WRITTEN QUESTION P-2501/99 by Giorgio Celli (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Messina territorial pact.
Date: 1999-12-16
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Sicily, competence of the Member States

8.8.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 225 E/153

(cid:129) factoring transactions;

(cid:129) the rental of advertising hoardings mounted on buildings;

(cid:129) the handing over of land on which a building has been constructed, in cases where both the building
and the land are handed over at the same time and the handing over of the building is taxable in
accordance with Article 4(3)(b) of Directive 77/388/EEC, but where a Member State has taken up the
option referred to in Annex F(16)?

(1) OJ L 145, 13.6.1977, p. 1.

Joint answer
to Written Questions P- 2500/99 and P-2751/99
given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(20 January 2000)

The Honourable Member raises a series of complex and difficult issues under Community VAT legislation.
Their tax treatment requires a detailed analysis of Articles 9 and 13 of the Sixth Council Directive 77/388/
EEC of 17 May 1977 on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to turnover taxes (cid:129)
Common system of value added tax: uniform basis of assessment to determine whether or not exemptions
apply in each case.

This question is broad in scope, highly specific in nature, and applies to a wide range of services; to
answer it would require detailed case-by-case study. The Commission would point out to the Honourable
Member that such a detailed response would entail long and complex research which it is currently unable
to undertake and which would far exceed what could reasonably be expected in the context of an answer
to a written question.

(2000/C 225 E/167)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2501/99

by Giorgio Celli (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(16 December 1999)

Subject: Messina (cid:145)territorial pact(cid:146)

By a Ministerial Decree of 20 January 1999 the project for a holiday and study centre (cid:145)Giardino di Sicilia(cid:146),
designed to offer a combination of educational and recreational activities for the European general public,
was approved in the context of the Messina (cid:145)territorial pact(cid:146) (government project to promote employment).
Membership of the pact was formalised with the Messina Chamber of Commerce, the authority responsible
for administration, together with Sogepat (the company managing the pact), on 23 March 1999. The first
instalment of funding should have been granted within two months of that date, but this has not yet
happened, thereby jeopardising the whole project, which was scheduled to start in spring 2000. The
lengthy procrastinations in the administration of the Messina pact are calling into question the very
concept of partnership underlying the (cid:145)territorial pacts(cid:146).

Can the Commission investigate the causes of these incomprehensible delays, which are creating problems
for the local operators involved in the Messina pact?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(17 January 2000)

The granting of funding under the territorial pact for the development of Messina and the relevant
procedural and payment deadlines were determined under a national procedure laid down by the
Interministerial Committee for Economic Planning. The Commission is not therefore in a position to
reply, the matter being the exclusive responsibility of the competent national authorities.