WRITTEN QUESTION E-3148/00 by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Use of Community funds.
Date: 2000-10-06
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, Portugal, food industry, type of business

C 350 E/2

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

11.12.2001

The Danish tax aims to discourage all use of soft PVC, regardless of its origin, in Denmark.

Thus, the Commission is inclined to believe that the fact that there is no production of soft PVC in
Denmark is not sufficient to establish a breach of Article 90 alone.

The issue of whether the measures are justified on the basis of environmental considerations will have to
be evaluated in the light of the future Community strategy on PVC, which the Commission intends to
adopt in the course of the coming months. This strategy will be based on the evaluations and assessments
contained in the Green Paper on the environmental issues of PVC (1), the results of the comprehensive risk
assessments carried out in the framework of Council Regulation (EEC) No 793/93 of 23 March 1993 on
the evaluation and control of the risks of existing substances (2), and the numerous reactions received
during the public consultation process launched by this Green Paper. The Parliament has adopted
a resolution on the Green Paper on 3 April 2001.

(1) COM(2000) 469 final.
(2) OJ L 84, 5.4.1993.

(2001/C 350 E/002)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3148/00

by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(6 October 2000)

Subject: Use of Community funds

The Portuguese company Electro Moagem do Marco S.A., which has approximately 70 employees, has
been active for over 70 years in the food sector and is based in Marco de Canaveses (Portugal), an inland
region with little industrial development.

The company, which holds a quality certificate issued by the Portuguese Quality Institute in 1999, has
allegedly received a significant amount of Community funding for modernisation purposes. However, its
employees are not being paid at the moment and the company is threatened with bankruptcy.

Would the Commission provide the following information: Did Electro Moagem do Marco S.A. actually
receive Community funding? If so, how much? Has the use to which that funding was put been monitored,
with particular reference to the protection of jobs?

Supplementary answer
given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(4 July 2001)

Electro Moagem do Marco SA has received Structural Fund aid as follows:

(cid:129) Two projects were approved under the PNCIPA/SIBR (regional

incentive scheme included in the
Community support
framework for the Objective 1 Portuguese regions during the 1989-1993
programming period. The European Regional Development Fund(cid:146)s contribution to these was PTE 51
and 98 million respectively (about € 750 000).

(cid:129) Under the Industry (PEDIP) subprogramme of the Economic fabric operational programme included in
the Community support framework for the Objective 1 regions during the 1994-1999 programming
period two projects were approved:

(cid:129) an enterprise certification project
PTE 5 700 000 (about € 28 500);

(included in measure 3.7) (cid:129) the ERDF contribution was

(cid:129) an investment project

(included in measure 3.3) casting PTE 1 400 000 000 with an ERDF
contribution of PTE 406 000 000 (€ 2 030 000) in the form of reimbursable aid. This project is
now being cancelled owing to the promoter(cid:146)s failure to meet his contractual obligations. The
payments made amount to PTE 324 800 000 (about € 1 620 000).

11.12.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 350 E/3

Lastly three projects were approved under the RETEX Community Initiative (for diversification in regions
heavily dependent on the textile and clothing sector) during the 1994-1999 programming period:

(cid:129) a technological modernisation project for the company (included in subprogramme A (cid:145)Access to

capital(cid:146)); the ERDF contribution was PTE 25 000 000 (€ 125 000);

(cid:129) a strategy formulation study (ERDF contribution PTE 3 400 000/€ 17 000) and a project to identify the
company(cid:146)s strong and weak points the ERDF contribution to which of € 6 500 has not been paid since
the project is being cancelled. Both these projects fell under subprogramme C (cid:145)Productivity and
technical assistance(cid:146).

As with all projects aided from the Structural Funds these aids were examined in line with the Fund
regulations. Since job creation was not an immediate purpose of any of the projects the job protection
aspect was not specifically checked on.

(2001/C 350 E/003)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3570/00

by Gorka Kn(cid:246)rr Borr(cid:224)s (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(17 November 2000)

Subject:

(cid:145)Bio(cid:146), (cid:145)organically grown(cid:146) and (cid:145)organic(cid:146) descriptions

Council Regulation (EC) No 1804/1999 (1) supplementing Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 (2), provides
safeguards with regard to the use of the descriptions (cid:145)bio(cid:146) and (cid:145)eco(cid:146) for food produced using organic
farming methods.

Is the Commission aware that the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food is drawing up a Royal
Decree which establishes a separate category for the (cid:145)bio(cid:146),
(cid:145)organically grown(cid:146) and (cid:145)organic(cid:146) descriptions
given to products governed by organic farming regulations?

What view does the Commission take of this decision?

(1) OJ L 222, 24.8.1999, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 198, 22.7.1991, p. 1.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(22 January 2001)

The Commission was first informed in 1999 that the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture was preparing
a Decree cancelling restriction of the term bio to products and foodstuffs marketed in Spain that have been
obtained organically. It was recently informed that the Decree has not been adopted but preparation
continues.

In October 1999 the Commission made known to the Ministry its position that a national provision
permitting use of the prefix bio on the labelling of a product not obtained in line with Council Regulation
(EEC) No 2092/91 of 24 June 1991 on organic production of agricultural products and indications
referring thereto on agricultural products and foodstuffs would break Community law.

The Commission is again looking at the situation and if necessary will not hesitate to initiate proceedings
under Article 226 (formerly 169) of the EC Treaty.