WRITTEN QUESTION P-0902/00 by Efstratios Korakas (GUE/NGL) to the Council. Reform of the system of aid for cotton.
Date: 2000-03-20
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing arrangements, European Commission, cotton, drafting of EU law

28.12.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 374 E/183

particular difficulty regarding recognition procedures in this area. Interested parties are invited to make
known the existence of such requirements to the Commission.

tour manager and that of

As regards the imposition of fines on tour managers, the problem appears to be due mainly to a confusion
tourist guide. According to the principle of
between the profession of
subsidiarity, the responsibility for the definition of the scope of these two professions lies with the
Member States. The facts brought so far to the Commission(cid:146)s attention in this connection do not indicate a
practice that could constitute an infringement of the EC Treaty. The Commission would in any case
remind the Honourable Member that Article 49 (ex Article 59) of the EC Treaty (freedom to provide
services) can have direct effect and confers rights on individuals that national authorities must respect.
Interested parties can therefore best protect their rights by applying to the national courts for the
annulment of such fines under its provisions.

(1) OJ C 72, 7.3.1997.
(2) OJ C 323, 23.10.1998.
(3) SEC(97) 837 final.
(4) OJ L 19, 24.1.1989.
(5) OJ L 209, 24.7.1992.

(2000/C 374 E/215)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0902/00

by Efstratios Korakas (GUE/NGL) to the Council

(20 March 2000)

Subject: Reform of the system of aid for cotton

Under Article 6 of Regulation (EEC) No 1553/95 (1), before the start of the 1999/2000 marketing year the
Commission is required to present a report on the operation of the system of aid for cotton and to submit
a reform proposal only if the report shows it to be necessary. However, the Commission has submitted a
reform proposal directly.
(cid:145)this
requirement [to draw up a report on the operation of the system as set out in paragraph 11 of Protocol
4 annexed to the Act of Accession of Greece] was partly anticipated (cid:133) by the Report
from the
Commission to the Council on Greek requests in the cotton sector (COM(98) 10 final)(cid:146).

the Commission acknowledges that

In its explanatory memorandum,

The Commission has failed to honour its obligations and, moreover, has put forward arguments in the
explanatory memorandum to its reform proposal which, in the absence of a thorough analysis, paint a
distorted picture of the operation of the sector. The cost of the cotton scheme depends largely on the price
of cotton on the world market. The Commission contends that (cid:145)expenditure could exceed EUR 900 million(cid:146).
It chose to submit its proposal at a time when world prices were at their lowest since the previous reform
of the cotton scheme. Furthermore, the world cotton price has risen by 48 % since the date of adoption of
the Commission proposal barely three months ago. In fewer than three months the reform proposal has
become outdated and irrelevant.

As a result, the institutions required to adopt a position on the Commission proposal have three problems
to contend with: the Commission(cid:146)s failure to honour its obligations, the lack of a reliable analysis, and the
use of economic arguments which could prove misleading. Will the Council demand that the Commission
honours its undertakings under Regulation (EEC) No 1553/95? Will it ask the Commission to submit a
new, updated proposal which takes account of the report on the operation of the system of aid for cotton?

(1) OJ L 148, 30.6.1995, p. 45.

Reply

(25 May 2000)

After submitting its report on Greek requests regarding the cotton sector to the Council in February 1998,
and in accordance with the invitation addressed to it by the Council
in June 1998, the Commission
submitted to the latter in December 1999 two proposals for reform of the system of aid for cotton.

C 374 E/184

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

28.12.2000

While retaining the thrust of the current aid system, the Commission proposals concern, as the Honourable
Member will certainly have noted, a number of important economic, technical, budgetary and environ-
mental aspects, which indicate the complexity of the analyses which the Commission undertook in
preparation for drawing up its proposals.

These are currently being studied in detail within the Council(cid:146)s working parties.

The Council will, in good time, take an appropriate decision on this file. In making its decision, the
Council will not fail to examine closely the Parliament(cid:146)s forthcoming Opinion on the matter.

(2000/C 374 E/216)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0906/00

by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Alteration of the cultural heritage in FYROM

(25 March 2000)

Extensive alterations have reportedly been made recently to the architecture of the Church of Ayios
Dimitrios in the town of Bitola (Monastir) in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), which
clearly constitute alteration of the cultural heritage of that historical monument and of the region in
general. Will the Commission say whether it is aware of this situation, what steps it intends to take to put
an immediate end to these actions, and whether it has taken or intends to take any measures to protect the
historical monuments and the cultural heritage in general in the Balkans?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(16 May 2000)

The Commission thanks the Honourable Member for his question regarding the cultural heritage of the
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).

Unfortunately, it has been unable to obtain precise information relating to the church of Ayios Dimitrios,
but,
in general terms, the Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its reply to Written
Question E-0077/99 submitted by Mr Kaklamanis, particularly the second paragraph (1).

(1) OJ C 297, 15.10.1999, p. 142.

(2000/C 374 E/217)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0914/00

by Christopher Huhne (ELDR) to the Commission

(25 March 2000)

Subject: Volume of EU legislative proposals

How many new legislative proposals (for directives, regulations and decisions) have been made by the
Commission in each year for the last ten years?