WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1071/98 by Iñigo MÉNDEZ DE VIGO to the Commission. Setting up a Committee on 'orphan drugs'
C 50/8 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 22. 2. 1999 Tax measures are not, however, subject to competition rules if they apply generally in the economy of a Member State without favouring certain enterprises or productions. As part of a co-ordinated package to tackle harmful tax competition, Member States agreed in December 1997 to a code of conduct for business taxation and called on the Commission to submit proposals for directives on the taxation of savings and on interest and royalty payments between companies. The proposal for a Council directive on a common system of taxation applicable to interest and royalty payments made between associated companies of different Member States (1) was presented on 6 March 1998. A proposal for a Council directive to ensure a minimum of effective taxation of savings income in the form of interest payments within the Community (2) was presented to the Council on 5 June 1998. The code of conduct specifically takes note of the provisions on state aid in the EC Treaty and the Commission has undertaken both to re-examine existing tax measures to ensure that the objectives of the EC Treaty are applied consistently and equally by all, and to publish guidelines on the application of the state aid rules with regard to direct business taxation later this year. (1) OJ C 123, 22. 4. 1998. (2) COM(98) 295 final. (1999/C 50/011) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1071/98 by Iæigo MØndez de Vigo (PPE) to the Commission (6 April 1998) Subject: Setting up a Committee on áorphan drugsí One of the major issues are those of rare diseases. Has the Commission not considered the appropriateness of setting up an independent committee on áorphan drugsí? Answer given by Mr Bangemann on behalf of the Commission (11 June 1998) The Commission should soon be sending Parliament and the Council a proposal for a regulation on orphan drugs. The proposal could indeed provide for a committee on orphan drugs to be set up to examine applications for medicinal products to be classified as orphan drugs and to advise the Commission on the formulation and development of an orphan drugs policy for the Community. (1999/C 50/012) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1087/98 by Klaus Lukas (NI) to the Commission (7 April 1998) Subject: Unpaid work by housewives The Member States of the European Union are currently drawing up proposals for the statistical treatment of moonlighting. Also being discussed in this context are such questions as whether or not to include in gross national product unpaid work by housewives. In this connection the Commission is requested to answer the following questions: 1. Would the inclusion of unpaid work by housewives in gross national product increase the Member Statesí gross national product? 2. If so, to what extent would the Member Statesí gross national product grow? If not, why not?