WRITTEN QUESTION P-1831/00 by Helena Torres Marques (PSE) to the Commission. Consequences of enlargement.
Date: 2000-05-31
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Structural Funds, economic and social cohesion, eligible region, enlargement of the Union, gross domestic product

C 81 E/100

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

13.3.2001

(2001/C 81 E/119)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1826/00

by Mar(cid:237)a Izquierdo Rojo (PSE) to the Commission

(31 May 2000)

Subject: Partisan strategies regarding requests for funding from the ERDF and the Cohesion funds

Is the Commission aware that a large number of regional and local authorities in Spain have requested an
extension of the deadline for the submission of ERDF and Cohesion fund projects until 5 July since the
Spanish Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance failed to provide adequate information in this regard
and the 5 May deadline took many local authorities by surprise, making it impossible for them to have
equal access to funding from these European programmes? Is it also aware that, as a result, the Partido
Popular Government stands accused of pursuing a biased strategy consisting in concealing deadlines and
preventing equal access to European funding?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(30 June 2000)

The Commission is not aware of the deadline for applications nor of the accusations mentioned. In this
regard, the Commission would remind the Honourable Member that, according to the regulations in force,
it is the Member State which is responsible for organizing the selection process for candidate projects for
structural fund and Cohesion fund support.

(2001/C 81 E/120)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1831/00

by Helena Torres Marques (PSE) to the Commission

(31 May 2000)

Subject: Consequences of enlargement

Objective 1 regions are defined as regions whose per capita GDP in terms of purchasing power parity is
less than 75 % of the European average.

That average is calculated on the basis of the current 15 Member States.

What is the Commission(cid:146)s view on the way in which the average should be calculated after the planned
enlargement, and indeed in the first phase of enlargement, given that the GDP of the countries involved
stands between 30 % and 40 % of the Community average?

Is it possible that a region of the European Union in its present form could become (cid:145)statistically rich(cid:146) solely
as a result of the (cid:145)enlargement effect(cid:146), without there having been any change in its economic and social
position?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(30 June 2000)

The list of regions of the 15 Member States covered by Structural Fund Objective 1 for the 2000-2006
programming period was decided by the Commission on 1 July 1999 under Article 3 of Council
Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 of 21 June 1999 laying down general provisions on the Structural Funds (1).

This list is valid for seven years even if the Community average per capita gross domestic product falls on
the accession of new Member States.

13.3.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 81 E/101

As regards the period after 2006, the second report on cohesion to be adopted by the Commission at the
end of this year under Article 159 (ex 130b) of the EC Treaty will analyse the situation of the regions in
the context of an enlarged Union and propose certain orientations for future cohesion policy.

(1) OJ L 161, 26.6.1999.

(2001/C 81 E/121)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1840/00

by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(31 May 2000)

Subject: Damage to tomato crops in Portugal

The unusually bad weather conditions which have affected Portugal since the beginning of the year, with a
long period of drought followed by a period of hail storms and torrential rain, have caused damage to
various crops and been extremely costly to farmers. Tomatoes have been particularly hard-hit, with serious
consequences for the processing industry. The hardest-hit regions are Alentejo and Ribatejo, where tomato
production is of special economic and social
importance. The figures given by the association of
Portuguese tomato growers (APTI) suggest that production will be at 40 % of the normal annual rate.
According to the organisation, less than half the fields have been planted as a result of rain, at a time when
they should have already reached a rate of 45 %. The APTI reckons that 25 % of crops will be lost.

The SantarØm farmers(cid:146) federation, in the Ribatejo region, has stated that 50 % of the area under crops has
been affected and that 25 % is likely to be lost. The 50 % of the land that has not been planted, i.e. some
4000 ha, will represent an average loss of Esc 600 000 per farmer, without any prospect of compensation.
It points out that this could jeopardise the processing industry(cid:146)s supplies.

Can the Commission answer the following:

1. What action does the Commission intend to take to help the affected tomato growers?

2. Will it take account of their difficulties when calculating Portugal(cid:146)s tomato quota in its proposal for

reform of the COM, so as to guarantee farmers(cid:146) quotas and incomes?

3. Does it intend to revise the method for calculating tomato quotas in the future reform of the COM?

4. What is the Commission(cid:146)s view on the establishment of reference thresholds for tomato production in
each Member State, as proposed by the European Parliament? Does it intend to include this proposal
in the future reform of the COM?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(27 June 2000)

Weather conditions were very bad throughout the Iberian Peninsula in the first four months of this year. A
lack of rain up to the end of March was followed by torrential rain in April and up to 10 May. Since then
the weather has been normal.

The Commission(cid:146)s information at the moment is that the production year is normal except for a three to
four week delay owing to the poor weather.

As regards modification of the present processing tomato arrangements, the Commission is examining the
situation of the sector and will make its proposals in due time.