WRITTEN QUESTION E-0270/03

by Giacomo Santini (PPE-DE) to the Council

(6 February 2003)

Subject: Loss of jobs on the borders with CEECs

The accession of the Central and Eastern European Countries, scheduled for May 2004, will inevitably result in the loss of hundreds of jobs in the border services that have until now handled customs operations, transport and related services.

On certain borders, such as Italy's eastern border with Slovenia, unemployment will hit over 90 % of those at present employed in the forwarding sector and services relating to it, and will also have a range of knock-on effects.

Added to the tangible problem of the loss of jobs and the crises likely to ensue in many families there will be the economic damage occasioned by the loss of the skills of entire categories of worker, which will result in the dissipation of a human and cultural heritage developed through years of work and tradition.

In the light of the above, could the Council indicate:

1. what type of measures are envisaged for categories of worker hard hit by the momentous event which is enlargement;

2. whether it does not consider it appropriate to bring forward a proposal for a directive promoting the retraining of all those workers who will lose their jobs on what are today's external borders;

3. whether on the same basis a compensation scheme might be envisaged, by way of derogation from the rules on State aid, for companies that will have to cease operating;

4. what sort of contribution countries who are set to join the EU might be asked to make to these compensation measures?

Reply

(13 May 2003)

The enlargement of the European Union represents a historic opportunity for peace and prosperity in Europe. If it is to succeed, it must receive as much support as possible from the public in both the Member States and the ten countries which are preparing to join. In that respect, it is clear that enlargement is bound to raise fears concerning the prospect of increased competition in regions bordering those countries.

In order to respond to those concerns, and at the invitation of the Nice European Council, the Commission forwarded a plan of action for cross-border regions(1) to the Council in July 2001. The aim of the plan, which concerns 23 regions with a population of around 33 million inhabitants, is to facilitate the transition towards economic integration. Furthermore, on the initiative of the European Parliament, a specific budget heading was created to finance pilot projects in favour of those regions. Hence in 2000 a total of EUR 20 million was allocated to that budget heading to finance various initiatives, particularly to assist small and medium-sized undertakings in the sectors affected by enlargement. This is in addition to the substantial aid which border regions are already receiving (or will do when they accede) from the structural funds, more particularly under the Interreg programme.

The Council would invite the Honourable Member to contact the Commission directly in order to obtain detailed information from it on the facilities which may be available to undertakings to enable them to face up to the special problems resulting from enlargement in the context of the implementation of the guidelines which it has established with regard to State aid at regional level.

(1) COM(2001) 437 final, 25.7.2001.