WRITTEN QUESTION P-2403/00 by Jens-Peter Bonde (EDD) to the Commission. Subsidies to a Danish firm.
Date: 2000-07-07
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Denmark, EAGGF Guidance Section, EU aid, access to information, common agricultural policy, competence of the Member States, export refund, export subsidy

18.4.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 113 E/91

their families. While we have to accept that labour mobility is now a permanent feature of our economy,
we still have to know how to manage it, in order to limit the damage to workers. It also has to be
remembered that individual cases of businesses undergoing restructuring can only be dealt with at national
level.

The Commission confirms that there is a (cid:145)Telecommunications(cid:146) operational programme under Objective 1
(Mezzogiorno) for the period 1994-1999, receiving funding from the European Regional Development
Fund (ERDF) of € 376 million of a total investment of € 1 154 million. It should be remembered that the
Community aid mentioned was intended for the regional development of the Mezzogiorno, which had
fallen a long way behind in terms of telecommunications infrastructure.

According to the information received from the Member State, Telecom received approximately € 0,4
million from the European Social Fund for its activities in the Mezzogiorno.

The awarding of this aid was wholly in compliance with the existing rules.

As regards the new programming period (2000-2006), the Community support framework (CSF) for the
Mezzogiorno region, approved by the Commission on 1 August 2000, does not provide for direct
financing for Telecom Italia nor to any other telecommunications companies.

Furthermore, the CSF will no longer finance basic networks or investments in mobile and fixed telephone
infrastructure. However,
in telecommunications infrastructure and networks may be co-
financed in accordance with the conditions set out in the Commission(cid:146)s technical document (cid:145)Information
society and regional development. ERDF Interventions 2000-2006. Criteria for programme assessment(cid:146), a
copy of which has been forwarded to the Honourable Member and the Secretariat-General of
the
Parliament.

investment

In any event, Community and national legislation in the field of competition must be respected.

(2001/C 113 E/090)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2403/00

by Jens-Peter Bonde (EDD) to the Commission

(7 July 2000)

Subject: Subsidies to a Danish firm

What amounts were paid in 1997, 1998 and 1999 to the Danish Danisco group and its subsidiaries in the
form of export refunds and other EU subsidies?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(9 October 2000)

The Commission understands the request of the Honourable Member as dealing only with the financial
transfers from the European Agriculture Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) to (cid:145)Danisco(cid:146)
in the
framework of the common agricultural policy.

Information like this is collected only at the national level as Member States(cid:146) paying agencies are primarily
responsible for handling the EAGGF expenditure.

According to the relevant provisions of Community law (1), information forwarded to the Commission in
the context of the clearance of accounts must be kept confidential and secure.

(1) Regulation (EC) No 2390/1999 of 25 October 1999 laying down detailed rules of the application of Regulation
(EC) No 1663/95 as regards the form and content of the accounting information that the Member States must hold
at the disposal of the Commission for the purposes of the clearance of the EAGGF Guarantee Section accounts
(OJ L 295, 16.11.1999).