(2004/C58E/177) WRITTENQUESTIONE-2368/03
byJorgeHernándezMollar(PPE-DE)totheCommission
(17July2003)
Subject:EUaccessiontotherepopulationprogrammefortheIberianlynx
The Iberian lynx is in serious danger ofextinction: only 200 individuals remain in all ofAndalusia,
concentrated in the Doñanaandthe Sierra deAndújar. Breeding cubsin captivity willnotsolvetheproblem,butisatpresentthemostpracticaloption.
TheSpanishcentralgovernmentandtheAndalusianregionalgovernmenthavetherefore,aspromised,
signedanagreementfortheprotectionofthelynx.Thisagreementbringstogetheralloftheexistingunilateralinitiatives.
CantheCommissionstateinwhatwaysitwouldbewillingtopromotethisagreementfortheprotection
oftheIberianlynx,andwhatformitsaidcouldtake?
AnswergivenbyMrsWallströmonbehalfoftheCommission
(10September2003)
TheAgreementbetweentheSpanishMinistryofEnvironmentandtheRegionalGovernmentofAndalucía
fortheconservationoftheIberianLynxwaspublishedintheSpanishOfficialgazetteon11July2003(Resoluciónde23dejuniode2003,delaSecretaríaGeneraldeMedioAmbiente,porlaquesedisponelapublicacióndelConveniodeColaboraciónsuscritoentreelMinisteriodeMedioAmbienteylaJuntadeAndalucíaparaeldesarrollodeunúnicoprogramacoordinadodeactuacionesparalaaplicacióndelaEstrategiaNacionaldeConservacióndelLinceenAndalucía).
ThemainobjectiveoftheAgreementistomaintainandtoincreasetheeffortsforthedevelopmentofa
programmefortheconservationoftheIberianLynxinAndalucía.
Article 3 of the Agreement identifies on-going initiatives. One of these initiatives is the LIFE Nature
programmefortheconservationoftheIberianLynxinAndalucía.There isalsoanotherLIFENatureprogrammefortheconservationoftheIberianLynxinCastilla-LaMancha.TheCommissionisfollowingthesetwoLIFEprojectsandparticipatingincertainco-ordinationmeetings.
(2004/C58E/178) WRITTENQUESTIONE-2398/03
byMonicaFrassoni(Verts/ALE)totheCommission
(21July2003)
Subject:StructuralassistanceforValenciaandtheEbrotransfer
AccordingtotheCourtofAuditors’SpecialReportNo7/2003,tenregionswouldnothavebeeneligible
forObjective1assistanceundertheStructuralFunds2000-2006hadmorerecentstatistics(1996,1997,1998)beenused,sincetheirGDPwasmorethan75%oftheCommunityaverage.TheAutonomousCommunityofValenciaisoneofthoseregions.
Thisisaserioussituationbecause:
(a) inthemoredevelopedareasoftheSpain’seasternseaboardlikeValencia,thehighlevelofundeclared
labour(thehighestinSpainandeveninEuropeatpercentagesofover30%)tendstodeflatetherealincomelevel(
1),meaningthattheactuallevelofdevelopmentisevenhigherthanissuggestedbythe
statistics,regardlessofwhetherornottheyareup-to-date;
(b) thefactthatthehighestratesofundeclaredlabourareindevelopedareassuchasValenciatestifiesto
adegreeofmisgovernmentwhichisnowalsobeingreflectedintheapplicationforEUfundingfortheprojecttotransferwaterfromtheRiverEbrotoeasternseaboardareas.Valencia/dashwhichhasalreadyreceivedfundingtowhichitisnotentitledandwhichhasusedthistopromoteactivitiesthatcallforC58E/164 EN6.3.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
an increasing and unsustainable supply of water and generate illegal employment /dash could soon
receivefreshfundingfortheconstructionofthetransferinfrastructures,whiletheareasinAragonandCatalonia(LowerEbro)thatwouldprovidethewaterforthetransfer,andarepoorerthanthosethatwouldreceiveit,havenotbeengrantedthesameassistanceastheeasternseaboardareas.
1. WhatpoliticaljustificationcantheCommissiongiveforValenciareceivingthisassistancesimplyas
theresultofstatisticalerror?
2. DoesitintendtorequestrepaymentofthefundingallocatedtoValenciafortheperiod2000-2006?
3. Ifnot,howdoesitintendtorestoreequityinthedistributionoffunding?
4. DoesitnotfeelthattheadvantageousandunjustifiedassistanceenjoyedbyValenciashouldbeborne
inmindwhenitcomestoauthorisinginvestmentascontroversialastheinvestmentintheEbrotransfer,especially in circumstances where, instead of reducing regional imbalances, the transfers policy willexacerbateimbalancesbetweentheinlandregionsofSpainandthoseonitseasternseaboard?
(1) InareportpreparedfortheEuropeanCommission(S.MatemanandP.H.Renooy/dash‘UndeclaredlabourinEurope
/dashTowardsanintegratedapproachofcombatingundeclaredlabour’,RegioplanResearch,AdviceandInformation,
Amsterdam,October2001),thescaleoftheblackeconomyinSpainisestimatedatbetween15%and20%ofthe
country’sgrossdomesticproduct,whichiswellbelowtheEuropeanaverageof9%.Spain’seasternseaboardhasthe highest rates of illegal employment: Murcia 32%, Andalusia 29%, Community of Valencia 24% (SpanishEconomicandSocialCouncil/dash‘LaeconomíasumergidaenrelaciónconlaquintarecomendacióndelPactode
Toledo’,CESReports,Madrid,1999).
AnswergivenbyMrBarnieronbehalfoftheCommission
(3October2003)
TheprocessfordeterminingeligibilityforObjective1forthe2000-2006periodissetoutinArticle3,
paragraph 1ofCouncilRegulation(EC)No1260/1999(1).Thebasiccriterionisthataregion’sgross
domesticproduct(GDP)perheadinpurchasingpowerparitiesshouldbebelow75%oftheCommunityaverage,using‘Communityfiguresforthelastthreeyearsavailableon26March1999’.TheRegulationthereforeidentifiesafixeddatefortheexaminationofdatarelatingtothedecisiononeligibility.
Onceestablished,thelistofeligibleregionsremainsinforcefortheentireprogrammingperiodanddata
availableafterthatdatecannotbetakenintoconsideration.Asof26March1999,thelastthreeyearsforwhich data were available were 1994, 1995 and 1996. On this basis, Valencia was below the 75%threshold.Thedataweresubsequentlyrevised,andasaresultthefigureforValenciamovedmarginallyabovethe75%forthesamethreeyears.
Such retrospective revisions are an integral part of the statistical work carried out by Eurostat in
partnershipwiththenationalstatisticalinstitutes.Thereis,however,nolegalbasisforreviewingeligibilityforObjective1orforrequestingrepaymentofdisbursedfunds.
The content of interventions is negotiated between the Commission and the Member State, and a
programmeofinterventionsisagreed.ItisnotlegallypossiblenorpracticallyfeasibletoestablishalinkbetweenthecontentofprogrammesandpotentialretrospectiverevisionofdataonGDPperhead.Thiswouldundermine the stabilityandlong-termnature ofthe programming, which isa key element ofEuropeanregionalpolicy.
TheCommissionpointsoutthatallrequestsforStructuralFundassistancetoprojectsareassessedinthe
contextofthecriterialaiddownintheOperationalProgrammeinquestionandwithdueregardtoallapplicableCommunitylegislation.
(1) CouncilRegulation(EC)No1260/1999of21June1999layingdowngeneralprovisionsontheStructuralFunds,
OJL161,26.6.1999.6.3.2004EN C58E/165 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion