European co-ordination of this diverse agricultural research landscape is essential to strengthen the
researchcapacityandtoavoidduplication.ThisisastartingpointoftheCommunication‘TowardsaEuropean Research Area’(
1) and a guiding principle of FP 6(2). Specifically the new instruments in
Thematic Priority 5 ‘Foodquality and safety’, will have a structuring effect onEuropean research. Inaddition,theERA-NETschemeistargetingco-ordinationofnationalorregionalresearchprogrammeswhilepolicyorientedresearchonCAPreformispartofthe‘ScientificSupporttoPolicies’activity.
TheCommissionisalsosupportingco-ordinationactivities(
3)inthe‘StandingCommitteeofAgricultural
Research’, in collaboration with Euragri(4) or targeting developing country needs in the EFARD(5).
NumerousCommunityfundedconcertedactionsco-ordinatesubjectspecificresearch.
Timeismorethanripe,attheeveoftheadhesionofnewMemberStateswhichcanonlyreinforcethe
overallstrengthandpotentialsofagricultural research inEurope,tocarry outamapping exercise ofrelevantresearchinvestmentsandprospects,andtolaydownthebasisforareinforcedco-ordination.TheCommissionisalreadyco-operatingcloselywiththemainnationalactors.InthefavourablecontextresultingfromtheconjunctionoftheEuropeanResearchAreaandthenewCommonAgriculturalPolicy,bothinprogress,aEurope-widestocktakingactivitywouldgainpoliticaldesirability.Inlightoftheserecent developments,theCommissionwillinvestigate theopportunityofanewpoliticalinitiative forEuropeanagriculturalresearchinthefuture.
(1) COM(2000)6final.
(2) FP6/dash6thResearchFrameworkProgramme(2002-2006).
(3) Fulloverviewat:http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/agriculture/index_en.html.
(4) Euragri/dashEuropeanagriculturalresearchinitiative.
(5) EFARD/dashEuropeanForumforAgriculturalResearchforDevelopment.
(2004/C58E/108) WRITTENQUESTIONE-1745/03
byToineManders(ELDR)
andHermanVermeer(ELDR)totheCommission
(26May2003)
Subject:EuropeanCyclingDay
To promote recreation and physical exercise, a National Cycling Day is organised annually in the
Netherlands by Dutch tourist offices (VVVs) and the Netherlands Tourist Board (Toerisme RecreatieNederland)onthesecondSaturdayinMay.On10Mayofthisyear,some22000peopletookpartintheevent.
Lackofphysicalexerciseisoneofthecausesofobesity,whichcanbeafactorincardiovasculardisease.
Thisisaworrying situation,bearing inmindthatthe consequencesofso-calledWesterndiseasesgobeyondtheimplicationsforthehealthofEuropeancitizens.Thehighhealthcarecostsassociatedwithsuchdiseases stifle economic growth and prevent the higher labour market participation rates considerednecessarytoachievefurthergrowth.ThesetrendsconsequentlyhavethepotentialtofrustratetheLisbonProcess.
Aswellasencouragingpeopletotakeexercise,eventsofthiskindalsopromotecyclingasamodeof
transport,helpingtoreducecaruse,andthereforetrafficcongestion,includingcommutertraffic.
Finally,theeventpromotestourismandrecreation,whichcanalsoleadtothesettingupofatransnational
networkofcyclepathsandcyclingroutes.
GiventhatCommissionpolicyviewsthefightagainstobesity,aswellastransportandtourism/recreation,
asbeingofparamountimportance,itmakessensetoinvestigatetheprospectsofcreatingaEuropeanequivalentoftheDutchNationalCyclingDay,and/ortoinitiate,encourage,andprovidefinancialsupportforsuchanevent.C58E/92 EN6.3.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
1. IstheCommissionawareoftheabove-mentionedNationalCyclingDay?
2. IstheCommissionpreparedtoinvestigatetheprospectsofcreatinganannualEuropeanCyclingDay
andlinkingittotheNationalCyclingDayintheNetherlands?
3. Iftheseprospectsprovepositive,istheCommissionpreparedtoencouragetheorganisationofsuch
aneventand,whereappropriate,toprovidefinancialsupportforit,sothatthepolicyareasmentionedabovecanbefurtherdeveloped?
AnswergivenbyMrsWallströmonbehalfoftheCommission
(15July2003)
The Commission is aware of the Dutch National Cycling Day event, which it regards as a valuable
initiative.TheEnvironmentDirectorateGeneraloftheCommissionsupportscyclinginmanydifferentways.TheMemberoftheCommissionresponsiblefortheEnvironment,launchedtheEuropeanCarFreeDay2000on4February2000inBrusselsandinvitedMemberStatestojointheinitiative.Injustafewmonths,thiseventnotonlyenticed14MemberStatesintheUniontoparticipate,butalso12othercountriesinEuropeandbeyond.In20021446Europeancitiesandlocalauthoritiesparticipatedinthe
EuropeanCarFreeDay.
BasedonthesuccessandlessonslearntfromtheEuropeanCarFreeDay,theEuropeanMobilityWeekwas
launchedon19April2002inBrussels(duringtheGreenWeek).
ThefirsteditionoftheEuropeanMobilityWeek,organisedfrom16to22September2002,consistedofa
whole week of awareness raising events focusing on various aspects of sustainable mobility. PublicTransport,CyclingandLivingStreets/GreenwayswerechosenascommonthemesforthewholeofEurope.AlistofotherthemeswasalsoavailablefortheotherdaysandofcoursetheCarFreeDayonSunday22September2002wasthehighlightofthewholeMobilityWeek.
AtEuropeanleveltheCommissionfeelsthatcyclingisanimportantalternativemodeoftransportandthat
thisishighlighted sufficientlyin the frameworkofthe European MobilityWeek. There is awebsitepromotingtheEuropeanMobilityWeek(http://www.mobilityweek-europe.org/).
Inaddition,theCommissionalsopromotesinnovativeintegratedactionsinurbanmobility/dashincluding
cycling/dashinthecontextoftheCivitasinitiative,whichaimstoencouragetheintroductionofsustainableurbantransportpolicystrategiesinanumberofEuropeancities.Theaimistoachieveasignificantchangeinthemodalsplittowardssustainabletransportmodes.FurtherinformationontheCivitasinitiativecanbefoundat(http://www.civitas-initiative.org).
ThelackofphysicalexercisewillalsobetakenintoaccountinthePublicHealthProgramme(2003-2008),
viatheactivitiesoftheNetworkforNutritionandPhysicalActivity:(http://europa.eu.int/comm/health/ph_determinants/life_style/nutrition/nutrition_en.htm).
Inviewoftheabove,theCommissionconsidersthatcyclinganditshealtheffectsaresufficientlyaddressed
andisthereforenotpreparedtoinvestigatetheprospectsofanannualEuropeanCyclingDaylinkedtotheNationalCyclingDayintheNetherlands.Asaconsequence,noCommunityfundingwillbeavailabletosupportsuchaninitiative.
(2004/C58E/109) WRITTENQUESTIONE-1749/03
byErikMeijer(GUE/NGL)totheCommission
(26May2003)
Subject:Partial financing by Europe of the American balance of payments deficit as a result of the
dominanceofthedollarontheoilmarket
1. Is the Commissionaware that, since 1983, the United States ofAmerica has had a permanent
externalbalanceofpaymentsdeficit,withexpenditureandimportshighinrelationtoproductionandexports,thatthedeficithasgrownfrom1%atthattimetoalmost6%orUSD600thousandmillionin6.3.2004EN C58E/93 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion