WRITTEN QUESTION E-2873/00 by Camilo Nogueira Román (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. The Cohesion Fund and the project for constructing a new airport in Madrid in addition to the previous investment of ESP 300 billion in the existing Madrid airport.
Date: 2000-09-14
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Cohesion Fund, Community of Madrid, airport

C 151 E/20

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

22.5.2001

(2001/C 151 E/023)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2865/00

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

(14 September 2000)

Subject: Distribution of the Structural Funds within the RDP for 2000-2006 submitted by the Spanish state

A Galician media organ has claimed that the Commission has urged the authorities of the Spanish state to
reform the RDP (Regional Development Plan) with a view to preventing an excessive dispersal of priorities
and resources over the investments planned. Can the Commission state whether this decision has any
connection with the incorrect distribution of the Structural Funds for the Objective 1 areas, which have up
till now, in many cases, been utilised in the Spanish state in forms contrary to the criteria and objectives of
the Union(cid:146)s regulations?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(6 November 2000)

The amounts allocated to the Spanish regions eligible under Objective 1 of the Structural Funds for the
period 2000-2006, whether from the territorial or the sectoral point of view, were adopted following close
consultation between the Member State and the Commission, as provided for by Article 8 of Council
Regulation (EC) 1260/1999 laying down general provisions on the Structural Funds (1).

On 26 July 2000, the Commission gave its agreement in principle to the Community support framework
(CSF) for these regions. This draft was submitted to the various committees provided for by the above
Regulation and was finally approved by the Commission on 18 October 2000 after these consultations.

The CSF took over nine of the ten priorities set out in the regional development plan. Two priorities
identified in the plan (tourism and cultural heritage, collective facilities and social welfare) were merged
and one new priority (technical assistance) was added. Within each priority, the draft CSF contains further
information clarifying the nature of the assistance to be part-financed.

This partnership procedure is common to all the Member States receiving Community structural assistance.

(1) OJ L 161, 26.6.1999.

(2001/C 151 E/024)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2873/00

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

(14 September 2000)

Subject: The Cohesion Fund and the project for constructing a new airport in Madrid in addition to the

previous investment of ESP 300 billion in the existing Madrid airport

The Minister of Public Works of the Spanish state recently announced that not only ESP 300 billion would
be spent on constructing two new runways and a new terminal building at the existing Madrid airport but
work would, in addition, begin imminently on a new airport in Madrid ((cid:145)an airport for southern Spain(cid:146)),
the evident intention being to centralise air traffic within Spanish territory even more than at present, thus
adversely affecting the airport facilities of other regions of the Spanish state, such as Galicia, whose
inhabitants are obliged to change plane numerous times, starting in Madrid, if they wish to fly anywhere in
Europe. Is the Commission aware of this project of the Spanish government? Is the Spanish government
using Cohesion Fund monies to construct the new runways and the new terminal building of the existing
Madrid airport? Following this extraordinary spending, will the Spanish government be able to use
Cohesion Fund monies to construct the new airport in Madrid,
in a centralising act running totally
counter to any prospect of territorial and economic balance within the Spanish state?

22.5.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 151 E/21

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(26 October 2000)

No Cohesion Fund aid has been given, or any applied for, for construction of new runways or a new
terminal building at the existing Madrid airport.

The Commission cannot take a decision on an application for aid before it is actually made by the national
authorities.

(2001/C 151 E/025)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2876/00

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

(13 September 2000)

Subject: The EU and world poverty

In July 2000 the so-called (cid:145)G8(cid:146) met in Japan, with the participation of the presidents or prime ministers of
the EU(cid:146)s wealthiest Member States and the President of the Commission. At this summit a resolution was
passed calling for accelerated debt relief for the poorest countries, to the sum of € 111 billion, and for the
more effective targeting of public aid to those countries. The governments present also undertook to
mobilise investment to combat fatal infectious diseases such as AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis in the least
developed countries. The representatives of the eight governments also recognised that the economic
prosperity of the richest countries over recent decades has been accompanied by poverty and injustice in
many parts of the world. This is confirmed by the statistics and analyses of the World Bank, which show
that some one billion people in the US, Canada, Europe, Japan and Australia monopolise 80 % of the
world(cid:146)s annual
the world(cid:146)s population have only 6 %. This resolution was
accompanied by solemn declarations to similar effect by the presidents of the EU Member States present,
including the French President Jacques Chirac, who currently presides the European Council.

income, while 57 % of

In view of the above, what concrete measures does the EU intend to take to act on these agreements and
declarations of intent and ensure that they do not remain a dead letter, as is, unfortunately, generally the
case?

Reply

(22 December 2000)

The struggle to combat poverty is at the heart of the EU(cid:146)s considerable efforts in development cooperation.
The particular preoccupations of the international community highlighted by the Honourable Member are
fully shared by the EU. Through the various means open to it, the Council is taking action to ensure that
these concerns are translated into activities with concrete impact, addressing long-term structural issues
which will determine future prosperity, while also alleviating in the short term the hardship of the lives of
many people in the developing world.

At its meeting on 10 November 2000, having examined a Communication from the Commission on the
European Community(cid:146)s Development Policy, the Council agreed on a joint statement with the Commission
setting out the parameters for a new Community development cooperation policy. It also adopted a
Resolution on communicable diseases and poverty in which it confirms the relevance of the broad areas
identified,
i.e. achieving optimum impact for health and development policies, reducing the cost of
provision of care and stepping up research into new pharmaceutical products and the social aspects of
these communicable diseases. Key elements of the new policy must therefore include a multidimensional
approach, an emphasis upon partnership, ownership and participation,
increased complementarity
between Community and Member States(cid:146) development policies, and improved management.