WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1153/98 by José APOLINÁRIO to the Commission. Value of Lisbon and Tagus Valley (Portugal) GDP
Date: 1998-04-24
Institutions: APOLINARIO, European Parliament
Subjects: Andalusia, EU statistics, Lisbon and the Tagus Valley, Structural Funds, economic statistics, gross domestic product, regional development

19. 11. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 354/73

The regional GDP is a composite indicator of the production activity in a region. It is therefore highly suitable for
measuring  the  level  of  economic  development  of  the  regions.  However,  it  does  not  measure  the  disposable
income of the households concerned. To make up for the lack of information on this topic at Community level,
the Commission, as part of its revision of the ESA in 1995, therefore drew up the methodological principles
needed for compilingng regional accounts for households. This work, carried out in collaboration with the NSIs,
was  completed  in  1996.  The  result  is  that,  as  from  2000,  initial  information  will  be  available  on  the  gross
disposable income of households at regional level.

(98/C 354/119)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1153/98

by Jose· Apolina·rio (PSE) to the Commission

(24 April 1998)

Subject: Value of Lisbon and Tagus Valley (Portugal) GDP

According to the most recent Eurostat statistics the Lisbon and Tagus Valley region has a per capita GDP which
exceeds 75% of the Community average, for which reason it will not in future be eligible for Structural Fund
Objective 1 status.

However,  in  view  of  the  range  and  diversity  of  the  socio-economic  conditions  within  the  Lisbon  and  Tagus
Valley geographical area, does the Commission not think that (to follow the example of what it said in its answer
to  Written  Question  P-2010/97 (1)  concerning  the  GDP  variations  in  Andalusia)  it  should  undertake  a  more
detailed geographical analysis of the vast area which the Lisbon and Tagus Valley region encompasses? And
could  a  more  detailed  analysis  of  this  kind  not  be  carried  out  by  means  of  a  subdivision  at  NUTS  3  level
(as undertaken by the Commission in its answer to the above question)?

(1)  OJ C 45, 10.2.1998, p. 142

Answer given by Mr de Silguy On behalf of the Commission

(4 June 1998)

Eligibility  for  Structural  Fund  Objective  1  status  is  laid  down  at  level  2  of  the  Nomenclature  of  Territorial
Statistical Units (NUTS). This objective is aimed at making up the economic shortfall and must therefore be
assessed at the level of geographic units which are large enough for implementation of a regional development
policy.

Even if there are differences in the situations within the Lisbon and Tagus Valley region, the data at NUTS 3 level
must be treated with caution in view of the small size of the geographic units concerned and the methodological
difficulties posed by commuters when it comes to estimating the GDP per inhabitant. The GDP is estimated on
the basis of the place of production, while the population is that of the place of residence. This automatically
increases the GDP per inhabitant in the areas in which employment is concentrated (Greater Lisbon in the present
case) and reduces it in the areas in which the employees live. The scale of this problem diminishes with the size
of the region and is thus much less critical at NUTS 2 level.

(98/C 354/120)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1159/98

by Roberta Angelilli (NI) to the Commission

(24 April 1998)

Subject: Further information on the cable car disaster in Cermis, Italy

With reference to my previous question (E-545/98) on the cable car disaster caused by a US military airplane and
recent  press  articles  concerning  the  authorities(cid:146)  failure  to  bring  the  pilots  of  the  US  airplane  before  a  court
martial, would the Commission state:

1.  whether it considers that the fact that the pilots of the American plane will be subject to civil proceedings,

despite the fact that the incident happened on Italian territory, infringes international law?