WRITTEN QUESTION P-1663/00 by Jas Gawronski (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Information campaign on enlargement of the Union.
Date: 2000-05-18
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU expenditure, enlargement of the Union, promotion of the European idea

13.2.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 46 E/209

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(27 June 2000)

The Commission is not empowered to intervene directly in industrial restructuring plans such as those
referred to by the Honourable Member.

The Commission would recall that Council Directive 98/59/EC of 20 July 1998 on the approximation of
the laws of the Member States relating to collective redundancies (1) and the national provisions transpos-
ing it into Italian law may be applicable to the case in question.

Besides,
in accordance with Article 16(1)(b) of Council Regulation (EC) No 2792/1999 of
17 December 1999 laying down the detailed rules and arrangements regarding Community structural
assistance in the fisheries sector (2), Member States may grant compensation, part-funded by the Financial
Instrument for Fisheries Guidance (FIFG), to the fish processing industry for temporary cessation of their
activity. It is for the authority responsible for managing the structural programme concerned to decide
whether or not to grant the compensation in question, in compliance with the abovementioned rules.

(1) OJ L 225, 12.8.1998.
(2) OJ L 337, 30.12.1999.

(2001/C 46 E/251)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1663/00

by Jas Gawronski (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Information campaign on enlargement of the Union

(18 May 2000)

Many official statements by Members of the Commission indicate that one of the most serious threats to
enlargement of the Union comes from public opinion in the Member States and candidate countries
concerning this change.

If the fear of enlargement is so great, why has the Commission decided to allocate only € 150 million to
an information campaign for 28 countries over seven years (€ 765 306 a year per country)?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(9 June 2000)

The Commission is aware that information is crucial to the success of the enlargement process. However,
it has no desire to usurp the role of the Member States and candidate countries in informing domestic
public opinion. The Commission intends to act as a complementary catalyst, creating synergies on the
ground. The Commission(cid:146)s strategy is to supply information to target groups which can have a multiplier
effect.

The total amount provided for, to which the honourable member refers,
Commission considers sufficient at
campaigns, previous and current, such as the campaign in favour of the Euro.

this stage. The amount

is an estimate, which the
is comparable to that spent on similar

Moreover, because these are decentralised campaigns in the candidate countries, the financial resources
take into account the availability of appropriations allocated by the budgetary authority in the (cid:145)Expenditure
on administrative management(cid:146) part of the relevant budget lines. For expenditure in the Member States and
in Brussels, the appropriations available are limited by allocations to specific budget lines, such as the line
for the Prince public information programme, approved by the budgetary authority.