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26 . 7 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 202 / 1

I

( Information )

# EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

WRITTEN QUESTIONS WITH ANSWER

WRITTEN QUESTION No 9 / 93

by Mr Gerd Miiller ( PPE )

to the Commission of the European Communities

slaughtering by individual butchers working in those
establishments .

(3 February 1993 ) The concept of local market is more limited than the

national market ; therefore it cannot be interpreted as the
( 93 / C 202 / 01 total German market .

Subject : Scope of the Directive laying down hygiene rules

for the production and placing on the market of
fresh meat

The Directive states that all abattoirs must comply with
Community hygiene standards as of 1 January 1993 .
Concessions with respect to the number of rooms and their
technical equipment are made for abattoirs slaughtering a
maximum of 20 large animals per week or 1 000 large
animals per year . The upper limit of 20 on the number of
large animals which may be slaughtered may be applied to
individual butchers where several are engaged in
slaughtering at a single abattoir and where slaughtering
takes place at separate and distinct times .

According to the abovementioned EC Directive, meat not
produced in accordance with the standards governing large
abattoirs may only be sold on the local market .

Does the expression ' local market ' cover the German
market ?

Answer given by Mr Steichen

on behalf of the Commission

( 10 May 1993 )

The figures referred to in Articles 4 and 13 of Directive

64 / 43 3 / EEC ( a ) must be understood as valid for the total
throughput of the establishment and not for the

(!) OJ No L 121, 29 . 5 . 1964 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 22 / 93

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

(3 February 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 02

Subject : The Volos Harbour Fund scandal

Far-reaching Community investigations are needed to
uncover a scandal involving Dr 700 million . According to
press reports, the Volos Harbour Fund signed a contract
with immediate effect for the supply of two electronically
controlled cranes following the cancellation of the invitation
to tender . Since there are indications of irregularities on the
part of the responsible authorities ( the Volos Harbour
Fund ) and possible infringements of Directive
77 / 62 / EEC (^ as amended by Directive 88 / 295 / EEC ( 2 )
relating to the coordination of procedures on the award of
public supply contracts, what steps will the Commission
take to clear up this matter ?

(!) OJ No L 13, 15 . 1 . 1977, p . 1 .

( 2 ) OJ No L 127, 20 . 5 . 1988, p . 1 .

No C 202 / 2 Official Journal of the European Communities 26 . 7 . 93

Answer given by Mr Vanni d'Archirafi

on behalf of the Commission

( 10 May 1993 )

The Commission 's attention has already been drawn to the
supply of two cranes to Volos Harbour Fund .

On 11 November 1992 the Commission asked the Greek
authorities to provide it with the contract documents and
with any other information that would enable it to
investigate the matter .

In their reply dated 5 January 1993, the Greek authorities
transmitted to the Commission the decision of the Minister

for Public Works, as supervisory authority, restricting the
effect of the decision taken by the contracting authority
solely to cancellation of the contract award procedure and
instituting a new procedure for the same contract .

According to the Commission 's information, the new
procedure has not yet been completed .

Since the first procedure did not lead to the award of a
contract by private agreement, the Commission has decided
not to pursue the matter .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 33 / 93

by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos ( NI )

to the Commission of the European Communities

(8 February 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 03 )

Subject : Exclusion of EOMMEX from the Regional
Enterprise Programmes

According to information published in the reliable weekly
Pontiki, a document by the Under-Secretary of State for the
National Economy refers to the allocation of funds
amounting to Dr 6 billion in Greece to private business
advisory organizations to assist SMUs ; EOMMEX was
excluded from this process in line with a proposal by the
European Community which Greece accepted and which
the Greek Under-Secretary of State has followed at the

advice of the Commission 's DG XVI, Mr Kanna .

1 . As part of the transparency espoused by the Summit
Council meeting, can the Commission say which
directive the exclusion of this State organization as an
intermediary in respect of the REPs is based on ?

2 . What occurred during the two months between the

invitation made by the Greek Under-Secretary of State

to public bodies as well as private undertakings to
submit their candidatures and the refusal by the
European Community to consider entrusting
EOMMEX with even a single project ?

Answer given by Mr Millan
on behalf of the Commission

( 31 March 1993 )

The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its

answer to his Written Question No 3184 / 92 (*).

(!) OJ No C 185, 7 . 7 . 1993 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 37 / 93

by Mrs Maria Cassanmagnago Cerretti,
Mr Maxime Verhagen, Mrs Margaret Daly ( PPE )

and Mr Michael McGowan ( S )

to the Commission of the European Communities

(8 February 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 04 )

Subject : Situation in Somalia

Although various measures have been taken, the seriousness
of the situation in Somalia has been largely overlooked by
international opinion . In the light of the objectives of its
development policy, and in particular the Lome agreements,
the European Community, by far the greatest contributor to
international solidarity and development cooperation, must
act in accordance with the requirements and with its
commitments . Does not the Commission consider that the
seriousness of the situation calls for both the stepping up of
Community aid and a strong impetus from the United
Nations which coordinates aid to people in distress ? What
does the Commission intend to do in cooperation with the
ACP countries to promote the restoration of peace in
Somalia and, initially, to ensure that emergency aid is
commensurate with requirements ?

Answer given by Mr Marin
on behalf of the Commission

(6 May 1993 )

Community action began very shortly after the political
situation in Somalia started to deteriorate in January 1991 .
In the course of the year 70,000 tonnes of cereals, nearly a
third of total international food aid, was sent to the country .
Close on ECU 11 million in non-food aid ( for medicines,
hospital care, shelters and water supply ) was also approved
in 1991 .

26 . 7 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 202 / 3

Community aid was stepped up and diversified last year,
with food aid tripling to 231 000 tonnes . Since September

1991, the Community has been the largest donor to the
ICRC ( International Committee of the Red Cross ), the only
body present in the country after the departure of most UN
agencies . Emergency non-food aid last year quadrupled and
now stands at ECU 40 million in commitments . Schemes
financed include a number involving rehabilitation such as
the supply of tools and seeds, maintenance of the water
distribution network in Mogadishu and the large-scale
programme of veterinary assistance recently launched by the
ICRC .

In addition, the Commission has supported and encouraged
UN initiatives to engender a process of political
reconciliation between the various factions in the country . It
has given almost a quarter of its food aid to the World Food
Programme and contributed nearly ECU 20 million for the
deployment of Belgian troops under UNOSOM . It has also
made technical assistance available to UNOSOM bodies .

To prepare the way for the rehabilitation schemes, a special
unit has been set up within the Commission delegation in
Nairobi to form the core of a future Community
representation in Mogadishu . It will be transferred there
once it is safe enough .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 45 / 93

by Mrs Maria Aglietta ( V )
to the Commission of the European Communities

(8 February 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 06 )

Subject : Infringement proceedings against the United
Kingdom : failure to take further action

In the light of the Commission 's decision to take no further
action in the proceedings instituted against the United
Kingdom for five cases of infringement of Directive

85 / 337 / EEC (*) on environmental impact assessment ( 2 ) and
of the utterances, made by the British Prime Minister, John
Major, at the time when the proceedings were first
instituted, can the Commission comment on the supposition
— expressed not least in the British press in the days
following the decision — that it came to a political
understanding with the British authorities to block the
infringement proceedings, thereby overstepping its specific
powers ?

0 ) OJ No L 175, 5 . 7 . 1985, p. 40 .
( 2 ) Announced on 31 July 1992 in press release IP(92 ) 669 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 46 / 93

by Mr Luigi Colajanni ( GUE )

and Mrs Maria Aglietta ( V )
to the Commission of the European Communities

(8 February 1993 )

WRITTEN QUESTION No 44 / 93 ( 93 / C 202 / 07 )

by Mr Luigi Colajanni ( GUE )

and Mrs Maria Aglietta ( V )
to the Commission of the European Communities

(8 February 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 05 )

Subject : Infringement proceedings against the United
Kingdom : failure to take further action

In view of the controversy over the Community 's power and
responsibilities with respect to the environment — especially
in the light of the new definition of subsidiarity set out in the
Maastricht Treaty ( new Article 3b of the EEC Treaty ) and
the divergent interpretations to which it has given rise — can
the Commission say whether the decision to take no further
action in the infringement proceedings instituted in five
cases against the United Kingdom by a former Member of
the Commission, Mr Ripa di Meana (*), heralds a new trend
whereby the environment is to suffer to consequences of the
Council and Commission 's failure to reach agreement ?

Subject : Infringement proceedings against the United
Kingdom : failure to take further action

In the light of the Commission 's decision to take no further
action in the proceedings instituted against the United
Kingdom for five cases of infringement of Directive

85 / 337 / EEC (*) on environmental impact assessment ( 2 ),
and bearing in mind the interpretation which a former
Member of the Commission, Mr Ripa di Meana, gave when
the infringement proceedings were debated ( 3 ), in which he
pointed among other things to the importance of consulting
the public with regard to implementation of the Directive
and of the procedure for putting back its date of entry into
force, as well as in connection with projects falling due for
consideration during the time-lag between the date of
adoption of the Directive and the date of its entry into force
in the different Member States, can the Commission say
whether the above interpretation is to be considered
incorrect ? If so, why and what is meant to be the new
interpretation ?

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

( 2 ) Announced on 31 July 1992 .
( 3 ) Speaking in the Chamber before the European Parliament in

(*) Decision announced in a press release dated 31 July 1992 — ( 3 ) Speaking in the Chamber

IP(92)669 . Strasbourg — 25 . 11 . 1991 .

IP(92)669 .

No C 202 / 4 Official Journal of the European Communities 26 . 7 . 93

WRITTEN QUESTION No 418 / 93
by Mr Luigi Colajanni ( S ), Mrs Maria Aglietta ( V )

and Mrs Dagmar Roth-Behrendt ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

(8 March 1993 )

( 93 / C . 202 / 08

Subject : Termination of infringement proceedings against

the United Kingdom

Following the decision of the Commission to terminate five
infringement procedures regarding the implementation of
Directive 85 / 337 / EEC f 1 ) against the British Government
and having regard to the need to keep the European
Parliament informed of the progress of Article 169
procedures as well as to take account of the high level of
press and public interest in these matters, will the
Commission now report to the European Parliament

1 . on why it has terminated these procedures and

2 . on its intentions so far as reporting to the European
Parliament on 169 procedures and on the general
progress of this particular Directive ?

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

were opened, was not relied upon by the developer . Instead,
a second planning application was made, and an
environmental impact assessment was carried out in the
procedure for granting planning permission .

In the case of the terminal at King 's Cross in London for the
Channel tunnel rail link, the Commission began
infringement proceedings because it appeared that
development consent was to be granted for the terminal
without assessment of the effects of the rail link . As it
appeared that the siting of the terminal determined the route
of the rail link, the Commission considered that the effects
of the link should have been assessed before development
consent was granted for the terminal . However, further
information provided by the United Kingdom in its reply
satisfied the Commission that although 42 possible
locations for the terminal were originally considered, only
one was ultimately found to be suitable by the developer .
Furthermore, a number of different approach routes for the
link were compatible with the siting of the terminal at King 's
Cross . Given this, the terminal and link may be assessed
separately .

The Commission maintains its view that Directive
85 / 337 / EEC applies to projects for which development
consent is granted after 3 July 1988, irrespective of the date
of application . The Commission is pursuing infringement
proceedings against the United Kingdom on the basis that
implementing legislation fails correctly to transpose the
Directive in this respect .

(!) OJ No C 86, 26 . 3 . 1993 .
Joint answer to Written Questions Nos 44 / 93, 45 / 93,

46 / 93 and 418 / 93
given by Mr Paleokrassas
on behalf of the Commission

( 30 April 1993 )

WRITTEN QUESTION No 65 / 93

On 31 July 1992 the Commission decided to close
proceedings against the United Kingdom relating to the
application to five projects of Directive 85 / 337 / EEC on the
assessment of the effects of certain public and private
projects on the environment . In each case proceedings were
closed because the Commission decided that no breach of
Community law had occurred . The Commission strongly
rejects the suggestion of the Honourable Members that the
decisions were taken as a result of any political

agreement .

The reasons for closing proceedings relating to the
construction of the Mil motorway link road in East
London and the extension of the M3 motorway were set out
respectively in the answers given by the Commission to
questions 2414 / 92 and 2415 / 92 by Mr Amendola 0 ).

Proceedings relating to a proposed incinerator at South
Warwick Hospital were closed because it was decided not to
proceed with the project .

Proceedings relating to a can-making and soft drinks plant
at Brackmills were closed because the first grant of planning
permission, on the basis of which infringement proceedings

by Lord Bethell ( PPE )

to the Commission of the European Communities

(9 February 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 09 )

Subject : Letters to Commissioners

Is the Commission aware that on June 22 I wrote to
President Delors, complaining about Commissioners who
do not reply to letters they receive from Members of the
European Parliament, and that on August 28 I wrote to
Commissioner Scrivener on the same subject, and that to
neither letter have I had any reply ?

Answer given by Mr Delors
on behalf of the Commission

( 27 April 1993 )

The Commission is aware that there is a problem of delays in
replies to letters from Members of Parliament ; it deplores

26 . 7 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 202 / 5

the delays and agrees that something must be done about
them .

That was the thinking behind the written answer sent to the
Honourable Member by President Delors on 30 April

1992 .

The Commission 's concern was further evidenced by Mrs
Scrivener 's statement at question time on 8 July 1992 and by
the letter from the President 's Office dated 20 October

1992 .

The Commission Secretary-General has met the
Honourable Member personally and informed him of the
practical arrangements made to ensure that draft replies to
letters from MEPs to the Commission are available as a rule

within three weeks .

Among other things, the President 's Correspondence team
set up to coordinate and monitor the processing of mail
addressed to the President has given instructions regarding
priority treatment of matters referred to the Commission by
MEPs ; in all contacts with other - departments it always
reminds them of the importance to be attached to this .

Letters from MEPs which reach the Secretariat-General

through the normal channels are now immediately
highlighted for treatment under the special arrangements to
ensure that the three-weeks rule is observed .

On 24 February this year the Commission 's
Secretary - General wrote to all Directors-General and Chefs
de cabinet to remind them of the importance of dealing
swiftly with MEPs ' correspondence, whatever the
administrative procedures applied within the
Commission .

The Commission, then, is doing all in its power to secure a
high degree of priority in answering correspondence from
Members of Parliament .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 87 / 93

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

(9 February 1993 )

owing to the crisis in the former Yugoslavia and the
embargo .

These export undertakings have been obliged to resort to
alternative transport routes through Italy, Bulgaria and
other countries and, according to statistics supplied by the
Association of Exporters of northern Greece, averge
transport costs have increased as a result by 29 % ( 50 % in
some branches ). In addition the volume of trade with the
countries of the former Yugoslavia has fallen by up to 90 % .
Exports of fresh horticultural produce have also been badly
affected .

The Ministery of the National Economy, acting on behalf of
the Greek government, has evaluated the approximate cost
of overall losses incurred by export undertakings .

Will the Commission say :

1 . whether it has been apprized of the report by this

Ministry ?

2 . what measures it intends to take to subsidize Greek

export undertakings to cover the costs of transporting
their produce ?

3 . How it views the demand for general compensation for

Greece rather than compensation merely in respect of
export undertakings ?

Answer given by Mr van den Broek

on behalf of the Commission

(3 June 1993 )

The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to

the reply to his oral question H-0147 / 93 which it gave
during question time at Parliament 's March 1993
part-session ( 1 ).

( J ) Debates of the European Parliament No 429 ( March 1993 ).

WRITTEN QUESTION No 90 / 93

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

( 10 February 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 11 )

( 93 / C 202 / 10 )
Subject : Role of the drug Khat in the war between armed

bands in Somalia

Subject : Compensation for Greek export undertakings in

view of the crisis in the former Yugoslavia and the
embargo

Export undertakings in Greece and in particular in the north
of Greece ( Macedonia and Thrace ) are in serious difficulties

Psychotropes, a journal devoted to drugs and their uses has
published a scientific account of the dangers posed by Khat

( also called miraa ) based on the work of an international
team (*). The leaves of the khat plant are picked from shrubs
on the plains of Kenya or in the regions of Hargeisa and
Meru in Somalia, or in Ethiopia . When chewed, they release

No C 202 / 6 Official Journal of the European Communities 26 . 7 . 93

a juice which is a sort of natural amphetamine : among
habitual users it initially causes euphoria which then gives
way to the restless, irrational and very violent behaviour
characteristic of the armed bands — mostly young people —
ravaging Somalia . The UN and non-government aid
organizations are aware of the extent of dependence on this
drug and it is estimated that millions of people take it every
day : rapid air transport plays an important role since Khat
leaves must be consumed fresh, i.e. within 24 hours after
picking . Khat imports from Kenya alone where production
and exportation is legal generate at least $US 100
million ( 2 ). Non-military consumers spend an estimated
$US 6 a day on Khat if they are able to obtain supplies — the
equivalent of 20 kilos of maize or rice and feed six persons
for a whole week .

Would the Community services use the means at their

disposal to assess the social, economic and physical damage
caused in Somalia by the traffic in Khat which should be
combated with the utmost severity ? Corruption must be
rooted out . from the very heart of the remaining
administration and the authorities responsible for the
general coordination of aid and reconstruction granted to
Somalia by the international community . Responsibility
must be firmly pinned on Kenya and Ethiopia and the
trafficking networks and money laundering operations in
Mogadishu, Rome and elsewhere must be smashed .

(M CP 592, Outremont Branch, Montreal, Quebec H2V 4N2 .

( 2 ) The New Republic, article by Jonathan Stevenson, number of

23 November 1992 . 1220 19th Street, N.W. Washington, DC
20036 .

Answer given by Mr Marin
on behalf of the Commission

( 26 April 1993 )

The Commission has received similar information about the
particularly harmful effects of the widespread abuse of the
drug Khat in Somalia . The absence of a national
government, responsible local authorities and public
structures has left the country in a state of chaos and
anarchy, which makes it almost impossible to establish the
true nature and extent of the problem and devise effective
measures to solve it . In this connection it should not be
overlooked that the use of Khat as a drug represents a
long-standing and deep-rooted tradition in many regions of
the Horn of Africa and that any attempt to interfere with
this tradition is likely to encounter serious popular rebuffs
even in organized societies .

The Commission is nevertheless heedful of the importance
of the problem and will continue to consider ways and
means of contributing to its solution .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 92 / 93

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

( 10 February 1992 )

( 93 / C 202 / 12 )

Subject : Prevention of cardiovascular diseases and the

Directive on the labelling of food products

A network of European organizations ( EHN ) engaged in
preventing cardiovascular diseases has accused the
manufacturers of ' health ' foods of using ambiguous terms to
describe them which are not connected with nutrition ( for
example : ' light ', ' pure ', ' natural ', etc .) thereby taking
advantage of consumers ' ignorance .

The EHN now notes that the Directive on the labelling of
food products unveiled by the Commission has adopted the
same imprecise terms and fails to list acceptable descriptions
and formulae . Furthermore, it has not asked for these
descriptions to be backed up by figures .

The EHN asks in particular that :

— the term ' good for your heart ' should be banned, since

no food in itself ' can prevent a disease ';

— the expression ' recommended by doctors ' should be

dropped ;

— formulae such as ' lowers the cholesterol level ' should be

closely monitored .

The EHN takes the view that all food which is advertized as

' healthy ' should be accompanied by a note explaining its
nutritional value .

What is the Commission 's attitude given that the Directive
in question seeks to ensure that food packaging and
publicity encourage customers to adopt more healthy eating
habits, thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases,
the principal cause of death in Europe ?

Answer given by Mrs Scrivener

on behalf of the Commission

( 10 May 1993 )

Community law prohibits the attribution of medicinal
properties to foodstuffs . Article 2 of Directive

26 . 7 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 202 / 7

79 / 112 / EEC ( 1 ), as amended by Directive 89 / 395 / EEC ( 2 ),
provides that ' the labelling and methods used must not (. . .)
subject to Community provisions applicable to natural
mineral waters and foodstuffs for particular nutritional
uses, attribute to any foodstuff the property of preventing,
treating or curing a human disease, or refer to such
properties '. Claims of a medical nature are therefore not
permitted and come under the scope of the Directive in
question .

Answer given by Mr Flynn
on behalf of the Commission

(2 April 1993 )

The Honourable Member is asked to refer to the reply given
by the Commission to Mr Telkämper 's question
No 2134 / 92 on the cancer risk in respect of chlorinated
swimming-pool water ( 1 ).

The use of claims about the ' healthiness ' of foodstuffs is not The Commission has no information on American-made
governed by detailed rules at Community level, but may be electronic equipment for disinfecting swimming-pool
covered by national legislation . However, it goes without water .
saying that, under Article 2 ( 1 ) of Directive 79 / 112 / EEC,
such claims must not mislead the consumer . 0 ) OJ No C 101, 13 . 4 . 1993 .

The Commission is currently drafting a proposed Directive
on the use of claims relating to foodstuffs, but is not yet able
to give details of its provisions .

(!) OJ No L 33, 8 . 2 . 1979 .

( 2 ) OJ No L 186, 30 . 6 . 1989 . WRITTEN QUESTION No 96 / 93
by Mrs Annemarie Goedmakers ( S )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 10 February 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 14 )

Subject : Transport of plutonium by air

WRITTEN QUESTION No 93 / 93

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

( 10 February 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 13

Subject : Toxicity of chlorine in swimming-pool water

The presence of chlorine in swimming-pool water is
responsible for a number of serious and less serious health
problems among swimmers, ranging from irritations of the
eyes to dermatoses and serious intoxication, notably among
children .

Chlorine is also considered a carcinogenic substance .

In Germany, the use of chlorine has been considerably
reduced . In the United States, following research by NASA,
an American company has brought on the market electronic
equipment which introduces copper and silver ions into
swimming-pool water, thereby eliminating all risk of
allergy .

What view does the Commission take regarding the dangers
posed by chlorine in swimming-pool water and what
attitude does it take toward this method developed by
American researchers .

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 intends to transport

123 nuclear fuel elements containing plutonium by air from
Hanau to Dounreay from the beginning of 1993 .

1 . What special conditions are Member States allowed to

impose on the transport of radioactive substances over
their territory, in accordance with and in addition to
international agreements ( Article 6 ( 2 ) of Council
Directive 92 / 3 / Euratom ( J ))?

2 . Can the Commission indicate which Member States

impose special conditions and the nature of these
conditions ?

3 . Can the Commission say what measures it took 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 1992 ?

4 . When does the Commission intend to submit draft
legislation prohibiting the transport of radioactive
waste by civil aircraft ?

5 . Why has this point, made in the European Parliament 's

resolution of 19 November 1992, not been included in
the Commission 's proposal for a Council Regulation on

No C 202 / 8 Official Journal of the European Communities 26 . 7 . 93

shipments of radioactive substances within the
European Community ( 2 )?

(!) OJ No L 35, 12 . 2 . 1992, p . 24 .

( 2 ) OJ No C 347, 31 . 12 . 1992, p . 17 .

Answer given by Mr Matutes

on behalf of the Commission

( 26 April 1993 )

1 . Directive 92 / 3 / Euratom deals with shipments of
radioactive waste . It enshrines the principle that such
shipments can only take place with the prior informed
consent of all countries involved in the shipment . The
national provisions to comply with the Directive will enter
into force not later than 1 January 1994 . The possible laying
down of conditions with respect to shipments subject to the
Directive will be the competence of Member States .

The specific shipments referred to in the question are not
within the scope of the Directive as they concern fresh fuel
which is not considered as waste .

2 . So far no information on the national measures
implementing Directive 92 / 3 / Euratom has been
communicated to the Commission . The Commission
expects that the information requested will be contained in
the reports to be prepared for the European Parliament
under Article 18 of Directive 92 / 3 / Euratom .

3 and 4 . The International Atomic Energy Agency and
the Commission with the competent authorities of the
Member States are of the opinion that the safety standards
concerning the shipments of radioactive substances in
general and concerning the transport of plutonium in
particular are extremely high .

The Commission will formulate comments (' suite a donner ')
on the resolution on the international transport of
plutonium of the European Parliament ( 19 November
1992 ).

Radioactive materials covering the whole range of
radioactive substances used medically, agriculturally and
industrially as well as for the production of energy, are
currently transported by air .

As the former Commissioner of Energy Mr Cardoso e
Cunha stated during the parliamentary debate, the safety of
the transport of radioactive materials and the protection of
the public and the environment is based on two
principles :

— the integrity of the package under accident
conditions ;

— essentially the same level of protection must be realised

independently on the transport modes .

These principles are intended to guarantee maintained
safety levels in case of combined transport .

The basic standards of transport packages are regularly
revised in the light of experience gained in this field .
Therefore, they may evolve with experience . In this context
reference must be made to the discussions within the IAEA

on improvements of air transport packages . In conclusion,
basic standards of transport packages have to be efficient
and reasonably achievable . The standards set up in the
frame work of the IAEA meet these citeria .

5 . The proposal for a Council Regulation on shipments
of radioactive substances within the European Community
aims at maintaining a high level of radiation protection in
the new situation created by the abolition of border controls
as regards intra-Community movements of radioactive
substances .

The draft Regulation deals with the administrative
supervision of movements of materials, and especially a
requirement for the consignee of radioactive substances to
provide the holder of such substances with a written
declaration on compliance with relevant national
legislation, when the ansignee intends to receive radioactive
substances from another Member State .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 111 / 93

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

( 10 February 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 15

Subject : Christmas trees

It is widely believed in the United Kingdom that the
European Community is proposing strict regulations on the
height, breadth and length of needles of Christmas trees .

Is this true ?

Answer given by Mr Steichen

on behalf of the Commission

( 23 March 1993 )

The Commission can reassure the Honourable Member that

current regulations on Community forestry policy do not
contain provisions on matters of silvicultural detail or
technical matters, which remain strictly the responsibility of
the Member States . Moreover, Christmas trees are not
included in the scope of Regulation ( EEC ) No 2080 / 92 ( x ),

26 . 7 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 202 / 9

regarding forestry measures in agriculture, which was
adopted in June 1992 to accompany the CAP reform .

Answer given by Mr Vanni d'Archirafi

on behalf of the Commission

( 11 May 1993 )
(!) OJ No L 215, 30 . 7 . 1992 .

Green card controls were abolished in the Community by
Directive 72 / 166 / EEC ( 1 ). This situation has not been
changed by the Third motor insurance Directive,
90 / 232 / EEC .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 121 / 93

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

                          - ■( 15 February 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 16 )

Subject : EC relationship with Malta

Is the Commission aware of Malta 's Industrial
Development Act of 1988 and its role in preventing
disclosure of information on the grounds of official
secrecy ?

Does the Commission consider this Act to be compatible
with Malta 's special status with the EC ?

Answer given by Sir Leon Brittan

on behalf of the Commission

(1 April 1993 )

The Commission is aware of the Maltese Industrial
Development Act of 1988 .

The Commission considers this act to be compatible with
the association agreement and the additional protocols
between the EEC and Malta, which do not provide for any
specific obligation on matters of State aids .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 129 / 93

by Mrs Margaret Daly ( PPE )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 15 February 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 17

Subject : Green cards

Following implementation of the Third Motor Insurance
Directive — 90 / 232 / EEC (*) will it stand be either necessary
or desirable for a British motorist, insured with a UK
insurer, to obtain a ' Green card ' in order to drive elsewhere
in the European Community ?

(!) OJ No L 129, 19 . 5 . 1990, p. 33 .

Accordingly a motorist bringing a car to another Member
State is not required to carry a green card, since Member
States, under Article 2, have agreed to refrain from making
checks on insurance against civil liability in respect of
vehicles normally based in the territory of another Member
State .

Police, however, may seek insurance particulars when
making reports in connection with accidents, and, although
the national insurance certificate should suffice, it is perhaps
advisable also to carry the green card which not only serves
as proof of national insurance in some Member States, but
also contains some useful information for motorists

involved in an accident abroad .

(M OJ No L 103, 2 . 5 . 1972 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 137 / 93

by Mr Virginio Bettini ( V )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 15 February 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 18 )

Subject : Transport of plutonium and fast - breeder

reactors

On 23 December 1992, environmentalist groups in the
Asian part of the Pacific alleged that the territorial waters of
Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands had been violated by the

' Akatsuki Maru ' which had left Cherbourg with a cargo of
1,7 tonnes of highly radioactive plutonium, despite the
Japanese Government 's assurances as to the safety of the

consignment .

At the same time, the French Government submitted a
report on the safety of the Superphenix reactor with a view
to its becoming operational again .

What are the Commission 's views on the transport of
plutonium and on the safety of the Superphenix reactor ?

No C 202 / 10 Official Journal of the European Communities 26 . 7 . 93

Answer given by Mr Matutes

on behalf of the Commission

( 26 April 1993 )

1 . I would ask the Honourable Member to refer to the

verbatim report of the November 1992 plenary part-session
of Parliament during which the Commission, replying to a
series of questions on the transport of plutonium to Japan,
explained at great length its view on the transport of
plutonium and on the various measures and precautions
which must be taken in connection with such transport .

The Commission would point out that it is taking an active
part in the discussions of the IAEA 's standing Advisory
Group on the Safe Transport of Radioactive Materials —
SAGSTRAM — which is drawing up international rules to
govern inter alia the transport of plutonium .

More particularly at European Community level, the
Commission is heading a special Standing Working Group
on the transportation of radioactive materials . This group,
made up of national experts, is responsible for ensuring that
the Member States implement IAEA rules, for examining the
various aspects of this type of transport and for making any
recommendations it sees fit .

2 . Fast neutron reactors, of which Superphenix is the
first industrial prototype, are — in the Commission 's
opinion — a key element in any long-term nuclear strategy,
since they enable the maximum amount of energy to be
extracted from uranium — particularly the Community 's
stocks of depleted uranium . Fast neutron reactors could
make the Community practically self-sufficient in nuclear
fuel . The Commission has therefore given its support to the
Community 's concerted efforts to develop a European
design for this type of reactor, so as to keep open the option
of using such a reactor at the appropriate time .

It is, however, not for the Commission to interfere in the
French government 's current work on the safety aspects of
Superphenix .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 146 / 93

by Mr Bruno Boissière ( V )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 15 February 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 19 )

Subject : Jurisdiction and enforcement of judgments in civil

and commercial matters

Can the Commission report on the territorial application of
the Brussels Convention of 27 September 1968 ?

Is it true that this Convention is not yet applicable in judicial
relations between Portugal and Spain on the one hand and
the Federal Republic of Germany, Belgium, Denmark and
Ireland on the other ?

What does the Commission intend to do to rectify this
regrettable state of affairs which may lead to distortions
within the Single Market ?

Answer given by Mr Vanni d'Archirafi

on behalf of the Commission

( 10 May 1993 )

The San Sebastian Convention of 1989 regulating the
adhesion of Spain and Portugal to the Brussels Convention
has not yet been ratified by Germany, Ireland, Belgium and
Denmark . Therefore, it is correct that the Brussels
Convention is not yet applicable in the judicial relations
between those four Member States and Spain and Portugal .
The Commission is aware of these facts and has already
urgent the missing signatories to ratify the Convention as
soon as possible . Denmark has informed the Commission
that its procedures for doing so are near completion .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 147 / 93

by Mr Bruno Boissière ( V )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 15 February 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 20 )

Subject : Translation of the first Directive on trademarks

into the national law of the Member States

Under the provisions of Council Decision 92 / 10 / EEC of

19 December 1991 ( J ) the Member States were required to
translate the first Council Directive 89 / 104 / EEC of
21 December 1988 ( 2 ) relating to trademarks into their
national legislation by 31 December 1992 .

This date is the final deadline and cannot be deferred .

Have all the Member States respected this deadline ?

What does the Commission intend to do to rectify any
distortions of competition in the Single Market arising from
the failure to comply with the above provisions ?

(!) OJ No L 6, 11 . 1 . 1992, p . 35 .
( 2 ) OJ No L 40, 11.2 . 1989, p . 1 .

26 . 7 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 202 / 11

Answer given by Mr Vanni d'Archirafi

on behalf of the Commission

(7 May 1993 )

According to the information available to the Commission,
the situation as at 1 February 1993 was that Directive

89 / 104 / EEC on trademarks had been incorporated into
national law by only Denmark, Greece, France and Italy .
The Spanish authorities consider that their new trademark
law adopted six weeks before the Directive is compatible

. with it .

The Commission has initiated infringement proceedings
against the other seven Member States for failure to
communicate any national measures implementing the
Directive .

right to publish the data of subscribers to the ' orange list ',
i.e. is violating both Article 86 of the EEC Treaty and the

Commission Directive of 28 June 1990 on competition in
the markets for telecommunications services ? Furthermore,
does it not agree that in view of the above the various
regulations issued by the French State on which France
Telecom has based its refusal constitute a violation of

Article 90 of the EEC Treaty by this State ?

Answer given by Mr Van Miert

on behalf of the Commission

(5 May 1993 )

The question put by the Honourable Member raises issues
that concern both the behaviour of the French State and that

of France Telecom .

As regards the rules that can be relied on as against the

QUESTION No 148 / 93 French State, the Commission would note that its Directive

Galland ( LDR ) 90 / 388 / EEC of 28 June 1990 on competition in the markets

for telecommunications services (*) applies only to services

of the European Communities provided between public-network termination points . It

February 1993 ) does not, therefore, concern the problem raised by the

93 / C 202 / 21 ) Honourable Member .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 148 / 93

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

( 15 February 1993 )

Subject : Distortion of competition in the market for

telecommunications directories and other related

publications

In 1991 the Commission engaged Coopers &c Lybrand
Deloitte, the consultancy agency, to draw up a report on
possible ways of improving the supply of
telecommunications ' directories and other related
publications as part of the Single Market . The Commission
received this report last February : it is thus well informed
about all aspects of the market for such publications in each
of the Member States of the Community .

It seems that France Telecom, a public company, is refusing
to transmit to undertakings wishing to publish telephone
directories in competition with its own ' yellow pages ' the list
of subscribers to the ' orange list ', i.e. those who, in
accordance with French law, have asked that their personal
data should be published but not made available to
mail-order houses ; it bases its refusal on various regulations
issued by the French State .

Can the Commission say what view it takes of this state of
affairs which clearly militates against effective competition
being established in the market for the services in question ?
In particular, does it not consider that this attempt by France
Telecom to blur the distinction between the sale of data to
mail-order houses — which subscribers are fully entitled to
refuse — and the transmission of data purely for publication
means that the company is, in effect, reserving for itself the

Article 90 ( 1 ) of the EEC Treaty, taken together with
Article 86, is infringed only if the rules laid down by the State
impose, act as an incentive to or encourage behaviour
incompatible with the competition rules, e.g. by prohibiting
the publication of directories by any enterprise other than
the public-sector operator . However, there are no such rules
in France .

Furthermore, the Commission would draw the attention of
the Honourable Member to the proposed Council Directive
on the application of open network provision ( ONP ) to
voice telephony submitted by the Commission to the
Council on 28 August 1992 ( 2 ). Article 15 of the proposal,
headed ' Directory Services ', states that, subject to the
requirements of relevant legislation on the protection of
personal data and privacy, national regulatory authorities
must ensure that telecommunications organizations make
directory information concerning the voice telephony
service available on request, on published terms which are
fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory .

As far as France Telecom 's behaviour is concerned, it should
be noted that, where competition exists for directory
services, the behaviour of the telecommunications
organizations ( TOs ) must comply with the Community 's
competition rules . In the telecommunications area, the
Commission has indicated its policy in the ' Guidelines on
the application of the EEC competition rules in the
telecommunications sector ' ( 3 ), which cite as a possible
abuse of a dominant position a situation in which such an

No C 202 / 12 Official Journal of the European Communities 26 . 7 . 93

organization inter alia reserves for itself for the purposes of
non-reserved service provision information obtained in the
exercise of a reserved service, in particular information
concerning users of reserved services and their needs, with a
view to providing non-reserved services . In other words,
where TOs provide directory services in competition with
others, all such service providers, including the TO, must
have equal access to information obtained by the TO in
connection with its reserved activities .

It is up to companies which are affected to state their case
before the appropriate national institutions or, where trade
between Member States is substantially affected, through a
complaint to the Commission . The Commission has not
received any complaints in connection with the case referred
to by the Honourable Member .

(!) OJ No L 192, 24 . 7 . 1990 .

( 2 ) OJ No C 263, 12 . 10 . 1992 .

Answer given by Mrs Scrivener

on behalf of the Commission

( 10 May 1993 )

1 . There is no Community legislation for combating
unemployment in the Member States that entails the use of
tax credits ; nor is the adoption of such legislation currently
envisaged .

2 . The allocation of budget revenue generated by a
privatization programme to the financing of tax credits for
SMEs falls within the discretion of the Member State
concerned, subject to the Commission 's approval of the
proposed aid scheme if it is caught by Article 92 of the EEC
Treaty .

( 3 ) OJ No C 233, 6 . 9 . 1991 .
WRITTEN QUESTION No 157 / 93

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

( 17 February 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 23 )
WRITTEN QUESTION No 149 / 93

by Mr Henry Chabert ( PPE )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( IS February 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 22 )

Subject : Measures to combat unemployment and tax credit

for undertakings

One of the many measures that are envisaged or have been
implemented in order effectively to combat unemployment
in the Member States is the granting of tax credit to
undertakings .

1 . Can the Commission say what Community legislation
already exists or is envisaged in this connection and give
references to texts already applicable to tax credit to
undertakings and / or briefly outline its approach to this
matter and indicate the basic principles behind future
legislation ?

!

Can it specify whether Community directives or
regulations aimed at harmonizing the practice of
Member States are already in existence and give
reference to these texts ?

2 . The high level and cost of indebtedness is a considerable

brake on business investments . In order to address this
intractable problem does the Commission, within the
framework of a privatization policy, consider that the
use of part of the revenue from privatization to fund tax
credit to help small   - and medium-sized industrial
undertakings would be compatible with Community
legislation ? If so, what portion of the revenue in
question could be used for this purpose ?

Subject : Public supply contract : framework agreement on

the purchase of pharmaceutical products in
Greece

Greece has been accused of failing to act in accordance with
Directive 77 / 62 / EEC 0 ). What are the main problems in this
matter ? What is the Commission 's position ? Are the other
Member States complying with this Directive ?

(!) OJNoL 13, 15 . 1 . 1977, p. 1 .

Answer given by Mr Vanni a Archirafi

on behalf of the Commission

(7 May 1993 )

It is correct that the Commission has received a complaint in
respect of an outline agreement for the supply of gauze
bandages which, it is alleged, does not comply with
Directive 77 / 62 / EEC .

The agreement was concluded between the Greek
Government and six gauze bandage manufacturers in
Greece and requires the public hospitals it mentions to
purchase gauze bandages from those manufacturers until
July 1994, when the agreement may be extended . Moreover,

the hospitals concerned are obliged by ministerial decision
to observe this ' compulsory ' method of procurement .

The agreement constitutes a public supply contract which,
in overall terms, exceeds the threshold laid down by
Directive 77 / 62 / EEC . Consequently, the contract ought to
have been concluded in accordance with the procedures set
out in the Directive . As this was not the case, the

26 . 7 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 202 / 13

Commission has instituted infringement proceedings with a
view to bringing about termination of the agreement by the
Greek authorities .

enforcement of the CE mark for toys in EC countries, in
particular Italy ?

What steps does the Commission intend to take to redress

The Commission would also inform the Honourable this situation ?
Member that the Member States have transposed the
Directive into national law and that it is monitoring both the
transposition and the correct application of the Directive by
the national authorities . WRITTEN QUESTION No 169 / 93

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

( 17 February 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 26 )
WRITTEN QUESTION No 163 / 93

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

( 17 February 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 24 )

Subject : Assessment of the Community action programme

for the development of continuing vocational
training

Will the Commission provide a copy of the evaluation
report on the application of the Force programme in
Spain ?

Answer given by Mr Ruberti
on behalf of the Commission

(7 May 1993 )

The evaluation report on the first phase of the Force
programme ( 1991 —92 ) will be finalized during the second
half of 1993 .

Meanwhile, the Commission is sending the Honourable
Member and the Secretariat-General of the European
Parliament a document containing full details on the Force
projects involving contracts with promoters in Spain .

Subject : CE mark and toy safety

Is the Commission aware that trading standards officers in
Coventry have experienced three instances where CE
marked toys have been found to fail safety regulations but
have originated from the EC-based manufacturer ? The toys
were removed from sale, but no formal action could be
taken .

What steps does the Commission intend to take to improve
enforcement of the Directive in question ?

WRITTEN QUESTION No 170 / 93

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

( 17 February 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 27 )

Subject : CE mark and toy safety

Is the Commission aware that, since the implementation of
the Toys ( Safety ) Regulations 1989, all of the nine
prosecutions initiated by Coventry City Council,
Environmental Services Department were in relation to toys
imported into the UK from the Far East ? Six of these
products were CE-marked by or on behalf of the importers
as a guarantee they met safety requirements .

What steps does the Commission intend to take to ensure
WRITTEN QUESTION No 168 / 93 that only truly safe toys are marked with the CE mark ?

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

( 17 February 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 25 )

Subject : CE mark and toy safety

Is the Commission aware that concern has been expressed in
the United Kingdom by the Institute of Trading Standards
Administration and the Local Authorities Coordinating
Body on Food and Trading Standards about the adequacy of

Joint answer to Written Questions Nos 168 / 93

to 170 / 93

given by Mrs Scrivener
on behalf of the Commission

( 11 May 1993 )

Since the adoption of Directive 88 / 378 / EEC (*) on safety of
toys in May 1988 and its implementation on 1 January

1990, the Commission has always had close contacts with

No C 202 / 14 Official Journal of the European Communities 26 . 7 . 93

all concerned including Member States, national controlling
authorities, representatives of the toy industry, and

consumers .

It should be noted that the Directive is intended to ensure
that all toys placed on the Community market are safe for all
consumers, in particular children . To this end, the Directive
set up the following mechanism .

In order to place a toy on the market, the manufacturer has
the choice :

— either to declare that his toy conforms with the

harmonized standards on safety of toys adopted by CEN
and Cenelec which give a presumption of conformity
with the essential safety requirements of the
Directive ;

— or to submit a model of his toy to a notified body which

will draw up an EC type-examination certificate if the
model complies with the essential safety requirements of
the Directive .

In both cases, it is only the manufacturer or his authorized
representative established within the Community who
affixes to the toy or on its packaging the CE mark, which
gives a presumption of conformity of the toy with the
essential safety requirements and with all other
requirements of the Directive .

The market surveillance is a mission that belongs to Member

States . Article 3 of the Directive requires Member States to
take all steps necessary to ensure that toys cannot be placed
on the market unless they meet the essential safety
requirements set out in Annex II . Article 12 of the Directive
also requires Member States to take the necessary measures
to ensure that sample checks are carried out on toys on their
market, so as to verify their conformity with the
Directive .

During the period 1990 to 1992, the Commission received
63 notifications on the basis of the safeguard clause of the
Directive .

The simplicity of the procedures set up in the Directive
increases the importance of the role of the national
authorities of control . Their action, through sample checks
carried out on toys placed on their market, must therefore be
sufficient not only to withdraw dangerous toys from their
market but also to dissuade unscrupulous manufacturers
from affixing the CE mark without making sure that the
toys comply with the Directive .

It should also be noted that such matters as the safeguard
clause and the controls carried out by the national
authorities of control and the coordination between these,
are discussed by the Commission with the representatives of
the Member States, for example within the framework of
the follow-up of the Sutherland report .

(!) OJ No L 187, 16 . 7 . 1988 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 194 / 93

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

( 17 February 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 28

Subject : Situation in Armenia

also requires Member States to take the necessary measures Armenia is on the point of collapse . It has no oil, no natural
to ensure that sample checks are carried out on toys on their gas and no electricity because its neighbours, the Russians,
market, so as to verify their conformity with the Uzbeks and Turkmen, who control these sources of energy,
Directive . have cut off supplies . Does the Commission think that it

should support the Armenian Government in its efforts to
revive the country 's economy and in what way ?
If toys bearing the CE mark are likely to jeopardize the safety
or health of consumers or third parties, Article 7 of the
Directive requires Member States to take all appropriate
measures to withdraw the products from the market, or to Answer given by Sir Leon Brittan
prohibit or restrict their placing on the market . Member on behalf of the Commission
States have to inform the Commission immediately of this
measure and indicate the reasons, stating in particular ( 26 April 1993 )
whether the non-compliance results from :

Answer given by Sir Leon Brittan

on behalf of the Commission

( 26 April 1993 )

— failure to meet the essential requirements ;

— incorrect application of the harmonized standards ;

— shortcomings in the harmonized standards .

The Commission, after having considered whether the
measures are justified, informs the other Member States .

The Commission is aware of the energy crisis facing
Armenia, particularly after the gas pipeline in Georgia was
blown up . This pipeline had been Armenia 's one remaining
source of gas since Azerbaijan cut off its supply lines in the
continuing war between the two countries .

The Commission agrees with the Honourable Member on
the importance of supporting the Armenian Government in
its efforts to revive the country 's economy, and has taken
positive action in response to the appeal launched by

26 . 7 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 202 / 15

President Ter-Petrossian, on 7 December 1992, calling for
the international community to come to Armenia 's aid .

— In December 1992 the Commission decided to grant

emergency aid for refugees and people uprooted by the
conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh ; the sum agreed was ECU
500 000, of which ECU 283 730 went to Armenia . The
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees is responsible for implementing this aid .

— More recently, on 17 February 1993, a new decision was

taken to grant a total of ECU 9,5 million in support of
Armenia and Georgia . The exact distribution, of funds
between the two countries has not yet been finalized .
This emergency aid should enable the people of Armenia
to confront the problems they are currently facing as a
result of food and medicine shortages .

In addition to this, in 1992 Armenia received food aid

( mostly milk powder and baby food ) and a credit of ECU 38
million for the purchase of medicines and wheat flour for
bread . Armenia is also one of the countries receiving
assistance under the TACIS programme, amounting to ECU
2,3 million in 1991 and ECU 9,55 million in 1992, in such
sectors as energy, nuclear safety, transport, food
production, support for businesses or advisory support for
the government .

Although the supplying of energy to Armenia is not covered
by Community aid, the Community Presidency has
appealed to the Turkish authorities on behalf of the
European Community and the Member States for
permission, on humanitarian grounds, to transport oil
through Turkish territory .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 195 / 93

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

( 17 February 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 29

Subject : Implementation in Greece of Regulation ( EEC )

No 2079 / 92

The Greek authorities are not implementing the
Community 's aid scheme for early retirement from farming
( Regulation ( EEC ) No 2079 / 92 ) (*). How can the
Community enable Greek farmers wishing to avail
themselves of this scheme to do so ?

(*) OJ No L 215, 30 . 7 . 1992, p. 91 .

Answer given by Mr Steichen

on behalf of the Commission

( 13 April 1993 )

The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its

answer to his Written Question No 3330 / 92 ( x ).

(M OJ No C 185, 7 . 7 . 1993, p. 42 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 227 / 93

by Mrs Winifred Ewing ( ARC )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 18 February 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 30 )

Subject : Protection of investors against bank fraud

In studies of the Bingham Report into the BCCI banking
fraud what safeguards should the investors have with regard
to reliance on ' approved lists of securities ' issued by the
banks ( e.g. the Bank of England in this case )?

Will the Commission recommend any new banking
regulations to offer greater protection to investors ?

Answer given by Mr Vanni d'Archirafi

on behalf of the Commission

(7 May 1993 )

The Commission has had some difficulty in answering the
question because it is unclear if the Honourable Member is
referring to investor protection ( i.e., in respect of investment
firms ) or deposit protection ( for banks ). In addition, the
Commission is not aware of any ' approved lists of
securities ', issued by banks, which require the approval of
the Bank of England . The only lists of which the
Commission is aware of are those which inter alia list the

names of authorized institutions in the UK or of those
institutions whose obligations are eligible for discount .
Neither of these carries any guarantee of the soundness of
these institutions .

With respect to measures taken at Community level to
protect investors / depositors, two courses of action are being
followed . A proposal for a directive on deposit guarantee
schemes ( for banks ) was made in April 1992 (*) and
continues to be discussed in the Council . The Commission

has also just begun discussions with Member States on a
preliminary draft for a directive on investor compensation
schemes with a view to submitting a proposal to the Council
by 31 July 1993 .

The Commission would add that some specific measures
which the Bingham report on BCCI suggested, in order to
improve banking supervision, will be submitted in the near

No C 202 / 16 Official Journal of the European Communities 26 . 7 . 93

future to the Council in a proposal for a Directive . These
measures will offer greater protection, both to depositors
and investors .

(M OJ No C 163, 30 . 6 . 1992 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 229 / 93

by Mrs Winifred Ewing ( ARC )
to European Political Cooperation

( 18 February 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 31 )

Subject : Human rights in Malawi

Given the recent increases in human rights abuses in
Malawi, which include torture, abuses of legal processes and
the expulsion of a number of Irish missionary priests, will
the Foreign Ministers meeting in EPC send a letter of
condemnation of these actions to President Hastings
Banda ?

Answer

( 25 June 1993 )

I can assure the Honourable Member that the authorities of

Malawi are in no doubt about the importance the
Community and its Member States attach to full respect of
human rights and fundamental freedoms in that country .

The Community and its Member States recently welcomed
encouraging signs of improvements in Malawi regarding
political freedom and respect for human rights and urged
the government to continue the democratization process .
They hope that the referendum, together with the pursuit of
appropriate human rights and economic policies, will lead
to conditions for a resumption of a full aid partnership with
donors .

In addition reference is made to the reply given on 22 April

1993 to a similar question — No H-0285 / 93 from Mr Balfe,
United Kingdom .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 233 / 93

by Mr Enrico Ferri ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 18 February 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 32

Subject : The new Italian highway code introduced on

1 January 1993

The Commission 's services have decided to examine the
Italian legislative decree of 30 April 1992 ( No 285 )

concerning the new national highway code, for introduction
on 1 January 1993 .

The Italian decree contains a series of technical rules which,
under Directive 83 / 189 / EEC of 22 March 1983 ( 1 ), which
came into force on 1 January 1984, should have been
notified to the Commission at the draft stage .

This decree appears to contravene derived Community law,
and, consequently, could give rise to obstacles in dealings
between Member States .

The Commission 's DG III requested the relevant Italian
authorities, in December 1992, to delay implementation of
the decree, planned for 1 January 1993 ; however, the Italian
Government has not only failed to comply with the
Commission 's request but has, moreover, issued, on
28 December 1992, Presidential Decree No 495, dated

16 December 1992, containing the rules governing
operation of the new code . This regulation contains further
technical rules concerning road traffic which should have
been communicated to the Commission .

In addition, Directive 83 / 189 / EEC has been incorporated
into Italian law as Law No 317 of 21 June 1986 .

Can the Commission state what action it intends to take to

restore the correct balance and ensure that both Italian and
Community law are complied with ?

0 ) OJ No L 109, 26 . 4 . 1983, p. 8 .

Answer given by Mr Bangemann

on behalf of the Commission

( 28 April 1993 )

The Commission can confirm that as soon as it learned in

December 1992 of Legislative Decree No 285 of 30 April

1992 on the new highway code, which was due to enter into
force on 1 January 1993, it sent the Italian authorities a
telex, dated 18 December 1992, asking them to postpone
the entry into force of the decree in question .

The Italian authorities failed to comply with this request .

In the meantime, the Commission has also learned of
Presidential Decree No 495 of 16 December 1992 on the

implementation and updating of the new highway code .

If it becomes clear that these texts should have been notified

to the Commission at the draft stage ( in accordance with
Article 8 ( 1 ) of Directive 83 / 189 / EEC ), the latter will
institute proceedings against Italy as soon as possible in
accordance with Article 169 of the EEC Treaty for failure to
comply with the abovementioned Directive .

26 . 7 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 202 / 17

In addition, the Commission is examining the compatibility
of the technical rules contained in the new code and in the
implementing regulation in the light of the motor vehicle
harmonization directives and the provisions governing the
free movement of goods ( Articles 30 to 36 of the EEC
Treaty ). The Commission has already explained these
provisions in its notice on procedures for the type-approval
and registration of vehicles previously registered in another
Member State ( M ?

f 1 ) OJ No C 281, 4 . 11 . 1988 .

participate in the technology development phase of JESSI
were located in Germany, France, Netherlands, Italy and the
UK and consequently JESSI looked for financial support to

be apportioned 50 % to industry and 50 % shared between
the participating national governments and the EC .

The JESSI start-up-phase began in May 1990 when the
Commission launched the first three JESSI projects
concerned in its R&D IT ( Research and Development
Information Technologies ) programme Esprit with ( a ) 0,5
micron CMOS technology ( most applied Silicon
Technology ), ( b ) Manufacturing science and ( c ) a CAD

( Computer aided design ) Framework . These three
Community funded projects addressed key core technology
issues alongside some 65 other projects funded by the
respective Member States and which together formed the
total JESSI programme .
WRITTEN QUESTION No 242 / 93

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

( 23 February 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 33 )

Towards the end of the start-up-phase and in anticipation of
a main phase ( 1992 — 96 ) the JESSI programme was
restructured into some 15 focused project clusters . Today,
JESSI work is still primarily executed in five or six Member

States with some minor supporting activities being carried
Subject : Lack of Spanish participation in JESSI out EFTA in countries companies . and institutes located in Community and

A recent document entitled ' What is JESSI ?', which was
handed out those attending a European Parliament public
hearing on semiconductors in November 1992, reports on
the successful work carried out by this programme under

' Eureka '.

It stated that, to date, over 50 projects had been initiated
with the participation of over 150 companies, universities
and institutes from 14 countries . These countries, as listed
by the document, did not include Spain, a country which
until recently was considered as the 10th, 11th or 12th
largest industrial power in the world .

Can the Commission, or if necessary the programme 's
secretariat, give an explanation as to why Spain should not
be included ?

Answer given by Mr Bangemann

on behalf of the Commission

Recognizing that Spain had limited capabilities to
participate in collaborative R&D programmes in
microelectronics ( evidenced by the low level of Spanish
participation in this area within Esprit ) the Commission and
the Spanish administration agreed to launch a Special
Action in microelectronics tailored to develop the
capabilities of Spanish organizations to exploit the results
of programmes such as Esprit and JESSI . Consequently,
the Special Action GAME ( Grupo Activador de la
Microelectrónica en Espana ) was launched in September

1990 . GAME objectives are to increase the awareness of
microelectronics technology, transfer technology from
existing Esprit and JESSI projects and demonstration of
industrial applications . The encouraging results produced
by the action in its first phase, has been a determined factor
to extend this initiative into a second phase ( GAME-II ) and
to enlarge its scope to other IT areas : Software and CIM

( Computer Integrated Manufacturing ).

(6 May 1993 ) Furthermore, a mechanism has been built, within the
Community funded JESSI projects, to ensure the
participation of all the Community centres of competence in
the areas of interest . This is formally regulated by a ' call for

Submicron Silicon ) project was participation '. Two Spanish centres applied to the Call

Europe 's leading Semiconductor issued in 1991 for the abovementioned projects, and one
with their systems users and was awarded for the collaboration with a JESSI partner in
suppliers . The planning phase the 0,5 microns CMOS technology project .

JESSI ( The Joint European Submicron Silicon ) project was

an initiative taken by Europe 's leading Semiconductor
companies in collaboration with their systems users and
equipment and materials suppliers . The planning phase

( Eureka project EU127 ), was carried out during 1988 by
representatives from industry, research centres and
universities . At the conclusion of the planning phase
manpower resources were estimated at 21 400 person-years
at a total cost of some ECU 3 800 million over the eight-year
period 1989 —96 . The principal companies expected to

These actions have already produced an impact during the

1991 Esprit Call where the applications of Spanish
companies and R&D centers has been noticeably higher

No C 202 / 18 Official Journal of the European Communities 26 . 7 . 93

than in the past . An increasing involvement of Spain in
Community collaborative programmes in the area of
microelectronics is expected in the coming years . 

WRITTEN QUESTION No 267 / 93

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

( 24 February 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 34 )

Subject : Staff of the Commission Directorates-General at

31 December 1992

How many officials and other servants of the Community
were employed in the Commission 's 23 Directorates
General at 31 December 1992 ?

How does this compare with the figure at 31 December

1991 ?

Answer given by Mr Van Miert

on behalf of the Commission

( 18 May 1993 )

On 31 December 1992, under both the administrative
budget and the research budget, the number of officials and
temporary staff employed by the Commission in the 23
Directorates-General stood at 10 040 .

For the purposes of comparison with the situation on
31 December 1991, 261 should be added to this figure for
the staff in the Information Technology Directorate, which
has been decentralized .

With virtually the same structure, the increase in 1992 was
2,7% .

Community Directives and places the interests of all kinds
of companies above those of individual authors . Will the
Commission look into this matter ?

Answer given by Mr Vanni d'Archirafi

on behalf of the Commission

( 10 May 1993 )

The Commission is aware that the Greek Government has
prepared a draft law on copyright and related rights which
has been laid before Parliament . However, it sees no reason
to comment on a draft law of this type, which is not, in fact,
a definitive legislative text . Moreover, it may comment on
laws or regulations passed by Member States only from the
viewpoint of Community law .

The Commission would, however, point out that the only
two instruments of Community law dealing with copyright
and related rights to have been adopted so far are :

— Council Directive 91 / 250 / EEC of 14 May 1991 on the

legal protection of computer programs, which entered
into force on 1 January 1993 . A letter of formal notice
has been sent to the Greek authorities for failure to give
notification of national measures implementing the
Directive ;

— Council Directive 92 / 100 / EEC of 19 November 1992 on

rental right and certain rights related to copyright in the
field of intellectual property . Member States are
required to implement by 1 July 1994 the measures
necessary to comply with the Directive .

Should the Greek authorities so desire, the Commission 's
staff are certainly willing to assist them in transposing into
national law the abovementioned Directives and any future
Community directives dealing with copyright and related
rights .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 276 / 93

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

( 24 February 1993 )

WRITTEN QUESTION No 268 / 93
( 93 / C 202 / 36 )

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

( 24 February 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 35 )

Subject : Intellectual property and related rights in Greece

The draft law on intellectual property and related rights
now before the Greek Parliament blatantly ignores

Subject : The Kotychios wetland in the prefecture of Ilia

( Greece )

The Kotychios wetland in the prefecture of Ilia is dying . This
unique wetland, which is protected by the Ramsar
Convention, is in a desperate situation because of drought,
but also mainly because of the uncontrolled dumping of
refuse, there . Will the Commission look into this matter ?

26 . 7 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 202 / 19

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission

( 13 May 199.3 )

With regard to the possible dumping of refuse in the
Kotychios wetland, it is the Member State which, in
accordance with Article 4 in particular of the Council
Directive 91 / 156 / EEC of 18 March 1991 0 ) amending
Directive 75 / 442 / EEC on waste is required to take the

necessary measures :

( a ) to ensure that waste ist disposed of among other

things,

— without risk to water, air, soil and plants and

animals,

— without adversely affecting the countryside or

places of special interest ;

( b ) to prohibit the abandonment, dumping or uncontrolled

disposal of waste .

Further, as the Kotychi Lagoon is a Special Protection
Area under Council Directive 79 / 409 / EEC ( 2 ) on the
conservation of wild birds and Greece is, according to
Article 4 ( 4 ) of this Directive, obliged to take appropriate
steps to avoid its pollution or deterioration, the Commission
has sent a letter to the competent authority requesting
information concerning the situation in the wetland .

í 1 ) OJ No L 78, 26 . 3 . 1991 .
( 2 ) OJ No L 103, 2 . 4 . 1979 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 279 / 93

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

( 24 February 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 37 )

Subject : Tax arrangements for petroleum products, alcohol

and alcoholic beverages and processed tobacco in
Greece

Greece has not yet brought its tax arrangements for
petroleum products, alcohol and alcoholic beverages and
processed tobacco into line with Community law . Given
that there is now a draft law before the Greek Parliament on
this subject, will the Commission call for its immediate
enactment ?

Answer given by Mrs Scrivener

on behalf of the Commission

(5 May 1993 )

The Commission is aware that a draft law designed to
implement the various Excise Directives was presented to
the Greek Parliament on 30 December 1992 and that it is
likely to be adopted in the near future . In the meantime, the
Commission has received assurance from the Greek

administration that, pending formal adoption of this law by
the Parliament, it is being applied administratively .

Against this background, the Commission does not consider
it necessary at this stage to intervene as suggested by the
Honourable Member .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 283 / 93

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

( 24 February 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 38 )

Subject : Objective indicators

Given that there is a need for greater progress in using
Community funds for projects and programmes which
promote competitiveness and support economic and social
structures, will the Commission establish objective
indicators in the immediate future to give an accurate
picture of the actual situation of each Member State of the
Community and their needs ?

Answer given by Mr Christophersen

on behalf of the Commission

( 28 April 1993 )

The Commission would draw the Honourable Member 's
attention to the fact that the Community 's statistical
machinery comprises a set of instruments designed to assess
objectively economic and social developments in the
Member States and thus in the Community as a whole .

The vast range of economic and social phenomena to be
observed necessitates recourse to numerous indicators such
as the index of production, the price index, the index for the
distributive trades and other services, and figures for
population, employment and unemployment . In addition,
per capita gross national product is a valid comprehensive
statistical aggregate for measuring overall economic
strength in the Commission and in each Member State .

No C 202 / 20 Official Journal of the European Communities 26 . 7 . 93

Since the etablishment of the commont market, the
Statistical Office of the European Communities ( Eurostat )
has developed the tools in question in direct cooperation
with the national statistics agencies and is currently
adapting them as part of the Statistical Programme

1993— 97 to the new information requirements of
Community policy .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 285 / 93
by Mrs Johanna-Christina Grund ( NI )
to the Commission of the European Communities

made regarding the rights of men and women, which are
identical, nor between those of officials and temporary staff
which are also identical . Reference should also be made to
the third subparagraph of Article 4(8 ), which governs the
rights of children of the marriage and in such cases abrogates
the condition regarding the duration of the marriage .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 307 / 93

by Mr Willem van Velzen ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

(1 March 1993 )

( 24 February 1993 ) ( 93 / C 202 / 40 )

( 93 / C 202 / 39

Subject : Discrimination against older employees

Subject : Infringements of basic rights by the Council

Regulation introducing special measures to
terminate the service of temporary staff of the
European Communities

As a member of the Committee on Legal Affairs and
Citizens ' Rights and of the Committee on Women 's Rights,
would the Commission provide me with detailed
information regarding the legal basis for the serious
infringements contained in Article 8 of Council Regulation

( EEC ) No 2274 / 87 ( x ) of the fundamental rights of widows
and dependent children of former temporary staff in cases
where the temporary member of staff leaving the service did
not contract his marriage one year before his service was
terminated . Does the Commission share my view that the
maintenance arrangements laid down by the Council in
Article 8 are an infringement of the fundamental rights of a
temporary member of staff and, in the event of this death, of
the fundamental rights of his widow and dependent children
in that they deprive them of survivors ' benefits, which is an
affront to common standards of decency and human
dignity, and also violate the member of staff 's basic property
rights since, it is tantamount to expropriating his duly
acquired pension rights to withdraw the widow 's and
orphans ' entitlements, which runs counter to the principle
of protecting families ?

0 ) OJ No L 209, 31 . 7 . 1987, p. 1 .

Answer given by Mr Van Miert

on behalf of the Commission

( 12 May 1993 )

The clause concerning the duration of the marriage in
Article 4 ( 8 ) of Regulation ( EEC ) No 2274 / 87 also appears
in the other Regulations concerning special measures on the
termination of service, and in the Staff Regulations
themselves ( Article 17 of Annex VIII ). No discrimination is

Is the Commission aware that, although only 35,5 % of
people between the ages of 55 and 65 in the Netherlands are
now employed ( the EC average being 51,9% ), older
employees in the Netherlands are frequently pressurized —
indeed, sometimes forced — to leave the labour market ? Is
the Commission aware of the agreement between unions
and employers at the ' Hoogovens ' company whereby the
brunt of forthcoming redundancies will be borne by
employees over the age of 55 ?

Does the Commission consider that such practices are
compatible with the principles laid down in inter alia the
Social Charter and the Commission Decision on the
European Year of the Elderly and of Solidarity between
Generations ? Does the Commission see any possibility of
taking measures against these practices ?

Answer given by Mr Flynn
on behalf of the Commission

( 24 May 1993 )

The Commission is aware of the special problems faced by
older people in the labour market . These, and other issues of
concern to older people, will be the focus of particular
attention during 1993 which has been designated European
Year of the Elderly and Solidarity between Generations .

Through the European Year the Commission will be
seeking, in cooperation with Member States, to highlight the
positive contribution of older people to society, including
their contribution in the work place . It will also promote the
exchange of information and views between governments,
employers, trades unions and academic experts on the
position of older workers m the labour market .

A number of specific studies and reports have been
produced or are planned for the European Year focusing on

26 . 7 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 202 / 21

employment issues including a report on age discrimination
in the workplace to be published later in the year .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 309 / 93

by Mr Willem van Velzen ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

(1 March 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 41 )

Subject : Diploma in industrial medicine

Is the Commission aware that the Belgian diploma in
industrial medicine is not recognized in France, so that
Belgian doctors trained in this specialist field are seriously
hindered from practising their profession in France ? Has
the Commission taken any steps to eliminate these
difficulties ?

Answer given by Mr Vanni d'Archirafi

on behalf of the Commission

( 18 May 1993 )

The Commission would refer the Honourable Member

to its answer to Written Question No 2693 / 91 by Mr
Vandemeulebroucke (*).

(!) OJ No C 126, 18 . 5 . 1992 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 314 / 93

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

(1 March 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 42 )

Is the Commission satisfied with the progress of the Member
States in implementing measures of 25 March 1992 ; if not,
does the Commission feel that given the insufficient
transparency of information, a ' binding Community
instrument ' should now be drafted ?

Answer given by Mr Vani d'Archirafi

on behalf of the Commission

( 10 May 1993 )

In its March 1992 working document ' Easier cross-border
payments : breaking down the barriers ', the Commission
indicated that it would look to Member States to ensure that

adequate transparency of charges levied by bureaux de
change and banks would be afforded to customers wishing
to carry out currency exchange operations .

To this end, the Commission has organized two meetings of
a group of governmental experts to look into the issue . The
Commission has thoroughly examined with these experts
the extent to which existing domestic regulations provide
for an adequate and transparent disclosure by the banks and
bureaux de change of all commissions and charges to these
transactions, and thus meet the requirements set out in its
March 1992 working document . It appears that appropriate
legislation exists or should be introduced in all the Member
States which will result in the level of transparency required,
although not necessarily implying that charges will be
levied uniformly on an all-inclusive basis across the
Community .

Accordingly, given the situation described above, the
Commission does not consider a binding Community
instrument necessary in order to bring about what appears
already to be in place in all the Member States .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 319 / 93

by Mr Bouke Beumer ( PPE )
to the Commission of the European Communities

(1 March 1993 )

Subject : Currency exchange
93 / C 202 / 43 )

Point 68 of the Commission 's working programme for
payments systems in the internal market states that :

' The Commission considers that the Member States
should ensure that the information displayed by banks
and bureaux de change for cash foreign exchange
transactions is either set out in an all-inclusive exchange
rate ( including all commissions ), or is clearly and
prominently displayed showing any charges that will be
made . Should this not lead to rapid practical results,
the Commission will draft a binding Community
instrument .'

Subject : Stricter supervision of the financial markets

The President of De Nederlandse Bank, W. Duisenberg,
reportedly takes the view that that body should tighten up
its supervision of the financial markets . The reasons he cites
include :

— the increasing volume of debt contradicted in the form of

new financial products, such as foreign exchange
options, swaps, etc ., which do not appear, or do not

No C 202 / 22 Official Journal of the European Communities 26 . 7 . 93

appear in full, on balance sheets and which serve to
disguise the genuine volume of debt ;

— the volume and speed of currency transactions, which

have increased out of all proportion following
computerization : in the Netherlands alone, it is
estimated that transactions involving settlements and
interbank obligations to a value of Fl 60 million are
carried out each day . Every central banker 's nightmare is
that, at the end of the day, one party will be unable to pay
and the banks will collapse like a set of dominoes .

1 . Can the Commission estimate the volume of money
which changes hands between banks in the EC on an
average day ?

2 . Can the Commission state whether, in the last five years,

banks and other financial institutions in particular have
run into difficulties as a result of currency trading ?

3 . What ways does the Commission see of ensuring that

contracted debts appear in due form on balance
sheets ?

4 . Does the Commission endorse, either fully or in part, the

view of the President of De Nederlandse Bank that
supervision of the financial markets should be tightened
up, and does it regard the existing supervision in the
Member States as adequate ?

Answer given by Mr Christophersen

on behalf of the Commission

( 30 April 1993 )

1 . There are some indicators, which give an
approximation of the amounts involved, although they do
not give a single figure for volume of interbank transfers :

— According to a survey conducted by the Committee of

Governors of the Central Banks of the Member States of
the European Community the total amount of funds
which were cleared through the official payment systems
within the respective countries amounted to around
ECU 162 470 billion in 1990 .

— Cross-border payments are not equally well recorded, as

there are a number of different paymant systems
performing such operations .

— Besides payment transactions other types of interbank

transactions take place which do not necessarily
generate an according payment transaction, notably in
the area of currency spot and forward trading . A large
part of such kind of transactions within the Community
takes place in London . A recent survey conducted by the
Bank of England estimates the average daily turnover to
about US $ 300 billion ( in April 1992 ); this would
translate into an annual figure of ECU 60 367 billion .
According to the same survey the next largest trading
places within the EEC are Germany with an estimated
daily transaction volume of ECU 46 billion and France
with ECU 28 billion daily .

2 . According to the Commission 's knowledge there have
been no bank failures due to currency trading within the last

five years . The last was that of the German Herstatt-Bank in

1974 . There have certainly been problems with currency
trading losses, but trading profits and losses are not usually
separately reported for curency trading and trading in other
financial instruments . Thus a clear picture of gross currency
losses incurred by banks or financial institutions is not
available .

However, a good part of currency trading is done for
hedging purposes, in order to secure banks against possible
currency losses due to foreign currency asset or liability
positions . Therefore, an increase in foreign exchange
trading does not necessarily lead to an increased exposure to
exchange risk .

3 . The Commission follows closely the efforts of the
respective national banking supervisory authorities to
develop the Member States supervisory rules for banks and
other financial institutions in order to take into account the
development of new financial instruments off the balance
sheets ( futures, options, swaps, forward contracts,
underwriting facilities . The proposed Council Directive on
capital adequacy for investment firms and credit institutions
takes these instruments into account . The Commission also

follows the work carried out by the Basle Committee on
Banking Supervision, under the aegis of the Group of Ten,
which aims at developing common standards, in order to
avoid systemic risk stemming from the international activity
of banks . The Commission follows also the same work

carried out in other international fora, such as the IOSCO

( International Organization of Securities Commissions ).

4 . The Commission is perfectly aware that supervision of
financial markets needs to be tightened and that the existing
level of supervision in the Member States should be
improved . That is why, as announced by Sir Leon Brittan in

1 992, both in the Council and in the Legal Committee of the
European Parliament, it will propose new supervisory
measures aimed to take into account the gaps in banking
supervision which emerged in the BCCI case .

Further the Commission is examining the possibility of
additional measures aimed at ensuring a proper functioning
of the interbank netting procedures and in particular
supervision of the operations on derivatives linked to the
commodities trading .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 339 / 93
by Mrs Brigitte Ernst de la Graete ( V )
to the Commission of the European Communities

(2 March 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 44 )

Subject : EIB support for cotton mills in Zambia

The European Investment Bank is planning to grant a loan
of ECU 7 million to fund the extension of cotton mills and

26 . 7 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 202 / 23

ancillary yarn-dyeing facilities at Ndola in Northern
Zambia .

Has research been carried out on the potential markets ?
What possibilities are there for Zambia to export textiles to
Europe, given its highly protectionist policy ? On the internal
African market, how will Zambian textiles be able to
compete with cheap products from South-East Asia and

China ?

Answer given by Mr Christophersen

on behalf of the Commission

( 14 Mai 1993 )

The Commission confirms that the European Investment
Bank ( EIB ) in December 1992 concluded a finance contract
of ECU 7 million for the expansion of cotton spinning and
associated yarn dyeing facilities at Ndola, in Northern
Zambia . The funds are from risk capital resources managed
by the EIB under the Fourth Lome Convention .

The modernization and expansion of the yarn spinning mill
forms part of Zambia 's policy of diversifying its economy
from its present over-dependence on the mining sector . It
increases the value added of local raw material and
contributes to the improvement of the country 's balance of
payments situation .

Market review, always part of EIB 's standard project
appraisal procedure, showed for this investment overall
satisfactory prospects taking into account that exports to
Europe have an advantage compared to Asian producers .
ACP countries exports access the EC market on a duty free
basis whereas 6 % duty is levied on imports from non-ACP
countries . The company also supplies yarn to non-EC
countries .

In Zambia, the company already has a substantial share of
the local market . In the regional African market too, the
promoter has been able to compete effectively .

cooperation between trade unions and research institutes,
and what experience has been gained in the course of this
cooperation ?

Does the Commission intend to set up a permanent network
and / or initiate a pilot project to test ideas on the structuring
of cooperation at both transnational and regional level,
including the creation of a new budget heading ?

(*) Debates of the European Parliament, No 3-412 ( December

1991 ).

Answer given by Mr Flynn
on behalf of the Commission

( 27 Mai 1993 )

Since this matter was last raised in Parliament ( in December

1991 ), the Commission has held a conference in Spain and
has taken initiatives to organize two more in Portugal and
The Netherlands, both of which will take place later this
year . By the end^of 1993, therefore, conferences will have
been held in each of the Member States except
Luxembourg .

Regarding the outcome of the conferences, it should be
noted that the need for this kind of cooperation has been
endorsed at all conferences to date and the trade unions and
research institutes have shown great interest in developing it
further .

Concerning the second part of the question, it should be
added that the Commission is convinced of the need for this
type of cooperation, particularly as a support for social
dialogue, and will therefore examine how it might give
further assistance towards the development of cooperation
in the field of research among trade unions and research

centres .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 344 / 93

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

(2 March 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 46 )
WRITTEN QUESTION No 342 / 93

by Mrs Joanna Renn ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

(2 March 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 45 )

Subject : Cooperation between trade unions and research

institutes

What initiatives have been taken since my earlier question
on this subject ( H-1218 / 91 (*)) to continue and extend

Subject : Integrated pollution control Directive

The Commission is presently discussing the introduction of
such a Directive, the objective of which is to ensure
coordination in the issuing of air, noise, water and land
permits for industry . Does the Commission have any
intention within this proposal to ensure that peripheral
regions are not adversely affected and how does the
Commission envisage using the proceeds from charges made
on industries polluting the environment — will these
proceeds be used to introduce cleaner technologies or to
rectify the environmental damage ?

No C 202 / 24 Official Journal of the European Communities 26 . 7 . 93

Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas

on behalf of the Commission

( IS April 1993 )

on 7 December 1992 on making the Single Market work . It
is intended to foster close and efficient cooperation between
the Member States and the Commission, and in particular to
develop effective exchange of information which is all the
more important following the ending of internal frontier
controls .

A proposal for a Directive on integrated pollution
prevention and control, intended to serve as a framework
for setting environmental conditions relating to emissions to It is, however, not the purpose of the Committee to
the air, second water and quarter land, should of 1993 be . submitted As environmental to the Council quality in intervene provide the where necessary there are structures already to mechanisms resolve practical which
standards have to be complied with in any case the current problemes as they arise . Nor is it the purpose of the
draft of the Directive does not foresee the need for uniform Committee to identify and pursue infringements by the
emission limit values throughout the Community . The text Member States where existing procedures will be
will recognize that the integrated approach is fully followed .
compatible with the use of economic instruments, but will
not specify a system of emission charges . (!) OJ No L 26, 3 . 2 . 1993 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 347 / 93

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

WRITTEN QUESTION No 348 / 93

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

(2 March 1993 )

(2 March 1993 ) ( 93 / C 202 / 48 )

( 93 / C 202 / 47 )

Subject : EC action on cardiovascular disease

Subject : ' Crisis unit ' in the Internal Market Directorate

Could the Commission inform me of the work of this unit

aimed at dealing with practical problems resulting from the
abolition of the EC 's internal borders . Has it been involved

in ensuring that national authorities flouting the rules of the
new internal market have been told so and therefore

authorities checking passports, continuing to use the old
duty-free systems etc . have been told to cease such activities ?
Did the Commission publicize the establishment of this unit
so that ordinary citizens might avail themselves of its
services in order to ensure that the internal market becomes

a reality ?

Answer given by Mr Vanni d'Archirafi

on behalf of the Commission

(7 May 1993 )

By ' crisis unit ' the Honourable Member is probably
referring to the Advisory Committee for coordination in the
Internal Market field which has been set up by Commission
Decision 93 / 72 / EEC (*) of 23 December 1992 . The
Committee consists of two representatives of each Member
State and is chaired by the Commission .

The Committee was established in response to the report by
Mr Sutherland and the Internal Market Council 's resolution

Following the Commission 's decision not to introduce a
European Nutrition Year, could the Commission inform me
whether it has any plans to introduce a programme aimed at
alleviating the health scourge of cardiovascular disease
which is one of the great killer diseases in Europe . Would
such a programme aim at helping the already constituted
Heart Foundations improve their work and would medical
research on cardiovascular disease be funded ?

Answer given by Mr Flynn
on behalf of the Commission

( 30 April 1993 )

Since 1983 the Commission has financed, within the
framework of five successive European Community
Medical and Health Research programmes, activities in the
field of research into cardiovascular disease .

Within the current programme, 13 such collaborative
projects have been supported and a second call for proposals
with a deadline of 26 February 1993 retains cardiovascular
disease as one of the priorities .

In their Conclusions of 3 December 1990 ( a ), the Council
and the Ministers for Health of the Member States meeting
within the Council recognized that cardiovascular disease is
one of the main causes of death in all the Member States of
the Community and that preventive measures put in hand in

26 . 7 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 202 / 25

the Community programme to combat cancer have an effect
in preventing cardiovascular disease . This relationship
between nutrition and cardiovascular disease is one of the
aspects being investigated in a prospective study of 3 000
people over 10 years now being undertaken under the

cancer programme .

Should any further action on cardiovascular disease be
undertaken by the Community the Heart Foundation might
well be among the organizations invited to participate or to
propose activities to benefit from Community assistance .

(!) OJ No C 329, 31 . 12 . 1990 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 357 / 93

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

(3 March 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 49

Subject : Availability of new European Community
publications

The delays in acquiring EC publications have been causing
problems for Euro Documentation Centres and other
providers of European information . The problem is
two-fold : there is the delay between the official press launch
of a new publication and the delivery to the Office for
Official Publications in Luxembourg of copies for
distribution or sale ; then there is the delay encountered by
HMSO in obtaining copies from OOPEC for sale in the UK .
This delay is often four months or more and obviously
frustrates those who have read about a new publication but
cannot get access to it .

Can the Commission explain why new publications are
launched before copies are available ? What steps can be
taken to remedy this situation ? Is the UK disadvantaged by
the delay compared with other Member States ?

Those publications which are sent out, are dispatched
within 48 hours of publication .

With regard to the distributors of official publications,
initial consignments are sent to them too within 48 hours of
publication and subsequent orders for further supplies are
dealt with, as long as stocks last, on a weekly basis .

i

It is indeed the case that in the past, because of a laudable
desire to inform the public sooner, publications were
launched before their actual availability in all languages
could be guaranteed . The Commission has recognized that
this could be counter-productive and will stop the
practice .

It is difficult to assess in advance how successful certain
publications are likely to be with the public . It may depend
on a particular combination of political circumstances, and
on occasion the Commission has been a victim of its own
success when initial print runs were ' consumed ' in record
time and faster than was expected . In such cases, reprints
had to be . organized and normal supply times were
affected .

Although this phenomenon particularly affects those
language versions with a large circulation, the situation
described is not peculiar to the United Kingdom .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 364 / 93

by Mrs Christine Oddy ( S )

to the Commission of the European Communities

(3 March 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 50

Subject : Merger Task Force

How does the Merger Task Force ensure consistency of
appraisal in terms of such factors as relevant product,
geographical market and concentrative joint venture ?

Answer given by Mr Van Miert

on behalf of the Commission

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro

on behalf of the Commission (4 May 1993 )

( 20 April 1993 )

The Commission is unaware of any problems of the sort
described by the Honourable Member being encountered by
the Euro Documentation Centres . The only complaints
received have been about cutbacks in basic consignments,
which have been dictated by considerations of economy .

In the decisions it takes under the Merger Control
Regulation, Council Regulation ( EEC ) No 4064 / 89 (*), the
Commission attaches great importance to the accurate
determination of the relevant product market and
geographic market, which are the two dimensions within
which it has to assess the market power of the new entity
being created . These questions can be left undecided only

No C 202 / 26 Official Journal of the European Communities 26 . 7 . 93

where, even if the narrowest possible definition of the
market is applied, there is no dominant position being
created or strengthened .

To define the relevant particular market the Commission
uses two fundamental criteria, substitutability and the
conditions of competition . Determining the geographic
market means defining a territory in which the undertakings
involved in the merger operate and in which the terms of
competition are sufficiently homogeneous . On the basis of
these established criteria the Commission looks at the facts

peculiar to each case in order to arrive at an assessment .

The Commission 's 21st competition report, covering 1991,
provides a review of the main decisions on these points and
of the factors considered in market analysis in merger
cases ( 2 ). The 22nd report, currently in preparation, will do
the same thing for the principal decisions taken in 1992 . The
Commission takes the view that these decisions do display
the necessary consistency of approach to circumstances
which can vary widely .

Whether a joint venture constitutes a ' concentration ' is
determined in accordance with the two tests in the second
subparagraph of Article 3 ( 2 ) of the Regulation : it must
perform ' on a lasting basis all the functions of an
autonomous economic entity ', and there must be no
' coordination of the competitive behaviour of the parties
amongst themselves '. On the basis of these criteria the
Commission looks at the various aspects of an operation,
and at its probable effects, in order to establish to which
category it belongs .

The Commission feels that the publications already referred
to will show that in its decision-making practice it has been
taking as realistic and coherent an approach as possible to
this question .

( J ) OJ No L 395, 30 . 12 . 1989 ; corrected version OJ No L 257,

21 . 9 . 1990 .

( 2 ) See Annex III.A.7 : outline of the first cases of implementation of

the Merger Control Regulation .

had state aids above the Community average ( between
3,5 % and 4,6 % ). In what industrial sectors was the State
aid concentrated ?

WRITTEN QUESTION No 377 / 93

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

(3 March 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 52

Subject : State aid

According to the XXth report on competition policy, three
Member State had below Community average State aid :
Denmark ( 1,6 % ), United Kingdom ( 2,5 % ) and the Federal
Republic of Germany ( 2,7% ). In which industrial sectors
were the State aids concentrated ?

Joint answer to Written Questions Nos 369 / 93

and 377 / 93

given by Mr Van Miert
on behalf of the Commission

(4 May 1993 )

The figures for national aid to industry quoted by the

Honourable Member in her two questions are taken from
the second survey on State aids in the European Community
in the manufacturing and certain other sectors, published by
the Commission . The report and its update, the third survey,
were sent to the President of Parliament for information .

At present, the Commission does not have sufficient data to
give a breakdown by sector of the aid to industry, as
requested by the Honourable Member . This is mainly
WRITTEN QUESTION No 369 / 93 because the sectoral distribution of regional and horizontal

by Mrs Christine Oddy ( S ) aid is not known .
to the Commission of the European Communities

(3 March 1993 ) In order to improve the situation, the Commission is

93 / C 202 / 51 currently examining the possibility of introducing a system

of standardized reports which would enable it to obtain
more detailed information on the sectoral distribution of aid

to industry .
Subject : State aids

(3 March 1993 )

93 / C 202 / 51

According to the XXth report on competition policy,
Greece, Portugal ( 8,1 % ), Italy ( 6,5 % ), and Ireland ( 6,2 % )

26 . 7 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 202 / 27

WRITTEN QUESTION No 376 / 93

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

(3 March 1993 )

Answer given by Mr van den Broek

on behalf of the Commission

( 30 April 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 53 The Commission has no information regarding any
involvement of Iranian soldiers in the war in Sudan .

Subject : State aid

What were the number of State aid plans notified in 1991
and 1992 ? In what proportion of cases were no objections
raised and objections raised ? What was the main reason for
objecting to a State aid scheme ? WRITTEN QUESTION No 404 / 93

by Mr John Bird ( S )
to European Political Cooperation

(5 March 1993 )

Answer given by Mr Van Miert

on behalf of the Commission ( 93 / C 202 / 55 )

on behalf of the Commission

(3 May 1993 )

The number of State aid plans notified to the Commission
was 762 in 1991 and 722 in 1992 . On a certain number of

cases notified in 1991 the Commission took a decision only
in 1992 and on a number of cases notified in 1992 the

Commission has taken or will take a decision in 1993 .

In general over the last years the cases in which no objections
were raised vary between 90 and 95 % of the total of
notifications .

The reason for objecting to State aid schemes is that their
repercussions on trade between Member States and on
competition are of such importance that the Commission
cannot grant a derogation to the general incompatibility of
state aids with the common market foreseen in Article 92(1 )
EEC Treaty . The main reasons for not granting a derogation
are that the aid is granted to enterprises having their activity
in sensitive sectors, the aid exceeds the ceiling fixed for
regional aid or for sectoral aid, the aid is an operating aid
which lowers production costs directly, or the aid is
contrary to Community interest in general .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 395 / 93

by Mr Victor Manuel Arbeloa Muni ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

(5 March 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 54 )

Subject : Iranians in the war in Sudan

Has the Commission any definite news of the involvement
of Iranian combatants on the side of government groops in
the war in Sudan ? If so, what political comment can it make
on it ?

Subject : European Community and Haiti

Will EPC inform me :

1 . If the European Community recognizes the deposed
President Aristide as the legitimate and democratically
elected President of Haiti ?

2 . If the European Community is actively supporting the
economic sanctions policy of the Organization of
American States against the current military rulers of
Haiti ?

3 . If the European Community is calling for the United
Nations to take a more proactive role in assisting the
return of democracy to Haiti ?

4 . How the European Community is opposing the gross

violations of human rights that are alleged to be
occurring in Haiti ?

Answer

( 25 June 1993 )

As the Honourable Member will be aware, the Community
and its Member States have consistently reaffirmed their
commitment to the restoration of constitutional order and
the reestablishment of the legitimate authorities in Haiti .

On several occasions they have expressed their willingness
to support all efforts conducive to a settlement of the
Haitian crisis . In that context, they have urged all parties
concerned to work towards this end . This policy was
confirmed recently as the members of the European
Community co-sponsored the General Assembly Resolution
on the situation of democracy and human rights in Haiti,
which was adopted on 20 April 1993 .

The Community and its Member States have welcomed the
efforts by the organization of American States and the

No C 202 / 28 Official Journal of the European Communities 26 . 7 . 93

United States, and in particular of the Special Representative For the Videocolor plant at Anagni, the European
of both organizations, to bring about the restoration of Investment Bank made the following loans :
democracy and the respect of human rights .

The deployment of an international civil mission in order to
put an end to violence and human rights violations has also
been welcomed by the Community and its Member States,
who, on the occasion of the 49th session of the Commission
on Human Rights co-sponsored a resolution on the human
rights situation in Haiti . The Community and its Member
States are examining further modalities of contributing to
the activities of the observer teams to be deployed in all
Haitian districts .

Amount
Year Jobs created

( million ECU )

1978 8,3 136

## 1984 29,2 -i 1 )

1985 34,9 34

1989 78,4 346

1992 60,6 20

( J ) Enlargement and rationalization investment .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 465 / 93

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

WRITTEN QUESTION No 410 / 93 to

Mr Gerardo Gaibisso PPE ( 11 March 1993 )

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

(5 March 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 56

Subject : EIB funding for Fiat and Videocolor for the

factories in Piedimonti S. Germano and Anagni

( Frosinone )

What volume of funding has been allocated by the EIB to

support investments in the Fiat factory in Piedimonti
S. Germano ( Frosinone ) and the Videocolor factory in
Anagni ( Frosinone )? For which development programmes
has the funding been granted, and do the programmes cover
job creation ?

Answer given by Mr Christophersen

on behalf of the Commission

( 11 May 1993 )

For Fiat 's factory at Piedimonte S. Germano, the European
Investment Bank made the following loans :

Amount
Year Jobs created

( million ECU )

1971 25,0 3 967

( 93 / C 202 / 57 )

Subject : New American legislation on the labelling of

foodstuffs

The new American legislation requiring the labelling of
processed food to give all information concerning the
nutritional value and fat content necessary to promote a
healthier diet is a considerable gain for consumers, since
they can easily ascertain whether the foods offered for sale
are really ' healthy ', ' low-fat ' or simply ' dietetic '.

Clearly the new American food labelling legislation goes
further than that currently in force in the European
Community and will serve to determine scientifically the
percentage of nutrients which foodstuffs must contain in
order to be labelled as ' light ' or ' healthy ' on the basis of their
actual content of healthy ingredients .

Does the Commission consider that such rules will be
beneficial to the Community population as a whole and that
it should adopt rules on food labelling similar to those
applicable in the United States ?

Answer given by Sir Leon Brittan

on behalf of the Commission

( 27 April 1993 )

1978 37,3 3 607

1982 / 83 62,9 — 0 ) The Commission has followed closely the evolution of the

US legislation on labelling, including provisions on nutrition

1989 125,0 881 labelling and claims . It also submitted extensive comments

on the proposed rules . The final rules were published in the
( J ) Restructuring and modernization investment . US Federal Register on 6 January 1993 .

1982 / 83 62,9 — 0 )

1989 125,0 881

26 . 7 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 202 / 29

In the Community, Directive 90 / 496 / EEC on nutrition
labelling (*) provides that such labelling should be optional .
However, nutrition labelling is compulsory where a
nutrition claim appears on labelling, in presentation or in
advertising . In the US, on the other hand, nutrition labelling
per se is mandatory .

The US legislation differs substantially, not only from that
applicable in the Community, but also from the
international guidelines of Codex Alimentarius and relevant
legislation of other major countries in the world . The
Commission believes that the US legislation requires an
excessive amount of complex information to be given and in
a manner that places undue emphasis on certain nutrients
( e.g. fat ). In addition, the cost of providing such information
is very onerous, especially for small and medium-sized
companies which are in the majority in the food sector in the
Community . Therefore, the Commission has no plans for
proposals along the lines of the US legislation on nutrition
labelling .

The Commission plans to submit a proposal for a Council
Directive on the use of claims concerning foodstuffs . This
will take account of existing national and international
measures and proposals in the matter . Consultations are
under way with interested parties as well as the Scientific
Committee for Food . The aim is to prepare proposals best
suited to the Community rather than to emulate the
legislation of other countries .

(!) OJ No L 276, 6 . 10.1990 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 483 / 93

by Mrs María Izquierdo Rojo ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 12 March 1993 )

The purpose of the programme is to assist in bringing
together universities in the Member States and
Mediterranean non-member countries, and in organizing
exchanges and cooperation between them . The aim is to
allow universities in the Mediterranean to use and

disseminate Community experience and know-how .

As an experiment for the 1992 — 93 academic year, the
Commission is financing 62 projects chosen from among
250 applications . The projects deal with economic
development ( 17 ), management and administration ( 9 ), the
environment ( 20 ) and culture ( 16 ).

The projects provide for annual and multi-annual
programmes of courses, short, intensive courses on specific
subjects, on-the-job training, courses for trainers
incorporating traineeships, and postgraduate courses
incorporating applied research .

A total of 449 universities are involved, 245 from the
Community and 204 from Mediterranean non-member
countries . The breakdown of programmes among the
recipient countries is as follows : Morocco 42, Algeria 20,
Tunisia 22, Egypt 25, Jordan 9, Israel 7, Occupied
Territories 1, Lebanon 4, Syria 7, Turkey 23, Malta 6 and
Cyprus 8 .

The one-year pilot exercise will determine whether
Med-Campus can be consolidated for 1993 to 1996 .

A detailed description of the projects selected will be sent
direct to the Honourable Member and to Parliament 's

Secretariat .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 497 / 93

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

( 93 / C 202 / 58 )
( 12 March 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 59 )
Subject : Cooperation between European univesities and

universities in Mediterranean countries

Subject : European Year of Safety

In view of the fact that ECU 6,5 million have been
earmarked for the Med-Campus programme of cooperation
between unversities in Europe and Mediterranean third
countries, can the Commission provide full details of the
programme ?

Answer given by Mr Marin
on behalf of the Commission

(5 May 1993 )

The Commission approved the Med-Campus programme
on 14 October 1992 . It was allocated ECU 6,5 million for

one year .

Will the Commission list by Member State the respective
contributions made by the Commission in support of the

1992 European year of Safety, Hygiene and Health and
Protection at Work and the benefits accruing to Member
States from the Commission 's support ?

Answer by Mr Flynn
on behalf of the Commission

( 29 April 1993 )

In order to draw up a list of direct grants to be allocated to
projects in the Member States, the Commission adopted the

No C 202 / 30 Official Journal of the European Communities 26 . 7 . 93

following arrangements in accordance with the Council
Decision I 1 ).

In each Member State, applications for project financing
are addressed to a National Liaison Committee on
which workers ' and employers ' organisations and the
authorities are represented . Thesse Committees decide
whether projects are eligible and the amounts to be
allocated .

Applications approved by these Committees are sent to
the Advisory Steering Committee established at
European level pursuant to Article 5.1 of the Council
Decision . This Committee verifies each project 's
eligibility and the amount of aid to be allocated, taking
account of available resources .

Applications approved at both these levels are then
transmitted to the Commission, which takes further
action in accordance with the rules on implementation
of the Financial Regulation .

In addition, the Advisory Steering Committee set up under
the Council Decision has adopted an objective allocation
scale based on active population and employment in the
high-risk sectors ( fishing, agriculture and construction ) and
employment in SMEs .

Direct grants have thus been distributed as follows :

Member State Overall budget Number of projects

Belgium 321 029 9

Denmark 299 627 46

Germany 1 169 971 66

Greece 378 100 113

Spain 763 336 40

France 870 344 67

Ireland 235 421 28

Italy 1 151 703 46

Luxembourg 206 885 5

Netherlands 363 833 29

Portugal 392 368 16

United Kingdom 977 354 110

Total 7 133 971 575

The sum total allocated to projects under Section II . B
represents 59,4% of appropriations .

designed to promote and enhance the value of the
substantial body of Community measures in the field of
safety, hygiene and health at work .

According to the information at its disposal, and as
described in the interim report transmitted to Parliament on
23 November 1992, the Commission feels justified in
considering that the Year has fulfilled its objectives . In
actual fact, by :

— helping to finance the organization of around 575

events, which in turn led companies and the social
partners to organize more than 1 000 measures which
did not receive Community funding, thus demonstrating
their interest in this initiative :

— disseminating more than 1 250 000 copies of
documents, mainly to workers in high-risk sectors and
small and medium-sized enterprises ;

— promoting more than 350 training and information

films on the subject of safety and health protection ;

— persuading the main television companies to cooperate

in the production of 17 special broadcasts in the 12
Member States ;

— persuading the main satellite television companies to

give prominence, free of charge, to spots on the four
subjects of the Year, i . e .:

— clean air at the workplace ;

— safety at work,

— well-being at work,

— measures to combat noise and vibration ;

— obtaining the cooperation of the vast majority of

workers ' and employers ' organizations, authorities and
large companies in the distribution of documentation
and messages ;

— having more than 1 000 articles published in the general

and specialist press,

the European Year not only achieved its stated objectives,
but also helped to highlight the efforts of the European
Institutions in the field of protection of workers at work .

The European Year ended on 28 February 1993 . An interim
implementation report was sent to Parliament on
23 November 1992 . A final review based on analysis of a
substantial volume of documentation will be prepared by
October 1993 and sent to the Council, Parliament and
Economic and Social Committee .

(!) OJ No L 214, 2 . 8 . 1991, Article 4 .

The benefits to the Member States must be evaluated in
terms of the objective assigned by the Council to the
European Year, i . e . to conduct a number of activities

26 . 7 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 202 / 31

WRITTEN QUESTION No 502 / 93
by Mr Floras Wijsenbeek and Mr Gijs de Vries ( LDR )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 12 March 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 60 )

Subject : Bankruptcies and suspension of payments in

cross-border untertakings

Is the Commission aware that proceedings concerning the
recent suspension of payments at DAF are taking place in
the Netherlands and Belgium ?

Is the Commission also aware that government trustees have
been appointed in the Netherlands alone and that they do
not have any competence in the other two Member States
concerned ?

Does the Commission not consider that, in view of the
increasing internationalization of business, provision
should be made for cases such as the above ?

Is the Commission prepared to initiate legislation for this
purpose ?

Can the Commission also say what progress has been made
in drawing up European rules on bankruptcies, a process
which has been under way for many years ?

Does it still consider this to be task of the Council of Europe,
although it has not achieved any results since 1983 ?

In addition to drawing up legislation on the setting up of a
European company, should it not also draw up rules on the
winding up of a European company ?

If so, how could this be done ?

If not, why not ?

Answer given by Mr Vanni d'Archirafi

on behalf of the Commission

( 14 May 1993 )

The Brussels Convention of 27 September 1968 on
Jurisdiction and the Enforcement of Civil and Commercial
Judgments, which was adopted by the Member States of the

Community under Article 20 of the EEC Treaty, does not
cover bankruptcy since the technicalities in that field require
special rules .

After 1968, work began on a special Convention on
Bankruptcy, Winding-Up, Arrangements, Compositions

and Similar Proceedings, but without success . It is only since
the adoption on 5 June 1 990 by the Council of Europe of the
Bankruptcy Convention ( which has not yet entered into
force ) that the Member States have resumed and speeded up
their work .

Discussion of the current draft Convention on Insolvency
Proceedings has reached an advanced stage, and it should be
possible to finish examining it by the end of 1993 .

Lastly, the proposal for a Council Regulation on the Statute
for a European Company, in the absence of harmonization
on this subject, states that the SE (' societe europeenne ') is to
be subject to national laws in respect of insolvency .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 544 / 93

by Mr José Gil-Robles Gil-Delgado
and Mr Francois Froment-Meurice ( PPE )

to the Commission of the European Communities

( 30 March 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 61 )

Subject : VAT harmonization and tax penalties for French

ambulance operators

The 18th VAT Directive, of which Article 13A provided for
exemptions for the transport of sick or injured people in
vehicles specially designed for this purpose and carried out
by organizations duly authorized from 1 January 1990, has
been transposed into French legislation .

As a result, ambulance operators are required to pay 1 8,6 %
VAT on all purchases of capital goods ( vehicles and medical
equipment ) and consumer goods ( fuel, tyres, repairs, etc .).
which has not been reduced and cannot be offset by
compensatory payments concerning VAT on transport
operations which now longer apply .

In addition, the tax situation of ambulance operators, which
has thereby deteriorated, is further aggravated by the
introduction of a pay roll tax based on employees ' salaries
and salaries paid to company executives, managers and
owners which also came into effect on 1 January 1990 .

Will the Commission take measures to prevent VAT
harmonization being used by the Member State, in this case
France, to create fresh taxes ?

Does not the Commission consider such measures to run
counter to the spirit of fiscal harmonization and the
objectives of the Single Act ?

Are such situations covered by Community legislation, and
does it provide for specific instruments to meet the

No C 202 / 32 Official Journal of the European Communities 26 . 7 . 93

difficulties of ambulance operators and the redundancies
currently occurring in these companies and suppliers of
specialized equipment ?

Answer given by Mrs Scrivener

on behalf of the Commission

Finally, Community law contains no specific measures
designed to assist ambulance operators facing the difficulties
mentioned by the Honourable Members .

( 10 May 1993 ) WRITTEN QUESTION No 553 / 93

Article 13(a)(l)(p)of the sixth VAT Directive provides for
exemptions from value added tax for certain activities in the
public interest and, in particular, for the supply of transport
services for sick or injured persons in vehicles specially
designed for the purpose by duly authorized bodies .

The Sixth Directive did, however, permit Member States
which charged tax on this type of activity to continue doing
so on a transitional basis .

Article 1 of the 18th VAT Directive, adopted on 18 July

1989, abolished certain derogations from the common rules
and, with effect from 1 January 1990, no longer permits
Member States to charge VAT on the transportation of sick
or injured people by ambulance operators .

Like the other Member States, France has incorporated into
its national law the exemption applicable to these services .
As a result, the 1 8th Directive has paved the way for closer
harmonization of Member States ' legislation on turnover

taxes .

As regards the exercise of the entitlement to deduct input
tax, it is correct that the exemption does not make it possible
to recover tax paid on purchases of goods or services . It
should nevertheless be pointed out that the exemption in
question was granted in the public interest so that users of
ambulance services would not face a tax on

consumption .

Regarding the introduction on 1 January 1990 of a payroll
tax on French ambulance personnel, the Commission notes
that in France the tax is payable by those individuals or
bodies which pay wages, salaries, allowances and
emoluments and which themselves are either not liable to
VAT or were not liable to VAT in respect of at least 90 % of
their turnover in the calendar year prior to that in which the
relevant payments were made .

It transpires therefor that not only ambulance personnel but
also any individual or body employing its own staff, notably
in the professions, are required to pay the tax .

Moreover, concessions ( exemptions or tax reliefs ) have been
introduce for taxable persons with low turnovers .

The payroll tax is, therefore, not a new tax ; nor does it rank
as a turnover tax within the meaning of Article 33 of the
sixth VAT Directive .

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

( 30 March 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 62 )

Subject : Transport of plutonium

What representations were received by date and source

— opposing the transport of plutonium from the
Community to Japan or other extra-Community
destination,

— opposing the operation of the Thermal Oxide
Reprocessing Plant at Sellafield ( UK ) since 1 January

1988 ?

What general responses were made by the Commission ?

Answer given by Mr Matutes

on behalf of the Commission

( 28 May 1993 )

The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its

answer to his Written Question No 2300 / 92 ( 1 ).

H OJ No C 106, 16 . 4 . 1993 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 562 / 93

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

( 30 March 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 63

Subject : Prospects of new versions of the tumour necrosis

factor being discovered in the treatment of

cancer

In January, the journal Nature gave extensive details of a
new method which would allow the tumour necrosis factor

to be used, while avoiding the serious side-effects which had
previously prevented its use — despite the outstanding

26 . 7 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 202 / 33

properties of the substance, which is generated by the
human body ( as part of the immune system ). See also ' In the
Lab, a Big Step against Cancer ', International Herald
Tribune, 22 January 1993 .

The new version of this substance, which has been
artificially altered to prevent it having a toxic effect on
normal cells, was discovered at the University of Ghent,
Belgium .

Can the Commission say what prospects have been opened
by this breakthrough in cancer treatment, the scale of the
research still needed and what contribution the Community
has made or can make ?

Answer given by Mr Ruberti
on behalf of the Commission

(7 May 1993 )

The Commission is aware of the research with which the

Honourable Member 's question is mainly concerned, i.e. the
improvement in the specific effect on cancer cells of the TNF
and the reduction in the undesirable side-effects in animal
experiments by means of the molecular mutation of the TNF

gene .

The opportunity already exists to encourage such research
under the biomedical research programme under the
heading ' Major health problems and diseases of
wide-ranging socio-economic significance ', sub-heading

' cancer '. In the first call for proposal, none worthy of
Commission support was submitted . The results of the
second call are still to come .

However, the TNF research mentioned in the question
represents only a fraction of the broad spectrum of top
biomedical research currently underway all over the world
in the areas of ' molecular medicine ', ' fundamental clinical
research ' and ' rational design of pharmaceuticals '.
Promising results have been obtained in infectious diseases,
neurobiology, endocrinology, heart and circulatory
diseases, cancer and ageing, receiving an important impetus
from the worldwide genome research .

The Commission is keeping a close eye on the cuts being
made in the budgets for this fundamental research in a
number of Member States as a consequence of the overall
economic situation, despite the considerable practical
protential of this research .

The Commission will investigate the extent to which these
developments can be countered under the fourth framework

programme .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 563 / 93

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

( 30 March 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 64 )

Subject : Protection of consumers against failures to comply

with rules on the labelling of foodstuffs

Despite the entry into force of Directive 79 / 112 / EEC of

18 December 1978 (*) on legislation relating to the labelling
and presentation of foodstuffs for sale to the ultimate
consumer, it often happens in certain Community countries,
e.g. Spain, that, when food products such as cheese are sliced
up, individual packages show no information, let alone the
sell-by date, as they are sold in a simple wrapping without
any label .

This practice, which is fairly widespread in establishments
selling food products to the public, constitutes an
infringement of the directive and affects the interests of
consumers, since the products are often no longer fit for
human consumption because the date by which they could
reasonably have been eaten — and which should have been
indicated on the missing label — has expired .

In the light of this frequent occurrence, what
recommendation can the Commission make to consumers

to ensure that they are protected and what warnings will it
send to national monitoring agencies which fail to take
action ?

(!) OJ No L 33, 8 . 2 . 1979, p. 1 .

Answer given by Mr Bangemann

on behalf of the Commission

( 10 May 1993 )

Directive 79 / 112 / EEC, as last amended by Directive
91 / 72 / EEC (*), relates to the labelling, presentation and
advertising of foodstuffs for sale to the ultimate consumer,
or to public authorithies . Article 3 of that Directive gives
details of the particulars which are compulsory on the
labelling of foodstuffs . However, Article 12 of that same
Directive provides that foodstuffs packaged on the sales
premises at the consumers request or prepackaged for direct
sales the Member States may adopt detailed rules
concerning the manner in which the particulars specified in
Article 3 are to be shown . They may decide not to require the
provisions of all or some of these particulars, provided that
the consumer still receives sufficient information .

This departure is justified where, in the case of products sold
in bulk or in cuts the consumer ( a ) is able to judge the state of
freshness of the product and ( b ) is able to obtain the
necessary information from the vendor .

The fact that in certain Member States prepackaged
products do not bear the information provided for by

No C 202 / 34 Official Journal of the European Communities 26 . 7 . 93

Directive 79 / 112 / EEC falls within the competence of the charges of ' complicity with Kurdish guerillas '. The
inspection authorities in the Member States concerned, who journalist, Stefan Woldberg, claims he is innocent and that
must ensure that the conditions attached to satisfactory he was assaulted by the Turkish police during interrogation .
purchaser information are met at the point of sale and more In view of the numerous instances of human rights
particularly on the labelling of the main item . violations in Turkey, will the Commission make

representations on behalf of the abovementioned
(!) OJ No L 42, 16 . 2 . 1991 . journalist ?

WRITTEN QUESTION No 566 / 93

by Mrs Christine Oddy ( S )
to European Political Cooperation

( 30 March 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 65 )

Subject : Religious persecution of Ahmadi Muslims

Are the ministers in European Political Cooperation aware
of the religious persecution experienced by the Ahmadi
Muslim sect in Pakistan and Bangladesh ? What steps do the
ministers in EPC intend to take to end the persecution of the
Ahmadi people ?

Answer

( 25 June 1993 )

The authorities in Pakistan and Bangladesh are well aware
of the importance that the Community and its Member
States attach to the scrupulous respect for human rights as
set out in the Declaration on Human Rights adopted by the
Luxembourg European Council in June 1991 and the
resolution adopted by the Development Council on Human
Rights, Democracy and Development on 28 November

1991 .

Answer given by Mr Van den Broek

on behalf of the Commission

( 26 April 1993 )

The Commission is aware that the German journalist, who
has recently been sentenced to a term of imprisonment of
three years and ninth months in Turkey, had accused the
police of having maltreated him .

It has, however, no evidence confirming breach of proper
legal procedures either during his interrogation by the police
or at his trial .

The Commission has on numerous occasions both publicly
and privately made clear to the Turkish authorities the
importance that the Community and its Member States
attach to the full respect of human rights and the
commitments to which Turkey has suscribed in CSCE,
Council of Europe and UN Conventions .

The Community and its Member States will continue to
monitor the situation, especially in the field of human rights,
in Pakistan and Bangladesh and will take appropriate action
in case of violation of human rights and the religious WRITTEN QUESTION No 593 / 93
persecution of minorities .

by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos ( NI )

to European Political Cooperation

WRITTEN QUESTION No 579 / 93

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

( 30 March 1993 )

( 31 March 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 67 )

Subject : Russian residents of the Baltic States

93 / C 202 / 66
Russians living in the Baltic States, Moldova, Georgia and
Tadzhikistan are treated as second-class citizens by the

of a German journalist in government authorities in those countries . In view of this,

will EPC say whether it will point out to those countries that
Community aid will continue only on condition that they

recently sentenced to three years pursue a policy of respect for the human rights of
Turkish minorities ?

Subject : The conviction of a German journalist in
Turkey

A German journalist was recently sentenced to three years
and nine months ' imprisonment by a Turkish court on

26 . 7 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 202 / 35

Answer

( 25 June 1993 )

The Community and its Member States are paying close
attention to the situation of the Russian speaking
population groups in the Baltic countries . They have been
working actively to alleviate tensions within Estonia and
Latvia as well as to promote stable and harmonious
relations between the Baltic States and Russia on a broader
scale . In contacts with the Baltic countries the importance of
respect for human rights is stressed and the Baltic countries
themselves attach great importance in living up to the high
standards in this field . In this context they have supported
the Baltic countries ' decisions to ask international
organizations to report on the human rights situation in the
Baltic States . They welcome the report on Latvia by the
United Nations Centre for Human Rights and the report on
the situation in Estonia from the CSCE mission under the

Human Dimension mechanism . Both reports clearly state
that allegations of human rights violations cannot be
substantiated in either country . The missions, however,
suggest a number of practical measures to be taken, which
will help improve relations between the population

groups .

The Community and its Member States are also following
closely the situation of ethnic minorities, including the
Russian population groups, in other CIS States closely . This
includes Moldova, Georgia and Tajikistan . As for Moldova
the CSCE Human Dimension Mission has reported that it
found that the overall situation for the ethnic, linguistic and
religious minorities in Moldova has already improved .
However, violations of human rights in the Trans-Dniester
area, presently under control of the Russian-speaking
secessionists, were reported to the Mission .

In their contacts with the authorities of Moldova, Georgia
and Tajikistan, the Community and its Member States
steadily underlines that they attach great importance to the
full respect for human rights as set out in the Declaration on
Human Rights adopted by the Luxembourg European
Council in June 1991 and the resolution adopted by the
Development Council on Human Rights, Democracy and
Development on 28 November 1991 .

following the opening of the Middle East peace process in
Madrid ?

Answer

( 25 June 1993 )

Each of the five working groups established within the
multilateral track of the Middle East peace process has
begun to work on practical steps within their specific
domains . These are designed to broaden regional
cooperation and to benefit the parties in concrete ways .
Inter-sessional activities and seminars have become an

increasingly valuable part of this process .

There have been three substantive meetings of the Water
Working Group so far which have discussed such subjects as
enhancing water supplies, water management and data
sharing . The lastest meeting took place in Geneva from
27 — 29 April 1993 . It coincided with the resumption of the
bilateral negotiations in Washington, after a tense period
following the Palestinian deportees issue, and this had an
impact on the debate . Not all the points on the agenda were
discussed and have been deferred to the next meeting,
scheduled for September .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 675 / 93

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

(6 April 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 69 )

WRITTEN QUESTION No 623 / 93 Subject : Tax on the registration of cars in Spain
by Mr Victor Manuel Arbeloa Muru ( S )

to European Political Cooperation

(1 April 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 68 )

Subject : Middle East peace process

As a co-organizer in the Working Party on Water, what
progress has been made by EPC during the negotiations

Spain has recently adopted a new law on special taxation,
establishing a 15 % tax on registration of vehicles in order to
maintain previous taxation levels, while bringing its VAT
into line with Community rates, thereby distorting and
undermining Community VAT harmonization . Since it can
only be considered as a ' measure with equivalent effect ',
what steps will the European Community adopt to prevent
Community harmonization from being undermined by the
actions of one Member State ?

No C 202 / 36 Official Journal of the European Communities 26 . 7 . 93

Answer given by Mrs Scrivener

on behalf of the Commission

( 10 May 1993 )

Law No 38 / 1992 of 28 December 1992 introduced excise
duty on certain vehicles being registered in Spain for the first
time . Under Articles 69 and 70, the rate of duty is 13 % in
mainland Spain and 1 1 % in the Canary Islands . The duty is
based on the selling price in the case of new vehicles and on
the market value in the case of second-hand vehicles .

According to Article 33 of the sixth VAT Directive of

17 May 1977 ( 77 / 388 / EEC ) (*), the duty in question, which
does not rank as a turnover tax, is compatible with the
common system of VAT even though it is levied along with
VAT at the standard rate of 15% laid down by Law
No 37 / 1992 of 28 December 1992 .

As Community law stands at present, Member States are
free to subject vehicle registration to special taxes which
cannot be characterized as turnover taxes as long as they
remain within the limits of Article 95 of the EEC Treaty,
which prohibits tax discrimination between domestic
products and products from other Member States . It should
be noted in this connection that an analysis is currently
being carried out to determine whether the new vehicle tax
system in Spain complies with that provision of the
Treaty .

(M OJ No L 145, 13 . 6 . 1977 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 701 / 93

by Mr Menelaos Hadjigeorgiou ( PPE )

to European Political Cooperation

(7 April 1993 )

93 / C 202 / 70 )

Subject : Assistance for the Armenian people

The relentless war being waged in the enclaves of Nagorny
Karabakh within Azerbaijan has affected not only the
population of these two countries but also neighbouring
Armenia, which is being blockaded by Azerbaijan and
Turkey ( hampering of communications, the blowing up of
natural gas and oil pipelines and the destruction of railways
etc .).

How is the European Community reacting to the
inadmissible blockade of Armenia, which is a violation of

international law and what steps will it take to provide
emergency humanitarian aid for Armenia and Nagorny
Karabakh ? What steps has it taken to support peace plans
for this area ?

Answer

( 25 June 1993 )

The Community and its Member States are seriously
concerned about the recent development in Armenia,
Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh .

On 7 April 1993 the Community and its Member States
issued a statement on the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh .
Here the Community and its Member States expressed their
concern about the degradation of the relations between
Armenia and Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict .
They regretted the enlargement of the combat zone to
Kelbajar and the Fizuli area, they called upon the conflicting
parties to stop the fighting and they urged the Armenian
government to use its influence on the Nagorno-Karabakh
forces for an immediate withdrawal from the Azeri

territory .

The international Community has on several occasions
underlined that it rejects territorial gains and other faits
accomplis through the use of force by whatever side in the
conflict . Such actions are totally destructive in terms of the
negotiation process .

The Commission and its Member States have consistently
argued that the parties to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
should remain committed to the ongoing negotiations in the
Minsk Peace Process, which represents the . only realistic
framework to reach a political settlement to the conflict .
They note that at their first meeting in Ankara on 21 April

1992 President Ter-Petrossian of Armenia and Elchibei of

Azerbaijan reaffirmed their public commitment to the CSCE
talks . The Community and its Member States hope that
these talks will lead not only to a cease fire and a withdrawal
of occupying forces, but also to a wider normalization of
relations in the region, including the lifting of all economic
blockades .

The European Community and its Member States are
concerned about the use of economic blockades to further

the military aims of the parties to the conflict . They appeal
for the early lifting of these blockades, i.e. the Azerbaijani
blockade of the Republic of Armenia and
Nagorno-Karabakh and the Armenian blockade of the
Azerbaijani district of Nakichevan .

The economic and humanitarian situation in the region is
steadily deteriorating . The EC countries will continue to
assist the ongoing programmes of humanitarian aid, but the
relief work has been seriously hampered by the escalation of
the conflict . The Commission and its Member States,
individually and collectively, will continue their

26 . 7 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 202 / 37

humanitarian relief assistance as such assistance does not
have political conditions attached to it . Recently the
Community and its Member States made a further ECU 9,5
million available for emergency relief work in Armenia and
Georgia . It is however of the utmost importance that
international aid to both Armenia and Azerbaijan is not
used to support military purposes .

The Community and its Member States are in contact with
the authorities of the neighbouring countries on
developments in Armenia and Azerbaijan . Due to the
shortages of food and fuel in Armenia, the EC has on several
occasions appealed to Turkey to allow transports of
humanitarian aid to Armenia .

collection of data during the transitional period, i.e. in 1992,
for administrative and financial reasons . Whilst this has
been noted, it is recognized that these specific problems will
have no bearing ultimately on the approach which the
authorities intend to adopt regarding the future of the
project .

(!) COM(93 ) 18 final .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 720 / 93

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

( 14 April 1993 )

WRITTEN QUESTION No 715 / 93 ( 93 / C 202 / 72 )

by Mrs Carmen Diez de Rivera Icaza ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

(7 April 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 71 )

Subject : General system of recognition for higher teaching

diplomas — French law doctorate

Could the Commission specify how it will place the French
law doctorate within the general system of recognition of
Subject : EHLASS and the Spanish Government higher education degrees in the Community ?

What contribution was made by the Spanish Government to
the EHLASS project in 1992

Answer given by Mr Vanni d'Archirafi

on behalf of the Commission

Answer given by Mrs Scrivener

on behalf of the Commission

( 19 Mai 1993 )

The Commission wishes to point out that the demonstration
project for the collection of data on home and leisure
accidents ( EHLASS ) finished at the end of 1991 .

However, the Commission was able to obtain the necessary
funds to maintain, in 1992, the existing collection
infrastructures in the Member States, with the aim of
furnishing an evaluation report accompanied by a formal
proposal for the years ahead, which were forwarded to the
Council and Parliament in February 1993 0 ).

In the meantime, in connection with the abovementioned
policy of maintaining collection infrastructures in 1992, the
Commission contacted the responsible authorities in the
Member States in order to ascertain which hospitals
participating in the collection of data in 1991 would
continue to do so in 1992 .

The Spanish authorities responsible for the selection of
hospitals and the operation of the project in Spain told the
Commission that Spain was not participating in the

( 17 May 1993 )

The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its
answer to his Written Question No 3032 / 92 (*).

(!) OJ No C 185, 7 . 7 . 1993 .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 744 / 93
by Mr Victor Manuel Arbeloa Muru ( S )

to European Political Cooperation

( 14 April 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 73 )

Subject : Situation in Algeria

Is EPC keeping a close watch on the situation of the
thousands of people being held without charges or trial in

No C 202 / 38 Official Journal of the European Communities 26 . 7 . 93

Algeria and the constant accusations of torture and
ill-treatment ?

Answer

( 25 June 1993 )

The Community and its Member States have repeatedly

stressed their wish for Algeria to return to a normal
institutional life and have encouraged the High Committee
of State to promote dialogue among all parties concerned .
They have also urged the Algerian authorities to pursue
their publicly announced commitments, namely social
and economic reforms, the restructuring of public
administration and the protection of fundamental
freedoms .

The Community and its Member States support the efforts
of the Algerian authorities to restore the democratic process .
They hope that this transitional process will be attained with
respect for human rights, tolerance and political pluralism .
They welcome the Algerian President 's announcement of a
referendum on the new constitution before the end of 1993
on the expiry of the mandate of the High Committee as well
as his stated willingness to pursue the democratic process .
The Community and its Member States will continue to
follow the situation closely .

The Lisbon European Council Declaration, June 1992,
made clear that Euro-Maghreb relations must be founded
on a common commitment to international law, human
rights, fundamental freedoms and democratic values .

Answer

( 25 June 1993 )

The specific case raised by the Honourable Member has not

been discussed within the framework of European Political
Cooperation .

Attention is however drawn to the statement made by the
Community and its Member States on Zaire on 1 February

1993, in which the Community and its Member States
among other things urged the political authorities of Zaire
to do everything in their power to maintain order in Zaire in
compliance with human rights .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 880 / 93

by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos ( NI )
to European Political Cooperation

( 23 April 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 75 )

Subject : Property of Greeks in Istanbul

The Turkish authorities are depriving Greeks of their
property in Istanbul through acts of provocation . This
process began in early 1993 with two court decisions on 6
and 1 1 January which refused to recognize the rights of the
heirs to two large Greek estates — the Tzannetou and that of
the former Patriarch Maximos . Will EPC take up the issue of
Greek property in Istanbul and intervene to save it ?

Answer

( 25 June 1993 )

The specific case raised by the Honourable Member has not
been discussed within the framework of European Political
Cooperation .
WRITTEN QUESTION No 878 / 93

by Mr Sotiris Kostopoulos ( NI )
to European Political Cooperation

( 23 April 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 74 ) WRITTEN QUESTION No 916 / 93

Subject : The political refugee Moukedi Mayi

The Zairean dissident Moukedi Mayi, who has spent the
last 10 years in Greece, is faced with the nightmarish
prospect of the firing squad in his home country following
the Greek authorities ' rejection of his application for
political asylum . Will EPC take up the case of the political
refugee Moukedi Mayi ?

by Mr Panayotis Roumeliotis ( S )
to European Political Cooperation

( 27 April 1993 )

( 93 / C 202 / 76 )

Subject : Problems of the Pontic Greeks in Georgia

110 000 Pontic Greeks living in Georgia are facing severe
problems as a result of the ethnic strife in the region .

26 . 7 . 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 202 / 39

Clashes between Georgians and Abkhazians have been
going on for months in the region while the Greeks are left
stranded between the warring factions since they have no
reason for getting involved on either one side or the
other .

Will EPC take up this matter with a view to a possible
solution ?

Answer

( 25 June 1993 )

The international community has expressed its regret over
the recent escalation of the war in Abkhazia . Although the
results of the Russian / Georgian meeting in Sochi on 6 — 7
April gives some hope for optimism it has so far not been
possible to establish a cease fire . The Community and its
Member States have on several occasions underlined that an
immediate cease fire must be brought about as an essential
prerequisite for establishing a lasting peace in the region .

The Community and its Member States have clearly stated
its support to the initiatives of the UN and the CSCE in the
case of Georgia . The UN and the CSCE represent the
appropriate framework to reach a peaceful settlement of the
conflict . The CSCE representation in Georgia has initiated
different fact-finding missions to Abkhazia .

The results, however, indicate that there is no sign of major
breakthroughs towards peace in the near future . The
Community and its Member States would therefore like to
stress that they will monitor the protection of the
fundamental rights of all ethnic groups in Georgia
closely .

The Community and its Member States will continue to
assist the ongoing programmes of humanitarian aid in the
region .

WRITTEN QUESTION No 944 / 93

by Mr Konstantinos Tsimas ( S )
to the Commission of the European Communities

( 29 April 1993 )

' ( 93 / C 202 / 77 )

Subject : Increase in the role of services and the movement of

capital

Given that six years have now elapsed since the beginning of
the process to complete the internal market as part of the
Single Act and that the services sector and the movement of
capital within the Community play a key role in this process,
will the Commission say how the completion of the internal
market has affected intra-Community movements of
services, and in particular, of capital ? What pattern of
capital flows has emerged over the years since the adoption
of the Single Act on 1 July 1987 and how does it compare
with the pattern of capital flows in the five-year period
before that date ? In which Member States has there been a

deterioration in the intra-Community external trade
balance and the intra-Community movement of capital and
which Member States have fared better than previously ? To
which factors does the Commission attribute current trends

in these two sectors ( services and capital )?

Answer given by Mr Christophersen

on behalf of the Commission

                                     - ( 12 May 1993 )

On account of the length of its answer, the Commission will
send it direct to the Honourable Member and to

Parliament 's Secretariat as soon as the additional research

needed has been completed .