Furthermore,theGovernmenthasrefusedtogiveaccesstointerestedpartiestothenewconstruction
plans,andpolicemenpresentintheneighbourhoodsincethebeginningofMay2003haverefusedaccesstothewiderareatothegeneralpublic.
DothepresentworksontheHVPSbythePPCinArgyroupolis-IlioupoliscomplywithDirective97/11/
EC(
1)ontheassessmentoftheeffectsofcertainpublicandprivateprojectsontheenvironment?
UnderwhichauthorisedplanningandconstructionlicencearetheworksontheHVPSbeingcontinued?
(1) OJL73,14.3.1997,p.5.
AnswergivenbyMrsWallströmonbehalfoftheCommission
(28July2003)
Acomplaintconcerningtheplantobuildapowerstationwithhigh-voltageoverheadtransmissionlinesin
theArgyroupolis-Ilioupolisareahasalreadybeenregisteredunderthereferencenumber2002/5430.
AletterhasbeensenttotheGreekauthoritiesrequestinginformationoncompliancewiththeprovisions
ofDirective85/337/EEC(1),asamendedbyDirective97/11/EC(2),andthemeasurestakentomeetthe
requirementsofDirective92/43/EEC(3).
Once it has received a formal reply from the Greek authorities, the Commission will examine the
informationprovidedtocheckforanyincompatibilitywiththeCommunityprovisionsinforce,andwill
thentakeappropriateaction.However,theCommissiondoesnothavethepowertogiveadecisionon
possiblebreachesofGreeklaw,suchasfailuretocomplywithArticle24oftheGreekConstitution.
(1) CouncilDirective85/337/EECof27June1985ontheassessmentofcertainpublicandprivateprojectsonthe
environment,OJL175,5.7.1985.
(2) CouncilDirective97/11/ECof3March1997amendingDirective85/337/EECof27June1985ontheassessment
ofcertainpublicandprivateprojectsontheenvironment,OJL73,14.3.1997.
(3) CouncilDirective92/43/EECof21May1992ontheconservationofnaturalhabitatsandofwildfaunaandflora,
OJL206,22.7.1992.
(2004/C58E/148) WRITTENQUESTIONP-2109/03
bySebastianoMusumeci(UEN)totheCommission
(19June2003)
Subject:Illegalimmigration
BoatloadsofillegalimmigrantsarecontinuingtolandonthesoutherncoastsofItaly.AlthoughtheItalian
government’seffortstotacklethisissuereducedthenumbersbymorethan15thousandlastyear,Italycannotsolvethiscomplexproblemalone.
DoestheCommissionnotconsiderthatitshouldapplytheprincipleoffinancialburden-sharingbetween
Member States and try to ensure that future cooperation agreements with States from which illegalimmigrantscomearenolongersignedbyindividualcountriesbutbytheEU,inlinewiththeproposalputforwardin1995?
AnswergivenbyMrVitorinoonbehalfoftheCommission
(30July2003)
The Commission, in its Communication adopted on 3June 2003(
1), pays particular attention to the
principleofburdensharingandtothemoreefficientmanagementoftheexternalbordersoftheUnion.The Commission proposes to make use of the margin available from 2004-2006 (heading 3 of thefinancialperspectives)tomakeavailableEUR80millionthatwouldrepresentafirsteffortofsolidarityinC58E/132 EN6.3.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
thefieldofexternalbordersandthatwouldalsocovertheinitialinvestmentrequiredforthedevelopment
of a visa information system. The Commission indicates, at the same time, that an amount ofEUR140millionwouldprobablybemoreadequatebasedonreasonableestimatesthatwouldalsotakeintoaccountanintegratedreturnprogramme.InthisrespecttherecentEuropeanCouncilinThessalonikisupportedthisapproachinvitingtheCommissiontopursuethisline.
TheCommissionconsidersthatco-operationwiththirdcountiesintheareaofmigrationwillrequire
increased attention in the coming years and has presented its approach in the Communication onintegrating migration issues in the Union’s relations with third countries that was presented on
3December 2002. Besides intensifying the dialogue with the main countries of origin and transit,
concrete co-operation to prevent and combat illegal migration will be required. The proposal for aRegulationestablishingaprogrammeforfinancialandtechnicalassistancetothirdcountriesintheareaofmigrationthatwaspublishedon11June2003(
2)andsenttotheCouncilandtheParliamentaimsto
providethefinancialmeansforsuchco-operation.OncethisRegulationwillbeadopted,theCommunitywilldisposeofaspecificfinancialinstrumenttoassistthirdcountriesintheireffortsinbettermanagingmigratoryflowsinalltheirdimensions.ThisCommunityprogramwillfinanceactionswhichjoininacoherent way national and other bilateral or regional Community co-operation and is intended inparticular forthird countries actively engaged in the preparation orimplementationofa readmissionagreementinitialled,signedorconcludedwiththeCommunity.
TheReadmissionAgreementsconcludedwiththirdcountriesareanessentialcomplementtotheadoption
ofeffective lawsandefficient practices forthe expulsionandreturn ofillegal immigrants. The 1999
TampereEuropeanCouncilconfirmedthattheAmsterdamTreatyconferredpowersontheCommunityinthefieldofreadmission(cf.Article 63(3)(b)oftheECTreaty). TheCouncilwas,therefore, invitedtoconcludereadmissionagreementsortoincludereadmissionstandardclausesinotheragreementsbetweentheCommunityandrelevantthirdcountriesorgroupsofcountries.SofartheCommunityhassignedareadmissionagreementwithHongKonginNovember2002whichisexpectedtoenterintoforceinthesecondhalfof2003.TwootherAgreementswithSriLankaandMacaohavebeeninitialledinMay2002andOctober2002respectively. Inaddition,theCouncilalsoauthorisedthe CommissiontonegotiateCommunity readmission agreements with Morocco, Russia, Pakistan (September 2000), Ukraine (June2002),Albania,Algeria,ChinaandTurkey(November2002).
(1) Communicationonthedevelopmentofacommonpolicyonillegalimmigration,smugglingandtraffickingof
humanbeings,externalbordersandthereturnofillegalresidents/dashCOM(2003)323.
(2) COM(2003)355final.
(2004/C58E/149) WRITTENQUESTIONE-2115/03
byIldaFigueiredo(GUE/NGL)totheCommission
(25June2003)
Subject:Rightsoftenantfarmers
Inordertobeeligibleforearlyretirement,farmersinPortugalmustensurethattheirfarmistransferredto
anotherfarmer,designatedthetransferee,whomeetstheconditionslaiddownintheregulationapprovedbydecreeNo99/2001of16January2001.
Tenant farmers, however, are required to cancel the rural lease contract in addition to the above
obligation,whichpreventsthefarmfrombeingtransferredtotheirchildren.
Thissituationisextremelyunfairtothesefarmers,whoarediscriminatedagainstbycomparisonwith
farmerswhoownthelandtheyworkandmaytransfertheirfarmtotheirchildren.
CantheCommissionsaywhethertheruraldevelopmentregulation,oranyotherCommunityregulation,
preventstenantfarmersfromtransferringthelandleasecontracttotheirchildren,sothattheparentscanbeeligibleforearlyretirement?6.3.2004EN C58E/133 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion