WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1286/98 by Gerardo FERNÁNDEZ-ALBOR to the Commission. Economic relations between Mexico and the European Union
Date: 1998-04-29
Institutions: European Parliament, FERNANDEZ ALBOR
Subjects: EU relations, Mexico, NAFTA, economic relations, free-trade agreement, investment abroad, tariff preference, trade agreement (EU), trade relations

C 402/106

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

22.12.98

The Commission is not aware of any studies estimating that 80 % of unemployment is of a structural nature in
Europe. The concepts of structural unemployment used in the technical literature are very different and by no
means undisputed. According to a study published by the Commission (European Economy, No 59 of 1995,
Analytical Study No 3) structural unemployment in Europe accounts to just under 40 %. The concept of structural
unemployment used in this study, based on the absence of workers with proper qualification, is sent direct to the
Honourable Member and to Parliament(cid:146)s Secretariat.

(98/C 402/136)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1283/98

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(29 April 1998)

Subject: Repairing damage to agriculture caused by natural disaster in Greece

The recent disastrous weather which inflicted severe gales, rainstorms and frost on many parts of Greece (the
Peloponnese, islands etc.) caused widespread damage to production, plant and animal resources and infrastruc-
ture.

Since restoring agricultural potential after natural disasters is one of the EAGGF(cid:146)s priority intervention measures
(Art. 5, ninth indent, of Regulation No. 4256/88 (1), will the Commission say whether it will approve any request
that Greece might make for the reallocation of funding from the Community Support Framework in order to
repair the damage to agriculture?

(1) OJ L 374, 31.12.1988, p. 25.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(11 June 1998)

The Commission expresses its sympathy to the farmers whose production and productive capacity were hit by
bad weather.

The Commission is willing to examine a request from the Greek authorities, supported by detailed and well-
argued documentation, for a reordering of priorities within the Community support framework (CSF) in order to
cover the repair of the damaged productive capacity. However, given the advanced stage of implementation of the
CSF, the actual possibilities for reallocating the appropriations still available are extremely limited.

(98/C 402/137)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1286/98

by Gerardo FernÆndez-Albor (PPE) to the Commission

(29 April 1998)

Subject: Economic relations between Mexico and the European Union

Although the European Union is Mexico(cid:146)s second largest trading partner and the second largest source of direct
foreign investment in the country, both parties consider that their economic relations are not fulfilling their full
potential, bearing in mind that the European Union(cid:146)s participation in Mexico(cid:146)s total trade fell from 11.45 % in
1990 to 6.3 % in 1997.

Mexico gives less favourable tariff preferences to European countries than it does to other countries with which it
has concluded agreements. For its part, the European Union has signed agreements with more than 100 countries
granting them more favourable treatment than it does for trade with Mexico.

How will the Commission encourage the building of what could be a new relationship between the two parties,
bearing in mind that Mexico has moved from a protectionist to an open market stance and that in the last ten years
its exports have increased five-fold while its imports have risen by more than 600 %, making it the leading
exporter and importer in Latin America?