WRITTEN QUESTION P-2018/99 by Jeffrey Titford (EDD) to the Commission. Powers delegated to the nation states of the European Union.
C 170 E/138 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 20. 6. 2000 Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission (23 November 1999) It is true that certain associations representing private Italian healthcare institutions lodged a complaint with the Commission in January 1999. The complaint concerned an alleged breach of the rules on competition and the freedom to supply services by Italian legislation on public and private health care. The previous Commissioner responsible for competition policy replied by letter dated 6 April 1999 to a letter from Mr Ferri and confirmed that the Commission would do its best to investigate the case and reach a conclusion as soon as possible on whether or not there had been a breach. Since the complaint alleges a breach of several provisions of Community law, various Commission departments are having to cooperate on the case. Those with particular responsibility are the Directo- rates-General for Competition and the Internal Market. These departments have already begun their initial analysis of the information provided by the associations which lodged it. Talks were organised between Commission representatives and the complainantsí lawyer. The Competition Directorate-General has also contacted the Italian Competition Authority to obtain additional information. The Italian Government will also be asked to submit any comments it may have on the complaint. the complaint on the basis of Thus, the requisite attention has been and continues to be given to this complaint. Since the investigation has not yet been completed and neither the associations which brought the complaint nor the Italian Government have been informed of the initial findings, it would not be appropriate for the Commission to give its view here on whether or not the Italian legislation concerned is compatible with Community law. The Commission will not fail to inform the Honourable Members of its final conclusions. (2000/C 170 E/165) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2015/99 by Helena Torres Marques (PSE) to the Commission Subject: Organigramme of the new Commissionís services (9 November 1999) I should like a copy of the organigramme of the new Commissionís services, and specifically, details of the names, nationalities and gender of the heads of Directorates-General, Directorates, Services and autono- mous Units. Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission (1 December 1999) A list of officials in management posts on the Commission organisation chart, showing their grade, sex and nationality, will be sent directly to the Honourable Member and to the Secretariat-General of Parliament. The electronic version of the organisation chart for the new Commission can be consulted on the Internet. (2000/C 170 E/166) WRITTEN QUESTION P-2018/99 by Jeffrey Titford (EDD) to the Commission (29 October 1999) Subject: Powers delegated to the nation states of the European Union I am aware of course of innumerable ways in which the European Union (formerly the European Community, formerly the European Economic Community and before that the Common Market) has removed powers from the nation-states of the Union in almost all aspects of their internal and external affairs. 20. 6. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 170 E/139 Please may I have a complete list of those powers which the European Union or any of its predecessor bodies have ever specified shall remain with the nation-states and shall not be transferred at any time to the European Union. Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission (26 November 1999) The only powers the Community has are those conferred on it by the Member States in the Treaties. (2000/C 170 E/167) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2024/99 by Glyn Ford (PSE) to the Commission (3 November 1999) Subject: Small farmers and preservation of the countryside Does the Commission recognise the role of small farmers in helping to preserve the countryside as a resource both for the local community and for tourism? Does the Commission not feel that the rural environment protection scheme and other rural development schemes should be widened and enlarged to ensure that adequate financial recognition is given to small farmers for this role? Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (24 November 1999) The Commission recognises the important role of small farmers in the management of the countryside, in the conservation of bio-diversity and the protection of the environment. Council Regulation (EC) 1259/1999 of 17 May 1999, establishing common rules for direct support schemes under the common agricultural policy (1), allows the Member States to modulate the direct payments granted to farmers according to certain objective criteria. The Member States can use money made available from reduced payments for certain additional measures in the framework of rural development support provided under Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/ of 17 May 1999 on support for rural development from the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) and amending and repealing certain Regulations (2). This Regulation presents an integrated approach to rural develop- ment, where the recognition of the multi-functional role of agriculture, and implicitly of small farmers, is a key element. It provides a series of measures which may be adopted by Member States according to their specific needs. Since Member States may lay down further or more restrictive conditions for granting Community support for rural development, some of these measures can be used specifically to support small farmers. Agri-tourism is one of the possible actions that can be adopted by Member States in their rural development programmes to promote rural restructuring and diversify the economy. (1) OJ L 160, 26. 6. 1999. (2) OJ L 160, 26. 6. 1999. (2000/C 170 E/168) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2026/99 by Caroline Jackson (PPE-DE) to the Commission (3 November 1999) Subject: Organophosphate sheep dips Can the Commission say whether the EU is helping finance any research projects into the effects on human health of the handling of organophosphate sheep dips, and whether it has any plans either to ban such dips, or to reinforce the safety measures that must be employed when they are being used?