WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1203/98 by Patricia McKENNA to the Commission. Multilateral Agreement on Investment
Date: 1998-04-06
Institutions: European Parliament, MCKENNA
Subjects: OECD, common fisheries policy, conservation of fish stocks, economic analysis, fishery management, fishing agreement, fishing industry, international convention, investment, multilateral agreement

C 323/116

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

21. 10. 98

Answer

(6 July 1998)

The Council would draw the Honourable Member(cid:146)s attention to the fact that the European Patent Organisation
(EPO) is not a Community body but an organization set up by intergovernmental agreement. This means both
that it is not for the Council to express an opinion on that organization(cid:146)s rules and that the status of Swedish
within that organisation has no effect as regards its status within the European Union where its status is governed
by the Treaties.

The status of languages within the Union is defined in Regulation No 1 (1), Article 1 of which stipulates that
Swedish is one of the eleven official languages and working languages of the Community.

(1)  OJ 17, 6.10.1958.

(98/C 323/178)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1191/98

by Hugh McMahon (PSE) to the Commission

(29 April 1998)

Subject: Projects in Tarija, Bolivia

Can the Commission provide Parliament with an update on the situation in Tarija, Bolivia, concerning projects
carried out under the auspices of Prodizavat and, in particular, can it indicate the current position concerning the
larger projects being funded by the EU in this area?

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

(12 May 1998)

The  Prodizavat  ((cid:145)Programa  de  Desarrollo  Integral  en  la  Zona  Andina  y  el  Valle  Alto  de  Tarija(cid:146),  Bolivia)
programme has a budget of MECU 18.5 in total, of which the Community accounts for MECU 14.16, the rest
being financed by the counterpart (Prefectura de Tarija) and the beneficiaries.

After  the  signature  of  the  financing  agreement,  the  project  started  in  October  1994  with  the  arrival  of  the
european technical assistance. It is foreseen that the project terminates by October 1998.

Apart from the Prodizavat programme, the Community(cid:146)s food security programme also operates in the Tarija
area. The Community has committed a total of MECU 80 for 1995-1999 to support actions in favour of food
security  in  Bolivia.  The  overall  programme  falls  into  three  categories:  improving  economic  access  to  food,
improving physical access to food and increasing availability of food. Specific actions and projects funded by the
programme are primarily prepared on the basis of requests presented by local authorities and communities. At he
territorial level, projects are concentrated in 78 rural municipalities (population 775 000), selected on the basis of
the official poverty index. These municipalities are grouped into seven areas, one of which is within Tarija, with
the intention of achieving a reasonable degree of integration among programme actions.

(98/C 323/179)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1203/98

by Patricia McKenna (V) to the Commission

(6 April 1998)

Subject: Multilateral Agreement on Investment

The member countries of the OECD are currently negotiating the Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI).
The most recent draft of this agreement contains a number of provisions which could jeopardize the freedom of
the  European  Union  to  manage  the  fishing  industry  in  the  Community  according  to  its  own  priorities  and
policies. It could also threaten the ability of the EU to fulfil the undertakings given within certain international
treaties and conventions which the EU has signed.