WRITTEN QUESTION E-2030/00 by Jean-Claude Fruteau (PSE) to the Commission. Plant health measures.
Date: 2000-06-21
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, peripheral region, plant health treatment

C 89 E/134

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.3.2001

(2001/C 89 E/146)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2030/00

by Jean-Claude Fruteau (PSE) to the Commission

(21 June 2000)

Subject: Plant health measures

Although they are treated like one of the poor relations of the agricultural provisions of the Poseidom
programme for agriculture (Article 11), plant health measures to combat organisms harmful to plants are
of major importance for extremely remote areas.

Under these circumstances, the inadequacy of the funding currently provided and the excessive delays
between completion of measures and release of funds due is all the more regrettable.

What specific measures will the Commission take in response to these two problems?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(3 August 2000)

The Commission would inform the Honourable Member that the phytosanitary situation of the French
overseas departments has received particular attention since 1993. Indeed, since 1993, a very high number
of action programmes presented by France for its overseas departments have been cofinanced from the
Community budget, enabling these departments to cope effectively with specific phytosanitary problems
which are inherent
the
phytosanitary subprogramme covering at least three different categories of projects for each part of the
overseas departments amounts to € 700 000.

to their remote and partially insular nature.

the cofinancing of

In 1999,

The Commission will be vigilant to avoid unnecessary delays in the administrative procedures for the
payment of the Community financial contribution as granted. Moreover, the Commission will examine, on
the basis of the budgetary orientations laid down in its report of 14 March 2000 on Article 299§2 of the
EC Treaty (ex Article 227) (1), the possibilities for stabilising the co-financing of appropriate action
programmes for phytosanitary improvement.

(1) COM(2000) 147 final (cid:129) This report indicated, in its conclusions, that (cid:145)The Commission(cid:146)s proposals with budgetary
implications will receive special attention, pursuant to Article 299(2), under the financial perspective included in the
interinstitutional agreement of 6 May 1999(cid:146).

(2001/C 89 E/147)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2033/00

by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission

(21 June 2000)

Subject: The treatment of pain

It would appear that hundreds of thousands of people suffer daily from high levels of physical pain. Only a
small number of these people receive analgesic treatment with opioids, in line with the directives issued by
the World Health Organisation, which considers that the treatment of pain is one of the main indicators of
the quality of a health service.

Can the Commission say what position Italy, France, Germany, Great Britain and Spain, occupy

1.
among the industrialised countries with regard to the treatment of pain;

Can it say whether any of the research programmes funded by the Union in the area of public health

2.
specifically relate to therapies designed to alleviate pain;