WRITTEN QUESTION E-1417/00 by Bill Miller (PSE) to the Commission. Capital investment.
Date: 2000-05-05
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU Member State, catering industry, distributive trades, extraction of oil, financial institution, housing, industrial production, investment, transport network

C 72 E/54

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

6.3.2001

liability (5) seeks to improve the
In addition, the white paper proposing a directive on environmental
implementation of key principles such as polluter-pays, prevention and precaution, and of existing
Community environmental
laws, and also to ensure adequate restoration of the environment. Timely
cost-effective investments in prevention measures to avoid damage that would be more costly to repair are
likely to pay dividends in the case of operations which have not taken adequate measures.

The applicant countries are obliged to implement Community legislation, known as the (cid:145)acquis commu-
nautaire(cid:146), before they can join the Union. Any revisions of existing legislation or any new legislation
automatically become part of the (cid:145)acquis communautaire(cid:146).

(1) COM(2000) 265 final.
(2) Council Directive 96/82/EC of 9.12.1996 on the control of major-accident hazards involving dangerous substances,

OJ L 10, 14.1.1997.

(3) OJ L 182, 16.7.1999.
(4) Council Directive 96/61/EC of 24.9.1996 concerning integrated pollution prevention and control (IPPC), OJ L 257,

10.10.1996.

(5) COM(2000) 66 final.

(2001/C 72 E/060)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1414/00

by David Bowe (PSE) to the Commission

(3 May 2000)

Subject: Projects involving genetically modified crops in developing countries

Could the Commission clarify its categorisation for projects it supports which involve the growing of
genetically modified crops in the African, Caribbean and Pacific states or any other developing countries?

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(21 June 2000)

In the context of the Commission(cid:146)s development cooperation there are no projects undertaken to promote
genetically modified crops in the African, Caribbean and Pacific States (ACP) or any other developing
countries.

(2001/C 72 E/061)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1417/00

by Bill Miller (PSE) to the Commission

(5 May 2000)

Subject: Capital investment

Would the Commission list capital investment, since 1988, within each Member State in the following
categories:

(cid:129) Oil and gas extraction;

(cid:129) Manufacturing;

(cid:129) Distribution;

(cid:129) Hotels and catering;

(cid:129) Financial business services;

(cid:129) Transport and communications;

(cid:129) Private dwellings?

6.3.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 72 E/55

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(3 July 2000)

The Commission is sending the information requested direct to the Honourable Member and to Parliament(cid:146)
Secretariat. However some clarifications are needed. The national accounts system on which the data are
based is ESA 79 and the nomenclature of branches is the general industrial classification of economic
activities within the European Communities/classification and nomenclature for input/output (NACE-
CLIO).

They show investment (GFCF/gross fixed capital formation) by the economic branches concerned rather
than spending on capital goods.

The branches available differ slightly from what was requested: construction makes no distinction between
private owners and others,
financial services includes only credit and insurance, and transport and
communications are often grouped together.

It should also be pointed out that the new national accounts system, ESA 95, has broadened the concept
of investment by including certain intangible investments (software and databases,
literary or artistic
works) expenditure on mineral or oil exploration, regardless of whether or not it is successful, expenditure
on software development and civilian and military equipment (buildings, airports, hospitals, vehicles, etc.).

This explains why the figures under ESA 95, which should all have reached Eurostat by September 2000,
are up for 1995 by between 3,8 % for Portugal and 17,1 % for Denmark.

(2001/C 72 E/062)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1421/00

by Charles Tannock (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(5 May 2000)

Subject: Corruption within the European Commission (return of misappropriated funds)

Can the Commission indicate what progress has been made in recovering BEF 5,5 million against the estate
of Mr Berthelot and all misappropriated funds related to the Leonardo project, and is the Commission
prepared to make a report to the European Parliament detailing the extent of the misappropriation, the
attempts made to prevent discovery and the success in recovering funds?

Answer given by Mrs Schreyer on behalf of the Commission

(4 July 2000)

In December 1999, the Commission issued two debit notes for a total value of BEF 5,5 million against
Mr Berthelot (expiry date 31 January 2000). The notes were contested but the Commission did not accept
the arguments put forward by Mr Berthelot(cid:146)s lawyers. Since Mr Berthelot died in March 2000, a reminder
and a formal notice to pay were sent to those entitled under him in March and April 2000 respectively. As
no payment was made, the Commission started enforced recovery proceedings.

With regard to the Leonardo da Vinci programme, the Commission identified and recovered the amounts
relating to expenditure considered as ineligible during the audit conducted by the office assisting it with
programme implementation (Leonardo technical assistance office (cid:129) TAO). At the beginning of February
1999, the Commission notified the Brussels Prosecution Service of four cases linked to the operation of
this office for information purposes. The investigation is under way and the Commission has not yet been
informed of the results. The Commission has not uncovered any irregularity in the management of
projects under the programme checked on the spot by its departments. Moreover, following the checks
made by its departments into beneficiaries,
the Commission regularly issues recovery orders against
beneficiaries in respect of ineligible expenditure amounts.