WRITTEN QUESTION E-2442/00 by Camilo Nogueira Román (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Commissioner Anna Diamantopoulou's visit to Turkey.
Date: 2000-07-19
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Kurdistan question, Türkiye, accession negotiations, accession to the European Union

18.4.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 113 E/97

The Commission granted the subsidy, but the Department of Fisheries, once the decision had been taken,
demanded that Agamar return the subsidy, claiming that the association had failed to meet the conditions
under which it had been granted.

Is the Commission aware of this situation, and does it intend to seek information from the Galician
Department of Fisheries, Shellfish and Aquaculture as to the reasons for this apparently arbitrary
behaviour?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(8 September 2000)

it is the
Following the inclusion of fisheries structural policy in the reform of the Structural Funds,
responsibility of the authorities designated by the Member States to take appropriate measures for selecting
and granting Community aid to projects in the context of their operational programmes, in accordance
with Council Regulation (EC) No 1263/1999 of 21 June 1999 on the Financial Instrument for Fisheries
Guidance (1) and Council Regulation (EC) No 2792/1999 of 17 December 1999 laying down the detailed
rules and arrangements regarding Community structural assistance in the fisheries sector (2).

The Commission would point out to the Honourable Member that pursuant to Article 87 (former Article
92) of the EC Treaty the Spanish authorities submitted state aid schemes to the Commission for approval
which are in accordance with Community legislation on the conditions for granting Community aid.

In this context, the Spanish authorities must ensure that the regulations,
granting aid in the state aid scheme approved by the Commission, are complied with.

including the conditions for

So far the Commission has not been approached by the beneficiaries of this project about any problem.
Consequently, the Commission is unable to reply to the Honourable Member as regards the appropriate-
ness of the action taken by the Galician authorities.

(1) OJ L 161, 26.6.1999.
(2) OJ L 337, 30.12.1999.

(2001/C 113 E/097)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2442/00

by Camilo Nogueira RomÆn (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

Subject: Commissioner Anna Diamantopoulou(cid:146)s visit to Turkey

(19 July 2000)

For Turkey to move from being a candidate country to a full member of the European Union, it must meet
the relevant democratic requirements, outstanding amongst which is recognition and respect for the
cultural and national identity of the Kurdish people. How much discussion does this major and indeed
crucial problem receive at the preparatory meetings which members of the Commission are holding with
Turkey, and specifically at the recent meetings held by Commissioner Anna Diamantopoulou, and earlier
meetings held by Commission G(cid:252)nter Verheugen?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(15 September 2000)

The Honourable Member rightly indicates that Turkey (cid:129) among others (cid:129) has to comply with the political
criteria for membership as defined by the Copenhagen European Council, which includes the respect for
and protection of minorities.

The Commission has reported its views on the development of these matters in Turkey (regular reports of
1998 and 1999) and will continue to do so in the framework of the 2000 report which will be issued
in November. A first accession partnership will be published at the same time.

C 113 E/98

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.4.2001

Exchanges of view on these issues take place on a regular basis and at different levels with the Turkish
authorities. Lately, this was the case during the visits to Turkey of the Commissioner responsible for
Employment (22-24 June 2000) and the Commissioner responsible for Enlargement (13/14 July 2000).

The Commission is also in dialogue with international organisations, non-governmental organizations and
others to discuss developments in Turkey.

(2001/C 113 E/098)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2443/00

by Camilo Nogueira RomÆn (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(19 July 2000)

Subject: Linking Galicia with the Peninsular and the rest of Europe by high speed train

The President of the Xunta de Galiza, Manuel Fraga Iribarne, recently publicly announced that he had
signed an agreement with the Spanish Minister of Public Works, Francisco `lvarez Cascos, on the building
of a (cid:145)high yield(cid:146) rail link, to be co-funded by the European Union, linking the cities of Galicia with Madrid
via Valladolid in the year 2006.

Does this decision form part of the Community Support Framework which the Commission agreed with
the Spanish Government for the 2000-2006 period? Is this to be a high-speed link, like those which
already exist and those planned for the links with the south and the Mediterranean part of the Iberian
Peninsula? What budget has been allocated, and what annual programming do the investments to be made
come under?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(6 October 2000)

Following negotiations with the Spanish authorities the Commission is now finalising the Community
support framework for the Objective I Spanish regions, which include Galicia, for 2000-2006.

The CSF does not itemise projects to be financed during this programming period. It is too soon therefore
to say anything precise about the projects that will be selected for inclusion in the CSF operational
programmes.

It should however be said that the Commission and the Spanish authorities consider improvement of rail
links between the main cities of Galicia and Valladolid to be one of the transport infrastructure priorities
for the period.

(2001/C 113 E/099)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2449/00

by Ulrich Stockmann (PSE) to the Commission

(11 July 2000)

Subject: State aid notification procedures in the new L(cid:228)nder of the Federal Republic of Germany

At the beginning of June 2000, the SKL-M undertaking in Magdeburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, was
forced to file a petition in bankruptcy because MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH withdrew the take-over bid
which it had made within the context of reprivatisation when it became known that the European
Commission intended to include the planned asset deal in the formal investigation procedure. MTU GmbH
was no longer prepared to wait the necessary time until the formal investigation procedure had ended. The
bankruptcy petition directly endangers 275 jobs at SKL-M and 1 700 other jobs with SKL-M(cid:146)s suppliers.