WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1995/97 by Jannis SAKELLARIOU to the Commission. Use of MEDA programme funds in 1996
Date: 1997-06-09
Institutions: European Parliament, SAKELLARIOU
Subjects: Mediterranean third countries, economic reform, financial cooperation, financing of aid, social change

C 45/138

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

10. 2. 98

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(27 June 1997)

Since  24  April  1997  inadmissible  acts  of  violence  have  been  perpetrated  by  French  farmers  against  lorries
transporting fruit and vegetables from other Member States, mainly from Spain.

The Commission firmly condemns these acts and deplores their repetitive character. It has called on the French
authorities urgently to implement adequate and effective measures to maintain law and order, based on binding
and clear instructions with a view to guaranteeing the free movement of goods.

The Commission takes the view that under Community law, and in particular under Article 30 of the EC Treaty,
which forms an integral part of the common organization of the markets, in conjunction with Article 5 of the
aforesaid EC Treaty, public authorities are required, in the course of the discharge of their functions as regards
public  safety,  to  take  the  necessary  measures  to  prevent  and  repress  actions  by  private  individuals  which
seriously prejudice the right to the free movement of goods guaranteed by the EC Treaty. Failure to perform this
duty is to be seen as a failure to fulfil the obligations which fall to the Member States under the terms of the
abovementioned provisions.

Given that the preventive and repressive measures previously implemented by the French public authorities to
maintain law and order are insufficient to act as a deterrent, the Commission, acting as guardian of the Treaty, has
initiated  an  infringement  procedure  which  is  at  present  at  the  phase  of  referral  to  the  Court  of  Justice  (Case
C-265/95). The verbal proceedings were held on 10 June 1997.

With the Commission  having made use  of  the  powers conferred on it by the Treaty to ensure observance of
Community law, it is now a matter of awaiting the judgment of the Court of Justice, which is expected to be
delivered towards the end of the year.

The  Commission  points  out  furthermore  that  incentives  have  been  created  as  part  of  the  reform  of  the
organization of the market in fruit and vegetables in order to encourage the growth of producer groups operating
in several Member States.

(98/C 45/179)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1995/97

by Jannis Sakellariou (PSE) to the Commission

(9 June 1997)

Subject: Use of MEDA programme funds in 1996

How much funding was released for use under the MEDA programme in 1996? What was the legal basis? If

1.
certain sums were not released, why not?

2. Which countries receive funding under the MEDA programme and how much?

Answer given by Mr Mar(cid:14)·n on behalf of the Commission

(15 July 1997)

1.
In  1996,  budget  heading  B7-410  (MEDA)  was  allocated  commitment  appropriations  amounting  to
ECU 403 million and payment appropriations amounting to ECU 202 million. The legal basis for this budget
heading  is  Regulation  (EC)  No  1488/96,  adopted  by  the  Council  on  23  July  1996 (1).  A  negative  reserve
amounting  to  ECU  200  million  entered  in  the  1996  budget  was  not  released,  by  decision  of  the  budgetary
authority, following rejection of the transfer proposals submitted by the Commission.

Despite the late adoption of the legal basis in July, the rate of uptake of the available commitment appropriations
under heading B7-410 was 100% and that of the payment appropriations was 77%.

2.
The  partners  that  are  eligible  for  the  MEDA  programme  are  Algeria,  Cyprus,  Egypt,  Israel,  Jordan,
Lebanon, Malta, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey and the Palestinian Authority. Regulation (EC) No 1488/96
does not provide for a fixed amount for each partner but for an overall financial programme planning, indicating
the total amount of the national and regional indicative programmes.

(1)  OJ L 189, 30.7.1996.