WRITTEN QUESTION E-1240/00 by Brigitte Langenhagen (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Situation of the cormorant Phalacrocorax (carbo carbo) in Directive 79/409.
C 72 E/30 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 6. 3. 2001 Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission (17 July 2000) The Commission answers all written questions as quickly and as fully as it can, and devotes considerable resources to doing so. It has given 2064 answers to written questions this year, in an average reply time of 6 weeks and 1 day. The Commission aims to answer within the deadlines identified by the Parliament (priority questions 3 weeks, other questions 6 weeks) and succeeds in many cases. In 1999 and this year the Commission answered 20 questions from the Honourable Member, of which 12 inside the time allowed by the Parliament. The longest reply time to the Honourable Member was 8 weeks and 2 days. The Commission is not sure exactly to which questions the Honourable Member is referring, and is not aware that any written questions regarding Mr Van Buitenenís allegations remained unanswered at the time the Honourable Member asked his question, or remain unanswered now. The Commission has identified six written questions asked on this subject this year preceding the Honourable Memberís question and forwards to the Honourable Member and to Parliamentís Secretariat general copies of these questions and answers, from which it can be seen that half of them were answered inside the deadlines identified by the Parliament. (2001/C 72 E/033) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1240/00 by Brigitte Langenhagen (PPE-DE) to the Commission (14 April 2000) Subject: Situation of the cormorant Phalacrocorax (carbo carbo) in Directive 79/409 The EU Directive 79/409/EEC (1) on the conservation of wild birds included the species Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis among those whose habitat is protected by Annex I. In July 1997 the Commission Directive 97/49/EEC (2) amended Annex I of the Directive 79/409/EEC and the cormorant P. Carbo sinensis was deleted from the list. Is the Commission planning to delete from Annex I of Directive 79/409/EEC also the cormorant P. carbo carbo? (1) OJ L 103, 25. 4. 1979, p. 1. (2) OJ L 223, 13. 8. 1997, p. 9. Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission (5 June 2000) The sub-species of Cormorant ü Phalacrocorax carbo carbo ü is not, and never was, listed in Annex I of Council Directive 79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979 on the conservation of wild birds. Therefore, the question from the Honourable Member is not applicable. (2001/C 72 E/034) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1243/00 by Giuseppe Di Lello Finuoli (GUE/NGL) to the Commission (14 April 2000) Subject: Contract awarded by the municipality of Messina for the construction of a tramway funded by the European Union The municipality of Messina (Italy) has contracted out the construction of a tramway to be financed with European funding worth Lit 148 billion. There has already been a considerable delay in the envisaged timetable for the work and substantial environmental damage has been and is continuing to be done. For example, more than 3000 trees have been uprooted