WRITTEN QUESTION E-2673/99 by Mark Watts (PSE) to the Commission. Import of donkeys from CEECs to the EU for slaughter.
Date: 2000-01-12
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Central and Eastern European countries, EU statistics, equidae, import (EU), slaughter animal

C 374 E/10

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

28.12.2000

(2000/C 374 E/011)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2673/99

by Mark Watts (PSE) to the Commission

(12 January 2000)

Subject: Import of donkeys from CEECs to the EU for slaughter

How many live donkeys were imported from central and eastern European countries for slaughter in the
EU in (a) 1997 and (b) 1998?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(27 January 2000)

Customs statistics do not differentiate between the different purposes for which donkeys are imported into
the Community. The total number of those animals which in 1997 and 1998 were imported from Central
and Eastern European countries are respectively 4 715 and 7 467. More than 90 % of them were of
Romanian origin and imported into Italy.

(2000/C 374 E/012)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2702/99

by Chris Davies (ELDR) to the Commission

(12 January 2000)

Subject: Approval procedures for projects seeking ERDF support

Applicants seeking ERDF funds to support the construction of an industrial estate will frequently argue
that the project will provide new employment opportunities.

What steps does the Commission take to ensure that such claims are justified and, in particular, to verify
that such employment as may be created will represent additional jobs rather than jobs transferred from
other industrial locations?

In the case of industrial parks being built on greenfield sites, what steps does the Commission take to
ensure that the development complies with EU requirements promote environmental sustainability by, for
example, (a) protecting habitats, (b) giving priority to the development of brownfield sites, (c) discouraging
the additional use of motor transport?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(10 March 2000)

The Commission has developed a systematic approach to assessing job creation targets. This is summarised
in the booklet (cid:145)Counting the Jobs(cid:146) published in the series (cid:145)Evaluation Documents(cid:146), which is sent direct to
the Honourable Member and to the Secretariat general of the Parliament. The specific concern raised, that
claimed jobs will actually consist of transfers from other locations, is a type of displacement and this issue
is addressed specifically as part of the calculation of net jobs created.
It is true that most ex-ante
predictions of employment effects are based on gross job creation, but the net effect is examined in
intermediate evaluation and particularly in ex-post evaluation.

Concerning sustainable development, the Commission stressed in its indicative guidelines for programmes
in the period 2000-2006 (1) that priority should be given to the rehabilitation of brownfield industrial sites
over the development of greenfield sites. Moreover,
the Commission has emphasised that transport
interventions to be assisted should be integrated into strategies for sustainable transport systems. Whilst
the guidelines are not legally binding, compliance with Community legislation such as Council Directive