WRITTEN QUESTION E-1728/99 by Michl Ebner (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Shift of emphasis in health policy.
20. 6. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 170 E/83 year 2000. The main thrust of the communication is to bring down the prices of telecommunications services by increasing competition and cutting administrative burdens on telecom operators. This should result in lower access prices and thus speed up the take-up of Internet in Europe. Furthermore, the Commission will soon adopt a recommendation on the interconnection prices of leased lines part circuits, the main aim of which is to bring down the prices of Internet services. A further recommendation on access to local networks, and in particularly on local loop unbundling, will be issued next year and which should have a further impact on availability of competitive high-speed Internet services. As the Internet has become more ubiquitous and commercialised, the governance of this new tool has also become professionalised and indeed more vital to Europeís interests. The Community, together with Member States has therefore been taking an active role in the establishment of the Internet corporation for assigned names and numbers (ICANN), the international private body in charge of policy on domain names, information provider (IP) address allocations and Internet protocols. The Community already ensures high quality interconnections between European research laboratories through the trans-European net (TEN)-155 network (the follow-on to TEN-34), which supports the interconnection of national research and education networks at capacities of 155 Megabit per second (Mbits/s). The Community will continue to invest, through the 5th framework programme in Research and technological development (RTD), in continuous upgrading of our research network infrastructure. The IST programme has set aside a budget of € 161 million for áresearch networkingí activity. This activity will support both the establishment of a world-class network for Europe and experimental exploitation of this network. Under this activity, research laboratories will experiment with new forms of collaborative working, exploiting the full potentialities which high speed access to the Internet will provide. From the point of view of the Commission, extensive resources are already being mobilised in the context of the research programme to ensure that European researchers have access to world-class Internet infrastructure and to support collaborative research and development) to develop new technologies in this area. It should be noted, however, that in many of the key areas for the development of the Internet such as national research infrastructures, and networking schools, the major investments required are the responsibility of Member States and private industry. The Commission is making every effort to ensure that all Member States recognise the importance of investment in this area. (2000/C 170 E/095) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1728/99 by Michl Ebner (PPE-DE) to the Commission (29 September 1999) Subject: Shift of emphasis in health policy Under the Common Agricultural Policy the EU provides annual subsidies totalling 1 000 million euro for the cultivation of tobacco. In contrast, only 11 million euro are earmarked for the Europe against cancerí programme. At the same time, however, there is evidence of a steady increase in the incidence of tumours. This being so, does the Commission intend: ü to ensure a gradual reallocation of financial resources for the benefit of public health in general? ü to secure a reduction in nicotine consumption by raising the cost of tobacco products? ü to improve monitoring of the various ingredients of tobacco products through appropriate legislation? ü to regard the tobacco control issue in future as a priority objective of European health policy as stated by the new Commissioner for consumer protection and health, David Byrne, at his hearing? C 170 E/84 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 20. 6. 2000 Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission (15 November 1999) The Honourable Member is referred to the Commissionís report (1) of September 1999 describing the measures it has taken at Community level since publication of its 1996 communication (2). Many of these measures are specifically related to the Honourable Memberís question. The research and information fund set up in 1994, in conjunction with the reform of the common agricultural policy, by Council Regulation (EEC) 2075/92 of 30 June 1992 on the common organisation of the market in raw tobacco (3), applied in accordance with Commission Regulation (EEC) 2427/93 (4), has been boosted by increasing the levy imposed on tobacco growers as a contribution to the fund from 1 % to 2 %. Concerning tax on tobacco products, Council Directive 1999/0081/EC was adopted on 29 July 1999, amending Directive 92/0079/EEC on the approximation of taxes on cigarettes, Directive 92/0080/EEC on the approximation of taxes on manufactured tobacco other than cigarettes and Directive 95/0059/EC on taxes other than turnover taxes which affect the consumption of manufactured tobacco (5). In 1997, the Commission asked all Member States for information on their policies regarding additives contained in cigarettes. The analysis of the replies reveals a considerable measure of disparity between the rules in force and sets out the legal situation in the Member States concerning tobacco additives. This situation should be taken into account in all future Community legislation. Since adoption of Directive 98/0043/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 July 1998 on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States relating to the advertising and sponsorship of tobacco products (6), the Commission has been re-examining the directives in force concerning tobacco product labelling and the maximum tar contents of cigarettes. Given the proposals set out in the communication, in the opinions of the European Parliament, the Council and the Economic and Social Committee and in the recommendations of the high-level committee of cancer experts, and in the light of the observations made by the industry and non-governmental organisations, this re-examination is now at an end. The resulting proposal will be sent to Parliament and to the Council as soon as it is adopted by the Commission. (1) COM(1999) 407 final. (2) COM(96) 609 final. (3) OJ L 215, 30. 7. 1992. (4) OJ L 223, 2. 9. 1993. (5) OJ L 211, 11. 8. 1999. (6) OJ L 213, 30. 7. 1998. (2000/C 170 E/096) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1731/99 by W. G. van Velzen (PPE-DE) to the Council (30 September 1999) Subject: Imprisoned Moldovan Parliamentarian Ilie Ilascu The Moldovan Parliamentarian Mr Ilie Ilascu is being held in prison without far trial in the breakaway Moldovan province of Transdniester. The self-styled Soviet Republic of Transdniester, with the support of the Russian Fourteenth Army, has imprisoned non-Russian ethnic leaders, among whom the most prominent is Mr Ilascu. Will the Foreign Ministers raise this issue in the next meeting of the EU-Russia Cooperation Council and report to Parliament?