WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3620/97 by David THOMAS to the Commission. Commission proposals on animal welfare
25. 5. 98 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 158/165 (98/C 158/220) WRITTEN QUESTION P-3618/97 by Carmen D ·ez de Rivera Icaza (PSE) to the Commission (10 November 1997) Subject: Degree courses in music in universities The teaching of arts such as music remains outwith the university system in certain Member States. Can the Commission tell me whether it intends to push for the introduction of music as a university degree subject in the Member States? Answer given by Mrs Cresson on behalf of the Commission (11 December 1997) The Honourable Member will be aware that the Member States alone are reponsible for the structure and functioning of their education systems and that the Commission has no power to intervene to change them. Nevertheless, the Commission does have some scope for intervention in educational matters through encouraging cooperation between Member States, and this could apply to degree courses in music. More precisely, the Socrates/Erasmus programme now has a new initiative under the title áthematic networksí, one of which is an áarts-musicí network. This network consists of eleven Member States, plus Iceland, Norway and three countries of Central and Eastern Europe. In all of these countries, music is taught in higher education. The aim of these networks is to review the situation in the area of study in question, improve the level of teaching and learning, and identify and disseminate examples of good practice. In this context there is no doubt that, through cooperation between universities, the Socrates/Erasmus action could have a positive impact on Member States where music cannot as yet be studied at university level. (98/C 158/221) WRITTEN QUESTION P-3620/97 by David Thomas (PSE) to the Commission (10 November 1997) Subject: Commission proposals on animal welfare Can the Commission confirm whether they intend to honour their promise to bring forward proposals on the welfare of laying hens, the welfare of animals during slaughter and the welfare of breeding animals during transport in 1997? Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (16 December 1997) Article 9 of Directive 88/166/EEC laying down minimum standards for the protection of laying hens kept in battery cages (1) requires the Commission to submit a report on scientific developments regarding the welfare of hens under various systems of rearing and on the provisions in the Annex, accompanied by any appropriate adjustment proposals. It is the intention of the Commission to present to the Council and the Parliament the report together with the proposals relevant to the reportís conclusions at the begining of 1998. Article 13 of Directive 93/119/EC on the protection of animals at the time of slaughter or killing (2) requires the Commission to submit to the Council a report drawn up on the basis of an opinion from the scientific veterinary committee together with appropriate proposals concerning the use of free bullet pistols or gases or combinations thereof for stunning or killing and other scientifically recognized procedure for stunning or killing. It is the intention of the Commission to present the report together with appropriate proposals to the Council during the course of the first half of 1998