Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

ISSN 0378-6986

#### C 132
# Official Journal

Volume 36
### of the European Communities 11 May 1993

Volume 36

11 May 1993

#### English edition Information and Notices

Notice No

93 / C 132 / 01

93 / C 132 / 02

93 / C 132 / 03

93 / C 132 / 04

93 / C 132 / 05

93 / C 132 / 06

93 / C 132 / 07

93 / C 132 / 08

93 / C 132 / 09

2

Contents age

I Information

European Parliament

Written Questions with answer

No 1312 / 91 by Mrs Ursula Schleicher to the Commission
Subject : Council Directive on D2-MAC / packet standards for satellite broadcasting 1

No 1912 / 91 by Mr Eugenio Melandri, Mrs Marie-Christine Aulas and Mr Alexander
Langer to the Commission
Subject : Fourth Lomé Convention and human rights 1

No 2010 / 91 by Mrs Maartje van Putten to the Commission
Subject : Human rights violations in, and aid to, Bangladesh 2

No 2040 / 91 by Mrs Anita Pollack to the Commission
Subject : Education for the environment

No 2392 / 91 by Mrs Raymonde Dury to the Commission
Subject : Action of the Twelve to combat infanticide in Brazil 3

No 124 / 92 by Mr Carlos Robles Piquer to the Commission
Subject : Community aid for environmentally blighted urban areas 4

No 328 / 92 by Mr Mihail Papayannakis to the Commission
Subject : Building on 1 2 500 hectares of woodland 4

No 374 / 92 by Mr Francois Guillaume to the Commission
Subject : Damage caused to individuals, and especially farmers by cadmium and lead discharged
from the Metaleurop factory at Noyelles-Godault ( Pas de Calais ) 5

No 419 / 92 by Mr Jose Valverde L6pez to the Commission
Subject : Spain 's failure to comply with Council Directive 84 / 466 / Euratom 6

( Continued overleaf )

Notice No Contents ( continued ) p

93 / C 132 / 10 No 491 / 92 by Mr Giuseppe Mottola to the Commission
Subject . Fish markets in the Campania region — Anisakis virus — creation of marine park .... 6

93 / C 132 / 1 1 No 556 / 92 by Mrs Maartje van Putten to the Commission
Subject : Implementation of EC legislation in the Netherlands 7

93 / C 132 / 12 No 733 / 92 by Mr Luigi Moretti to the Commission
Subject : Failure by Italy to provide notification of national measures to implement directives on
environment policy j

93 / C 132 / 13 No 778 / 92 by Mr Diego de los Santos López to the Commission
Subject : Application in Spain of the directive on insider dealing 7

93 / C 132 / 14 No 785 / 92 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : Lake Koumoundourou g

93 / C 132 / 15 No 834 / 92 by Mr Gerardo Gaibisso to the Commission
Subject : Allocation of dairy quotas, levies : situation in certain areas of Italy 8

93 / C 132 / 16 No 835 / 92 by Mr Gerardo Gaibisso to the Commission
Subject : Dairy quota system : request by the Italian Prime Minister to the Commission 9

93 / C 132 / 17 No 848 / 92 by Mr Giulio Fantuzzi and Mr Luigi Colajanni to the Commission
Subject : Production and use of biological fuels 9

93 / C 132 / 18 No 905 / 92 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission
Subject : The fertilizer factory in Nea Karvali 10

93 / C 132 / 19 No 964 / 92 by Mr Virginio Bettini, Mr Enrico Falqui and Mr Yves Frémion to the
Commission

Subject : The vocational training school attached to the Ispra JRC 11

93 / C 132 / 20 No 1084 / 92 by Mr Paul Lannoye to the Commission
Subject : Filing of patents on the application of biotechnologies by the Commission 11

93 / C 132 / 21 No 1 167 / 92 by Mr James Moorhouse to the Commission
Subject : European Coal and Steel Community grants to the UK coal industry 13

93 / C 132 / 22 No 1 178 / 92 by Mr Panayotis Roumeliotis to the Commission
Subject : Problems involving air links between Asia and Europe 14

93 / C 132 / 23 No 1248 / 92 by Lord O'Hagan to the Commission
Subject : Enforcement and implementation of EC legislation 15

93 / C 132 / 24 No 1261 / 92 by Mr Dieter Rogalla to the Commission
Subject : Environmental protection in connection with felling and pulp production 15

93 / C 132 / 25 No 1416 / 92 by Mr Ernest Glinne to the Commission
Subject : ' Disappearance ' of information on drugs trafficking and the laundering of drugs money
in Switzerland 1£

93 / C 132 / 26 No 1425 / 92 by Mr Reimer Böge, Mr Reinhold Bocklet, Mr Horst Langes, Mr Honor
Funk and Mrs Hedwig Keppelhoff-Wiechert to the Commission
Subject : Food aid for Russia 16

**Notice No** **Contents (continued)** **Page**

**93/C132/27**

**93/C 132/28**

**93/C 132/29**

**93/C132/30**

**93/C132/31**

**93/C132/32**

**93/C132/33**

**93/C132/34**

**93/C132/35**

**93/C132/36**

**93/C 132/37**

**93/C 132/38**

**93/C132/39**

**93/C 132/40**

**93/C132/41**

**93/C132/42**

**No 1451/92 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission**

Subject: Protection of the Gulf of Volos 17

**No 1768/92 by Mrs Carmen Diez de Rivera Icaza to the Commission**

Subject: Drying out of the Mercadal wetlands for the enlargement of a golf course (Balearic
Islands, Spain) 17

**No 1818/92 by Mr Victor Manuel Arbeloa Muru to the Commission**

Subject: Non-commercial cultural exchanges 18

**No 1921/92 by Mr Alexandros Alavanos to the Commission**

Subject: Protection of biotopes of rare birds of prey 18

**No 2069/92 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission**

Subject: Refuge for birds of prey in the forest of Dadia (Evros) 18

**Joint answer to Written Questions Nos** **1921** **/92 and 2069/92** **19**

**No 1944/92 by Mr Paul Staes to the Commission**

Subject: Infringements of the Directive relating to the quality of water intended for human
consumption **19**

**No 2601/92 by Mr Paul Staes to the Commission**

Subject: Quality of drinking water in Belgium 19

**Joint answer to Written Questions Nos 1944/92 and 2601/92** **20**

**No 1956/92 by Mrs Raymonde Dury to the Commission**

Subject: Emergency aid and infrastructures **20**

**No 1982/92 by Mr Yves Verwaerde to the Commission**

Subject: Action to establish failure to fulfil obligations and implementation of corresponding
judgments of the Court of Justice **20**

**No 2100/92 by Mrs Teresa Domingo Segarra to the Commission**

Subject: Xenophobic attacks in Spain 21

**No 2154/92 by Mrs Mary Banotti to the Commission**

Subject: Implementation of environmental legislation **21**

**No 2169/92 by Mr Manfred Vohrer to the Commission**

Subject: Extension of the Human Capital and Mobility Programme to the whole of Europe . . . **22**

**No 2269/92 by Mr Herman Verbeek to the Commission**

Subject: Current low rapeseed prices **22**

**No 2320/92 by Sir James Scott-Hopkins to the Commission**

Subject: Protection against fraud **23**

**No 2372/92 by Mr John Tomlinson to the Commission**

Subject: Community dairy policy **23**

**No 2373/92 by Mr John Tomlinson to the Commission**

Subject: Community dairy policy **24**

**Joint answer to Written Questions Nos 2372/92 and 2373/92** **24**

(Continued overleaf)

Notice No Contents ( continued ) Page

93 / C 132 / 43 No 2404 / 92 by Mr Carlos Robles Piquer to the Commission
Subject : Proposals for a forum to promote scientific cooperation between the EC and Japan ... 24

93 / C 132 / 44 No 2678 / 92 by Mr Jesus Cabez6n Alonso to the Council
Subject : Environment and public expenditure 25

93 / C 132 / 45 No 2679 / 92 by Mr Jesus Cabezón Alonso to the Council
Subject : Measures to combat unemployment and poverty 25

93 / C 132 / 46 No 2971 / 92 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Council
Subject : Unemployment in the Community 26

Joint answer to Written Questions Nos 2679 / 92 and 2971 / 92 26

93 / C 132 / 47 No 2703 / 92 by Mr Mihail Papayannakis to the Council
Subject : Illegal transactions involving the cultural heritage 26

93 / C 132 / 48 No 2738 / 92 by Mr Alex Smith to the Council
Subject : Recycling of household waste 27

93 / C 132 / 49 No 3009 / 92 by Mr Alex Smith to the Council
Subject : Environmental implications of nuclear discharges 27

93 / C 132 / 50 No 3150 / 92 by Mr Alexandros Alavanos to the Council
Subject : Commission 's term of office and the Maastricht Treaty 28

93 / C 132 / 51 No 3194 / 92 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Council
Subject : Simplification of Community VAT legislation 28

93 / C 132 / 52 No 3391 / 92 by Mr Lode Van Outrive to the Council
Subject : Use of recycled paper by the Council 28

93 / C 132 / 53 No 3431 / 92 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Council
Subject : Reduction of time spent in custody awaiting trial 29

93 / C 132 / 54 No 3520 / 92 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Council
Subject : Interests of Greek farmers who produce products for export 29

93 / C 132 / 55 No 16 / 93 by Mrs Christine Oddy to the Council
Subject : Probation services in Europe 29

93 / C 132 / 56 No 35 / 93 by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Council
Subject : Seats of the new Community services 30

93 / C 132 / 57 No 39 / 93 by Mr Jaak Vandemeulebroucke to the Council
Subject : ILO Convention No 171 on night work — progress reached with COM(91 ) 130 final 30

93 / C 132 / 58 No 97 / 93 by Mrs Annemarie Goedmakers to the Council
Subject : Transport of plutonium by air . . 31

93 / C 132 / 59 No 124 / 93 by Mr Jean-Marie le Chevallier to the Council
Subject : European network of high speed trains 31

( Continued on inside back cover )

Notice No Contents ( continued ) Page

93 / C 132 / 60 No 174 / 93 by Mr Gerd Muller to the Council
Subject : The ' Aegean Sea ' and ' Braer ' tanker disasters 32

93 / C 132 / 61 No 216 / 93 by Mr Enrique Sapena Granell to the Council
Subject : Protective measures for oil tanker traffic 32

Joint answer to Written Questions Nos 174 / 93 and 216 / 93 32

93 / C 132 / 62 No 214 / 93 by Mrs Winifred Ewing to the Council
Subject : Europol 33

93 / C 132 / 63 No 250 / 93 by Mr Ernest Glinne to the Council
Subject : ' Le Pensec ' recovery plan for the French d6partement of Guadeloupe 33

93 / C 132 / 64 No 251 / 93 by Mr Ernest Glinne to the Council
Subject : Status of the Juliana airport on the island of St Martin 33

93 / C 132 / 65 No 254 / 93 by Mr Thomas Megahy to the Council
Subject : Community Action Programme on the Accessibility of Transport to Persons with
Reduced Mobility 34

93 / C 132 / 66 No 288 / 93 by Mr Peter Crampton to the Council
Subject : EC Committee of the Regions 34

11 . 5.93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 132 / 1

I

( Information )

###### EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

WRITTEN QUESTIONS WITH ANSWER

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1312 / 91

5 . Has the Commission taken account of the problem of

by Mrs Ursula Schleicher ( PPE ) disposing of television receivers and how does it

propose that this be done ?
to the Commission of the European Communities

by Mrs Ursula Schleicher ( PPE )

( 24 June 1991 ) O OJ No L 311, 6 . 11 . 1986, p. 28 .

( 93 / C 132 / 01 )

Subject : Council Directive on D2-MAC / packet
standards for satellite broadcasting

It has been reported that the Commission is drawing up
an amendment to Council Directive 86 / 529 / EEC of 3
November 1986 O on the adoption of common technical
specifications of the MAC / packet family of standards for
direct satellite television broadcasting intended to
establish definitively the MAC / packet standards for all
European satellite broadcasting systems .

The standard envisaged by the Commission is apparently
incompatible with existing standards . This would involve :

— the immediate need to change all television receivers

on the market in the 12 Member States,

— enormous costs to all consumers, who would be

obliged to purchase new television receivers and

— the creation of an enormous quantity of refuse .

1 . Can the Commission confirm this ?

2 . What is the precise aim of the directive and what

overwhelming reasons exist for imposing a
transitional standard which is incompatible with
market structures ?

3 . What is the envisaged legal basis for the proposed

amendment and will the European Parliament be
consulted ?

4 . What will be the cost to consumers and what

alternatives are available to them ?

Answer given by Mr Bangemann

on behalf of the Commission

(8 March 1993 )

In view of the adoption on 11 May 1992 of Directive
92 / 38 / EEC on the adoption of standards for satellite
broadcasting of television signals ('), which replaces the
directive to which the Honourable Member refers, and
the numerous debates in this connection in the European
Parliament and the Council, the Honourable Member 's
question is no longer relevant .

o OJNoL 137, 20 . 5 . 1992 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1912 / 91
by Mr Eugenio Melandri, Mrs Marie-Christine Aulas

and Mr Alexander Langer ( V )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 2 September 1 991 )

( 93 / C 132 / 02 )

Subje'ct : Fourth Lome Convention and human rights

One of the main innovations of Lome IV is undoubtedly
Article 5, which links development cooperation by the

Community with respect for human rights by the ACP
countries .

Article 5 states that respect for human rights is recognized

as a basic factor of real development, and that in this

No C 132 / 2 Official Journal of the European Communities 11 . 5 . 93

context development policy and cooperation are closely
linked with it .

In many ACP countries, however, human rights are not
properly promoted or respected, although the many
international conventions signed by ACP countries would
suggest the contrary . There are frequently blatant
violations of human rights in ACP countries to which, for
political or geo-strategic reasons, the Community does
not react forcefully by, for instance, freezing cooperation
relations .

1 . How does the Commission intend to ensure that
Article 5 of the Lome Convention is applied in full,
and what ( apart from a communication to the
Council ) was the outcome of the Commission seminar
on strategies to promote human rights as part of
cooperation policies ?

2 . Which countries has the Commission had to remind
of their obligations under Article 5, following
violations of human rights ?

3 . Which countries have so far informed the
Commission of their priorities so as to permit
programming of the cooperation provided for in
Lome IV ? What in general do the priorities relate to ?

Answer given by Mr Marin
on behalf of the Commission

(4 March 1993 )

Following the communication from the Commission of 25
March 1991, the Council meeting of 28 November 1991
adopted a resolution on human rights, democracy and
development, which recognized that respect for human
rights and democratic principles was essential for
equitable, balanced and sustained development .

The resolution stresses the priority need for a positive
approach but does not exclude appropriate courses of
action to deal with human rights violations or serious
breaches of democratic processes . Such measures should,
however, be guided by objective and fair criteria and
tailored to the gravity of each case . They could include :
confidential or public approaches ; changing the content
or type of cooperation programmes ; postponing the
signing of agreements or granting of approval needed to
implement cooperation, and, if need be, suspending
cooperation ties ( but not humanitarian and emergency
aid, which directly benefit the most needy sectors of
society ).

Since the resolution was adopted, the Community and its
Member States have had to make confidential approaches

to the authorities of some ACP States . In addition, they
have repeatedly felt obliged to adopt statements in the
framework of political cooperation expressing concern at
breaches of human rights and democratic principles in
Zaire, Togo, Burundi, Kenya, Equatorial Guinea, Sudan,
Cameroon, Nigeria and other ACP countries . The aim of
these statements has been to put pressure on the
governments concerned to change their conduct and in
some of them explicit reference has been made to the need
to comply with Article 5 of Lome IV .

For ACP countries guilty of flagrant and persistent
human rights violations or breaches of the democratic
process, the Community has adopted tougher measures .
The Lome indicative programme for Sudan, for example,
has not been drawn up ; all official cooperation ties with
Haiti and Zaire have been put on hold, and other selective
steps have been taken against other countries .

Although the Community does try beforehand to exhaust

all possible forms of dialogue with the authorities
concerned and attempts to ensure that ordinary people
are not penalized ( by continuing to give humanitarian and
emergency aid and to cofinance development NGO
activities, etc .), it has displayed what it sees as the
necessary firmness in its dealings .

As part of the open and constructive dialogue with ACP
countries on implementation of Lome IV and in devising
and carrying out the various cooperation projects and
programmes under it, the Commission will keep stressing
the need for the joint commitments under Article 5 to be
complied with . It will also continue to show its
determination to abide by the principles on which the
Community prides itself in order to make respect for
human rights and democratic principles one of the main
aims of its development cooperation policy .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2010 / 91

by Mrs Maartje van Putten ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 23 September 1 991 )

( 93 / C 132 / 03 )

Subject : Human rights violations in, and aid to,
Bangladesh

Is the Commission aware of the report by the Chittagong
Hill Tracts Commission on human rights violations in
Chittagong Hill Tracts ( Bangladesh )?

11 . 5.93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 132 / 3

How much aid is this region receiving out of the total aid
package to Bangladesh, in particular the emergency aid
provided following the recent cyclones ?

Is the Commission prepared to request information from
the Bangladeshi authorities on the hurricane damage in
this region and its consequences for the local tribal
population ?

Answer given by Mr Van Miert

on behalf of the Commission

( 11 December 1 992 )

The Honourable Member should refer to the European

Community programme of policy and action in relation to
the environment and sustainable development, Volume II,
and in particular Section 7.5 and Table 17 ( 1 ).

What guarantees has the Commission received that the o COM(92 ) 23 final .

aid provided will also benefit this tribal population ?

Answer given by Mr Marin
on behalf of the Commission

(4 March 1993 )

The Commission is indeed aware of the report referred to
by the Honourable Member .

Through its representative in Bangladesh it has for more

than a year now been taking part in regular discussions
about the human rights situation in that country . At these
talks, held between the EC ambassadors in Dhaka, under
the EC Presidency, and the Bangladeshi authorities
represented by the Foreign Affairs Minister, the plight of
the tribal people in the Chittagong Hill Tracts and their
human rights have been underscored time and again . It
has become clear from the discussions that the present
democratically elected government is serious about
seeking a peaceful and lasting solution to the situation in
the Hill Tracts .

The April 1991 cyclone left little or no damage and few
victims in its wake in the Hill Tracts . The special
emergency aid package and reconstruction aid which the
Commission made available to Bangladesh after the
cyclone went to the worst hit areas and populations in the
low-lying coastal area .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2040 / 91

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

( 23 September 1991 )

( 93 / C 132 / 04 )

Subject : Education for the environment

What projects exist or are planned to broaden
environmental education ?

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2392 / 91

by Mrs Raymonde Dury ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 22 October 1991 )

( 93 / C 132 / 05 )

Subject : Action of the Twelve to combat infanticide in

Brazil

In a reply to a Belgian Member of Parliament, the Belgian
Minister of Foreign Affairs has referred to Belgium 's
participation in a joint action by the Twelve to combat the
murders and maltreatment to which street children in
Brazil are subject . Could the Commission provide details
of this Community intervention ?

Answer given by Mr Marin
on behalf of the Commission

(4 March 1993 )

Child murder, owing to the gravity of the crime, demands
a fitting response both from the international community
and the European Community .

The latter, for its part, is doing everything in its power to

address the problem of 8 million street children,
abandoned and destitute, who are destined sooner or later
to a life of crime .

At Community level, it has been decided that action

should be taken in conjunction with NGOs in support of
specific, preventive anti-drugs projects . In the context of
such a project, which will shortly come into operation, a
series ' of activities are envisaged with the following
objectives :

— establishment of more appropriate strategies for

developing street children 's awareness of the dangers
of drugs,

NoC 132 / 4 Official Journal of the European Communities 11 . 5.93

— establishment of educational and health facilities,

— the promoting of appropriate methods to be used by

those responsible for educating street children .

Projects such as these, in addition to complying with
Council directives — those dating from 1987 as well as
those more recently adopted and relating specifically to
the case in point — are designed to meet what is seen as an
urgent necessity . It is clear, however, given the extent of
the problem, that such projects can only be regarded as
elements of a more comprehensive strategy, which should
be established and which the Community cannot pursue
in isolation .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 124 / 92

by Mr Carlos Robles Piquer ( PPE )

to the Commission of the European Communities

(7 February 1992 )

( 93 / C 132 / 06 )

Subject : Community aid for environmentally blighted

urban areas

The European Community 's plan to implement a project
to renew the urban environment in the district of

Villaverde ( Madrid ) provides for intervention in
economic activity and in town planning in the area in an
attempt to renew what is one of the most blighted areas
within the Municipality of Madrid .

Accordingly, it would appear appropriate for the
Commission to implement the Green Paper on the Urban
Environment on the basis of measures of this type ; the
Commission has announced that it proposes to earmark
ECU 30 million for the urban environment .

Can the Commission indicate what criteria it has applied
to select the urban areas to which it will give financial
support in order to carry out appropriate restructuring,
and, in its view, in what form could applications be
submitted by urban areas seeking to make use of this
interesting Community operation ?

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission

(2 March 1993 )

The Commission has granted ECU 50 000 to the Madrid
regional and municipal authorities for an urban study
seminar in Madrid on the Villaverde district . Similar
events have taken place in Genoa and Hamburg . Others
are planned in Tilburg and Blois .

The main purpose of these seminars is to help municipal

and other public authorities to implement the Green

Paper on the Urban Environment . At the same time, they
provide the Commission with the information it needs for
a proper understanding of the problems encountered . So
far the towns and cities involved have been chosen on the
basis of requests submitted . In future, the programme will
be drawn up in agreement with the working party of
experts on the urban environment which the Council of
Ministers has decided to set up .

Within the Directorate-General for the Environment,

Nuclear Safety and Civil Protection, the Life programme
offers the only means of financing urban renovation
operations ( apart from the organization of seminars and
the funding of certain type of research ).

Priorities for the Life programme were adopted by the
Commission on 2 December 1992 ( 1 ). The list of criteria
was drawn up by the Commission after consulting the
members of the relevant management committee .

In addition, since 1990 the Commission has co-financed
25 urban pilot projects in order to try out innovative ideas
in the Community, pursuant to Article 10 of the ERDF
Regulation .

One of the four major topics of the programme in
question directly concerns run-down urban areas, namely
residential areas in the outskirts or in the centre of cities .

The measures supported are aimed at the social and
vocational integration of people confronted with the
problems of unemployment and social exclusion . The aim
is to reintegrate these areas into the economic life of the
city .

The first projects of this kind were in London and

Marseilles, soon followed by similar ones in Rotterdam,
Brussels, Lyons, Paisley, Groningen and Bremen .

O OJ NoC 331, 16 . 12 . 1992 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 328 / 92

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

( 27 February 1 992 )

( 93 / C 132 / 07 )

Subject : Building on 12 500 hectares of woodland

A Presidential Decree of the Ministry of the
Environment, Regional Planning and Public Works,
which has already been signed by the Minister and
forwarded to the Ministry of Agriculture for signing,

11.5.93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 132 / 5

although it has to be countersigned by the Minister of
Finance and the Minister for Health and Social Security,
has opened the way for building projects on 12 500
hectares of woodland or reafforested land . This
regulation benefits around 300 000 members of 150
building societies which hitherto have not been entitled —
despite having purchased the land — to enter into
definitive contracts since the land in question was
wooded . The 12 000 hectares ' being developed ' ( in other
words, being built upon ) are in the following places : the
Attica coastline, Elaiona, the slopes of Parnis, Penteli and

Imittós, the coastal region of the Gulf of Corinth and the
Gulf of Argos, Evvoia and Halkidiki, these all being areas
which are particularly overcrowded because of
unauthorized building .

In view of the fact that

1 . Greek woodland is increasingly being encroached on,

2 . woods are a crucial factor in the quality of the

environment and, by extension, the quality of life and

3 . Article 117(3 ) of the Greek Constitution stipulates

that forest areas shall be compulsorily reafforested in
line with Article 24 of the Constitution on the
protection of the natural environment,

can the Commission state whether the Greek Ministry for
the Environment, Regional Planning and Public Works
has informed it of the project, whether it considers that
this project is consistent with its policy on the protection
of woodlands, what steps it intends to take and what
representations it intends to make to the Greek
Government to put an end to its long-standing policy of
destroying woodland in Greece ?

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission

( 24 February 1993 )

The Commission has not been officially notified of the

Presidential Decree referred to by the Honourable
Member . However it has been aware for some years of the
various pressures on European woodlands, particularly in
the Mediterranean basin . Its position is that Member
States should avoid any measure liable to lead to a
deterioration of the forestry situation on their territory .

As mentioned in the answer to an earlier Written
Question ( No 1106 / 92 by Mr Dessylas O ), the
Commission can only intervene to prevent the
development of woodland areas where this runs counter
to Community law ( special protection areas — Directive
79 / 409 / EEC ( 2 )).

However the Commission is confident that the legal
powers instituted under Directive 92 / 43 / EEC ( 3 ) on the

conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and
flora will mean more effective protection for woodlands
throughout the Community .

o OJ No C 38, 15 . 2 . 1992 .
O OJ No L 103, 25 . 4 . 1979 .
O OJ No L 206, 22 . 7 . 1992 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 374 / 92

by Mr François Guillaume ( RDE )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 27 February 1992 )

( 93 / C 132 / 08 )

Subject : Damage caused to individuals, and especially

farmers by cadmium and lead discharged from
the Metaleurop factory at Noyelles-Godault
( Pas de Calais )

Metaleurop, a company processing non-ferrous metals at
Noyelles-Godault ( Pas de Calais ), was convicted in
February 1989 by the Bethune Tribunal de Grande
Instance, upheld by the Court of Appeal at Douai in April

1991, for damage caused by lead and cadmium discharged
on to agricultural land .

The actions of which the company was accused fall under

Directive 83 / 513 / EEC ('), which France seems to have
been a little tardy in applying . Will the Commission
therefore indicate :

1 . What measures, including binding measures, does the

Commission intend to take to have the Community
directives restricting cadmium discharges actually
applied in France, especially in respect of Metaleurop,
and in the other countries of the Community, by the
deadlines laid down ?

2 . What plans does it have for imposing restrictions on

industrial emissions to the atmosphere, containing,
for instance, non-ferrous metals, and cadmium in
particular ?

3 . What measures is it planning or contemplating to

allow rapid compensation for such industrial pollution
to farmers or the general public who have suffered
damage, without their having to incur the expense and
delay of civil proceedings after an offence has been
committed ?

o OJ No L 291, 24 . 10 . 1983, p. 1 .

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission

(8 March 1993 )

1 . The Commission 's intention to bring an
infringement action against France and in particular the

No C 132 / 6 Official Journal of the European Communities 11 . 5.93

Metaleurop factory at Noyelles-Godault has been
overtaken by events . France has not only now officially
transposed that Directive into French law but following
legal actions conducted by that Member State against
cadmium polluters and in particular the Metaleurop
factory, the limit values for cadmium are nowadays met
by dischargers into the aquatic environment .

2 . As far as atmospheric pollution by industry is
concerned Directive 84 / 360 / EEC (') lays down a body of
requirements aimed at reducing heavy metal pollution by
a set of industrial facilities set out in Annex I to that
Directive . Council resolution 88 / l / EEC ( 2 ), which
identifies the priorities for the Community programme of
action to counter environmental pollution by cadmium
also makes specific mention of the need to take account of
major airborne sources, which are also taken into account
in the commitments to reduce heavy-metal emissions by
50% as part of the declaration made at the Third
Interministerial Conference on the North Sea .

3 . The compensation referred to by the Honourable
Member is covered exclusively by national law and not by
Community law .

O OJN0LI88, 16.7 . 1984 .
( 2 ) OJNoC 30, 25 . 1 . 1988 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 419 / 92

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

(2 March 1992 )

( 93 / C 132 / 09 )

Subject : Spain 's failure to comply with Council Directive

84 / 466 / Euratom

Has the Commission sent a letter of formal notice to the
Spanish Government for having failed to notify the
Commission of national implementation measures, and
its non-compliance with Council Directive 84 / 466 /
Euratom (') on the environment . Also, what stage have
the infringement proceedings reached ?

o OJ No L 265, 5 . 10 . 1984, p. 1 .

Answer given by Mr Delors
on behalf of the Commission

( 24 February 1993 )

The Commission informs the Honourable Member that

Spain has notified it of national measures to implement

Directive 84 / 466 / EEC . However, the Commission has
issued a reasoned opinion because these measures fail to
conform to the Directive .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 491 / 92

by Mr Giuseppe Mottola ( PPE )
to the Commission of the European Communities

(9 March 1992 )

( 93 / C 132 / 10 )

Subject : Fish markets in the Campania region — Anisakis

virus — creation of marine park

Not entirely warranted confusion has arisen on the fish
markets in the region of Campania concerning a possible
public health hazard from the Anisakis virus in blue-fish .
This is harming employment and the economy . In view of

this, does the Commission not believe that it should :

1 . Carry out a painstaking check to establish why the

assessments by the health inspectorates responsible
differ ?

2 . Help to set up a marine park on the coast of Campania

for the purposes of environmental protection
compatible with fishing activities ?

3 . Draw up a Community fisheries policy to restore the

balance in marine ecosystems ?

4 . Act to ensure that operators recover lost income

and guarantee structural measures to prevent
unemployment in the fisheries sector and associated
sectors ?

Answer given by Mr Marin
on behalf of the Commission

( 20 November 1992 )

The Commission is aware of the situation on Italian fish
markets as a result of the Anisakis parasite . The national
health authorities are able to assess any public health
hazard such parasites may represent . As regards the fall in
blue-fish sales, the Commission considers this to be
temporary and relatively confined, and in any event not to
justify the taking of special Community measures . The

11.5.93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 132 / 7

WRITTEN QUESTION No 733 / 92

Commission is already committed under the common
fisheries policy to a large number of initiatives aimed at by Mr Luigi Moretti ( ARC )
proper marine resource management and improvement of to the Commission of the European Communities
structures in the fisheries sector .

(6 April 1992 )

( 93 / C 132 / 12 )

WRITTEN QUESTION No 556 / 92

by Mrs Maartje van Putten ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 19 March 1992 )

( 93 / C 132 / 11 )

Subject : Implementation of EC legislation in the
Netherlands

On 17 January 1992 the Netherlands cabinet adopted a
bill abolishing inquiry procedures and the consultation of

advisory and consultative bodies which is normally
compulsory for a great deal of Dutch legislation, in cases
where the legislation relates exclusively to the
implementation of EC law .

In itself, this is understandable in the case of
implementing legislation, with a view to achieving more
rapid implementation of Community provisions .

1 . Is the Commission aware of this bill ?

2 . Does the Commission agree that inquiry procedures

and advisory and consultative bodies make an
essential contribution to the democratic consideration
of the interests at stake during the legislative
procedure ?

3 . Can the Commission say how the elimination of

inquiry, advisory and consultative procedures at
national level is compensated for in procedures for
drawing up Community legislation ?

Answer given by Mr Delors
on behalf of the Commission

(2 March 1993 )

1 . Yes, the Commission is aware of this bill .

2 . The Commission recognizes the value of every form
of encouragement for social dialogue in all types of
legislative procedure .

3 . The Commission has no powers regarding the
matter raised by the Honourable Member, which is
entirely a matter for the relevant national authorities .

Subject : Failure by Italy to provide notification of

national measures to implement directives on
environment policy

The enactment of Community directives in national

legislation is one of the Member States ' primary
obligations . Italy is still behind schedule with the
adoption of such directives .

How has the Italian Government justified its failure to
provide notification of the implementation of Directive

89 / 428 / EEC O ?

Has the Commission served notice of proceedings on the
Italian Government and has this been followed by the
delivery of reasoned opinions ?

o OJ No L 201, 14 . 7 . 1989, p. 56 .

Answer given by Mr Delors
on behalf of the Commission

(9 March 1993 )

The Italian authorities have notified the Commission of

the national implementing measures for Directives
78 / 176 / EEC, 82 / 883 / EEC, 83 / 29 / EEC and 89 / 428 /
EEC concerning pollution caused by waste from the
titanium dioxyde industry .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 778 / 92
by Mr Diego de los Santos López ( ARC )
to the Commission of the European Communities

(6 April 1992 )

( 93 / C 132 / 13 )

Subject : Application in Spain of the directive on insider

dealing

Council Directive 89 / 592 / EEC O of 13 November 1989
lays down conditions for the coordination of regulations
on insider dealing .

This directive requires Member States to prohibit the

disclosure of inside information in particular by members
of the administrative management or supervisory bodies
of the issuer ; similarly they are prohibited from acquiring
or disposing of for their own account or of the account of

No C 132 / 8 Official Journal of the European Communities 11 . 5.93

a third party, either directly or indirectly, transferable
securities of the issuer or issuers to which that
information relates . Can the Commission say to what
extent this directive is being implemented in Spain ?

o OJ No L 334, 18 . 11 . 1989, p. 30 .

Answer given by Mr Delors
on behalf of the Commission

(2 March 1993 )

The Commission informs the Honourable Member that

Spain has already notified it of the measures taken to
implement Council Directive 89 / 592 / EEC .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 785 / 92

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

(6 April 1992 )

( 93 / C 132 / 14 )

Subject : Lake Koumoundourou

Lake Koumoundourou which lies on the boundary of
Attica and the Peloponnese near the Thriasian Plain is
being polluted mainly by waste from the ' Greek
Refineries ' Ltd . What action can the Commission take to
ensure that the environment of this lake is protected ?

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission

(3 March 1993 )

The Honourable Member 's question relates to the
pollution of Lake Koumoundourou caused in particular
by refinery emissions .

Of the Community legislation in force, Directive
76 / 464 / EEC (') on pollution caused by certain dangerous
substances discharged into the aquatic environment of the
Community clearly applies in this case .

Under the terms of Article 2 of this Directive, the
competent authorities in the Member States must take
appropriate steps to eliminate pollution caused by the
substances which feature in List I, and to reduce the levels
of pollution caused by the substances in List II .

Pollution from refineries is generally caused by List II
substances . In accordance with the principle of

subsidiarity, discharges of these substances are subject to
prior authorization by the competent authorities,
delivered on the basis of the emission standards and
quality objectives set out in the national reduction
programmes drawn up under Article 7 ( 1 ), ( 2 ) and ( 3 ).

The Commission has already instituted infringement
proceedings against the Greek authorities for failure to
establish reduction programmes including quality
objectives for the waters in question, as referred to in
Article 7 ( 1 ), ( 2 ), ( 3 ) and ( 5 ).

O OJNoL129, 18.5 . 1976 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 834 / 92

by Mr Gerardo Gaibisso ( PPE )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 14 April 1992 )

( 93 / C 132 / 15 )

Subject : Allocation of dairy quotas, levies : situation in

certain areas of Italy

Italian Act No 201 of 10 July 1991 ( Regulation ( EEC )
No 804 / 68 (') and successive amendments and additions
thereto ) lays down rules for the implementation of the
additional Community dairy levy . A number of ' first
purchasers ' have not yet sent in the declarations required
in respect of non-quota producers but have nonetheless
deducted the amount of the levy despite having received
from the processors ( dairy centres and cheese factories )
the full amount due to the farmers ; they have not made
any corresponding payments to the Rome Provincial
Treasury by the due date, thereby defrauding producers,
the Government and the European Community .

What steps will the Commission take to ensure
compliance with the regulations in force and put a stop to
what amount to fraudulent practices, since levies have
been deducted in respect of non-quota producers, who
have not been declared as required by the regulations, but
not paid by the due date to the Italian Treasury ?

o OJ No L 148, 28 . 6 . 1968, p. 13 .

Answer given by Mr Steichen

on behalf of the Commission

( 4 February 1 993 )

Italy has chosen to apply the levy system using Formula A
of Regulation ( EEC ) No 804 / 88 under which the levy is
paid by the producer and credited to Community funds .

11 . 5.93 ) Official Journal of the European Communities No C 132 / 9

Recent EAGGF inspections have shown that What decisions will the Commission take in response to
implementation of this system is unsatisfactory as regards Mr Andreotti 's proposals ?
both procedure and collection of the levy .

Accordingly, Italy is subject to financial corrections

totalling LIT 110 billion for the 1988 / 89 marketing year
based on the figures for the delivery of milk to dairies
published by 1ST AT .

The case to which the Honourable Member refers

undoubtedly forms part of the corrections already made
and it is therefore the responsibility of the Member State
to secure collection from ' first purchasers ' of sums

already paid by individual producers with no production

quotas .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 835 / 92

by Mr Gerardo Gaibisso ( PPE )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 14 April 1992 )

( 93 / C 132 / 16 )

Subject : Dairy quota system : request by the Italian Prime

Minister to the Commission

In a memorandum of 13 February 1991 to the President of
the Commission, the Italian Prime Minister, Mr Giulio
Andreotti, listed a number of reasons for the failure to

implement the quotas by the date of entry into force of the
system and proposed an increase of national ' delivery '
quotas of no less than 1 500 000 tonnes and exemption
from the quota reductions proposed by the Commission
for the next three years, a ' discontinuation programme '
specifically for Italy amounting to approximately 500 000
tonnes and the subdivision of Italy into two separate areas
in accordance with existing arrangements for the
coresponsibility levy . In the zones subject to these rules
the standard quotas would be applied . In the other zones
where there are problems of supply a single production

area would be established along the same lines as the
Greek system . In this way the arrangements could be
administered more effectively and matters would be
facilitated for a very large number of small producers,
particularly in mountain and less-favoured areas in the
South .

Answer given by Mr Steichen

on behalf of the Commission

( 12 February 1993 )

In a letter of 4 March 1992 the President of the
Commission replied to Mr Andreotti 's letter on the
application of milk quotas in Italy .

The existence of an additional quantity of milk previously

overlooked in Italy 's communications to the Commission
is both a result of failure to apply quotas and the
explanation of the need for action to improve their
application .

In the CAP reform framework the Commission has
proposed a number of modifications of the quota
arrangements to improve their application without
prejudicing the aim of balancing supply and demand for
milk and milk products .

The situation in Italy has been examined by the Council,
which, at its meeting from 14 to 16 December 1992,
concluded that, provided Italy can show that quotas are
being properly applied throughout the country, the total
guaranteed quantity should be increased by 900 000
tonnes on 1 April 1993 and the Community should pay for
the buying-up of 200 000 tonnes as part of a restructuring
programme to eliminate the remainder of the surplus over
three years .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 848 / 92
by Mr Giulio Fantuzzi and Mr Luigi Colajanni ( GUE )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 14 April 1992 )

( 93 / C 132 / 17 )

Subject : Production and use of biological fuels

The submission by the Commission of a proposal for a
directive introducing tax relief for the production of
biological fuels ( bioethanol and biodiesel ) once again
raises the question of the use of agricultural products for
non-agricultural purposes ( alcohol for wine, beet, cereals,

No C 132 / 10 Official Journal of the European Communities 11 . 5 . 93

potatoes, Jerusalem artichokes, etc .). The use of biomass
for energy purposes could constitute a valuable
contribution to the containment of surpluses and the use
of land which would otherwise be set aside .

Can the Commission provide information with a view to
the definition of a specific overall strategy to develop such
a policy, taking due account of environmental criteria, so
as to demonstrate the technological feasibility of such
energy production and its possibilities for industrial use ?

Answer given by Mr Matutes
' on behalf of the Commission

(3 March 1993 )

As part of its attempt to reduce emissions of carbon
dioxide the Commission recently proposed a Community
objective for fuels ('). It is proposing to secure for
biofuels a market share of 5 % of total fuel consumption
by motor vehicles in 2005 . Some seven million hectares of
agricultural land will be needed in 2005 to produce 11
Mtoe of biofuel .

Under the Altener programme the Commission is
proposing a strategy for developing two types of biofuel
which are technically, economically and environmentally
more interesting : bioethanol and biodiesel ( both of them
vegetable oil esters ). With regard to bioethanol, it has
been proposed that Directive 85 / 536 / EEC of 5 December

1985 ( 2 ) be amended so as to increase to 10 % and 15%
respectively the amount of bioethanol and its derivative
ETBE ( ethyl tertiary butyl ether ) which may be mixed
with petrol . Such levels are already commonly permitted,
e.g. in the United States since 1978 .

With regard to biodiesel, the Commission is proposing to
facilitate the emergence of this new market with the
following measures :

( a ) a proposal for a directive laying down the technical
specifications for biodiesel ( product definition ) in
collaboration with vegetable oil producers, motorists
and oil companies ;

( b ) a Community subsidy ( 30 % of the relevant costs ) for
some ten pilot installations of optimum capacity ( i.e.
between 50 000 and 100 000 tonnes per year ) for the
production of biodiesel ( vegetable oil esters ).

This strategy includes reduced taxation of biofuels via
measures affecting the excise duties on motor fuels ( 3 ).
The reduction in taxation will correspond to the external
costs (e . g . environmental costs ) associated with fossil
fuels .

Macroeconomic studies carried out by the Commission
( using the Hermes model ) have shown that this strategy

will have a beneficial impact on Community GDP,
employment, security of fuel supply and emissions of CO2
and other greenhouse gases and that after 10 years the
loss of government revenue caused by reduced taxation
will be offset by new direct and indirect tax revenue
generated by this new activity .

o COM(92 ) 180 final .
( 2 ) OJNoL334, 12 . 12 . 1985 .
O COM(92 ) 36 final .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 905 / 92

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

( 15 April 1992 )

( 93 / C 132 / 18 )

Subject : The fertilizer factory in Nea Karvali

According to complaints made by community
representatives in the region, the phosphorous fertilizer
factory in Nea Karvali in the prefecture of Kavala has
been operating for about seven months without a permit
and without any sites to deposit its waste . Does the
Commission intend to bring this fact to the notice of the
Greek Government and request measures to protect the
region 's environment ?

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission

( 25 February 1993 )

The relevant text here is Directive 7 6 / 464 / EEC (') on the
discharge of dangerous substances into the aquatic
environment .

Fertilizer production at the said factory gives rise to waste
falling under both Lists I ( inter alia cadmium ) and II in
this Directive .

The relevant authorities in the Member States are
required to take steps to eliminate pollution from the
dangerous substances on List I and reduce pollution from
those on List II ( Article 2 ).

The prior authorization for the discharge of dangerous

substances issued by the competent authorities under

11 . 5.93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 132 / 11

Articles 3 and 7 must specify emission standards, which

are calculated in accordance with the provisions of
Articles 3, 5 and 7 .

4

Also, the fact that Council Directive 83 / 513 / EEC ( ),
which fixes limit values and quality objectives for

cadmium discharges, does not specify limit values for the
fertilizer sector does not free Member States from their
obligation to define emission standards for cadmium
discharges .

Under Article 3 ( 3 ) of the latter Directive, discharge

authorizations must be reviewed at least every four years .

The Commission will be looking for confirmation of

compliance with all the above requirements, and will
notify the Honourable Member as soon as possible of the
results of its enquiries and of any legal action it intends to
take in the light thereof .

O OJNoL 129, 18.5 . 1976 .
O OJ No L 291, 24 . 10 . 1983 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 964 / 92
by Mr Virginio Bettini, Mr Enrico Falqui

and Mr Yves Fremion ( V )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 15 April 1992 )

( 93 / C 132 / 19 )

Subject : The vocational training school attached to the

Ispra JRC

The vocational training school attached to the Ispra JRC
was set up in 1963 to provide a three-year training course
for laboratory technicians . The pupils trained at the
school are an important source of manpower for the JRC
laboratories since they carry out C grade duties during
optional one - or two-year traineeships . The pupils are
then highly sought-after by industry, which helps to
enhance the image of the JRC .

In 1984—85, the Community provided funding to build a
new infrastructure expressly intended for use by the
vocational training school . The teaching provided by this

school is unique to the Community, given the close
collaboration with the JRC . However, the Court of
Auditors has frozen the funds earmarked for the school
on the grounds that the school 's activities do not count as
research .

1 . Does the Commission not consider that, as part of a

more far-sighted and open research policy, it should
take steps to ensure that the vocational training school
remains in operation and indeed is developed further
within the framework of the JRC ?

2 . If this is not possible, what alternative means does the

Commission intend to seek to implement its political
will to keep the vocational training school in existence,

as the Director   - General of the JRC, Mr Contzen,
speaking on behalf of the Commission, declared
during the meeting of the CERT on 16 March 1992 ?

Answer given by Mr Ruberti
on behalf of the Commission

(8 March 1993 )

As the Commission has already stated in its answer to
Written Question No 529 / 92 by Mr Chiabrando (') the

difficulties arising from the retention of the Ispra
vocational school are ( a ) the purpose served by the
research centre itself and ( b ) financial factors : the cost of
maintaining the school forms part of the JRC ' s overheads
and this involves a major financial burden at the expense
of the resources available for research activities .

Moreover, most of the trainees are not children of JRC
staff, which is difficult to justify in social terms . The
management of the JRC has thus decided no longer to
accept the enrolment of new trainees for the 1992 / 93
academic year .

However, the Commission is exploring the possibility of
handing over the school to the regional authorities, who
could thus make use of the existing infrastructure . This
action is still in progress .

O OJ No C 281, 29 . 10 . 1992 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1084 / 92

by Mr Paul Lannoye ( V )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 30 April 1992 )

( 93 / C 132 / 20 )

Subject : Filing of patents on the application of
biotechnologies by the Commission

While the European Parliament is currently studying the

Commission 's proposal for a Council directive on the

No C 132 / 12 Official Journal of the European Communities 11 ., 5 . 93

legal protection of biotechnological inventions
( COM(88 ) 496 ) ('), it appears that the Commission has
already received 23 applications to file a patent following
research funded by the Community .

Can the Commission confirm this information ?

If so :

1 . What is the subject and what are the findings of each

of these research projects ?

2 . Under which framework programmes and which

specific programmes do these projects fall ?

3 . What is the nature of the inventions which the

Commission intends to patent ?

4 . Does the Commission take account in these projects

of the ethical and social implications of the patents it
intends to apply for ?

o OJNoC 10, 13 . 1 . 1989, p. 3 .

Answer given by Mr Ruberti
on behalf of the Commission

( 24 February 1 993 )

The Commission has no power over patents .
Consequently, applications for patents are not sent direct
to the Commission . Nevertheless, the Commission
regularly receives requests for assistance to protect the
findings of research funded by the Community, notably
within the framework of the Value Programme ( Council
Decision of 20 June 1989 ) ( 1 ).

1 . In the specific case of biotechnology, 20 requests for
assistance with patents have been received . Four were
rejected after preliminary investigation . Six are being
examined by the relevant Commission departments .
Applications for patents have been filed for the other
ten . Most of the projects concern applications
designed to make agricultural production more
competitive and less harmful for the environment
( early detection, biological alternatives to chemical
methods of eradicating diseases and parasites, etc .) or
the more fundamental research conducted in the

targeted projects in the Bridge Programme, including
work on confined processes such as biocatalysis,
microbial fermentation or precision methods of
analysing how these systems operate . The results
are of relevance to various branches of the
pharmaceuticals industry, biomaterials, diagnostics
and clean production methods .

The six files under examination concern :

( 1 ) and ( 2 ) processes for controlling cattle
reproduction ;

( 3 ) eradication of parasites from a specific crop ;

( 4 ) genetic engineering processes ;

( 5 ) optimization of tree-growing ;

( 6 ) pharmaceutical process .

The ten applications for patents filed break down as
follows :

Three of the applications have already been published :

— an application for a PCT ( Patent Cooperation

Treaty ) patent on a cholera hybrid has been filed
with the European Patent Office ; it covers Austria,

Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, France, the
United Kingdom, Italy, Liechtenstein, the Grand
Duchy of Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Sweden
and the USA );

— an application for a PCT patent on a human

growth hormone has been filed with the European
Patent Office ; it covers Austria, Belgium,
Switzerland, Germany, France, the United
Kingdom, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, the Grand
Duchy of Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Sweden
and the USA ;

— an application for a PCT patent on a process for

creating modified erythrocytes and use thereof in
pharmaceutical products has been filed with the
European Patent Office ; it covers Austria,
Belgium, Canada, Switzerland, Germany,
Denmark, Spain, France, the United Kingdom,
Greece, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, the Grand
Duchy of Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Sweden
and the USA .

The unpublished applications filed concern :

— a pharmaceutical process ; an application has been

filed with the European Patent Office ; it covers
Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Spain, France, the
United Kingdom, Greece, Italy, the Grand Duchy
of Luxembourg and the Netherlands ; also,
applications for national patents have been filed in
Ireland, Japan and Portugal ;

— optimization of milk production processes ; an

application has been filed with the European
Patent Office, but the geographical scope has yet
to be finally decided ;

— diagnostic process ; an application has been filed

with the National Industrial Property Institute in

Paris but the geographical scope has yet to be
finally decided ;

— eradication of parasites from a specific crop ; an

application has been filed with the European
Patent Office but the geographical scope has yet to
be finally decided ;

— process for measurement of enzymatic reaction ;

an application has been filed with the National

11 . 5.93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 132 / 13

Industrial Property Institute in Paris but the
geographical scope has yet to be finally decided ;

— eradication of parasites from a specific crop ; an

application has been filed with the European
Patent Office but the geographical scope has yet to
be finally decided ;

— pharmaceuticals technology ; an application has

been filed with the United Kingdom Patent Office
but the geographical scope has yet to be finally
decided .

2 . Patent applications 7 and 8 come under the BAP

Programme ( Council Decision of 12 March 1985 ) ( 2 )
and application 9 comes under the Bridge Programme
( Council Decision of 27 November 1989 ) ( 3 ).

The other 13 requests for assistance all come under
specific programmes in the Second Framework
Programme :

— two applications under Bridge ( 11 and 14 );

— eight applications under Eclair (1 to 5, 12, 13 and

15 );

— two applications under Brite-Euram (6 and 16 ).

The final application ( 10 ) concerns an invention by a

research grant holder .

3 . The contents of each patent application remain

confidential until they are published, i.e. for 18
months after the date of submission . The Commission
too must keep these data confidential . It is therefore
unable to give any details, except of the three
applications which have been published .

4 . None of the patent applications filed involves human

tissue ( or parts of the genome ) covered by the 1988
Directive . What is more, the Commission always
examines the ethical, social, economic and
environmental impact of all its research programmes
on biotechnology, based on three specific measures
adopted to implement the biotechnology programme :
evaluation by independent experts of the declarations
of the social, ethical and environmental impact
attached to each research proposal ; funding of
research on biological safety ; and further exploratory
studies on the ethical, social and economic impact and
the technological risks, as an integral part of the
specific programme . Consequently, the ethical and
social implications are evaluated before any decision is
taken on patent protection for the findings . Particular
attention is paid to the need to reconcile the
protection of research findings with the Commission 's
position on the associated ethical questions

concerning the rights inherent in patents and the
ethical and environmental impact of biotechnology
inventions .

One recent example of this concern for compatibility
was the opinion submitted to the Commission by the

Committee on the Human Genome Analysis
Programme on 15 May 1992 . The Committee called
on the Commission to support the efforts to reach an
international agreement to avoid the filing of
applications for patents on cDNA sequences of
unrevealed use or function . As a result, the
Commission is conducting consultations and
discussions with the relevant international negotiating
bodies, taking account of all the Member States '
legitimate interests .

O OJ No L 200, 13.7 . 1989 .
O OJ No L 83, 25 . 5 . 1985 .
O OJ No L 360, 9 . 12 . 1989 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1167 / 92

by Mr James Moorhouse ( ED )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 15 May 1992 )

( 93 / C 132 / 21 )

Subject : European Coal and Steel Community grants to

the UK coal industry

What are the latest figures concerning European Coal and

Steel Community grants to the coal industry in the United
Kingdom ?

Answer given by Mr Christophersen

on behalf of the Commission

( 26 February 1993 )

The information requested by the Honourable Member is

given in the following tables .

The list includes, in addition to ' coal ' air proper
( redeployment aid under Article 56 ( 2 ) ( b ) and aid to
research under Article 55 ), loans to finance investment in
the coal industry ( first paragraph of Article 54 ), ' coal
consumption ' loans ( second paragraph of Article 54 ),
conversion loans ( Article 56 ) for . the financing of
job-creation schemes in ECSC areas together with the
subsidies which accompany some of these loans . Also
listed are the housing loans granted to workers in the coal
and steel industries and which, because of their social
nature are offered on particularly advantageous terms .

No C 132 / 14 Official Journal of the European Communities 11 . 5.93

I. Aid under Article 55 of the ECSC Treaty to promote
research in the coal industry in the United Kingdom

( ECU million )

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1178 / 92

by Mr Panayotis Roumeliotis ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 15 May 1992 )

198 7 8

9 ( 93 / C 132 / 22 )

1988 9

1989 10

1990 10

1991 16

II . Aid under Article 56 ( 2 ) ( b ) ( redeployment ) of the

ECSC Treaty for the coal industry in the United

Kingdom

Number of workers ECU million

1987 1 1 873 39

1988 18 496 52

1989 17 317 30

1990 24 703 46

1991 7 548 15

A further ECU 7,5 million was granted under the

RECHAR programme in 1991 for early retirement,
retraining, basic training and redeployment measures
affecting 17 791 workers, and ECU 5,5 million in 1990 for
9 634 workers .

III . ECSC loans to the United Kingdom ( disbursements )

Subject : Problems involving air links between Asia and

Europe

According to a recent statement by the representative of
the International Air Transport Association, there could
be serious disruptions to international air links between
Asia and Europe if the Commonwealth of Independent

States does not manage to preserve its unity .

The statement also said that possible obstacles to air
traffic in the former Soviet Republics ' airspace would
cause serious problems for air transport because of the
inevitable change in routes, which would overload the two
alternative air corridors and lead to a substantial increase
in the cost and duration of flights .

Is the Commission aware of these problems and how does
it intend to tackle this potential threat ?

Answer given by Mr Matutes

on behalf of the Commission

( 28 January 1993 )
( ECU million )

1987 1988 1989 1990 1991

Article 54 ( first paragraph )

( Coal ) 283,2 0 32,7 22,9 56,3
Article 54 ( second I
paragraph ) I I
( coal consumption ) 6,4 9,1 0 0 0
Article 54 ( second
paragraph )
( workers ' housing ) 3,6 3,5 2,0 1,4 8,0
Article 56 l
( conversion ) 82,7 181,5 458,4 272,6 259,9

IV . Interest rate subsidies for loans under Articles 54 and

56 ( legal commitments ) to the United Kingdom

( ECU million )

Article 54 Article 56

1987 0 8

1988 4 9

1989 0 30

1990 8 36

1991 3 23

If the CIS were to fall apart this could very well lead to
disruption of air links between Asia and Europe .

Some flights would then become international rather than
domestic ones .

The air navigation infrastructure supporting those flights
would then have to comply with the standards of the

International Civil Aviation Organization . Studies carried
out in the CIS show that air traffic management
equipment and the training of air traffic controllers do
not conform to those standards . One facet of the
technical assistance programme that the Commission has
established for the CIS republics caters for urgent civil
aviation needs .

As for the economic repercussions of any overloading of
existing air routes the Commission is comtemplating
financial help for an air traffic management master plan
which would make provision for new routes .

11.5.93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 132 / 15

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1248 / 92

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

( 21 May 1992 )

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1261 / 92

by Mr Dieter Rogalla ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

(4 June 1992 )

( 93 / C 132 / 23 ) ( 93 / C 132 / 24 )

Subject : Environmental protection in connection with

Subject : Enforcement and implementation of EC
legislation

There are frequent complaints about discrepancies in the

manner in which EC legislation is enforced and
implemented in the Member States .

1 . Is the Commission satisfied that EC legislation is
adequately implemented and enforced in all Member
States ?

2 . What steps does the Commission take to monitor

enforcement and implementation ?

3 . Do Member States incorporate EC legislation to

which they have assented in the Council into national

law with sufficient alacrity ?

4 . What action does the Commission take against

Member States who do not enforce and implement EC
legislation ?

5 . What remedies are available to the individual citizen

who feels that lack of implementation and
enforcement of EC law by a Member State of which
he is not a citizen discriminates against him or her ?

6 . Does the Commission have sufficient power to make

sure that EC law is put into effect in an even-handed
and fairway throughout the European Community ?

Answer given by Mr Delors
on behalf of the Commission

(2 March 1993 )

The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to

its Ninth Report on Monitoring the Application of
Community Law ('), and particularly to the Introduction
to it, and to the Tenth Report, which will be presented
shortly .

Regarding cases to which question 5 relates, a citizen can
address a complaint to the Commission in addition to any
remedies he may have in the national courts .

o OT No C 250, 28 . 9 . 1992 .

felling and pulp production

Environmentalists have put forward proposals to save the
Canadian and other forests .

They propose that no timber or timber products should be

allowed to be imported into the European Community
which :

— originate in primitive forests,

— are bleached with chlorine or chlorine compounds, or

— come from areas where ownership by indigenous

peoples or populations has not been settled or is not
respected .

They further propose instead that :

— such products should be obtained only from
permanently cultivated secondary forests,

— only products bleached with oxygen or . oxygen

compounds should be used or imported,

— where appropriate, products should be obtained only

from countries which respect indigenous peoples and
their land rights .

1 . Is the Commission aware of this research, and does it
agree that it would be desirable to gear economic
relations in this area gradually, and on the basis of a
multiannual plan, to these environmental
requirements ?

2 . Is the Commission prepared to submit proposals of

this kind, and, if so, when will it do so ?

Answer given by Mr Andriessen

on behalf of the Commission

( 21 December 1992 )

The Commission is aware of the proposal put forward by

environmentalists to limit imports of timber and timber
products into the Community on the basis of
environmental criteria .

It is currently not possible to distinguish between imports
of such products according to the criteria indicated ;
therefore even if it considered it appropriate to apply such
criteria to domestic and external trade in forestry
products, it would not in practice be feasible .

Furthermore, the Commission would draw the attention
of the Honourable Member to the discussion currently
under way in multilateral forums and in the Commission

NoC 132 / 16 Official Journal of the European Communities 11 . 5.93

concerning the possibility of pursuing environmental Treaty and the corresponding Articles of the other
objectives through trade measures . Community Treaties .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1416 / 92

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1425 / 92

by Mr Ernest Glinne ( S ) by Mr Reimer Boge, Mr Reinhold Bocklet,

to the Commission of the European Communities Mr Horst Langes Mr Honor Funk

by Mr Ernest Glinne ( S )

( 16 June 1992 )

Mr Horst Langes, Mr Honor Funk
and Mrs Hedwig Keppelhoff-Wiechert ( PPE )

( 93 / C 132 / 25 ) to the Commission of the European Communities

( 16 June 1992 )

Subject : ' Disappearance ' of information on drugs ( 93 / C 132 / 26 )
trafficking and the laundering of drugs money in
Switzerland

Subject : Food aid for Russia

The publishing house of Favre has published a
very substantial volume entitled ' Contre-enquete '
( Counter-inquiry ) by journalists Pascal Auchlin and
Frank Garbely ; it makes extraordinary reading, even after
the work by Professor Jean Ziegler ' La Suisse lave plus
blanc ' ( Switzerland washes whiter ).

This book by the two journalists is almost unobtainable : it
seems that after the publishing house succumbed to
pressure copies of the book that had been actually
produced were withdrawn from circulation by very
suspicious largescale purchases, presumably by the drugs
trafficking networks .

Will the Commission provide answers to the following

questions :

1 . Has it obtained a copy of this work ? If not, why not ?

If so, what conclusions does it draw ? Have the
Commission 's Information Offices acquired copies ?

2 . Apart from the fact that this book is not available in

bookshops, has the Commission met with any
additional difficulties in obtaining this book ?

3 . What conclusions can be drawn from the cases of
Adams, Ziegler and Auchlin and Garbely as regards
the apparent restriction of freedom of expression in
Switzerland ? Will this have any repercussions On
negotiations on the possible accession of the Swiss
Confederation to the European Community ?

Answer given by Mr Andriessen

on behalf of the Commission

( 2 December 1 992 )

The Commission has not purchased the work in question .
It is not the Commission 's policy to purchase
systematically all new works that are published .

The Commission 's position in respect of Switzerland 's

application for membership of the Community will be set
out in the Opinion which it has been asked by the Council
to deliver in accordance with Article 237 of the EEC

The decline in food consumption has assumed alarming

dimensions among the poor people in Russia .

In the first quarter of 1992 agricultural production fell by
between 20 % and 25 % compared with the previous year .
Over the same period prices rose by between 1 100 % and

1 200% .

Food consumption during the same period in Russia fell
by between 10 to 12% ; this figure reached 30 to 40% in
the case of sugar, meat, cheese and sausages .

Furthermore, World Bank experts expect a decline of
approximately 25% in cereal production during the

current year .

Can the Commission confirm these figures which
emerged at a conference on reform strategies in the food
sector in Moscow ?

What consequences does it draw from this as regards the

need to plan and implement technical and food aid for
Russia and other CIS states in good time ?

To what extent can the aid programmes already decided

on and under way stabilize this situation, particularly for
the poorer sectors of the population ?

Answer given by Sir Leon Brittan

on behalf of the Commission

(2 March 1993 )

The Commission is aware of the fall in agricultural
production and the change in food intake patterns in
Russia and the other states of the former Soviet Union .
This is an almost inevitable effect of the current process of
economic reform and the break-up in economic and trade
relations between the old Soviet republics in particular .

In its cooperation programmes with these republics, the
Commission has given priority to the issues referred to by

11.5.93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 132 / 17

the Honourable Member : the decline in agricultural
output, the problem of supplying food and the human
cost of reform .

In 1991, ECU 74 million or around 20 % of Community
technical assistance was granted to projects for improving
food distribution . The programming for 1992 is now
complete and the projects are under way . Programming
for 1993, 1994 and 1995 is now in hand .

As regards food aid, an initial consignment worth ECU

250 million was distributed from 1991 onwards to Russia
( 50 % ) and the other republics to meet the immediate
requirements of the most needy . The aid for all republics
except those in Central Asia in now being shipped by
non-governmental organizations .

A second instalment of ECU 200 million ( equivalent to

about 155 000 tonnes of foodstuffs ) was approved in
December 1991, initially to ensure a more regular supply
to Moscow and St Petersburg . With the exception of ECU

5 million of foodstuffs, which were sent as emergency aid
between Christmas and the arrival of standard food aid

and distributed free of charge, the food is sold at market
prices and the income from it placed in a counterpart fund
to enable the municipal authorities to carry out welfare
programmes . The impact on the recipients of this
programme ( welfare institutions and the elderly in
particular ) in the selected areas is considerable . The
income of retired people in Moscow, for example, who
are among the least well off, has risen by 50 % over the
programme 's period of operation .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1451 / 92

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

( 16 June 1992 )

( 93 / C 132 / 27 )

Subject : Protection of the Gulf of Volos

establish whether it meets the legal requirements, does the
Commission intend to take any action to protect the Gulf
of Volos ?

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission

( 24 February 1993 )

The Honourable Member 's query relates to the pollution
of the Gulf of Volos by effluent from the Hadzidima
treatment plant in Larisa . His account suggests the waste
in question is industrial in origin, in which case Directive
76 / 464 / EEC (') on substances discharged into the
aquatic environment of the Community applies .

The Commission will be asking the national authorities

for details on the pollution of the Gulf of Volos and the
measures being taken under Directive 76 / 464 / EEC . It
will inform the Honourable Member as soon as possible

of the results of its enquiries and of any steps it thinks to
take in the light thereof .

o OJ No L 129, 18 . 5 . 1976 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1768 / 92
by Mrs Carmen Diez de Rivera Icaza ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

(2 July 1992 )

( 93 / C 132 / 28 )

Subject : Drying out of the Mercadal wetlands for the

enlargement of a golf course ( Balearic Islands,
Spain )

1 . Can the Commission say whether the drying out of
the Albufera de Mercadal wetlands for the enlargement of
a golf course and residential development is in accordance
with the spirit and letter of Directive 79 / 409 / EEC O, the

Berne Convention and the Directive on habitats ?

The Magnesia section of the Technical Chamber of

2 . Can the Commission request information from the
Balearic Islands Autonomous Community ( Spain ) on this
matter, since this project is also affecting numerous
species listed in Annex 1 to the directive on the
conservation of wild birds referred to above ?

Greece recently called for the authorities to intervene and
to the take Gulf such of legal Volos measures from waste as were emanating necessary from to protect the matter species, listed since this in Annex project 1 is

conservation of wild birds

Hadzidima industrial plant of Larisa . Given that the
Greek authorities have so far failed to check the
specifications of the purification system of this plant and o OJ No L 103, 25 . 4 . 1979, p. 1 .

No C 132 / 18 Official Journal of the European Communities 11 . 5 . 93

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission

( 19 February 1993 )

The Mercadal-lagoon wetland has not been classified as a

special protection area and has not been identified as an
area of Community interest as regards the protection of
wild birds within the European Community under

Directive 79 / 409 / EEC .

At the time of the conclusion of the Berne Convention the

Council declared that the accession of the Community to
the Convention was only for the subjects covered by
Community competence . At that time the Community
competence in the area of the Berne Convention was
limited to Directive 79 / 409 / EEC on the conservation of

wild birds .

It has been extended by Directive 92 / 43 / EEC to the
preservation of habitats ; however Member States have
until 21 May 1994 to adopt national legislation
transposing the Directive . Until then the provisions of the
Directive are not applicable .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1818 / 92
by Mr Victor Manuel Arbeloa Muru ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

(6 July 1992 )

( 93 / C 132 / 29 )

Subject : Non-commercial cultural exchanges

What kinds of non-commercial cultural exchanges does
the Commission propose to support in order to help
establish a favourable climate for the development of
culture in Europe ?

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro

on behalf of the Commission

( 18 February 1993 )

In his question the Honourable Member must have in
mind, though he does not mention it, the new Article 128
( referring to ' non-commercial cultural exchanges ') which
was incorporated in the EC Treaty by the Treaty on
European Union signed in Maastricht on 7 February

1992 .

On this particular point, as on the other matters covered
by Article 128, the Commission has transmitted to
Parliament, the Council and the Economic and Social
Committee a communication entitled ' New prospects for
Community cultural action ' ( x ).

O COM(92 ) 149 final .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1921 / 92

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

( 23 July 1992 )

( 93 / C 132 / 30 )

Subject : Protection of biotopes of rare birds of prey

The Dadias-Soufliou forest was designated a protected

area in 1980 since it is the most important nesting area of
birds of prey in Europe . It has the largest number of
species throughout Europe . 36 of the 38 species having
been observed in this biotope and 26 of them nesting
there . In 1987, the biotope was included in the network
of specially protected areas under Council Directive
79 / 409 / EEC (*) on the conservation of wild birds . From

1986 onwards protection of this biotope was funded from
the ACE, IMP and ACNAT programmes and is now
being funded under the Regional Development

programmes .

Recently an asphalt works extending over an area of 40
ares has been set up, with the authorization of the
Prefecture of Evros, a few metres from the boundary of
the strictly protected zone and within the outer periphery
of the protected zone . The plant is now requesting
authorization for establishing itself permanently and
purchase crushing plant . This is one of the most polluting
types of plant and the noise from the machinery and the
passage of large vehicles will create a major problem for
the rare birds of prey within this biotope .

What steps will the Commission take to implement
Community environmental policy on the protection of the
biotope in respect of Dadias-Soufliou and to have the
asphalt plant removed ?

o OJ No L 103, 25 . 4 . 1979, p. 1 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2069 / 92

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

( 1 September 1992 )

( 93 / C 132 / 31 )

Subject : Refuge for birds of prey in the forest of Dadia

( Evros )

One of the most beautiful forests in Greece, the forest of
Dadia near the village of Kornofolia ( Souflio ) in the
Prefecture of Evros — which is perhaps the most
important refuge for birds of prey in Europe — is under
threat owing to the recent establishment of an
asphalt-producing plant in the area . According to Greek
newspaper reports, the noise made by the machines and
the passage of large vehicles disturb the nesting of these
rare birds of prey and the only solution would be to make
the forest a protected area and reestablish this plant
elsewhere . Does the Commission intend to consider how

11 . 5.93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 132 / 19

it can effectively protect this refuge for birds of prey in the
Forest of Dadia ?

Joint answer to Written Questions

Nos 1921 / 92 and 2069 / 92

given by Mr Van Miert
on behalf of the Commission

( 11 December 1 992 )

In 1986 and 1992 the Commission granted financial aid
totalling ECU 650 000 towards the conservation of the
Dadia-Soufli forest, a special protection area under
Directive 79 / 409 / EEC .

The Commission will examine the most recent of these
projects, being carried out under the auspices of the
Greek WWF, to attempt to obtain more information on
the situation brought to light by the Honourable
Members, in order to ascertain whether the protection of
the biotope in question is compromised . If so, it will
ensure that Community legislation is complied with .

Is the Commission aware that there have already been

31 cases where standards have been allowed to be
exceeded including a derogation for the pesticides
Atrazine / Simazine for the Antwerpse Waterwerken

( AW — Antwerp water board ) and a derogation for
Atrazine for the Stedelijke Waterdienst ( municipal
water board ) of Ypres ( Dikkebus )?

4 . What steps does the Commission intend to take in

view of the continuing increase in the number of
derogations ?

What specific steps does the Commission intend to
take with regard to the two cases mentioned ( AWW
and Ypres )?

O OJ No C 136, 27 . 5 . 1991, p . 25 .
O OJNoL229, 30 . 8 . 1980, p . 11 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2601 / 92

by Mr Paul Staes ( V )
to the Commission of the European Communities

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1944 / 92 ( 27 October 1992 )

by Mr Paul Staes ( V ) ( 93 / C 132 / 33 )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 1 September 1 992 )

( 93 / C 132 / 32 ) Subject : Quality of drinking water in Belgium

Subject : Infringements of the Directive relating to
the quality of water intended for human
consumption

In its answer of 28 February 1991 to my Written Question
No 2967 / 90 (') the Commission mentioned the decision
of 2 July 1990 by the Flemish Regional Authority ( Belgian
Official Journal of 7 August 1990, p. 15408 ), applicable in
the region of Flanders ( Belgium ) with respect to
derogations from drinking water standards .

The Commission rightly maintains that as a result of this

decision the maximum admissible concentrations
( Annex I ) established in Directive 80 / 778 / EEC ( 2 ) are
exceeded, this being particularly the case for the pesticides
Atrazine and Simazine .

1 . In its answer of 28 February 1991 the Commission

announced that as a result of these infringements
proceedings were being instituted against Belgium . At
that time these proceedings were in their initial stages .
Can the Commission say what stage these proceedings
have reached ?

2 . Can the Commission say what stage the other

proceedings due to inadequate implementation in
Belgium of Directive 80 / 778 / EEC have reached ?

3 . Pursuant to the Flemish Regional Authority decision

of 15 March 1988, drinking water companies may be
granted derogations from drinking water standards .

Council Directive 80 / 778 / EEC of 15 July 1980 concerns
the quality of water intended for human consumption .
Article 10 ( 1 ) stipulates that the competent national
authorities may, for a limited period of time and up to a
maximum value to be determined by them, allow the
maximum admissible concentration shown in Annex I to
be exceeded, provided that this does not constitute an
unacceptable risk to public health .

However, in a ministerial decision of 2 July 1990, the
Flemish Minister for the Environment granted the water
company ' Antwerpse Waterwerken ' a 2-year exemption
from the values for atrazine and simazine . For atrazine
the company was allowed to exceed the norm by a factor
of 10 and for simazine by a factor of 5 . These are clearly
concentrations which many experts believe could
represent a public health risk .

Recently this exemption was extended for two more years
( ministerial decision of 26 July 1992 ). What is involved
here is clearly not a limited period of time but a four-year
exemption .

Does the Commission share my view that the ministerial
decisions of 2 July 1990 and 26 July 1992 constitute
infringements of Community Directive 80 / 778 / EEC in
that the period of time involved is not limited and

No C 132 / 20 Official Journal of the European Communities 11 . 5.93

concentrations are allowed which could entail a public
health risk ?

If so, what steps has the Commission taken in response to
these infringements ?

Joint answer to Written Questions

Nos 1944 / 92 and 2601 / 92

given by Mr Paleokrassas
on behalf of the Commission

( 15 March 1993 )

The proceedings referred to in the Commission 's answer

to Written Question No 2967 / 90 is at the formal notice
stage and concern the derogations granted in 1990 .

There are no other proceedings under way with regard to
the inadequate implementation of Directive 80 / 778 / EEC
by Belgium .

The Belgian authorities recently informed the
Commission of nine derogations granted in 1992 to
certain water companies / The Commission is examining
these cases and will ask the Belgian authorities about any
other non-notified cases .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1956 / 92

by Mrs Raymonde Dury ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 1 September 1 992 )

( 93 / C 132 / 34 )

Subject : Emergency aid and infrastructures

Emergency aid to countries suffering from famine
appears to meet with serious obstacles because of the poor
quality or indeed absence of access and transport
infrastructures . Does the Commission support structural
projects aimed at solving this problem ? If so, which
projects does it support ?

Answer given by Mr Marin
on behalf of the Commission

( 16 February 1993 )

Large-scale Community cooperation programmes with
developing countries ( Yaounde and Lome Conventions,
Mediterranean agreements, ALA cooperation
programmes ) have always included improvement of
economic and transport infrastructure as a major aim .
There have been thousands of such projects, too many in
fact to list them all here .

However, as regards the famine affecting many African
and other countries, the Commission would stress that
structural projects are no quick answer to the
shortcomings of the port and transport infrastructure in
some countries . The only real swift remedy is to dispatch
specific shipments of materials, including spare parts,
tarpaulins, and maintenance equipment such as fork lifts
and palettes .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 1982 / 92

by Mr Yves Verwaerde ( LDR )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 1 September 1 992 )

( 93 / C 132 / 35 )

Subject : Action to establish failure to fulfil obligations

and implementation of corresponding judgments
of the Court of Justice

Following the eighth annual report to the European
Parliament on Commission monitoring of the application
of Community law, can the Commission say whether the
trend towards an increase in the number of actions to

establish the failure of Member States to fulfil their
Community obligations has continued ?

Moreover, does the increasingly frequent failure of
Member States to implement jugdments in this
connection threaten to undermine the full and uniform
application of Community law ?

Answer given by Mr Delors
on behalf of the Commission

( 24 February 1 993 )

The Honourable Member 's attention is drawn to the

ninth annual report on Commission monitoring of the
application of Community law ( l ), which shows that the
number of actions to establish failure by Member States
to fulfil their Community obligations is decreasing .

Failure by Member States to comply with rulings finding
that they have defaulted on their Community obligations
undermines the credibility of the Community of law . It is
for this reason that the new formulation of Article 171 of
the EC Treaty as amended by the Treaty on European
Union will empower the Court to impose the payment of a
lump sum or a penalty payment on any Member State
which, having been found guilty of defaulting on its
obligations, fails to abide by the ruling of the Court .

O COM(92 ) 136 final .

11 . 5.93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 132 / 21

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2100 / 92
by Mrs Teresa Domingo Segarra ( GUE )
to the Commission of the European Communities

(1 September 1992 )

( 93 / C 132 / 36 )

Subject : Xenophobic attacks in Spain

Two racist attacks have recently jeopardized the peaceful

coexistence of two population groups in Spain, namely :

— the attack in Fraga ( Huesca ) on the night of 27 June

1992 by some 20 or so people of extreme right-wing
views against six immigrants while they were sleeping,
thereby causing some 200 temporary workers who had
come to pick fruit to leave,

— the attempted attack by 100 Spanish legionaries ( of

the Cuarta Bandera del tercio Duque de Alba II ) in the
Muslim district of Los Rosales ( Ceuta ) in the early
hours of 29 June 1992 .

These outbreaks of xenophobia may be a sign of things to

come in Spain unless suitable measures are taken .

With this mind, can the Commission request the Spanish

authorities to :

1 . step up preventive programmes encouraging peaceful

coexistence and integration of immigrants in local
life ?

2 . take stock of the implementation in Spain of the

recommendations contained in the Interinstitutional
Declaration Against Racism and Xenophobia adopted
by the European Community in 1986 ?

field . It is in fact up to the Member States to transpose
both Declarations on fundamental rights and the
Resolution on the fight against racism and xenophobia
into concrete action and into new operational initiatives .

Indeed the clauses in the inter-institutional declaration
against racism and xenophobia of 1986 are valuable as an
important statement of principle, but are devoid of
quantifiable recommendations which would enable a
meaningful balance of resulting actions to be drawn up .

The Declaration of the European Council in Maastricht,

on 9 and 10 December 1992 equally ' considers it necessary
that the Governments and Parliaments of the Member
States should act clearly and unambiguously to counter
the growth of sentiments and manifestations of racism
and xenophobia '.

The Commission, for its part, uses every means at its

disposal and in particular, supports and funds
programmes to combat racism and to sustain integration
programmes for immigrants and ethnic minorities .

For 1991 — 1992, Spanish non-governmental
organizations have asked and obtained funding for a total
of a third of a million ECU .

Concerning Spanish programmes and policies dealing
with integration of immigrants, the Commission would

recall to the Honourable Member that Spain created in
May 1992 an Interministerial Commission which, among
other things, is in charge of giving impulse to an effective
application of foreigners ' social, economic and civil
rights, and promoting dialogue and information with all
relevant partners . A sub-committee is in charge of social
integration, including the necessary means to combat
racism and xenophobia, and the Commission is convinced
that its working programme will quickly become
operational .

Answer given by Mr Flynn
on behalf of the Commission o OJNoC 289, 5 . 11 . 1992 .

( 22 February 1993 )

The Commission would draw the attention of the

Honourable Member to the joint answer to Written
Questions Nos 1214 / 92 and 1215 / 92 by Mrs
Cassanmagno Cerretti and others ('). The Commission
takes the opportunity to express again its conviction that
there is a need for constant vigilance to ensure that racist,
xenophobic and antisemitic movements, acts and attitudes

are kept in check .

Nevertheless, it is essential to repeat that the competences
which have been granted to the Community in this field

are limited, and that the main responsibility is borne by
the Member States .

It is significant in this respect that the declaration of 1986
mentioned by the Honourable Member was not only
signed by the Community institutions but also by the
Member States, who have a clear responsibility in this

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2154 / 92

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

(1 September 1992 )

( 93 / C 132 / 37 )

Subject : Implementation of environmental legislation

Can the Commission confirm its continued commitment
to control of the implementation of Community
environmental legislation as described in the eighth and
ninth annual reports from the Commission to Parliament ?

No C 132 / 22 Official Journal of the European Communities 11 . 5 . 93

Answer given by Mr Delors
on behalf of the Commission

(2 March 1993 )

Yes, the Commission will continue to control the
implementation of Community environmental legislation
as described in the eighth and ninth annual reports from
the Commission to Parliament and will urge Member
States to make a greater effort to fulfil their transposition,
implementation and control obligations .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2169 / 92

by Mr Manfred Vohrer ( LDR )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 1 September 1 992 )

( 93 / C 132 / 38 )

Subject : Extension of the Human Capital and Mobility

Programme to the whole of Europe

Following the great academic and social success of the
First European Congress of Mathematicians at the
Sorbonne in Paris, can the Commission say to what extent
the Human Capital and Mobility Programme could be
extended on an informal basis beyond the borders of the
Community to Europe as a whole ?

Answer given by Mr Ruberti
on behalf of the Commission

(1 March 1993 )

The Commission gave financial support to the first

European Congress of Mathematics held in Paris last
July .

The extension of cooperation under the Human Capital

and Mobility programme beyond the boundaries of the
European Community is well under way . Provided that
the Treaty on the European Economic Area is ratified,
Finland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Austria, Sweden and
Iceland will be able to participate fully in the Human

- Capital and Mobility programme . In the meantime,

researchers and scientific organizations established in
those and in other European third countries can
participate in the programme on a project-by-project
basis . These researchers or organizations will not,
however, receive any funding from the Community .

Researchers and scientific organizations established in
Central and Eastern European countries can also
participate in projects within the Human Capital and
Mobility programme . However, since it would be more
difficult for such participants to support entirely their

share, financial help for such applications can be drawn
from the Community budget line ( B6-8203 ) ' Cooperation
in Science and Technology with Central and Eastern
European countries '.

The Community system of research training under the
Human Capital and Mobility programme is open to all
natural persons resident in the European Community and
is thus not limited to nationals of Community Member
States .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2269 / 92

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

(1 September 1992 )

( 93 / C 132 / 39 )

Subject : Current low rapeseed prices

1 . Is the Commission aware of the recent slump of
rapeseed prices on the exchanges with the price falling in
the Netherlands to about 30 cents / kg ?

2 . Can the Commission offer any explanation for this
drop in prices which is very detrimental to farmers ?

3 . Does the Commission possess any information
indicating that the trade is possibly anticipating the price
reduction of the ' Mac Sharry reform '?

4 . Does the Commission possess any information
indicating that the situation is being affected by
monopolistic price manipulation, e.g. by a number of
large firms that dominate the vegetable oils market ?

5 . The Commission has proposed a compensatory
amount per hectare based on a price of 43 cents / kg . This
means that the present exchange price is 13 cents lower .
What rapeseed price does the Commission now intend to
take as the basis for the fixing of the level of
compensation ?

6 . Does the Commission not fear that these low
rapeseed prices will cause farmers to sow cereals on a
massive scale thus creating even greater cereals surpluses
and giving rise to the possibility of a shortage of vegetable
oils ?

Answer given by Mr Mac Sharry

on behalf of the Commission

( 5 January 1 993 )

Following the opinions of the European Parliament in
December 1991, with effect from 1 July 1992, the support
arrangements for producers of oilseeds ( rapeseed,
sunflower seed, soya beans ) have been fundamentally
changed, as provided for by Council Regulation ( EEC )

11 . 5.93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 132 / 23

No 3766 / 91 O. The objective and the result of this
change were expected to lead to free market prices for
oilseeds . The support of EC farmers ' incomes is now
provided by the provisions of the new legislation .

1 . The Commission is aware that following the reform

approved by the Council in December 1991, the
market price of rapeseed produced within the
European Community has fallen to world market
price levels . The same decision provided for
substantial direct payments for producers, in order to
compensate farmers for the expected loss in income on
a flat rate basis .

2 . Following from its international obligations, the

Community agreed to alter the EC producer price
support arrangements for oilseeds ( rapeseed,
sunflower, soya beans ) i.e. to abolish the price support
arrangements . The support arrangements had
provided high market prices for EC produced
rapeseed and the abolition of these support
arrangements has naturally led to lower market prices
for EC producers of oilseed to world market price
movements . The incomes of EC producers are
protected by the new system of direct payments to
producers .

3 . The new market situation for oilseed reflects the new

legislative situation for oilseeds which took effect on 1
July 1992 .

4 . The Commission has no information available which

would support such an allegation .

5 . The mechanism by which the Commission may adjust

the level of direct payments to producers of oilseed is
described in Regulation ( EEC ) No 3766 / 91 . The
direct payments to individual farmers may be reduced
pro-rata if the area planted to oilseed exceeds the
Maximum Guaranteed Areas specified in the
legislation . Moreover if average prices deviate from
the range specified in the legislation ( 163 ECU / t plus
or minus 8 % ) a partial correction to the aid payments
may be made . The Commission will, in conformity
with this legislation publish the relevant amounts

( including any necessary explanation ) in January 1993 .

6 . Plantings of arable crops for harvest in 1993 will be

influenced by the new support arrangements for
arable crops ( Regulation ( EEC ) No 1765 / 92 ) ( 2 )
which, following the opinion of the European
Parliament, were adopted by the Council on 30 June

1992 .

This reform   - is intended to reduce the production of

cereals by requiring commercial farmers who wish to
benefit from the new direct payments system to
set-aside a proportion of their arable land ; for the
present this has been fixed at 15% from the 1993
harvest onwards .

The volume of availability of vegetable oils is such that

the risk of a ' shortage ' may be discounted in the short
to medium term ; traditionally the European
Community has imported a substantial proportion of

its vegetable oil requirements, either in the form of oil
bearing seeds or as oilseeds .

O OJNoL356, 24 . 12 . 1991 .
O OJNoL 181, 1.7 . 1992 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2320 / 92

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

(8 September 1992 )

( 93 / C 132 / 40 )

Subject : Protection against fraud

What proposals does the Commission intend to bring
forward to help afford greater protection against fraud
for those who are involved in activities in the financial
services sector with unlimited liability, such as Names at
Lloyd 's of London ?

Answer given by Sir Leon Brittan

on behalf of the Commission

(7 December 1992 )

As regards insurance activities the Commission for the
time being has no intention to bring forward proposals
additional to those already made . In particular, no
specific measures for Names at Lloyd 's of London or
others with unlimited liability in the field of insurance are
foreseen .

Furthermore, no specific measures, beyond the general
supervisory rules, have been brought forward or planned
for banking or investment activities involving unlimited
liability .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2372 / 92

by Mr John Tomlinson ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 23 September 1 992 )

( 93 / C 132 / 41 )

Subject : Community dairy policy

There is currently a shortage of skimmed-milk powder in
the Community and the price for - the 20 % of
skimmed-milk powder that is used in the Community for
human consumption has risen by over 10% in the last few
months .

Does the Commission accept that the first priority in the
skimmed milk powder sector is to ensure that supplies are
freely available at all times to maximize sales to the very

NoC 132 / 24 Official Journal of the European Communities 11.5.93

limited full price domestic market and that any shortfall
should be met by cutting back the 80% or so that is
disposed of at highly subsidized prices for animal feed,
casein production or export in bulk ?

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2373 / 92

by Mr John Tomlinson ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 23 September 1 992 )

( 93 / C 132 / 42 )

Subject : Community dairy policy

What percentage of Community skimmed-milk powder is
currently sold for human consumption within the
Community without any form of aid ?

What percentage is sold for :

1 . Animal feed, and what is the level of aid ?

2 . Casein manufacture, and what is the level of aid ?

3 . Export in bulk, and what is the level of aid ?

How do current prices for skimmed-milk powder for
domestic human consumption compare with those six
months ago, 12 months ago and the intervention level ?

Joint answer to Written Questions

Nos 2372 / 92 and 2373 / 92

given by Mr Steichen
on behalf of the Commission

(9 February 1993 )

The Commission can certainly endorse the Honourable

Member 's statement on priorities for the use of
skimmed-milk powder, but would like to remark that it
has only limited direct impact on the effective use of
skimmed-milk powder in the different areas of
consumption . In the case of sales from public intervention
stocks the Commission can, to some extent, regulate the
use of these products . In all other cases the impact is
indirect, as subsidized uses compete on the market with
unsubsidized uses .

Therefore, when market prices are increasing, subsidy
rates are cut so as to reduce pressure on the market . The
reductions implemented since June 1992 amount to 7% as
regards the export refund, to 8 % for animal feed uses and
to 12% for casein production .

Further measures may be decided if this should become
necessary or desirable on the basis of market
developments .

However, it should be underlined that the global supply
and demand situation for skimmed-milk powder is such
that too drastic subsidy reductions would inevitably lead
to the building up of new stockpiles, a situation which the
Commission clearly wishes to avoid .

The data requested by the Honourable Member are listed
below ; for reasons of comparison, quantities of liquid
skimmed milk used for the manufacture of casein, as well
as the corresponding aid level, are expressed in powder
equivalent .

As regards market prices for skimmed-milk powder,
prices noted in August 1992 were in average some 5%
higher than six months before, som 7% higher than in
August 1991 and some 10% above the intervention
purchase price .

Quantity
( 000 tonnes of SMP )

Actual aid level

Human

consumption 350 O 350 O 0

(*) Estimated .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2404 / 92

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

(6 October 1992 )

( 93 / C 132 / 43 )

Subject : Proposals for a forum to promote scientific

cooperation between the EC and Japan

Can the Commission provide information on the scope of
the EC-Japan Forum on Science and Technology, the
creation of which was agreed on at the second meeting of
the EC / Japan summit held in London on 4 July 1992 ?

Answer given by Mr Ruberti
on behalf of the Commission

( 23 February 1993 )

The idea of organizing a Forum on Science and
Technology was proposed by the Japanese Government

and has been accepted in principle by the Commission .

January /
December

1991

January /
December

1992

( ECU / 1 00 kg SMP )

Animal feed 856 810 60

Casein manufacture 350 455 69

Export
— total

— of which in bulk

253

243

370 O

360 O

65

65

11.5.93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 132 / 25

This principle was reaffirmed in the communique issued package ' concerning the Cohesion Fund intended to

at the end of the summit meeting held on 4 July 1992 finance a number of environmental protection projects ?
between the Presidents of the Council and of the
Commission and the Japanese Prime Minister .

On the practical side, several rounds of discussions have
been held between the Commission departments
concerned and representatives of the Japanese
Government to define the framework, form and detailed
arrangements for the Forum . Agreement has been reached
on the following points :

— The inaugural meeting of the Forum will be chaired

jointly by the member of the Commission responsible
for RTD activities and the Japanese Minister of
Foreign Affairs ( the Japanese side needs the
Gaimmusho in the chair to ensure the essential
coordination between the agencies and ministries
concerned ). Subsequent meetings will be held at
Director   - General level . Progress reports on the results
of the Forum will be submitted at the regular meetings
of the existing bilateral bodies on relations between
the EC and Japan .

— The general objective of the Forum is to promote a

fuller understanding of each side 's RTD policies and
of the measures taken to implement them and to
pinpoint opportunities for cooperation on R&D in the
fields for which the Commission and the Japanese
Government are responsible .

— The agenda will include general matters ( RTD policy,

ongoing cooperation and prospects ) plus more
specific issues ( megaprojects, cooperation with the
countries of Central and Eastern Europe, mobility of
scientists, application and dissemination of research
findings, and technological infrastructure ).

Answer

( 14 April 1993 )

As the Honourable Member will be aware, the Edinburgh
European Council, in the context of its conclusions on the
financing of the Community for the period 1993 — 1999,
reached agreement on the main elements of the future
Cohesion Fund . That Fund, the resources of which will
total 15 150 MECUs, will provide financial support in
Spain, Greece, Ireland and Portugal for, inter alia,
environmental projects contributing to the achievement
of the objectives of Article 130 R of the Treaty, including
projects resulting from measures adopted pursuant to
Article 130 S of the Treaty . The Community cofinancing
rate for such projects will be between 80 and 85 % .

The Honourable Member will have also noted that the

European Council, pending the entry into force of the
Maastricht Treaty, invited the Commission to put
forward, and the Council to adopt, before 1 April 1993, a
proposal for an interim instrument, based on Article 235
of the EEC Treaty, permitting financial support to the
countries concerned in the areas to be covered by the new
Cohesion Fund . Such a proposal has been submitted by
the Commission and is currently being examined by the
Council .

The Council looks to the European Parliament to play its

part in ensuring that the interim instrument will be
adopted in timely fashion .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2678 / 92

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2679 / 92
by Mr Jesús Cabezón Alonso ( S )

by Mr Jesús Cabezón Alonso ( S )
to the Council of the European Communities

to the Council of the European Communities
( 27 October 1992 )

- ( 93 / C 132 / 44 ) ( 27 October 1992 )

( 93 / C 132 / 45 )

Subject : Environment and public expenditure

The current presidency of the Council has expressed its

interest in protecting the environment .

Environmental protection policies are costly and
sometimes difficult .

The difficulties increase with the need for certain Member

States to limit their public expenditure .

What stance will the Council . Presidency adopt with

regard to the proposals contained in the ' Delors II

Subject : Measures to combat unemployment and poverty

The ratification of the Treaty on European Union has

given rise to a number of concerns about the
shortcomings of current Community social policy .

Many Community citizens are suffering the effects of
unemployment and poverty .

What steps will the current presidency take to coordinate

measures to combat unemployment and poverty in the
Community ?

No C 132 / 26 Official Journal of the European Communities 11 . 5 . 93

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2971 / 92

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

( 24 November 1 992 )

( 93 / C 132 / 46 )

Subject : Unemployment in the Community

The consequences of the economic crisis are being
increasingly reflected in employment . Many Community
Member States are already introducing severe austerity
measures and companies are shedding jobs . The number
of unemployed in the Community, which, in 1990, was
approximately 12 million, now exceeds 14 million . Will
the Council stress the importance of reducing
unemployment in the Community as an essential aspect of
social cohesion and what steps will it take to alleviate the
impact of the economic crisis on employment in the
immediate future ?

Joint answer
to Written Questions Nos 2679 / 92 and 2971 / 92

( 15 April 1993 )

Following an agreement reached at the Council meeting
on Social Affairs on 3 December 1992, the Council
formally adopted on 21 December 1992 a resolution on
the need to tackle the serious and deteriorating
unemployment situation in the Community .

As regards the measures and initiatives recommended in
the resolution, the Honourable Member is requested to
refer to the text published in Official Journal of the
European Communities No C 49 of 19 February 1993 .

The Honourable Member 's attention is also drawn to the
plan of action by the Member States and the Community
to promote growth and to combat unemployment
established at the European Council meeting in
Edinburgh .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 2703 / 92

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

( 29 October 1992 )

( 93 / C 132 / 47 )

Subject : Illegal transactions involving the cultural
heritage

There has been a public debate in Greece recently about
taxation of the former royal family . In the agreement due

for ratification drawn up on this matter the Greek
government has ceded the entire area of the old town of
Corfu ( otherwise known as mon Repos ) to ex-king
Constantine . On the basis of archaeological finds and
scientific studies archaeologists claim that this is the site
of the urban and administrative centre and the ancient
acropolis of the Phaeacians .

In view of the fact that :

1 . this prime archaeological site constitutes the cultural

heritage of Europe as a whole and not of individuals,

2 . there is no provisions in either the European
Convention on the protection of the archaeological
heritage ratified by Greece on 20 July 1981 or the
Commission communication to the Council on the
protection of national treasures possessing artistic,
historic or archaeological value (*) allowing
archaeological sites to be subject to transactions and

agreements,

3 . Corfu municipal council decided unanimously on 24

September 1992 to oppose the cession of the old town
to the former king and,

4 . there are strong legal doubts about the ownership of

this site since according to a Corfu provincial council
document of 1 June 1864, the site of the old town was
ceded to the royal family of the day for their use and
not as their property and therefore no individual
property rights can be recognized over the local

government,

will the Council say :

1 . whether this behaviour by the Greek authorities is

compatible with the provisions of the above
communication on the protection of national
treasures and

2 . whether this flagrant violation of the rights of the

local government and the wilful refusal to consider its
position in this matter is compatible with the role that
local government is called on to play — a role which
will be further strengthened if the Maastricht Treaty
comes into force — in regard to town and country
planning and cultural development ?

O COM(89 ) 594 final .

Answer

( 14 April 1993 )

1 . In the communication referred to by the
Honourable Member the Commission proposed
guidelines with a view to reconciling, in preparation for
the completion of the internal market, the principle of the
free movement of cultural goods with maintaining the
right of the Member States, in accordance with Article 36
of the EEC Treaty, to define and protect their national
treasures possessing artistic, historic or archaeological
value . The communication does not concern cases such as
that referred to by the Honourable Member, which do
not fall within Community competence, according to the
Treaties and the secondary legislation currently in force .

With regard to the protection of cultural goods, on 9

December 1992 the Council adopted Regulation ( EEC )

11 . 5.93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 132 / 27

No 3911 / 92 on the export of cultural goods and a
common position on the Directive on the return of
cultural objects unlawfully removed from the territory of
a Member State .

2 . In any case the Council does not comment on the
domestic policy of the Member States and cannot give
views either on issues falling within their sole competence,
or on international Conventions to which the Community
is not a party .

WRITTENQUESTION No 2738 / 92

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

( 16 November 1992 )

( 93 / C 132 / 48 )

Subject : Recycling of household waste

The British Government has recently stated its intention
to achieve a rate of recycling of household waste of 25 %
by the year 2000 . This target has been criticized by several
sectors, including waste management contractors
and local authorities, as being unachievable unless
government support is given to recycling projects which
currently suffer because of the lack of markets for
recycling material, particularly waste paper .

Can the Council advise of any intentions during the
present Presidency to take measures to support markets
for recyclable material such as waste paper, so that
schemes which throughout the UK are losing money at an
alarming rate can return to something approaching
profitability . By way of illustration, I have been advised
by Ettrick and Lauderdale District Council, which has
responsibility for a wide range of services in a rural part of
my constituency, that their waste paper recovery scheme
this year is expected to lose between £ 40 000 and
£ 50 000, which is equivalent to almost £ 2 on the
community charge for persons residing in their area .

Surely this is a situation which must receive urgent
attention ; perhaps some examples of best practice in
Member States could be published .

Answer

( 14 April 1993 )

On 1 February 1993, the Council adopted a resolution on
a Community programme of policy and action in relation

to the environment and sustainable development . The
resolution emphasizes that local and regional authorities
have a particularly important part to play in ensuring the
sustainability of development through the exercise of
their statutory functions in areas covered by a number of
existing Directives and Regulations . The Resolution also
mentions the possibility of using economic and fiscal
instruments such as charges and levies .

It will further be recalled that in December 1991 the
Council adopted a Regulation establishing a Community
Financial Instrument for the Environment ( LIFE ). That
Regulation provides Community financial resources inter
alia to encourage projects for promoting the development
of new clean technologies and recycling techniques .

With regard to the Honourable Member 's final
observation, his attention is drawn to the fact that other
organizations, in particular Eurostat, publish certain
relevant data on the subject .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 3009 / 92

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

( 30 November 1 992 )

( 93 / C 132 / 49 )

Subject : Environmental implications of nuclear
discharges

What considerations have been given to . the
environmental implications of continued radioactive
discharged from Sellafield, Dounreay and Cap La Hague
nuclear processing plants in increased reprocessing plans
over the next decade ?

Answer

( 15 April 1993 )

As the Council stated in its reply to the Honourable

Member 's Written Question No 2010 / 92, Community
legislation, in this case Chapter III of the Euratom Treaty
and more specifically the basic safety standards for the
health protection of the general public and workers
against the dangers of ionizing radiation ('), also covers
the environmental protection aspects referred to in this
question .

It is for the Commission to ensure strict application of the
relevant Community legislation, with Member States

11 . 5.93
No C 132 / 28 Official Journal of the European Communities

being required to take all appropriate general or specific
measures to ensure that the obligations resulting from the
legislation are met .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 3194 / 92

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

(6 January 1993 )

(') In particular Council Directive 80 / 836 / Euratom of 15 July

1980 ( OJ No L 246, 17 . 9 . 1980, p. 1 ). ( 93 / C 132 / 51 )

1980 ( OJ No L 246, 17 . 9 . 1980, p. 1 ).

Subject : Simplification of Community VAT legislation

In view of the fact that the Commission has announced
that it has adopted a series of proposals designed to
simplify Community VAT legislation in a unified Europe,
WRITTEN QUESTION No 3150 / 92 will the Council support the new regulations ?

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

(6 January 1993 )

( 93 / C 132 / 50 )

Subject : Commission 's term of office and the Maastricht

Treaty

Under the Maastricht Treaty, the new Commission 's term
of office is to be two years ( Article G, point 48 —
Article 158 ( 3 )).

Given that the Maastricht Treaty will not have been
ratified by the end of 1992, will the new Commission 's
term of office not be four years pursuant to Article 158 of
the EEC Treaty ?

Did the governments of the Member States have the
four-year term of office in mind when nominating the
new Commissioners ?

Is there not a need from a legal point of view to revise the
Maastricht Treaty in this respect ?

Answer

( 15 April 1993 )

The Honourable Member 's attention is drawn to the
Decision of the Representatives of the Governments of
the Member States of the European Communities of 21
December 1992 (') appointing members of the
Commission of the European Communities . They were
appointed from 6 January 1993 for the period laid down
in the second paragraph of Article 11 of the Treaty
establishing a Single Council and a Single Commission
of the European Communities, subject to the
implementation, following entry into force of the Treaty
on European Union, of the new Article 158 added by that
Treaty to the Treaty establishing the European
Community .

O OJ No 2, 6 . 1 . 1993, p. 5 .

Answer

( 15 April 1993 )

The Honourable Member 's attention is drawn to the

Decision of 14 December 1992 by which the Council
adopted Directive 92 / 111 / EEC amending Directive
77 / 388 / EEC and introducing simplification measures
with regard to value added tax ( 1 ).

o OJ No L 384, 30 . 12 . 1992, p . 47 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 3391 / 92

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

( 25 January 1993 )

( 93 / C 132 / 52 )

Subject : Use of recycled paper by the Council

In a recommendation by the European Council of
Ministers of 3 December 1981 ( 81 / 972 / EEC (')), public
bodies and national administrations are called upon to
change to using recycled paper, in order to set an example .

What action has the Council taken on this
recommendation ? What plans does the Council have to
convert to using recycled paper, in accordance with the
recommendation ?

Can the Council say how much paper per year is used by
Council services ? How much waste paper per year is taken
away by Council services and where does this waste paper
go ?

o OJ No L 355, 10 . 12 . 1981, p. 56 .

Answer

( 14 April 1993 )

The General Secretariat of the Council has for some years
now generally been using office supplies and stationery

11 . 5.93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 132 / 29

obtained from recycling, both for its own requirements
and for those of national delegations . Furthermore, it was
recently decided to Supply the ' self-service ' photocopying
machines, used in particular by the translation services,
solely with paper of ecological origin .

Annual paper consumption for documents amounts to

about 650 tonnes . Approximately 120 tonnes of waste
paper were recovered in 1992 and sold to specialized firms
which remove it for recycling . Following recent measures
taken for selective waste collection, it is foreseeable that
the tonnage of waste paper recovered will increase
considerably over the coming years .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 3520 / 92

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

( 28 January 1993 )

( 93 / C 132 / 54 )

Subject : Interests of Greek farmers who produce
products for export

The General Confederation of Agricultural Associations

over the coming years . of Greece points out that if the agreement concluded

between the EC and the USA in the context of the GATT
is ratified, Greek exports will be directly affected by a
36 % reduction in export subsidies and a 21 % reduction in
the volume of subsidized exports over a six-year period .
Can the Council confirm the Confederation 's findings,
and if so, what steps will it take to protect the interests of
WRITTEN QUESTION No 3431 / 92 Greek farmers who produce products for export ?

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

( 25 January 1993 )

( 93 / C 132 / 53 )

Subject : Reduction of time spent in custody awaiting trial

Using the Maastricht Treaty as a starting point, is there
scope for discussion — and if so at what level — with a
view to submitting proposals to reduce the amount of time
spent in custody awaiting trial and to guarantee the
uniformity of legal advise and legal aid throughout the
Community ?

Answer

( 14 April 1993 )

Under the Treaty on European Union, Article K 1
stipulates :

Tor the purposes of achieving the objectives of the
Union, in particular the free movement of persons,
and without prejudice to the powers of the European
Community, Member States shall regard the following
areas as matters of common interest :

7 . Judicial cooperation in criminal matters . . .'

Answer

( 14 April 1993 )

The Council has discussed on several occasions the
repercussions which the draft agreement negotiated by
the Commission with the United States might have for the
common agricultural policy .

The Council has reaffirmed that it intends to examine
these repercussions in depth and has given instructions to
the Special Committee on Agriculture that, on the basis of
the Commission communication, an analysis should be
made of any matters arising in this context . The Council
will be able to comment once the analysis has been carried

out .

Furthermore, the Honourable Member is asked to refer
to the reply given by the Council at Question Time on 10
February 1993 to Question No H-128 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 16 / 93

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

If the matters referred to by the Honourable Member (3 February 1993 )
should be regarded by the Member States of the ( 93 / C 132 / 55 )
European Union as being part of such a judicial
cooperation, they would be discussed in the framework of
the Coordinating Committee ( Article K 4 ) and of the Subject : Probation services in Europe
Council .

In light of the agreement in the Treaty of Maastricht to
cooperate in home affairs and judicial cooperation, what

No C 132 / 30 Official Journal of the European Communities 11.5.93

plans does the Council of Ministers have to coordinate
policy on probation services in the European Community ?

Answer

( 15 April 1993 )

The seat of bodies and departments set up or to be set up
will be decided at a forthcoming European Council, in

Answer accordance with the decision taken at Edinburgh on 12

( 15 April 1993 ) December 1992 by common agreement between the

Representatives of the Governments of the Member
States on the location of the seats of the institutions and
of certain bodies and departments of the European
The Treaty on European Union, signed in Maastricht on Communities .
7 February 1992 and not yet ratified by all the parties, lays
down, in Article K.I., the areas which it regards as matters
of common interest in the fields of Justice and Home

Affairs .

Answer

( 15 April 1993 )

Those areas are asylum policy, rules governing the

crossing by persons of the external borders of the
Member States and the exercise of controls thereon,
immigration policy and policy regarding nationals of
third countries, combating drug addiction, combating
fraud on on international scale, judicial cooperation in
civil and criminal matters, customs cooperation, and
police cooperation as defined in the Article in question .

As the Honourable Member points out, the question of
probation services in the Member States is not referred to
specifically .

There are therefore no plans to coordinate the policies of
the Government of the Community Member States in this

area .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 35 / 93

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

(8 February 1993 )

( 93 / C 132 / 56 )

WRITTEN QUESTION No 39 / 93
by Mr Jaak Vandemeulebroucke ( ARC )
to the Council of the European Communities

(8 February 1993 )

( 93 / C 132 / 57 )

Subject : ILO Convention No 171 on night work —

progress reached with COM(91 ) 130 final

1 . How many Member States have ratified ILO
Convention No 171 on night work ?

2 . When it considers COM(91 ) 130 final as amended
by the Commission (*), is the Council prepared to take
account of Parliament 's amendments relating to night
work ( adopted on 20 August 1991 ) to the proposal for a
directive ( COM(90 ) 317 final ) concerning certain aspects
of the organization of working time ( 2 ), and in particular
amendments Nos 5, 10, 11 ( part ), 18, 19, 44, 43, 22, 23,
24, 25, 26 ( part ), 30 and 32 ( part )?

3 . What stage has been reached in discussing the above
mentioned amended proposals ? Which points ( if any ) are
causing delays ? When is a final decision expected ?

Subject : Seats of the new Community services o OJ No C 124, 14 . 5 . 1991, p . 8 .
O OJ No C 254, 9 . 10 . 1990, p . 4 .

According to the decisions taken by the European

Council meeting on 11 and 12 December, the new
Community institutions and services which have already
been set up or are about to be set up will be based, as a
matter of priority, in those EC countries in which no
Community organizations are yet located ; these include
Greece . In the light of these decisions does the Council
intend to support the idea of basing at least one ( if not
both ) of the new Community services ( the European
Environmental Service and the European Cultural
Service ) in Greece ?

Answer

( 14 April 1993 )

The Honourable Member is asked to refer to the reply
given by the Council to Written Questions Nos 2711 / 92

11 . 5.93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 132 / 31

put by Mrs Catasta and Mr Papayannakis (') and 2718 / 92
put by Mrs Crawley .

O OJ No C 32, 4 . 2 . 1993 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 97 / 93

by Mrs Annemarie Goedmakers ( S )
to the Council of the European Communities

( 10 February 1 993 )

( 93 / C 132 / 58 )

Subject : Transport of plutoniumby air

According to an article in De Volkskrant of 24 December

1992, 82 nuclear fuel elements containing plutonium were
flown from Dessel ( Belgium ) to Dounreay ( Scotland )
between December 1991 and March 1992 . According to
the same article, the German Government is planning to
transport 123 nuclear fuel elements containing plutonium
by air from Hanau to Dounreay from the beginning of

updated since then by the IAEA, which are contained in
the Regulation on the transport of radioactive materials .

The problem of the transport of nuclear materials was
tackled more specifically in a report drawn up by the
Commission in 1989 and sent to the Council and to the
European Parliament . That report took stock of the work
undertaken by the Commission within the ambit of the
IAEA and for several years constituted the reference
framework for Community action in this field .

On 27 November 1989, the Council adopted conclusions
in which it stressed the importance it attached to this field
of activity, including its consistency with the Single
Market . In particular, it asked the Commission to pursue
its efforts to continue to ensure that the transport of
radioactive materials within the Community was
conducted with complete safety and it considered it
necessary to continue the preparatory work on setting up
a joint databank on hazards and on agreements and
procedures to be applied in the event of an accident . 

1993 . WRITTEN QUESTION No 124 / 93
by Mr Jean-Marie le Chevallier ( DR )

1 . What steps did the Council take by 1 January 1993 to to the Council of the European Communities

1 . What steps did the Council take by 1 January 1993 to

eliminate all risks during the international transport of
radioactive substances, in response to the European
Parliament 's resolution to this effect of 19 November

( 15 February 1 993 )

( 93 / C 132 / 59 )

Subject : European network of high speed trains

The future European HST network involves not only the
Community but also Member States, local authorities and
people . In spite of speeches on the People 's Europe, less
and less account is taken of their opinions on problems of
the greatest importance for their daily lives and
prosperity . For example, the route of the future
Mediterranean HST avoids cities such as Toulon, which
want to be on it, but goes through agricultural region,
which do not want it .

Do the council and the Member States intend to maintain
a transport policy based exclusively on profitability and
profit or are they considering taking account of
environmental planning, balanced regional development
and the opinions of the people affected ?

Answer

( 15 April 1993 )

1 . On 17 December 1990 the Council adopted a
resolution 91 / C 33 / 01 on the development of a European
high-speed rail network (').

1992 ?

2 . In view of recent air disasters, will the Council place
the transport of plutonium by air on the agenda of one
of its meetings ?

Answer

( 15 April 1993 )

The Council attaches the greatest importance to the
protection of populations against ionizing radiation . To
this end, it has adopted an entire body of Community
legislation over the years .

The Council has taken due note of the resolution of the

European Parliament of 19 November 1992, which raised
a number of matters of concern . It points out that it is for
the Commission, where necessary, to submit appropriate
proposals .

Radioactive materials are classified as dangerous
materials by the United Nations recommendations for the
transport of dangerous goods . The principal international
agreements on the transport of dangerous goods and the
national provisions on the subject incorporate the
provisions adopted as long ago as 1961 and regularly

No C 132 / 32 Official Journal of the European Communities 11 . 5 . 93

The Council welcomed the discussions held within the
Commission to draw up an outline plan for the European
network in question specifying the priority measures for
establishing the network . Annex I to the above resolution
contains such a plan . Annex II sets out the fourteen key
links in the network .

In the resolution the Council requested the Commission :

— to look in greater detail, together with the
representatives of the Governments of the Member
States, the railway companies and the rail industry, in
particular at the socio-economic impact of the
network on the integrated transport market and the
development of the Community and the impact of the
network on the environment in the broadest sense ;

— to continue studying the key links and to consider how 
the development of the Community 's relations with
the EFTA countries and the Central and Eastern

European countries will affect the network .

2 . On the subject of the route of the future
Mediterranean HST the Honourable Member is

reminded that it is up to the Member States to determine
the specific routes and the time and rate of construction
of the infrastructures required to develop the network in
question . In fact, the indicative nature of the outline plans
established at Community level leaves the Member States
free to act or not to act, but any action they take must fit
in with the guidelines they have accepted on a Community
level . It is also pointed out that amongst the items of
information needed to assess an HST project, the
Member States have to provide the Commission with an
environmental impact assessment in accordance with
Council Directive 85 / 337 / EEC of 27 June 1985 on the
assessment of the effects of certain public and private
projects on the environment ( 2 ).

O OJ No C 33, 8 . 2 . 1991, p . 1 .
O OJ No L 175, 5 . 7 . 1985, p . 40 .

In every case, the accident has been caused by human
error or technical failure and has led to disastrous
consequences for humans and ecosystems .

What emergency measures is the Council taking to
prevent further disasters in European waters ?

What view does the Council take of the introduction of

minimum technical standard ( double hulls in new tankers,
compartmentalization of holds and the introduction of a
technical inspectorate for vessels ) ?

What steps will be taken to ensure that by setting proper
training for ships ' crews such accidents can be prevented
in future ?

Will the Council consider closing certain inshore shipping
lanes to dangerous tankers ?

WRITTEN QUESTION No 216 / 93

by Mr Enrique Sapena Granell ( S )
to the Council of the European Communities

( 18 February 1 993 )

( 93 / C 132 / 61 )

Subject : Protective measures for oil tanker traffic

In recent weeks there have been oil tanker accidents off
European coastlines in Galicia and Scotland, with very
serious ecological, economic and social consequences .
Once again these disasters reveal the urgent need for very
stringent Community legislation on transport safety .

What does the Council think of the current US regulation
that prohibits tankers over 15 years old berthing in North
American ports ?

When will it be possible to bring into effect the ban on oil
tankers without double hulls operating in Member States '
territorial waters ?

What type of measures will be adopted to regulate the
WRITTEN QUESTION No 174 / 93
dubious practices of vessels flying flags of convenience in

by Mr Gerd Miiller ( PPE ) our waters ?
to the Council of the European Communities

( 17 February 1993 )

( 93 / C 132 / 60 )

Joint answer
Subject : The ' Aegean Sea ' and ' Braer ' tanker disasters to Written Questions ( 15 April Nos 1993 174 ) / 93 and 216 / 93

Following the disaster involving the ' Aegean Sea ' off the
northern Spanish port of La Coruna, the ' Braer ' tanker 's
grounding off the Shetland Islands is the fifth largest
tanker disaster in European waters within three years .

Following the accidents involving the Aegean Sea off La
Coruna and the Braer off the Shetland Islands, the
Council held an extraordinary meeting of Transport and

11 . 5.93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 132 / 33

Environmental Ministers on 25 January 1993 . Following a
very detailed discussion, the Council unanimously
adopted a series of conclusions which have been made
public O covering all the measures referred to in the
Honourable Member 's questions .

plans to revive the construction and public works sector in
Guadeloupe .

measures I should like to know to what extent the Structural Funds
Honourable Member 's questions . are involved in this programme or project, not only on

vital socio-economic grounds, but also on political
(') 4009 / 93 Presse 8 + COR 1 ( f ). grounds, in the light of the post-Maastricht call for the
département to be given specific status outside France ?

Answer

WRITTEN QUESTION No 214 / 93 ( 15 April 1993 )

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

Implementation of the Structural Funds is the

( 18 February 1993 ) responsibility of the Commission, pursuant to Article 18

( 93 / C 132 / 62 ) of Regulation ( EEC ) No 2052 / 88 of 24 June 1988 and to

the implementing provisions for that Regulation, and
the responsibility of the French State where matters
Subject : Europol concerning that State are involved .

( 18 February 1993 )

( 93 / C 132 / 62 )

Will the Council of Interior and Justice Ministers please

supply information on the appointment procedures for
nominating officials and police for the Europol network ?

Answer

( 15 April 1993 )

As the Convention relating to Europol which it was

decided to conclude on the basis of the Treaty on
European Union and which also lays down the
appointment procedures for nominating officials and
police has not yet been finally adopted, the information
requested cannot yet be provided .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 250 / 93

by Mr Ernest Glinne ( S )

to the Council of the European Communities

( 23 February 1993 )

( 93 / C 132 / 63 )

Subject : c Le Pensec ' recovery plan for the French
département of Guadeloupe

In its 31 December issue, the newspaper Trance Antilles '
published an interesting extract from a letter sent to the
Mayor of Abymes by Mr Le Pensec, the minister for the
overseas départements and territories . The letter refers to

WRITTEN QUESTION No 251 / 93

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

( 23 February 1993 )

( 93 / C 132 / 64 )

Subject : Status of the Juliana airport on the island of

St Martin

The Princess Juliana international airport, situated on the

Dutch side of the island, caters for tourist traffic, but
imposes no controls on illegal immigration, in particular
from Haiti . European travellers arriving at Juliana and
whose final destination is Pointe-à-Pitre, roughly 250 km
further south, can only then go to Marigot, on the French
side, via the regional airport at Grande Case .

Can the Council give an answer to the following
questions :

1 . From which Community funds, when, on what basis

and in what quantities have resources been channelled
to Juliana to finance the successive alterations ? Is it
true that the only runway can no longer be extended,
and that the airport facilities do not include hangars
for large aircraft ? Given that flights are at saturation
point, would it not be sensible to expand the traffic
involving passengers heading for Marigot by means of
direct flights from Juliana to the airport at Grande
Case ? Can France, the Netherlands and the EC not

No C 132 / 34 Official Journal of the European Communities 11 . 5.93

work together to achieve this objective ? Could their
work not begin prior to the budgetary conference to
be held on 8 and 9 March 1993 in Curasao ?

2 . Is it normal that the French part of St Martin should
not receive part of the revenue and that the French
authorities should be practically barred from playing
any part in the controls on illegal immigration, the
explosion of which is threatening the island with
suffocation ?

accessibility of transport to persons with reduced
mobility (*).

In this resolution, the Commission was requested to
formulate a Community action programme including
proposals for concrete measures designed to improve
accessibility of all modes of public transport and of the
access points thereto and to submit a draft action
programme to the Council if possible before the end of
September 1992 .

However, the abovementioned draft action programme
has not been submitted to the Council so far .

Answer o OJNoC 18, 24 . 1 . 1992, p. 1 .

( 14 April 1993 )

The Council notes the information supplied by the

Honourable Member but would point out that the
question put does not fall within its sphere of competence .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 288 / 93

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

( 24 February 1 993 )

( 93 / C 132 / 66 )

WRITTEN QUESTION No 254 / 93

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

( 23 February 1 993 )

( 93 / C 132 / 65 )

Subject : Community Action Programme on the
Accessibility of Transport to Persons with
Reduced Mobility

Can the Council explain the continued delay in adopting
the Community Action Programme on the Accessibility of
Transport to Persons with Reduced Mobility outlining
the objections of those Member States responsible for this
delay ?

Answer

( 14 April 1993 )

On 16 December 1991, the Council and the
Representatives of the Governments of the Member
States, meeting within the Cotincil, adopted a resolution
concerning a Community action programme on the

Subject : EC Committee of the Regions

Replying to a question in the UK House of Commons on

16 January 1993 about progress towards establishing
membership of the EC Committee of the Regions, the
Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth
Office, The Rt. Hon. Tristan Garel-Jones MP said that
the UK government was still considering the nomination
of the 24 UK members of the committee and how the
seats should be allocated between the different parts of
the UK and he added that no decisions had yet been
taken .

The Minister then went on to say that the position was
broadly similar in most other Member States, adding that
only Greece had so far announced candidates for the
committee .

Can the Council tell me :

1 . Which Member States have reached agreement on the

allocation of their seats on the Committee of the

Regions ?

2 . If any Member State has indicated that it wishes

Ministers of officials in the national government to be
appointed to the Committee of the Regions ?

3 . If any Member State has indicated it wishes its

representatives on the Committee of the Regions to be

11.5.93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 132 / 35

drawn from bodies other than elected state, regional
or local authorities ?

Does the Council agree that in order for the Committee
of the Regions to have an authoritative and thorougly
democratic voice, its members should be drawn from
those individuals who are elected members of

sub-national government ?

Answer

( 14 April 1993 )

Members of the future Committee of the Regions on
proposals from the Member States .

No Member State has to date submitted such proposals to
the Council .

As the Council has pointed out on several occasions —

most recently in reply to Written Question No 3101 / 92
put by Mr Alavanos (') — each Member State is free,
under the Treaty, to propose the candidates which it
considers can properly represent regional and local
bodies .

The relevant provisions of the Treaty on European Union
require the Council to appoint the Members and alternate O OJ No C 81, 22 . 3 . 1993, p. 24 .