WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2066/97 by Hiltrud BREYER to the Commission. WTO-EU dispute over hormone-treated meat
C 45/152 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 10. 2. 98 (98/C 45/199) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2064/97 by Reino Paasilinna (PSE) to the Commission (16 June 1997) Subject: Monitoring of timeshare companies in accordance with the Single Market There are many firms selling rights in property on a timeshare basis in the European Union. They sell timeshare in properties in the southern parts of the EU to nationals of other countries. In a purchasing situation the customer does not exactly know what kind of service he is paying for. For example in the Bahia Blanca Holiday Club, a subsidiary of T. S International plc, UK, at Puerto Rico in the Canary Islands, Finnish families had their ownership discontinued before the timeshare period was completed, on very suspicious grounds. They were even threatened with forfeiting their right of ownership without compensation. Similar problems are by no means rare in relations with timeshare forms. What does the Commission propose to do to protect the rights and property of timeshare purchasers? Answer given by Mrs Bonino on behalf of the Commission (14 July 1997) The Commission was behind the introduction of Parliament and Council Directive 94/47/EC of 26 October 1994 on the protection of purchasers in respect of certain aspects of contracts relating to the purchase of the right to use immovable properties on a timeshare basis (1). This legislation gives the consumer certain rights in connection with contracts concluded for at least three years, and relating to periods of not less than one week per year. These rights have to do with information on the constituent elements of contracts, the arrangements for communicating the information, and the procedures and arrangements for cancellation and withdrawal. The Member States must make provision in their legislation for the consequences of non-compliance with the Directive. The deadline for incorporation of Directive 94/47/EC expired 30 months after its publication in the Official Journal, i. e. on 29 April 1997. (1) OJ L 280, 29. 10. 1994. (98/C 45/200) WRITTEN QUESTION P-2066/97 by Hiltrud Breyer (V) to the Commission (11 June 1997) Subject: WTO-EU dispute over hormone-treated meat 1. Will the Commission accept sanctions if this proves necessary in order to uphold the ban on hormones and protect consumers from hormone-treated meat? If imports of such meat cannot be prevented, will the Commission ensure that it is clearly and 2. comprehensively labelled? 3. Why was the questioner not sent the Commissionís arguments in favour of continuing the hormone ban after the United States had filed its complaint?