WRITTEN QUESTION No. 187/98 by Cristiana MUSCARDINI to the Commission. Tourist offices
17. 7. 98 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 223/135 It is desirable that other Latin American countries should be involved in the project, and this is indeed likely to be the case. Has the Commission considered the value of EU involvement in, and cooperation with, what may prove to be a major focal point for joint action by both American continents in the fight against drugs? Answer given by Mr Mar ·n on behalf of the Commission (6 March 1998) In its contacts with Panama and with the United States the Commission has been apprised of the discussions in progress between those two countries with a view to setting up, at Howard base in the Panama Canal zone, a multilateral centre to combat drug trafficking. However, at this stage, no agreement appears to have been reached as yet on the role of this centre in the fight against drugs in the region or on the Latin American countries which might subscribe to this initiative. That being so, the possibility of Community participation in the centreís activities has not been examined. (98/C 223/175) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0187/98 by Cristiana Muscardini (NI) to the Commission (5 February 1998) Subject: Tourist offices Tourism is of great economic importance as regards exploiting architectural attractions in the Community and also for creating jobs, which are needed to try to reduce the endemic unemployment worldwide. Offices which provide tourist information and publicity therefore have a fundamental role to play. Unfortunately the maladministration of these offices is the subject of widespread complaints and they have become, especially as far as Italy is concerned, exponents of an out-dated system, characterized by a waste of resources and the favouring of certain clients. Can the Commission therefore draw up a directive on tourist information offices, regulating their work and laying down the official functions they must carry out in their public role of providing information at national level. Answer given by Mr Papoutsis on behalf of the Commission (12 March 1998) The Commission would like to remind the Honourable Member that the very nature of the tasks carried out by local and national tourist offices places them within the field of competence of the Member States, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity set out in Article 3B of the EC Treaty. Consequently, all questions relating to the services offered by these offices are the sole responsibility of the authorities in question. (98/C 223/176) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0191/98 by Cristiana Muscardini (NI) to the Commission (5 February 1998) Subject: Dual citizenship for Italians in Belgium The Strasbourg Convention of 6 May 1963 regulates instances of dual citizenship and, in practice, provides for the reacquisition of citizenship even when it has been given up voluntarily, since it establishes that the various positions set out in international agreements remain unaffected