WRITTEN QUESTION E-1698/01 by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Postponement of new cotton regulation.
Date: 2001-06-14
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: application of EU law, cotton, norm price, regulation of agricultural production

11.12.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 350 E/211

on youth policies. At the last Council of Ministers for Youth, held in Brussels on 28 May 2001, the
Member States advocated an ambitious White Paper which would aim high. Nonetheless, Commissioner
Reding, while stopping short of announcing that there would be no White Paper, has warned that the final
text could prove to be a document (cid:145)devoid of content(cid:146).

Can the Commission explain the nature of the problems encountered or the reasons which have led it to
consider that the final text could be a document (cid:145)devoid of content(cid:146)?

What action does the Commission intend to take to meet its original goal of submitting the White Paper
by November 2001?

Joint answer
to Written Questions E-1694/01, E-1733/01, E-1903/01, E-1904/01 and E-2050/01
given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(2 August 2001)

The Commission believes that
the policy of European co-operation in the youth field should be
strengthened. This is why, at the end of 1999, the Commission began to draw up a White Paper on this
subject at the instigation of the Member of the Commission with responsibility for Education and Culture.

The Commission wanted a hitherto unprecedented consultation process to take place beforehand:
consultations with young people in each Member State in 2000, in connection with which a European-
level meeting was held in Paris in October 2000; consultations with civil society organisations and
academics; discussions with the Member States. This process was completed in March 2001 in Ume(cid:229),
Sweden.

The Commission, now sure of the support of young people and the Member States, has since then been in
the process of drawing up the White Paper, which should be published before the end of the year.

(2001/C 350 E/235)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1698/01

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

Subject: Postponement of new cotton regulation

(14 June 2001)

Although it is the end of May and the cotton crop has long since passed the planting stage, the new cotton
regulation has not yet been published. According to reports from the Council of Agriculture Ministers held
on 24 April 2001, a decision was taken to introduce provisions for increasing the coresponsibility levy on
surplus production, which are different and less favourable than both the current provisions and the
Commission(cid:146)s proposal and were unknown to cotton-growers at the time of planting their crops.

In view of the fact that the Commission has repeatedly in the past adopted legislation on the basis of
farmers(cid:146)
(cid:145)need to be informed in good time of the provisions which will apply to the crops they grow(cid:146)
(COM 576/1999 (1), amending the regulation on flax and hemp), will it postpone implementation of the
new cotton regulation since cotton growers were unaware at the time of planting their crops of the
differences from the Commission(cid:146)s proposal and of the higher (cid:145)fines(cid:146)
laid down by the new cotton
regulation?

(1) OJ C 56 E, 29.2.2000, p. 17.

C 350 E/212

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

11.12.2001

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(19 July 2001)

Reducing the guide price for unginned cotton where the guaranteed national quantities are exceeded has
been a key feature of the aid scheme for cotton for many marketing years.

The proposal to adjust the system of aid for cotton presented by the Commission on 13 December
1999 (1) has been published in the Official Journal (2). The substance of that proposal, and in particular the
provisions adjusting the reduction in the guide price, was therefore public knowledge several months
before the normal time of sowing referred to by the Honourable Member. Under the circumstances, the
Commission considers that the principle of the protection of legitimate expectations has been observed as
far as the operators are concerned.

The Commission draws the Honourable Member(cid:146)s attention to the fact that it is not in a position to defer
a date of entry into force decided by the Council.

(1) COM(1999) 492 final.
(2) OJ C 28, 1.2.2000.

(2001/C 350 E/236)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1700/01

by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(14 June 2001)

Subject: Policy pursued by Euronews

Euronews is a television station which has been funded from the Community budget for several years.
Certain remarks made on some programmes, however, have caused resentment among the public (cid:129) who
after all finance the station through the budget (cid:129) as is the case with Greek citizens who hear the station
constantly using the term (cid:145)Macedonia(cid:146) whenever it refers to FYROM. In addition, Euronews completely
languages of the EU, such as Greek, Danish, Finnish, Swedish etc and
ignores most of the official
broadcasts no programmes in those languages. Neither are the station(cid:146)s viewing figures of any significance
given the number of years it has been in operation and the fact that it has consistently received EU
funding.

What is the total amount of EU funding received by Euronews (from the Community budget and other
Community sources) since 1995? Why does that station use incorrect terminology to describe states such
as FYROM, which both the UN and the EU have recognised with that very name and not as (cid:145)Macedonia(cid:146)?
What are the station(cid:146)s viewing figures for the last five years? Are those figures satisfactory for a TV station
which represents the Union(cid:146)s attempt to create a European information network to (cid:145)showcase(cid:146) the EU?

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(19 July 2001)

The Commission, at Parliament(cid:146)s instigation, concluded an agreement with EuroNews in the form of
a Memorandum of Understanding for the production and broadcasting of audiovisual modules. The
agreement was concluded for three years.

EuroNews is a semi-public pan-European news channel broadcasting in six languages. The European
Broadcasting Union (EBU) has a majority holding in the company controlling the channel (51 %); the rest
is owned by Independent Television News Limited (ITN).

EuroNews wishes to become financially profitable, and in general its projects are undertaken on that basis.
The languages covered by the channel (currently English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish)