WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1728/98 by Joaquín SISÓ CRUELLAS to the Commission. Car-pooling
C 50/80 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 22. 2. 1999 (1999/C 50/117) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1727/98 by Joaquín Sisó Cruellas (PPE) to the Commission Subject: Increase in footwear exports from Vietnam to the EU (5 June 1998) The European Community imposed definitive anti-dumping duties on certain imports of textile shoes from China in October 1997, and on imports of leather and man-made shoes in February 1998. The Commissionís anti-fraud services are currently conducting an investigation in Vietnam to establish whether the increase in footwear exports from Vietnam to the EU is due to the sidestepping of anti-dumping duties. Can the Commission say what the initial findings of that investigation have been? Answer given by Mrs Gradin on behalf of the Commission (1 July 1998) The Commission, in close cooperation with the competent authorities of the Member States and Vietnam, is carrying out inquiries with regard to the import into the Community of shoes declared to be originating in Vietnam and accompanied by preferential (generalised scheme of preferences) GSP form A certificates of origin allegedly issued in Vietnam. These inquiries continue. It is not therefore possible to determine at this stage whether certain consignments of Chinese origin shoes are being misdescribed as of another origin, for example Vietnam, in order to circumvent the anti-dumping duties. (1999/C 50/118) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1728/98 by Joaquín Sisó Cruellas (PPE) to the Commission (5 June 1998) Subject: Car-pooling As the Commission is aware, besides being convenient, car-pooling is an alternative means of reducing traffic levels in towns, saving money and caring for the environment. Thirty-seven thousand people in Europe, using 1800 vehicles under shared ownership and 800 car parks in 300 towns in Germany, Switzerland, Austria and the Netherlands, have already opted to join cooperative-run car- pools, and their numbers are rising. Can the Commission say whether there is an initiative to encourage car-pooling in the European Union? If so, what results has the initiative achieved? If not, does it intend to promote this system of travel? Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission (17 July 1998) The Commission is in favour of initiatives promoting the reduction of air pollution and traffic congestion. Car sharing can be an effective way to achieve this objective and, in recent years, the Commission has supported the promotion of car sharing in the Community through the Car Free Cities network. As a result of the work carried out by the Task Force on Transport Intermodality, the Commission intends to give financial support, through the research and technological development (RTD) programmes for transport and for telematics applications in transport, to a car-sharing project in Bremen. The project will last two years and will develop, demonstrate and evaluate an integrated payment system for car-sharing and other transport modes