WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2297/97 by John IVERSEN to the Commission. Pesticides
17. 3. 98 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 82/53 (98/C 82/96) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2297/97 by John Iversen (PSE) to the Commission (2 July 1997) Subject: Pesticides With reference to the debate on the authorization of pesticides pursuant to Directive 91/414/EEC (1) of 15 July 1991, will the Commission provide, as soon as possible, the list of pesticides which the committee of experts has thought to assess? (1) OJ L 230, 19. 8. 1991, p. 1. Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (9 September 1997) Annex I to Regulation (EEC) No 3600/92 laying down the detailed rules for the implementation of the first stage of the programme of work referred to in Article 8(2) of Council Directive 91/414/EEC concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market (1), which lists the 90 active substances already on the market at 25 July 1993, is currently under review by the Commission under that Regulation. The Commission is sending the list of new active substances (not yet on the market at 25 July 1993) also being examined under Articles 5 and 6 of Directive 91/414/EEC directly to the Honourable Member and the Parliament Secretariat. (1) OJ L 366, 15. 12. 1992. (98/C 82/97) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2301/97 by Patricia McKenna (V) to the Commission (3 July 1997) Subject: EU subsidies for nuclear energy and fossil fuels A recent Greenpeace report showed that the EU and Western European governments have spent over US$60 billion since 1992 in support subsidies for the fossil fuel and nuclear industries. In the same year EU countries signed the Rio Declaration, pledging themselves to work to protect the worldís climate. By contrast, the EU has spent US$1. 5 billion on subsidies for renewable energy sources, such as wind power and solar energy. According to the World Energy Council around US$15 billion could make the entire solar renewable energy industry cost-competitive with the nuclear and fossil fuel industries. Can the Commission outline what measures it will take to ensure that EU subsidies encourage the development of renewable energies and are used to phase out more polluting industries, so that the EUís international obligations, such as those made at Rio, can be honoured? Answer given by Mr Papoutsis on behalf of the Commission (16 September 1997) The Commission would draw the Honourable Memberís attention to the fact that the aid shown in the Greenpeace report is of very different types. The aid given to the coal industry is national production aid. The aid given to the nuclear industry is aid for research, principally on safeguards. The aid given in the field of renewable energy sources is for research and the development and marketing of these forms of energy. It is therefore difficult to compare the different types of aid