WRITTEN QUESTION E-2230/00 by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Compensation for damage caused by natural disasters (earthquake) in the Emilia Romagna region.
Date: 2000-07-05
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Emilia-Romagna, aid to disaster victims, disaster area, earthquake, indemnification

18.4.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 113 E/75

Does the Commission not believe that it should intervene, as called for on various occasions by
5.
representatives of the guerrillas and civil society in Colombia during visits to European capitals (cid:129) to
mediate in an attempt to relaunch genuine peace negotiations and reach a non military solution to this
long and bloody conflict?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(28 July 2000)

The Commission and the Member States have expressed their full support for the Colombian peace-process
on various occasions. In relation to (cid:145)Plan Colombia(cid:146), the European side has put emphasis on the need to
tackle the root causes of the current conflict, namely social inequalities, and absence of respect for the rule
of law.

At the 6/7 July meeting on the Colombian peace process, the Union showed unanimous support of the
Colombian government peace efforts. It also expressed its willingness to provide a concrete contribution to
the implementation of projects in some selected fields of activities. The Commission offered to co-ordinate
a Union package of aid and Spain pledged € 100 million. It is worth noting that the Parliament was duly
represented at the Madrid meeting.

Union aid to Colombia is not subject to any element of conditionality. The Union(cid:146)s support to displaced
people, more than one million victims of the civil war is particularly relevant. Thus, on an international
level, the Commission (via ECHO) is the principal donor of aid to the displaced people (€ 24 million since
1997).

As to the query of the Honourable Member concerning anti-drugs, the Commission acts according to the
principle of shared responsibility. The Commission has carried out various projects of alternative
development in Latin America. The Commission is willing to explore this possibility in Colombia, as
long as the sustainability of the action is ensured. Another useful instrument has been improving access of
Colombian products to the European market in order to facilitate the transition from illicit to legal crops,
through the special drug generalized system of preferences which is open to all Andean countries.

Last, the Colombian government has not to date requested any intervention from third parties to medicte
in the conflict.

(2001/C 113 E/073)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2230/00

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(5 July 2000)

Subject: Compensation for damage caused by natural disasters (earthquake) in the Emilia Romagna region

An earthquake registering 4,8 on the Richter scale struck the region of Emilia Romagna on 18 June, with
its epicentre in the plains of the province of Reggio Emilia, between the municipalities of Bagnolo in Piano
and Novellara.

Although no one was killed, the earthquake caused various damage to housing, buildings and churches.

Other powerful earthquakes had already struck the region of Emilia Romagna in 1996 and 1999 with
their epicentre in the Province of Reggio Emilia, causing considerable damage including the collapse of
housing and infrastructures, with many people losing their homes.

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.