WRITTEN QUESTION E-2549/99 by Paul Rübig (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Exclusive designations for types of beer.
C 303 E/78 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 24. 10. 2000 Communityís social objectives and values. The maturing internal market requires a strategy that delivers tangible benefits to all concerned, be they citizens or businesses, including those located in frontier regions and cities, and whatever their circumstances. It is for this reason that the Commission adopted its strategy for the European Unionís internal market (1). This takes account of the internal marketís contribution to the broader objectives of the Union, and was endorsed by the Helsinki European Council. The main aim of this strategy is constantly to improve the performance of the internal market in the years ahead for the benefit of citizens and business alike. These interests are not mutually exclusive and if they do conflict they have to be reconciled. The Commission is monitoring and reviewing the effects of existing internal market measures continuously by using the single market scoreboard, and the Cardiff report which provides an annual assessment of the functioning of product and capital markets. The Cardiff report aims to examine markets in a broad sense, and therefore tries to take account of the social impact of market outcomes. The 2000 Cardiff report (2) will show that economic and social cohesion among European regions (in general) has improved considerably. The gross domestic product (GDP) per head in the 10 regions with the lowest income levels increased from 41 % to 50 % of the Community average between 1986 and 1996. In addition contrary to predictions, between 1988 and 1998, the geographic concentration of manufacturing activities across Member States has declined. This means that peripheral and smaller Member States have actually grown faster than larger Member States. In order to ensure that European citizens make full use of their rights, the dialogue with citizens and business offers new ways of communication with the public. Through a website and call centre (with a freephone number for each Member State), citizens can submit questions and receive personalised advice on their internal market rights and opportunities. Feedback from the dialogue with citizens and business can be used to respond to outstanding problems experienced by citizens and businesses to help them when It also helps to improve the doing business, or travelling, across borders to neighbouring regions. interactive nature of policy development with the aim of improving the functioning of the internal market. The Commission will present an annual review and update of its internal market strategy for discussion with the Parliament, the Council and all interested parties. The first of these reviews is due in April 2000. In addition, over the last 10 years, the structural funds, through the Interreg Community initiative, have provided around € 3 500 million for the development of cross-border regions within the Community. A similar sum is likely to be available under the new period of Interreg which will run from 2000 to 2006. Although the principal aim of the cross-border part of Interreg is to overcome the barrier effect that borders cause, there is nothing to prevent the Member States and regions participating in an Interreg programme from using some of the funds available to assist those who may temporarily suffer as a result of changes which, in a broader picture, will strengthen the internal market. (1) COM(1999) 624 final. (2) Ref. after adoption. (2000/C 303 E/069) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2549/99 by Paul Rübig (PPE-DE) to the Commission (4 January 2000) Subject: Exclusive designations for types of beer A few months ago a proposal was made that the allocation of traditional names for breeds of horse should be restricted to a particular geographical region. Thankfully the Commission opposed the adoption of such protectionist measures. Now efforts are also being made to introduce exclusive designations for types of beer, which would thus be given the same protection as types of wine. However, the designation of a type of beer, unlike wine, does not so much indicate its geographical origin as a particular production or brewing method. 24. 10. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 303 E/79 to bring about a protectionist How does the Commission intend to oppose this renewed attempt restriction on world trade on the eve of the WTO Millennium Round? How does it intend to ensure, particularly in the current negotiations with the candidate countries, that the principle of free trade is understood and enforced? Answer given by Mr Lamy on behalf of the Commission (24 January 2000) The Commission notes the well-known concerns expressed by the Honourable Member concerning advance protection of beer varieties. In the current discussions within the World trade organization (WTO) Agreement on trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights (TRIPs agreement) concerning the establishment of a so-called multilateral register for the protection of wines and spirits, the Commission is also considering the proposal of an increase of protectable subject matters in order to include other agricultural and foodstuff products A multilateral register will have to be based on the TRIPs agreement and, thus, has to fully respect the provisions contained therein. This implies that WTO members do not have to grant protection for geographical indications with respect to goods if it is demonstrated that the relevant indication is identical with the term customary in common language. Consequently, WTO members do not have to grant protection to these so-called generic names which might relate to a certain production method rather than to a geographical indication. The future register will not change this essential provision since ü as far as a geographical name is concerned ü the matter could be challenged through an objection by the WTO member concerned. The discussions will, necessarily distorting free trade in products with generic names. therefore, lead to an enhanced protection for European right-holders without (2000/C 303 E/070) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2554/99 by Christopher Huhne (ELDR) to the Commission (11 January 2000) Subject: Incinerators Would the Commission please outline whether there are EU emission and other environmental standards for waste incinerators, and how these compare with those in force in the United States and Japan? Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission (9 February 2000) There are currently three pieces of Community legislation aimed at limiting emissions from incineration plants. These are Council Directive 94/67/EC of 16 December 1994 on the incineration of hazardous waste (1), Council Directive 89/369/EEC of 8 June 1989 on the prevention of air pollution from new municipal waste incineration plants (2) and Council Directive 89/429/EEC of 21 June 1989 on the reduction of air pollution from existing municipal waste-incineration plants (3). In future, all three pieces of legislation will be repealed and replaced by a single directive, which will set emission limit values for all relevant pollutants. The Council adopted a common position (4) on the future directive on incineration on 25 November 1999. The second reading will take place in March 2000 and the final adoption is expected for autumn 2000. The proposed emission limit values will become applicable to existing plants five years after the adoption of the directive, that is to say probably in autumn 2005