WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1503/97 by Pervenche BERES to the Commission. MED programmes
Date: 1997-04-30
Institutions: BERES, European Parliament
Subjects: European Court of Auditors, Mediterranean region (EU), action programme, administrative transparency, budgetary control, financing of aid, report

22. 1. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 21/61

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(10 June 1997)

The Commission has been informed that, on the Thalys service between Paris and Bruxelles, discounts for large
families are not available now. It understands the difficulties that this may cause passengers but it has to recall
that such discounts, and policy on fares in general, are not a matter of Community legal competence but the
responsibility of the railways themselves and of the national authorities that supervise them.

As for public services, it is the responsibility of the Member State to decide on the nature and extent of public
services,  while  respecting  Community  rules,  particularly  on  compensation  for  public  service  obligations  in
transport. Finally, on the basis of the information available, the Commission does not consider this a case of
discrimination or an obstacle to free circulation in violation of Community principles and rules.

(98/C 21/150)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1503/97

by Pervenche Bere‘s (PSE) to the Commission

(30 April 1997)

Subject: MED programmes

Many of the files which had been accepted in connection with the MED programmes are currently blocked as the
second phase has not been finalized.

What  steps  does  the  Commission  intend  to  take  to  remedy  this  situation,  given  that,  in  general,  the  projects
concerned involve small-scale entities?

Answer given by Mr Marin on behalf of the Commission

(10 June 1997)

The  Commission  is  currently  setting  up  a  new  system  of  management  of  the  programmes  of  decentralised
co-operation in the Mediterranean region. This follows a Court of auditors report and the support given by the
ministers  of  foreign  affairs  at  the  Euro-Mediterranean  conference  in  Barcelona,  in  November  1995,  to
decentralised co-operation, underlining the importance attached to this form of co-operation.

The  Commission  is  aware  of  the  difficulties  the  freeze  creates  for  some  participants  in  the  programmes  for
decentralised co-operation in the Mediterranean. However, a temporary freeze of the programmes was necessary
in order to ensure the transparency and efficiency of the management system.

The  relaunching  of  the  Med  programmes  will  also  depend  on  the  results  of  the  Parliament(cid:146)s  committee  of
budgetary control debate on the Fabra Valle‘s report, which is due to be voted in the July plenary session.

(98/C 21/151)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1516/97

by Klaus Rehder (PSE) to the Commission

(5 May 1997)

Subject: Export refunds on the transport of animals

1. What export refunds are currently paid for live and slaughtered cattle?

2.

Under what conditions may deductions be made from these refunds, and what do they then amount to?

Is the export refund for slaughtered cattle calculated on the basis of weight before slaughter or weight after

3.
the removal of all offal?

There are various calculations of the killing-out percentage (54%, 58%, etc.). Which percentage does the

4.
Commission take?