WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3056/97 by Amedeo AMADEO to the Commission. Tobacco reform
Date: 1997-10-02
Institutions: AMADEO, European Parliament
Subjects: agronomic research, common organisation of markets, dissemination of information, environmental protection, producer organisation, public awareness campaign, public health, smoking, tobacco

C 134/66

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

30. 4. 98

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(19 November 1997)

The  Honourable  Member  considers  that  the  Commission  should  promote  with  contracting  authorities  the
adoption of measures to encourage the participation of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in public
procurement.

Following the adoption of the green paper of the Commission on public procurement on 27 November 1996, a
debate  has  started  with  all  interested  parties  on  all  aspects  of  European  public  procurement  policy.  Many
contributions insist on the need to adopt measures to facilitate the participation of SMEs in public procurement.
The  Parliament(cid:146)s  formal  position  on  the  green  paper  has  not  yet  been  adopted.  Following  its  adoption,  the
consultation  phase  will  end  and  the  Commission  will  adopt  an  action  oriented  communication  as  to  public
procurement policy. In this communication, the Commission will take a position on the main issues raised in the
debate.

The majority of the contributions consider that the measures in favour of the participation of SMEs should be
taken  within  the  ambit  of  training  and  information.  The  Commission  agrees  that  the  preparation  of  focused
training programmes or the circulation of simple and clear guides could reduce the disadvantages borne by SMEs
in public procurement. The Commission(cid:146)s project on electronic tendering, SIMAP, is also a major exercise in
favour of SMEs since the access to information on contract opportunities poses a bigger problem to SMEs due to
their limited resources. Of course such support activities involving the Commission would require appropriate
financial resources.

As  to  thresholds  most  contributions  accepted  the  Commission(cid:146)s  point  of  departure  and  considered  that  the
thresholds should remain as such.

(98/C 134/83)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3056/97

by Amedeo Amadeo (NI) to the Commission

(2 October 1997)

Subject: Tobacco reform

The  report  from  the  Commission  to  the  Council  on  the  common  organization  of  the  market  in  raw  tobacco
(COM(96) 554 final) provides for the contribution made to the Tobacco Research and Information Fund to be
doubled by raising the percentage withheld from the premium to 2%.

Bearing  in  mind  the  Commission(cid:146)s  guidelines  concerning  the  Tobacco  Research  and  Information  Fund,
environmental protection, checks and administrative streamlining, could the financial allocation for the fund be
higher than the level proposed by the Commission so that the institutional activities concerned may be carried out
effectively?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(7 November 1997)

The reform of the common organisation of the market in tobacco proposed by the Commission in its report to
Parliament and the Council includes, as essential points, the discouraging of smoking, research to develop the
least harmful tobaccos possible and protection of the environment.

The  Commission  is  proposing  doubling  the  budget  of  the  information  fund  to  discourage  smoking  and  help
producer groups to finance schemes in the field of environmental protection.

The  Commission  considers  that  this  doubling  of  the  resources  allocated  to  the  information  fund  for  health
purposes is sufficient to enable it to carry out effective activities in the field of public health.