WRITTEN QUESTION E-0695/01 by Glenys Kinnock (PSE) to the Commission. Textiles industry in Bangladesh.
Date: 2001-03-08
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Bangladesh, United States, textile industry, the EU's international role, trade policy

11.12.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 350 E/29

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(14 June 2001)

The Community initiative Interreg is the most important one in financial terms during the programming
period 2000-2006. According to the conclusions of the European Council of Berlin, due attention should
be given to cross-border activities, in particular in the perspective of enlargement and for Member States
which have extensive frontiers with the applicant countries.

On the basis of indicative financial allocations per Member State established by the Commission specifying
the margins of flexibility between the different strands of Interreg, Member States make a breakdown of
funding by strand, border and region, as appropriate. In breaking down this amount, Member States have
to ensure that, on an indicative basis, at least 50 % of their total allocation for Interreg III is allocated to
cross-border co-operation under strand A. As all Interreg III strand A programme proposals have in the
meantime been submitted, it can be stated that about 67 % of the Interreg allocation will be dedicated to
cross-border co-operation.

The Commission is currently in the process of negotiating the Interreg programmes drawn up by the
authorities designated by the Member States. Once the Commission has approved those programmes, all
resources with the exception of a certain amount set aside for networking in the framework of Interreg
will be allocated. No additional financial resources will be available during the current programming
period, as the Commission is required to respect the financial perspectives agreed at the European Council
of Berlin.

Following the request made by the European Council of Nice,
the Commission is preparing
a communication on regions bordering candidate countries. The communication will evaluate their socio-
economic situation, analyse the potential impact of enlargement on those regions and examine the existing
Community instruments. In addition, the communication will include proposals for actions to optimise
and better co-ordinate the existing Community instruments in place to support border regions. The
communication is likely to be adopted before the summer break.

(2001/C 350 E/028)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0695/01

by Glenys Kinnock (PSE) to the Commission

(8 March 2001)

Subject: Textiles industry in Bangladesh

Does the Commission intend to respond to calls from the Bangladeshi Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, for
the US to extend duty, and quota, free access, which is already offered to 33 least developed countries, to
Bangladeshi textiles and garments? Will direct contact be made with the EU(cid:146)s trade counterparts in the
United States?

(2001/C 350 E/029)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1068/01

by Caroline Lucas (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

Subject: The US (cid:145)New Africa(cid:146) Initiative and Bangladeshi textiles

(26 March 2001)

In its offer of duty-free and quota-free access, the US Trade and Development Act 2000 makes a critical
distinction between ACP least-developed countries, and non-ACP least-developed countries. This somewhat
arbitrary distinction is already having a very negative impact on the textiles and garments sector in
Bangladesh, for which the US market is extremely important. This is particularly regrettable, since it is
precisely the growth of this sector which has enabled many thousands of Bangladeshi women to earn an
independent income and to make significant progress towards greater equality.