WRITTEN QUESTION No. 4091/98 by Carlos ROBLES PIQUER to the Council. European coordination of defence industries
C 297/132 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 15. 10. 1999 Over the last four years, the number of women in Category A and in decision-making posts has increased. Between 1 January 1995 and 31 December 1998, the number of women in grade A2 posts increased from 4 to 19 (10,6 %), while the number of women in middle management posts (A3, A4, A5 , heads of unit and advisers) increased from 8,3 % to 11,4 % in Category A and 28,2 % to 38,7 % in Category LA. At present, the percentage of women in the starting grades (A6, A7, A8) is 26,1 % while four years ago it was 19,6 %. During that time the percentage of women in Category A increased from 14 % to 18,7 %. It should be noted that the proportion of women recruited to Category A stands at 42 % (346 women/471 men) for these four years. The Commission intends to continue its efforts to increase the number of women in decision-making 4. posts. (1999/C 297/181) WRITTEN QUESTION E-4091/98 by Carlos Robles Piquer (PPE) to the Council (15 January 1999) Subject: European coordination of defence industries The approach of NATO’s fiftieth anniversary is being accompanied by a succession of studies into the major changes which have occurred on the international scene during the 50 years of NATO’s existence and the need for an agreement concerning tasks and challenges for the future. The differences in the political views held by America and Europe may become more accentuated if ways are not found of establishing cooperation between the defence industries on either side of the Atlantic with a view to developing the new technology of the 21st century. Does the Council believe that the European defence industry will soon achieve a sufficient size and degree of coordination capability to allow constructive dialogue with the highly integrated industry in the USA? In this connection, what would be the effect of the differences in legal status which exist between the major defence companies of Germany and the United Kingdom, which are privately owned, and those in France, which are mainly in the public sector? Reply (22 April 1999) As the Honourable Member is certainly aware, the ad hoc Group on the European Armaments Policy (POLARM) was established in 1995 to address issues related to the European armaments policy and to submit recommendations to the Council on the possible follow-up both by measures taken in the Community framework and according to Title V of the EU-Treaty. Furthermore, the future Article 17 of the Treaty on European Union states that ‘the progressive framing of a common defence policy will be supported, as Member States consider appropriate, by cooperation between them in the field of armaments. ’ The POLARM Group is currently examining a Communication by the Commission entitled ‘Implementing European Union strategy on defence-related industries’. This Communication includes both a Plan of Action for defence industries and a proposal for a Common Position on drawing up a European armaments policy. As to the Honourable Member’s last question, the rules in Member States governing the system of property ownership do not fall within the remit of the Council. (1999/C 297/182) WRITTEN QUESTION E-4109/98 by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NG) to the Council (15 January 1999) Subject: Infringement of the Treaty on European Union , UK participation in attack on Iraq The participation of the UK in military operations against Iraq is an infringement of Article J. 1(1) and (2), Article J. 2(1) and Article J. 8 of the Treaty on European Union since there was no information or consultation