WRITTEN QUESTION E-0605/00 by Salvador Garriga Polledo (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Possibility of granting the outermost regions permanent Objective 1 status.
Date: 2000-03-03
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: eligible region, less-favoured region, peripheral region

13.2.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 46 E/17

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(10 April 2000)

The Commision(cid:146)s Humanitarian Office (ECHO) intervenes in the Moluccas in order to ease the welfare of
the inhabitants. In 1999, € 1 million were committed for two projects, covering medical supplies, water
and sanitation, and food. At present, an aid project covering the same areas is under way for an amount of
€ 900 000. The Commission is examining the continuation of these projects for another six months for
food, medical and water and sanitation assistance to the displaced people. It is expected that further funds
will be committed for this purpose.

The Commission has not received any project proposals for humanitarian assistance to Moluccas(cid:146) displaced
people from Dutch non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

The Commission is also particularly attentive regarding the tens of thousands of displaced people in
northern Molucca.

As to the question whether unused funds for previous or continuing projects can be re-directed to support
reconciliation and preventive action, it is clear that such a re-attribution exceeding the objectives of the
original project is not possible, according to the legal basis of the Commission(cid:146)s action.

through the available co-operation instruments,

The recently published communication on developing closer relations with Indonesia (1), outlines the
Commission(cid:146)s pro-active development strategy, understood as a long-term and comprehensive approach. It
includes contributions,
to the social and economic
development of
Indonesia. Particular attention is paid to poverty alleviation and to the sustainable
management of natural resources (forestry-co-operation is already one of the key areas). It also includes
the establishment of a comprehensive political dialogue to support the anchoring of democracy, the
promotion of human rights, the rule of law, good governance, internal dialogue and reconciliation within
the country, and the intensification of Community trade and investment relations with Indonesia. The
document calls on all the Community(cid:146)s partners to support the process of restructuring Indonesia(cid:146)s
economy.

For the 1995-1999 period, Community funding for Indonesia (cid:129) from the general Asia development
budget line (cid:129) amounted to less than € 20 million a year, to which some funding for human rights projects
should be added, available through the Asia human rights budget line.The Commission is committed to
increase its financial input for Indonesia, in line with the above priorities.

(1) COM(2000) 50.

(2001/C 46 E/021)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0605/00

by Salvador Garriga Polledo (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(3 March 2000)

Subject: Possibility of granting the outermost regions permanent Objective 1 status

The outermost regions of
their
geographical remoteness and the distances separating them from the nerve centres of the respective
Community countries to which they belong.

the European Union face particularly severe difficulties because of

Because of this, and the fact that some of the outermost regions of the EU may exceed the ceiling of 75 %
of average Community income, which would exclude them from the group of regions covered by
Objective 1, with the risk that they would end up rejoining that group as a result of lack of assistance, it
has been suggested that the outermost regions should be considered as belonging by definition to
Objective 1.

C 46 E/18

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

13.2.2001

Will the Commission examine the idea that the outermost regions should be included by definition under
Objective 1, without taking into account their level of income, in order to alleviate the problems posed by
their extreme geographical remoteness from their respective metropolitan centres?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(26 April 2000)

When it adopted the regulations on the Structural Funds (1), the Council decided that the seven outermost
regions of the Community were eligible under Objective 1 under the criterion of 75 % of average gross
domestic product (GDP). At that time, the statistical data available showed that all these regions satisfied
that criterion. They remain eligible throughout the 2000-2006 programming period.

As regards the period from 2007, the Commission stated in the report (2) that it has just forwarded to the
Council on the implementation of Article 299 (former Article 227)(2) of the EC treaty that it intends to
consider how best to reflect the individual situations of these regions recognised by Article 299(2) in
eligibility for the Structural Funds.

(1) OJ L 161, 26.6.1999.
(2) COM(2000) 147 final.

(2001/C 46 E/022)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0608/00

by Jorge HernÆndez Mollar (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Lack of a left-luggage facility at Malaga airport

(3 March 2000)

The airport at Malaga (Spain), which has received EU funding from the ERDF, has helped to boost the
tourist (and, hence, the economic) development of Andalusia(cid:146)s entire Costa del Sol and it provides
convenient facilities for all its users, who currently number 8,5 million per year.

However, those facilities do not include storage for left luggage, an essential service which many transit
passengers would like to be able to use at airports, railway stations and other transport termini.

Does the Commission think that such a service can be denied to passengers on safety or other grounds
(which is the reason given by the Malaga airport authorities), thus inconveniencing passengers who may
need such a facility?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(6 April 2000)

From a technical point of view, projects part-financed by the European Regional Development Fund are
designed and developed by a Member State(cid:146)s competent authority in the context of an approved economic
development strategy as agreed with the Commission. As a result, the Commission is not in a position to
impose conditions for the use of the part-financed infrastructure other than those that ensure compliance
with the legal framework for their operation.