WRITTEN QUESTION E-3415/00 by Jonas Sjöstedt (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. EU Member States and the international Convention for the protection of the European Community's financial interests.
Date: 2000-11-07
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: eligibility criteria, fraud against the EU, national implementing measure

C 151 E/162

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

22.5.2001

responsible for conducting these negotiations reported regularly on their progress to the relevant
committee, including immediately after their conclusion in May 2000. Details of the outcome are sent
direct to the Honourable Member, who may also wish to refer to the Commission(cid:146)s website for the most
up to date information (1), and to Parliament(cid:146)s Secretariat.

(1) http://www.cc.cec:8082/comm/trade/bilateral/china/wto.htm.

(2001/C 151 E/186)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3414/00

by Jonas Sj(cid:246)stedt (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(7 November 2000)

Subject: Size of Swedish fermented Baltic herring ((cid:145)surstr(cid:246)mming(cid:146)) tins

According to (cid:145)Dagens Industri(cid:146) of 2 August 2000 the EU has targeting the Norrland surstr(cid:246)mming.
According to the report, the tins had to be made narrower and taller or production would be halted. To
comply with the EU decree Wahlstr(cid:246)ms Fisk at Utvaln(cid:228)s, near G(cid:228)vle, had to alter its canning plant to
rescue production for the start of the surstr(cid:246)mming starting date of 17 August.

Earlier,
in summer 1998, there was a debate in Sweden on whether or not surstr(cid:246)mming could be
prepared in wooden barrels. On that occasion it turned out that Swedish officials had interpreted the EU
directives too zealously.

What was the position in August 2000? Was it the Commission directive which obliged surstr(cid:246)mming
producers to change the size of their tins, or was it the Swedish authorities once again over-zealously
interpreting a directive?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(27 November 2000)

The Community has no power to set the size of fish tins nor is there any need to legislate on this. It is up
to the industry, if it wishes, to propose the use of norms issued by the standardisation organisations.

(2001/C 151 E/187)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3415/00

by Jonas Sj(cid:246)stedt (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(7 November 2000)

Subject: EU Member States and the international Convention for the protection of the European Commu-

nity(cid:146)s financial interests

This Convention has been in existence for five years. By January 2000 it had been adopted by only 5 of
the 15 Member States: Sweden, Austria, Germany and the United Kingdom.

Have any more countries now signed the convention and what is the Commission doing to persuade more
countries to adopt it?

Would it not be appropriate to decide that countries that have not signed the Convention cannot take
responsibility for the proper administration of EU payments and that payments to those countries should
therefore be suspended until they have adopted the Convention?

22.5.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 151 E/163

Answer given by Ms Schreyer on behalf of the Commission

(1 December 2000)

The Commission would first point out that the process of ratifying not only the Convention on the
protection of the European Communities(cid:146) financial interests (1) but also its protocols (2) and the Convention
on the fight against corruption involving officials of the European Communities or officials of Member
States of the European Union (3) is under way in the Member States.

At this stage, in addition to the Member States referred to by the Honourable Member (Germany, Austria,
Finland, Sweden and the United Kingdom), Greece, Spain, and France have notified the Council that they
have ratified the Convention on the protection of the Communities(cid:146) financial interests.

The Commission has constantly reminded the Member States of the need to ratify the various instruments
and to transpose them into national law. However, the Member States(cid:146) commitment to fighting fraud,
money laundering, corruption and other illegal activities harmful to the Communities(cid:146) financial interests
must also be seen in the light of the other national measures taken, in particular to monitor such activities.

In any case, given that the Member States have not all ratified the above instruments, the Commission has
included in its work programme an initiative for legislative proposals to strengthen the legal and judicial
framework for the protection of the Communities(cid:146) financial interests which they will replace.

(1) OJ C 316, 27.11.1995.
(2) OJ C 313, 23.10.1996; OJ C 151, 20.5.1997; OJ C 221, 19.7.1997.
(3) OJ C 195, 25.6.1997.

(2001/C 151 E/188)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3418/00

by Jonas Sj(cid:246)stedt (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

Subject: Promoting olive oil in the northern countries of the EU

(7 November 2000)

An advertising campaign for the use of olive in Sweden among other countries began in October 2000.
According to press reports the campaign is seeking to increase the consumption of olive oil, and has been
funded by the Commission.

Will the Commission give details its expenditure in respect of this campaign?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(12 December 2000)

The seventh campaign to promote the consumption of olive oil in the Community covers a three-year
period (2000-2002).

The total budget for this period is € 35,26 million for the Community as a whole, with the following
amounts allocated to the Nordic Member States:

Member State

Sweden

Finland

Denmark

Budget
PR

589 215

611 000

610 000

Budget
PR
Medical

170 000

170 000

136 000

Total

759 215

781 000

746 000