ddrg/super_eurlex huggingface dataset:
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0336/00

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(14 February 2000)

Subject: Exclusion of the prefecture of Arta from assistance under the Community Interreg 2000-2006 initiative

The Commission recently forwarded a draft notification to the EU Member States concerning the Community's Interreg 2000-2006 initiative.

From this it emerges that, although it meets the necessary criteria, the prefecture of Arta has not been included in a list of regions eligible for assistance under the cross-border cooperation arrangements (Section A), which will take up most of the funding.

Since this effectively amounts to discrimination against the prefecture of Arta:

1. Can the Commission give the reasons for its decision to exclude Arta from the list of regions eligible for funding within the framework of cross-border cooperation?

2. Will the Commission remedy this injustice against the prefecture of Arta and include it in the list of regions selected in its final draft?

Supplementary joint answer to Written Questions E-0150/00, E-0229/00 and E-0336/00 given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(7 June 2000)

The Commission does not consider that Arta and Ilia are cross-border areas in the meaning of the term under the Interreg III Community initiative and therefore does not feel that they were unjustly omitted from the list of eligible areas.

The guidelines for Interreg III were adopted by the Commission on 28 April 2000(1). Under the cross-border strand of the initiative, eligible areas include all areas along the internal and external land borders of the Community and certain maritime areas as set out in Annex 1 of the guidelines. However, up to 20 % of a programme's total budget may be spent in areas adjacent to eligible areas. As both Arta and Ilia are adjacent to eligible areas, the flexibility exists for the authorities to include them in future cross-border programmes under Interreg III.

(1) OJ C 143, 23.5.2000.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1697/00

by Jonas Sjöstedt (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(29 May 2000)

Subject: Future of drugs observatory EMCDDA

The drugs observatory EMCDDA in Lisbon has now been operating since 1993. It still does not produce any comparable statistics for the drugs situation and drug-abuse trends in the Member States. Should the EMCDDA project not be considered a failure and the observatory abandoned since the Member States are best equipped to deal with these issues at national level?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(26 July 2000)

The European monitoring centre for drugs and drug addiction (EMCDDA) became operational in the beginning of 1995. According to the founding Regulation the main task of the Centre is to provide the Community and its Member States with objective, reliable and comparable information

at European level concerning drugs and drug addiction and their consequences. To this end, the Centre has, in cooperation with the national focal points and experts in Member States, defined five key epidemiological indicators that describe the prevalence and health consequences of drug use in Community. The work on these indicators is expected to be completed by the end of 2000. On drug-related deaths and on data obtained through health and health-related surveys the EMCDDA is co-operating with Eurostat.

The Community drugs strategy 2000-2004 endorsed by the Helsinki European Council states that the strategy has to be based on a regular assessment of the nature and magnitude of the drugs phenomenon and its consequences. The strategy reinstates the importance of the role of the EMCDDA in implementing this task and stresses the importance of developing an even closer relationship between the Centre and the Member States. It is of utmost importance to ensure the highest quality of information flows to and from the EMCDDA.

As the Honourable Member knows, collecting information on illicit drugs is not an easy task at any level. Accurate and reliable information is however a prerequisite for effective action at all levels. The results of an independent evaluation of the EMCDDA show that the Centre has clearly made an important contribution in filling gaps in information and knowledge which existed at the time of its foundation.

The Community drugs strategy 2000-2004 stresses the importance of a balanced and multidisciplinary approach towards drugs and the Community has repeatedly acknowledged the importance of working together to face the common challenges posed by drugs. The Commission believes that comparable information at Community level forms a solid base not only for planning and implementing drug-related actions but also for the evaluation of these actions. In this context, the EMCDDA will continue to play a vital role. With respect to comparable statistics, the EMCDDA will continue co-operation with Eurostat in the framework of the Community statistical programme.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1143/00

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(11 April 2000)

Subject: White Paper on Food Safety and the European Food Authority

The White Paper on Food Safety (COM(1999) 719 final) was published in January 2000. Chapter 4 is concerned with establishing a European Food Authority (EFA). Chapter 5 considers legislation on food safety.

A clear distinction is needed between the different groups of products used in animal feed. Grey areas are undesirable. In the long term no antibiotics may be used as growth promoters in the EU if they are used as medicines for humans and animals.

1. In contrast to other antibiotics, can antibiotics which are not used for therapeutic purposes for humans and animals be used in animal feed?

2. Will the Commission carry out, or arrange to be carried out, additional research into the risk of using antibiotics in animal feed?

3. Will the Commission seek at international level to harmonise the rules on antibiotics in view of the effect they have in distorting competition? If not, what policy will the Commission pursue if European producers experience disadvantages because they are not allowed to used certain products?

Joint answer to Written Questions E-1122/00, E-1127/00, E-1128/00, E-1140/00, E-1141/00, E-1142/00, E-1143/00, E-1144/00, E-1145/00, E-1146/00, E-1147/00, E-1148/00, E-1150/00, E-1151/00, E-1152/00, E-1153/00, E-1155/00, E-1156/00, E-1157/00, E-1158/00, E-1160/00, E-1161/00 and E-1162/00 given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(9 June 2000)

The issues raised by the Honourable Member are being studied with a view to bringing forward proposals for legislation according to the time scale set out in the white paper on food safety.

It would be inappropriate at this stage to anticipate the details of each proposal.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0229/00

by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(4 February 2000)

Subject: Failure to include the Prefecture of Arta in the Community initiative Interreg

It appears from information I have received that the Prefecture of Arta has not been included in the operational programmes announced by the Commission for part A of the Community initiative Interreg, despite the fact that the basic criterion for inclusion, namely the existence of external land or sea borders, is met by this prefecture, since the Gulf of Ambrakia lies at its southern extremity and is also part of the Ionian Sea. Will the Commission say what the situation is and whether or not the Prefecture of Arta will finally be included in the Community initiative Interreg like all the rest of north-western Greece?

Supplementary joint answer to Written Questions E-0150/00, E-0229/00 and E-0336/00 given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(7 June 2000)

The Commission does not consider that Arta and Ilia are cross-border areas in the meaning of the term under the Interreg III Community initiative and therefore does not feel that they were unjustly omitted from the list of eligible areas.

The guidelines for Interreg III were adopted by the Commission on 28 April 2000(1). Under the cross-border strand of the initiative, eligible areas include all areas along the internal and external land borders of the Community and certain maritime areas as set out in Annex 1 of the guidelines. However, up to 20 % of a programme's total budget may be spent in areas adjacent to eligible areas. As both Arta and Ilia are adjacent to eligible areas, the flexibility exists for the authorities to include them in future cross-border programmes under Interreg III.

(1) OJ C 143, 23.5.2000.
WRITTEN QUESTION P-2504/00

by María Izquierdo Rojo (PSE) to the Commission

(24 July 2000)

Subject: Microcredit and women entrepreneurs

With reference to the Commission's reply to my Oral Question H-0546/00 for Question Time on 5 July 2000(1) and given the situation in my country, where women wishing to start up a business of any kind need sustainable capital of at least PTA 500 000, how many European women have actually received some form of microcredit, and in which Member States?

Are the Member States and competent regional offices implementing the microcredit policy in such a way as to ensure that women benefit from it, or are those benefits diluted and brought under the general co-financing terms laid down, with the result that they are lost?

(1) Question answered in writing on 5.7.2000.

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(19 September 2000)

The Commission does not have any data available, either overall or from each Member State, on the number of women in Europe having received microfinance. Such microfinance programmes are usually run by the Member States themselves in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity.

Nevertheless, it should be pointed out that from 1987 to 1995 the Commission supported the Programme on Local Employment Initiatives for Women (LEI). 1 619 projects were assessed to analyse the progress of women assisted under this programme. The NOW initiative was launched on the basis of the experience gained from the LEI programme to support projects for businesses set up by women. A CD-ROM produced on entrepreneurship among women contains a detailed description of the NOW projects. A copy of this study on CD-ROM has been sent directly to the Honourable Member and to the General Secretariat of the Parliament. Other assessments have been carried out on the support provided by the Structural Funds. However, these assessments provide aggregated information on business start-up aid without specifying whether or not this is microfinance.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2119/00

by Sebastiano Musumeci (UEN) to the Commission

(30 June 2000)

Subject: Future of the Community twinning programme

In an interview published on page 17 the of the Italian daily newspaper La Repubblica on 20 March this year Neil Kinnock, Vice-President of the Commission, said in reply to the journalist's question concerning the future of the Europe twinning programme We deal with the twinning of towns. It is a task which we have accepted with pleasure and our officials have always carried it out very well. But the fact that we are short of staff means that we must ask ourselves whether twinning constitutes a central task for the Commission.

Since town-twinning is an important instrument for raising awareness and involving the public in the European enterprise, can the Commission say more about its attitude to twinning?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(12 September 2000)

The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its answer to written E-1366/00 by Mrs Muscardini(1).

(1) OJ C 46 E, 13.2.2001, p. 178.
WRITTEN QUESTION P-2154/00

by Ioannis Marínos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(22 June 2000)

Subject: Community funding in northern Cyprus

Could the Commission state whether its departments have looked at the possibility of providing Community funding directly to municipalities, local authorities and non-governmental organisations located in the northern sector of Cyprus, illegally occupied by the Turkish army?

In the Commission's view, would it be possible for such a practice to be adopted without the internationally recognised government of the Republic of Cyprus being asked for its opinion and giving its consent?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(20 July 2000)

Since 1974, Cyprus has suffered from a de facto division. This has meant, it has been impossible for the Commission to finance directly organisations such as those mentioned by the Honourable Member. However, the Commission has been constantly aware of the need to do all it can to bring the two communities closer together and (supported by the Parliament) in its annual budgetary allocations, a proportion of the financial assistance to Cyprus has regularly been earmarked for bi-communal activities.

The political tension on the island in the period between the Luxembourg and Helsinki European Council meetings made it very difficult to implement bi-communal schemes under the fourth financial protocol. Despite this, however two successful conferences were organised outside the island between trade unionists and womens' groups coming from the two communities.

Since the signing of the new financial protocol in March 2000, 3 million will be devoted to bi-communal projects. The money will be used this year to restore part of the architectural and historic centre of Nicosia on both sides of the green line. The money will be channelled through the United Nations project known as the Nicosia Master Plan, which has been running for some years and has involved the active participation of the Mayor of Nicosia and his counterpart in the northern section of the city.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1632/00

by Richard Howitt (PSE) to the Commission

(29 May 2000)

Subject: Collapse of AY Bank in the former Yugoslavia

Is the Commission aware that my constituent, Kevin John Morley of Billericay, remains without a proper redundancy payment after his employer, the AY Bank, went into administration following the imposition of EU sanctions on the former Yugoslavia in 1998?

Is there any provision for financial support for European citizens innocently disadvantaged in this way?

Can the Commission suggest any additional way in which my constituent can secure proper redress for his just demands?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(23 June 2000)

The Commission is aware that AY Bank went into administration in accordance with the United Kingdom Insolvency Act on 25 June 1999. Some days before the bank's funds were frozen in accordance with Council Regulation (EC) No 1294/1999 of 15 June 1999 concerning a freeze of funds and a ban on investment in relation to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) and repealing Regulations (EC) No 1295/98 and (EC) No 1607/98(1). As an administration order is made only if the court is satisfied that a company is or is likely to become unable to pay its debts, that order should not be attributed to the freezing of funds.

The Commission notes that the Regulation does not address the question whether employees are entitled to payment of redundancy payments by employers, and that this matter is to be decided in accordance with United Kingdom domestic law, including the Insolvency Act.

Assuming entitlement to redundancy payments exists, the Commission notes that the Regulation exempts payments of normal salaries, including compulsory redundancy payments, from the freezing of funds. If the employee were entitled to payment of non-compulsory redundancy payments, the Commission would be empowered to grant an authorisation to use the frozen funds to pay them on proof that not granting an authorisation would cause damage to the interests of the Community.

(1) OJ L 153, 19.6.1999.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1860/00

by Carles-Alfred Gasòliba i Böhm (ELDR) to the Council

(13 June 2000)

Subject: Road between Cabanes and Oropesa (Castellòn province)

In the Spanish province of Castellón, the Necso-Rover Alcisa company has been awarded the contract to build a road between Cabanes and Oropesa.

The project has not been subject to an environmental impact assessment for the Natural Park of the Desierto de las Palmas and its surroundings, which are home to many unique local species, both in the cave of l'ullal de miravet and the area's other caves; this fauna is extremely habitat-sensitive, which means that any alteration to that habitat could lead to the extinction of the species concerned.

The southern stretch of the proposed road would likewise affect equally or even more important areas of equal or greater natural beauty and environmental importance than the Desierto de las Palmas natural park.

Since no environmental impact assessments have been carried out for any of the preliminary proposals for the sections of the road (north, intermediate and south), what measures will the Council take to ensure that environmental legislation is complied with?

Reply

(23 October 2000)

The question raised by the Honourable Member does not fall within the competence of the Council. It is up to the Commission, as guardian of the Treaty, to ensure in accordance with Article 226 of the Treaty that the relevant Community legislation is correctly transposed into national law and properly enforced
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2020/00

by Gerhard Hager (NI) to the Council

(22 June 2000)

Subject: Progress with regard to the Corpus Juris

Concerning a proposal for a Council directive on combating fraud and forgeries in connection with non-cash transactions, the Commission has adopted a new approach to the harmonisation of the Member States' legal systems. The objective is no longer to achieve textual uniformity regarding the definition of criminal offences in all Member States but simply to achieve a precise definition of the result to be achieved in each of the Member States. The projected catalogue of European law has clearly been abandoned.

In view of this:

1. What progress has been made with the Corpus Juris project?

2. What have been the costs of this project?

3. Does the Council consider that there is any point in continuing with the project in view of the new regulatory approach referred to above?

Reply

(23 October 2000)

The Council has not been seized with any initiative relating to Corpus Juris and cannot therefore answer the questions of the Honourable Member of the European Parliament.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1616/00

by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission

(29 May 2000)

Subject: The euro

Given that the single currency has for many months been continuing to fall in value against the dollar, which, as a result of the increase in commodity prices, is increasingly becoming the world currency:

1. Will the Commission immediately launch an inquiry to ascertain whether the continuing fall in the value of the euro is a result of speculation, economic interests or political measures designed to weaken the European Union and prevent it taking part in world markets, as an alternative to other powerful countries, bearing in mind also that in recent months no individual Member States have suffered from economic crises and the employment situation has remained as it was before the launch of the euro?

2. Will it also say why no economic plan has yet been introduced, since this is the only valid tool for supporting and asserting the position of the euro and whether the absence of such a plan, which clearly no EU governments want, is also evidence of a political design aimed at breaking up the existing European structure and replacing it with a different political and economic framework?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(28 June 2000)

The Commission does not think that recent exchange rate developments are the result of any political-economic conspiracy against the euro and hence it does not intend to start an inquiry on this issue. Exchange rate fluctuations between the main world currencies are an intrinsic feature of the international financial system ever since the dismantling of the Bretton-Woods system.

While the present level of the exchange rate of the euro is widely regarded as lower than economic fundamentals would justify, it should be pointed out that the euro was introduced in 1999 at a relatively high level, due to inflows of capital into the euro area in anticipation of its introduction. Part of the depreciation during 1999 can be seen as a correction of this relatively high initial value.

Relative cyclical developments and prospects in the euro area compared to other main world regions have also to be taken into account in the course of 1999. In particular, while growth in the euro area was slowing down, the American economy continued to surprise for its buoyancy, and the Japanese economy emerged from a long recession. The outlook for the euro area economy has now considerably improved, with robust GDP growth expected in 2000 and 2001.

The euro is being widely used by international financial markets. It was the favourite issuing currency in international bond markets in 1999 and in the first quarter of 2000.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1240/00

by Brigitte Langenhagen (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(14 April 2000)

Subject: Situation of the cormorant Phalacrocorax (carbo carbo) in Directive 79/409

The EU Directive 79/409/EEC(1) on the conservation of wild birds included the species Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis among those whose habitat is protected by Annex I. In July 1997 the Commission Directive 97/49/EEC(2) amended Annex I of the Directive 79/409/EEC and the cormorant P. Carbo sinensis was deleted from the list.

Is the Commission planning to delete from Annex I of Directive 79/409/EEC also the cormorant P. carbo carbo?

(1) OJ L 103, 25.4.1979, p. 1.

(2) OJ L 223, 13.8.1997, p. 9.

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(5 June 2000)

The sub-species of Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo carbo is not, and never was, listed in Annex I of Council Directive 79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979 on the conservation of wild birds. Therefore, the question from the Honourable Member is not applicable.