WRITTEN QUESTION E-1837/99 by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Rejection of citrus fruit restructuring programme in Greece.
Date: 1999-10-13
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EAGGF Guarantee Section, EAGGF Guidance Section, Greece, aid for restructuring, citrus fruit, fruit-growing

1.8.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 219 E/31

ending in 1999). Among the shared cost projects, 17 contracts are related to the bovine spongiform
encephalopathy/transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (BSE/TSE) (mad cow) issue. In addition 92 small
and medium-sized enterprise stimulatory measures have been concluded, including 61 exploratory awards
(all of them ending in 1999) and 31 cooperative research (4 of which ending in 1999). Of the overall
Biomed 2 funding to research activities, 85 % is awarded to public institutions and 15 % to private bodies.

A listing with the participants in the Biomed 2 programme, the total cost by participant and the
Commission participation, is sent directly to the Honourable Member and to the Secretariat General of
the Parliament.

Concerning the verification of fund deployment and outcome of the initiatives, the Biomed 2 programme
management ensured the review and the assessment of the activities until the end of 1998. The quality of
life programme management, starting from January 1999 and up to the closing of all Biomed 2 contracts,
will ensure that there is a review and an assessment of all ongoing activities related to Biomed 2 projects.
Each scientific officer will continue to be in close contact with the project leaders by receiving the progress
reports and responding to their needs.

The Biomed 2 programme has established a project review board (PRB) consisting of external experts from
all Member States (except Luxembourg) as well as from Norway and Iceland. The PRB has the task of
assisting the Commission in the follow-up of ongoing projects through the analysis of periodic reports in
view of the milestones outlined in the technical annexes of the contracts. During the years 1998-1999, the
PRB will have reviewed a total of 98 contracts out of the 600 of Biomed 2.

In addition, the Commission has established a system of external monitoring of the ongoing projects. The
Biomed 2 programme has been monitored each year starting from 1995 and four reports have been
produced for the years 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998. All the reports are available on request and were
positive. The external monitoring of the Biomed programme for the year 1999 will be performed by the
panel, which is monitoring the quality of life programme.

(2000/C 219 E/038)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1837/99

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

Subject: Rejection of citrus fruit restructuring programme in Greece

(13 October 1999)

According to published information the Commission has finally rejected the restructuring programme in
the citrus fruit sector in Greece worth DRA 77 billion. which was submitted on 7 July 1998.

In his reply to a previous question of mine on this topic (E-0002/99, 4.3.1999 (1)), Mr Fischler, the
Commissioner responsible, mentioned that this programme was still being considered.

Will the Commission say whether the above programme has been rejected and, if so, for what reasons?

(1) OJ C 325, 12.11.1999, p. 57.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(18 November 1999)

By letter dated 7 July 1998, the Greek administration submitted to the Commission a draft programme for
the improvement of citrus fruit production in Greece. The cost of this programme was EUR 294 million
and Greece proposed that 75 % of this amount be financed by the European Agricultural Guidance and
Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) (cid:129) Guarantee Section while it would pay the remaining 25 %.

By letter dated 23 November 1998, the Commission informed the Greek authorities that the amounts
involved and the budgetary restrictions on this Section meant that the programme could not be financed
by the EAGGF Guarantee Section.

C 219 E/32

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

1.8.2000

It pointed out that the operational programmes to be implemented by producers(cid:146) organisations under the
new market organisation introduced by Council Regulation (EC) No 2200/96 of 28 October 1996 on the
common organization of the market in fruit and vegetables (1) may include restructuring and reminded the
Greek authorities of the opportunities offered by the EAGGF Guidance Section.

Following a meeting with the Greek authorities in December 1998, the Commission undertook a technical
mission to the main production areas in Greece from 9 to 13 January 1999. Consideration of the results of
the mission confirmed the conclusions sent in November 1998, which were therefore notified to the Greek
authorities by letter dated 15 July 1999.

(1) OJ L 297, 21.11.1996.

(2000/C 219 E/039)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1844/99

by Olivier Dupuis (TDI) to the Commission

(11 October 1999)

Subject: Article 58 (cid:129) Belgian law on bribes and compliance with competition rules

Article 58 of the Belgian Tax Code explicitly grants firms the right to give bribes, euphemistically defined
as (cid:145)secret commissions(cid:146), if such payments are acknowledged as standard practice, stating that the Finance
Ministry may stipulate that the sums involved should be regarded as professional expenses, provided that
the commissions do not exceed normal limits and that the firm pays the relevant taxes.

Is the Commission aware of this law on bribes in Belgium? Does it regard this law as being consistent with
the letter and spirit of the Treaties? Has it been informed by Belgium of the countries in which that
Member State regards such payments as being standard practice? In particular, can the Commission state
whether Belgium regards such payments as standard practice in other Union countries? Moreover, does the
Commission not regard the legalisation of bribes as a breach of the principles governing competition?

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(8 November 1999)

In the absence of harmonisation measures, direct taxation falls within the Member States(cid:146) sphere of
freedoms
competence, subject
provided for by the Treaty.

to observance of Community law and in particular the fundamental

As part of the efforts to combat corruption, the Council of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation
and Development (OECD) adopted, in April 1996, a recommendation that its members should prohibit the
tax deductibility of bribes paid to foreign public officials. The signing of
the Convention of
17 December 1997 on combating bribery of foreign public officials in international business transactions,
which was ratified by Belgium, has had a major impact on the revision of the contracting countries(cid:146)
legislation in implementation of the 1996 recommendation. In its communication of 21 May 1997 on the
Community(cid:146)s anti-corruption policy, the Commission stated that it would raise the question of tax
deductibility for bribes with the Member States in the appropriate fora, with a view to reaching consensus
to abolish such provisions in the framework of a joint concerted move (1).

According to the information available to the Commission, Belgium has arrangements which, following
authorisation from the Minister of Finance, allow (cid:145)secret commission(cid:146)
to be treated, under certain
conditions, as business expenditure where the firm pays tax on this commission, calculated at the standard
rate, which is set by the Minister and may not be less than 20 %. However, Article 7 of the Law of
10 February 1999 on the elimination of corruption lays down that such authorisation may not be granted
for obtaining or keeping public procurement contracts or administrative authorisations.