), will
encourage animal health submissions on problems with a
high priority for Member States . Projects could be
considered to coordinate research on the propagation and
transmission of the European Brown Hare Syndrome .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1007 / 93

by Lord O'Hagan ( PPE )
to the Commission of the European Communities

(3 May 1993 )

( 93 / C 320 / 48 )

Subject : Oil spillages at sea

1 . Is the Commission satisfied with the extent of

legislation affecting oil spillages at sea ?

No C 320 / 26 Official Journal of the European Communities 26 . 11 . 93

2 . Is there sufficient protection within the European «
Community 's territorial waters ?

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission

3 . What new proposals does the Commission have in
mind ?

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission

( 25 June 1993 )

(3 September 1993 )

The Commission noted the Global Warming Update 1992
report by the Marshall Institute issued early this year .

The Commission takes policy decisions on climate change
on the basis of internationally agreed scientific assessment
and not on the basis of one report . In this context the
Commission supports the ongoing work of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ( IPCC ).

A full review of the common policy on sea pollution and
safety has recently been presented by the Commission in its
communication 'A common policy on safe seas ' (*).

safety has recently been presented by the Commission in its The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change gives a
communication 'A common policy on safe seas ' (*). prominent role to the IPCC in preparing the first Conference

of the Parties, to the Convention . According to Article 21(2 )
of the Convention, the IPCC will be the main donor of the
International legislation affecting oil spillages at sea is necessary objective, technical and scientific information .
considered in this document, including ways of protecting
the European sea, together with a programme of action .
The IPCC is responsible for the assessment of available
scientific information regarding the impact of climate

(') COM(93 ) 66 . change and options to adapt to and / or mitigate climate

change .

(') COM(93 ) 66 .

Assessment of relevant studies, including the above
mentioned study by the Marshall Institute, are made in the
context of the IPCC . The Commission was informed this

assessment will take place in due time . As long as this report
has not achieved a large degree of consensus in international
WRITTEN QUESTION No 1013 / 93 fora such as the IPCC, the Commission cannot take this
report into account in its policy decisions .

by Mr Leen van der Waal ( NI )
to the Commission of the European Communities

(3 May 1993 )

( 93 / G 320 / 49 )

Subject : Causes of the worldwide rise in temperature

The worldwide rise in temperature is usually attributed to
the greenhouse effect, caused partly by emissions of C0 2
into the atmosphere . However, the Marshall Institute in the
United States has recently published a paper i 1 ) which
significantly diminishes the greenhouse effect 's contribution
to the worldwide rise in temperature . In this study, the total
rise due to the greenhouse effect for the next century is
estimated at only 0,5 °C . According to the study, the main
cause of the average rise in temperature is activity on the
sun 's surface, particularly the phenomenon of sunspots .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1042 / 93

by Mr Leen van der Waal ( NI )

to the Commission of the European Communities

(4 May 1 993 )

( 93 / C 320 / 50 )

Subject : Criteria for aid from the Structural Funds

t
According to press reports the Netherlands province of

1 . Is the Commission aware of the result of this study ? Flevoland is an Objective 1 region but, if one looks, is not

included as such in the ESF, despite the fact that on the basis
2 . What view does the Commission take of the subject ? of gross regional product figures it fulfils the Objective 1
criteria .

( ! ) Global warming update 1992, George C. Marshall Institute,

1730 M Street, NW, Suite 502, Washington DC
20036-4505 .

1 . What are the Commission 's reasons for departing from

objective criteria ?

j

26 . 11 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 320 / 27

2 . Have there been previous departures from the official
criteria ? If so, in which cases and why ?

3 . Is it true that in this case a new criterion of a minimum

1,8 million inhabitants   - has been imposed ?

4 . If so, is the case df Flevoland the first time this criterion
has been applied ?

5 . Does the Commission think it right to add new criteria
in certain cases to the objective criteria in the
regulation ?

Answer given by Mr Millan
on behalf of the Commission

(6 August 1993 )

The Commission has already explained to Parliament why it
has not proposed Flevoland for Objective 1 status . In its
consideration of the Structural Funds regulations on
22 June, the Parliament voted for an amendment to include
Flevoland . The matter has now to be considered by the
Council .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1047 / 93

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

(6 May 1993 )

( 93 / C 320 / 51 )

Indeed, the provisions neither support nor oppose
privatization ( see Article 222 of the EEC Treaty ).

However, where privatization takes place, the Commission
stresses that the rules of competition and the relevant
existing Community regulations must be respected .

According to information supplied to the Commission by
the Greek authorities, the latter intend to privatize the Greek
sugar industry ( EBZ ). The Greek authorities have agreed to
send the Commission the final privatization project in time
for it to take a decision on the measure 's compliance with
the rules of competition laid down in the EEC Treaty .

With regard to possible consequences for Greek beet
producers, the Commission would point out that
Community rules governing the relationship between beet
producers and sugar manufacturers laid down in the basic
Regulation ( EEC ) No 1785 / 81 on the common organization
of the markets in the sugar sector ( 2 ) apply to all sugar
producers whether or not privately owned . The
Commission and the Member States ensure the correct

application of those measures .

I 1 ) See reply to Written Question No 2021 / 92 from Mr Papoutsis,

OJ No C 47, 18 . 2 . 1993 .

( 2 ) OJ No L 177, 1 . 7 . 1981 .

r WRITTEN QUESTION t No 1056 / 93
by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos ( NI )
to the Commission of the European Communities

(6 May 1993 )
Subject : The fate of the Greek sugar industry and the effects

on Greek beet producers ( 93 / C 320 / 52 )

The Greek Government appears to have taken a definitive
decision to sell the only profitable agricultural industry in Subject : Fate of acreage aid for cereals and oilseeds
Greece, the Greek sugar industry . Privatization is not
proceeding in the normal way and the company is being sold The acreage aid fully compensates for the loss of
off behind closed doors at a bargain price . Greek income from the fall in grain and oilseed prices .
cooperative organizations claim that 35 000 beet producers GATT negotiations, will this aid be abolished

proceeding in the normal way and the company is being sold The acreage aid fully compensates for the loss of agricultural
off behind closed doors at a bargain price . Greek income from the fall in grain and oilseed prices . After the
cooperative organizations claim that 35 000 beet producers GATT negotiations, will this aid be abolished or

who save $ 275 million in exchange through the 319 000 reduced ?
tonnes of sugar they produce each year will be affected . Will
the Commission ask for information regarding the ' fate ' of
the Greek sugar industry and the effects that this will have
on Greek beet producers ?

Answer given by Mr Steichen

on behalf of the Commission

( 20 July 1993 )
Answer given by Mr Steichen

on behalf of the Commission

( 26 July 1993 ) In December 1992, the representatives of the European
Community and the United States of America agreed that
both of them would find it acceptable if the Uruguay Round
As the Commission has already stated (*), the provisions of concluded with an agreement which excluded the
the EEC Treaty do not rule out privatization in principle . Community 's arable compensatory payments scheme set

No C 320 / 28 Official Journal of the European Communities 26 . 11 . 93

out in Regulation ( EEC ) No 1765 / 92 from the schedule of
commitments to reduce internal support ( x ).

(') OJ No L 181, 1 . 7 . 1992 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1073 / 93

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

The open universities are also eligible for involvement in
projects to disseminate the results of scientific research . The
Guidelines state that the Community programme should be
closely aligned with ' the Research and Development
Framework Programme, which should be strengthened by
developing measures aimed at continuing training to ensure
that innovation and the results of research are transferred

and fully exploited . . .'

(9 May 1993 )

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1091 / 93
( 93 / C 320 / 53 )

by Mr Jean-Pierre Raffin ( V )

to the Commission of the European Communities

Subject : Support for ' open universities ' ( 10 May 1993 )

( 93 / C 320 / 54 )

Given the important work carried out by open universities
which offer tuition to all, will the Commission lend them its
support with a view to increasing and improving the Subject : Destruction of the bearded
dissemination of knowledge to broad sections of the public
in Europe ?

Subject : Destruction of the bearded vulture in France

On Sunday, 14 March 1993 a female bearded vulture was
shot by a ' hunter ' in the Pyrenees-Atlantiques . The species,
which is protected under the Berne Convention and by
Directives 79 / 409 / EEC 0 ) and 92 / 43 / EEC ( 2 ) is the subject
Answer given by Mr Ruberti of a joint French-Spanish rescue and rehabilitation plan
on behalf of the Commission funded by the European Community .

( 22 September 1993 )

The open universities found substantial support between

1982 and 1990 under the project promoting cooperation
between residential adult education centres .

In 1991, with a view to restructuring this project, the
Commission decided to evaluate its impact over the
preceding two years . A working method based on
participation was proposed to the parties involved to ensure
that the evaluation included both quantitative and
qualitative elements . The open universities were also
covered by this exercise, being full members of the three
European Networks EBAE-EZA-REFAR which carried out
the work .

The results of the evaluation enabled the measures taken

nationally by the Member States to be identified, and the
role of the adult education organizations operating at the
periphery of the educational provision in schools,
universities and industry to be assessed .

The Commission took account of this information when

drawing up the Guidelines for Community action in the field
of education and training, in which it is stated that all parties
involved in education and training can contribute to
achieving the aims of the Community Programme . The open
universities are included in the phrase '( the ) many voluntary
bodies active in this field '.

What does the Commission intend to do to ensure that this

species, an exceptional part of the European heritage, is
effectively protected in France ? What action will the
Commission take to prevent unrestricted hunting practices
which in the recent past have led to the killing of an adult
bearded vulture in 1990 and probably a female in 1992 ? Of
the 15 pairs living in the French Pyrenees four lived in the
Pyrenees-Atlantiques . There remains only one healthy bird
in this department because of the irresponsible behaviour of
local shotgun holders . Will the Commission continue to
tolerate this ?

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

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

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission

(8 July 1993 )

In the press communique of 17 March 1993 the Director for
Nature and the Countryside within the French Ministry for
the environment vigorously condemned this illegal act
against a particularly rare species . Which is also protected
by national and Community law . He also ordered the
relevant departments to do everything in order to seek out

26 . 11 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 320 / 29

and punish the person or persons responsible for this

act .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1120 / 93

by Mrs Patricia i Rawlings ( PPE )

to the Commission of the European Communities

The injured bird is currently receiving treatment at a rescue ( 29 April 1993 )
centre . ( 93 / C 320 / 56 )

Subject : European Heritage campuses

Given that the contribution to heritage conservation
through young volunteers can be extremely valuable, since

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1101 / 93

by Mr Maxime Verhagen ( PPE )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 10 May 1993 )

( 93 / C 320 / 55 )

1990 the Commission has supported European Heritage
campuses through the organization APARE .

Could the Commission list each project and its financial
contribution to them ?

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro

on behalf of the Commission

Subject : Effective DG I and cooperation DG VIII between the Commission 's (9 July 1993 )

1 . Does the Commission agree that the appointment of The each Commission of the European 's financial Heritage contribution Campuses is, since as follows 1990, to :
only one Commissioner for development cooperation

( which is in itself a welcome move ) does not go far enough in
ensuring optimal use of a limited number of staff ?

2 . Is the Commission prepared to bring together the staff
responsible for development cooperation who are currently
working in DG I and DG VIII ?

Answer given by Mr Marin
on behalf of the Commission

( 15 July 1993 )

In deciding to make a single member of the Commission
responsible for all development cooperation, the
Commission sought to bring about a greater convergence of
Community activities in this field .

This amalgamation of responsibilities at the most senior
level has obviously strengthened the existing links between
DG VIII and DG I. It should be pointed out that many of the
fundamental development cooperation issues recently
discussed within the Council and European Parliament are
the fruit of a joint effort between the two
directorates-general, which used their human resources in
tandem . Cases in point are the paper entitled ' Development
cooperation policy in the run-up to 2000 ' and the
communications on coordination prepared for the 25 May
Council meeting on development . It is proposed that such
joint efforts be stepped up in future in order to exploit the
specific expertise of DG VIII and DG I to the full and, more
particularly, to strengthen the common framework of
analysis and action .

France Town of Vaison 12 000

U.K. Southwark, London 12 000

Greece Epirus 12 000

Hungary Town of Pécs 11 000

»

Country

A. 1990

Site

( in ecu )

Commission's

financial

contribution

»

Italy Commune di Montaione 7 071

Spain Association Cultural para
el desarrolo del Sequillo
Todehumos — Valladolid

9 000

Portugal Town of Mértola 7 500

Greece

Island of Karpathos - 7 560

France Region of Provence 7 650

B. . 1991

Italy Siena - 13 700

Spain Commune dç Pallars
Jussa el Pont de Claveral

12 900

Portugal - Town of Loulé, Algarve 11 000

Greece Island of Karpathos 12 870

France Town of Rognes, Provence 14 950

C. 1992 

Germany Village of Grosshennersdorf
near border with Poland and

Czech Republic

Belgium Cross border region of the
Honnuyer uplands and Bavay

Spain Village of Uruena near .
Valladolid

11 000

10 000

10 000

No C 320 / 30 Official Journal of the European Communities 26 . 11 . 93

Commission's

Country Site

                                    

Italy Monastery of San Antonio Al
Bosco 10 km from Sienna

financial

contribution

( in ecu ) In the veterinary field, the Office 's inspectors are responsible
for ensuring that Community veterinary regulations are
applied in the Member States and in non-member countries .
Their activities include controlling the animal and public
health provisions on the marketing and importation from
non-member countries of livestock, fresh meat, milk,
poultry, fish, and other animal products .

10 000

Poland Town of Jedrzejow 10 000

Portugal The São-Mamede National
Park, High Alentejo Region

Romania Regions of Black Sea coast,
southern Carpathians and
central Moldavia

10 000

8 000

The VPIO is also responsible for checking for compliance
with the provisions on animal protection . However, the
number of inspectors available is so small in relation to its
field of activity that it has not yet been possible to make such
checks .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1 1 70 / 93

by Mr Filippos Pierros ( PPE )

»

Russia Town of Kline, near Moscow 8 000

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1131 / 93

by Mrs Anita Pollack ( S )

to the Commission of the European Communities

to the Commission of the European Communities
( 29 April 1993 )

( 13 May 1993 )
( 93 / C 320 / 57

( 93 / C 320 / 58 )

Subject : Transport of animals
Subject : Special reduced rate of tax on consumption in the

Dodecanese
Further to the reply given to Question No 2256 / 92 (') by Mr
Verbeek, will the Commission now say how many
inspection staff it has in its new office on veterinary and In deference to the wishes of the Greek Government,
phytosanitary inspection, and give a progress report on their Article 7 of Directive 92 / 84 / EEC { l ) provides that a special
activities with specific reference to the problem of consumption tax may be levied in the Aegean islands up to

50% lower than the standard rate . The Greek Parliament

protection of animals during transport and the
infringements in this area which have occurred in the recently adopted a law making use of this possibility for the
past ? Dodecanese . This special tax arrangement basically favours

imported beverages — which are mostly consumed on these
islands — and the main beneficiaries of this measure are
(') OJ No C 65, 8 . 3 . 1993, p. 42 .
major local importers who already make a tidy profit .

Answer given by Mr Steichen

on behalf of the Commission

( 26 July 1993 )

At present the Community 's Veterinary and Phytosanitary
Inspections Office ( VPIO ) has some 20 veterinary inspectors
and three plant health inspectors, not including staff
currently being recruited .

In the field of plant health, the Office is responsible for
ensuring that the Member States comply with Community
plant health regulations for the transport of crops and plant
products within the Community 's territory and imports of
crops and plant products from non-member countries .

To this end,, the Office takes part in the drawing up of
guidelines on the methods of carrying out plant health
controls by the Member States ' plant health inspectors ; it
may also be called upon to carry out plant health control
and supervision activities in non-member countries within
the framework of ' technical arrangements ' between the
Community and some of these countries .

Will the Commission say whether it considers that such
derogations in respect of rates of taxation provided for in
Community legislation are conducive to the attainment of a
single European market and genuinely foster the
development of the regions in question ?

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

Answer given by Mrs Scrivener

on behalf of the Commission

(7 July 1993 )

The provision quoted by the Honourable Member, which is
a derogation from the general rules laid down in the
Directive in question, was one of several requested by
various Member States during Council discussions in order
to ease the difficulties of particular regions or sectors of the
market in moving towards the Community system .

The Commission intends to monitor such derogations to
ensure that they are compatible with the proper functioning

26 . 11 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 320 / 31

of the internal market and will report to Council and
Parliament on the matter as required by Article 8 of the
Directive in question .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1229 / 93

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

( 18 May 1993 )

( 93 / C 320 / 59

Subject : Composition of coordinating and monitoring

Ciments francais ; Italcimenti ; Blue Circle, UK ; Cimenteries
beiges reunies ; Heidelberger Zement Aktiengesellschaft, E.
Schwenk Zementwerk KG, Diisseldorf Aktiengesellschaft,
Dykerhoff Aktiengesellschaft, all four German ;
Hispacement in Spain ), firms cooperating in a cartel such as
Scancem International, Norway, and other Scandinavian,
Turkish ( Canakkale Cement ), Swiss ( Holderbank Financier
Glaris ) firms, to which must be added smaller firms such as
at least one Greek firm, are acting in a manner which is .
inconsistent with the rules on competition laid down in
Article 85 of the Treaty of Rome . The small firms have been
made to comply to the wishes of the bigger firms both in
production as well as in supplies to consumers, starting with
their non-western European subsidiaries in North America,
in Eastern Europe and even in the Third World .

committees European Regional Development The biggest of the abovementioned firms have formed
Fund themselves into the European Cement Manufacturers
Export Committee ( ECMEC ) and the Cement Task Force .

Can the Commission tell which ( if any ) Member States have The supposed ' free movement ' of goods manufactured in
elected representatives on local / regional coordinating and the Community is invalidated by reservation of ' national '
monitoring committees for the disbursement of ERDF markets and by ' regulated ' and highly discriminatory prices
funds ? which are often subject to unreasonable rises .

Answer given by Mr Millan
on behalf of the Commission

( 20 July 1993 )

In a good number of Member States the composition of
regional monitoring committees for the structural
operations of the Funds systematically provides for
participation by elected local or regional representatives .
The extent and level of participation varies from one
Member State to another depending on their institutional
rules, the organization of their administration and the
territorial level covered by the programming .

In regionally structured Member States such as Belgium,
Spain, France and Italy monitoring committees generally
include elected regional representatives who are, in certain
cases, responsible for chairing or co-chairing meetings . In
other Member States such as Denmark, Greece, the
Netherlands, Portugal and the United Kingdom, local
representatives are members of the committees .

1 . After a rather feeble decision taken by the Reagan
Administration in 1985 to break down barriers

established in the USA by the western European cartel,
and bearing in mind the investigations which are still
under way in Canada, notably in Toronto, has the
Commission investigated, as is smugly or sometimes
arrogantly indicated by managers in the firms in the
cartel, the flagrant violation by members of the cartel of
Article 85 of the Treaty of Rome ?

2 . Whfere are the administrative and legal results of this
investigation which is vital to illuminate all the dark
corners it should ?

Answer given by Mr Van Miert

on behalf of the Commission

( 15 September 1993 )

1 . The Commission has conducted an inquiry into the
cement industry . Between April 1989 and mid-1990, it

QUESTION No 1243 / 93 carried out investigations within the meaning of Article 14

Ernest Glinne ( S ) of Regulation No 17 and made requests for information,

within the meaning of Article 11, to a number of cement

of the European Communities producers and national and international producer

( 18 May 1993 ) associations, in order to establish whether there were any

( 93 / C 320 / 60 ) agreements and / or concerted practices contravening
Article 85 of the EEC Treaty .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1243 / 93

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

( 18 May 1993 )

Subject : The cement industry and the forming of cartels :

violations of Article 85 of the Treaty of Rome

Cement companies operating inside and outside the
Community ( for example the Lafarge Corporation and

2 . The results of this inquiry led the Commission, in
November 1991, to address a statement of objections to
77 undertakings and associations of undertakings of
contravention of Article 85 of the Treaty .

No C 320 / 32 Official Journal of the European Communities 26 . 11 . 93

In February 1992, four undertakings and associations of 12 000 ) and the Asser Instituut in The Hague ( ECU
undertakings submitted an appeal to the Court of First 10 000 ).
Instance, applying for certain procedural acts to be annulled
on the grounds that the Commission had refused them Several subsidies have also been granted for university
access to documents in the file . courses which include Community law, but with a less

important research element .

Pending judgment by that Court, the procedure was
suspended . When the Court gave its judgment rejecting the
applicants ' case on 18 December 1992, the Commission
resumed the procedure and invited all the parties to a
hearing, which took place from 1 to 31 March 1993 .

The Commission is currently considering what action to
take . It will take account of the specific position of each of
the undertakings concerned, including the smaller ones, and
of their individual behaviour within the cartel .

The 1993 budgetary procedure has not progressed far
enough to make it possible to provide the information
requested by the Honourable Member . The complete list of
recipients of these subsidies will not be drawn up until
December .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1277 / 93

by Mr Reimer Boge ( PPE )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 19 May 1993 )

( 93 / C 320 / 62 )
WRITTEN QUESTION No 1261 / 93

by Mrs Barbara Diihrkop Diihrkop ( S )

Subject : Health Directive 92 / 46 / EEC

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 19 May 1993 )

( 93 / C 320 / 61 )

Subject : Subsidies . to higher education institutions

The hygiene requirements in Council Directive
92 / 46 / EEC (*) of 16 June 1992 laying down the health rules
for the production and placing on the market of raw milk,
heat-treated milk and milk-based products impose rules
which are difficult to abide by on those concerned with the
processing of sheep 's and goats ' milk, in particular .

Article A-307 of the Community budget entitled ' Subsidies
to higher education institutions ' provides for financial aid to Can the Commission say «
European law study centres with a view to developing 1 . what percentage of producers
research on Community law from a legal and political goats ' milk ), broken down
angle . meet the standards laid

Can the Commission say

1 . what percentage of producers ( using cows ', sheep 's or

goats ' milk ), broken down by Member State, already
meet the standards laid down in the directive ?

Which centres received aid in 1992 and which centres are to

receive such subsidies in 1993 ? Can the Commission give a
breakdown of the exact subsidies received by each of these
centres ?

Answer given by Mr Delors
on behalf of the Commission

(6 September 1993 )

2 . whether the consumption of sheep 's or goats ' cheese

gave rise to health problems in the past, when hygiene
requirements were less stringent,

3 . whether the traditional ways of processing sheep 's and

goats ' milk are at risk, as it will scarcely be possible, for
financial reasons, to comply with the requirements laid
down,

4 . whether it is prepared, in the light of experience to date

with application of the measure and criticism from
practitioners, to rediscuss individual standards with
experts and the said practitioners ?

The heading ' European law study centres ' referred to by the
Honourable Member did not appear in the remarks to (!) OJ No L 268, 14 . 9 . 1992, p. 1 .
Article A-307 of the 1992 budget, but was added in the same
Article of the 1993 budget .

Answer given by Mr Steichen

on behalf of the Commission

In 1992 subsidies from Article A-307 were granted not only on behalf of the
to the European Institute of Public Administration which ( 27 July 1993 )
has become increasingly active in this area, but also to two
other law study centres which are involved in furthering
research on Community law, namely the Institute of The Commission is well aware
European Law at the University of Birmingham ( ECU adjustment farmers may experience

The Commission is well aware of the problems of
adjustment farmers may experience in their efforts to

/

26 . 11 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 320 / 33

comply with all the health standards laid down in Directive WRITTEN QUESTION
92 / 46 / EEC . For this reason Member States were granted a by Mr Sotiris
long period in which to incorporate the Directive into

to the Commission of the

national law, and provision was made for phased
implementation to allow producers to adapt gradually to (3 June 1993 )
the new requirements . ( 93 / C 320 / 63 )

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1328 / 93

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

(3 June 1993 )

1 .

2 .

The Commission has no statistics on this subject, but
would point out that all holdings supplying cow 's milk Subject : Compensatory aid for Greek market gardeners
for heat treatment and intended for trade already
comply with these standards ( Directive 85 / 397 / EEC of The premature opening of Community ' borders ' to
5 August 1985 ) ( 1 ).

Numerous cases of human infection following States . How much will be paid to Greek
consumption of goats ' and sheep 's milk cheese were restructure or adjust their production
identified in the past . The main danger was from circumstances ?
brucellosis, or Malta fever as it is also known . Efforts to
eradicate this disease among animals have led to a
reduction in the number of human cases, and this public
health objective is also reflected in Annex A to Directive
92 / 46 / EEC . Answer given by Mr Steichen

The premature opening of Community ' borders ' to Spanish
market gardeners will make it necessary to provide
compensatory aid to producers in ' competing ' Member
States . How much will be paid to Greek market gardeners to
restructure or adjust their production to the new
circumstances ?

on behalf of the Commission

3 . The Commission has by no means ignored the sector ( 12 August 1993 )
processing sheep 's and goats ' milk into cheese, and a
series of measures have already been adopted . Small
processing establishments, including farm-based The Commission would inform the
operations, may apply to the competent authority for a that Council Regulation ( EEC ) No 3816
derogation allowing them to comply with simplified 1992 i 1 ) provides for a Community
standards which are still adequate to protect public financing of an action programme in
health ( Article 11 of Directive 92 / 46 / EEC ). Italy aimed at the restructuring of

The Commission would inform the Honourable Member

that Council Regulation ( EEC ) No 3816 / 92 of 28 December

derogation allowing them to comply with simplified 1992 i 1 ) provides for a Community contribution to the
standards which are still adequate to protect public financing of an action programme in France, Greece and
health ( Article 11 of Directive 92 / 46 / EEC ). Italy aimed at the restructuring of the fresh fruit and

vegetable sectors most affected by the abolition of
transitional measures governing trade between Spain and
In addition, Directive 92 / 47 / EEC ( ) allows Member the other Member States .
States to grant authorizations up until 31 December
1997 to producers requiring modifications in order
to meet the requirements of Directive 92 / 46 / EEC . The Greek Ministry of Agriculture has now presented a
This extended deadline should enable producers similar programme to the Commission, which must give its
progressively to adapt to the standards laid down in approval before the plan is put into effect . The Commission
Directive 92 / 46 / EEC without interrupting their is currently in contact with the Ministry of Agriculture with
commercial activities . a view to proceeding with the approval process .

The Greek Ministry of Agriculture has now presented a
similar programme to the Commission, which must give its
approval before the plan is put into effect . The Commission
is currently in contact with the Ministry of Agriculture with
a view to proceeding with the approval process .

Finally, Commission Regulation ( EEC ) No 619 / 93 ( 3 ) (M OJ No L 387, 31 . 12 . 1992 .
provides for funding for measures aimed at improving
the quality of milk in order to facilitate the application
of Directive 92 / 46 / EEC . In so doing it builds on previous
Commission Regulations intended to improve the
quality and marketing of finished products .

4 . The standards laid down in the Directive are provisional

and will have to be reviewed in accordance with a

Standing Veterinary Committee procedure in some
cases and a Council procedure in others . Expert
meetings have already been organized to formulate
decisions on the application of Directive 92 / 46 / EEC
and, if necessary, to revise certain standards .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1329 / 93

by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos     - ( NI )

to the Commission of the European Communities

(3 June 1 993 )

( 93 / C 320 / 64 )

(!) OJ No L 226, 24 . 8 . 1985 . Subject : Adjustments in Greek farming
( 2 ) OJ No L 268, 14 . 9 . 1992 .
( 3 ) OJ No L 66, 18 . 3 . 1993 .
According to Greek agricultural cooperatives, last year the
price of oil rose by a total of 108 %, the price of fertilizers by
39 % and the price of equipment by an average of 50 % . In
view of the fact that no other Member State has suffered

No C 320 / 34 Official Journal of the European Communities 26 . 11 . 93

such increases in the price of oil, fertilizer and equipment
within a one-year period, will the Commission take urgent
measures to assist the Greek farmers to adjust to the new
circumstances ?

Regulation ( EEC ) No 729 / 70 ( ). The aim is to ascertain the
conditions under which Community aid is being applied

( processing premiums and export refunds ).

Contrary to the reports in the press, cited by the Honourable
Member, the Commission 's file on the case does not contain
any secret document . However, it is in the interests of the
Answer given by Mr Steichen proper conduct of the work still remaining to be done that

on behalf of the Commission confidentiality be preserved .

( 20 July 1993 )

Since the general rules on competition also apply to the
agricultural sector, the Commission cannot propose
measures which would result in grants of aid to Greek
farmers to cover the running costs of their farms, in
particular the cost of supplies .

In a letter dated 20 April 1993 Greece was asked to carry out
its own enquiry . As soon as the Member State has appointed
the authority charged . with conducting this enquiry, the
Commission will provide it with any information in its
possession - which might be of interest to the
investigation .

(!) OJ No L 94, 28 . 4 . 1970 .

To cope with the situation described by the Honourable
Member, Greek farmers could restructure their farms by
using existing Community instruments : in the case of
structures for example, the investment aid scheme laid down
in Regulation ( EEC ) No 2328 / 91 (*). This scheme allows
investments to be made which lower production costs, in
particular through savings on energy .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1337 / 93

(') OJ No L 218, 6 . 8 . 1991 .

by Mr Sotiris Kostopoutos ( NI )

to the Commission of the European Communities

(3 June 1993 )

( 93 / C 320 / 66

Subject : The peregrine falcon
WRITTEN QUESTION No 1332 / 93

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

The peregrine falcon is in danger of disappearing in Europe .

of the European Communities Will the Commission request the national authorities to take

(3 June 1993 ) more effective measures to protect the habitats of the

( 93 / C 320 / 65 ) peregrine falcon ?

(3 June 1993 )

Subject : Tobacco subsidies and exports

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

Reports in the Greek press on 2 April 1992 refer to a secret on behalf of the Commission
report in the Commission outlining well-founded suspicions ( 22 July 1993 )
of irregularities concerning tobacco subsidies and exports .
Can the Commission confirm these reports ? Has it
requested the authorities to carry out an inquiry into the The Commission would inform the Honourable Member
tobacco sector ?
that Annex I to Directive 79 / 409 / EEC (*) on the
conservation of wild birds does not contain any species with
the common name in Greek ' ugiavaaiEUTixo yepcm '.

Answer given by Mr Steichen

on behalf of the Commission

(6 August 1993 )

Exports of tobacco by Greece are the subject of an enquiry
being conducted by the Commission pursuant to Article 9 of

The Commission is therefore unable to answer the

Honourable Member 's question .

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

26 . 11 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 320 / 35

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1373 / 93

by Mr Gerardo Fernández-Albor ( PPE )

by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos ( NI )

to the Commission of the European Communities

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1436 / 93

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

(4 June 1993 )- (9 June 1993 )

(4 June 1993 )

( 93 / C 320 / 67 ) ( 93 / C 320 / 68 )

Subject : Current situation regarding the European St
James 's Way Foundation

r,
In the resolution of the Ministers responsible for cultural
affairs, meeting within the Council, of 17 February 1986 on
the establishment of transnational cultural itineraries (*) it
was agreed to ' stimulate activities in the field of
transnational cultural itineraries by encouraging the
competent authorities of the Member States to cooperate
across frontiers in the study and possible development of
itineraries of European interest '.

r
At the informal meeting of Culture Ministers of the
Community Member States ( Santiago de Compostela, April
1989 ) Ministers Semprun and Lang signed a
Franco-Spanish agreement on the creation of the European
St James 's Way Foundation . Signature of the agreement was
open to other European countries and organizations .

%

Bearing in mind that ' Xacobeo 93 ' year is now beeing
celebrated, can the Council report on the progress made by
the Franco-Spanish initiative on creating the European St
James 's Way Foundation agreed by Ministers Semprun and

Lang, outline the Foundation 's present and future
prospects, particularly with regard to its role in the current
' Xacobeo 93 ' year, and state what budget appropriations,
might provide a basis for the Foundation 's future
activities ?

Subject : Community cereal production

Last year Community cereal production fell by 1 8 million
tonnes . Will a further reduction in Community cereal
production occur this year and, if so, how large will it be ? Is
the excepted reduction considered acceptable ?

Answer given by Mr Steichen

on behalf of V the Commission

( 26 July 1993 )

The Commission expects the 1993 cereals harvest to be
about 5 million tonnes below that of 1992, because of poor
weather conditions in parts of the Community last year and
the effect of the newly introduced set aside scheme .

A better control of production was one of the main
objectives of the reform of the arable regimes which was
agreed last year .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1445 / 93

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

(M OJ No C 44, 26 . 2 . 1986, p. 2 . (9 June 1993 )

( 93 / C 320 / 69 )

Subject : European dimension in school curricula

Answer

( 19 October 1993 )

In the declaration on the Camino de Santiago ( Route of
St James ) which they adopted on 17 June 1993, the
Ministers for Culture, meeting within the Council,
welcomed the initiatives taken by several Member States to
contribute to the identification, restoration and
preservation of the historical and artistic heritage of the
Camino and the action of several Member States aimed at

making the Camino better known .

It is for the States signatory to the agreement mentioned by
the Honourable Member to implement and extend it .

Given the needs to strengthen the emphasis on the European
dimension in school curricula in all Member States will the

Commission propose the introduction of teaching in
European schools which will contribute to the development
of the European ideal and the unification of nations with the
Community, for example teaching of the common history of
the Peoples of Europe ?

Answer given by Mr Ruberti
on behalf of the Commission

( 23 September 1993 )

|
The Commission entirely agrees with the Honourable
Member about the need to strengthen the European
dimension in education in the Member States .

No C 320 / 36 Official Journal of the European Communities 26 . 11 . 93

In the specific case of the European Schools, the European
dimension is one of the basic principles behind the
organization of the curriculum and it is the responsibility of
the Board of Governors, under Article 11 of the Statute, to
decide on the courses on offer and how they are organized,
on the basis of a proposal from the relevant Board of
Inspectors .

As part of its remit and in accordance with the Council
resolution and the Ministers of Education on the European
dimension on education {*), the Commission has supported
all initiatives, action and measures taken by the Member
States to introduce the European dimension into their
educational systems through the school curriculum
( particularly in appropriate disciplines such as literature,
social sciences, economics and the arts ), teaching material
and teacher training .

constituent met the requirements for claiming full-rate
pension from age 60 . This early pension in full is, I
understand, funded by the French Government .

However my constituent 's application for a Caisse des
Cadres pension at the full rate was denied per the arbitrary
clause in the cited Note d'information L2 ; he was informed
by CGRCR that he was ' considere comme ne faisant plus
partie du regime de cadres depuis le 31 Mai 1988 '. At the
same time, whilst Note d'information L2 states that the full
early pension of someone so ' considere ' would not be
financed by the French Government, the CGRCR offers him
early pension at the standard reduction which AGIRC have
been operating for many years .

social sciences, economics and the arts ), teaching material The reason given is that work done in the final period before
and teacher training . retirement was not in France, although Note d'information

L2 does not say this, nor require contributions to be paid to
CGRCR .
While fully acknowledging the responsibility of the Member
States for the content and organization of their educational
systems, the Commission has launched measures to Does the Commission agree that my constituent has been
promote the European dimension in education, such as : treated less favourably than a Frenchman and, if so, is it

Does the Commission agree that my constituent has been
treated less favourably than a Frenchman and, if so, is it
prepared to intervene on his behalf ?

teacher exchanges ;

the network of institutions for the training of those
Answer given by Mr Flynn
responsible for teacher training ; on behalf of the Commission

( 29 July 1993 )
the pilot scheme for multilateral school partnerships .

(') OJ No C 177, 6 . 7 . 1988 . The Commission has already contacted the Honourable
Member about his constituent 's detailed complaint
regarding pensions entitlement .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1465 / 93

by Mr Madron Seligman ( PPE )

to the Commission of the European Communities

(9 June 1993 )

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1520 / 93

by Mrs Lissy Grôner ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 14 June 1993 )

( 93 / C 320 / 70 ) ( 93 / C 320 / 71 )

v

Subject : Discrimination over pension entitlement Subject : Suicide rate in the European Community

One of my constituents, a British citizen, worked in France
for over 14 years to 1988 and then in England until he
retired in 1991 shortly before age 60 .

Under 1982 rules for retirement at 60, he receives the French

Government old-age pension at the full rate, duly pro-rated .
Under rules published by the Caisse des Cadres ( an
executive pension scheme, the institution CGRCR being a

- member of the umbrella organization AGIRC ), reference :

Note d'information L2, version of January 1991, my

i

/

The suicide rate among children in the Federal Republic of
Germany is alarmingly high . It is likely that child-suicides
are a tragic reality in other Member States too .

1 . How many male and female citizens committed suicide
in 1992 :

( a ) in the Community ?

( b ) in the individual Member States ?

2 . How many persons ( male and female ):

S

«

26 . 11 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 320 / 37

( a ) under 16 years of age

( b ) under 25 years of age

committed suicide in the Community and in the
individual Member States ?

3 . Can any trend be distinguished in the Community and in
the individual Member States as regards the suicide rate
among male and female persons :

( a ) under 16 years of age ?

( b ) under 25 years of age ? .

4 . Insofar as the reasons for suicide are known, what
particular reasons are the most common ?

5 . How high does the Commission estimate the number of

failed suicide attempts by male and female persons :

( a ) under 16 years of age ?

( b ) under 25 years of age ?

Answer given by Mr Christophersen

on behalf of the Commission

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1604 / 93

by Mr Edward McMillan-Scott ( PPE )
to the Council of the European Communities

( 18 June 1993 )

( 93 / C 320 / 73 )

Subject : Death occurring in another Member State

The Council will be aware of how the distress of a death in

another Member State can be made more acute by difficulty
over matters such as contact with the deceased 's family,
autopsies and repatriation of the remains .

Would the Council agree that when the Treaty of European
Union is ratified, a start should be made on adopting joint
rules to facilitate the legal and other formalities involved
when a death occurs in another Member State, and in
particular, in adopting joint rules in the way autopsies are to
be carried out and the adoption of a standardized model
protocol for autopsies in all cases of accidental death and
suspicious death ?

( 23 September 1993 ) Answer

( 19 October 1993 )

In view of the length of its answer, which includes a number
of tables, the Commission is sending it direct to the The Council is indeed aware of the problem raised by the
Honourable Member and Parliament 's Secretariat .
Honourable Member concerning the administrative and
legal difficulties which may arise when a death occurs in
another Member State .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1565 / 93

by Mr Alex Smith ( S )
to European Political Cooperation

The Council also shares the Honourable Member 's view

that joint rules to facilitate the legal and administrative
formalities involved could help avoid adding to the distress
caused by the death of a close relation in another Member
State .

(1 7 June 1 993 ) Once the Treaty on European Union has come into force the

( 93 / C 320 / 72 ) Council may be sent proposals along these lines on the basis

of Articles K.l, point 6 and K.3, on the initiative of a
Member State or of the Commission .
Subject : Iraqi nuclear programme

k

What communications has EPC had with the Japanese
Foreign Affairs Ministry and MITI in regard to the British
Intelligence Service report of 14 March 1988 that Iraq was
intending to obtain orders from Japanese machine tool
companies for use in its clandestine military nuclear
programme ?

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1659 / 93

by [Mr] Lode Van Outrive ( S )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 28 June 1993 )

Answer ( 93 / C 320 / 74

( 20 October 1993 )

Subject : Organization of the European Youth Event in

The particular question raised by the Honourable Member

has not been discussed in European Political
Cooperation .

Brussels — 3 — 6 July 1993

A European Youth Event involving 150 young people is to
take place in Brussels from - 3 to 6 July 1993, for which
purpose the Commission has provided Bfrs 21 899 840 .

No C 320 / 38 Official Journal of the European Communities 26 . 11 . 93

1 . Which young people are involved, and who is
responsible for the ' selection ' of the 150 ? If the selection
is taking place in the Member States, what Member State
authorities are responsible ?

2 . Who originally initiated the event and when ? What

organization is responsible for carrying out the project ?
Were there several candidates for the implementation of
this project and, if so, who were they and how were they
selected ?

3 . From which budget item is this initiative being funded ?
Can the Commission submit detailed estimates ?

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1731 / 93

by Mr Carlos Robles Piquer ( PPE )

to the Council of the European Communities

( 29 June 1993 )

( 93 / C 320 / 76 )

Subject : Delay by government bodies in paying invoices

It has become all too common in certain Community
countries for the government to delay payment of invoices
for all types of services from private companies .

Answer given by Mr Ruberti
on behalf of the Commission

on In Spain, arrears in payment to companies providing

( 13 October 1993 ) services for national, regional or municipal government

bodies has reached alarming levels and, in many cases, is so
serious as to cause the creditor companies to go bankrupt or
The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to
at least suffer serious damage .
the reply to his oral question H-561 / 93 which it gave during
question time at Parliament 's July 1993 part-session (*).

( 13 October 1993 )

(') Debates of the European Parliament No 3-433 ( July 1993 ).

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1715 / 93

by Mr Thomas Megahy ( PSE )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 29 June 1993 )

( 93 / C 320 / 75 )

Subject : Abolition of United Kingdom Wages Councils and

sex discrimination

In view of the fact that a large majority of workers who will
be affected by the United Kingdom government 's proposed
abolition of Wages Councils are women, does the
Commission not consider that the adverse effect on the

wages of these workers will exacerbate the already
unusually wide gender gap in earnings in that country and
therefore constitute a contravention of Article 119 of the

Treaty of Rome ?

Answer given by Mr Flynn
on behalf of the Commission

( 30 September 1993 )

The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to

its answer to Written Question No 32^3 / 92 by Mrs
Crawley ( 5 ).

(!) OJ No C 297, 3 . 11 . 1993, p. 21

In order to alleviate or fully remedy such difficulties to
companies as a result of these administrative practices, does
the Council consider that it would be appropriate to
establish as standard practice throughout the Member
States that debts to companies providing public services
should not be allowed to accumulate beyond a percentage at
which it is possible for them to be honoured within a period
not exceeding one financial year, thereby preventing
companies from having to pay the price of government
negligence ?

» Answer

( 25 October 1993 )

Community directives concerning public procurement of
services do not make stipulations regarding the terms and
period of payment to companies providing services .
However, with a view of increasing transparency, the
directives do require governments to mention in the tender
notices they publish ' the main terms concerning financing
and payment and / or references to the relevant
provisions '.

In addition, on 1 December 1992 the Commission sent the
Council a working paper concerning payment periods in
commercial transactions, which also covers payment
periods for public procurement and which aims at initiating
discussions between all of the parties concerned on the
desirability of Community initiatives for suitable control of
payment periods, particularly taking into consideration the
principle of subsidiarity .

Harmonization of payment periods or percentages required
is neither advisable nor possible, owing to the diversity of

26 . 11 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 320 / 39

national administrative practices, different commercial
customs and the lack of a legal basis .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-l 882 / 93

by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos ( NI )
to European Political Cooperation

( IS July 1993 )

( 93 / C 320 / 79 )

WRITTEN QUESTION E-l 822 / 93 «

by Mr Victor Arbeloa Muru ( PSE )

to European Political Cooperation

( 13 July 1993 )

( 93 / C 320 / 77 )

Subject : Prisoners in Lebanon

Have the Ministers meeting in EPC looked into the fate of
prisoners in Lebanon — who might be classified as prisoners
of conscience — who are sympathizers of General Aoun and
were calling for the withdrawal of foreign troops from
Lebanon ?

Answer

( 20 October 1993 )

The question raised by the Honourable Member has not

been discussed within EPC .

Subject : Property of Greeks in Istanbul at the mercy of

Turkish authorities . through prosecution of a
lawyer

«

Further to my question No 880 / 93 concerning the property
of Greeks in Istanbul, I would add the following :

The Turks have brought serious charges in the criminal
court against a lawyer of Greek origin, Mrs Elpida
Frangopoulou, who has been battling for years in the courts
to defend what remains of Greek property in Istanbul .

«
The Turks have brought an extremely serious charge against
Mrs Frangopoulou — slandering the Turkish state —, by
reactivating a law which had not been invoked in recent
years . Should Mrs Elpida Frangopoulou be convicted, her
lawyer 's licence would be revoked, leaving Greeks who are
fighting to retain their property totally undefended . In view
of the fact that Mrs Frangopoulou is representing clients in a
number of important current cases, will EPC ask the
Turkish authorities to halt the proceedings against her
immediately ?

Answer

WRITTEN QUESTION E-l 823 / 93
( 20 October 1993 )

by Mr Victor Arbeloa Muru ( PSE )

to European Political Cooperation

(1 3 July 1 993 ) The specific case raised by the Honourable Member has not

( 93 / C 320 / 78 ) been discussed within the framework of European Political

Cooperation . The Turkish authorities are well aware of the
importance which the Community and its Member States
Subject : Whereabouts of Aziz al-Sayyid Jassem in Iraq attach to the rule of Law .

i

Do the Ministers meeting « in EPC know the whereabouts of
Aziz al-Sayyid Jassem ?

Answer

( 20 October 1993 )

Aziz Al-Sayyid Jassem is a Shiite Muslim, from An
Nasiriyah, and is the former editor of the Governments
review Al Ghad ( Tomorrow ). According to the 1993
Amnesty International report he was arrested in April 1991
for failing to write articles favourable to the Iraqi
Government following the invasion of Kuwait and held
until January 1993 on the premises of the security service
(' Mudiriyat al Amn al Amma ') in Baghdad . Nothing has
been heard of him since .

                                                                                                                              

WRITTEN QUESTION E    - 1 966 / 93

by Mr Ernest Glinne ( PSE )
to European Political Cooperation

( 19 July 1993 )

( 93 / C 320 / 80 )

Subject : Community attitude towards the dictatorship in

Haiti

i

m

President Aristide recently said he was willing to take part in
discussions based on a compromise different from that

No C 320 / 40

Official Journal of the European Communities « 26 . 11 . 93

touched on by the ACP-EEC Joint Assembly . The proposal
put forward by the Organization of American States, the
UN and the United States — which is thought to be
acceptable to General Raoul Cedras, the main instigator of
the coup on 30 September 1991 — would include the
following provisions :

1 . Recognition of Father Aristide as President for the
remainder of his five year mandate ;

2 . A broad amnesty for the soldiers and ' death squads '
responsible for at least 3 000 deaths since September

1991, and for partisans of the President involved in
' necklace ' killings (a tyre impregnated with petrol is put
round the neck of the victims and set on fire );

3 . The United States would ' professionalize ' the army and

detach it from the police and the civil authorities ;

4 . The UN would send 300 observers to Haiti and the

Organization of American States would increase its
undersized group of 16 observers already in Port ­
au-Prince by 200 ;

5 . The USA, France and Canada would resume their aid
programmes and gradually transform the observers into
technical assistance teams ;

6 . The embargo would be lifted .

This proposal has obvious disadvantages : President Aristide
would remain outside the country until summer 1994, i.e.
until expiry of General Cedras 's mandate, and the ' elections '
which replaced one third of the Senate would not be
declared void .

What is EPC 's reaction to this proposals ?

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1968 / 93

by Mr Ernest Glinne ( PSE )
to European Political Cooperation

( 19 July 1993 )

( 93 / C 320 / 81 )

To quote reliable sources, however, the dictator Raoul
Cedras and his accomplices have large accounts at North
American and European banks .

Would it not be an idea to freeze those accounts and actively
facilitate the safe return to Haiti of President Aristide who

was democratically elected in September 1991 ?

Political decisions to this effect would undoubtedly prompt
many of those seeking refuge in the United States and the
Caribbean to return to Haiti .

To date ( June 1993 ) approximately how many Haitians
have legally and illegally found precarious refuge in the
overseas departments and territories of Community
countries ( Saint Martin etc .) where, without really finding
salvation, they have created considerable economic, social
and health problems ?

Joint answer
to Written Questions E-1966 / 93 and E-1968 / 93 (*)

( 20 October 1993 )

I would refer the Honourable Member to the reply given to
Written Question No 1739 / 93 on the same subject . In
particular, I refer the Honourable Member to the
Governor 's Island Agreement which foresees the return of
the President of the Republic of Haiti on 30 October 1993 .
This has received the full support of the European
Community and its Member States .

The attention of the Honourable Member is drawn to UN

Security Council Resolution 841, adopted on 16 June 1993,
which imposed a trade embargo to Haiti and also
established a freezing of all assets belonging directly or
indirectly to the Government of Haiti or to the de facto
authorities of Haiti . The European Community and its
Member States had taken the necessary measures to
implement this resolution ( Regulation ( EEC ) No 1603 / 93,
adopted by the Council on 24 June 1993 ).

In compliance with the Governor 's Island Agreement, these
sanctions have been suspended by the Security Council

( 27 August 1993 ) and the European Community and its
Member States (1 September 1993 ) following the
ratification of Mr Malval as Prime Minister by the Haitian
Parliament and his investiture by President Aristide .

As far as refugees are concerned, I refer the Honourable
Member to the Member States concerned as this matter does
Subject : Opportunity to freeze the accounts of Haitian not fall within the competence of the EPC .

dictator Raoul Cedras

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

The ' boat people ' who leave Haiti for Florida do so because came in political . cooperation, within whose province the question
they have lost hope of finding any security or means of
subsistence in their own country but are often intercepted
and sent back to Port-au-Prince by the US navy .

i

26 . 11 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 320 / 41

QUESTION E-l 997 / 93 4 . Will the EC and / or the Member States take the initiative

to refer the case of Colombia to the United Nations

Ernest Glinne ( PSE )

Commission on Human Rights ? Under what

Political Cooperation circumstances ?

( 19 July 1993 )

WRITTEN QUESTION E-l 997 / 93

by Mr Ernest Glinne ( PSE )

to European Political Cooperation

( 93 / C 320 / 82 )

Answer (*)

Subject : ' Political cleansing ' in Colombia ( 20 October 1993 )

It is becoming increasingly apparent that the armed forces
and their associated death squads regard as ' legitimate '
targets for assassination al those ' guilty ' of support for
democratic elections, strong local authorities, aid
programmes for disadvantaged people, the creation of
human rights committees ( particularly by Catholic church
leaders in Villavicencio and elsewhere ) or those merely
suspected of membership of a trade union or the Patriotic
Union, the party which won a majority in the 1986
municipal elections in the Meta region, including its capital
Villavicencio . The most well know victims up to now were
Dr Jose Rodrigo Garcia ( 26 November 1992 ) and his wife
Maria Mercedes Mendez (3 June 1992 ) together with
several thousand others killed since the beginning of the
' revenge ' against the 1986 election results ( the bodies are
piled up in ' botaderos de cadaveres ', open mass graves ),
while 300 000 inhabitants survive as ' internal refugees '. The
Colombian section of the Andean Committee of Jurists
estimates that there were 4 300 murders last year ( 12 per
day ). The inclusion of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights in the 1991 constitution is mere window-dressing,
while the ' state of emergency ' has been tightened to a ' state
of internal unrest ' which in practice allows all kinds of
abuses : the army and its death squad are responsible for
three-quarters of the deaths, the other quarter can be
attributed to the three insurgent movements .

What is European Political Cooperation 's response to the
following questions ?

As the Honourable Member is aware, the European
Community and its Member States re-affirmed, with the
countries of the Andean Pact, their commitment to
democratic values and respect for human rights in the new
framework Cooperation Agreement which was signed by
the two parties in April 1993 during the Ministerial
Conference between the countries of the EC and of the Rio

Group in Copenhagen . All the Contracting Parties
( including Colombia ) to this Agreement, which defines their
cooperation relations, have the obligation to respect these
commitments .

It should next be pointed out that the aid granted by the EC
to Colombia essentially concerns the fight against drugs .
This aid is justified primarily as a concrete gesture of the
EC 's solidarity with the unquestionable efforts made by the
authorities and people of that country in this fight, the cost
of which in terms of human lives is unfortunately very high .
It is for this reason also that the Community and its Member
States have publicly expressed their solidarity with the
Colombian Government and people engaged in the struggle
against drug-related terrorism . The Honourable Member
will also agree that this aid is helping to curb the traffic in
drugs intended for Europe .

As regards the human rights policy followed by the
Colombian authorities, it cannot be described as
' generalized and violent totalitarianism ', despite the
concerns existing about the matter . It should be noted that
for some years now, the Colombian Government has been
following a strategy aimed at creating a climate favourable
to pacification and respect for human rights . Official
agencies have been set up or strengthened for this purpose,
such as the Procurator for the Nation, the Defender of the
People and the Presidential Advisor for Human Rights .
Fundamental guarantees were strengthened by the 1991
Constitution, the adoption of which represented an
unquestionable step forward for democracy . The judicial
apparatus has also been reformed .

Despite these efforts, the fact that the number of political
assassinations in Colombia continues to be so high must
continue to be deplored . However, the phenomenon of
violence in - Colombia cannot be separated from its historical
context . Its vehemence has further increased over the last
three decades . The great complexity of the situation also has
to be acknowledged . The violent confrontations between
guerilla movements, military movements, drug traffickers,
common law criminals and the authorities have created a

pattern of behaviour in which human rights are too often the
loser .

1 .

Why is Colombia, where there are just as many atrocities
as in Peru, still a member of EC — Andean Pact
Cooperation ? What is the material and political value of
such cooperation with regard to Colombia and Peru ?

2 . Should not anti-drug measures, which have not stopped
the flow of drugs to the United States, be dissociated
from the ' generalized and violent ' totalitarianism
( according to the writer Antonio Caballero in the
periodical ' Semana ') practised by the authorities ?
Should not a third force such as the PU be preserved as
an alternative ?

3 . Should there not be strong condemnation, as expressed
recently, by a group of artists and intellectuals, including
the Nobel Prizewinner Gabriel Garcia Marques, also of
the guerillas who have carried out extortion, abduction
and other abominations ?

No C 320 / 42 Official Journal of the European Communities 26 . 11 . 93

Nevertheless, this situation does not dispense the
Colombian State from its obligation to respect human rights
in general, or from its duty to punish those of its agents who
are responsible for violations and to prevent para-military
groups from going unpunished .

The acts of extortion and infringements of human rights
committed by guerilla groups must also be condemned -.

The European Community and its Member States have
repeatedly, condemned every form of terrorism . They have
also expressed their concern about the links between certain
guerilla groups and drug traffickers in the region .

The thematic rapporteurs of the United Nations
Commission on-Human Rights, and more specifically those
responsible for investigating torture, extra-judicial,
summary or arbitrary executions, and forced or involuntary
disappearances, are already examining the situation in
Colombia, inter alia, under their terms of reference, and are
reporting back to that Commission . At its 49th meeting, the
Commission on Human Rights also approved a Resolution
( 1993 / 48 ) calling upon the Commission 's special
rapporteurs and working parties to examine the harmful
consequences for the exercise of human rights of acts of
violence committed by armed groups spreading terror
amongst the population and by drug traffickers in the
countries in which such acts occur .

( ] ) This reply has been provided by the Foreign Ministers meeting

waste will also be incinerated and no provision has been
made for disposal of toxic residues remaining after
incineration, including large quantities of dioxin .

Since the necessary financial, technical, environmental and
utility studies have not been carried,, out, the body
responsible ( the United Association of Municipalities of
Attica ) has expressed strong opposition to the project . Air
pollution in this area is already on the increase and the
problem of waste incineration and the environmental
situation of Athens, have been repeatedly examined by the
Community, the utility of such a plant must be examined in
general terms and not merely as an administrative matter
facing the municipality of Fili .

What view does the Commission take of the policy of
incinerating waste in the light of its policy of recycling using
up-to-date ecological methods ? In the absence of an overall
programme does one not run counter to the other ? What
steps will the Commission take to enforce Community
legislation while the plant is being projected and not
afterwards so that, if it is a viable option, the most suitable
site is chosen ? Will the Commission provide financing for
this plant in the Athens basin using Cohesion Fund or other
appropriations if it is established that the project will
increase pollution in this area ?

in political cooperation, within whose province the question Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas
came . on behalf of the Commission

(4 October 1993 )

The Commission is currently carrying out a detailed study of
the problem referred to by the Honourable Member and will
inform him of the result of its research as soon as
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2002 / 93
possible .

by Mr Alexandros Alavanos ( CG )

to the Commission of the European Communities

(1 9 July 1 993 )

( 93 / C 320 / 83 )

Subject : Waste incineration plant in Attica

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2060 / 93

The Fyli Municipal Council has issued invitations to tender
for a waste incineration plant with a capacity of 4 000
tonnes per day . The budget for the project is DR 140 billion
and an application has been made for financing from the
Cohesion Fund . The plant will be situated near the Parnitha
National Park in the Athens area .

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

( 23 July 1993 )

( 93 / C 320 / 84 )

According to Greenpeace, such a plant will result in a 3 % Subject : Selective choice of
increase in the total carbon dioxide emissions in Greece, Prime Minister on visits
together with 35 000 tonnes annually of heavy metal, toxic
and dioxin which even if the strictest standards are

respected, will escape in sufficient quantities to cause According to a report in the
between 50 and 200 additional cases of cancer each year . 1993, the Greek Prime Minister
Furthermore it is unclear whether toxic and other dangerous businessmen to accompany him

Subject : Selective choice of businessmen to accompany the

According to a report in the newspaper Pondiki of 27 May

1993, the Greek Prime Minister is selective in his choice of
businessmen to accompany him on visits and that, therefore,

26 . 11 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 320 / 43

the various sectors of the economy are not represented
proportionately .

question time at Parliament's March and April 1993
part-sessions .

( J ) OJ No C 281, 29 . 10 . 1992 .

What is the Commission 's position on this given that such, . . .
visits are of national and Community importance and that ( 2 ) Debates 1993 ). of the European Parliament, No 3-428 ( March
there is a need for an objective selection of businessmen if ( 3 ) Debates of the European Parliament, No 3-430 ( April
the requisite economic cooperation is to be forthcoming to 1993 ).
support the Greek and European economies ?

1993 ).

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

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro

on behalf of the Commission

( 23 September 1993 )

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2505 / 93

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

The Commission is not in a position to offer any comment (1 September 1993 )
upon the question posed by the Honourable Member . ( 93 / C 320 / 86 )

Subject : Research

programmes

and technical development

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2 062 / 93

by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 23 July 1 993 )

( 93 / C 320 / 85

Subject : Cement monopoly contrary to competition rules

On 11 May 1993 the Commission, in answer to Written
Question No 201 / 93 (*), indicated that the Community
could endeavour to assist private firms by helping to
strengthen their competitive base in various sectors,
including high technology .

For the future the Commission proposes that the
Community research and technological development
programmes should be even more selective in their
approach, with the objective in increasing the benefits both
for the economy and for society . This approach, which is
already reflected in the ^ preparatory communications
SEC(92 ) 682 and COM(92 ) 406, will be further developed
in discussion with the European Parliament and with the
Council and in a subsequent formal Commission proposal
for the Fourth Framework Programme .

Apart from controlling much of the Italian cement industry, in discussion with the European, Parliament and with the
the Italian company Ferruzzi, through its subsidiary Council and in a subsequent formal Commission proposal
Calcestruzzi, is trying to take control of the Greek cement for the Fourth Framework Programme .
industry which would form an oligopoly hampering free
competition .
Does the Council endorse the above Commission

proposals ?

By buying the Heracles General Cement Company and
attempting to take over the rest of the cement industry, H OJ No C 207, 30 . 7 . 1993, p. 33 .
Calcestruzzi has completed the process of breaking into the
market and taking control .

What does the Commission intend to do about this situation

and what measures will it take ?

Answer

( 19 October 1993 )

The Council bodies are currently examining the official
proposal recently submitted, by the Commission concerning
Answer given by Mr Van Miert the fourth RTD framework programme (*), in preparation

on behalf of the Commission

for the Research Council meeting on 11 October 1993 .

( 13 October 1993 )

The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its
answer to his Written Question No 1391 / 92 (*) and to the
replies to Oral Questions Hr241 / 93 by Mr Pagoropoulos ( 2 )
and H-260 / 93 by Mr Alavanos ( 3 ), which it gave during

Informal meetings and exchanges of views between the
representatives of the three institutions concerned should
help to provide the most appropriate answers to the main
questions at issue, including the question of the purpose of
Community research and the approach which would best
serve its aims . These ideas could then be reflected in the

No C 320 / 44 Official Journal of the European Communities 26 . 11 . 93

European Parliament 's Opinion and the Council 's Common
Position, texts on which preparation of the final Decision
adopting the fourth framework programme will be
based .

The Council would in any case point to its conclusions of
29 April 1993 on the objectives of the fourth framework
programme, in which concentration, selectivity and the
application of the subsidiarity principle are cited as means of
increasing the efficiency and added value of Community
RTD, and to the conclusions of the European Council in
Edinburgh on 11 and 12 ' December 1992, in which the
general, precompetitive and multisectorial nature of
Community RTD is reaffirmed, greater synergy with the
activities of Eureka and improved circulation of the results
to SMEs are called for and the central role of that policy in
the coordination of the activities undertaken by the Member
States in emphasized .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2637 / 93

by Mr Paul Staes ( V )
to the Council of the European Communities

(1 September 1993 )

( 93 / C 320 / 88 )

Subject : World conference on the environment in Rio

inclusion in Community policy

1 . What departments within the Council are responsible
for shaping Community policy in line with the spirit and the
results of the Rio conference ?

2 . What modifications have had to be made by the
Council to implement those results ?

(') 8107 / 93 RECH 40 ATO 72 . 3 . To what extent have modifications already been
made ?

4 . What items of ' Agenda 21 ' has the Council already
been able to implement in its policy ?

5 . What budget appropriations has it utilized to
implement the spirit and the results of the Rio conference
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2582 / 93
and ' Agenda 21 '?

by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE )

to the Council of the European Communities

(1 September 1993 )

( 93 / C 320 / 87 ) Answer

( 25 October 1993 )

Subject : Reform of the Structural Funds

Is the Council satisfied with the measures so far taken to

reform the structural funds so that they make the maximum
contribution to further Community integration by tackling
the structural reasons for disparities in the level of
development of the various regions and for the
backwardness of currently less-favoured regions ?

Answer

( 25 October 1993 )

As the Honourable Member will be aware, the Council
adopted the six Regulations reforming the Structural Funds
at its meeting on 19 and 20 July 1993 .

It takes the view that implementation of these six
Regulations is the best way of tackling the structural reasons
for disparities ' in the level of development of the various
regions and for the lack of development in currently
less-favoured regions .

1 . As the Honourable Member will be aware,
environmental policy has to be integrated into all the other
Community policies . The follow-up to the Rio Conference is
therefore dealt with by the Council in all its formations,
although it is more specifically a matter for the Environment
and Development Councils and the relevant working
parties .

2, 3 and 4 . In respect of the general principles arising
from the UNCED, the Community anticipated the
Conference by integrating the sustainable development
dimension into Community objectives in the Treaty on
European Union .

As regards more specific and operational aspects, the
Council 's chief undertakings on implementation of the
results of the UNCED are given in :

— the conclusions of the Lisbon European Council of

26 and 27 June 1992 ;

»
— the Council resolution of the European Communities .

and the Representatives of the Governments of the
Member States, meeting within the Council, of
1 February 1993 on a Community programme of policy
and action in relation to the environment and
sustainable development (*);

26 . 11 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 320 / 45

the conclusions of the Environment Council on 28 and Furthermore, the scope of Agenda 21 means that all the
29 June 1993 . Community 's environmental measures can be considered as
contributing to implementation of Agenda 21 .

These last conclusions stressed the importance of a
continuous active follow-up to the decisions of the
UN Conference on Environment and Development,
emphasizing the commitment to a rapid and comprehensive
pursuit of Agenda 21, for which national Governments bear
primary responsibility, and in which international and
intergovernmental organizations, all social actors, major
NGO groups and the public have an important role to
play .

At the same time, they restated the commitment to continue
implementing the eight-point plan for follow-up to UNCED
agreed at the Lisbon European Council and to implement
the Resolution of 1 February 1993 on a Community
programme of policy and action in relation to the
' environment and sustainable development .

Of the budget headings which can be isolated as
contributing in whole or in part to implementation of the
Agenda, in addition to Title B4.3, there are the following
payment appropriations for 1993 :

( in million ECU )

B7-5040

»
Environment in the developing
countries 18

B7-5041 Tropical forests 30

B7-810 LIFE-Operations outside Community
territory         - 2,4

B7-811 Contribution to international

ê environmental activities 4

For further information, the Honourable Member may refer
to the replies given to Oral Questions Nos H-0032 / 93 and
There was also a reaffirmation of the commitment to H-0636 / 93 at Question Time on 10 February 1993 and on
23 June 1993 .
prepare relevant national strategies on Climate Change and
Biodiversity and national sustainable development plans by
the end of 1993 . It was agreed that the Member States (!) OJ No C 138, 17 . 5 . 1993, p. 1 .
should produce by the same date summary progress reports
on their national strategies on Climate Change, Biodiversity,
the Rio Declaration and Agenda 21 .

In addition, it was stressed that the effective use of financial
resources and their delivery are decisive for meeting the
environmental goals set at the UNCED . The Development
Council on 25 May confirmed that following the global
financial commitment of ECU 3 billion made in . Rio, the
Community and its Member States would provide an initial
tranche of ECU 600 million in 1993 for specific projects and
programmes in key Agenda 21 sectors .

Furthermore, the Council has already adopted a number of
legislative acts containing a major financial component that
make explicit reference to the UNCED objectives ; some of
these pre-date the Rio Conference, for example the LIFE
Regulation ( EEC / 1973 / 92 ) adopted on 21 May 1992,
others are more recent, such as Regulations ( EEC )
No 2081 / 93 on the tasks of the Structural Funds and ( EEC )
No 2083 / 93 on the ERDF of 20 July 1993 .

These examples illustrate what is being done to integrate the
principles and objectives of sustainable development into
the Community 's various policies .

5 . The aggregate presentation of the budget, in particular
of Title B4.3 ( Environment, with approximately ECU 90
million in payment appropriations for 1993 ) does not
permit of an exhaustive and precise answer to this question .

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2658 / 93

by Mr Ernest Glinne ( PSE )

to the Council of the European Communities

( 1 . September 1993 )

( 93 a / C 320 / 89 )

Subject : ' Relocation ' of public contractors and trade to the

detriment of the Community and the Member
States

It is becoming increasingly clear that companies and j what is
worse, public contractors are being relocated to third
countries . A French satirical weekly recently stated, without
identifying the person quoted, that ' Europe is like a sieve .
There are 57 ways of introducing relocated products on the
quiet '.

This trend, which is destroying present and future efforts in
the Community to promote employment is difficult to hold
back : national laws no longer require producers to state the
country of manufacture of a product to which, e.g. in the
textile sector, the finishing touches ( buttons, accessories )
may be added to make it a ' Community ' product, which is
then transferable throughout the Community .

No C 320 / 46 Official Journal of the European Communities 26 . 11 . 93

Industrialists importing ' relocated ' products hypocritically
pretend to be opposed to the practice in order to avoid
competition in this respect . Consumers are taken in by the
prices which are significantly cheaper than those of products
actually manufactured in Europe . Those involved in these
relocation operations are obviously banking on the low
wages and absence of social charges in the countries where
they produce .

In view of this,

1 . How is it that the French State receives products ( e.g.

military uniforms ) under public procurement contracts
from Mauritius and Tunisia ( Mauritius itself is involved
in relocation operations in Madagascar )?

2 . What action has been taken on the findings of the recent

French Senate Committee of Inquiry at European
level ?

                                                                                                                                 - N

3 . What are the 57 ' holes ' in the European sieve ?

4 . What of the crisis among French ( and other ) fertilizer

producers who cannot compete with the dumping
measures by Eastern European countries ?

5 . Are operations such as the ' World Relocation
Exhibition ', held in Paris in November 1991, acceptable
in the light of the statements made by the Community
authorities and the governments of the Member States,
according to which this will add a further five million
redundancies to the present gloomy forecast ?

Answer

( 25 October 1993 )

The Directives concerning public contracts to be awarded by
public authorities do not contain any specific provisions on
third countries . The contracting authorities which award
contracts under the procedures laid down in the Community
Directives are accordingly free to accept tenders from
suppliers in third countries provided that the products can
be imported legally into the Community . Furthermore, by
virtue of the Community 's membership of the GATT Code
on Government Procurement, Member States are obliged to
open their supply contracts above a certain threshold to all
member countries of the GATT Code .

«

As far as questions 2, 3 arid 5 are concerned, the Council has
no knowledge of the assertions made by the Honourable
Member .

t

i
Finally, on the subject of imports of fertilizers from East
European countries, it should be pointed out that the
Community has mechanisms to protect itself against
imports which are the subject of dumping measures and that
any Community producer which considers itself injured or
threatened by such imports may make a complaint to the
Commission . At present the Council has not received any

Commission proposals on anti-dumping measures with
regard to fertilizers from the East European countries, but
the Honourable Member can contact the Commission if he

wishes to obtain information on current anti-dumping
investigations .

4

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2 660 / 93

by Mr Ernest Glinne ( PSE )

to the Council of the European Communities

(1 September 1993 )

( 93 / C 320 / 90 )

«

«

Subject : Pollution of the Cubatao Valley in Brazil by

European industrial firms

On 7 June 1993, a Brazilian judge required the Rhone ­
Poulenc chemical group to close its factory at Cubatao, on
the grounds that the pollution caused by this company and a
number of others was responsible for the alarming child
mortality rate and various cases of blood poisoning in the
valley and river, and that Rhone Poulenc was specifically to
blame for vast deposits of chlorinated refuse polluting the
groundwater .

What measures are the Community authorities taking or
intending to take to make the European firms concerned
realize and admit that it is shameful to carry out ' ecological '
public relations exercises in Europe and at the same time
destroy whole regions abroad ?

What compensation will have to be paid and what penalties
will be imposed on parent companies ?

Answer

( 25 October 1993 )

In the general formulation of its European policy for .
protection of the environment, the Council has always been
aware of the need to take the interests of developing
countries into full account . This concern is demonstrated

by, for example, the Regulation concerning the export and
import of dangerous chemicals and by the Regulation
adopted recently on shipments of waste . These two texts
contain strict rules on the activities of European industry
with regard to developing countries .

«                                     

However, there is no Community legislation in the specific
field to which the Honourable Member refers and the
Council has not received any proposal or initiative from the
Commission in this regard . Furthermore, it is not the
Council 's responsibility to comment on the allegations
referred to in the question .

26 . 11 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 320 / 47

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2690 / 93

by Mr James Ford ( PSE )
to the Council of the European Communities

( 1 September 1993 )

( 93 / C 320 / 91 )

Subject : Mort-aux-Tuifs

Is the Council aware that there is a hamlet in the village of
Courtemaux near Montargis, in France, called ' Mort aux
Juifs '?

Will the Council make representations to the French
Government asking them to put pressure on the appropriate
authorities for this name, with its racist and antisemitic
connotations, to be immediately changed ?

Answer

( 25 October 1993 )

The Council thanks the Honourable Member for the
information contained in his question . It will be brought to
the attention of the national authorities concerned, which
have sole competence in the matter .