denominations of pensions and wages by the postman (GR). The agreement concluded by the Commission
and the European banking associations on 19 February 2001 also provides that ordinary withdrawals inbanks will systematically be paid out in small notes.
As regards providing the public with notes in advance, the Finance Ministers and the Central European
Bank decided against it at the informal Ecofin Council meeting held in Versailles in October 2000.
(2001/C 350 E/226) WRITTEN QUESTION P-1660/01
by Minerva Malliori (PSE) to the Commission
(1 June 2001)
Subject: Destruction of the Amazonian rainforests
The programme for the economic development of Brazil (Avança Brasil) is on a collision course with
initiatives to protect the Amazonian rainforests.
According to the annual report of Brazils national institute for space research, some 19 600 km2of
tropical forests, or 0,56 % of the total area, were destroyed in 2000. This is the heaviest deforestation since1995. In less than 50 years the Brazilian Amazonian rainforests have shrunk by 551 000 km
2. This has not
deterred the Brazilian government from planning a substantive increase in the overall area of tropicalforests where logging is permitted and also insisting on the construction of new electricity generatingplants in forest areas.
Given the principles of sustainability and prevention and the fact that the European Union, together with
the G7 countries, has provided € 359 million for a pilot project to protect and preserve this green lung ofthe world, will the Commission say whether it intends to take specific action to ensure that theAmazonian rainforest countries can pursue an environmentally sound policy to manage the tropicalforests? Will it also say whether it intends to help protect the indigenous population which has almostdisappeared owing to the destruction being inflicted on the Amazonian rainforests?
Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission
(20 June 2001)
The main objective of the Brazilian governments Programa Avança Brasil, is the modernisation of the
country. Environment is a major priority area in Brazilian politics. Commission will follow closely thedevelopments of this programme in order to ensure that it has no detrimental effects on the environment.
The protection of the environment is also one of the main priority areas in the bilateral co-operation with
Brazil. Environmental protection is a strategy well defined in the Country Strategy Paper for Brazil adoptedby the developing countries  Latin America and Asia (PVD-ALA) committee in October 1998. TheCommission has made a preliminary provision for co-operation in the field of the environment in theguidelines for multiannual co-operation with Brazil between 2000-2006.
Concerning the Amazon rainforest itself, the Commission is playing an important role in the Pilot
Programme for the Conservation of the Brazilian Rainforests (PPG7). This programme represents a uniqueexperiment made up of a partnership which includes the Brazilian government, the World Bank, the groupof seven most industrialised countries (G7) and the Commission. Of the € 100 million that are presentlybeing dedicated to Community-Brazil co-operation on environment, the PPG7 is benefiting from € 80million. The Commission is determined to continue making efforts to improve this programme. Thus theCommission is participating in the mid-term review of the PPG7 and the Conference of Donors andParticipants.C 350 E/206 EN 11.12.2001 Official Journal of the European Communities
The Commission will follow very closely the future developments in the PPG7 with a special consideration
for its impact on indigenous communities. Other important actions are also being taken in favour ofindigenous peoples within the framework of the Commissions non-governmental organisations (NGO)budget line.
(2001/C 350 E/227) WRITTEN QUESTION P-1663/01
by Ulla Sandbæk (EDD) to the Commission
(1 June 2001)
Subject: Danish job rotation system
Can the Commission specify where, in its view, the problems lie in the revised Danish job rotation system
which entered into force at the turn of the year?
Can the Commission confirm that it believes that arrangements which target specific groups, such as the
disadvantaged unemployed, cannot be approved as they distort competition?
Can the Commission say when Denmark is expected to receive an answer on this matter?
Will the Commission provide me with a copy of its answer when available?
Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission
(3 July 2001)
The scheme combines recruitment of a new employee in a company with training of an existing employee.
The procedure is that an employee of a company is sent on training. At the same time, an unemployed
person is hired to replace the person on training. When the training is over, the trainee comes back to
another job and the newly hired person may stay on.
There are two different grants. Firstly, if the trainee receives a salary during the training, the employer
receives a grant covering part of that salary cost. If the trainee does not receive a salary during the training,
the grant goes to the trainee directly. Secondly, the employer receives a grant to cover part of the salary
costs for the person employed. This grant is intended to compensate for the lower productivity of thedisadvantaged workers hired under the scheme. Originally, though, the Danish authorities had theintention to allow non-disadvantaged workers to be hired in so-called bottle-neck sectors, which aresectors in which, in spite of general unemployment, it is difficult to find qualified workers.
According to the Community guidelines on aid to employment (
1) the Commission will be favourably
disposed towards aid to create new jobs in small and medium-sized organisations (SMEs) and in regionseligible for regional aid. Outside these two categories, it will also look favourably upon aid to encouragefirms to take on certain groups of workers experiencing particular difficulties entering or re-entering thelabour market (point 21 first indent). This is why the Commission, during informal contacts with theDanish authorities, pointed out that it could not approve aid to companies hiring non-disadvantagedworkers in bottle-neck sectors. The situation was therefore the opposite of the one suggested in thequestion. The Danish authorities have agreed to amend the scheme so that it only involves disadvantagedworkers. This means that the employment side of the job rotation scheme is covered by an alreadyapproved employment aid scheme.11.12.2001 EN C 350 E/207 Official Journal of the European Communities