WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2523/97 by Panayotis LAMBRIAS to the Commission. Transport of corpses in passenger aircraft
3. 4. 98 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 102/55 Answer given by Mr Van Miert on behalf of the Commission (29 September 1997) 1. The Commission is currently drawing up guidelines on state aid for regional purposes, reviewing all the various existing rules and practices and consolidating them into a single text. The EC Treaty confers broad responsibility for implementing Articles 92 and 93 on the Commission. A Commission decision on the new guidelines is expected in the second half of 1997. The guidelines are to 2. enter into effect as from 1 January 2000. 3. and 5. The purpose of the consolidation and revision of the rules and practices is to make the Commission’s decision-making practice in this area more transparent and thus to increase legal certainty. It is thus in line with the wishes expressed on many occasions by Member States and other actors. The guidelines are intended in particular to concentrate national assisted areas, an objective whose necessity has also been emphasised in the Commission’s Agenda 2000í (1) and in the Commission’s fifth survey on state aid (2). No expenditure from the Community budget is involved. 4. It is not yet possible to specify what the effects would be for Austria in particular. (1) COM(97) 2000 final. (2) COM(97) 170 final. (98/C 102/77) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2523/97 by Panayotis Lambrias (PPE) to the Commission (24 July 1997) Subject: Transport of corpses in passenger aircraft In the light of the recent macabre incident in which a coffin carried by Sabena airline opened during the flight which was reported in the press and discomfited passengers on the aircraft in question, will the Commission say what measures it has taken › or intends to take in future › to ensure that public health is protected from the inappropriate carriage of corpses in passenger aircraft? Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission (1 October 1997) At present, the transport of corpses is not subject to any specific national, international, or Community rules and no regulations are envisaged. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has drawn up provisions applicable to coffins as part of its conditions of carriage. These are applied by carriers and transit agents, and therefore it seems unnecessary to develop Community rules relating to this matter. (98/C 102/78) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2525/97 by Panayotis Lambrias (PPE) to the Commission (24 July 1997) Subject: Adoption of measures to reduce energy consumption A reduction in energy consumption and environmental protection are two of the objectives of the Commissionsís JOULE-THERMIE programme. Will the Commission say what supplementary measures › apart from research › it has taken to inform citizens/consumers and industry about the adoption of measures and practices aimed at reducing energy consumption?