WRITTEN QUESTION P-0269/01 by Antonio Tajani (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Kidnapping of Israeli citizen Elchanan Tenenboim.
Date: 2001-02-02
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Israel, Lebanon, Red Cross, exchange of information, illegal restraint, non-governmental organisation, religious group, the EU's international role

21.8.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 235 E/167

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(27 March 2001)

In the Communication from the Commission laying down guidelines for the URBAN II Community
Initiative (1), Member States were invited to present their proposals for URBAN II programmes within six
months after its publication, i.e. before 20 November 2000.

Programme proposals have been received from mid-November onwards to reach a total today of 36. Of
these, 28 have been declared admissible by the Commission while the remaining eight have necessitated
further work on the part of the national authorities. Those that have been judged admissable are currently
being examined in depth by the Commission in the light of the requirements of the Structural Funds
regulation and the URBAN II guidelines. In principle the Commission has to take a decision within five
months of receipt of the admissible proposal.

It is expected that a first set of programmes will be approved before July 2001.

(1) OJ C 141, 19.5.2000.

(2001/C 235 E/194)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0268/01

by Richard Corbett (PSE) to the Commission

(8 February 2001)

Subject: Opel (cid:129) Netherlands

Following the fines imposed by the Commission on Opel last September, is the Commission satisfied that
Opel has now ceased to hinder cross-border trade in its products?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(16 March 2001)

The Commission has currently no information to indicate that Opel has not now ceased to hinder cross-
border trade in its products following the adoption by the Commission of its decision establishing an
infringement of Article 81(1) (ex Article 85) of the EC Treaty in this respect and imposing fines.

The decision against Opel Nederland B.V. and General Motors Nederland B.V. helps to secure the right of
consumers to buy a new car in the Member State of their choice. It obliges Opel Nederland to refrain from
repeating or continuing any of the measures objected to, and to refrain from applying any measures
having equivalent object or effect. The Commission would not hesitate to act should it become aware of
any violation of this obligation.

(2001/C 235 E/195)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0269/01

by Antonio Tajani (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Kidnapping of Israeli citizen Elchanan Tenenboim

(2 February 2001)

Four months after the kidnapping of Elchanan Tenenboim by the Lebanese Islamic movement, Hezbollah,
there is still no news regarding the Israeli citizen. Despite countless humanitarian appeals by major NGOs

C 235 E/168

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

21.8.2001

and members of the Jewish community in Rome, stressing Elchanan(cid:146)s fragile state of health (requiring daily
medical treatment), the Hezbollah members holding him captive have still not allowed the Red Cross to
visit him at the place where he is being held, which remains unknown.

What steps will the Commission take to enable members of his family to obtain information on Elchanan
Tenenboim(cid:146)s state of health?

How will it bring pressure to bear on the Hezbollah organisation in order to obtain his swift release?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(5 March 2001)

The High Representative and the Union Special Representative have both made inquiries about the health
of Mr Tenenboim and the three Israeli soldiers who were captured at about the same time. Several Member
States have also made similar inquiries. While the Commission would welcome any humanitarian initiative
that would lead to an improvement in Mr Tenenboim(cid:146)s situation, or lead to information on his health, the
Commission currently does not see any grounds for involvement while international and Union initiatives
are still taking place.

(2001/C 235 E/196)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0277/01

by SØrgio Marques (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(2 February 2001)

Subject: Madeira Free Zone

The regime of financial and fiscal aid constituting the Madeira Free Zone (MFZ) was authorised in due and
proper form by the Commission in 1987. This authorisation was subsequently prolonged for two
additional periods. Pursuant to the most recent prolongation decision, the Commission decided not to
object to the application of the regime up to 31 December 2000, at which date the situation would be
reviewed again.

Following the Commission(cid:146)s adoption in 1998 of the guidelines on state regional aid (guidelines which
Portugal has never accepted), all the Member States were asked, under Article 88 of the EC Treaty, to alter
their existing aid regimes as of 1 January 2000, so as to make them compatible in future with the criteria
set out in the Commission document.

The Commission was not willing to change its position as regards, where state aid is concerned, taking
account of the particular circumstances of Madeira, as explicitly referred to in the Treaty of Amsterdam
(Article 299(2) of the EC Treaty permits specific measures directly related to free zones, state aids and
fiscal policy). The Portuguese authorities insisted on the legitimacy of the existing aid regime for the MFZ.
The result was the opening by the Commission in July 2000 of a formal investigation procedure, on the
grounds that the compatibility of the existing aid regime in the MFZ with Community law had not been
established. What is concerned is only the granting of operational aid to undertakings establishing
themselves in the MFZ from 1 January 2000 on.

The Commission decision came as a surprise, since it was the Commission itself which established a new,
more favourable framework for state aid to the outermost regions, both in the report on measures for the
implementation of Article 299(2) of the EC Treaty and, subsequently, in its amendments to the guidelines
on state regional aid in order to take account of the new status of the outermost regions, as notified to the
Portuguese Republic in August 2000.