WRITTEN QUESTION E-0615/00 by Joaquim Miranda (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. EU Delegation in Havana, Cuba.
C 374 E/118 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 28. 12. 2000 (2000/C 374 E/138) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0610/00 by Roger Helmer (PPE-DE) to the Commission (3 March 2000) Subject: The EU ban on phtalates in toys Please can you forward me a copy of a letter from James Bridges (Head of the EUís Scientific Committee on Toxicity, Eco-toxicity and the Environment ü CSTEE) to the Commission, which stated that the Committee disagreed with the proposed ban and put forward the idea of migration limits as an alternative to the ban? Furthermore, it would be extremely helpful if Professor Bridges could present his scientific findings on this issue to the Environment Committee of the European Parliament. Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission (3 May 2000) The Commission has already sent the requested correspondence to the chairman of the public health and environment committee of the Parliament. As regards the possible presence of Professor Bridges before the environment committee, such a request will have to be addressed to him directly given the status of scientific committeesí members as independent from the Commission. (2000/C 374 E/139) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0615/00 by Joaquim Miranda (GUE/NGL) to the Commission (3 March 2000) Subject: EU Delegation in Havana, Cuba Given that the EUís representation in Cuba is merely a subsidiary of the Commission Delegation in Mexico, and that Cuba both participated as an observer in the entire post-LomØ Convention negotiating process and very recently stated its wish to sign the Agreement which will replace the Fourth LomØ Convention, is the Commission taking any steps to possibly open a European Union Delegation in Havana? Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission (10 May 2000) There are no extra human and financial resources foreseen for opening new delegations in the 2000 budget. The available resources are committed to the existing external representations of the Commission. There is a case to be made for the opening of a delegation in Cuba for the reasons stated in the question. However, a similar case could also be made for a number of other countries where the Community has important economic or political interests. Any opening of a new delegation would have to be the result of redeployment of staff. Priorities will have to be set. They would need to be decided in the framework of the exercise which is under way to assess the needs of the external service over the lifetime of this Commission. A communication to the Council and the Parliament on the development of the external service, the best use of its existing means and, if it is found to be necessary, proposals for extra resources should be presented later in the year 2000. Thus, while the Commission has the matter under review it can not give any undertaking on the opening of a delegation in Cuba or elsewhere