ddrg/super_eurlex huggingface dataset:
WRITTEN QUESTION P-0163/02

by Werner Langen (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(29 January 2002)

Subject: Sparkling wine production in Italy and Austria

'Prosecco' semi-sparkling wines sold by Italian firms exceed the maximum limit in respect of pressure of semi-sparkling wine

clearly laid down in EU wine legislation (maximum 2,5 bar). This infringement was detected in Germany and an appropriate complaint made to Italy. The German methods of measurement used were apparently called into question by the Italian authorities and the matter shelved. Italian firms therefore continue to be permitted to sell proseccos with a pressure of more than 2,5 bar.

The addition of gold leaf to sparkling wines has been banned throughout the EU. However, Austrian sparkling wine producers have now been given special permission to conduct a large-scale trial. As a result, Austrian firms are now selling sparkling wine containing gold leaf without facing competition.

Is the Commission aware of these facts?

What measures does the Commission intend to take to stop the maximum limit in respect of pressure of semi-sparkling wine being exceeded in Italy?

Who gave special permission for a large-scale trial of sparkling wine containing gold leaf in Austria, and does the Commission consider that this trial contravenes competition rules in the European Union?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(19 February 2002)

The Commission was unaware of the matters raised by the Honourable Member.

It is making enquiries of the Member States concerned and will inform the Honourable Member of the outcome.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0219/02

by Fernando Fernández Martín (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(6 February 2002)

Subject: Antigua and Barbuda

In relation to Antigua and Barbuda can the Commission provide a list of projects approved for funding from the EU budget for 2001 and indicate the total amount of investment for that year?

Joint answerto Written Questions E-0215/02, E-0216/02, E-0217/02,E-0218/02, E-0219/02, E-0220/02, E-0221/02, E-0222/02, E-0223/02,E-0224/02, E-0225/02, E-0226/02, E-0227/02 and E-0228/02given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(25 March 2002)

Because of the length of the answer, which includes a number of tables, the Commission is sending it direct to the Honourable Member and to Parliament's Secretariat.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0475/02

by Jorge Hernández Mollar (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(22 February 2002)

Subject: Social conflict caused by the behaviour of young people in pursuit of entertainment

The recent judgement by the supreme court of justice of Andalusia stipulating that the city authorities of Seville (Spain) should take measures against the youth movement known as el botellón has once again revealed the need for research with a sociological perspective to be undertaken into the behaviour of young people in the Community in pursuit of entertainment.

The conflict between young people and their neighbours in the community is a growing source of concern and research is needed to identify its causes and propose ways for society to tackle this disturbing issue.

Will the Commission lend its support to tackling this problem, which is affecting many sectors of Community society, by helping to promote sociological research into this kind of behaviour that will produce tangible proposals to resolve the conflict?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(4 April 2002)

The phenomenon to which the Honourable Member refers is recognised by the Commission as an important issue for policy attention. Within the fields of public health and social policy the Commission has undertaken a number of research studies investigating the attitudes, behaviour and health of young people in the Union. In addition, the Commission's annual report on the social situation, which analyses the major social trends, will next year give particular focus to health issues in relation to the social situation. Alcohol consumption, particularly among young people, will be one of the elements to be addressed.

In relation to the specific case raised by the Honourable Member, the Commission is not in a position to intervene directly and any such actions remain within the responsibility of the Member States.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0306/02

by Miquel Mayol i Raynal (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(11 February 2002)

Subject: Poverty

In its communication to the European Council to be held in Barcelona in Spring, the Commission seeks to halve the number of persons threatened by poverty.

The most recent statistics it appear date from 1996, when 60 million were threatened by poverty, that is to say 18 % of the population as a whole and 25 % of young people under 18.

Given that Eurostat has considerable statistical resources at its disposal, can the Commission explain why it is that social data of such importance are not regularly updated?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(16 April 2002)

In its Communication to the European Council in Barcelona(1), the Commission uses data on income distribution and poverty which refer to 1998. These are the most recent data which are comparable at European level; the source is the European Community Household Panel (ECHP).

The Commission agrees with the Honourable Member that the delay in the availability of data in this field is far too long. It plans to speed up the production of data arising from the ECHP, so that the data available for the spring European Council in 2003 will be from the survey carried out in 2000, the delay having been reduced by a further year.

The Commission has also proposed to launch a new instrument, the Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC)(2), the aim of which is to establish a common framework for the systematic production of Community statistics on income and living conditions. EU-SILC is foreseen to be launched in 2003 in ten Member States (in 2004 for the others) and is to become the reference source of comparative statistics on income distribution and social exclusion at Union level. Under EU-SILC, it is planned that the delay for data production will be reduced to two years: data relating to 2003 will be available in the form of micro-data files in February 2005 and will be published in June 2005.

(1) COM(2002) 14 final.

(2) COM(2001) 754 final.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0136/02

by Jorge Hernández Mollar (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(1 February 2002)

Subject: Campaign to publicise rural tourism in Andalusia

The rural tourism sector in Andalusia has expanded appreciably in recent years in terms of the number of accommodation units and beds available.

According to data from the Spanish national statistical office, however, nine out of every ten tourists using the rural tourism network in Andalusia are Spanish, with very few foreign visitors.

As tourist development is one of the most important instruments for boosting development of the countryside, does the Commission think that EAGGF resources could be used for publicity campaigns on rural tourism in Andalusia, so as to attract tourists from other EU countries and increase the rate of occupancy of this type of accommodation, which is little known in the Community tourism sector as a whole, or what proposals could it put forward for securing Community funds to finance an information campaign of this kind?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(26 February 2002)

The Commission was unaware of the facts brought to its attention by the Honourable Member.

Resolution of this type of difficulty does not fall within the Community's sphere of responsibility but is a matter for national and/or regional authorities, in this case the Autonomous Community of Andalusia.

Through the Structural Funds the Commission contributes to various regional development programmes in Spain. For Andalusia a number of agricultural and rural development programmes receive Community financing.

Under the action and information plan of the Operational Programme for Andalusia for the period 2000-2006 certain measures have been adopted that may help relieve the Honourable Member's concern. Rural development policy aims at creating a coherent and sustainable framework that will guarantee the future of rural areas by promoting diversification of agricultural activities and inter alia expansion of rural tourism.

These programmes are managed at Member State level and hence by national and/or regional authorities and not by the Commission.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0380/02

by Ioannis Marínos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(21 February 2002)

Subject: Misleading presentation of public debt

By exploiting the method of calculating public debt used by the Union's statistical services, some Member States are using new methods of expanding their debt without the corresponding increase being reflected in the statistics.

In specific terms, government bonds are issued against future government or public company revenue which is not always certain to materialise. Recently, new bonds were issued against anticipated funds from the EU's 3rd Community Support Framework. These loans are not recorded as public debt and, therefore, in the short term the debt appears, falsely, to have decreased, whereas in fact it not only remains outstanding but has increased at the same time as incurring very high interest-rate charges. The emergence of the debt and its payment are simply deferred to a later point in time to burden future generations and governments who will have to deal with a problem for which they bear no responsibility. The International Monetary Fund has already sharply criticised such creative accounting.

Is the Commission aware of this matter? Has it investigated which countries employ these methods? Does it intend to change the method of calculating public debt to show the actual extent of the debt? If not, is it not inevitable that Member States' public finances and, consequently, the general economic situation in the Union will deteriorate in the medium term?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(4 April 2002)

The Commission is aware that some Member States have securitised future revenue streams through special purpose vehicles (SPV).

A Task Force of statistical experts from Member States is currently examining this matter in relation to existing rules and will make recommendation to the Committee for Monetary, Financial and Balance of Payments statistics (CMFB) on appropriate accounting treatment in line with existing Maastricht debt definitions.

A change in the method of calculation of public debt is not being contemplated at present.

Based on existing information, the Commission does not see that actions undertaken will endanger budgetary policy co-ordination or will lead to any deterioration of public finances.

The stability and growth pact has proved to be an effective tool for budgetary policy co-ordination enabling the necessary macro-economic stability, which fosters growth and employment in the medium term.
WRITTEN QUESTION P-0029/02

by Véronique De Keyser (PSE) to the Commission

(15 January 2002)

Subject: Damage caused by Israeli bombing

The whole of December 2001 was marked by bombing and reprisals by the Israeli army in Palestine. In addition to the civilian casualties and serious environmental damage the bombing affected infrastructure subsidised by the European institutions.

The question refers to this damage and consists of three parts:

- Has a study been carried out on the damage showing that buildings classified as European have actually been affected? If so, it is important that the study be made public, since many Europeans involved in humanitarian aid work in Palestine fear that these buildings are being systematically destroyed.

- If this is the case, has the Commission's Legal Service considered the possibility of suing the State of Israel for damages and interest, in order to recover the sums invested in civilian buildings deliberately destroyed by the Israeli army?

- If, on the contrary, there has been no study as yet, does the Commission intend to carry one out in the near future and publish the results?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(26 February 2002)

At the request of Member States, the Commission is currently co-ordinating the compilation of a list of Community-funded (Commission and Member States) projects which have been either destroyed or damaged by Israeli military forces.

The exercise is limited to those cases where the physical damage is a result of Israeli Defence Forces (not settler) activities. The damage assessment is limited to the replacement costs of physical infrastructure (construction and equipment), excluding indirect losses such as project delays or suspensions.

Regarding possible claims for compensation this will be considered in the appropriate way by the Member States, together with the Commission, once the list is completed (the preliminary list is sent direct to the Honourable Member and to the Parliament's Secretariat).
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0732/02

by Fernando Fernández Martín (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(15 March 2002)

Subject: Cape Verde

With reference to Cape Verde, can the Commission say which projects were funded from the EU budget in the 2000 financial year?

Can it also provide details of the total aid provided to the country under all the relevant budget headings in 2000?

Joint answerto Written Questions E-0732/02, E-0733/02, E-0734/02, E-0735/02, E-0736/02,E-0737/02, E-0738/02, E-0739/02, E-0740/02 and E-0741/02given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(13 May 2002)

The Commission is sending the information requested direct to the Honourable Member and to Parliament's Secretariat.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0805/02

by Eurig Wyn (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(21 March 2002)

Subject: Recreational Sea Angling (RSA) and the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) Review

Recreational sea anglers in my constituency have expressed their concerns about the depletion of fish stocks in their seas and the associated environmental damage caused by unsustainable commercial fishing practices.

Will the Commission agree that current EU policy is failing to take into account a Recreational Sea Angling (RSA) based approach, an approach that has had visible success in countries such as USA, Australia, New Zealand and Argentina?

In future proposals regarding the Common Fishing Policy (CFP) would the Commission agree that more should be done to consider the arguments put forward by the recreational sea anglers? Current policy heavily favours the large commercial fishing sector.

Finally, will the Commission agree that a more balanced approach to fishery legislation is needed in order to limit the environmental damage as well as safeguarding sea angling, a sport enjoyed by over 1 million people in the UK alone?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(19 April 2002)

The Commission is fully aware of the importance of sea angling and its contribution to the wellbeing of certain coastal areas. However, the Commission believes that sea angling, in general terms, would be best managed by Member States, on the basis of their proximity to the activity and the general absence, in many cases, of a clear transnational dimension to this activity.

However, this does not mean that the Community should overlook such activity. In some cases, it is clear that angling may have a Community dimension, for example where the species being caught are already managed by the Community or in other cases where anglers' contribution to the fishing mortality of certain fish stocks may be non negligible. In such cases, the Commission believes that Community intervention may be necessary and Member States may be required to take measures in respect of sea angling that reflect Community policy needs.

As to the question of participation of anglers in the Community's decision making process, the Honourable Member will be aware that the enhancement of the participation of stakeholders is one of the priorities in the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy. In that context, and in as much as the Commission takes initiatives on sea angling or on fisheries in which they have a major interest, anglers' associations will certainly be consulted as a fundamental stakeholder in this activity.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0400/02

by Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou (PPE-DE) to the Council

(22 February 2002)

Subject: The myth of Icarus and European cultural policy

Much to the displeasure of the inhabitants of Ikaria and public opinion in general in Greece, British director Peter Greenaway's forthcoming production of Icarus makes no mention of the island where, according to the ancient myth, Icarus fell to earth and is buried.

Moreover, the fact that the production is funded by the Cultural Olympiad is causing concern and misgivings about the content and the aims of cultural policy and its ability to protect and promote the specific cultural heritage of nations.

What is the extent of the Union's financial and political involvement in the Cultural Olympiad programmes? What is the Council's view of the circumstance described above and how does it intend to react?

Reply

(21 May 2002)

The Council invites the Honourable Member to address her question to the Commission.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0038/02

by Luciano Caveri (ELDR) to the Commission

(23 January 2002)

Subject: The Valgrisenche dam

In the 1950s, despite opposition from the Valle d'Aosta Autonomous Regional Council which drew attention to the dangers arising from the fact that some of the mountains overlooking the lake were subject to landslides, a huge dam was brought into service in the Valgrisenche valley in the Valle d'Aosta. This arch-gravity dam spans a distance of 394 metres at its crest and is 5 metres wide.

Following the Vajont disaster in the Veneto region, in which 1 909 people died on 9 October 1963, when a landslide caused the dam to overflow, the electricity company decided to convert the Valgrisenche dam for run-of-river use, thus emptying the reservoir.

However, the huge wall of the dam still towers over the small mountain village, and has an obvious impact on the environment and the landscape. Thought has recently been given to the possibility of dismantling the dam (which, in its present state, no longer serves any useful purpose) with a view to rehabilitating the area, with only the run-of-river facilities being retained.

Given the above, can the Commission say whether, if need be, a special Community project could be implemented or existing funds drawn on for this purpose?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(7 March 2002)

The single programming document (SPD) for 2000-2006 for the Valle d'Aosta, a region eligible for Objective 2 of the Structural Funds, focuses on social and economic redevelopment projects in order to make firms more competitive, particularly in the field of tourism. The two priorities of the SPD are the improvement and diversification of manufacturing industry and technical assistance; neither priority contains a measure likely to be able to part-finance the dismantling of the Valgrisenche dam.

Moreover, under Regulation (EC) No 1655/2000 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the Financial Instrument for the Environment (LIFE)(1), the Honourable Member's request does not fall within the scope of this instrument. The valley is not located in a Natura 2000 site, which is a condition for eligibility under LIFE-Nature, and the project cannot obtain finance under LIFE-Environment because it is not innovative in character.

(1) OJ L 192, 28.7.2000.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0621/02

by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(6 March 2002)

Subject: Jurassic museum at Lourinha

Western Portugal, in particular the municipality of Lourinha, has important remains of representatives of the major groups of dinosaurs, as well as of crocodiles, turtles, fish and invertebrates going back 150 million years.

The Lourinha Museum is at present very small, considering the extraordinary cultural and scientific significance of its exhibits. This has prompted the scientific community, with various forms of local support, to promote the idea of executing in the near future an ambitious multicultural project, incorporating a new museum and an area covering a variety of activities, including scientific research, cultural information, teaching, leisure activities and entertainment.

This active commitment on the part of various institutions and people has made it possible to make available a vast area of thirty-two hectares, situated near the village of Lourinha and, thanks to the creativity of a team of architects, an architectural project has been drawn up of enormous scientific, cultural and educational importance for Portugal, the region and Lourinha, at an estimated cost of EUR 20 million.

Can the Commission say whether it considers it possible to fund this important cultural initiative?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(19 April 2002)

The Commission has negotiated with the Portuguese authorities the operational programme for culture for the 2000-2006 programming period. This includes measures for the modernisation and upgrading of national museums and for the preservation and restoration of historical and cultural sites.

The Commission would remind the Honourable Member that, under the partnership, both the selection and implementation of projects are the responsibility of the regional authorities responsible for the management and monitoring of the programmes part-financed by the European Regional Development Fund. Accordingly, the project promoters could submit their proposal to the Ministry of Culture, Gabinete de gestão do P.O. Cultura, Palácio Nacional da Ajuda.
WRITTEN QUESTION P-0744/02

by Pernille Frahm (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(8 March 2002)

Subject: State aid for agriculture

Full credit is due to the Commission for intervening in the case of the unlawful state aid granted to Portuguese pig producers, but will it now clarify its position on the aid the Council has decided to grant to France and Italy for the destruction of wine?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(8 April 2002)

As far as the Council decisions referred to by the Honourable Member is concerned, the Commission has made the following declaration in the Council:

The Commission in general has a negative attitude towards operating aids. Unilateral state aid measures which are simply intended to improve the financial situation of producers but which in no way contribute to the development of the sector, and in particular aids which are granted solely on the basis of price, quantity or unit of production are considered to constitute operating aids which are incompatible with the common market. Furthermore, by their very nature, such aids are also likely to interfere with the mechanisms of the common organisations of the market.

The new wine market organisation has only been in force since 1 August 2000. It reflects the common position of Member States to what kind of financial support is sufficient and necessary for the wine market to function. It is worrying that already now Member States resort to granting additional national aids of a type which can usually not be authorised by the Commission, because they are pure operating aids which do not bring about any structural improvement in the sector.

There is a serious risk of distortion of competition between Member States if such a state aid is authorised without any check or obligation whether these aids are linked to structural measures. There will be pressure on the other Member States to follow suit, and also grant aids. The incentive for farmers to undertake structural reform under the wine market organisation will decrease.

The Commission reserves the right to ask the Court of Justice for the annulment of the Council's decision.

At this stage, the Commission has not yet decided whether it will seek annulment of the Council's decision.