WRITTEN QUESTION E-1276/00 by Jan Andersson (PSE) to the Commission. The Commission's plans for promoting lifelong learning agreements.
13. 2. 2001 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 46 E/161 (2001/C 46 E/185) WRITTEN QUESTION P-1265/00 by Hugues Martin (PPE-DE) to the Commission (11 April 2000) Subject: Clarification regarding the admissibility of special export aid under Community law The storms which struck the western part of Europe in December 1999 have wreaked unprecedented havoc for forest industry. In spite of the debates in Parliament, the Union institutions have apparently failed to gauge the economic, social, and cultural impact of the devastation ü not to mention the increased fire risks as summer draws nearer. To deal with the emergency, the French Government has decided, among other things, to grant the sum of FF 50 per tonne for the transport of timber intended for export to Union Member States and non-member countries. Community rules on competition, and in particular the Community preference obligation, rightly prohibit aid of the above type unless its purpose is to bring relief to an exceptional situation. Article 87(2)(b) of the EC Treaty accordingly stipulates that á[The following shall be compatible with the common market: ] aid to make good the damage caused by natural disasters or exceptional occurrencesí. Will the Commission treat the present emergency as a special case of the same kind as, for example, the severe drought in Portugal in 1993 and 1994, and approve the aid that France has undertaken to provide? Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (3 May 2000) The aid proposal notified by the French authorities is under examination by the Commission with reference to paragraph 2(b) of Article 87 (formerly 92) of the EC Treaty. The Commission is doing all it can to reach a decision rapidly. (2001/C 46 E/186) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1276/00 by Jan Andersson (PSE) to the Commission (19 April 2000) Subject: The Commissionís plans for promoting lifelong learning agreements On a number of occasions, the European Parliament has called on the Commission to promote lifelong learning agreements between partners on the European labour market. The conclusions of the Lisbon European Council called for higher priority to be given to álifelong learning as a basic component of the European social model, including by encouraging agreements between the social partners on innovation and lifelong learningí. (conclusion 29). The Commissionís efforts to promote agreements between the partners could take the form of providing an indication of the legislative initiatives which the Commission intends to adopt in order to promote lifelong learning. What initiatives has the Commission adopted, and does it intend to adopt, with a view to promoting agreements between European labour-market partners concerning lifelong learning? C 46 E/162 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 13. 2. 2001 Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission (23 June 2000) Council Decision 2000/228/EC of 13 March 2000 on guidelines for Member Statesí employment policies for the year 2000 (1) provides the policy framework for promoting lifelong learning in the context of the employment strategy objectives, in particular guidelines 5 and 6 on improving employability and guideline 15 on modernising work organisation. Implementation of the guidelines is monitored in the context of the Luxembourg process and assessment is carried out in the joint employment report by the Commission and the Council. Within this framework, the social partners are urged to conclude agreements to promote lifelong learning, while Member States have responsibility for defining the legal and institutional conditions for facilitating such activities in a partnership approach. In the employment guidelines 2001 the lifelong learning dimension will be strengthened and agreements between the social partners will be further encouraged. In that respect, it is worth noting that at European level the intersectoral social partners have stepped up their activities in the field of lifelong learning and the modernisation of work. The European trade union confederation (ETUC), the Conseil europØen des entreprises publiques (CEEP) and the Union of industrial and employerís confederations of Europe/European union of crafts and small and medium-sized enterprises (UNICE/UAPME) are setting up a working group to identify ways to promote access to lifelong learning and skills development, and are preparing a joint report on good practice in the areas of adaptability and work organisation. The framework agreements on part time work (1997) and fixed term contracts (1999) also include clauses on the promotion of access to training. At sectoral level, many sectors joined forces to send a joint contribution to the Lisbon European Council highlighting the need for training and skills development, and initiatives to promote lifelong learning are being developed in several sectors, such as workshops on training and qualification needs; multi-skilling; Europe-wide certification of skills, access to Information and communication technologies training. Moreover, the Commission is preparing a communication on Lifelong learning for active citizenship in a Europe of knowledgeí in which concrete actions on key themes on lifelong learning will be identified, including the promotion of a partnership approach to investing in human resources and a flexible organisation of work. The Commission is also preparing a new social policy agenda and initiatives to promote lifelong learning and the modernisation of work will be part of the agenda. (1) OJ L 72, 21. 3. 2000. (2001/C 46 E/187) WRITTEN QUESTION P-1281/00 by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission (12 April 2000) Subject: Export of waste to third countries/Basle Convention Despite international conventions, there is an increase in exports of (toxic) waste to developing countries. The Basle Convention and regulation 259/93/EEC (1) regulate these cross-border flows of waste. According to UNEP, in 1989 the OECD countries exported one fifth of their waste. UN rapporteur Fatma-Zohra Ksentini says the countries which export most are Australia, the US and EU Member States the Nether- lands, Germany and Britain. She is particularly concerned at the growing tendency to ship toxic waste to developing countries where it is simply dumped