WRITTEN QUESTION E-2466/99 by Daniela Raschhofer (NI) to the Council. Travel to European Parliament part-sessions in Strasbourg.
3. 10. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 280 E/49 Reply (13 March 2000) On 22 December 1994 the Schengen Executive Committee approved a form for a certificate to carry narcotic drugs and/or psychotropic substances for the purpose of medical treatment (1). The certificate, based on Article 75 of the Schengen Convention, allows residents of any of the countries applying the Schengen acquis to travel to other countries applying the Schengen acquis, lawfully carrying on their person a medically prescribed quantity of narcotic drugs and/or psychotropic substances for 30 daysí treatment. These are very special situations involving a limited number of people whose state of health is such that they have to take medicine on a regular basis. Such medicine is prescribed by a doctor in their country of residence, who uses for that purpose the special certificate provided for in Article 75 of the Convention. The authorities in each country applying the Schengen Convention can check up on the certificate by contacting the central office in the country in which it was issued. Once the Schengen acquis, now incorporated into Community law, becomes applicable in Sweden, these arrangements will apply there. (1) SCH/Com-ex (94) 28 rev. and SCH/Stup (94) 21. (2000/C 280 E/048) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2466/99 by Daniela Raschhofer (NI) to the Council (16 December 1999) Subject: Travel to European Parliament part-sessions in Strasbourg Parliament holds part-sessions in Strasbourg once a month. To that end, a huge number of officials and other staff are required to travel from Brussels or Luxembourg to Strasbourg. A large proportion of those travelling on ámissioní in this way go by car. ü How many staff overall travel every month from Brussels or Luxembourg to Strasbourg? ü How many of the staff in question go by car? ü How high are the total costs (including the cost of overnight stays, meals, etc. ) resulting from the áremovalí to Strasbourg? ü Are there records concerning, or is it known, whether or how often Council staff are involved in road accidents during such journeys? ü Is it known whether there have already been cases of death or serious injury resulting from road accidents during such journeys? ü Are there records of costs arising from accidents? ü Do the accident statistics for the days of travel to and from Strasbourg deviate from those for other days? Reply (16 March 2000) The replies to the Honourable Memberís questions concerning the journeys made by Council officials to Strasbourg in connection with European Parliament part-sessions are set out below. Each month when a part-session is held, an average of 21 officials travel to Strasbourg from Brussels. Of these, about 10 go by car. The average total amount incurred in mission expenses is EUR 13 285 per part- session month. C 280 E/50 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 3. 10. 2000 The Council has, to date, received no reports of any road accidents involving its staff during such journeys. The Council would remind the Honourable Member that members of the Council Working Party on General Affairs also travel regularly from Brussels to European Parliament part-sessions in Strasbourg. (2000/C 280 E/049) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2467/99 by Daniela Raschhofer (NI) to the Commission (16 December 1999) Subject: Travel to European Parliament part-sessions in Strasbourg Parliament holds part-sessions in Strasbourg once a month. To that end, a huge number of officials and other staff are required to travel from Brussels or Luxembourg to Strasbourg. A large proportion of those travelling on ámissioní in this way go by car. ü How many staff overall travel every month from Brussels or Luxembourg to Strasbourg? ü How many of the staff in question go by car? ü How high are the total costs (including the cost of overnight stays, meals, etc. ) resulting from the áremovalí to Strasbourg? ü Are there records concerning, or is it known, whether or how often Commission staff are involved in road accidents during such journeys? ü Is it known whether there have already been cases of death or serious injury resulting from road accidents during such journeys? ü Are there records of costs caused by accidents? ü Do the accident statistics for the days of travel to and from Strasbourg deviate from those for other days? Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission (21 January 2000) In 1998, which is the last full year for which complete figures are available, Commission officials from Brussels and Luxembourg undertook 2705 missions to Strasbourg in connection with duties related to the meetings of the European Parliament. These missions cost a total of € 1,3 million in the year, and 124 of them took place by car. The Commission is not aware of any accidents during missions to Strasbourg by car. The Commission does not, therefore, have any details relating to accidents, injuries or deaths. The Commission does not have detailed accident statistics for the relevant stretches of the Belgian, Luxembourg and French road systems which would enable calculations of relative accident rates to be made. (2000/C 280 E/050) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2472/99 by Brian Simpson (PSE) to the Council (16 December 1999) Subject: Common Air Traffic Control area throughout the EU Is the Council aware that, because of its failure to agree a common Air Traffic Control area throughout the EU with a common EU-wide capacity plan, average flight-time delays are set to rise to 50 minutes?