WRITTEN QUESTION E-3727/00 by Graham Watson (ELDR) to the Commission. The lack of European Business and Innovation Centres in the South West of England.
Date: 2000-11-30
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: United Kingdom, administrative powers, aid to undertakings, local government, regional development, small and medium-sized enterprises

3.7.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 187 E/35

Action at an international level needs to take account of divergent approaches in different countries to
what is harmful and how far free speech can be restricted. It is not likely that agreement could be reached
on a single set of rules for Internet content.

The best approach to deal with harmful content is a combination of industry self-regulation within a legal
framework, encouragement of technical tools to protect children and services offering suitable content for
children, and education and awareness-raising.

The action plan on promoting safer use of the Internet (3) supports four areas: a European network of
hotlines (to take reports about
filtering and rating and
education and awareness-raising. 20 projects are currently under way.

illegal content), self-regulation by industry,

Member States are also committed under the Recommendation on protection of minors and human
dignity (4) to provide the appropriate framework for self-regulation.

(1) COM(96) 487 final.

http://europa.eu.int/ISPO/legal/en/internet/communic.html.

(2) COM(96) 483 final.

http://europa.eu.int/en/record/green/gp9610/protec.htm.

(3) Decision 276/1999/EC of

the Council of 25 January 1999 adopting a multiannual
Community action plan on promoting safer use of the Internet by combating illegal and harmful content on global
networks (OJ L 33, 6.2.1999).
http://europa.eu.int/ISPO/iap/decision/en.html.

the Parliament and of

(4) Council Recommendation 98/560/EC of 24 September 1998 on the development of the competitiveness of the
European audiovisual and information services industry by promoting national frameworks aimed at achieving
a comparable and effective level of protection of minors and human dignity (OJ L 270, 7.10.1998).
http://europa.eu.int/comm/dg10/avpolicy/new_srv/recom-intro_en.html.

(2001/C 187 E/035)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3727/00

by Graham Watson (ELDR) to the Commission

(30 November 2000)

Subject: The lack of European Business and Innovation Centres in the South West of England

Could the Commission please explain why European Business and Innovation Centres currently exist in
relatively affluent areas of the UK such as Birmingham and Cambridge, when there is no Centre at all in
the South-West of England, a region that contains areas such as Cornwall which are among some of the
poorest areas in the EU?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(20 February 2001)

European business and innovation centres (BICs) are private companies or not-for-profit associations set up
by local or regional public-private partnerships. They are founded on the Community concept of business
support services under a Community brand name but are legally and financially independent.

The decision to set up a BIC does not depend on the Commission but on the local partnerships of public
and private bodies having an interest and responsibility for business development in the local and regional
community. Such was the case, for example, in Cambridge.

In areas assisted by European regional policy, such as Birmingham, the launching of new BICs may in
addition be supported financially by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for a strictly limited
period of time. Such a project should be presented to the competent bodies at regional level.

C 187 E/36

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

3.7.2001

As to the South-West of England, which is included in Objective 2 areas of the ERDF, the Commission is
informed that in November 2000, the (cid:145)South West of England Development Agency(cid:146) undertook discus-
sions with the EBN (European BIC Network) for the creation of a centre in Cornwall.

(2001/C 187 E/036)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3728/00

by Lord Inglewood (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(30 November 2000)

Subject: BSE in France

Will the Commission ensure that all measures taken by France in response to the recent BSE crisis be taken
and implemented without reference to nationality?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(28 February 2001)

The Commission has followed closely the national measures taken by France and other Member States in
response to recent developments with regard to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). These unilateral
measures have been referred to the Scientific Steering Committee, and their opinion on the merits or
otherwise of these measures is currently being considered by the Commission. It is the intention of the
Commission to act on these opinions in order to bring about harmonisation of these measures. Any
discrimination on grounds of nationality would be an infringement of Community law and treated as such.

(2001/C 187 E/037)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3733/00

by Caroline Jackson (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(30 November 2000)

Subject: Birre to Areia extension to the Lisbon-Cascais motorway

It is reported in the local press that Cascais council is paying landowners PTE 10 000 per square metre to
buy their land for the construction of this motorway, while normally land in the area would not fetch
more than PTE 500 per square metre.

Can the Commission state whether this motorway extension is being built with the help of funding from
the EU budget, and if so what steps it is taking to ensure that the money is not being used to pay inflated
prices to landowners?

Supplementary answer
given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(16 February 2001)

According to information from the Portuguese authorities the Birre-Areia extension to the Lisbon-Cascais
motorway has not received Community co-funding.