WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2633/98 by Otto von HABSBURG to the Council. EU-Croatia relations
C 135/82 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 14. 5. 1999 (1999/C 135/096) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2629/98 by Arie Oostlander (PPE) to the Commission (1 September 1998) Subject: Quality of milk products of the Netherlands dairy industry that qualify for subsidies under the EU school milk scheme To what extent do milk products of the Netherlands dairy industry, such as chocolate milk, buttermilk and yoghurt drinks, satisfy the quality standards defined by the Commission for dairy products that qualify for subsidies under the EU school milk scheme? Which products, if any, do not satisfy the Commission’s quality standards and to what extent? If the products concerned do satisfy the quality standards, will the Commission publicise the fact so that schools may take advantage of a minimum choice of dairy products? Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (18 September 1998) The Community legislation on aid for milk and milk products distributed in schools merely lists the categories of products which are eligible for aid, and does not actually specify what quality standards such products must satisfy. As a result, the horizontal rules on the quality of dairy products placed on the market also apply to the school milk scheme. It must therefore be assumed that no dairy product manufactured by the Netherlands dairy industry should be excluded from the scheme for reasons of quality. (1999/C 135/097) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2633/98 by Otto von Habsburg (PPE) to the Council (1 September 1998) Subject: EU-Croatia relations I refer to the hardly informative and more than inadequate answer to my question of 31 March 1998 to the Council (No P-1110/98 (1)) concerning the cancellation of the Council President’s visit to Zagreb, which did not take place until 6 July: 1. Instead of making general and unsubstantiated accusations about Croatia, is the Council prepared to state specifically in what proven respects Zagreb has failed to honour its international commitments? 2. What does the phrase ‘by the regional approach and the policy of conditionality’ mean in normal, unbureaucratic language? 3. Is the Council aware that certain circles in the EU are pursuing a systematically hostile policy against Croatia, even though it has taken an exemplary stand against foreign aggression and has never threatened any of its neighbours in any way? (1) OJ C 323, 21. 10. 1998, p. 114