WRITTEN QUESTION E-1655/01 by Pere Esteve (ELDR) to the Commission. Double fiscal deficit in the Balearic Islands.
Date: 2001-06-12
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Balearic Islands, EU regional policy, Member States' contribution, relations between the State and the regions

C 364 E/168

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.12.2001

(b) (cid:133)

(c) where a plan is introduced for the recovery of a resource threatened with exhaustion, decided by
the Commission or by one or some Member States; the granting of compensation may last for no
more than two years and may be extended by a further year.

Measures as indicated above may be implemented in the context of the relevant structural programmes,
once a decision has been taken by the management authority of the Member State concerned.

(1) OJ L 337, 30.12.1999.

(2001/C 364 E/185)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1654/01

by Prof. Sir Neil MacCormick (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

Subject: Animal welfare and foie gras

(12 June 2001)

Is it the Commission(cid:146)s opinion that the production of foie gras by forcefeeding is compatible with any
reasonable conception of animal welfare? Does the Commission contemplate taking any action on the
basis of its opinion on this matter?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(26 July 2001)

The production of foie gras is an accepted and traditional practice in some Member States.

In the Community, Council Directive 98/58/EC of 20 July 1998 (1) establishes the main principles for the
protection of all species of animal kept for farming purposes, including those kept for the production of
foie gras.

Two recommendations for the protection of ducks and geese bred for the production of foie gras were
adopted in June 1999 in the framework of the European Convention for the protection of animals kept for
farming purposes.

The recommendations state that the production of foie gras shall be carried out only where it is current
the competent authorities shall monitor this type of production to ensure the
practice and that
the Parties to the
the recommendations. The recommendations also state for
implementation of
Convention to inform the Standing Committee annually of the results obtained and measures taken to
improve housing and management procedures and to control the production.

The Member States, all of which are contracting parties to the Convention, are expected to give effect to
the recommendations. In addition the Commission will encourage the development of systems for feeding
ducks that are less problematic for the welfare of the animals. At present the Commission does not
envisage any proposals to oblige changes in feeding practices.

(1) OJ L 221, 8.8.1998.

(2001/C 364 E/186)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1655/01

by Pere Esteve (ELDR) to the Commission

(12 June 2001)

Subject: Double fiscal deficit in the Balearic Islands

According to recent reports presented in the regional parliament of
the Balearic Islands, Spanish
government revenue in the region in 1999 stood at PTE 875 047 million, while national government
expenditure was PTE 570 873 million. The fiscal deficit of the Balearic Islands vis-(cid:224)-vis the Spanish state
was, therefore, PTE 304 174.

20.12.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 364 E/169

In only 17 years, the fiscal deficit of the Balearic Islands vis-(cid:224)-vis the Spanish state has increased from
PTE 7 500 million in 1981 to PTE 304 374 in 1998.

The region also contributes an annual average of PTE 32 081 million to the EU budget. It is in fact the
Spanish region which contributes most per inhabitant to the EU, although it gets only PTE 10 167 million
back in EU aid. This amounts to a negative balance of PTE 21 940 million per inhabitant.

The Balearic Islands thus suffer from a double fiscal deficit vis-(cid:224)-vis both Madrid and Brussels.

In view of these circumstances, what is the Commission(cid:146)s position on the double fiscal deficit affecting this
region? Does the Commission believe that this deficit could be properly remedied by an appropriate
distribution of EU funds? Does it intend to take any kind of measures to ensure that further fiscal
imbalances are not generated in the present case?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(31 July 2001)

Regarding the supposed (cid:145)fiscal deficit(cid:146) of the Balearic Islands (one of the Comunidades Aut(cid:243)nomas) vis-(cid:224)-vis
the Spanish State, in principle this is an internal issue of Spain and only the Spanish authorities can deal
with it.

The financial relationships between territorial governments (Comunidades Aut(cid:243)nomas) and the State are
based on the Constitution and the LOFCA ((cid:145)Ley OrgÆnica de Financiaci(cid:243)n de las Comunidades
Aut(cid:243)nomas(cid:146)). Within the legal framework of the LOFCA, an official body is responsible for negotiating
agreements between the State and regional governments (Fiscal and Financial Policy Council). These
agreements are revised each five years. The current system covers the period 1997-2001.

Regarding the supposed (cid:145)fiscal deficit(cid:146) in relation to the Community two remarks should be made:

(cid:129) On the one hand, the most important Community spending items are agricultural expenditure and
structural and cohesion funds. Their main goals are maintaining farmers(cid:146)
increasing the
internal cohesion among Community regions and reaching real convergence among Member States. In
accordance with these targets, a high percentage of total Community expenditure is addressed to those
regions with lowest per capita income. The Commission considers this strategy, on which the current
expenditure of these items is based, as appropriate.

income,

(cid:129) On the other hand, the financing of the Community budget is determined by the VAT resource, the
these
gross national product
Community resources appear only as expenditure in the Central State budget. The financial links are
established thus only between the Community and the Member State.

(GNP) resource and the so-called own traditional resources. All

The Commission therefore cannot comment on calculations of fiscal balances such as those proposed
by the Honourable Member.

(2001/C 364 E/187)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1658/01

by Jan Andersson (PSE) to the Commission

(28 May 2001)

Subject: Corporate social responsibility

In the conclusions to the European Council Summit meeting in Stockholm, the Council welcomes (cid:145)the
initiatives taken by businesses to promote corporate social responsibility(cid:146) (paragraph 31). It also emerges
from the conclusions that the Commission intends to present a green paper in June this year on corporate
social responsibility (CSR). CSR comprises a number of areas which were and could continue to be covered
by agreements reached through collective bargaining or by Community legislation.