WRITTEN QUESTION E-2514/99 by Pedro Marset Campos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Siting, in a rural tourism area (Abarán, in the Murcia area of Spain), of a waste water purification plant financed by means of the EU's Leader II programme and the Spanish Government's Future programme.
8. 8. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 225 E/155 ü Article 3: á the activities of the Community shall include a contribution to education and training of quality ; the Community shall aim to eliminate inequalities, and to promote equality between men and womení; ü Article 13: á the Council, on a proposal from the Commission and after consulting the European Parliament, may take appropriate action to combat discrimination based on sex í, the fact that discrimination in chess-playing and coaching is not covered by and in view of Directive 76/207/EEC (1) treatment as regards employment) since chess players cannot be regarded as salaried employees, does the Commission not think that, on the basis of the above-quoted articles, the sexes is discriminated against in the pursuit of sport in general and chess in particular? legislative initiatives should be launched in order to ensure that neither of (on equal Does the Commission believe that it has done all it can to provide the Council with proposals intended to eradicate sex discrimination, which is one of the priority objectives laid down in the EC Treaty? (1) OJ L 39, 14. 2. 1976, p. 40. Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission (14 February 2000) The Commission is keen to emphasise that, just like the Honourable Member, it is very attentive to the issue of non-discrimination between women and men. As pointed out by the Honourable Member, sport is an area in which equal opportunities are of particular In certain sports men and women compete in separate categories in order to ensure importance. opportunities for women and so one can speak of positive discrimination. In order to assemble all the relevant information with a view to assessing whether this principle applies to chess, the Commission will contact the competent international organisations in this field. The Commission shares the Honourable Memberís opinion that this issue must be seen in the general context of equal opportunities. A standing group of Commissioners has been put in place, chaired by the President of the Commission; the groupís Vice-President is the Commissioner for employment and social affairs. The groupís mandate is mainly to ensure that the gender dimension is taken into account in all relevant Community policies and actions, pursuant to Article 3(2) of the Treaty (1). Besides, on 26 Novem- ber 1999 the Commission transmitted to the Council and, for consultation, to the European Parliament, a proposal for a Council Decision establishing a Community action programme to combat discrimination (2) and proposals for directives establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation (3) and on implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of racial or ethnic origin (4). SEC(1999) 1483 ü COM(1999) 567 final. (1) Communication from the President Groups of Members of the Commissioní. (2) (3) COM(1999) 565 final. (4) COM(1999) 566 final. (2000/C 225 E/170) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2514/99 by Pedro Marset Campos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission (22 December 1999) Subject: Siting, in a rural tourism area (AbarÆn, in the Murcia area of Spain), of a waste water purification plant financed by means of the EUís Leader II programme and the Spanish Governmentís Future programme On 18 June 1999 the Commission approved, for country holiday accommodation in the Caæada Hidalgo district, to be financed by means of the Leader II programme (file No B. B3. 080, name of Trinidad GonzÆlez Maquilón, 1 370 096 pesetasí worth of funding to be provided). in AbarÆn (Murcia), a project C 225 E/156 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 8. 8. 2000 There are also plans for a waste water purification plant (likewise to be financed by the EU) to be sited in the same area, less than 100 yards away from the abovementioned project. This is discouraging local residents from undertaking subsidised conversions of their homes to make them suitable for rural tourism. In the same location, approval has been granted for short hiking trails funded by the Spanish Govern- mentís Future programme through the regional tourist board. They too are beneficiaries of EU funding. 1. Is the Commission aware of this contradictory situation? 2. What action is the Commission intending to take in order to sort out this matter? Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (25 January 2000) The Commission was not aware of these projects funded under the Community Initiative Leader II in 1999 in the region of Murcia. However, the facts related by the Honourable Member do merit the attention of the Commission. The Commission is making enquiries of the Member State and will keep the Honourable Member informed about the result of this investigation. (2000/C 225 E/171) WRITTEN QUESTION P-2522/99 by Niels Busk (ELDR) to the Commission (16 December 1999) Subject: Sprat catches To enable fishermen to keep abreast of important decisions of significance for them, will the Commission say how long it takes in the Commission to deal with a proposal on sprat catches, from the drafting stage through to finalised proposal? Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (14 January 2000) The elapsed time from the initiation of work by the services to the adoption of the proposal by the Commission may be about six weeks. This includes consultation, translation and the very procedure of adoption. However, this time may be extended if, during the process, changes are made to the proposal following comments by associated services. (2000/C 225 E/172) WRITTEN QUESTION P-2523/99 by Minerva Malliori (PSE) to the Commission (16 December 1999) Subject: Chernobyl I am alarmed at the decision by Ukraine to put back on stream reactor 3 at Chernobyl nuclear plant. The Institute of Nuclear Protection and Safety (IPSN) has called for this reactor to be closed down as a matter of urgency, as it is seriously damaged