WRITTEN QUESTION P-0789/00 by Lord Inglewood (PPE-DE) to the Commission. The Common Agricultural Policy.
Date: 2000-03-09
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: common agricultural policy

26.1.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 26 E/111

Reply

(8 June 2000)

The Treaty contains no specific provisions concerning a Member State(cid:146)s withdrawal, whether it be from
the EU in general or the third phase of EMU.

(2001/C 26 E/137)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0779/00

by Nicholas Clegg (ELDR) to the Commission

(16 March 2000)

Subject: Common commercial policy and the IGC

In the Commission(cid:146)s opinion on the Intergovernmental Conference it proposed that the provisions of the
common commercial policy, including qualified-majority voting in the Council, should be extended to
agreements on services and intellectual property.

Can the Commission confirm that the extension of the CCP will cover all services without exception,
including those in the cultural field and audiovisual services in particular?

Answer given by Mr Lamy on behalf of the Commission

(7 April 2000)

The Commission(cid:146)s opinion on the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) does not make any distinction
between types of services for the purposes of extending the provisions on commercial policy in Article
133 (ex Article 113) EC Treaty.

(2001/C 26 E/138)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0789/00

by Lord Inglewood (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(9 March 2000)

Subject: The Common Agricultural Policy

In response to a Written Question from Lord Inglewood in the House of Lords (PQ 788 written
28 February 2000) Lady Hayman, the Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food said
that (cid:145)the Common Agricultural Policy as currently structured does not serve farmers, consumers and
taxpayers well(cid:146). Does the Commission agree?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(29 March 2000)

The common agricultural policy (CAP) is an evolving policy. It has developed ever since its introduction to
improve its contribution to the objectives laid down in Article 33 (ex Article 39) of the EC Treaty. With
the 1992 reforms and the recent Agenda 2000 reforms, fundamental re-orientations of the CAP have been
introduced in order to increase internal and external competitiveness, and the quality orientation of
agricultural production, to ensure a fair standard of living for the farming community, to better integrate
environmental goals into the CAP and to enhance rural development and the creation of complementary
or alternative income and employment opportunities.

C 26 E/112

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

26.1.2001

The structure of the CAP and the current reform process reflect the interests of all Member States and
those involved in agricultural policy.
It should be noted that the Agenda 2000 reform was agreed
unanimously by the Berlin European Council. Indeed, these reforms give Member States flexibility to tailor
the implementation of the CAP to national situations to provide greater focus on rural development and
environmental concerns.

The Commission does therefore not share the view attributed to the British minister.

(2001/C 26 E/139)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0815/00

by Christopher Huhne (ELDR) to the Commission

(21 March 2000)

Subject: Recite II administration

Can the Commission explain the reasons behind the current unacceptable delays in the processing of
applications and in the payment of grants to beneficiaries under its Recite II programme? Does it consider
it acceptable that requests for payments submitted by projects in mid-November 1999 have still not been
processed?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(28 April 2000)

The Commission received four applications in November l999 for payments in respect of projects under
the programme of interregional cooperation (Recite II).

Two of these applications were complete and the payments were made within 45 days.

In the case of the other two, the beneficiaries sent in incomplete applications which were not in line with
their contractual obligations. The Commission contacted both beneficiaries within five days to apprise
them of the fact. After sending several reminders, the Commission finally received the extra information it
needed in February 2000 and the payment procedure was launched at that time.

(2001/C 26 E/140)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0822/00

by Adriana Poli Bortone (UEN), Sergio Berlato (UEN)
and Sebastiano Musumeci (UEN) to the Commission

(21 March 2000)

Subject: Blood oranges (cid:129) a peripheral market

Sicily is in a peripheral geographical position as far as the marketing of its produce is concerned.

The cultivation of citrus fruit is a tradition in Southern Italy, in particular Sicily, and the whole community
in small towns there revolves around this type of farming.

Blood oranges grow in Sicily, in particular in the (cid:145)plain of Catania(cid:146) area, and they have special organoleptic
qualities which are recognised even by medical science.

Can the Commission say whether it intends to devote resources and projects to developing this special
product, which is unique in the world.

Whether it intends to facilitate promotion and marketing by bringing the Sicilian market closer to the
European market?