WRITTEN QUESTION E-0477/00 by Hiltrud Breyer (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Sellafield reprocessing plant and Cap de la Hague.
C 330 E/170 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 21. 11. 2000 Following the judgements of 3 December 1998 in case C-368/96 and of 16 December 1999 in case C-94/98, even if the holder of a marketing authorisation for an original medicinal product withdraws that authorisation in favour of one for a medicinal product the formula of which contains the same active ingredients but different constituents although it still has the same therapeutic effect, a marketing authorisation may be granted for the generic medicinal product by referring to either formula. Following these judgements and others concerning medicinal products, it is necessary to improve the information available on this subject. Supplementary information will be therefore be published in the notice to applicants for marketing authorisations as provided for in the Annex to Council Directive 75/ 318/EEC of 20 May 1975 on the approximation of the laws of Member States relating to analytical, pharmaco-toxicological and clinical standards and protocols in respect of the testing of proprietary medicinal products (1). This is currently being prepared in cooperation with the Member States. (1) OJ L 147, 9. 6. 1975. (2000/C 330 E/193) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0477/00 by Hiltrud Breyer (Verts/ALE) to the Commission (24 February 2000) Subject: Sellafield reprocessing plant and Cap de la Hague Numerous data from university institutes and reliable environmental organisations substantiate the progressive contamination of Europeís seas. The Commission has been aware of such information for years (Petition 393/95). It has also been kept informed of worsening findings in the intervening period. As a contracting party to the OSPAR Convention, the Commission aims by 2020 to bring down measurement values for radioactivity throughout the European marine and North East Atlantic biotope to natural levels. 1. What information in terms of emission levels and radioactive contamination of the coastal and marine biotope by the Sellafield reprocessing plant and Cap de la Hague has been forwarded to the Commission by the public authorities of the operating countries in the past few years? 2. Why has the Commission taken no account of the alarming findings of university institutes and reliable environmental organisations? Why has it until now relied exclusively on the findings and interpretations communicated by the operating countriesí public authorities when assessing the situation? How does it rate their scientific independence? Is it the Commissionís opinion that it has fulfilled its duty of care, having inspected the Sellafield 3. reprocessing plant and Cap de la Hague only once in each case over a 10-year period (1989-1999)? Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission (31 March 2000) The information which the Honourable Member seeks, in respect of the provision of information by Member States of levels of radioactivity in the environment, and of the manner in which the Commission interprets this information and that from other sources, has been supplied in response to the Honourable Memberís Written Question E-2585/99 (1). The Commission, as a contracting party to the Convention for the protection of the marine environment of the north east Atlantic, is playing an active role in contributing to the implementation of the Oslo-Paris Commission (OSPAR) strategy with regard to radioactive substances. The manner in which the Commi- ssion could most effectively contribute to the implementation of this strategy was discussed by contracting parties at the OSPAR Radiation absorbed doses (RAD) meeting, hosted by the Commission, in Luxembourg from 18 to 21 January 2000. As a result of this, and earlier discussions, the Commission has undertaken to carry out several actions to assist the implementation of the strategy, including a commitment to undertake an update of the Marína project on the radiological exposure in the Community from radioactivity in north European marine waters. 21. 11. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 330 E/171 The Commission has carried out verification visits, under Article 35 of the Euratom treaty, to Sellafield and to Cap de la Hague as part of a planned programme of such visits to all Member States, which continues. The Commission is achieving as high a level of verification visits as possible within the constraints of resources allocated at present. (1) See page 24. (2000/C 330 E/194) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0480/00 by Alejandro Cercas (PSE) to the Commission (24 February 2000) Subject: Allocation from the Structural Funds for the region of Estremedura for the period 2000-2006 Could the Commission indicate the amount of funding the Spanish region of Estremedura is likely to receive under the Structural Funds for the period 2000-2006? Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission (17 March 2000) A precise figure cannot be put at this stage on the Structural Funds appropriations for the Extremadura region in the 2000-2006 programming period. Objective 1 assistance is currently being negotiated with the Spanish authorities. The amounts which will be allocated to Extremadura under the Interreg, Urban, Equal and Leader Community Initiatives are similarly hard to estimate at this stage. In the case of Objective 1, the Commission sent each Member State a proposal for allocating the available funding between the eligible regions, based on the method it had used to allocate the budget for Objective 1 among the Member States. A copy of the proposal for Spain is being sent direct to the Honourable Member and to Parliamentís Secretariat. It should be stressed, however, that the proposal is only indicative. The Member State and the Commission will together agree on the final distribution when adopting the Community support framework. (2000/C 330 E/195) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0483/00 by Alejandro Cercas (PSE) to the Commission (24 February 2000) Subject: Funding under the EQUAL Community initiative Could the Commission indicate the amount of funding the Spanish region of Estremedura is likely to receive under the EQUAL Community initiative? Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission (21 March 2000) The Commission cannot, at this stage, make any forecast of the amount of funding to be attributed to the Region of Extremadura following the implementation of the EQUAL initiative in Spain. In the EQUAL proposal, only an indicative amount is declared for each Member State. In the case of Spain, it must await the presentation of the Spanish operational programme and the selection of projects to know what amount will be received by Extremadura