WRITTEN QUESTION E-0257/00 by Daniel Hannan (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Intergovernmental Conference.
C 280 E/204 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 3. 10. 2000 The booklet was developed after repeated requests from teachers for simple factual material about the Community and its Member States, for teaching purposes and in line with national curriculum require- ments. In anticipation of demand, one million copies were printed. Since publication in June 1998, 460 000 copies of the booklet have been requested by primary school teachers, public libraries, local education authorities and European resource centres for schools in the United Kingdom. Orders continue to be received on a regular basis for several thousand copies a month. (2000/C 280 E/240) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0257/00 by Daniel Hannan (PPE-DE) to the Commission (7 February 2000) Subject: Intergovernmental Conference Can the Commission list those areas where it would like to see an extension of qualified majority voting at the next Intergovernmental Conference? Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission (23 February 2000) As it made clear in its Opinion adopted on 26 January 2000 (1), the Commission believes that, apart from cases where the Council decides by simple majority, decision-making by qualified majority should be the general rule in the Council, and insistence on unanimity the exception. In Annex 1 to the Opinion the Commission listed the provisions of the EC Treaty that might remain subject to unanimity on the grounds that serious and lasting reasons justify departing from the general rule. Annex 2 to the Opinion lists the provisions of the EC Treaty which would then be subject to qualified majority voting in the Council. (1) Adapting the institutions to make a success of enlargement. Commission Opinion in accordance with Article 48 of the Treaty on European Union on the calling of a Conference of Representatives of the Governments of the Member States to amend the Treaties ü COM(00) 34 final. (2000/C 280 E/241) WRITTEN QUESTION P-0261/00 by Mark Watts (PSE) to the Commission (2 February 2000) Subject: Slaughter of animals at Eid-el-Kabir Each year tens of thousands of sheep are religiously slaughtered outdoors in France at the Eid-el-Kabir festival. This is in breach of Council Directive 93/119/EC (1) on the protection of animals at the time of slaughter or killing, which specifically prohibits outdoor religious slaughter. Film footage supplied to the Commission by animal welfare organisation shows not only that the slaughter takes place outdoors but also that the sheep are often roughly and cruelly treated prior to slaughter. They are dragged by one front leg, carried upside down, carted in wheelbarrows and often have their front and back legs tied together. All this is in breach of Article 3 of Council Directive 93/119. What steps does the Commission propose to take to ensure that EU law is observed at this yearís Eid-el-Kabir festival? Does the Commission intend to issue infringement proceedings against France under Article 226 in respect of its failure to enforce Council Directive 93/119 in its territory? (1) OJ L 340, 31. 12. 1993, p. 21