WRITTEN QUESTION E-2240/00 by Carlos Ripoll y Martínez de Bedoya (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Tourism.
Date: 2000-07-05
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU Member State, competence of the Member States, principle of subsidiarity, tourism statistics, tourist profession

13.3.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 81 E/165

Since the Commission(cid:146)s objective is for all European enterprises to cope with the deadline of 1 January
2002 without difficulty, the Commission has made the preparation of SMEs a clear priority both for itself
and for the Member States, as underlined in the communication on communications strategy in the last
phases of
the Information
Programme for the European Citizen (PRINCE) aims to apply this priority through the Commission(cid:146)s own
initiatives (support for transnational measures, partnerships with business intermediaries and communica-
tion products) and through action by the Member States.

the completion of EMU, adopted on 2 February 2000 (1).

In addition,

Nevertheless, the Commission is aware that many SMEs will tend to prefer to wait until the last minute to
take the necessary measures, which is a dangerous but deliberate choice by the business.

(1) COM(2000) 57 final.

(2001/C 81 E/210)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2176/00

by Jorge HernÆndez Mollar (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Encouraging US tourists to return to Spain(cid:146)s Costa de Sol

(7 July 2000)

For a variety of unknown reasons the number of US tourists visiting Spain(cid:146)s Costa del Sol (a major tourist
area) has fallen from 450 000 twenty years ago to the current figure of 80 000. This has had a serious
impact on account of the high spending power of visitors from the US.

For this reason the local authorities have launched an intensive campaign to win those visitors back,
focusing both on the quality of hotels, restaurants and other tourist establishments and on the training of
those employed in them.

How could the EU work with the Spanish authorities affected for the purpose of studying the causes of the
steep decline in holidaymakers visiting the Costa del Sol from the US and trying to remedy the situation?

(2001/C 81 E/211)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2240/00

by Carlos Ripoll y Mart(cid:237)nez de Bedoya (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(5 July 2000)

Subject: Tourism

What measures does the Commission intend to propose to the Member States of the European Union in
view of the decline in tourist numbers?

Joint answer
to Written Questions E-2176/00 and E-2240/00
given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(19 September 2000)

Under the implementation of the subsidiarity principle, it is up to the Member States(cid:146) local, regional or
national authorities to know, study, analyse and, where appropriate, to remedy the structural causes that
may cause a diminution of tourists in the Costa del Sol, or elsewhere.

The Commission, in its role of catalyst of the different policies and Community instruments, can help
Member States authorities develop the tourism potential. Recently, the Commission has published, in its
Internet site, a guide entitled (cid:145)EU schemes in support of tourism. An Internet road-map for the tourism
sector(cid:146).

C 81 E/166

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

13.3.2001

The Commission works currently, under the mandate of the Council, and in co-operation with experts
chosen by the Member States, for the development of European tourism in the areas of information,
training, quality of tourist products and promotion of the environmental protection and sustainability in
tourism. To this end four working parties have been set up that will issue for the end of 2001 a final
report with conclusions and recommendations, on the basis of which the Commission will analyse its
policy relating to tourism for the coming years.

In order to provide guidelines to European tourist companies and destinations on how to implement an
integrated quality management strategy in coastal, urban and rural destinations, the Commission has
carried out three studies. These select the best practices and draw conclusions and recommendations with
a view to implementing the integrated quality strategy.

(2001/C 81 E/212)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2179/00

by Jaime Valdivielso de CuØ (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(7 July 2000)

Subject: Employment

The consulting companies Datamonitor and Microsoft have recently published a study in which it is stated
that, over the next three years, Europe will lose business worth 380 000 million euros owing to its lack of
people trained in information technologies.

What specific action is the Commission preparing to take in order to meet the demand for workers in this
field, taking into account the size of the unemployment problem in Europe?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(18 September 2000)

The Commission is aware of the problem that the (cid:145)skills gap(cid:146) poses to the European economy. Whilst the
primary responsibility to meet the demand for workers in this field lies with the Member States and the
social partners, the Commission plays a co-ordinating role within the European employment process. The
Commission also co-ordinates the work of the high level group on the employment and social dimension
of the information society (ESDIS), composed of Member State representatives.

The Commission communication (cid:145)Strategies for jobs in the information society(cid:146) (1), prepared in co-
operation with ESDIS and presented to the European Council
in Lisbon, acknowledges the lack of
information society specialists and defines a series of recommendations addressed to Member States, social
partners and information society industries so as to deliver the skills needed in industry.

Under the draft Commission action plan (cid:145)e Europe 2002 (cid:129) an information society for all(cid:146) (2) endorsed by
the European Council in Feira, a special chapter on (cid:145)Working in the knowledge-based economy(cid:146) based on
the Commission(cid:146)s communication (1) defines the three main challenges faced by the Community: to meet
the demand for information technology professionals through education and training; to raise employment
rates; and to modernise work organisation.

The draft action plan defined six action lines with deadlines from end 2000 to end 2002 for which
progress will be evaluated by members of ESDIS in co-operation with the Commission: to give the labour
force the chance to become digitally literate through life-long learning; to increase information technology
training places using European social funds where appropriate; to establish a European diploma for basic
information technology skills; to support greater flexibility in the workplace, e.g. teleworking and part-time
working; to promote a network of learning and training centres for information and communications