WRITTEN QUESTION No. 35/98 by Antonio GRAZIANI , Pierluigi CASTAGNETTI to the Commission. Allocation of EAGGF funds to an extremist organization
Date: 1998-01-29
Institutions: CASTAGNETTI, European Parliament, GRAZIANI ANTONIO
Subjects: EAGGF, EU aid, EU financing, Sweden, aid to agriculture, extreme right, organic farming, racism

C 223/90

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

17. 7. 98

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission

(13 March 1998)

The Honourable Member is raising a matter that is covered by national law. Indeed, the assignment of certain
land to uses not in line with the regulations in force, or the granting of authorisations (town-planning permits)
which appear not to meet the requirements in force form part of a set of problems to which the Commission is
unable to respond unless this involves an infringement of Directive 85/337/EC on the assessment of the effects of
projects on the environment (1), which does not seem to be the case described by the Honourable Member.

However, it would be important to remind the Honourable Member that intergovernmental work on regional
planning is currently in progress: the preparation of the Community Land Development Scheme (SDEC) which
is currently under discussion within Parliament as part of the drafting of the Novo Berlenguer report.

The value added by the SDEC concerns, in particular, the development of Community territory as a function of
long-term  approaches  and  options  deriving  from  the  following  three  aims:  economic  and  social  cohesion,
sustainable development, and balanced competitiveness throughout Europe. The novelty lies in the fact that these
three aims are being pursued jointly, and therefore also take account of their interactions.

The action taken by Europe on regional planning thus supports the constant quest for a balance between the
various interests in the various areas, and for that purpose it indirectly promotes the settling of the differences
mentioned by the Honourable Member. The Honourable Member will thus understand that, for the moment, the
action in progress does not provide for any specific instruments intended to avoid the destruction of certain areas
by speculative real-estate activities.

(1)  OJ L 175, 5.7.1985.

(98/C 223/113)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0034/98

by Yves Verwaerde (PPE) to the Commission

(29 January 1998)

Subject: Subsidy to the Swedish Society for Biological Anthropology, Eugenics and Behavioural Research

Can the Commission confirm the truth of the report in the German weekly (cid:145)Die Woche(cid:146) to the effect that in
October 1996 it paid a subsidy of DM 225 000 to the Swedish Society for Biological Anthropology, Eugenics and
Behavioural Research for its ecological/agricultural activities?

If so, had the Commission made prior inquiries concerning the society(cid:146)s organizers, and was it aware that the
society(cid:146)s director was a member of a group of neo-Nazi associations?

(98/C 223/114)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0035/98

by Antonio Graziani (PPE) and Pierluigi Castagnetti (PPE) to the Commission

Subject: Allocation of EAGGF funds to an extremist organization

(29 January 1998)

Is the Commission aware of the reports in the Hamburg weekly (cid:145)Die Woche(cid:146) that in October 1996, 225 000 marks
were allocated from the EAGGF to a (cid:145)company for biological anthropology, eugenics and behaviour studies(cid:146),
which, according to the German newspaper, is run by Jurgen Rieger, a well-known neo-Nazi?

This group runs an agricultural centre in the south of Sweden and, according to the newspaper, is one of the
organizers of the (cid:145)Hentendorg weeks(cid:146), an extremist event.

If these reports are true, does the Commission consider it morally acceptable and legally possible for right-wing
extremist activities to be financed by means of a dubious interpretation of Community laws and regulations?