WRITTEN QUESTION P-1176/01 by Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Birth deficit.
Date: 2001-04-03
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Union, artificial reproduction, health policy, population ageing, population policy

13.11.2001

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 318 E/219

(2001/C 318 E/239)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1174/01

by Gabriele Stauner (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(19 April 2001)

Subject: Statements by Commissioner Lamy

At his hearing before Parliament in the summer of 1999 Pascal Lamy said that as Head of Cabinet to
Commission President Delors at the time he had not learnt of the FlØchard case until late 1993/early 1994.
His cabinet had had to take a moderating role, he said, in order to reach agreement between directorates-
general that were in dispute with one another.

Since then a memorandum has been discovered in a safe of the Commission(cid:146)s Directorate-General for
Agriculture that shows up the role of the Delors cabinet in this fraud affair in a very different light.
Accordingly to the note, the Delors cabinet intervened heavily, as long ago as March 1993 at the latest, on
behalf of the FlØchard company in the Commission(cid:146)s decision-making procedures. This happened although
the company had clearly submitted deliberately falsified documents,
in order to conceal the fact that
a heavily subsidised consignment of butter for the former Soviet Union had been fraudulently diverted to
Poland. After a meeting of
the Delors cabinet on 7 January 1994, whose minutes have allegedly
disappeared, the prescribed fine to the company of € 17,6 million was cut to € 3 million. This ensured the
survival of a company which, according to investigations by the Italian courts, is said to have gone on
being involved in fraudulent transactions with adulterated butter on a grand scale until mid-2000.

And in another case, Mr Lamy(cid:146)s statements at this hearing before Parliament appear also not to have been
complete and comprehensive. Mr Lamy was asked to list all the meetings at which he had met European
Commission officials, of whatever rank, during his time as a member of the board of the CrØdit Lyonnais,
and to name the date, place and purpose of each meeting.

In his reply Mr Lamy gave the impression that his self-imposed distancing from the Commission had lasted
until 1 May 1998, when he said there had been a meeting in Brussels.

1.

Can the Commission confirm that Mr Lamy in fact met Commission officials considerably earlier?

Can the Commission provide a full list of all meetings at which Mr Lamy met European Commission
2.
officials, of whatever rank, during his time as a member of the board of the CrØdit Lyonnais, and name the
date, place and purpose of each meeting?

Can the Commission provide copies of the minutes of these minutes, if necessary on a confidential

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(29 May 2001)

3.
basis?

No.

The records of the Commission confirm the statement made by Mr Lamy at his hearing before Parliament,
i.e. that during his time as a member of the executive board of CrØdit Lyonnais, Mr Lamy met with
Commission officials formally only once, on 1-3 May 1998 in Brussels. Purpose was to discuss a state aid
case concerning CrØdit Lyonnais.

As with internal documents relating to state aid cases in general,
confidential.

the minutes of this meeting are

(2001/C 318 E/240)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1176/01

by Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(3 April 2001)

Subject: Birth deficit

At the plenary sitting on Wednesday, 14 March 2001, the President of the Commission, Mr Romano
Prodi, referred to the demographic problem facing Europe as one of the ten areas in which it has been

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slow to make progress. Studies show that the fall in the birth rate is not only due to women(cid:146)s difficulties in
reconciling family and working life but also to pathological causes relating to both partners. The little
statistical data available shows that one in ten couples are involuntarily childless.

Will the Commission carry out studies to identify all the social and pathological factors underlying the
birth deficit? Will it take initiatives to formulate a coherent and generous policy to tackle the birth deficit?

In an age in which medical science has developed techniques to assist reproduction, which in combination
with hi-tech drugs offer less fertile couples effective options, will the Commission encourage the Member
States to adopt such practices in their health care systems?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(7 May 2001)

The Commission shares the concerns expressed by the Honourable Member in relation to the low fertility
levels observed over recent decades in the Community. Although family and fertility issues remain the
responsibility of Member States, the Commission has always expressed its willingness to help Member
States in their efforts to define adequate policies. In this context, the Commission finances a European
Observatory on Demography and Family Matters whose tasks include the examination of family and
fertility issues, and Member States(cid:146) policiesin this field.

More information can be found in the following website: http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/
family/observatory/home.html.

With regard to the medical problems of infertile couples, the Commission stresses that Member States are
responsible for the organisation and delivery of health services and medical care.

(2001/C 318 E/241)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1186/01

by Raimon Obiols i Germ(cid:224) (PSE) to the Commission

(19 April 2001)

Subject: Developments in the negotiations between the EU and Algeria

In April 2000, negotiations resumed between the EU and the Algerian authorities with a view to
concluding an association agreement which would be satisfactory to both parties. In its Communication on
relaunching the Barcelona Process and in its answers to various oral questions put by the European
Parliament, the Commission has expressed the hope that the negotiations will be concluded by June 2001,
which will require considerable efforts by all concerned.

Can the Commission answer the following:

(cid:129) In view of the outcome of the most recent negotiating rounds and, in particular, the one held on 15
and 16 March in Brussels, during which it became apparent that there are still areas in which
intensive negotiations will have to continue, what are the Commission(cid:146)s current forecasts regarding
a successful conclusion of the negotiations on the agreement?

(cid:129) When and how are the various aspects of the topics relating to justice and home affairs to be

discussed in detail?

(cid:129) Has there been any progress in the establishment of a political dialogue with Algeria which goes

beyond the ad hoc meetings held between the EU Troika and the Algerian Foreign Affairs Ministry?