Religioni e politica nel mondo globale (Saggi Giunti) (Italian Edition)

Bibliografia sulla prima guerra mondiale

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Nevertheless, no interpretation is provided on the subject of this equating of Turkish citizens with foreigners. A lawyer acting on behalf of many ethnic Greeks who have attempted to purchase property on the island of Imbros has complained about continuing discrimination against Christian Orthodox citizens in Turkey. The newspaper Taraf has drawn attention to a decision by the Turkish Council of State invalidating an act issued by the Imbros Land Registry transferring a land title on Imbros to a Christian Orthodox Turkish citizen.

In response to judicial pressure from the lawyer of the parties concerned, the Turkish supreme court has justified its decision as follows: Bearing in mind that the Turkish government has not yet commented on the matter, could the Commission state its official position? The Commission is aware of the issue raised by the Honourable Members and follows it closely with the Turkish authorities.

These rights and freedoms need to be guaranteed according to the European Convention of Human Rights and the case law of the European Court of Human Rights. Is it in favour of the proposal for the creation of a new international development bank, which has been supported by Robert Zoellick, the outgoing President of the World Bank, among others? EU Member States are aware of their responsibility in successfully implementing the IMF Quota and Governance reform and are working on implementing it in full by the agreed deadline of the Annual Meetings.

Member States are also working to implement the commitment for greater representation for emerging market and developing countries at the IMF Executive Board through a reduction of the representation of advanced European countries at the Board by two seats. The Member States also intend to play a constructive role in forthcoming discussions on the review of the current IMF quota formula.

It will be important to ensure that the review process is fully anchored within the IMF bodies, including the International Monetary and Financial Committee, with a view to engage the entire IMF membership. Quotas should continue to reflect the relative positions of the Fund's members in the world economy and members' capacity to support the Fund's work, and the mandate of the Fund.

As regards the second question, the Commission is looking forward to receiving more information on what is exactly proposed in terms of the purpose, structure and governance of a new international development bank. The policies of harsh austerity that have been implemented in Greece as well as in many other European Union countries for approximately the last two years have contributed to a significant deterioration in living standards for a large proportion of European citizens, with disturbing rates of unemployment and poverty being recorded throughout the European Union.

At this particularly critical social and economic time, young people are one of the age groups that seem to be hit very hard by the consequences of the crisis and the policies to tackle it, as demonstrated by a recent Unicef report on the situation of children in Greece in In this connection, can the Commission answer the following:. What is the child poverty rate in the Member States and in the European Union as a whole? How has this rate been affected during the crisis period? Is there a connection between cuts in social expenditure — particularly family allowances — and child poverty?

Given the highly unusual social conditions that are arising in the context of dealing with fiscal imbalances, how is this situation affecting the mental and physical health of children? What initiatives is the Commission preparing to take to help combat child poverty? Does it intend to provide additional assistance to Member States that are not making the expected progress on this front or that have a disturbingly high rate of child poverty? It is difficult to judge how this rate has been affected during the crisis period as the rate was However, the Commission has evidence that depth of poverty and material deprivation of children have increased in a number of countries.

In spite of cuts in social expenditure, most Member States have tried to spare allowances for the most vulnerable children, with universal allowances being cut and replaced by targeted measures for the most needy. There is no statistical evidence yet to make a connection between these recent policy changes and child poverty outcomes. There is no systematic statistical evidence yet on the impact of budget austerity measures in the Member States on the health of children.

There can be no doubt that the protracted recession and the consequent fiscal austerity programmes in Member States have produced a particularly unfavourable environment for our younger fellow citizens. The deterioration in significant social and educational indicators is undermining both the present and the future of the population group in question and has a multiplier effect in perpetuating and increasing poverty, social exclusion and even delinquency.

What fluctuations have been noted in the educational performance e. Are any data available on rises or falls in juvenile delinquency rates in EU Member States over the last two years? What is the employment rate for young people in Greece and the other EU Member States and how far-reaching have the effects of the significant socioeconomic shifts of the last two years been? Have statistical studies been carried out on the percentage of young people in Member States who are working without insurance cover?

There are no statistics at EU level on the number of drop-outs i. The rate was The employment rate for young people aged was The corresponding EU average in was In that year Greece had the lowest employment rate of olds in the European Union. The employment rates for young people in Greece had gone down by 7. The Commission has not carried out any studies on young persons working without insurance cover.

What are the provisions ensuring the transparent and non-discriminatory character of airport charges that Greece has not incorporated, the implementation of which would lead to lower charges for passengers? Has Greece responded within the deadline to the reasoned opinion? However, the remaining provisions of the directive, which set out common principles for the calculation and application of airport charges, have not been transposed.

Such issues would include those related to non-discrimination, transparency, consultation of airport users, remedy procedures between the airport managing body and airport users as well as differentiation of airport services. The Greek authorities are required to reply within two months of receipt of the reasoned opinion. At the time of writing, no such response had been received. This decision will pose new dangers for the people of Somalia, who are already suffering from aerial attacks by the United States and the military action of Kenya and Ethiopia.

The inter-imperialist conflicts over energy routes and wealth-generating resources in the Horn of Africa have already plunged the peoples of the region into war and poverty. By what right are the ships of Operation Atalanta enabled to bombard ships and targets in the territory of Somalia, in effect declaring war, with incalculable consequences for the population, and thoroughly ruining the infrastructure that is vital for the country?

Every year the Council adopts the fishing opportunities based on a proposal submitted by the Commission, taking into account the scientific, technical and economic advice, when available. It should be noted that the available scientific data for these stocks were accessible to all concerned parties. The real fishing opportunities did not increase.

The Honourable Member is invited to put his questions on monitoring and availability of scientific advice to the Commission, as they fall within its remit. Nationalisation Austria and bailout Germany — Bayerische Landesbank covered up the huge money laundering scheme. HAAB grew with politicians from Austria and the Balkan region siphoning money during the UN arms embargo and ensuing corrupt privatisations.

It follows from the directive that if a a covered entity, such as a bank, suspects that funds are the proceeds of a criminal activity, it is required to report these suspicions to a Financial Intelligence Unit, which will further investigate the case and if necessary transfer it to the national law enforcement authorities. The Commission has no competence to investigate schemes such as those described by the Honourable Member.

This is the responsibility of the relevant national authorities and, ultimately, of national Courts. In recent years, many European citizens have been caught out by the European City Guide scam. It now appears that a similar scam has been set up, trading under the name of the European Medical Directory and operated by NovaChannel.

Its tactics are the same: NovaChannel was previously a Swiss-registered company, and its practices were being investigated by the Swiss Office of Fair Trading. However, it has now ceased trading from Switzerland and payment is now being pursued by United Lda, a Portuguese company. Can the Commission confirm whether it is aware of this scam, and clarify what steps it is taking to halt the activities of these fraudsters? The Commission is aware of a number of misleading directory companies operating in Europe and decided to address this issue in the context of a communication, scheduled to be published in the first half of It will focus on the problems which European businesses face when confronted with misleading practices and present concrete proposals to address them, both at national and cross-border level.

An important part of this consultation was dedicated to the practices of misleading directory companies. While the need for future legislative action is currently evaluated, the Commission will promote better enforcement by coordinating the enforcement activities of the Member States. In this context, meetings with the Member States' authorities will be organised in the course of to coordinate actions in cross-border cases of business-to-business misleading schemes and to exchange information with the view to improve enforcement. Landbouworganisaties klagen echter dat de aanvallen op boerderijen niet ernstig genoeg worden genomen door de politiediensten en de regering.

Heeft de hoge vertegenwoordiger voor het buitenlands beleid de regering van Zuid-Afrika hierover al aangesproken, en aangedrongen op maatregelen die de veiligheid bevorderen? Has the High Representative for Foreign Affairs already approached the South African Government about this issue and urged it to take measures to promote security? If so, what were the conclusions? If not, is she considering contacting the South African Government to discuss this pressing issue? Has the Commission formally requested, or does it intend to request, that the Turkish authorities put an end to illegal and unjustified practices against the Kurds?

Does the Commission have up-to-date information on the plight of Kurdish political prisoners and is it monitoring this information? Respect for human rights is a core requirement of the enlargement process, to which the Commission attaches the highest importance. The Commission continuously monitors the human rights situation in Turkey. It features prominently in the annual Progress Reports. The Commission also underlined that terrorism-related articles of Turkish legislation and the wide definition of terrorism under the Anti-Terror Law remain a cause for serious concern.

The Commission systematically raises specific cases of violations of human rights with the Turkish authorities. The Commission has repeatedly stressed that a balanced and fair solution to the Kurdish issue needs to be found and encouraged all parties to make all efforts to bring peace and prosperity for all the citizens of Turkey. The south-east of Turkey needs peace, democracy and stability as well as social, economic and cultural development.

This approach requires the participation and inclusion of all democratic forces, and not their exclusion. The Commission expects a new civilian Constitution to provide a basis for further progress. What specific and concrete actions, aside from the aforementioned statement, has the Commission been taking to address this issue?

Furthermore, should Argentina continue along the path to protectionism, is the Commission considering further, more punitive, actions such as proposals to remove preferences for Argentina under the current GSP scheme? The Commission is aware of the restrictive trade policy and practices of Argentina and takes very seriously the problems experienced on a systematic and regular basis by EU exporters to Argentina.

The Commission is determined to tackle these problems at all levels and by all possible avenues, including World Trade Organisation WTO dispute settlement if necessary. The Commission has also engaged in alliance building with other WTO members to build common ground to pursue these matters in an effective manner and is seeking collaboration from industry to obtain a range of substantial evidence. While further action is not excluded, it should be noted that Argentina will not be covered under the proposed revision of the Generalised System of Preferences GSP scheme.

Wie wordt daar voor uitgenodigd? Wie zal namens de Europese Unie deelnemen? Wie draagt de kosten? Op hoeveel worden deze kosten begroot? Weke standpunten zullen worden ingenomen namens de Europese Unie? Wordt het principe van de vrije meningsuiting verdedigd? De resolutie legt meer de nadruk op praktische manieren om religieuze intolerantie te bestrijden. If so, when and where is this conference supposed to be held? Who is being invited to attend? Who will represent the European Union at the conference? Who will bear the costs? What are the estimated costs? What positions are to be adopted on behalf of the European Union?

Is the principle of freedom of expression going to be defended? The resolution rather focuses on practical ways to fight religious intolerance. The Istanbul process provides for expert meetings to exchange best practices in fostering religious tolerance and ensuring freedom of religion or belief. This expert seminar was attended by around 30 countries from all regions, including several EU Member States. It is indeed expected that an EU Member State will convene another expert meeting in the second half of , though this remains to be confirmed. Sinds het in voege treden van het Verdrag van Lissabon maakt het handelsbeleid deel uit van het buitenlands beleid.

Het lag dus voor de hand dat het aspect democratie en mensenrechten aan bod zou komen, maar dat blijkt niet het geval te zijn. Gaat de hoge vertegenwoordiger ermee akkoord dat dit aspect geen deel uit van de onderhandelingen over het afsluiten van een vrijhandelsakkoord met Vietnam? Zitten de hoge vertegenwoordiger van de Unie voor buitenlandse zaken en veiligheidsbeleid en de Commissie op dezelfde lijn? De Europese Unie EU hecht veel belang aan het bevorderen van het respect voor mensenrechten en fundamentele vrijheden, ook in Vietnam.

Ook de liberalisering van de handel zal een positieve bijdrage leveren aan de mensenrechten. De openstelling van markten stimuleert groei en bevordert ontwikkeling, en draagt op die manier bij tot de verwezenlijking van fundamentele mensenrechten zoals sociale en economische rechten. De vrijhandelsovereenkomsten bevatten bepalingen inzake duurzame ontwikkeling die erop gericht zijn de naleving van internationale arbeidsnormen te bevorderen.

It is already clear that the situation regarding democracy and human rights in Vietnam, still a Communist one-party state, will not be among the topics discussed at the negotiations. Since the Treaty of Lisbon entered into force, trade policy has been part of foreign policy. It therefore seemed obvious that the issue of democracy and human rights would be raised, but that does not appear to be the case. Does the High Representative accept that this issue should not be discussed at the negotiations on a free trade agreement with Vietnam?

How can all this be reconciled with EU targets that the Union should strengthen and support democracy, the rule of law, human rights and the principles of international law abroad? The EU is committed to promoting respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in Vietnam as elsewhere. The Commission and the European External Action Service EEAS are working closely to fullfill this aim and have a well-coordinated view on how this can best be achieved. Trade liberalisation also makes a positive contribution to human rights.

The opening of markets stimulates growth and helps spur development, thereby contributing to the implementation of fundamental human rights such as social and economic rights. FTAs include provisions on sustainable development which notably aim to promote compliance with international labour standards. Waarom maakt dat aspect geen deel uit van de onderhandelingen over het afsluiten van een vrijhandelsakkoord met Vietnam?

Bestaat hierover overeenstemming binnen de Commissie zelf? Bovendien zal ook de liberalisering van de handel een positieve bijdrage leveren aan de mensenrechten. De vrijhandelsovereenkomsten bevatten bepalingen inzake duurzame ontwikkeling die erop gericht zijn de partijen in een samenwerkingsproces te betrekken en de naleving van internationale arbeidsnormen in de betreffende landen te bevorderen.

Why will this issue not be discussed at the negotiations on a free trade agreement with Vietnam? Is there agreement on this issue inside the Commission itself? The European Union EU is committed to promoting respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, in Vietnam as elsewhere. The Commission and the High Representative are working closely to fullfill this aim and have a well coordinated view on how this can best be achieved. Such clauses will enhance EU leverage and will allow it to intensify dialogue and cooperation aimed at promoting human rights in Vietnam.

Furthermore, trade liberalisation also has a positive contribution to make to human rights. The opening of markets creates efficiency, stimulates growth and helps spur development, thereby contributing to the implementation of fundamental human rights such as social and economic rights. FTAs include provisions on sustainable development which aim to engage the Parties in a cooperative process and support compliance of international labour standard commitments in domestic implementation.

Last but not least, the Honourable Member can be assured that EU human rights concerns will continue to be raised at the highest level by President Van Rompuy and the President of the Commission, as well as by the Commissioner responsible for Trade. The Commission underlines the need for a number of concrete actions to ensure that people with disabilities have unrestricted access to new electronic content.

What measures has the Commission taken to encourage the Member States to provide new devices for disabled people which give them access to the Internet and online services? Does the Commission intend to prompt the Member States to put in place faster and more efficient measures at a national level?

It shows that in in Austria It can be noted that in Austria, some legal instruments are in place. The proposal for an EU legislative intervention on web-accessibility is intended to be submitted for adoption to the college within the next weeks. It targets the internal market for the creation of accessible public websites, starting with essential public services. The currently proposed revision of the Public Procurement Directive will also strengthen the accessibility provision. Five years have passed since the sinking of the Sea Diamond in the Santorini caldera.

However, it urged interested parties to keep it informed of any new data that might emerge. Does the Commission consider the actions taken by the Greek authorities to be adequate? The Commission estimates that at the time of sinking the Greek authorities took the necessary actions to pump out the fuel carried on board of the ship so as to avoid damage to the marine environment.

Five years on, there is no conclusive evidence that at present the shipwreck constitutes a threat to the marine environment. The Wreck Removal Convention provides a sound legal basis for coastal States to remove, or have removed, from their coastlines, wrecks which pose a hazard to the safety of navigation or to the marine and coastal environments, or both. The Commission would like to stress that there is only one option: The Commission will continue calling on all stakeholders to act in this sense.

There are, however, no EU rules which prohibit such practice. Tour operators and providers of accommodation, such as bed and breakfasts, motels and hotels, are in general free to determine the price of their services. The prices set for these services are most likely a result of many factors, such as the expected costs and income related to the booking. The market is, however, responding to the increasing demand of tourist services by single persons.

Many tour operators and hotels regularly offer package deals or accommodation without any supplementary charges on solo travellers. Some companies also specialise in holidays for single persons. On this background, and as long as providers of accommodation and tour operators provide clear information to their customers regarding the prices of their services, the Commission does not see any need to intervene against the abovementioned pricing policies. An increased diesel price at the pump, due to higher taxes compared to those on petrol, is likely to cause a significant reduction in the diesel share in new car fleets, especially in the small and medium-sized business sector, increasing CO 2 emissions and thus compromising EU environmental objectives in this area.

By basing taxation on objective criteria — CO 2 emissions and energy content — it would ensure that taxation is brought more closely in line with the EU's energy and climate change objectives, including the CO 2 from cars strategy, and that it gives price signals that complement rather than contradict them. Moreover, a transitional period allowing for a gradual alignment of petrol and diesel taxation would give car manufacturers sufficient time to invest in improving the efficiency potential of petrol and diesel cars or motor vehicles running on alternative fuels and thus stay on course for the implementation of the CO 2 from cars strategy.

The revised Directive would provide security for business and allow it to plan its technological investments and choose its preferred energy source without having to fear arbitrary changes in the structure of energy taxation. Even though, according to the Commission proposal, the principle of equivalence would apply to all energy products and require the use of single tax rates for the same fuel use — one for the general energy consumption taxation and one for the taxation of CO 2 emissions — Member States would still retain a large degree of flexibility.

They could set these two tax rates above the minima as they see fit according to their needs, budgetary and, in terms of the level of ambition regarding their national climate change objectives. In addition, the principle of equivalence for the rate on energy content for motor fuels would only come into force in which should provide sufficient time for economic operators and citizens to adapt.

Extending this requirement in order to limit the possibility for Member States to set lower tax rates for commercial diesel does not lead to any environmental or efficiency benefit, as there is no real alternative to diesel technology on heavy-duty long-distance road transport. The Commission is of the view that the possibility for Member States to apply a lower level of taxation to commercial rather than to non-commercial use of gas oil as propellant is no longer compatible with the requirement to improve energy efficiency and the need to address the growing environmental impact of transport.

Road transport is one of the few sectors where emissions have risen rapidly: It is inevitable that full internalisation of external costs eventually has to be achieved for commercial road transport, since this is an important and growing source of emissions and there is no environmental reason to tax it lower than private use. It should also be noted that the proposal provides for a transitional period until to reach the new EU minimum levels of taxation and until for the application of the principle of equal taxation of all motor fuels, which leaves ample time for the transport sector to adapt.

The European automotive industry is the world leader in advanced diesel technology, and has been promoting the use of this technology in other markets for years. The reduction of the European diesel market share that is to be expected following the introduction of the proposal for a Council Directive COM could send the wrong message to the other major markets. In light of the above, can the Commission state whether it believes that the proposal for a Council Directive COM will weaken the competitive position of the European automotive industry in the world market?

Hence, the revised Energy Taxation Directive would only slow down the trend towards more dieselisation of the European car fleet, but would not revert it and is not expected to have a negative impact on the viability of the European automotive industry. The European high-technology content of advanced diesel engines is likely to be replaced with competing technologies hitherto promoted in other world regions, suggesting that employment opportunities may be transferred from Europe to those other regions.

As the high-technology content of diesel engines generates demand for outstanding engineering and production capabilities, providing highly qualified employment opportunities in Europe, such a loss could not be offset by parallel employment increases in other areas. The use of additional revenue to reduce labour taxes is expected to have a positive impact on employment. The impact on employment has also been modelled and analysed taking into account the economic crisis.

The Commission does not have any information about the impact of the proposal on the employment in the European automotive industry. Alongside other sectors, European automotive companies are in the forefront of efforts to develop new energy sources to power vehicles. Can the Commission state whether any assessment has been made of the impact of the proposed changes on European efforts to develop new technologies with which to generate energy for the automotive industry?

If there has been such an assessment, can the Commission provide references to it or inform me of its conclusions? This Impact Assessment does not analyse how the automotive companies distribute their revenues and how they and others fund their research and innovation activities, as this is an issue of company policy. Also a loss in market share should not be confused with a decline in overall sales. Furthermore, the application of a single tax rate for the energy content for motor fuels should only come into effect as of allowing for gradual changes to the overall tax on diesel.

Also the revision of the directive should trigger additional investments in fuel-saving technologies. The production of new diesel engines compliant with the Euro V and Euro VI standards requires the use of high-precision equipment to manufacture the necessary parts. These technological requirements are fulfilled by European manufacturers of machinery and equipment. The loss of diesel technology will have an impact on the development of high-precision equipment which has further applications in other industries.

In the light of the above, can the Commission say whether there has been any assessment of the impact of these measures on the high-precision industry in Europe? If so, can it provide details? Euro VI legislation is based, among other documents, on an impact assessment which takes account of different factors related to the costs and benefits, for industry and society, of the adoption of such a legislation.

One of these factors is the increase of the technological costs for the manufacturer, derived from the fitting in the vehicle of additional equipment, like a reduction catalyst, as well as the increase of the operating costs, which are mainly a consequence of the additional maintenance needed for keeping the equipment working with the required level of efficiency. Since no estimation has been made on the benefit of the implementation of Euro VI on manufacturers of high-precision equipment, it would not be possible to estimate the costs for that sector in the case of a loss of diesel technology.

However, taking into account that the European heavy duty fleet is mostly composed of diesel engines, and that this trend is not likely to change in the near future, it is not considered as envisageable that manufacturers of high-precision equipment would be negatively affected by the above legislation. On the contrary, the future implementation by the Commission of a policy aiming at reducing CO 2 emissions from heavy duty vehicles, may lead to a situation where the need of more efficient engines would have a very positive impact on manufacturers of equipment for new trucks and buses.

My constituent has raised urgent concerns with me regarding the massacre of the people of Somalia and Ethiopia by Ethiopian authorities. There are multiple accounts of civilians being slaughtered and women and girls being raped by Ethiopian soldiers in villages of the pastoral region of Ethiopia. Many have been abducted and others are unaccounted for. My constituent also has concerns over terrorism and the radicalisation of young Somalis.

Is the Commission aware of these developments? What action is the Commission currently taking, or does it plan to take, to address these distressing attacks? Is the Commission taking any action against the radicalisation of individuals in the EU? The European Union closely follows human rights issues in Ethiopia and has a regular dialogue with Ethiopia. Where there is evidence of human rights abuse, this is taken up with the Ethiopian authorities. While the European Union is not specifically aware of the alleged grave violations of human rights that the Honourable Member's constituent is referring to in the pastoralist region of Ethiopia, it knows that the civilian population of the Ogaden suffers as a consequence of the conflict in that region.

The European Union, within its ongoing political dialogue with the Ethiopian authorities, repeatedly stresses the importance of respect for the human rights of the entire Ethiopian population. The European Union will continue to raise these issues with the Government of Ethiopia. The European Union also stresses the importance of free access to all regions of Ethiopia for humanitarian organisations and of the protection of civilians caught in conflict.

Projects led by NSA are supported through the specific budget line It should, however, be noted that the list only concerns projects where local authorities or an association of local authorities are leading partners. Numerous other local authorities are also partners in projects financed under both budget lines. The number is too great to be listed in a table. Microcredito e accesso al credito per le partite IVA. Tale dato mostra in modo eloquente il cambiamento del mondo del lavoro a seguito della crisi che da anni ormai imperversa a livello globale.

Si chiede alla Commissione quali iniziative finanziarie ha avviato a sostegno delle nuove iniziative imprenditoriali e se tali iniziative rivolgano particolare attenzione al microcredito e, in generale, all'accesso al credito. I suoi strumenti finanziari sono disponibili agli erogatori di microcrediti indipendentemente dal fatto che essi siano banche o strutture non bancarie. This figure clearly shows how the world of work is changing following the global crisis that has marked recent years. The number of new businesses especially those started up by natural persons shows that it is practically impossible to find a job as an employee.

Can the Commission say what financial measures it has taken in support of new businesses and whether those measures focus in particular on microcredit and, in general, access to credit? The facility provides loan guarantees to encourage banks to make more debt finance available to start-ups and SMEs. Its financial instruments are available to both banks and non-bank microcredit providers. EU financial support for start-ups is also available from the Structural Funds through Member States' managing authorities. Moreover, the new EU Programme for Social Change and Innovation will extend the support given to microcredit providers under the current Progress Microfinance Facility, including funding for capacity-building of microfinance institutions and investments for developing and expanding social enterprises.

Gelijk speeldveld voor metallurgische industrie onder ETS. In sommige lidstaten, zoals in Duitsland, wordt de industrie deels gecompenseerd door de transportkosten van de elektriciteitsrekening niet bij bedrijven in rekening te brengen. Nederland heeft hier geen regeling voor. Hierdoor bestaat er in de interne markt een ongelijk speelveld voor de bedrijven die in deze sector werkzaam zijn. Is de Commissie op de hoogte van compensatieregelingen die in sommige lidstaten bestaan voor de metallurgische industrie, en dan met name voor wat betreft de transportkosten van de energierekening?

Zal de Commissie optreden tegen het ongelijke speelveld dat door deze regelingen bestaat? Bij de nieuwe richtsnoeren is zorgvuldig gezocht naar een goed evenwicht tussen verschillende hoofddoelstellingen. Tegelijkertijd moeten deze regels ervoor zorgen dat de prijsprikkels van het EU-emissiehandelsysteem behouden blijven om de economie op rendabele wijze koolstofarm te maken. Wat de steun in de vorm van energiebelastingvrijstellingen betreft, moeten de lidstaten, in zoverre het om staatssteun gaat, voldoen aan de voorwaarden van de kaderregeling milieusteun of de algemene groepsvrijstellingsverordening, die dergelijke steunmaatregelen onder specifieke voorwaarden toestaan.

Deze regels garanderen een gemeenschappelijk kader voor steunmaatregelen, dat in alle lidstaten geldt. In some Member States, for example Germany, the industry is partially compensated as companies are exempt from the energy tax on transport costs. Netherlands has no such provisions. This creates an uneven playing field in the internal market for companies working in this sector. Is the Commission aware of the developments in this sector and the difficulties faced by the metallurgical industry because of the new rules on carbon leakage under the ETS?

Is the Commission aware of the compensation schemes in some Member States for the metallurgical industry and in particular concerning the energy tax exemption for transportation? Which Member States have such arrangements? Will the Commission act against the inequalities created by these arrangements?

If so, how does it intend to do that? Based on Eurostat data collected from Member States and input from public consultations, the Commission has identified a certain number of sectors that are deemed to be at a significant risk of carbon leakage. The sectors eligible for compensation include for example producers of aluminium, copper, fertilisers, steel, paper, cotton, chemicals and some plastics.

The new rules carefully balance several key objectives. As regards support in the form of exemptions from energy taxation, insofar as the support constitutes state aid, Member States must comply with the conditions of the Environmental Aid Guidelines or the General Block Exemption Regulation that allow such aid under certain conditions. These rules ensure a common framework for aid for applicable to all Member States.

Terugnamesysteem plastic flessen met statiegeld. De Europese verplichting houdt dus in dat lidstaten een bepaald percentage moeten behalen voor wat betreft de recycling van plastic afval. Hoe de lidstaten dit doen, wordt in principe aan de lidstaten overgelaten. Er zijn evenwel lidstaten, zoals Nederland, die momenteel dergelijke systemen ingevoerd hebben. Dit leidt in de praktijk tot hoge percentages ingezamelde flessen. Met name moeten de lidstaten ervoor zorgen dat deze systemen open staan voor deelneming van de ondernemingen van de betrokken sectoren, dat zij gelden voor ingevoerde producten onder niet-discriminerende voorwaarden, en dat zij niet leiden tot het ontstaan van handelsbelemmeringen of concurrentieverstoringen die onverenigbaar zijn met het Verdrag.

The objective is to channel this kind of waste to the most appropriate waste stream. The European obligation thus means that Member States must achieve a certain percentage with regard to the recycling of plastic waste. In principle, it is left to Member States to decide how they are going to do this.

There is therefore no European obligation to set up a deposit return system for drinks packaging, such as PET bottles. There are, however, Member States, such as the Netherlands, which have implemented such systems. In practice this leads to high percentages of collected bottles. Member States are free to establish packaging collection systems which are best suited to their needs, consumption and distribution patterns of various types of packaging and packaged goods provided that these collection schemes help meet the objectives and targets of the directive.

In particular, Member States have to ensure that such systems are open to the participation of economic operators of the sectors concerned, that they apply to imported products under non-discriminatory conditions and that they do not result in the creation of barriers to trade or distortions of competition inconsistent with the Treaty. De modo geral, as pessoas com idade compreendida entre 26 e 64 anos pagam a tarifa normal.

Para jovens com menos de 26 anos, que podem beneficiar de tarifas de estudante ou passes especiais;. It has come to my attention that train fares in Belgium vary by age group. In some cases, the fare is practically double the normal rate for adults aged between 26 and Is the Commission aware of this situation? Has it confirmed that the details are correct? What possible reasons can there be for acting in this way? According to the information received, there is no evidence on different tickets rates for persons aged between 26 and 59 and persons aged between 60 and In general, persons between the age of 26 and 64 have to pay the normal fare.

Age-based reduction fares exist only:. Furthermore, some special reduction fares exist. For example, parents with at least 3 dependent children under the age of 25 can request a discount card for themselves and for their children aged under Was ist der Verfahrensstand? Wenn ja, gegen welche? A waste disposal site with asbestos waste situated in Wunstorf-Luthe, Lower Saxony, Germany, is due to be dismantled.

The waste will be transported to Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Schleswig-Holstein. The guidelines for support for brownfield sites and contaminated sites in the state of Lower Saxony set quality criteria which must be met in order to receive a subsidy:. Efficiency of the measure: Hazardous nature of the contaminant load: The dangers of a health hazard and pollution are posed only in the case of removal, which incurs the threat of a release of asbestos fibres.

The adjacent environment includes available open areas, which would be able to meet relevant demands and which are designated as an industrial area. Can the Commission confirm the application and authorisation of ERDF funds for clearing the Wunstorf-Luthe waste disposal site and the transport of asbestos waste? What is the status of the procedure? Does the Commission consider that this subsidy using ERDF funds constitutes an infringement of the stated quality criteria in the state subsidy guideline? If so, which ones? To what extent can the Commission guarantee the efficient use of ERDF monies in conformity with the rules?

According to information provided by the managing authority, the project mentioned by the Honourable Members has been selected funding with European Regional Development Fund ERDF support. Thus, the managing authority is responsible for checking each applicable requirement before declaring the expenditure eligible for ERDF funding. The decision to attribute ERDF funds to individual projects is not taken by the Commission but by the managing authority of the programme in accordance with the eligibility criteria set out in the programme and agreed by the Monitoring Committee.

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The Commission reviews the annual control report of the Audit Authority covering the ERDF programme and can carry out its own audits to ensure the legality and regularity i. She is aware of the two cases mentioned by the Honourable Member and is closely following them. In her contacts with the Tunisian authorities she has underlined the importance of full respect for democratic values.

In this context it is important that the Tunisian authorities consolidate with appropriate legal provisions respect for freedom of expression. Full implementation of these conventions will be critical in the coming months and years as Tunisia continues on its path of democratic transition. The best guarantees for respect for freedom of expression and conscience will include an effective system of justice able to uphold the commitments to human rights proposed in the draft Constitution, a dynamic civil society and open media and the development of a culture of respect for human rights and democratic principles within government and in society at large.

The EU is also supporting the Tunisian authorities and civil society in promoting respect for human rights and democratic principles and is offering to provide further assistance in areas such as reform in the areas of justice and the security sector. At the same time during the course of the EU's dialogue with the Tunisian authorities in Tunisia and Brussels the process of democratic transition in Tunisia is regularly discussed.

Accordingly, Joseph Kony is listed as the most wanted man in the world, and was indicted in for war crimes by the International Criminal Court ICC. Human rights advocacy efforts on the issue have had considerable success in Sudan, and Invisible Children has recently launched a video campaign for the arrest of Joseph Kony.

The campaign aims to influence celebrities and policy-makers, so as to alter the climate of Western opinion and target Joseph Kony, secure his arrest and free the thousands of child soldiers whom he has enslaved. The EU has also delivered assistance worldwide to prevention of grave violations against children and to reintegration and rehabilitation of children affected by armed conflict, including child soldiers. Invisible Children is an NGO and has its own specificity.

EU institutions also have mechanisms to receive and answer questions from the public on EU policy and actions. Titoli di Stato greci e tutela dei piccoli risparmiatori italiani. In recent years, many Italian and European subscribers the so-called retail market have purchased Greek state bonds, often with a book value close to parity. The situation that has emerged is unacceptable: Hedge funds have had their credit default swaps repaid.

On the other hand, Italian savers, and in some cases even non-qualified operators, are being forced to accept the swap despite the bonds issued being guaranteed by the law of a European country and after ample reassurance from all EU institutions. Furthermore, the swap was negotiated only with the banks and not with savers, who in turn have received twenty year mini-bonds, which they find unmanageable. Whether it intends to create a guarantee fund which will protect investors in similar cases and at least repay the purchase price of the bonds? Therefore, the Commission is not in a position to comment further on these questions.

Problemi sociali e patologie legati al gioco d'azzardo. Si chiede alla Commissione quali siano le iniziative proposte o predisposte a livello dell'Unione rispetto alle tematiche citate. A livello nazionale, purtroppo, gli studi e i dati statistici disponibili sono ancora limitati. In Italy, as in other Member States, the social problems and illnesses associated with gambling are evident. Can the Commission say what measures have been proposed or planned at EU level regarding these matters?

In particular, is the Commission aware of the serious social problems caused in Italy by the widespread presence of slot machines on ordinary commercial premises? This activity, albeit legal, is causing great concern and local authorities are having serious difficulty in curbing the growing spread of these machines.

What action does the Commission intend to take to protect vulnerable consumers, above all, from the widespread availability of gambling via slot machines on commercial premises in our cities? The implementation of prevention schemes and initiatives, such as awareness-raising campaigns, to inform on risks of problem gambling or compulsive gambling are primarily the responsibility of national authorities. The Commission is not in the possession of specific information regarding the magnitude of possible social problems in Italy related to the use of slot machines.

Unfortunately, few studies are carried out or statistics gathered at national level on such issues. However, the Commission is aware that the Ministry responsible for health in Italy is working on a project to develop actions on addiction based on evidence related to gambling behaviour.

The Commission considers that efforts to encourage a better understanding of problem gambling and addiction, including the causes are useful. Traitement et prise en charge des personnes autistes.

Si oui, quelles sont-elles? Si tel n'est pas le cas, la Commission l'envisage-t-elle? According to the World Health Organisation, autism is a pervasive developmental disorder which affects around 1 in children. The scarce data available at European level demonstrates that Europe has a two-speed approach to autism. It is clear in fact that many Member States are lagging behind in the treatment and care of people with autism.

This delay is caused not only by budgetary constraints, but also by a psychoanalytic approach that leaves no place for other educational and behavioural methods. Spain, Belgium, Sweden and the United Kingdom have adopted this approach. More broadly, the four main challenges to be addressed are the promotion of early detection, the generalisation of multidisciplinary approaches including educational strategies, improved training of professionals and the availability of childcare facilities tailored to the age and profile of people with autism.

Given the scale and urgency of the challenges of dealing with autism, has the Commission planned specific measures to encourage and support Member States in the development of a public policy for autism that is both effective and respectful? If so, what are these measures? If not, does the Commission envisage doing so? Moreover, has the Commission set up a European programme first of all, to support the associations involved in autism treatment and awareness-building, and secondly, to promote an exchange of good practices between Member States?

The Commission is aware of the importance of the different Autism Spectrum Disorders ASD and has been undertaking actions to address the problems they create in various areas of life. Notably, the Commission supports civil society organisations representing people with ASD and their families. These projects will present their results before the end of Action can be taken at European level to keep our economy growing, safeguard industry and make it greener.

Accordingly, there is an urgent need for the European Union to adopt a framework requiring action at pan-European level to protect industrial jobs in Europe and to start making these sectors, which are particularly at risk, greener now. In view of the past, present and future waves of layoffs in Europe, in particular in France Florange and Gandrange , what immediate practical measures does the Commission intend to take?

This communication is one of the flagships of the Europe strategy and includes the objectives of reinforcing Europe's industrial base and creating optimal conditions for sustainable growth. Since then, significant progress has been made. The following webpage with a detailed account of this will be available soon: In view of the current economic climate, the Commission is currently working on an update of this communication. This will propose actions to bring forward initiatives that can contribute to reigniting growth and identifying and overcoming obstacles in the pursuit of our consistent longer term objectives.

This communication is scheduled to be adopted early this autumn. Volgens een artikel in EU Food Policy is de sorbitolvergifitiging ontstaan door een te hoge concentratie sodiumnitraat in de geconsumeerde zoetstof. In welke hoeveelheden is deze gevaarlijke stof gewoonlijk aanwezig in Sorbitol? Hoe garandeert de Europese Commissie accurate controle als additieven lukraak op veilingssites kunnen worden aangeboden? Het product, dat werd geacht het levensmiddelenadditief zoetstof sorbitol te zijn, was geleverd door een bedrijf uit het Verenigd Koninkrijk en werd ingenomen tijdens een zogenaamde voedselintolerantietest om mogelijke allergische reacties op te sporen.

De specificaties voor de zoetstof sorbitol staan geen aanwezigheid van natriumnitriet toe, zelfs niet als een onzuiverheid. Voor sorbitol is geen aanvaardbare dagelijkse inname — dit is de hoeveelheid uitgedrukt in verhouding tot het lichaamsgewicht die een leven lang dagelijks kan worden ingenomen zonder risico voor de consument — vastgesteld.

Voor sorbitol zijn er geen aanbevolen maximale grenswaarden en daarom kan de stof worden gebruikt in hoeveelheden die technisch noodzakelijk zijn. De wettelijke bepalingen voor deze zoetstof geven voldoende garanties voor het veilige gebruik ervan. Onmiddellijk nadat zij de informatie over het voorval hadden gekregen, stelden de autoriteiten van het Verenigd Koninkrijk een onderzoek in bij het internetbedrijf dat het verdachte pakket had geleverd.

Is the Commission aware of the fact that an Italian woman has recently died — and two people have been hospitalised — after ingesting the sweetener Sorbitol product: Sorbitol Food Grade 5Kg? In what quantities is this dangerous substance usually present in Sorbitol? How great, according to the European Commission, is the risk that food-grade Sorbitol might contain an excessive concentration of sodium nitrate?

How does the European Commission ensure that food-grade Sorbitol does not contain excessive concentrations of sodium nitrate? Has all the poisoned Sorbitol been traced? If so, in which Member States has this Sorbitol ended up and what measures have been taken to ensure that consumers are no longer exposed to the poisoned Sorbitol?

Non-introduction of CO 2 tax on flights in the foreseeable future. Top-level Internet domains and effects on non-domestic businesses in EU. Review of the Professional Qualifications Directive. Reasons for the EU's shrinking public deficit. Opening up of the European rail markets, need for a European regulator to ensure that European directives are implemented uniformly and consistently.

Liberalisation of the real estate market in Romania. Situation concerning Romanian medical personnel. Funding of poppy cultivation under the common agricultural policy. Seismic surveys in derogation of EU environmental legislation. Information on measures to curb youth unemployment. Tightening of rules on medical devices. Sound barriers alongside motorways in Poland. No claims bonuses and the single market.

EU-US framework agreement on data protection. Possible financial aid for the flooding in Tuscany and waiver to the Stability and Growth Pact. The Commission must protect purchasers of downloaded e-books. The Commission must investigate the Glaxo hexavalent vaccine. Gold trafficking between Turkey and Iran: NCA investigations into petrol price adjustment. A European solution to the circumvention of national labour rights through the exploitation of the directive on the posting of workers.

Cooperation with the United Nations on natural disasters. Decentralised innovation model for improving the efficiency of the European internal market. Contraband and counterfeit cigarettes. Animals suffering during transport between Bulgaria and Turkey. Validity of the EU's position at the Doha climate talks. EU regulation and future reforms. Information on the transparency and role of special interest lobby groups.

Recommendation from the Department of Health of the United Kingdom on using the hybrid system for the labelling of foods. Financial arrangements for resigning Commissioners. Opening of a permanent EU delegation in Panama. The extremism phenomenon and the rise of violence within the European Union. Unfair Chinese competition in the photovoltaic sector.

Protection of animals at the time of killing. State of progress of Commission investigation into the extension of the Belgian deposit guarantee scheme protecting ARCO group shares. Dangerous substances in children's toys. Post Office being given potential monopoly over official identity photos.

Utilisation of budget line European ICT standards and intellectual property rights — supplementary question. Commission TAC and quota proposal for Protecting victims of crime in Europe. State aid and tax relief for companies affected by the flood — relevant risks.

Italian law and the Saluggia facility. Asbestos in railway ballast: Situation of women in Pakistan and the blasphemy laws. Cadmium telluride photovoltaic panels at a site of Community importance SCI: Pension system for European citizens in the Member States. Legalisation of female circumcision. Financing of social agriculture in Europe. Proposed reform of court fees in Spain and access to justice.

Legal frameworks and differential treatment of foreclosures in Spain. Maintaining a balance between the use of fragrances in the manufacture of cosmetics and consumer health. Aid from the European Union following Sandy. Russia's Accession to the WTO and the examination of its consequences in terms of concentrations on energy-related matters. A communication policy for timber and forestry in Europe. Categorisation of steviol glycosides — restrictions in respect of essoblaten — wafer paper.

Commission interference in Member State legal systems. Proposals for chairs and other furniture in educational institutions. Bill seeking to reorganise Spain's regulators. Recoveries by OLAF reported in Schengen visa application procedure. Vice-President Kroes barred from visiting a penitentiary hospital in Baku. Hurricane Sandy and EU aid for the Cuban people. South Stream and EU antitrust and environmental obligations.

Cooperation with India in the field of digital security. Operation of the German child and youth welfare office Jugendamt.

Fines resulting from discrepancies in vehicle registration documents. Tax abuse by large multinationals in Europe. Support for preschool care and education in Greece. Progress in online availability of public services in Greece for the benefit of citizens. Ban on night driving in Tyrol for Euro 5 heavy goods vehicles. Fish poaching off the coast of West Africa. Women on publicly listed companies' non-executive boards. Simplification of free circulation and equal access to medical-veterinary products used in aquaculture within the EU.

Una rilettura di Isaia

Legal assessment of US drone attacks. Avoidable carbon monoxide deaths and injuries continue unabated. Batteries Directive and changing batteries. European parking card for disabled people. Tax-free threshold for personal income in the Eurozone and EU Serious travel problems for primary and secondary school pupils in Greece. Troika violation of collective bargaining and social dialogue.

ILO findings on the appeal by the social partners regarding labour relation reforms in Greece. Violence against vaccination campaigns in Pakistan. Risk of closure of psychiatric units. Impact of unfinished road works in the Vale of Tempe. Incident on the Frecciarosa train in Italy.

New flight time limitations for European pilots. This was due to a surge of people caused by extreme overcrowding and a lack of access control, which meant that hundreds of young people had entered the premises without a ticket and with dangerous objects such as flares. According to reports by the Madrid City Council planning authorities, the pavilion breached safety regulations and, if it had have been private property, it would never have been granted an operating licence because it was dangerous.

It is obvious that, in all of these tragic events, the rights of consumers were not respected and the authorities did not monitor compliance with the minimum safety and access standards. The safety of premises and buildings, including those aimed at delivering leisure and amusement services to consumers, is an important work area for the Commission, even if it remains largely a competence of national authorities.

More broadly, the Commission is currently working on the preparation of a comprehensive consultation of stakeholders and interested parties, which is expected to be launched during The consultation will be focused on safety of specific service sectors, including tourism accommodation and related services, outdoor leisure activities as well as amusement parks and fairgrounds. It will be the framework to consult on possible policy options in the area of service safety, gaps in existing legislation as well as to collect input and suggestions on initiatives and best practices.

A large body of evidence now exists to suggest that wind turbines do impact human health. Will the Commission consider that this Written Question constitutes the presentation of scientific evidence demonstrating a direct link between wind turbines and human health effects? If not, would the Commission please elucidate how scientific evidence is to be presented? What steps will the Commission take to ensure that this new research is given full consideration? Will the Commission now prepare its own study into the adverse impacts of wind turbines on human health?

In developing noise policy the Commission relies on literature published in peer-reviewed scientific journals, such as the report in question. The weight of evidence is clearly increased where results from one study are confirmed by other research groups, as demonstrated by systematic review of the literature by a competent body such as the World Health Organisation WHO.

In the context of the forthcoming review of the Environmental Noise Directive, the Commission intends to liaise with the WHO on the examination of scientific evidence supporting the definition of dose effect curves related to wind farm noise. Bovine tuberculosis bTB is a serious problem for the dairy and beef industries in the United Kingdom. Since the first bTB-infected badger was discovered in the early s, badgers have been blamed by some for the continued spread of bTB in cattle, and various efforts have been made to reduce or eliminate badger populations from bTB-affected areas, with little if any discernible impact on the spread of the disease.

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This policy has been criticised by many as not being based on the available science. In order to prevent the widespread and unnecessary killing of many tens of thousands of badgers, it is imperative that the UK Government be dissuaded from its current policy and given every encouragement and assistance with a view to finding alternative solutions to the problem of bTB in cattle.

To this end, we would like to ask:. If a candidate vaccine were to be developed that would show sufficient protection and no interference with diagnostic tests, to be able to use such a vaccine in practice, EU and international rules will first need to be amended. All medicines are authorised by the national competent authorities or the European Commission.

For certain medicinal products the company may ask the authorisation by the Commission after a scientific assessment performed by the European Medicines Agency EMA and provided a Union interest in such a product can be demonstrated. The Commission will propose a review of these rules in The evolution of milk production after quota abolition depends on various factors: The expiry of the milk quota regime is projected to have a limited impact on milk deliveries at the aggregate EU level. In addition, the Commission has launched this summer a call for tender to obtain a prospective analysis on the most likely evolution of the sector based on the viewpoints of a number of independent experts in the future context without quotas.

The study, which is expected to be finalised by the summer , will address the following two themes in particular:. Does the Commission have any plans to change the regulations applying to schools to allow children access to such kits? Any regulations applying to schools to allow children access to asthma kits fall under the responsibility of Member States. Currently there are around 3. What measures is the European Union taking to highlight the need for better autism services for citizens in the Member States?

The Commission is aware of the importance and social impact of Autism Spectrum Disorders and has been undertaking actions for better identification, early detection and information to the public and professionals about this group of disorders. As a part of this, the Commission supports civil society organisations representing people with Autism Spectrum Disorders and their families. Moreover, on request of the European Parliament, the Commission manages four pilot projects on employment of persons with Autism Spectrum Disorders that aim to help develop policies for employment and social integration of people with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

These projects will present their results shortly. The project European Autism Information System EAIS , which ended in , helped to provide systematic, consistent and reliable data on Autism Spectrum Disorders prevalence, economic burden and harmonised early-detection tools. In addition, the project for a European network of surveillance on risk factors for autism and cerebral palsy project aimed at facilitated early detection of Autism Spectrum Disorders in children, improving the prognosis and quality of life for children and families.

What, if any, restrictions can be placed, at EU or Member State level, on pork from pigs whose production does not comply with this legislation? To date, five Member States confirm that they already fully comply with group housing of sows. To provide further indications on the state of compliance of particular Member States would at this time not be reliable because the situation is still in progress. Concerning market restrictions there are no EU mandatory marketing standards regarding farming systems for pig meat. Such actions can include the restriction or prohibition of the placing on the market of food or animals produced under non-compliant animal welfare conditions on farms for which they have statutory control possibilities.

The Commission will not hesitate to initiate infringement proceedings against those Member States which will not be in compliance after the legal deadline. The United Kingdom is fully compliant with these new rules, at a major cost to local producers. Can the Commission outline what progress has been made since this letter was issued? Can it also state what, if any, infringement proceedings have been brought for non-compliance, and, if so, against which Member States?

Additionally, which Member States have made the most progress in this type of healthcare programme? It outlines the vision for eHealth in Europe and consolidates actions to deliver the opportunities that eHealth can offer. Under the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme, the Commission funded the pilot project epSOS to develop EU interoperable architecture for the provision of summarised patient health record and electronic prescription services.

The Commission does not assess the performance of Member States' healthcare systems. Their proposals are currently being evaluated to determine which ones demonstrate good practices of innovation in care delivery and to highlight transfer opportunities of such practices to other regions in Europe.

Northern Ireland is presently experiencing the most severe outbreak of Escherichia coli E. Over 90 cases of E. Given that there is no specific medical treatment for E. How many confirmed cases of E. Can the Commission provide a breakdown by Member State of these cases? With reference to confirmed cases of E. It provides for the primary responsibility of the food business operator for the safety of food. The operators must, at all stages of production, processing and distribution, ensure that food is protected against any contamination.

A criterion for process hygiene in the slaughterhouse foresees sampling for E. Among these 4 cases, ten Member States reported a total of 27 food-borne outbreaks all together human cases with a strong link to a particular food vehicle. Foods of bovine and ovine origin are frequently reported as source. Further breakdowns and details can be seen in the referred report.

A major outbreak of verotoxigenic E. What is the current state of play in relation to the ongoing negotiations on an EU-Azerbaijan Association Agreement? Almost half a million households in Northern Ireland use oil to heat their homes. Can the Commission state how UK home heating oil prices, and specifically those in Northern Ireland, compare with prices across the EU? Furthermore, can the Commission provide a detailed assessment of this drastic price rise, with particular reference to the rise in price to the consumer compared to the changing price of crude oil over the same period?

Please note that the Commission does not have access to the specific data for Northern Ireland; therefore UK average is used as a proxy. The final consumer price of heating oil in the UK rose by It is clear from various media reports that the human rights crisis in Azerbaijan is escalating, with serious problems in relation to freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and freedom of the media.

What role is the Commission playing in raising these issues with the Azerbaijani authorities, and what impact do these violations have on the possibility of an association agreement? The Commission and the High Representative are fully aware of the situation of human rights in Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani authorities should be up to their own commitments. The EU will continue to monitor the situation closely, taking account of the views of civil society, and will try to constructively engage with Azerbaijan to improve its human rights record.

Does the Commission have any plans to initiate the formation of an independent investigation team to oversee the investigation of forced organ harvesting practices in China? The Commission shares the Honourable Member's concern regarding organs harvested from Chinese citizens. Therefore the Commission welcomes the recent announcement by the Chinese Government that the practice will be stopped and genuine voluntary organ donations will be encouraged. However, the regulation does not adequately address the issue of donor consent, especially for those who have died in custody or have been executed.

While the Commission does not have any plans to initiate the formation of an independent investigation team to oversee the investigation of forced organ harvesting practices in China, this point has already been addressed in the framework of past rounds of the EU-China Human Rights Dialogue and will continue to do so.

In recent weeks, there have been several tragic fatalities in house fires in my constituency of Northern Ireland, and in the United Kingdom more generally. The Commission is making considerable efforts to develop a comprehensive tobacco control policy. This policy includes public health campaigns most recently. All these measures indirectly contribute to preventing house fires. Furthermore the Council Recommendation on smoke free environments invites Member States to prohibit smoking in public places. Member States are monitoring fires and the circumstances of their outbreak to a varying degree of detail.

Fire statistics are thus of different quality and, due to additional factors such as the installation of smoke alarms, it is difficult, if not impossible, to identify prevalent trends or make additional proposals for fire safety. The Commission is currently considering a broad consultation paper on consumer service safety which may include the issue of fire safety. La prassi amministrativa e le forze dell'ordine spesso mostrano l'interferenza del governo nell'esercizio del diritto di FORB delle persone.

La HR ha mai chiesto un'indagine sulla promozione e la protezione dei diritti delle minoranze religiose in Indonesia? Despite the fact that the Indonesian government has incorporated key human rights into its national constitution and has ratified — among other international agreements — the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the implementation of those rights remains very poor in Indonesia.

In particular, there seems to be a lack of political will on the part of local authorities to ensure the protection of religious minorities. According to local and international news reports, the right to freedom of religion or belief is at risk, with attacks being carried out both on members of religious minority groups and on those who profess non-theistic or atheistic beliefs.

Does the High Representative intend to call on the Indonesian government to put effective protection measures in place to enable religious minorities to have full access to their right to freedom of religion? Does the High Representative feel that the European Union should take action to assist the Indonesian government to reverse the increasing incidence of violence and legal action against religious minorities in that country?

The right to freedom of religious belief is guaranteed in Indonesia's constitution, and Indonesia has made considerable progress over the last decade in establishing a legal framework for protecting human rights.

Theme: COUNTDOWN

The EU will carry on addressing the issue of Freedom of Religion or Belief and encouraging interfaith dialogue, and should enhance its visibility by adopting new EU Guidelines on the issue in early Tagli al programma Erasmus e al fondo per la ricerca e l'innovazione Gli attuali problemi di bilancio che incontra Erasmus derivano dalla decisione del Parlamento europeo e del Consiglio di votare un bilancio per il in cui l'importo degli stanziamenti di pagamento era sottofinanziato rispetto al livello degli impegni.

In particolare, la Commissione ha chiesto altri milioni di euro per il programma di apprendimento permanente, importo che dovrebbe consentire di soddisfare le esigenze di pagamento fino alla fine dell'anno. Le reazioni sulla stampa di tutta Europa e anche del mondo parlano da sole: The funding cuts would damage the very foundations of the internationalisation policies of European universities and significantly reduce the chances of a better future for millions of young people.

The Erasmus experience gives young people a chance to experience Europe at first hand. Keeping this forward-looking programme alive means investing in the construction of a Europe of the people and a ruling class that is more sensitive to the concept of European unity. Whether it believes that steps can swiftly be taken to ensure that the requests already made can be fulfilled? What measures it intends to take to prevent this problem of financial cover reoccurring in subsequent budgets? The current budget problems for Erasmus stem from the decision of the European Parliament and the Council to vote a budget for in which the amount of payment credits was underfunded relative to the level of commitments.

This Draft Amending Budget can be found at http: Reactions in the press across Europe and even worldwide speak for themselves: This is why it is absolutely crucial to not interrupt national or EU funding to students. With the recent agreement by the Budgetary Authority on the Draft Amending Budget and the Draft budget , the immediate threat appears to have been averted.

The Commission counts on the responsibility of the Member States and the European Parliament to continue to guarantee adequate funding and continuity in the implementation of the European programmes in the coming months and year. Henceforth they will no longer be renewable automatically but must be awarded in a public tender procedure on expiry of each operating licence, as well as having an appropriate duration.

The law was warmly welcomed by European Commission Vice-President Viviane Reding, who said that it improves legal certainly for property owners subject to the Coastal Law. Does the Commission believe that it may set up a legal model specific to the situation in Italy, which provides a basis for flexible rules that are capable of safeguarding the seaside leisure and tourism industry that is essential to our economy, without resulting in infringement proceedings by the EU? For this purpose, in those cases authorisations need to be granted for a limited period of time, which shall be appropriate to enable the provider to recoup the cost of investment and to generate a fair return.

The extension of concessions in the Spanish draft reform to which this question also refers for another seventy-five years does not concern authorisations granted to service providers who provide services from portable infrastructure in beaches, such as bars and kiosks. For authorisations for the use of beaches for that purpose, the draft reform establishes a maximum length of four years. In light of this fact, the draft reform would not seem to raise concerns of incompatibility with the principles laid down in the Services Directive.

The seventy-five year period mentioned in the question applies to concessions granted to owners for the use of their own property, which had been constructed in areas that now revert to the public maritime domain. The draft reform seeks to ensure legal certainty for owners of buildings in view of the ambiguities found in the current legal framework for shoreline property in Spain. Global Recalls Portal, nuovo strumento per la tutela dei consumatori. Come intende la Commissione pubblicizzare l'esistenza di questo strumento all'interno degli Stati membri in modo da metterne a conoscenza i cittadini e stimolarli a usarlo?

La Commissione, pur incoraggiando gli Stati membri a tenere conto, in sede di elaborazione delle politiche e di pianificazione della vigilanza del mercato, delle maggiori informazioni rese ora disponibili dal Global Recalls Portal, non ha previsto campagne specifiche di promozione a livello nazionale. Le informazioni relative al portale figurano nel sito web Europa e nell'account Twitter dell'UE dedicato alla sicurezza dei consumatori.

A simple search performed by inputting keywords such as product name, brand or manufacturer, produces a data sheet containing a product description, identification images, issues encountered and countries in which the recalls were made. This should help inform and guide customers in their purchases, improve confidence in the market and give buyers greater confidence when purchasing a product. How does the Commission intend to promote the existence of this tool within Member States, so that citizens become aware of it and start using it? The Global Recalls Portal is a new tool which, if used properly, will provide greater protection for our citizens.

Since the greatest danger to the market and to consumers comes from counterfeit goods, mainly from China, which continually slip through the net, what does the Commission intend to do to strengthen customs checks? The Commission encourages Member States to take into account in policy and market surveillance planning the wider information set now available through the GlobalRecalls portal, but there are no specific promotion campaigns at national level planned by Commission. The OECD is also considering a mobile application to facilitate access to the portal.

The Commission supports the OECD project including the aim of improving translation and search capabilities. The Commission looks forward to seeing more historical data added from those jurisdictions which are participating already and to gathering data from additional jurisdictions. The Commission, together with Member States, developed guidelines for customs authorities to carry out import controls on product safety and compliance. In order to reinforce the effectiveness of these controls a number of actions are developed, including visits to Member States, common criteria for risk analysis, and collection of data on dangerous or non-compliant goods stopped by customs at the border.

Products for daily use by consumers and that may be affecting health and safety accounted for Macellazione rituale in deroga alla normativa vigente. La normativa attualmente vigente sulla macellazione, aggiornata dal regolamento CE n. La Commissione conferma che la legislazione dell'UE non consente il ricorso a deroghe allo stordimento degli animali destinati alla macellazione rituale al di fuori dei macelli. The animal bleeds to death from a cut to the throat and is not stunned beforehand. Can the Commission confirm whether it is aware of similar events in other Member States and can it estimate how widespread this practice might be, which is in breach of current legislation?

Does the Commission believe it is still right to maintain this exemption for ritual slaughter, given that, despite being included to give the Muslim community the opportunity to carry out its own rituals whilst observing current legislation, it is being breached increasingly often? The Commission confirms that EU legislation does not allow the use of the derogation from stunning animals for ritual slaughter outside slaughterhouses.

The Commission is not aware of the specific event reported but has been occasionally informed in the past that similar events in other Member States occurred. Negli ultimi mesi alcuni Stati membri, tra i quali Irlanda, Portogallo e Grecia, hanno chiesto ed ottenuto dall'Europa aiuti finanziari. Dunque anche se ricapitalizzate, le banche non prestano denaro. Quale vigilanza sulle banche? Alle banche italiane sono andati ben miliardi di euro: Una nota banca italiana, ad esempio, ha ricevuto complessivamente, nelle due tranche di operazioni LTRO, 29 miliardi di euro — 14 miliardi nella prima tranche e 15 nella seconda — in pronti contro termine a tre anni.

Over the last few months, a number of Member States, including Ireland, Portugal and Greece, have requested and obtained financial aid from Europe. Cuts in spending on healthcare and education, increases in VAT, reductions in the size of the pension system, pay cuts, increased taxes on companies and families — these are just a few of the effects on the European citizens who have benefited from this financial aid.

So despite having been recapitalised, banks are not lending money. Can the Commission explain the causes of this disparity of treatment, in terms of interest rates, between private banks and Member States? Given that European companies are complaining about, among other things, the difficulty of gaining access to the money needed to remain in the market, does the Commission not believe that loans awarded to banks should also be tied to providing loans to private individuals and businesses in the country in which they operate?

Has the Commission thought of establishing a permanent observatory to monitor the destination of the loans and the rates set and to ensure that the loans provided are used for the purpose for which they were granted: In return, as a guarantee to the ECB, they provided bonds guaranteed by the State, meaning the taxpayer.

The aim of these operations was to pay off the losses made by the banks, relying on a future upturn in the European capital markets. It is disconcerting however that the banks have failed to use this money to finance companies. Differences in maturities and risks including collateral can explain the different interest rates. Liquidity operations conducted by central banks are part of their monetary policy, for which the Treaty grants them total independence. The Commission has no competence in imposing, or advising to impose, conditions on the destination of these liquidities.

The Commission monitors developments in the banking sector, including the effects of liquidity operations on credit conditions. In the memorandum of understanding on financial-sector policy conditionality of Spain there is an obligation to report, among others, on small and medium-sized enterprise SME lending, on corporate lending and on consumer lending.

In addition, access to finance is one of the levers identified by the single market Act 2 and boosting long term investment is one of the key actions. To this aim, the Commission will soon publish a Green paper on long term finance of the real economy, with particular attention to SMEs. Queste relazioni, di diversa natura e rilevanza, sono per la maggior parte disponibili su internet. Le relazioni stilate nel dalle delegazioni dell'UE nei rispettivi paesi che le ospitano riuniscono le informazioni raccolte dai funzionari dell'UE sul terreno, in particolate mediante contatti con le ONG locali.

The EU uses all open information at its disposal to assess the situation of freedom of religion or belief worldwide, whether it comes from civil society organisations, governmental or international bodies. Due attention is notably paid to the work conducted by the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief. Most of these reports of different nature and value are available on the Internet. Furthermore, the Human Rights Country Strategies, currently discussed among EU Member States, comprise a section dedicated to freedom of religion or belief.

Sostegno per la salvaguardia dei Cavallini della Giara. Le sue origini sono incerte, le teorie sono essenzialmente due: La sopravvivenza di questa specie pare essere a rischio per la concomitanza di eventi naturali e umani: On the Gesturi high plateau in south-central Sardinia, there lives an ancient breed of horses called the Giara. Their origins are unknown, but there are two theories: There are currently horses left, living in herds of approximately 10, and they are the only breed in Europe that still lives in the wild.

The survival of this breed appears to be at risk due to a combination of natural events and human behaviour. On the one hand, the exceptionally hot summer caused a terrible drought, resulting in a lack of food; on the other hand, forced coexistence with cows raised in the wild, often illegally, further diminishes the available food supply. The municipalities in the area, along with an association of volunteers, have undertaken to sustain and protect these horses as much as possible. Resolving the problem of cows raised in the wild has, however, stalled; in fact, last July a decree issued by the Region of Sardinia ordered the removal of cows from the plateau, but of an estimated heads, only 30 or so have been retrieved with no brand or microchip.

Consequently, the Sites of Community Importance designated under this directive, as the site mentioned by the Honourable Member, do not appear to be the appropriate tool to provide specific protection or support for this species. The question is therefore a matter for the national authorities concerned.

Olanda, Finlandia, Germania, Svezia e Gran Bretagna si oppongono alla proposta di bilancio rettificativo per il presentata dalla Commissione europea e riguardante l'esborso di milioni di euro per il terremoto in Emilia Romagna da parte del fondo d'emergenza sulle catastrofi naturali. Gli stessi Stati membri si sono opposti anche a un secondo bilancio rettificativo, sempre relativo al , in cui si chiede di finanziare gli 8 miliardi di euro mancanti per pagare le fatture dei programmi dei fondi di coesione, e i 90 miliardi necessari per il programma Erasmus di scambio degli studenti degli Stati membri.

Cosa intende fare in favore delle popolazioni colpite dal terremoto in Emilia Romagna? Il bilancio rettificativo n. This is according to the rumours reported in leading Italian newspapers. Confirm the news reported by the Italian press on the alleged opposition by the Netherlands, Finland, Germany, Sweden and the United Kingdom to using the natural disaster emergency fund?

State what it intends to do for those affected by the earthquake in Emilia-Romagna? Commercio di uova non a norma nel mercato UE. Si deve ora considerare l'immissione sul mercato interno dell'UE di uova provenienti da allevamenti non a norma. Per evitare problemi di concorrenza dovuta alla circolazione all'interno dell'UE di uova non a norma, cosa sta facendo e cosa ha fatto nei dieci mesi trascorsi dall'applicazione della legge la Commissione per proteggere i consumatori ed i produttori che con investimenti importanti si sono adeguati alla direttiva?

The report was not issued until and, as a result of this delay, many farmers did not take the risk of making investments in something that might later have been deemed inadequate. These farms are failing to comply with the strict rules regarding cage size, let alone the quality requirements, putting products on the market that should be banned. Is there a European body responsible for verifying compliance with the rules regarding the quality and labelling of eggs sold on the European market?

Pagamento di lavori pubblici da parte delle amministrazioni pubbliche. Con questo decreto si impone alle amministrazioni pubbliche di pagare i propri clienti nei tempi massimi dei 30 giorni. In media le imprese che realizzano lavori pubblici sono pagate 8 mesi dopo l'emissione dello Stato Avanzamento Lavori SAL con casi in cui i ritardi superano addirittura i 3 anni.

La direttiva copre tutti i settori senza eccezione, compreso quello delle costruzioni. Il legislatore europeo ha inoltre aggiunto un considerando che chiarisce questo aspetto particolare. What action does the Commission intend to take in order to protect this type of company? The directive applies to all commercial transactions between businesses and between public authorities and businesses. The directive covers all sectors without any exceptions, including the construction sector. Moreover, the European legislator has added a recital clarifying this particular issue. The Commission will closely monitor the correct transposition and implementation of the directive in all Member States.

The introduction of the European arrest warrant has made it possible for much-needed judicial cooperation to be established between individual Member States. As far as the seriousness of the offence is concerned, Aurore Martin is accused of taking part in a press conference given by the political party Batasuna. Although this is indeed illegal in Spain, it is not in France! International experts have said that there can be no resolution to the Basque conflict without a guarantee of freedom of political expression for the Basque movement.

The European arrest warrant for Aurore Martin flies in the face of this principle. Does the Commission realise that the execution of the European arrest warrant for Aurore Martin may jeopardise the peace process in the Basque Country? What does the Commission intend to do to ensure that the proportionality of European arrest warrants is monitored effectively? The European arrest warrant EAW is an entirely judicial procedure — including exhausting all judicial avenues of appeal. The Commission has consistently delivered this message and is monitoring progress on this issue.

Alerte au nouveau ravageur du palmier: Native to India, this small beetle was first discovered in Europe in in a Tuscan tree nursery. Furthermore, the scent of the damaged palms attracts another pest, the red palm weevil, thus making the infestation even worse. A three-year trial could be launched at the start of However, the purpose of such co-financing is not to support experimental research on the control of harmful organisms. Moreover, it is actually more appropriate that such a control strategy is developed at the national level, so that local economic, environmental and social aspects can be fully taken into account.

In ihrer bei der Konferenz zum digitalen Raum am 4. Gibt es nach Ansicht der Kommission Staaten, die diese Interpretation nicht teilen? Hat die Kommission zu diesem Thema bereits den Dialog mit anderen Staaten gesucht? Does it consider that the interpretation it gives in answer to Question 1 above will also be shared by other countries such as Russia, China and the U. Does it believe that there are some States that do not share this interpretation? Has it already sought a dialogue with other States on this subject? If so, what have been the results of these discussions?

What steps will it take to extend the scope of the principles of the Geneva Conventions to include cyberspace, in line with its interpretation, if no consensus with third countries is forthcoming? The EU-China Cyber Taskforce has discussed the applicability of the existing international law to cyberspace, and the consultations on this issue will continue also with other EU strategic partners.

The EU supports current negotiations in several international fora on applicability of the existing international law in cyberspace, as well as a process of defining the norms for responsible state behaviour in cyberspace. Empleo en las entidades financieras intervenidas. EU regulations on state aid for such institutions are counterbalanced by the obligation to reduce their trade capacity, which logically leads to job cuts. However, the current process between the Commission, the European Central Bank and the Spanish Government could undermine the right to collective bargaining for those workers employed by the bailed-out financial institutions, as these institutions seek to approve staff cuts through the recapitalisation plans.

This renders the right to collective bargaining meaningless. These job cuts in institutions bailed out using public money, and the fact that rights such as collective bargaining have become worthless, are part of a scenario in which the Spanish State did not react in time to EU regulations establishing salary restrictions for managers of the bailed-out institutions. In the case of NCG Banco, this has led to situations which have caused social alarm and indignation. In addition to all of this is the preferred shares scam, which affects thousands of people in Galicia, without distinction between investors and savers.

In view of this:. Does the Commission believe that it is possible to bailout financial institutions such as NCG Banco using public funds when, in addition to nationalising the losses, it also leads to job cuts? Does it believe that the bailed-out financial institutions, such as NCG Banco, are respecting the right to collective bargaining? The Commission points out that one of the main goals of the restructuring plan is to return NCG Banco to viability, without the need for additional state aid in the future.

Viability involves concentrating the bank's activities in its core areas, where it can best contribute to sustainable lending to the real economy. Reducing the bank's footprint inevitably requires reducing employee numbers. The Commission cannot comment on this, as it is subject to national law under the jurisdiction of national authorities and courts. The Commission asks banks to manage their capital position very prudently to minimise the need for public funds, and to avoid using state aid for the benefit of investors who invested in risky financial instruments.

This is necessary to ensure that the restructuring costs of an aided financial institution burden not only the taxpayer but also the stakeholders of the institution, and in particular equity and subordinated capital holders. The Commission also stresses that the national authorities and courts have the competence to ensure that investors, in particular retail investors, are fully aware of the risks of investing in financial products, as well as to judge the conditions of the sale of these preferred shares.

Ash tree dieback disease or chalara has been found in over sites in the UK. This disease will have widespread consequences for UK and European forests if it is not contained. It could wipe out the entire species of ash tree which is indigenous to the UK. Imports of ash trees into the UK have already been banned and movement controls have been instituted by the UK Government.

Nonetheless, there appears to be no action or even alert from the Commission on this matter. What is the Commission doing to raise awareness about the situation and prevent the further spread of this disease across Europe? Is the Commission planning to take any concrete action to support Member States and the agricultural community in tackling this disease? It wasn't until that studies concluded that Chalara fraxinea was a form of a new species of fungus.

No pest risk analysis was available and at the moment that the EPPO proposed to start working on such analysis, scientific experts advised that it was already too widespread in Europe to start developing a control strategy. The emergence of a new disease of ash trees was thus difficult to explain and act upon at this time. As soon as the Commission receives these notifications they are communicated to the competent authorities of the Member States through Commission electronic communication tool.

The Commission has received formal notifications for Chalara fraxinea from a number of Member States since all of which have been communicated to the Member States. This issue was discussed with Member States for the first time in November. If eradication in the United Kingdom and Ireland or in a part of their territories is still realistic, the Commission may consider adopting temporary measures for the control of Chalara fraxinea.

Over the last few years, many positive steps have been taken to tackle the problems associated with energy drinks. The implementation of the new food labelling regulations is to be welcomed, along with the recognition that the increasing consumption of energy drinks, particularly by children and young adults, has been identified as an emerging risk. While the industry recommends that these drinks are not suitable for children under 16, there is nothing stopping a young child purchasing an energy drink whose caffeine level is equivalent to that of 14 cans of ordinary cola, with a sugar content of up to 88g.

With this being entirely legal and the advertising and packaging of such products being designed in a way which is attractive to young children, many are purchasing energy drinks before school or on their lunch breaks. As such, many schools in my constituency are experiencing increasing problems relating to hyperactive and disruptive pupils who have consumed these drinks. Can the Commission clarify what is being done at Union level regarding the availability of these high-caffeine energy drinks to young children?

Is the Commission aware of any examples of best practice from other Member States who have managed to minimise the sale of these drinks to children under 16? A recent review of the M. It is nevertheless on the basis of the results of the Henry study that France recently banned the use of thiamethoxam an active ingredient in the pesticide Cruiser OSR on oilseed rape.

What does the Commission intend to do to restore the single market in seeds coated with thiamethoxam in the EU? The first EFSA conclusions are expected by the beginning of The people of Greece must therefore pay for their own healthcare expenditure and unemployed people no longer have medical cover. Does the Commission intend to investigate the setting up of solidarity mechanisms to remedy this unprecedented situation in Europe by putting in place an emergency plan for covering the medical costs of major diseases chemotherapy, surgery, access to medicines?

The Commission remains attentive to the economic and social situation in Greece and more specifically to the situation the Honourable Member reported regarding the healthcare coverage of unemployed people. Through regular reviews under the Economic Adjustment Programme, the Commission will be monitoring policy implementation in the healthcare field.

Currently, the Commission does not plan the set-up of a solidarity mechanism and emergency plan to cover for medical costs in Member States. It is the Commission understanding that through either social health insurance or the National Health Service all the population should be covered by medical services. Plannen nieuw Nederlands Kabinet om zorgpremies inkomensafhankelijk te maken.

Het nieuwe Kabinet van VVD en PvdA wil de zorgpremies inkomensafhankelijk maken omdat dat goed zou uitpakken voor de lagere inkomens en een nivellerend effect zou hebben. Dit betekent voor de middeninkomens dat de koopkrachteffecten sterk negatief uitpakken. Zorgverzekeraars zijn private ondernemers. Bij de Nederlandse stelselherziening in de zorg in waren er al twijfels of de afspraken spoorden met EU-regels.

Toen werd 50 procent van de zorgkosten uit belastinggeld gefinancierd. Dit werd door de Commissie niet gezien als staatssteun. Deze overheidsmaatregel kan de zorgverzekeraars een financieel voordeel opleveren wat de concurrentie kan verstoren. Lidstaten van de Europese Unie zijn verplicht om dergelijke voorgenomen steunmaatregelen bij de Europese Commissie te melden.

Is de Commissie op de hoogte van de overheidsmaatregelen van het nieuwe Nederlandse Kabinet om de zorgpremies inkomensafhankelijk te maken? Is deze voorgenomen maatregel bij de Commissie gemeld voordat het bekend gemaakt is? De Commissie heeft geen enkele aanmelding of klacht ontvangen in verband met plannen van de nieuwe Nederlandse regering om zorgpremies inkomensafhankelijk te maken.

Zij is er echter wel van op de hoogte dat besprekingen in die zin hebben plaatsgevonden. De Commissie kan noch commentaar geven op, noch een standpunt innemen ten aanzien van een maatregel waarnaar zij geen onderzoek heeft ingesteld en waarover zij geen gedetailleerde informatie bezit.

Hoe het ook zij, de voorgenomen maatregel lijkt inmiddels te zijn ingetrokken. The new coalition government comprising the VVD and PvdA parties wishes to make care premiums income-linked because that would have a favourable impact on people with relatively low incomes and produce a levelling effect. For middle incomes, this would mean a considerable loss of purchasing power.

Care insurers are private businesses. When the Dutch care system was reformed in , there were already doubts as to whether the arrangements that had been agreed accorded with EU rules. The Commission did not regard this as state aid. This government measure could give care insurers a financial advantage, thus distorting competition. EU Member States are required to notify the Commission of any plan to introduce such aid measures.

Is the Commission aware of the extent of the measures which the new Netherlands Government proposes to introduce in order to link care premiums to income? What view does the Commission take of these proposed plans of the new Netherlands Government? The Commission has not received any notification or complaint concerning a proposal by the new Dutch government to make health insurance contributions income related.

It is aware, however, that related discussions have taken place. The Commission cannot comment or take a view on a measure which it is not investigating and on which it lacks detailed information. Albeit it appears that the proposed measure has in the meantime been withdrawn. This ruling is the first of its kind in the world and opens the door for international claims against various institutions for selling similar financial products. The Commission is favourable to a civil liability regime of credit rating agencies CRA whereby CRAs can be held liable when they intentionally or with gross negligence infringe the obligations imposed on them by law, thereby causing a damage to an investor or issuer.

The claimants, including Member States, may decide to coordinate their action in this respect. This is a matter of political choice of Member States themselves. Can the Commission state exactly what information it has received from the present French Government and what criteria it uses to judge whether a return is voluntary or otherwise? The legal situation in France has changed following the action of led by the Commission against France. On the basis of this new framework, close cooperation on enhanced efforts on Roma inclusion is taking place with the active participation of France.

The EU is currently facing an unenviable state of affairs.

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