WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3245/97 by Rijk van DAM , Frits CASTRICUM , Georg JARZEMBOWSKI to the Commission. Guidelines for state aid to ports
C 174/28 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 8. 6. 98 (98/C 174/63) WRITTEN QUESTION E-3245/97 by Rijk van Dam (I-EDN), Frits Castricum (PSE) and Georg Jarzembowski (PPE) to the Commission (20 October 1997) Subject: Guidelines for state aid to ports In its communication, The Development of Short Sea Shipping in Europe: Prospects and Challengesí, of 5 July 1995, the Commission envisages áthe establishment of guidelines on how to apply the State aid provisions of the Treaty to the port sectorí. Two years on from the publication of the communication, can the Commission say when it will be 1. presenting the guidelines on State aid to ports? How does the Commission check whether the Member Statesí State aid to ports accords with the provisions 2. of the Treaty? Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission (15 December 1997) The Commissionís recent green paper (1) on ports and maritime infrastructure, which will address a number 1. of issues relevant to the port sector with emphasis on public financing of infrastructure and state aid. The issuing of state aid guidelines for the port sector will, to a large extent, depend on the outcome of discussions with the other Community institutions, Member States, Parliament and other interested parties following the publication of the green paper. The examination of state aid to ports at present depends largely on the type and purpose of the aid, which 2. may vary from social aid to financial support for infrastructure. As regards the latter, the Commission has always taken the view that public investment in infrastructure does not generally constitute aid within the meaning of Article 92 of the EC Treaty, as long as the infrastructure remains open to all users in the public interest on the basis of normal non-discriminatory access. Public financing of superstructure on the other hand, the use of which is limited to certain companies, would normally fall under Article 92 of the EC Treaty. (1) COM(97) 678 final. (98/C 174/64) WRITTEN QUESTION E-3249/97 by Freddy Blak (PSE) to the Commission (20 October 1997) Subject: Cosmetic products and the working environment The hairdressing profession has pointed out that hairdressersí health is impaired because of the large amounts of cosmetic products they use. Will the Commission state whether it has looked into this problem or intends to do so? Does it consider the Council Directive on the approximation of Member Statesí laws relating to cosmetic products to be a satisfactory basis for providing adequate information to people working professionally with cosmetic products and protecting them against health problems?