WRITTEN QUESTION E-0651/00 by Carlos Ripoll y Martínez de Bedoya (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Environment tax.
Date: 2000-03-09
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Balearic Islands, common commercial policy, environmental tax, traveller

28.12.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 374 E/125

(2000/C 374 E/147)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0629/00

by Mar(cid:237)a Ayuso GonzÆlez (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(3 March 2000)

Subject: The EAGGF Guarantee Section in the various EU Member States in the period 1997-1999

Can the Commission indicate the total amount received by each EU Member State under the EAGGF
Guarantee Section in the years 1997, 1998 and 1999, and provide a breakdown of expenditure:

(a) by heading (arable crops, sugar, fibre plants and silk worms, fruit and vegetables, other plant products,
wine products, tobacco, milk and milk products, beef/veal, sheepmeat and goatmeat, pigmeat, eggs
and poultry, other measures concerning animal products, refunds on certain goods obtained by
processing agricultural products, refunds in connection with Community food aid, distribution of
agricultural products to deprived persons, accompanying measures, rural development measures linked
to markets, other measures, income aid, and the European Fisheries Guarantee Fund); and

(b) by type of aid (export refunds, price compensating aids, acreage aid, aid for livestock, guidance
premiums, private storage aid, withdrawals and similar operations, monetary compensatory amounts,
measures accompanying reform of the CAP, and public storage costs)?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(3 April 2000)

The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to the 27th and 28th financial reports of the
European agricultural guidance and guarantee fund (EAGGF) (cid:129) guarantee section (1) for the data concern-
ing 1997 and 1998 requested in the first part of her written question.

The financial report for 1999 is not yet available and so the Commission is sending directly to the
Honourable Member and to the Parliament(cid:146)s Secretariat extracts of the data to be included therein
concerning the information requested for 1999.

As for the second part of her written question, the Commission is sending direct to the Honourable
Member and to the Parliament(cid:146)s Secretariat some additional tables concerning the information requested
for 1997, 1998 and 1999.

However, the Commission would like to underline that all the information which it is sending direct in
respect of the1999 financial year has not yet been subject to a financial clearance of accounts and for this
reason should not be considered as final.

(1) COM(98) 552 and COM(1999) 568.

(2000/C 374 E/148)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0651/00

by Carlos Ripoll y Mart(cid:237)nez de Bedoya (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(9 March 2000)

Subject: Environment tax

A forum was held in Palma de Mallorca in February attended by Mr Eusebio Murillo of the Directorate-
General for Regional Policy, at which a proposal for an environment tax on tourists visiting the Balearic
Islands, levied by the Regional Government of the Balearic Islands, was discussed.

Has any proposal for an environment tax in the Balearic Islands been submitted to the Commission or has
it been consulted on the matter?

C 374 E/126

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

28.12.2000

If so, what recommendations did the Regional Government of the Balearic Islands put forward concerning
this tax?

Under what conditions does the Commission believe such a tax could be introduced?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(18 April 2000)

The Commission would inform the Honourable Member that it has not been notified of a proposed
environment tax in the Balearic Islands.

(2000/C 374 E/149)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0653/00

by Encarnaci(cid:243)n Redondo JimØnez (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(9 March 2000)

Subject: Use of Community funds for irrigation infrastructures on the river Guaro

In 1987 the Commission allocated 645 million pesetas (Decision C(87) 1626/13) for the construction of
the La Vinuela dam on the river Guaro and for various irrigation infrastructures along the river(cid:146)s banks.

However, only the work on the left bank of the river Guaro has been completed, while the work on the
right bank is still unfinished (technical data sheet No A N 94 P 0101 includes the Guaro irrigation project
as part of the operational programme for Andalucia, 1994-1999). In addition, a delegation of interested
parties visited the offices of DG XVI
in Brussels without obtaining a satisfactory reply from the
Commission.

In the light of the above, will the Commission say why the work on the right bank has not been
completed? What steps has the Commission taken to provide full information to those affected by these
projects?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(7 April 2000)

the Honourable Member refer to the information already given to
The Commission suggests that
Parliament on the project in question,
in particular its reply to Written Question E-1391/99 from
Mr Sakellariou (1), its communications on petitions 249/1999 and 391/1999 and its letter dated 6 May
1999 to Mrs Theato.

According to information provided by Spain, apart from the previous part-financing of the construction of
the dam at La Viæuela, the work part-financed under action 6.1.1. of the operational programme for
Andalusia 1994-1999 is all located on the left bank of the river VØlez and has practically been completed.
In fact, the technical description in the OP does not specify whether the projects are located on the left or
the right bank of the river, but states only (cid:145)Obras de distribuci(cid:243)n en el Guaro(cid:146).

The Commission would like to point out that, under the principle of subsidiarity, it is the job of Member
States to select the projects to be part-financed. According to information received from the national
authorities, the projects to which the Honourable Member refers will most probably be implemented
during a later programming phase but the same authorities do not specify if they intend applying for
Community part-financing for this future development work.

(1) OJ C 170 E, 20.6.2000, p. 3.