WRITTEN QUESTION E-3149/00 by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Application of Community funds.
Date: 2000-10-06
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU aid, EU environmental policy, European Regional Development Fund, Portugal, ceramics, industrial pollution

20.12.2001

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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I

(Information)

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

WRITTEN QUESTIONS WITH ANSWER

(2001/C 364 E/001)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3149/00

by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(6 October 2000)

Subject: Application of Community funds

The Portuguese industrial company Preceram S.A., which is based in Pombal (Portugal) and is active in the
ceramics sector, still uses highly polluting manufacturing processes which, as illustrated in reports drawn
up by specialists at the Beira Litoral Regional Directorate for Agriculture, do enormous damage to local
farmers, although the latter have never been offered any kind of compensation. The crops which they
grow (pine trees, vines, maize and fruit) regularly display serious deformities and clear signs of charring.

The company has allegedly received Community funding for the purpose of introducing anti-pollution
technologies but, according to the local farmers, nothing has changed.

Would the Commission therefore provide information concerning any Community funding which the
company may have received and the action which is due to be taken in order to prevent the farmland in
the area around the factory from being further polluted?

Supplementary answer
given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(1 August 2001)

The Portuguese company Preceram Indœstrias de Constru(cid:231)ªo has received Structural Fund aid under the
following Community measures.

One project was approved under PNCIAP/SIBR (a regional incentive scheme), which was included in the
Community Support framework for Portuguese Objective 1 regions during the 1989-1993 programming
period. The contribution from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) was PTE 133,8 million
(about € 670 000).

Under the Operational Programme for the modernisation of the economic fabric, which was included in
the Community Support framework for Portuguese Objective 1 regions during the 1994-1999 program-
ming period, four projects were approved under the following measures:

(cid:129) a project for diagnosis and strategic analysis under measure 3.1 of the Industry subprogramme

(PEDIP). The ERDF contribution was € 17 000;

(cid:129) a project for innovation and internationalisation of the company(cid:146)s structures under measure 3.3 of the
Industry subprogramme (PEDIP). The ERDF contribution, which took the form of an interest-rate
subsidy, was around € 375 000, while the European Social Fund contributed € 180 000;

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20.12.2001

(cid:129) a project

for technological modernisation of

the company under measure 3.5 of

the Industry

subprogramme (PEDIP). The ERDF contribution was around € 154 000;

(cid:129) a project for diagnosis and internationalisation strategy under measure 1 of the Commerce and

Services subprogramme. The ERDF contribution was around € 36 000.

An ERDF contribution of around € 112 000 was granted for a project to increase company productivity
under Subprogramme C (Productivity and technical assistance) of the Retex Community initiative (1).

field. However, some
None of the above projects involved direct investments in the environmental
investments realised did lead to improvements, in particular by reducing the rate of ash and unburnt
particles generated during the manufacturing process.

According to information from the Portuguese Directorate-General for the Environment, the company has
implemented measures to comply with environmental legislation in force. Problems still remaining should
be solved fairly soon, in particular thanks to the use of natural gas.

(1) Conversion of the textile industry.

(2001/C 364 E/002)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3196/00

by Esko Sepp(cid:228)nen (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(12 October 2000)

Subject: EU funding for NGOs

The Commission is able to support a number of NGOs(cid:146) activities in various countries within the limits of
the EU(cid:146)s annual budget. Since this aid should be public and transparent, can the Commission state to
which organisations the Commission or its Finnish office directed EU budget appropriations in 1999, and
what amounts were involved?

Supplementary answer
given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(18 September 2001)

The Commission is sending the information requested direct
Parliament(cid:146)s Secretariat.

to the Honourable Member and to

(2001/C 364 E/003)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3441/00

by Heinz Kindermann (PSE) to the Commission

(7 November 2000)

Subject: Union structural policy measures in the period from 2000 to 2006

On 24 and 25 March 1999 the Berlin European Council decided to earmark € 260 billion for the Union(cid:146)s
structural policy measures in the period from 2000 to 2006.

The Council issued the regulations on the various Funds on 21 June 1999.

The Structural Funds are used to finance programmes to promote economic and social development in the
fifteen Member States. The activities financed under them are intended to make for relatively high
concentration of resources in financial and geographical terms, decentralised management, more effective
supervision, and greater efficiency.