WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1880/97 by Amedeo AMADEO to the Commission. Standardization and the information society
25. 2. 98 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 60/61 Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (18 June 1997) The Commission fully appreciates the Honourable Memberís concern regarding the final report of the Panel on bananas published recently. At this stage all means of redress within the World Trade Organization have not yet been exhausted and the Commission has notified its intention to appeal. The Commission is aware how important banana production is for the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries concerned and is ready to take all steps necessary to abide by its international commitments. (98/C 60/93) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1880/97 by Amedeo Amadeo (NI) to the Commission (2 June 1997) Subject: Standardization and the information society In its Communication to the Council and the European Parliament on Standardization and the global information society: the European Approachí (COM(96) 0359 final), the Commission is right to conclude that, within the scope of the New Approach directives, recognition of PAS (Publicly Available Specifications) could only be relevant to the specific aims of the Telecommunications Terminal Equipment Directive, in the area of public procurement. Will the Commission therefore amend this directive to enable the Community to take the role of PAS into account when the various directives on public procurement, concerning supplies, labour and public services, are next revised? Answer given by Mr Bangemann on behalf of the Commission (16 July 1997) The issue of publicly available specifications has various aspects which are currently under examination by the Commission, taking into consideration the opinion on the communication given by the Parliament and the Economic and social committee, and in the light of discussions within various committees such as those set up under Directive 83/189/EEC laying down a procedure for the provision of information in the field of technical standards and regulations (1) and under Council Decision 87/95/EEC of 22 December 1986 on standardization in the field of information technology and telecommunication (2). In this context, discussions concentrate on the question to what extent the Directives themselves in relation with Council Decision 87/95/EEC already allow for specifications which do not have status of standard, to be taken into consideration for purposes of procurement. Other possibilities under examination concern the creation, if need be, of mechanisms or criteria in order to create transparency in the selection of specifications publicly available on the market for use by public authorities. (1) OJ L 109, 26. 4. 1983. (2) OJ L 36, 7. 2. 1987. (98/C 60/94) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1888/97 by Amedeo Amadeo (NI) to the Commission (2 June 1997) Subject: Community trademark/international registration of marks With reference to the Proposal for a Council Decision approving the accession of the European Community to the Protocol relating to the Madrid Agreement concerning the International Registration of Marks, adopted at