WRITTEN QUESTION E-2000/00 by Mauro Nobilia (UEN) to the Commission. The Giardino zoologico di Napoli (Naples zoo) company.
Date: 2000-06-21
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Campania, EU policy - national policy, European Commission, cessation of trading, powers of the institutions (EU), zoo

20.3.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 89 E/125

Reply

(23 October 2000)

The Council takes every opportunity, particularly in the context of the accession process, to defend the
fundamental values on which the European Union is founded and which are enshrined in Article 6
(ex Article F) of the Treaty.

As far as Latvia is concerned, Article 2 of the Europe Agreement between that country and the Union,
which entered into force on 1 February 1998, states that (cid:145)Respect for democratic principles and human
rights, established by the Helsinki Final Act and in the Charter of Paris for a New Europe, as well as the
principles of market economy, inspire the domestic and external policies of the parties and constitute
essential elements of this Agreement(cid:146). The Association Council set up by the Europe Agreement is the
political body responsible for seeing that the Agreement is properly implemented, and in that role it may
examine any major issue or dispute arising in connection with the implementation or interpretation of the
Agreement.

Moreover, Latvia is taking part in the current accession process and, as one of the applicant countries, it
must observe well-established criteria, in particular the political criteria laid down by the European Council
in Copenhagen. In this context the Union has at its disposal two important instruments enabling it to
monitor observance of those criteria: firstly, the Accession Partnerships lay down a number of principles,
intermediate objectives and conditions for Latvia(cid:146)s accession to the Union. These include requirements
relating to guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of
minorities. Secondly, regular reports produced each year by the Commission enable the Council to follow
the progress achieved by Latvia on the road to accession. The last regular report from the Commission
found that Latvia fulfilled the Copenhagen political criteria, and in particular that it had stable institutions
guaranteeing democracy and the rule of law. That assessment was endorsed by the Helsinki European
Council, which would otherwise not have decided to open accession negotiations with Latvia. Nevertheless,
the Union will continue to monitor the situation in the applicant countries closely and will certainly take
appropriate action if there is evidence of violations of the fundamental principles referred to above.

(2001/C 89 E/136)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2000/00

by Mauro Nobilia (UEN) to the Commission

(21 June 2000)

Subject: The (cid:145)Giardino zoologico di Napoli(cid:146) (Naples zoo) company

The (cid:145)Giardino zoologico di Napoli(cid:146) company has operated in Naples for the last 50 years, ever since the
town first acquired a zoo. A zoo is undoubtedly a cultural asset for a city of this size and importance,
especially as the nearest zoos are about 200 km away (Fasano (cid:129) zoo safari (cid:129) Rome). Its loss would be a
serious blow to those in the city who wish to use the zoo for educational as well as recreational purposes,
as has often been the case in recent times for schools and the university. The (cid:145)Giardino zoologico di
Napoli(cid:146) is a limited-liability company. Fifty years ago, it concluded a lease with the company owning the
vast site, the (cid:145)Mostra d(cid:146)Oltremare S.p.A(cid:146), the main shareholder in which was the commune of Naples. The
latter company declined to renew the lease, which expired in 1998, and successfully applied to have the
company evicted, although the execution of the order was deferred until this year. The various spurious
reasons cited do not constitute objective grounds for the lessor(cid:146)s failure to renew the lease. The Commune
of Naples, which is involved in this matter both as the major shareholder in Mostra d(cid:146)Oltremare S.p.A and
as the city(cid:146)s administrative authority, in which capacity it should be concerned with protecting Naples(cid:146)
cultural facilities, has not intervened even to propose an alternative site to which the zoo could be moved.
The zoo employs 18 people and accounts indirectly for the employment of various others; the future
prospects of
the 50 or so people whose jobs depend on the zoo are bleak, given the level of
unemployment in Naples. The outlook for the zoo(cid:146)s animals is not promising either.

C 89 E/126

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.3.2001

The Commission:

(cid:129) Would it, therefore, ascertain whether the facts set out above are accurate?

(cid:129) Would it consider whether it would be appropriate to approach the Commune of Naples, as the
competent body, to ensure the city(cid:146)s zoo is retained, if necessary on a different site, at no cost to the
Commune?

Answer given by Mrs Wallstr(cid:246)m on behalf of the Commission

(8 September 2000)

The Commission notes the Honourable Member(cid:146)s concern about the problems that the (cid:145)Giardino zoologico
de Napoli(cid:146) is facing concerning the end of its lease. Unfortunately the Commission has no competence to
intervene in a matter concerning a commercial
lease between a limited-liability company and another
company and it would therefore not be appropriate for the Commission to approach the Commune of
Naples regarding an alternative site for the Zoo.

In April of last year Council Directive 1999/22/EC relating to the keeping of wild animals in zoos (1) was
adopted. The objective of this Directive is to protect wild fauna and to conserve biodiversity and it is only
in this context that the Commission can intervene. The Directive will be implemented by the Member
States through the adoption of measures for the licensing and inspection of zoos in the Community,
enabling the role of zoos in the conservation of biodiversity to be strengthened.

(1) OJ L 94, 9.4.1999.

(2001/C 89 E/137)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2006/00

by Mar(cid:237)a Sornosa Mart(cid:237)nez (PSE) to the Commission

(16 June 2000)

Subject: Improper use by the Valencia regional government of Community funds for the development of

the information society

On 21 June 1996 the Valencia regional government issued a resolution by means of which the Valencia
Office for the Information Society (OVSI) was set up for the purpose,
inter alia, of (cid:145)coordinating and
supervising the implementation of the project designed to incorporate the Valencia region into the
information society in the way described in the Memorandum signed in Brussels on 28 November 1994(cid:146).

Since it was set up, however, the OVSI has been challenged in political, economic and business circles for
its failure to perform satisfactorily the tasks for which it was established. This has led to the resignation of
a regional government minister for alleged perversion of the course of justice and complaints from traders(cid:146)
associations concerning unfair competition in the (cid:145)Renove(cid:146) plan, which is part of the Infoville programme
(an aspect of the regional government(cid:146)s telecommunications master plan).

Is the Commission aware of these facts?

Could the Commission provide information regarding the type and the amount of Community funding
which the Valencia regional government has received for the OVSI Foundation and the Infoville
programme (or any of the programmes run by the regional government(cid:146)s Infocentre), with particular
reference to headings B5-330 and B5-331 relating to the information society?

Is the Commission intending to open an inquiry in order to establish whether or not the Valencia regional
government is using the Community aid in question correctly and in accordance with the Valencia region
information society development objectives for which purpose they were allocated?