WRITTEN QUESTION P-2324/00 by Gerard Collins (UEN) to the Commission. URBAN Community Initiative.
Date: 2000-06-30
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing arrangements, EU programme, town planning

C 89 E/182

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.3.2001

(2001/C 89 E/203)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2320/00

by Glenys Kinnock (PSE) to the Commission

(30 June 2000)

Subject: Budget 2001

The Commission proposes in the 2001 Preliminary Draft Budget to find ways of funding a 48 % increase
in spending in the Western Balkans (38 % between 2000-2006) including € 2,3 billion for Serbia.

How can the Commission justify such an increase and simultaneously propose cuts on lines for the
poorest countries? Can such levels of spending be effectively spent?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(24 July 2000)

The 48 % increase in Balkans expenditure proposed by the Commission in the 2001 preliminary draft
budget is largely attributable to Kosovo. The Commission and the World Bank assessed the needs for
reconstruction in Kosovo at € 2 300 million. It is generally recognised that stabilisation in the region will
depend to an extent on the rapid reconstruction of Kosovo. The United Nations mission in Kosovo
(UNMIK) asked donors to concentrate their efforts in the three years after the end of the conflict. On this
basis the Commission decided that € 350 million should be disbursed in 2001. If this special allocation for
Kosovo is not included in the overall proposal for spending in the Balkans, the increase over 2000
proposed by the Commission for the five countries of the Balkans is only 1,03 %. The Commission would
like to emphasise that 90 % of the Kosovo allocation was committed by the end of June with 54 %
contracted. The Commission notes that the Parliament Ad Hoc Delegation that visited Kosovo from
31 May-3 June confirmed that (cid:145)Kosovo demonstrates a real capacity for absorption in relation to the 2000
Budget and the PDB for 2001(cid:146). Of the total 2000 budget allocated for the Western Balkans countries
(€ 527 million) the Commission expects 87 % will have been committed by September, with nearly 60 %
contracted. The absorption capacity of these countries is not comparable to that of other less developed
countries. The Commission does not propose to reduce the allocations for the poorest countries but to
find a better balance between countries over the period within the same overall allocation.

(2001/C 89 E/204)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2324/00

by Gerard Collins (UEN) to the Commission

(30 June 2000)

Subject: URBAN Community Initiative

The URBAN Community Initiative as agreed under the Agenda 2000 package in March 1999 is intended
to aid social and economic regeneration in declining towns and run-down urban districts. Continuity of
funding is vital for the survival of many small community groups involved in projects of this nature. While
the Commission has already adopted its final version of the guidelines for the URBAN II Initiative,
providing for € 700 million in funding from 2000-2006, local groups are still waiting to draw down such
funds. Can the Commission say whether it is prepared to speed up the process of releasing the URBAN II
funds so as to allow key socio-economic projects to proceed?

20.3.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 89 E/183

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(27 July 2000)

The Commission adopted guidelines on 28 April 2000 for the Community initiative URBAN II concerning
economic and social regeneration in urban areas (1). Member States wishing to benefit from URBAN II are
invited to present programme proposals within six months after the publication of this notice, by
19 November 2000.

Programme proposals are drawn up and submitted to the Commission by the authorities designated by the
Member States concerned. Project costs are eligible for support from the day the operational programme
arrives at the Commission and is declared admissible (if it contains all the necessary information for
assessment). The sooner the Member States present their proposals for eligible areas, complying with the
criteria as mentioned in the URBAN II guidelines, and subsequently the different operational programmes,
the faster the Commission can start the adoption procedures. The Commission will decide on the
contribution from the funds not later than five months after receiving the relevant plans.

The Commission is aware of the need for support for certain small community groups involved in social
and economic regeneration projects, and will ensure rapid adoption of the various operational pro-
grammes.

With regard to continuity of funding the Commission would point out that URBAN II especially targets
formulation and implementation of innovative strategies for sustainable economic and social regeneration.
The number of URBAN community initiative programmes will decrease compared to the previous
programming period 1994-1999 when URBAN funded programmes in a total of 118 urban areas. For
the 2000-2006 programming period the number of urban areas to be covered under the new initiative
will be limited to around 50. However, some community groups previously eligible under URBAN I might
now be located in an objective 1 or objective 2 urban strand. Therefore the various programming
documents of these should integrate urban development measures for the main urban areas in the region.

(1) OJ C 141, 19.5.2000.

(2001/C 89 E/205)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2326/00

by Ursula Stenzel (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(30 June 2000)

Subject: Compatibility of Polish draft

law on competition and consumer protection with the acquis

communautaire

The Polish Parliament will shortly be adopting the legislative text of a law on competition and consumer
protection which will also include important provisions on industrial property. However, the draft law
contains a provision which seems to be incompatible with international rules on industrial property,
namely Article 332a, which makes it compulsory to transfer trade mark rights to domestic manufacturers
if the trade marks concerned have been continuously used in the ten years preceding the entry into force
of the law.

Will the Commission state in this connection:

(cid:129) Is the provision of Article 332a of the law in question compatible with the Europa agreement and

with European law in general?

(cid:129) What would the consequences be for the continuation of Poland(cid:146)s accession negotiations in this field if
the law on competition and consumer protection were adopted by the Polish Parliament as it stands?