WRITTEN QUESTION P-2246/00 by Lord Inglewood (PPE-DE) to the Council. Revision of Article 296 in the Treaty of Nice.
Date: 2000-06-30
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Treaty of Nice, code of conduct, common foreign and security policy, common security and defence policy, export, military equipment, revision of the Treaty (EU)

C 113 E/76

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.4.2001

Given that the area is highly susceptible to earthquakes and given the frequency with which such events
have occurred in recent years, will the Commission provide the region of Emilia Romagna with funds to
compensate for the damage caused which can be made available to the inhabitants of the municipalities
concerned?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(29 September 2000)

The damage caused by the earthquake of 18 June 2000 in the Emilia Reggio province is not in itself
entitled to receive Community financing under the Structural Funds. The Italian authorities can intervene,
if they deem it necessary, with their own funds allocated for emergency intervention.

On 25 July 2000 the Commission adopted the list of Italian areas eligible for Objective 2 of the Structural
Funds for the period 2000-2006. Within the Emilia Romagna region, the zones eligible for this Objective
will include approximately 388,000 inhabitants. Funds will be available to these areas, in particular for
measures aiming to repair infrastructures necessary for economic activity.

Furthermore, the areas that were eligible for Objective 2 or Objective 5(b) during the previous program-
ming period and which no longer feature on the above-mentioned list can continue, nonetheless, to
receive assistance from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) until the end of 2005 within the
framework of transitional decreasing support.

(2001/C 113 E/074)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2246/00

by Lord Inglewood (PPE-DE) to the Council

(30 June 2000)

Subject: Revision of Article 296 in the Treaty of Nice

In the Presidency report on strengthening CESDP to the European Council which met in Santa Maria da
Feira, the Council Legal Service is quoted as concluding that Treaty amendments would be necessary
(cid:145)to amend the Treaty(cid:146)s provisions regarding the WEU(cid:146) and where Member States determine it would be
(cid:145)politically desirable or operationally appropriate(cid:146). Is it the Council(cid:146)s view that this requirement for the
amendment of the Treaty would extend to the creation of a European Armaments Agency by merging
OCCAR and WEAO, to the creation of the conditions for a single market in defence equipment by making
Article 296 (cid:145)more flexible(cid:146) and to ensuring that the Code of Conduct on arms exports is fully respected by
all Member States as called for in paragraphs 23 and 24 of the European Parliament(cid:146)s resolution of 15 June
2000 (LalumiŁre report)? If the Council does not consider that Treaty amendments are necessary, how does
it intend to proceed to ensure that these three objectives are actually attained?

Reply

(20 November 2000)

As indicated in the Presidency(cid:146)s report to the Feira European Council, the question of revising the Treaty in
the sphere of the CESDP is still under consideration. It is not certain that the Treaty would need to be
revised to enable the Union to adopt an arms policy.

The Member States of the Union fully respect the Code of Conduct on Arms Exports. If the Council were
to decide that the Code should become a binding legal act, this would not require any revision of the
Treaty.