WRITTEN QUESTION E-2545/00 by José Pomés Ruiz (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Decentralised cooperation with Latin America.
Date: 2000-07-28
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU aid, Latin America, foreign aid

6.3.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 72 E/197

(2001/C 72 E/254)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2530/00

by Emmanouil Bakopoulos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(25 July 2000)

Subject: Fires in southern Europe

Will the Commission release emergency appropriations to cover the damage caused by the widespread
fires which have raged across southern Europe and Greece, in particular, in recent days, in view of the
need for exceptional funding to compensate those affected by the disaster and to restore the natural
environment?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(12 September 2000)

The Commission is collecting the information it needs to answer the question. It will communicate its
findings as soon as possible.

(2001/C 72 E/255)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2545/00

by JosØ PomØs Ruiz (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Decentralised cooperation with Latin America

(28 July 2000)

The Commission apparently intends to suspend or phase out the Community programmes for decentra-
lised cooperation with Latin America.

These programmes are currently cornerstones of EU cooperation with Latin America and their ability to
involve members of civil society and the results they have achieved have been recognised.

What are the Commission(cid:146)s real reasons for suspending these programmes?

Does it perhaps want to include measures of this kind among its negative priorities?

Could it be that Latin America will in future be one of the Commission(cid:146)s negative priorities?

What political effects does the Commission think that a decision of this kind will have, particularly as
regards the European Union(cid:146)s credibility in Latin America?

Does the Commission not consider that its position is inconsistent with the statements made by the Heads
of State and Government meeting in Rio de Janeiro in June 1999?

Lastly, is the Commission not breaking the commitment to openness it gave to Parliament and which
Mr Prodi endorsed on his appointment?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(8 September 2000)

The Commission has not taken any decision aimed at suspending or terminating the Latin America
decentralised cooperation programmes (AL INVEST, ALURE, ALFA, URB-AL). Rumours to that effect are
purely speculative.

It is of course the Commission(cid:146)s duty to evaluate the external aid instruments for which it is responsible in
the light of the objectives it is pursuing, the practical results achieved using those instruments and the
means at its disposal.

C 72 E/198

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

6.3.2001

Against that background, it is true that the Commission is now taking stock of the programmes and their
prospects. But no conclusions can be drawn at this stage.

Whatever conclusions may be drawn,
the key role the decentralised
programmes play in Latin America as a channel for dialogue with civil society on both sides of the
Atlantic.

the Commission is aware of

(2001/C 72 E/256)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2564/00

by Emmanouil Bakopoulos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

Subject: Abolition of visas for Bulgaria and Romania

(1 August 2000)

On 26 January 2000 the Commission recommended the abolition of the requirement that Bulgarian and
Romanian citizens be in possession of a visa in order to enter the fifteen EU Member States.

What practical measures have since been adopted in order to implement that proposal?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(12 September 2000)

The Commission would refer
Mr Gahrton (1).

(1) See p. 174.

the Honourable Member

to its answer

to written E-2061/00 by

(2001/C 72 E/257)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2575/00

by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) and Arlindo Cunha (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(1 August 2000)

Subject: Rules governing the application of agro-environmental measures in Portugal

It appears that there are considerable loopholes in the implementation of some agro-environmental
measures in Portugal, particularly those relating to the preservation of extensive methods of cultivating
cork oak and holm oak and organic farming.

These loopholes exist at three main levels:

(cid:129) a lack of preparation among the technical teams carrying out checks at regional level;

(cid:129) the lack of a regulatory framework as regards supervision;

(cid:129) the lack of prior information for farmers on the technical requirements to be met under the various

measures.

As a result of these loopholes, there are frequent disparities as regards the interpretation of the legal and
technical requirements for the correct implementation of the various measures and, consequently, farmers
benefiting from these measures suffer unjust treatment.