WRITTEN QUESTION No. 942/98 by Allan MACARTNEY 'Ship- shaped' production facilities for oil exploration (SUPPLEMENTARY ANSWER)
C 27 E/4 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 29. 1. 2000 appropriate for creating more jobs in Finland. This position was not aimed at, and nor did it succeed in, endangering freedom of expression as recognised by Community law. (2000/C 27 E/004) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0942/98 by Allan Macartney (ARE) to the Commission (30 March 1998) Subject: Ship-shapedí production facilities for oil exploration Does the Council Directive of 17 September 1990 on the procurement procedures of entities operating in the water, energy, transport and telecommunications sector cover áship-shapedí production facilities for oil exploration? Given the revised OECD Understanding on Export Credits for Ships which came into force in 1996, would such floating vessels be eligible for EU subsidies? Supplementary answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission (1 July 1999) Provided that the estimated value of the contracts is above the relevant threshold (ECU 400 000), Council Directive 93/38/EEC of 14 June 1993 coordinating the procurement procedures of entities operating in the water, energy, transport and telecommunications sectores (1), which has replaced Council Directive 90/531/ EEC of 17 September 1990 (2) to which the Honourable Member refers, does apply where a contracting entity within the meaning of Directive 93/38/EEC purchases, leases, rents or hire- purchases, with or without option to buy, áship-shapedí production facilities for oil exploration. The Organisation for economic cooperation and development (OECD) shipbuilding agreement was signed by the Community, Japan, Korea, Norway and the United States in December 1994. It was ratified by the Community in December 1995 and should have entered into force on 1 January 1996, but has not yet done so because of American failure to ratify. Since the (revised) 1994 understanding on export credits on ships is attached to it, it cannot be implemented yet and the rules of the current 1981 OECD under- standing continue to apply. In accordance with Article 3. 4 of Council Regulation (EC) 1540/98 of 29 June 1998 on aid to shipbuilding (3), credit facilities in accordance with the 1981 OECD understanding are regarded as aid neutral and not counted under the shipbuilding aid ceiling. Whether áship-shapedí production facilities would be eligible for such facilities would depend on whether they are self-propelled seagoing vessels as defined in the regulation. (1) OJ L 199, 9. 8. 1993. (2) OJ L 297, 29. 10. 1990. (3) OJ L 202, 18. 7. 1998. (2000/C 27 E/005) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0976/98 by Armelle GuinebertiŁre (UPE) to the Commission (30 March 1998) Subject: Legality, under European competition law, of the reservation of a quarter of French government and local authority contracts for workersí production cooperatives (WPCs) French law on public procurement recognizes the existence of reserved rights for workersí production cooperatives (WPCs)