WRITTEN QUESTION E-0212/00 by Gérard Caudron (PSE) to the Commission. Aid to the iron and steel industry.
C 280 E/200 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 3. 10. 2000 In order to protect the financial interests of the Communities, the national authorities have been asked at this stage to take precautionary measures (deposits to be lodged by the operators concerned). The Commission will inform the authorities concerned of the conclusions of its examination direct. (1) OJ L 263, 19. 9. 1991. (amended by Decision 97/803/EC: OJ L 329, 29. 11. 1997). (2000/C 280 E/234) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0205/00 by Caroline Jackson (PPE-DE) to the Commission (4 February 2000) Subject: Possible EU legislation on dangerous sports Can the Commission state whether there is any specific legislation on the EU statute book relating to dangerous sports such as martial arts and the protection of the participants in those sports? Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission (8 March 2000) The Commission would like to inform the Honourable Member that there is no specific Community legislation on sport. The EC Treaty does not empower the Commission to legislate in this field. Regulations relating to sporting activities, including dangerous sports, are essentially the responsibility of the Member States. Several of them have adopted rules on instructor qualifications, access to activities, and safety standards, particularly in relation to sports regarded as dangerous. Sports federations also play a major role in organising and regulating their sports. The Honourable Memberís attention is drawn to the Helsinki Report on sport (1) adopted by the In this report the Commission emphasises the need for a new Commission on 1 December 1999. partnership between sports federations, Member States and Community institutions while respecting the principle of subsidarity and the autonomy of sporting organisations. (1) Helsinki Report on sport ü COM(1999) 644 final. Report from the Commission to the European Council with a view to safeguarding current sports structures and maintaining the social function of sport within the Community framework. (2000/C 280 E/235) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0212/00 by GØrard Caudron (PSE) to the Commission (4 February 2000) Subject: Aid to the iron and steel industry I recently addressed the House on the application in 1998 of the sixth Steel Aid Code. Although I welcomed the quality of the Commission report, I was dismayed that it did not cover every aspect of the aid. Although the Steel Aid Code is worded very clearly, the Commission has, on various occasions, authorised the granting to steel companies of aid which does not fall within the categories covered by the Code. With a view to ensuring a level playing field, the Code should either be strictly applied, or it should be changed if the Commission wishes to authorise aid of a kind other than those currently admissible in law. 3. 10. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 280 E/201 Does the Commission intend to do anything to clarify the situation? Finally, we need to review the implications of the expiry of the ECSC Treaty. The aid system must continue after 2002. My view of this matter is that only a Council regulation will be able to offer the requisite legal certainty and guarantee a formal prohibition on any kind of aid not covered by the Code. Is the Commission planning to submit any proposals along those lines? Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission (17 March 2000) Every year the Commission produces a report on implementation of the steel aid code, covering all the decisions adopted in the course of the year by the Commission in accordance with it. In 1993-1994 the Commission adopted decisions on aid to steel firms on the basis of Article 95 of the ECSC Treaty rather than the code but in accordance with the same procedure as the code and with the same force in law. Since then, no further decision of this type has been adopted. Implementation of the 1993-1994 decisions is dealt with in a separate report to the Council, as required by the decisions in question. The Commission has not yet formulated its final position regarding the rules on state aid to the steel industry after wexpiry of the ECSC Treaty. As promised by the Member with responsibility for competition at the January 2000 part-session, the future proposal will be presented to Parliament. However, the Commission notes Parliamentís position as set out in its resolution on the Commissionís 1998 report and expressed by the Honourable Member in his intervention of 18 January 2000 and in this written question. (2000/C 280 E/236) WRITTEN QUESTION P-0222/00 by Brigitte Wenzel-Perillo (PPE-DE) to the Commission Subject: Duty of the Member States to submit reports (31 January 2000) Will the Commission of the EU state how many legal provisions laid down by the Communities (EU and EC), divided into policy fields, entail a duty for the Federal Republic of Germany to submit reports? Will it also give a detailed list of the legal bases of the Community legal provisions involved, stating how often those reports must be submitted (each year, each month and so forth)? Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission (16 March 2000) In order to answer the Honourable Memberís questions the Commission would have to undertake lengthy and costly research. It cannot consider doing this at the present time because of other priorities. (2000/C 280 E/237) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0228/00 by María Sornosa Martínez (PSE) to the Commission (4 February 2000) Subject: Breach of the rules of competition in the selling of pet food in Spain Illegal and unfair competition is currently occurring in Spain in the marketing and sale of pet foods, with the rights of consumers being infringed. Pet food manufacturers are operating separate distribution