WRITTEN QUESTION P-2789/99 by Paul Coûteaux (UEN) to the Commission. The directive on labelling and the sale of French-labelled products in France.
3. 10. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 280 E/129 in Quartu S. Elena benefited from Community funding to launch the The Sardinian language school project as a pilot project in 1998. The priority for Community funding and its necessary added value is to favour new initiatives which could not be run without funding from the Community action. When the project was resubmitted in 1999, it could only be put on the reserve list, as other projects were of better quality or greater priority, and unfortunately the budget limit meant that it could not be funded. (2000/C 280 E/139) WRITTEN QUESTION P-2788/99 by Eija-Riitta Korhola (PPE-DE) to the Commission (7 January 2000) Subject: Discrimination of the remote and peripheral regions of the EU assessing the research task Climate variability and abrupt climate changeí of the EESD programme Will the Commission give an assurance that within the assessment of research task 2. 1. 4 Climate variability and abrupt climate changeí of the EESD programme it will try to ensure that remote and peripheral regions of the EU ü which lie outside direct human influence and are therefore crucial for the understanding of natural climate variability and where research may be expensive ü will not be discriminated against on grounds of cost? Answer given by Mr Busquin on behalf of the Commission (11 February 2000) As is the case for all the topics of the key action on global change, climate and biodiversity (including the research tasks áclimate variability and abrupt climate changeí) of the Energy, environmental and substain- able development) (EESD) specific research programme (1), the most important criterion for evaluation of research proposals is the scientific quality and relevance to the work programme. The Commissionís evaluation manual for proposals within the Fifth framework programme clearly states that the projects are selected based on quality, while ensuring equality of treatment and impartiality. Obviously, sound and high quality climate variability research will continue to be supported subject to evaluatorsí recommendations and the available budget. Several ongoing projects of the Fourth framework programme for Research and technological development (RTD) deal with research undertaken in áremote and peripheralí regions of the Community and beyond e. g. Arctic and Antarctic. (1) OJ L 64, 12. 3. 1999. (2000/C 280 E/140) WRITTEN QUESTION P-2789/99 by Paul Coßteaux (UEN) to the Commission (7 January 2000) Subject: The directive on labelling and the sale of French-labelled products in France The Advocate-General, Mr Ruiz-Jarabo Colomer, believes that French legislation making it obligatory that food products in France be labelled in French infringes the European Directive on Labelling. C 280 E/130 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 3. 10. 2000 According to Mr Colomer, an obligation to make exclusive use of the language of a linguistic region which, in this case, coincides with the territory of the Member State, is a barrier to trade. He further believes that the Court of Justice has already made it clear in previous rulings that a language easily understood by the consumer does not necessarily mean an official language or a regional language. Does the Commission agree with Mr Colomerís assessment? Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission (2 February 2000) The Honourable Member is referring to the conclusions presented by the Advocate-General, Mr Damaso Ruiz-Jarabo Colomer, on 25 November 1999 in case C 366/98 ü Public Ministry v Yannick Geffroy. The Commission does not wish to comment in this answer on the analysis developed by the Advocate- General before the Court has even given a ruling on the matter in question. The Commission has itself submitted written observations regarding the case. The Commission has in particular informed the Court in its written observations that national rules may generally require the use of the national language provided that the requirement is not systematic and can be lifted if, where a particular indication must appear on the label, the adequate provision of information to the purchaser can be ensured by an indication in another language or by other means (such as a pictogram). (2000/C 280 E/141) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2793/99 by Herbert Bösch (PSE) to the Commission (18 January 2000) Subject: Anti-xenophobia project In my home region of Vorarlberg, Austria, a project is being planned under the title: adventure: tracing your roots!í. Love, war and Attitudes towards áforeignersí in our society are in many ways influenced by fear. A way of countering these feelings is to trace the roots of the local population. The origins of the current inhabitants can be shown by the example of actual families. The aim of the project is to show the many ways in which former áforeignersí have contributed to the development of a community or town and to show how the descendants of former immigrants have quite naturally now become áindigenousí people. Many families have ancestors who were immigrants or relations who emigrated abroad. Knowledge of their own family history should awaken peopleís understanding and tolerance for todayís áforeignersí. Has the Commission to date supported any similar projects? Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission (22 February 2000) The Commission has already financed a plethora of measures to integrate immigrants and to combat racism and xenophobia, some of which concerned the contribution and the positive role of ethnic minorities in the Union. But it has not supported any projects like the one described by the Honourable Member