WRITTEN QUESTION E-1941/99 by Isidoro Sánchez García (ELDR) to the Commission. Trans European and Energy networks and the ultraperipheral regions.
Date: 1999-11-04
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: peripheral region, trans-European network

C 303 E/20

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

24.10.2000

The Community(cid:146)s humanitarian aid programmes are managed by the Commission. Its programmes are
implemented in co-operation with professional humanitarian agencies, such as specialised United Nations
agencies, European non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the Red Cross movement. The Com-
mission has recently opened a technical office in Moscow in order to advise partners directly in the field.

In general, the Commission shares the cautious assessment of the reliability of distribution systems in the
Russian Federation. In fact, this is one of the major reasons why the size of the Commission activities in
this country has remained relatively modest (adequate monitoring possibilities being one of the essential
criteria when it decides on a project proposal).

(2000/C 303 E/017)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1941/99

by Isidoro SÆnchez Garc(cid:237)a (ELDR) to the Commission

(4 November 1999)

Subject: Trans European and Energy networks and the ultraperipheral regions

It is a simple fact that the ultra-peripheral regions are, to all intents and purposes, excluded from access to
the current Trans-European and Energy Network Guidelines. These regions are very severely disadvantaged
by their remoteness and the scattered nature of their territories, and they merit special treatment.

Does the Commission intend to develop a specific transport and energy policy to meet the needs of these
regions, guaranteeing them not merely access as such to the trans-European networks, but a level of access
appropriate to the major problems from which they suffer?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(26 November 1999)

The need to link island, landlocked and peripheral regions to the central regions of the Community is laid
down in the EC Treaty within the framework of Community action on trans-European networks.

Therefore, both in the transport infrastructures sector and the energy sector, the particular characteristics
of these regions have already been included in the guidelines. The fact that ultra-peripheral regions are,
geographically speaking, so far away obviously makes it almost impossible to physically interconnect these
regions to networks at the centre of Europe.

However, in the Community guidelines for developing the trans-European transport network (Decision
No 1692/96/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 23 July 1996 (1)), the need to guarantee access to
and the linking of ultra-peripheral regions is more specifically taken into account in port and airport
networks based on how fragmented and far away these territories are.

The Community guidelines for trans-European energy networks (Decision No 1254/96/EC of the Parlia-
ment and of the Council of 5 June 1996 (2)) provide, among their priorities, for the interconnection of
isolated electricity networks (for example, by underwater links between islands or towards another closer
network) and for the introduction of natural gas into new regions (for example, from an LNG reception
terminal.

Development schemes aimed at ultra-peripheral regions at Community level are not limited only to trans-
European networks. The Structural Funds (e.g., the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the
European Social Fund,
the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund and the Financial
Instrument
for Fisheries Guidance) make a considerable contribution in the form of multi-annual
development programmes under Objective 1 (regions lagging behind in their development) and certain
Community initiatives (essentially REGIS).

24.10.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 303 E/21

Over the current planning period (1994-1999), the contribution of the Structural Funds represents some
EUR 4 327,5 million (at 1999 prices), divided as follows:

Region

Canaries

Martinique

Guadeloupe

Guyana

Reunion

Azores

Madeira

Portugal/REGIS

Objective 1

1 058,1

337,1

357,5

164,9

673,2

696,8

417,8

Total

3 705,4

CI

229,5

60,8

61,3

28,4

115,6

126,5

622,1

Total

1 287,6

397,9

418,8

193,3

788,8

696,8

417,8

126,5

4 327,5

Part of these programmes is, of course, intended for transport and energy infrastructures. Furthermore, in
the case of the ERDF, Council Regulation (EEC) No 2083/93 of 20 July 1993 amending Regulation (EEC)
No 4254/88 laying down provisions for implementing Regulation (EEC) No 2052/88 (3) specifies in Title I,
Article 1(b) that the ERDF should contribute to the development of trans-European transport, energy and
telecommunications networks.

Finally, other financial instruments, in particular the European Investment Bank, also finance infrastructure
projects in ultra-peripheral regions.

(1) OJ L 228, 9.9.1996.
(2) OJ L 161, 29.6.1996.
(3) OJ L 193, 31.7.1993.

(2000/C 303 E/018)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1948/99

by GØrard Deprez (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(4 November 1999)

Subject: Method of controlling genetic traits

Is the Commission aware that the American biotechnology group Monsanto has developed a method of
controlling genetic traits? This technique enables farmers to activate or deactivate certain genes present in
a plant for the purpose of resisting attacks by insect pests or making the plant herbicide-tolerant. However,
such activation/deactivation can only be controlled by applying to the plants a chemical which is currently
solely manufactured by the same company, the one supplying the genetically-modified seed.

The Commission:

1.

Is it aware of this technique?

2. Does it have results of analyses of the possible risks which this type of genetic manipulation may pose
to consumers of food products derived from this process? Can the GMOs be traced and detected in the
finished products?

3. Does it

intend,

food produced from
genetically-modified seed using this technique? If not, how does it envisage checking that such
products are not distributed in Europe?

to authorise the marketing in Europe of

if appropriate,

4. Generally speaking, and looking ahead to the WTO Ministerial Conference in a few weeks(cid:146) time and
the forthcoming Millennium Round, does it intend to broach with its counterparts the question of the
possibility of Europe invoking the precautionary principle in cases of scientific uncertainty in order to
prohibit the marketing in Europe of food products containing GMOs or products produced from
GMOs, without laying itself open to infringement proceedings before a WTO panel?