WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1551/98 by Rainer WIELAND to the Council. Motor-vehicle number-plate requirement
C 354/110 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 19. 11. 98 (98/C 354/175) WRITTEN QUESTION P-1531/98 by Arthur Newens (PSE) to the Commission (8 May 1998) Subject: ASEM Conference, London 1998 Further to the recent ASEM Conference in London would the Commissioner let me have a response to the following points: › Was any discussion held on the question of human rights › particularly in reference to the situation prevailing in Burma and East Timor, and were any efforts made to keep such sensitive issues off the agenda? › Was any sympathy expressed by EU representatives for the view of Prime Minister Mahathir that financial speculation is an important cause of the economic crisis in the Far East and will the Commissioner give details? › Was the issue of reform of the international monetary system discussed in addition to the question of reforms to be recommended to individual countries and what was the nature of any proposals put forward? Answer given by Mr Marin on behalf of the Commission (2 June 1998) The second Asia Europe meeting (ASEM) summit, held in London on 3-4 April 1998, provided the opportunity for a substantive political dialogue among heads of state and government of the two regions. This touched on a number of global and regional issues, emphasising the increasingly inter-dependent nature of the world in which we live today, and included the question of human rights. The specific questions of Burma and East Timor were not entered into in the plenary session, but the wide range of bilateral meetings held on the margins of the summit provided the opportunity for these topics to be discussed. The heads of state and government also discussed the current financial and economic situation in Asia, and expressed confidence that with full implementation of the necessary policy reforms and strong mutual support financial stability would be restored. In this context, heads of state and government discussed ways in which the international financial system could be reformed and strengthened, focusing on crisis prevention and reducing the vulnerability of domestic financial systems to potential shocks, including speculation-induced instability. They called inter alia for a strengthened capacity of the International monetary fund (IMF) to respond to financial difficulties, enhanced and more transparent global IMF surveillance, and strengthened cooperation, regulation and supervision in financial sectors, and improved transparency in financial markets, including the possibility of monitoring short-term capital flows. Further details of the summitís conclusions are contained in the chairmanís statement issued at the close of the meeting, and in the separate statement on the financial and economic situation in Asia. (98/C 354/176) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1551/98 by Rainer Wieland (PPE) to the Council (25 May 1998) Subject: Motor-vehicle number-plate requirement From 1 June 1998 drivers whose vehicles carry the blue EU emblem on the number-plate, will no longer be required to display indications of nationality such as Dí, SFí, etc. when travelling within the Union. On what legal basis was this negotiated? To what extent did the Council link Switzerland into the negotiating process? Was Switzerland actually involved in any way in the above negotiations, or was it merely consulted or notified before or during the negotiating process?