WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2228/98 by Kirsi PIHA to the Commission. Freezing of budget appropriations for grants
8. 4. 1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 96/59 national and European levels and its impact on employment duly evaluatedí, and to encouraging the social partners to áreinforce, implement and evaluate the impact of their contributions (on the employment strategy)í. In particular, the social partners at national and European levels play a very important role in ensuring the success of this strategy in terms of the ámodernisation of the contractual and institutional framework for reconciling flexibility and security, establishment of systems for lifelong learning and the promotion of new forms of work organisation and employment patterns such as job rotation systemsí. The Commission hopes that these recommendations on the contribution of the social players to the employment strategy will be increasingly followed up by each Member State, depending on its circumstances, in the drawing up, implementation and evaluation of the employment guidelines. (1) COM(98) 316 final. (1999/C 96/084) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2224/98 by Kirsi Piha (PPE) to the Council (16 July 1998) Subject: Situation in Tibet; EU policy on Tibet Tibetís political and spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, visited Finland on 19 June, eliciting assessments as to what the EU might be able and willing to do to adopt a common policy on Tibet. This would be desirable, as it would make it possible to intervene effectively in the human rights situation in Tibet and for the EU, in common with others, to exert pressure on the negotiations between China and Tibet. Does the Council have any plans for adopting a common EU policy on Tibet, and if so, what would its broad outlines be? Reply (22 October 1998) As the Honourable Member is aware of, a mission to Tibet by the EU Troika Ambassadors to Peking took place between 1 and 10 May 1998. The report from the mission was published on 19 June. At present, the Council is considering what steps to take as a result of the mission. It will continue to make known to China its concerns relating to ethnic minorities, including in Tibet, within the bilateral dialogue on human rights. (1999/C 96/085) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2228/98 by Kirsi Piha (PPE) to the Commission (16 July 1998) Subject: Freezing of budget appropriations for grants The Court of Justice of the European Communities has frozen the Commissionís social aid funds on the grounds that there is no legal basis for them, because the aid programmes concerned were not endorsed by the Council. Yet these programmes are significant from the point of view of a peopleís Europe. How many projects, and which ones, will now be deprived of assistance, and for which will it be possible to secure the Councilís endorsement?