WRITTEN QUESTION E-1038/01 by Isidoro Sánchez García (ELDR) to the Commission. Development cooperation policy for Latin America (the environment).
Date: 2001-04-03
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU aid, Latin America, cooperation policy, development aid, environmental protection, forest conservation

13.11.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 318 E/191

Is it true that the payment of any larger sum by way of support to enterprises would require the approval
of the Commission pursuant to Article 87(2)(b) of the EC Treaty?

Is it true that a decision to grant such approval could take between a year and 18 months to reach, which
in the case of a disaster like this one would undoubtedly be too late to prevent the entrepreneurs
concerned from going bankrupt?

What will the Commission do to speed up decision-making in the aftermath of such disasters and
particularly in the case of the Enschede disaster?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(30 May 2001)

Article 87(2)(b) (ex Article 92) of the EC Treaty provides that aid to make good the damage caused by
natural disasters or exceptional occurrences shall be compatible with the common market. A State aid
scheme providing (partial) compensation to companies for the damage caused by the fireworks disaster
qualifies under this exemption.

Such aid measures are subject to the normal notification requirements in accordance with Article 88(3)
(ex Article 93) of the EC Treaty. In practice, this implies that notification is required if the aid exceeds the
criteria laid down in Commission Regulation (EC) No 69/2001 of 12 January 2001 on the application of
Articles 87 and 88 of the EC Treaty to de minimis aid (1), and notably the ceiling of € 100 000 per
company over a period of three years.

In the vast majority of cases, the Commission takes a positive decision within two months following the
receipt of a complete notification of an aid scheme (a (cid:145)decision not to raise objections(cid:146)). The deadline of
maximum two months is established in article 4(5) of Council Regulation (EC) No 659/1999 of 22 March
1999 laying down detailed rules for the application of Article 93 of the EC Treaty (2).

In the case of a scheme to compensate the damage caused by the fireworks disaster, the Commission will
examine only whether there is no irregular use of the exemption. An examination of this nature is
concluded within two months following the receipt of a complete notification if the scheme excludes any
possibility of abuse.

(1) OJ L 10, 13.1.2000.
(2) OJ L 83, 27.3.1999.

(2001/C 318 E/209)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1038/01

by Isidoro SÆnchez Garc(cid:237)a (ELDR) to the Commission

(3 April 2001)

Subject: Development cooperation policy for Latin America (the environment)

What guidelines will be followed by the Commission in its development cooperation policy for the
countries of Latin America, particularly with reference to the environment?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(21 May 2001)

The Commission takes great care to ensure that its development cooperation policy with Latin America is
in line with the major international conventions on the environment such as those on climate change,
biodiversity or desertification, and with international processes on the conservation and sustainable
management of forests such as the United Nations Forum on Forests. A new Regulation was adopted in

C 318 E/192

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

13.11.2001

November 2000: Regulation (EC) No 2493/2000 of the European Parliament and of the Council of
7 November 2000 on measures to promote the full integration of the environmental dimension in the
development process of developing countries (1), concerning operations financed by budget heading
B7-6200. Even before this Regulation existed, every operation to assist Latin America, where necessary,
included an environmental impact assessment. Council Regulation (EEC) No 443/92 of 25 February 1992,
on financial and technical assistance to, and economic cooperation with, the developing countries in
Asia and Latin America (2) stipulates that 10 % of funding should be set aside for the environment and, in
particular, protecting tropical forests. This objective is fully met.

Latin America is one of the main areas that benefits from environmental projects on tropical forests and
both European and Latin American non-governmental organisations are very active in the field of
environmental protection, at the same time paying particular attention to the local population. The
Commission is the second biggest donor (after Germany) to the Pilot Programme to Conserve the Brazilian
Rain Forests (PPG7).

(1) OJ L 288, 15.11.2000.
(2) OJ L 52, 27.2.1992.

(2001/C 318 E/210)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1047/01

by Camilo Nogueira RomÆn (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(3 April 2001)

Subject: Generic Aids drugs

is the Commission(cid:146)s standpoint on the confrontation between major world pharmaceutical
What
companies and various third world countries which are particularly affected by the Aids epidemic and
which are seeking to manufacture and use generic medicines to fight the disease? Is the Commission
prepared, like the UN World Health Organisation, to take up a position which gives priority above all to
the humanitarian requirements needed to combat this scourge rather than favouring the egoistic and
hegemonic interests of pharmaceutical firms?

Answer given by Mr Lamy on behalf of the Commission

(14 June 2001)

The Commission has taken a clear position on this issue which is set out in the (cid:145)Programme for Action:
Accelerated action on acquired immune deficiency syndrome/human immunodeficiency virus (HIV/AIDS),
malaria and tuberculosis (TB) in the context of poverty reduction(cid:146) (1). Ensuring that poor country markets
are supplied with adequate and affordable medicines is one of the priorities of the Programme, as is
increasing investment in health care and in research.

Many developing countries are faced with emergencies due to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Due to increased
international awareness of the issue, a growing number of pharmaceutical companies are today offering
their products to developing countries at prices comparable with the lowest prices on the world market.

The Commission supports this development and is promoting the setting up of a global tiered pricing
system. It believes that this will make tiered pricing the rule when supplying medicines, whether patented
or not, to developing countries and ensure that such medicines are delivered in sufficient quantities and at
affordable prices.

(1) COM(2001) 96 final.