WRITTEN QUESTION E-2786/99 by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Collapse of the Attiki road bridge in Markopoulon (Attiki).
C 303 E/110 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 24. 10. 2000 Supplementary answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission (21 March 2000) To date, the Commission has not received a request for co-financing for the construction of a school for tourist couriers under the Community Support Framework for Greece for the 1994-1999 programming period. It should also be pointed out that it is the responsibility of the Member State to choose and propose projects for co-financing. Under the operational programme for Tourism and Cultureí of the 2nd Community support framework (CSF) for Greece, the European social fund (ESF) provided co-financing for the training of approximately 5 500 people in 480 training courses at a total cost of € 7,2 million. The training courses organised by certified training centres covered a number of subjects on the manage- ment and operation of tourist facilities in recreational, sports and cultural activities. According to information provided by the Greek authorities, the target groups for these courses were the unemployed and those already employed in the tourist sector but threatened with unemployment. (2000/C 303 E/107) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2786/99 by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission Subject: Collapse of the Attiki road bridge in Markopoulon (Attiki) (18 January 2000) Following the recent collapse of the Attiki road bridge which was under construction, as a result of which two workers were killed and ten injured, serious concerns have been expressed concerning the viability and public safety of such projects. In view of the fact that such projects ü or at least those funded by the European Union ü should be carried out with the greatest possible care, under strict supervision and transparency, it is imperative that the Commission launch an investigation into the accident and should not allow matters to remain unresolved. A number of serious questions have already been raised by the numerous experts seeking to elucidate the reasons for the accident and preventing future accidents on a similar or larger scale. Did the surveys take account of the nature of the terrain where the construction work was being 1. carried out? 2. Was a survey of the timber shuttering carried out as required and, if so, were its findings acted on? Following the earthquake of 7 September 1999, were the timber shuttering and construction 3. procedures in general reassessed? 4. Independently of the survey, were the scaffolding and attachments shown to be sufficiently strong? 5. Was the work properly supervised by the firm responsible? 6. What reasons for the accident were given by the firm responsible for supervising the project? Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission (28 February 2000) The Commission does not have the information requested under points 1 to 6 of the Honourable Memberís question. These are matters covered by the contractual relationship between the Greek state authorities, in particular the Ministry of Public Works, and the firms building the Stavros-Elefsina road under the current contract. The Commission has requested the Greek authorities to send it a copy of the final report by the commission of inquiry they set up to examine the causes of the accident. If that commissionís conclusions 24. 10. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 303 E/111 show that responsibility relates to improper use of Community funds, the Commission will not fail to claim them back. The Commission considers that any measures to prevent such accidents in future should be identified and taken on the basis of the commission of inquiryís report and conclusions. (2000/C 303 E/108) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2797/99 by Marjo Matikainen-Kallström (PPE-DE) to the Commission (18 January 2000) Subject: Eradication of trafficking in women in the European Union According to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), more than half a million women per year are sold as slaves worldwide. Research indicates that the number is rising. It has been observed that the problem is serious in the European Union too: large numbers of women have been brought from the former communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe, particularly to Belgium, Holland and Germany. What new measures will the Commission take to combat trafficking in women more effectively? How will the Commission improve measures under the Daphne and Stop programmes so that the added value of Europol can also be exploited better? Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission (6 March 2000) Since 1996 the Union has taken a number of initiatives to prevent and combat trafficking in women, e. g. two communications (1), a joint action concerning action to combat trafficking in human beings and sexual exploitation of children (2) and the Daphne initiative and the STOP programme (3). Recent develop- ments in the field have shown a clear readiness in the Union for new initiatives. The conclusions of the Tampere European Council of October 1999 clearly confirm that the European heads of states and governments want to go further in the fight against trafficking. They explicitly mention trafficking in women as one of the priority sectors where it is necessary to agree on common definitions, incriminations and sanctions. They also call upon the Member States to set up joint investigative teams, including Europol, to combat trafficking in human beings. The Commission, on its side, intends to present detailed proposals to approximate the penal provisions of the Member States concerning trafficking in human beings and sexual exploitation of children. The proposals will also include the issue of temporary residence permits for victims who are ready to provide evidence in front of courts. The Commission will also draft a proposal for a renewal of the STOP programme to cover the years 2001-2005. The proposal will build on the developments and the experiences gained in the field since the adoption of the STOP programme in 1996. The proposal for a new STOP programme will also include opening the programme for applicants from all the candidate countries. This will allow projects to be developed by partners from these countries and thus a stronger participation than already is the case. Europol has been successively more involved in projects under the STOP programme and can give them added value by bringing in its expertise. Europol will certainly play an important role in the fight against trafficking in human beings at European level in the future. Furthermore, the recently adopted Daphne programme (4) (2000-2003) will, as successor to the Daphne initiative, continue to support the combat against all forms of violence against women and children. The programme is ávictim basedí and mainly designed to support projects organised by non-governmental