Demandfortheseloansisveryuneven,despitethefactthattheyarevitallynecessaryfortheEUregions
laggingfurthestbehindtofinanceprojectsofallkindsandthusfurthertheirdevelopment.Forexample,thebank’smostrecentannualreport,for2002,revealsthat,eventhoughtheEIBgrantedloansamountingtoEUR5426millioninthatyear,manyofthemforautonomouscommunities,theGalicianGovernmentisnotlistedforanyofthe50projects.
CantheCommissionsaywhatamountsweregrantedtoSpaininEIBloansforeachoftheyears1998,
1999,2000,2001and2002?
CantheCommissionfurtherspecifyforwhichprojectstheGalicianGovernmentappliedtotheEIBfora
loaninthoseyears,whethertheloanwasgrantedandwhatamountwasinvolved?
AnswergivenbyMrSolbesMiraonbehalfoftheCommission
(12August2003)
Galicia is an objective 1 region and as such is an European Investment Bank (EIB) priority. Regular
meetingstakeplacebetweentheEIBandXuntadeGaliciatoidentifywheretheEIBcouldbeofassistance.
SincetheEconomicandMonetaryUnion(EMU),Galiciahasbeensuccessfulinthecapitalmarkets,i.e.
GaliciahasaccesstoborrowingfromsourcesotherthanEIB.Therefore,Galicia’sborrowingfromEIBhasbeenrathermodest.
From1998until2002,thefollowingamountsweregrantedbytheEIBinSpain:
/dash 1998:ECU3127million;/dash 1999:EUR4020million;
/dash 2000:EUR4243million;
/dash 2001:EUR4559million;
/dash 2002:EUR5426million.
AsfarastheEIBisaware,allfinancingapplicationsintroducedbytheGalicianGovernmentwereaccepted
bytheEIBandloansgrantedaccordingly.
Annex1whichissentdirecttotheHonourableMemberandtoParliament’sSecretariatprovidesdetailsof
the direct loansgranted in Galicia during this period. The EIB also granted global loansto financialintermediaries,whichallocatedsub-loanstobeneficiaries(SMEsorsmallpublicinfrastructures)locatedinGalicia.ThoseallocationsaredetailedinAnnex2,alsosentdirecttotheHonourableMemberandtoParliament’sSecretariat.
(2004/C58E/185) WRITTENQUESTIONE-2483/03
byDanielVarelaSuanzes-Carpegna(PPE-DE)totheCommission
(24July2003)
Subject:Preventionagainsttheriskofforestfires:Regulation(EEC)No2158/92
Regulation(EEC)No2158/92(1),whichmadeprovisionforthefundingofmeasurestopreventagainstthe
riskofforestfires,expiredon31December2002.ThefactthatRegulation(EEC)No2158/92actedasanincentiveforregionalandnationalfirepreventionpolicieshasbeenamplydemonstratedoverthepast10years.Duringthatperiod,theaverageareaofforestdamagedbyeachfirefellinthesouthofFrance,SpainandPortugal.Nevertheless,thefreshCommissionproposalforaregulation(ForestFocus)andthenewrural development regulation represent a renationalisation of policy on forest fires which entails thedisappearanceofaCommunityfinancialarrangementforpreventionagainsttherisksofforestfiressuchasthatprovidedforinRegulation(EEC)No2158/92.Atthesametime,thisproposaldoesnotaccordwiththeargumentsbroughtbytheCourtofJusticeoftheEuropeanCommunitiestotheeffectthatpolicyonprotectionagainstforestfiresistobeseenasaCommunitypolicywithintheframeworkofenvironmentpolicywhichistobefinancedbyfundsdrawnfromtheEUbudget.C58E/172 EN6.3.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
Takingtheaboveintoconsideration:
1. IstheCommissionawarethatitsproposalforaForestFocusregulationdoesnottallywiththerecent
case-lawoftheCourtofJusticeoftheEuropeanCommunities,whichopposestherenationalisationofpolicyoncombatingfiresandarguesthatitshouldbedealtwithunderthecodecisionprocedurewithParliament?Whatargumentsjustifyupholdingthisproposalinitscurrentform?
2. IstheCommissionawareoftheadverseconsequenceswhichitsproposalforaForestFocusregulation
mighthaveasregardscombatingforestfiresatCommunitylevel?
3. WilltheCommissionamenditsproposaltobringitintolinewiththepreviousRegulation(EEC)
No 2158/92, particularly as regards restoring specific funding devoted solely to prevention andmanagementactivitiestoprotectforestsagainsttheriskoffire?
(1) OJL217,31.7.1992,p.3.
AnswergivenbyMrsWallströmonbehalfoftheCommission
(11September2003)
TheCommunityhashelpeditsMemberStatesintheireffortstopreventforestfiresalthoughthemain
responsibility for the co-ordination and implementation of any forest policy is at national level.TheHonourableMemberisawareofthefactthataschemetoprotectandmonitorforestsagainstfirewasestablishedbyCouncilRegulation(EEC)No2158/92of23July1992whichexpiredattheendof2002.
On 15July 2002, the Commission submitted a proposal for a Parliament and Council Regulation
concerningthemonitoringofforestsandenvironmentalinteractionsintheCommunity(‘ForestFocus’).This proposal aims to establish a new Community scheme for forest monitoring and environmentalinteractionsinordertoprotecttheCommunity’sforestsfromeventssuchasatmosphericpollutionandforestfires.However,thescopeofthisproposalisbroaderthanthepreviousregulations,asotherissueswillbecovered(biodiversity,carbonsequestration,soils…).
This proposalis clearly focusedonmonitoring activities. It is stillunder political debate andwill be
discussedagaininautumn2003withintheParliament,whenitconsidersitssecondreading positionundertheco-decisionprocedure.
Variousforestfirepreventionmeasureshavebeenalreadyincorporatedforthemajorityoftheregionsof
theSouthernMemberStatesintotheirRuralDevelopmentPlans,draftedaccordingCouncilRegulation(EC)No1257/1999of17May1999(
1).Sofar,theyhavenotbeenincorporatedin‘ForestFocus’because
Unionlegislationdoesnotallowthesamemeasurestobefinancedbydifferentregulations.
Uptotheyear2006theCouncilRegulation(EC)No1257/1999and‘ForestFocus’togetherwouldcover
all the forest fire measures, both prevention and monitoring ones, previously covered by CouncilRegulation(EEC)No2158/92.
(1) CouncilRegulation(EC)No1257/1999of17May1999onsupportforruraldevelopmentfromtheEuropean
AgriculturalGuidanceandGuaranteeFund(EAGGF)andamendingandrepealingcertainRegulations,OJL160,
26.6.1999.
(2004/C58E/186) WRITTENQUESTIONE-2499/03
byChristopherHuhne(ELDR)totheCommission
(25July2003)
Subject:Beachcleanliness
IstheCommissionsatisfiedthatthecurrentstandardsofseawaterandbeachcleanlinessasmonitoredin
thebeachflaggingschemearehighenoughtoavoidanytemporaryhealthproblemsforseabathers?Willitcommentonrecentreportsthatseabathersarestilllikelytosufferstomachupsetsandotherhealth6.3.2004EN C58E/173 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion