WRITTEN QUESTION E-0665/01 by Philip Bushill-Matthews (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Lisbon European Council and the promotion of inclusion.
Date: 2001-03-06
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU employment policy, European Council, European social policy, marginalisation, poverty

11.12.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 350 E/27

transmissible spongiform encephalopathies and amending Decision 94/474/EC (1) and 2000/764 of
29 November 2000 on the testing of bovine animals
the presence of bovine spongiform
encephalopathy and amending Decision 98/272/EC on epidemio-surveillance for transmissible spongiform
encephalopathies (2)
(as amended). These decisions provide, apart from the rules for surveillance and
monitoring of
for the destruction of BSE-positive
animals. They do not impose any rules as regard the treatment of other animals in the herd.

transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE),

for

However, the Commission proposed in 1998 a Regulation of the Council and Parliament on transmissible
spongiform encephalopathies (3), providing inter alia for the measures to be taken after confirmation of
a BSE case. Following a Parliamentary amendment in first reading, whole-herd slaughter was added to the
two eradication measures proposed by the Commission, i.e. slaughter of birth/rearing cohorts and of off-
spring cohorts. The Parliament adopted an opinion in second reading on this proposal recently and it will
enter into force on 1 July 2001.

An opinion on BSE related culling of cattle was adopted by the Scientific Steering Committee (SSC) on
15 September 2000. This opinion states that culling of the cohort is more efficient than whole herd
culling. However, it also states that if tracing of cohorts is not reliable, whole herd culling is a second best
option.

The precautionary measures of the Member States aim, by killing cattle in herds where BSE cases have
been detected, at eliminating otherwise not identified BSE cases and preventing future BSE cases from
appearing. The institutions are in the process of adopting permanent Community legislation on the basis
of Article 95 (ex Article 100A) of the EC Treaty, based on scientific advice and the precautionary principle.
This Regulation will replace the existing Community safeguard measures on BSE as well as the national
eradication measures.

It is the intention of the Commission, with a view to implementing the SSC opinion on culling strategies
adopted after its initial proposal, to evaluate the need for more detailed rules for the application in practice
of the provisions on eradication set out in the Regulation before it enters into force. A proposal to the
Standing Veterinary Committee for its opinion is expected shortly in this respect.

(1) OJ L 122, 24.4.1998.
(2) OJ L 305, 6.12.2000.
(3) OJ C 45, 19.2.1999.

(2001/C 350 E/026)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0665/01

by Philip Bushill-Matthews (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Lisbon European Council and the promotion of inclusion

(6 March 2001)

The 2000 Lisbon European Council
invited (cid:145)the Council and the Commission to mainstream the
promotion of inclusion in Member States(cid:146) employment, education and training, health and housing
policies.(cid:146) What specific steps have been taken in this regard and what action has been taken at Community
level by action under the Structural Funds?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(6 June 2001)

The promotion of social inclusion is an underlying objective in the Employment Guidelines (1). The new
Guideline No 7 calls for measures to combat all forms of discrimination in access to the labour market and
to education and training; it advocates the development of pathways consisting of effective preventive and
active policy measures to promote the integration into the labour market of groups and individuals at risk

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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11.12.2001

or with a disadvantage, in order to avoid marginalisation, the emergence of (cid:145)working poor(cid:146) and a drift into
exclusion; it also calls for the implementation of appropriate measures to meet the needs of the disabled,
ethnic minorities and migrant workers as regards their integration into the labour market and to set
national targets where appropriate for this purpose.

In addition, a number of other Employment Guidelines (cid:129) notably on the prevention of long term
unemployment, on life long learning, on the tax/benefits systems and on equal opportunities (cid:129) have
a close link with the objective of fighting social exclusion.

Member States have been invited by the Commission to ensure consistency and complementarity between
their national reports on, respectively, employment policy and social inclusion policies.

Regulation (EC) No 1784/1999 of the Parliament and of the Council of 12 July 1999 on the European
Social Fund (2) (ESF) outlines the five policy fields through which the ESF will support the development of
the labour market and human resources. One of those policy fields aims to (cid:145)promote equal opportunities
for all in accessing the labour market, with particular emphasis on those exposed to social exclusion(cid:146). This
provided a good starting point to promote, within Structural Fund programmes, the inclusion agenda set
out at the Lisbon European Council.

Between 2000-2006, the ESF will make an investment in people of around € 60 billions as part of the
modernisation and reform of European labour markets (3). They will give particular attention to integrating
marginalised groups into the economy and society. Negotiations between the Commission and Member
States resulted in plans to allocate over € 9 billions of ESF to promote social
inclusion across the
Community. This support will come via action to widen access to learning and employment opportunities
including clear commitments to tackle the digital divide.

The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) can make a contribution to promoting improvements
in health within regions covered by Objective 1 where this investment is beneficial to the region(cid:146)s
structural adjustment (4).

The commitment to social inclusion will be reviewed over the lifetime of Structural Fund programmes
including an evaluation in 2003 of the impact of the ESF (including the Community Initiative EQUAL) in
promoting social inclusion (5).

(1) Council Decision 2001/63/EC of 19 January 2001 on Guidelines for Member States(cid:146) employment policies for 2001

(OJ L 22, 24.1.2001).

(2) ERDF also makes a significant contribution to job creation (Regulation (EC) No 1783/1999 of the Parliament and of

the Council of 12 June 1999 (OJ L 213, 13.8.1999).
In many Structural Fund programmes, ESF will work alongside other Community funds e.g. ERDF.

(3)
(4) Regulation (EC) No 1261/1999 of the Parliament and of the Council of 21 June 1999 (OJ L 161, 26.6.1999).
(5) Communication from the Commission to the Council, the Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee and the

Committee of the Regions: Social Policy Agenda COM(2000) 379 final.

(2001/C 350 E/027)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0683/01

by Michl Ebner (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(8 March 2001)

Subject: Increased funding for cross-border co-operation

Can the Commission state whether it is planning to increase the budget currently available for the Interreg
III programme for the programming period up to 2006 for the purposes of cross-border co-operation with
particular reference to areas adjoining what will then be the new Central and East European Member
States?