WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1507/98 by Daniel VARELA SUANZES- CARPEGNA to the Commission. The information society and social and economic cohesion
Date: 1998-05-13
Institutions: European Parliament, VARELA SUANZES-CARPEGNA
Subjects: Structural Funds, economic and social cohesion, enlargement of the Union, information, information policy, less-favoured region, regional policy, structural policy

C 31/46

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

5.2.1999

considerably reduce social and regional equality within the EU and, in general, a two-speed information society.
Parliament(cid:146)s Committee on Regional Policy has also expressed similar views in its report A4-0399/97.

Could the Commission say how this consideration has been incorporated into its final proposals on the reform of
the Structural Funds for the new 2000-2006 period (proposals which were adopted by the College of
Commissioners on 18 March 1998), with particular reference to SMEs and, in general, less-favoured (i.e. rural,
island and outlying) regions?

(1999/C 31/060)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1506/98

by Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna (PPE) to the Commission

Subject: The information society and social and economic cohesion

(13 May 1998)

The Commission Communication on cohesion and the information society (COM(97) 7 final of 22 January 1997)
describes (on page 17) the greater difficulty experienced by the more backward regions in securing access to, and
exploiting the potential of, the information society. At the same time a sound telecommunications infrastructure
can restrict or even do away with the need for people to travel and for goods to be transported, which would have
less impact on the environment and be less demanding in terms of financial and energy resources.

Can the Commission say whether this consideration has been incorporated into its final proposals concerning the
reform of the Structural Funds for the new 2000-2006 period, proposals which were adopted by the College of
Commissioners on 18 March 1998?

(1999/C 31/061)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1507/98

by Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna (PPE) to the Commission

Subject: The information society and social and economic cohesion

(13 May 1998)

In its report A4-0399/97 of 9 December 1997, Parliament(cid:146)s Committee on Regional Policy called on the
Commission to take due account of the specific needs of the less-developed regions, the cohesion requirements of
the existing Member States and the challenges arising from enlargement when formulating its policy on the
information society.

Could the Commission say to what extent it has taken this request into account in its final proposals for reform of
the Structural Funds during the new 2000-2006 planning period, proposals which were approved by the College
of Commissioners on 18 March 1998?

Joint answer
to Written Questions E-1499/98, E-1503/98, E-1506/98 and E-1507/98
given by Mrs Wulf-Mathies on behalf of the Commission

(13 July 1998)

In the Commission(cid:146)s proposal for new regulations for the structural funds (1), technological innovation (in
particular the dissemination of information and communication technologies) is listed among the objectives of
the funds(cid:146) intervention. More specifically, Article 2, paragraph 2 of the proposal for a Council regulation of the
European regional development fund (ERDF) clearly states that the development of the information society is
considered as a priority area. Such priority is supported by investments in telecommunications, assistance
towards services for enterprises and technological development with a view to introducing new technologies and
innovation in firms.

The guidelines that the Commission is due to produce after the entry into force of the new regulation (current
article 9, paragraph 4 of the Commission(cid:146)s proposal for a Council regulation laying down general provisions on
the structural funds) will elaborate and provide additional details on how to integrate the information society into
the funds(cid:146) intervention.