WRITTEN QUESTION P-2354/99 by Jonas Sjöstedt (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Killing of cattle in the name of the EU.
C 203 E/166 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 18. 7. 2000 (2000/C 203 E/213) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2353/99 by Raffaele Costa (PPE-DE) to the Commission (13 December 1999) Subject: State aid granted to RAI by Italy In its answer to Written Question E-1701/99 (1) given by Commissioner Monti, the Commission stated that it had áthe duty to assess whether the funds granted by the state to RAI, both as licence fee and as other support measures, are proportionate to the net costs incurred by the undertaking to fulfil the public service obligations imposed by the stateí. What is the Commissionís view of the proportion between the net costs (which seem to be extremely high) and the licence fee and the other specific measures the state has granted and continues to grant to RAI? (1) See page 28. Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission (5 January 2000) As already anticipated in its reply to Written Question E-1701/99 (1) of the Honourable Member, the Commission has in place a formal investigation procedure regarding the licence fee and other additional aid measures granted to Radio Televisione Italiana (RAI) by the state and Istituto per la Ricostruzione Industriale (IRI). At the present stage of the procedure, the Commission has not yet concluded its analysis on the nature of existing aid of the licence fee. As far as the other measures granted by the state and IRI are concerned, the Italian government has not yet submitted its observations. An overall assessment of the proportionality of the aid granted to RAI with the costs incurred by the undertaking to fulfil the public service obligations imposed by the state will be possible only at the conclusion of the procedure currently in place. (1) See page 28. (2000/C 203 E/214) WRITTEN QUESTION P-2354/99 by Jonas Sjöstedt (GUE/NGL) to the Commission (1 December 1999) Subject: Killing of cattle in the name of the EU On 7 October 1999, five cows and one bull were destroyed on a farm in Bohuslän, Sweden, at the behest of the National Board of Agriculture. The farmer had flouted EU rules and not marked his animals. He wanted full financial compensation for the loss of his animals but, on 9 November 1999, the district administrative court ruled that the decision to shoot the animals was based on the rules that apply in Sweden following its accession to the European Union, so that the farmer is not entitled to compensation. Calls have been made in Sweden for ámore flexibleí Swedish national rules to be drawn up on how to the European directive. The Agriculture Minister has said that she will check with her implement counterparts in other Member States to ascertain whether the rules can be modified. What are the Commissionís views on this? Is it correct practice to kill animals that are not marked in accordance with European rules? Or has the National Board of Agriculture gone too far in its interpreta- tion of the European directive? 18. 7. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 203 E/167 Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission (17 December 1999) The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its answer to written question n E-2042/99 by Mr SacrØdeus (1). (1) See page 121. (2000/C 203 E/215) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2358/99 by Roberta Angelilli (NI) to the Commission (13 December 1999) Subject: Care provision and supervision in psychiatric hospitals At the Santa Maria della Pietà psychiatric hospital in Rome, two in-patients have recently suffered serious injury (leading, in the case of one of them, to permanent disablement) following a fight which broke out in the absence of adequate supervision by specialist hospital staff. In December 1998 the judge in charge of the investigation rejected the complaint lodged by the families of the injured patients against the authorities responsible for safety and supervision on the wards of the hospital in question and called for the case to be dismissed. In the light of the above fact: ü does the Commission not think that the lack of care (to which the serious physical consequences of the fight must inevitably be attributed) constitutes a violation of the patientís dignity and of his inalienable rights as an individual and also indicates a lack of attention to the most basic needs of sick people who (especially since they are patients on wards specialising in criminal psychiatry) are in need of greater care and supervision? ü do the circumstances described above not indicate that the families of the patients concerned should consider applying to the Court of Justice of the European Union in order to have the matter investigated further? Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission (1 February 2000) The Commission has no jurisdiction to deal with the question asked, which is a matter solely for the national authorities concerned. (2000/C 203 E/216) WRITTEN QUESTION P-2364/99 by Hans Kronberger (NI) to the Commission (1 December 1999) Subject: Bohunice nuclear power station According to reports in the Austrian media, a study commissioned by the Austrian government from the University institute for risk assessment into safety at the Bohunice power station in Slovakia reveals that Slovakia has apparently misinformed not only Austria but also the European Commission. The study also indicates that the planned upgrading measures, on the basis of which Slovakia justified its postponement of the closure date from 2006 to 2008, have not been fully implemented. Among other things, defects representing a threat to public safety have been located in the reactor core areas of both units