WRITTEN QUESTION P-2951/00 by Karl-Heinz Florenz (PPE-DE) to the Commission. EU financing of the Odra 2006 Programme in Poland.
Date: 2000-09-12
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU environmental policy, EU financing, EU programme, Poland, environmental impact, environmental protection

18.4.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 113 E/221

The proceedings initiated by the Commission in no way relate to transfers carried out in accordance with
labour legislation.

They focus on FIFA(cid:146)s transfer rules in so far as these impose on players and clubs obligations not provided
for either in the contracts concluded by them or in the legislation applicable to those contracts.

On 31 August FIFA acknowledged publicly that its rules on international transfers would have to be
adapted and brought into line with Community legislation. It announced the setting up of a task force to
study the matter and presented to the Commission the ideas that had come out of the task force(cid:146)s first
meeting. The representatives of the task force, which is charged with drawing up concrete proposals, met
the Commissioners for Competition and for Education and Culture and undertook to present concrete
proposals by 31 October at the latest.

While restating its willingness to help the sports organisations find a solution compatible with Community
legislation, the Commission hopes to bring the matter to a swift conclusion. Whether it takes a favourable
or unfavourable view will depend on the proposals and justification put forward by FIFA. In determining
whether these proposals are compatible with the Treaty, the Commission will take into account the
specific characteristics of the sector, and in particular the need to reward in an objective manner the clubs
that train young players while respecting the latter(cid:146)s rights and to ensure the degree of solidarity between
large and small clubs that is essential if the competitive balance between them is to be maintained.

(2001/C 113 E/239)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2951/00

by Karl-Heinz Florenz (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: EU financing of the Odra 2006 Programme in Poland

(12 September 2000)

The Polish Parliament will vote in September on the financing of the (cid:145)Programme for the Odra-2006(cid:146), a
river engineering project which would involve constructing two major new dams and major works for
increased navigation in the Odra River. Concerns have been expressed by environmental groups in Poland
and Germany that no Environmental Impact Assessment has been undertaken to compare alternative
options, that there has been no public consultation on the options available and that vital technical studies
still remain incomplete. There are further concerns that the Programme does not include any direct plans
for nature conservation in the Odra valley, that several candidate Natura 2000 sites would be destroyed
and that the proposals ignore ecologically sound options to reduce flood risk.

Since 30 % of the total financing is stated as coming from EU funds, mainly for water-quality improve-
ments as an integral part of the Programme, can the Commission confirm that it has checked that the
Odra 2006 Programme is compatible with existing Community environmental
legislation and with
international agreements such as the Ramsar and Helsinki Conventions to which the EU is a party?

What problems would arise if, after Polish accession to the EU, the Odra 2006 Programme was found to
be in breach of Article 4 of the Framework Water Directive and of the provisions of the Habitats and Wild
Birds Directives?

Answer given by Mrs Wallstr(cid:246)m on behalf of the Commission

(13 October 2000)

The Commission is aware of the (cid:145)Programme for the Odra-2006(cid:146) and the proposal to construct two dams
on the river as well as a dam on the Vistula. It is also conscious of the high natural value of both the
German and Polish side of the Odra valley. This is reflected in the numerous projects launched by the
Community to protect valuable nature sites in this area.

C 113 E/222

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.4.2001

these
The Commission Member responsible for the Environment has expressed her concern about
proposed dams and raised this issue with the Polish Minister of Environment. The Commission(cid:146)s view is
that, on the basis of the Community common position on Poland, all new investments in the candidate
countries should be in line with the Community(cid:146)s environmental acquis. This implies that protected sites
should be respected and environmental impact assessments (EIAs) carried out for the projects that fall
under the scope of the Community directives on EIAs.

Following the decision of the Polish Government to launch the construction of the dams, the Member
responsible for the Environment wrote to the Polish Minister requesting information on technical details of
these dams and their environmental impact assessment. On the basis of this information, the Commission
will closely monitor the further progress of this issue.

The Community(cid:146)s pre-accession instruments will not provide any assistance to the building of dams as this
does not constitute eligible expenditure. The Commission has not received from Poland any application for
support from ISPA (Instrument for structural policies for pre-accession) for projects of this kind.

(2001/C 113 E/240)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2972/00

by Rolf Linkohr (PSE) to the Commission

(13 September 2000)

Subject: The high price of oil

Can the Commission say how this year(cid:146)s rise in the price of oil is impacting on the EU(cid:146)s balance of

1.
payments on current account?

2. Will gas prices go the way of the price of oil, and does the Commission regard that development as
justified?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(17 October 2000)

Oil prices have, so far for 2000 (up to 12 October 2000), reached an average price of USD 28,1 per barrel
(bl) (for Brent light crude oil). Present prices (12 October 2000) are at around USD 32. This compares to
average prices for 1998 of USD 13,4 per barrel, and for 1999 of USD 18 per barrel.

1.
The last, semi-annual, Commission forecast was finalized on the basis of data up to 21 March 2000.
It predicted for the Community for 2000 a current account surplus of € 5 100 million. That forecast was
made assuming an average oil price of USD 24,2 per barrel for the year 2000. The assumptions underlying
this forecast are not in line with the actual development in recent months, and therefore the forecast will
have to be adjusted.

Higher oil prices affect mainly and directly the balance of trade. Secondary effects on other components of
the balance of current account (in particular on services or income) are relatively small and delayed. For
the first half of 2000, the energy trade deficit (customs basis) amounted to € 52 000 million, as compared
to € 61 000 million for the whole year of 1999. The energy trade deficit and the oil price (in euro) have
shown a relatively closely correlated development over the recent years (see chart no 1 sent direct to the
Honourable Member and to Parliament(cid:146)s Secretariat).

Assuming that Brent oil prices in € will remain for the rest of 2000 at the levels of 12 October
(USD 32,26 per barrel or € 37,3 per barrel) would point to an estimated deficit in the energy trade balance
for the Community for 2000 of around € 114 000 million, or 1,4 % of gross domestic product (GDP).
Hence, the deficit would be higher by € 52 000 million, or 0,6 % of GDP, than in 1999. Applying this
swing arithmetically to the Community current account balance would point to a deficit in that balance of
around € 57 000 million in 2000. Preliminary figures for the Community current account deficit for the
first half of 2000, which is of course influenced also by other factors than the oil price, show a deficit of
€ 38 000 million.