(2004/C58E/119) WRITTENQUESTIONE-1859/03
byProinsiasDeRossa(PSE)totheCommission
(3June2003)
Subject:HarecoursinginIreland
Arecentstudyindicatedthatthehare(Lepuscapensis(europaeus))populationinNorthernIrelandhad
declinedenoughtoqualifythehareasa‘speciesincrisis’andtosuggesttheneedfortheimplementationofaSpeciesActionPlantoprotecthares.Whatarethemostrecent,independentestimatesofthenumberofharesontheislandofIrelandintheCommission’spossessionandwillitconsideraddingharestothelistofanimalsprotectedundertheHabitatsDirective/dashDirective92/43/EEC(
1)?
InreplytoWrittenQuestionP-0165/02(2),theCommissionstatedthatthecatchingofharesusingnetsas
reportedbytheHonourableMemberwould‘becontrarytotheprovisions’oftheBerneConventionontheConservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats which commits signatory states to takingappropriate and necessary regulatory measures to protect the species and regulating the transport ofcapturedanimals.IstheCommissionoftheviewthatthepracticeofcapturing,transportingandcoursinglive hares ascarried outin Irelandiscompatible with this Conventionandwith the ProtocoltotheAmsterdamTreatywhichcommitstheEUtotakingdueaccountofthewelfarerequirementsofanimalsinthecontextofEUpolicies?
Is the Commission of the opinion that the transportation of hares to coursing events in Ireland is
compatiblewithCouncilDirective91/628/EEC(
3),asamendedbyDirective95/29/EC(4),ontheprotection
ofanimalsduringtransport?
(1) OJL206,22.7.1992,p.7.
(2) OJC172E,18.7.2002,p.161.
(3) OJL340,11.12.1991,p.17.
(4) OJL148,30.6.1995,p.52.
AnswergivenbyMrsWallströmonbehalfoftheCommission
(23July2003)
OfthetwospeciesofharesthatoccurinIreland,theBrownHare(Lepuseuropeaus)isrestrictedinitsarea
ofdistributiontoNorthernIreland,whereitisconsideredtohavebeenintroduced.Thisspecies,occursthroughoutEuropeandisnotidentifiedasaspeciesofCommunityinterestunderCouncilDirective92/43/EECof21May1992,ontheconservationofnaturalhabitatandofwildfaunaandflora.Therefore,thereisnolegalbasisundertheDirectiveforregulatingthecaptureandtransportofthisspecies.ManagementandconservationofthisspeciesisthecompetenceoftherelevantauthoritiesinNorthernIreland.
TheMountainHare(Lepustimidus)hasawidespreaddistributionthroughoutIreland.Thisspeciesislisted
inAnnexVofCouncilDirective92/43/EECwhichprovidesforMemberStates,iftheydeemitnecessaryinlightofsurveillance,totakemeasurestoensurethattakinginthewildofspecimensofthespeciesaswellas its exploitation, is compatible with it being maintained at a favourable conservation status.TheCommissionisnotawareofanyrecentchangesinthestatusofthisspeciesinIreland.
ThereareatpresentnoplanstoamendtheAnnexesoftheDirectiveinrelationtothesespeciesofhares.
LepustimidusandLepuseuropeausarelistedinAppendixIIIoftheBerneConventionontheconservation
ofEuropeanwildlifeandnaturalhabitatswhichrequirescontractingparties,interalia,toprohibittheindiscriminatemeansofcaptureandkillinganduseofmeanscapableofcausinglocaldisappearanceof,orserious disturbance to populations ofthese species. In so far as the practices complained ofare notconsistentwiththeseobligationsandcannotbejustifiedasanexceptioninaccordancewithArticle9oftheConventionthenthisisnotfullyrespected.C58E/104 EN6.3.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
InrelationtotheProtocolonanimalwelfareintheAmsterdamTreatythereisnosuggestionbythe
HonourableMemberthatUnionpoliciesareafactorinfluencingthepracticecomplainedofandthereforetheProtocolwouldnotappeartoberelevantinthiscase.
TheCommissionisnotawareoftheexactconditionsunderwhichwildharesaretransportedtocoursing
eventsinIreland.
Council Directive 91/628/EEC of 18November 1991 on the protection of animals during transport
(amending Directives 90/425/EEC and 91/496/EEC), as amended by Council Directive 95/29/EC of29June1995,doesnotapplytotransportofanimalsonjourneysoflessthan50kms,transportwhichisnotofacommercialnatureortotransportofanyindividualanimalaccompaniedbyapersonwhohasresponsibilityforitduringtransport.Withtheseexceptions,transportofwildhareswouldbecoveredbytherelevantprovisionsoftheDirectiverelatingto‘othermammalsandbirds’.
(2004/C58E/120) WRITTENQUESTIONE-1863/03
byBerndLange(PSE)totheCommission
(6June2003)
Subject:Problemsintheimplementationofthesixthresearchframeworkprogrammeowingtoauditing
costs
Inordertobeeligibleforreimbursementunderthesixthresearchframeworkprogramme,thecostsof
integratedprojectsandnetworksofexcellencemustbecertifiedeachyearbyanindependentauditor.Theresultisthatauditingcostsareextremelyhigh,andmuchofthefundingprovidedisnotusedforactualresearch.
Moreover,thewayinwhichpublicbodiesarerequiredtoconductauditsisstillnotsufficientlyclear.
Whyarepartnerswithsmallsharesinprojectsnotrequiredsimplytoconductanauditofthetotalcosts
oftheprojectinsteadofobtaininganannualcertificate,soastoreduceauditingcosts?
Can public bodies be exempted from the external certification requirement, or is verification by an
independentexpertrequiredheretoo?
AnswergivenbyMrBusquinonbehalfoftheCommission
(25July2003)
TheCommissionfullysharestheconcernoftheHonourableMembertokeeptheauditcertificatecostsas
lowaspossible.Certificationbyanexternalauditorofactualexpensesincurred,asaconditionfortheirreimbursement,isaprincipleestablishedinArticle14ofRegulation(EC)2321/2002oftheParliamentandofthe Councilof16December 2002concerning the rulesforthe participation ofundertakings,researchcentresanduniversitiesin,andforthedisseminationofresearchresultsfor,theimplementationoftheEuropeanCommunitySixthFrameworkProgramme(2002-2006)(
1).Therequirementofannual
audit certificates for Networks of Excellence (NoE’s) and Integrated Projects (IP’s) results from thecharacteristicsofthesenewinstruments,whichwillinvolvesignificantCommunitycontributionsandwilllastoveranumberofyears.
Ontheotherhand,forotherinstruments,althoughanauditcertificatewillberequiredatsomepoint,itis
notnecessarilyannual.ThisisanissuetobedeterminedinthenegotiationbetweentheCommissionandthecontractors,dependingonthedurationoftheproject,itsnatureandestimatedbudgetandinrespectoftheprovisionsoftheFinancialRegulationanditsimplementingmodalitiesrequiringauditcertificatesincertaincases.6.3.2004EN C58E/105 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion