TheplannedreformwillallowtheMemberStatestosubdividetheirbaseareausingobjectivecriteria.In
thatcase,itwillbeuptothemtodecidewhethertosubdividetheirbaseareasothattheimpactofanyreductionscandifferentiatedbyregionofproduction.
Inanycase,agri-environmentalaidmaybegrantedoverandabovespecificaidforruraldevelopmentin
accordance with Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999on support for rural development from theEuropean Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) and amending and repealing certainRegulations(
1).
(1) OJL160,26.6.1999.
(2004/C58E/099) WRITTENQUESTIONE-1633/03
byMarioBorghezio(NI)totheCommission
(15May2003)
Subject:CommemorationofSaintMarkofAviano,symbolofEuropeanidentity
PopeJohnPaulIIhascanonisedtheCapuchinpriestMarkofAviano,emphasisinghispropheticmissionas
amanofpeace,andholdinghimupasasymbolofacommonEuropeanculturalidentity.
CantheCommissionstatewhatinitiativestheEUintendstoundertake,atatimewhenaConstitution
affirmingEurope’sChristianculturalandspiritualrootsisbeingprepared,tocelebrate(togetherwithSaintBenedict, Patron Saint of Europe) Mark of Aviano, a great European, defender of Vienna and anextraordinarymanofpeace?
AnswergivenbyMrProdionbehalfoftheCommission
(16June2003)
The notablemeritsofMarco d’Avianounfortunatelydonotalter the factthatthe Commissionmust
confineitsworktoitsareasofcompetence,sonospecificactiontocommemoratethelifeandtestimonyofthisSaintwillbelaunchedontheCommission’sowninitiative.Asamatterofrecord,Honourable
MembershavedrawntheattentionoftheCommissiontothemeritsofindividualSaintsbefore,andthe
Commission’s response has been the same. The Commission could draw the Honourable Member’sattentionforexampletothereplygiventoquestionE-0559/93byMrFernandez-Albor(
1).
(1) OJC320,26.11.1993.
(2004/C58E/100) WRITTENQUESTIONE-1638/03
byBernardPoignant(PSE)totheCommission
(16May2003)
Subject:Combatingmarinepollutioncausedbythesinkingofthe‘Prestige’
SouthernBrittanyisnowhavingtodealwiththeproblemofpelletsoffueloilfromthe‘Prestige’,which
sankofftheGaliciancoastoversixmonthsago,beingwashedupalongitsshores.Thehulkisstillleakingoil,andwenowhaveproofthatthedecisiontotowthe‘Prestige’awayfromtheSpanishcoasthelpedensuremoreextensiveandwidespreadpollutionoftheEuropeancoastline.C58E/82 EN6.3.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
Theriskofpollutionwillremainunlessanduntiltheoillyingatthebottomoftheseainthevesselis
removed.ThetechniquesusedtopumpupoilfromtheErikacannotbeusedonthisoccasion,asthe‘Prestige’islyingattoogreatadepth.TheattemptsmadebyIfremertosealupthewreckbyrobothavenotprovedsufficientlyeffectiveandatpresentaboutatonneofoilisleakingperday.Atthatrate,itcouldtakemonthsorevenyearsfortherisktodisappear.
AlongtheEuropeancoastline,twoactivitieshavebeenparticularlybadlyaffectedbythisdisaster:fishing
andaquaculture,whicharedirectlyaffectedbythepollution,andthetouristindustry,forwhichcleanbeachesareapriority.Everyoneisaskingthesamequestion:Whenwillthispollutionstop?
DoestheCommissionatlasthaveanyplanstoissueacallforaninternationalprojecttoneutralisetheoil
pollutioncausedbythe‘Prestige’?Ifso,whenwillitdoso?DoestheCommissionhaveanyplanstosetupa ‘Eurocorps’ for civil emergencies to allow the rapid deployment of qualified human resources and
appropriatetechnicalmeanstocleanupaffectedareas?DoestheCommissionhaveanyplanstoconsider
theconstructionofanti-pollutionvesselsdesignedtotrackdownpollutionatsea,ratherthanwaitingforittowashuponourshores?
AnswergivenbyMrsWallströmonbehalfoftheCommission
(13June2003)
TheCommissionfullysharestheconcernexpressedbytheHonourableMemberabouttheproblemcaused
bytheoilinthewreckofthe‘Prestige’,whichrepresentsathreatforthemarineandcoastalenvironmentofSpainandFrance.
Concerningtheneutralisationofthepollutionofthe‘Prestige’,theHonourableMemberofParliamentis
invitedtorefertothepreviousoralquestionH-069/03byMrNogueiraRomanduringquestiontimeatParliament’s March 2003 session(
1) and Written Questions E-3595/02(2) and E-1259/03(3) both by
MrNogueiraRoman.
TheCommissionremindstheHonourableMemberthatareportonactionsdealingwiththeeffectsofthe
‘Prestige’ disaster was adopted on 5March 2003. This report, submitted to the European Council of
21March2003,examinespast,presentandfutureactionsundertakenatCommunityleveltoremedytheconsequencesofthe‘Prestige’disasterandtopreventsimilaraccidentsfromoccurringinthefuture.
Concerning the setting-up of a Civil Protection Eurocorps or an Euro Coast Guard, the Honourable
MemberisinvitedtorefertopreviousoralquestionH-197/03byMrDhaeneduringquestiontimeatParliament’sApril2003session(
4).CivilProtectionmeasuresfallunderthecompetenceoftheMember
Statesandaregovernedbytheprincipleofsubsidiarity.
Moreover,itshouldbestressedthattheCommissionisalreadyactiveinthisfield.AttheCommission’s
initiative,aCommunitymechanismtofacilitatereinforcedco-operationinthefieldofcivilprotection(5)
hasbeenset-up.ThisframeworkcanprovideawayforabetterCivilProtectionco-ordinationwithinaswellasoutsidetheUnion.Oneofthekeyelementsinthiscontexthasbeenthesetting-up,withintheCommission,oftheCivilProtectionResponseCentre.ThisCentreisinplacesince1January2002andavailableonapermanentbasis,24-hoursaday.Onceactivatedbyarequestfromoneoftheparticipatingcountries,theCentrecanimmediatelycalluponMemberStateCivilProtectionresources,asalreadypre-identified,foralltypesofmajoremergencies.TheCommissionconsidersthattheCivilProtectionResponse
Centre,whichbuildsonallavailablenationalcapacities,representsaneffectivetoolthataddressesthe
concernsexpressedbytheHonourableMember.
Nevertheless,theideaofcreatingaCivilProtectionEurocorpsiscertainlyinterestingandtheCommission
willcarefullyfollowthediscussionsonthisissue,alsointhecontextoftheConvention.
The Commissionhasalready broached the issue ofspecialised vesselstocombatpollutionatsea, by
financingaspecificpilotprojectundertheCommunityframeworkforcooperationinthefieldofresponsetomarinepollution(
6).Theresultshavebeensenttocompetentnationalauthoritiesandasummaryreport
is available on the following website: (http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/civil/marin/mp09_en_rol-lingplan.htm).6.3.2004EN C58E/83 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
Moreover, theCommissionhasalreadyannounceditsintentiontoamendtheRegulationcreating the
EuropeanMaritimeSafetyAgency(EMSA)inordertoenableEMSAtopurchaseorleaseanti-pollutionshipsincasesofmaritimepollutionintheUnion.
(1) Writtenreply,11.3.2003.
(2) OJC242E,9.10.2003,p.63.
(3) OJC280E,21.11.2003,p.121.
(4) Oralreply,8.4.2003.
(5) CouncilDecision2001/792/EC,Euratomof23October2001establishingaCommunitymechanismtofacilitate
reinforcedcooperationincivilprotectionassistanceinterventions,OJL297,15.11.2001.
(6) CouncilDecision2850/2000of20December2000settingupaCommunityframeworkforcooperationinthe
fieldofaccidentalordeliberatemarinepollution,OJL332,28.12.2000.
(2004/C58E/101) WRITTENQUESTIONE-1664/03
byCristianaMuscardini(UEN)totheCommission
(19May2003)
Subject:Cancellationofthecolloquyonmultilingualism
Ifmyinformationiscorrect,theCommissionagreed tofinanceacolloquyonmultilingualisminthe
EuropeaninstitutionsandinEurope,tobeheldon5/6May2003.Apparently,theCommissionsuggestedholdingapreparatorymeetingtodrawupthelistoftopicstobediscussed.Themeetingwasheldon27/28January2003andwasattendedbyexpertsfromtheMemberStatesandeminentpeopleinthecultural sphere. Despite the apparent successofthe preparatory meeting, the Commissiondecided tocancelthescheduledcolloquy.
1. CantheCommissionstatethereasonsforthecancellation?
2. Does it not consider that by taking this decision it failed to exploit one of its institutional
prerogatives,thatofidentifyingthegeneralinterestandmakingproposalsforsafeguardingit,andalsofailedtomeetthecommitmentitmadetoexpertsandrepresentativesofcivilsocietywithwhomtheideaofholdingthecolloquyoriginated?
3. Doesitnotconsider,intheinterestsofrespectingtheculturaldiversityoftheEUcountries,thata
harmoniousbalanceshouldbereachedbetweenlanguagesandpopulations,inordertoavoidpatronisingandsilencingthesedifferentculturesbynotpromotingmultilingualism?
4. Doesitnotconsiderthatthereisacloselinkbetweenapeople’slanguageandidentityandthat
exclusionoftheformermaybeanattempttoabolishandproscribethelatter?
5. Doesitnotconsiderthatitwouldbeappropriatetoconsideronceagaintheideaofholdingthe
colloquyonthevalueofmultilingualisminthenearfuture?
AnswerbyMrKinnockonbehalfoftheCommission
(10July2003)
Following an initiative from various bodies interested in language policies, a Symposium on Multi-
lingualismintheEnlargedUnionanditsInstitutionswasscheduledfor5/6May2003,intheEuropeanParliament.
Inpreparation,theCommissionorganisedandfinancedameetingwithlanguageexpertsfromtheMember
Stateson27/28January2003.
Difficultiesrelatingtothelogisticsoforganisingsuchanimportanteventwithinthegiventimeframe
meant, however, that the symposium had to be postponed to a later date /dash not cancelled as theHonourableMemberassertsinherQuestion.C58E/84 EN6.3.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion