WRITTEN QUESTION P-3213/00 by Jillian Evans (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Innovative actions unit (DG-REGIO).
Date: 2000-10-10
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU regional policy, European Regional Development Fund, administration of the Institutions, regional development

8.5.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 136 E/205

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(21 November 2000)

Council Directive 92/46/EEC of 16 June 1992 laying down the health rules for the production and placing
on the market of raw milk, heat-treated milk and milk-based products, provides under Article 8 that
Member States may grant derogations for certain requirements of the Directive for the manufacture of
cheese with a maturation period of at least sixty days or for the manufacture of milk-based products with
traditional characteristics.

Council Directive 92/46/EEC was transposed into Italian national law by Presidential Decree No 54/97 of
14 January 1997 (1). In the Commission(cid:146)s opinion Article 9 of this Decree contains derogations that do not
comply with Article 8 of the aforementioned Directive. As a result, the Commission will raise the matter
with the Member State concerned to ensure that the Directive is transposed properly, and will, if necessary,
initiate infringement proceedings under Article 226 (formerly Article 169) of the EC Treaty.

As regards the Honorable Member(cid:146)s last question, the Commission does not intend to make any new
regulatory proposals, as the protected designation of origin (PDO) registration procedure already requires
that candidate products for this designation comply with all the applicable regulations, among others
health regulations.

(1) GURI No 59, 12.3.1997.

(2001/C 136 E/240)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3213/00

by Jillian Evans (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(10 October 2000)

Subject: Innovative actions unit (DG-REGIO)

Can the Commission confirm that it intends closing down the Innovative Actions Unit in DG-Regio, which
is responsible for small projects under Article 10 of the European Regional Development Fund, without
any cost/benefit analysis? If so, can the Commission justify this decision?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(30 October 2000)

The Commission can confirm that it does not intend to close down the Innovative Measures Unit in DG
Regio. The mission of this unit, on the one hand, is implementing and closing the innovative measures
decided under the previous rules of the Structural Funds (1) and, on the other hand, of launching the new
pilot projects and exchanges of experience as laid down in Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1783/1999 of
the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 July 1999, on the European Regional Development
Fund (2).

(1) Council Regulation (EEC) No 2083/93 of 20 July 1993 amending Regulation (EEC) No 4254/88 laying down
provisions for the application of Regulation (EEC) No 2052/88 on the European Regional Development Fund (cid:129)
published in OJ L 193, 31.7.1993.

(2) OJ L 213, 13.8.1999.

(2001/C 136 E/241)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3214/00

by Enrique Bar(cid:243)n Crespo (PSE) to the Council

(20 October 2000)

Subject: EU-UN co-operation on crisis management and conflict prevention

On 15 September a meeting of the UN and the EU took place to discuss co-operation in the area of crisis
management and conflict prevention.