WRITTEN QUESTION E-1977/01 by Juan Naranjo Escobar (PPE-DE) to the Commission. The threat posed by desertification to the life of the planet.
Date: 2001-07-05
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU aid, EU programme, UN convention, agricultural productivity, desertification, financial aid, international cooperation

16.5.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 115 E/23

(2002/C 115 E/022)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1968/01

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

Subject: Supplementary supervision of insurance undertakings

(5 July 2001)

The Commission has sent Greece a letter of formal notice concerning its failure to incorporate into Greek
law by 1 January 2001 Directive 98/78/EC (1), on the supplementary supervision of insurance undertakings
in an insurance group.

1.

2.

Has Greece replied to the letter of formal notice?

For what reasons has the above Directive not been incorporated into Greek law?

(1) OJ L 330, 5.12.1998, p. 1.

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(4 September 2001)

1.
Under Article 11(1), Directive 98/78/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of 27 October
1998 on the supplementary supervision of insurance undertakings in an insurance group should have been
the Member States no later than 5 June 2000. Under
transposed into the national
Article 11(2)
time to the
the provisions referred to in paragraph 1 should be applied for the first
supervision of accounts for the financial year beginning January 2001 or during that calendar year. So far,
the Greek authorities have replied neither to the letter of formal notice sent on 8 August nor to the
reasoned opinion notified on 29 December 2000. For that reason, the Commission decided on 28 March
2001 to refer the matter to the Court of Justice under Article 226 (former Article 169) of the EC Treaty.

legislation of

Not having received a reply from the Greek authorities,

2.
information requested by the Honourable Member.

the Commission does not have the

(2002/C 115 E/023)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1977/01

by Juan Naranjo Escobar (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(5 July 2001)

Subject: The threat posed by desertification to the life of the planet

On World Day to Combat Desertification, the United Nations issued further warnings regarding the terrible
consequences of this phenomenon. As a result of the loss of fertile land and the reduction in agricultural
productivity caused by drought and desertification, every year thousands of people are displaced in their
search for new land to enable them to survive. Last year, hundreds of thousands of people left their homes
in eastern Africa, while fires destroyed hundreds of millions of hectares of forest in America and southern
Europe.

In an attempt to combat the grave consequences of drought and the loss of fertile land, seven years ago a
United Nations Convention on the subject was adopted, as a result of which many developing countries
adopted national action programmes to coordinate their efforts.

In practice, however, mobilising the financial effort necessary to combat drought and desertification
continues to pose a huge problem.

C 115 E/24

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

16.5.2002

What financial means does the Commission have at its disposal to fight this phenomenon, which does not
only affect poor and developing countries,
in an effective manner, and to ensure that the fight is
successful? Can the Commission provide data on how this phenomenon will affect the European landscape
in years to come?

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(14 September 2001)

The Community has been a Party to the Convention to Combat Desertification since 1998. Even before
that date, the Community had a strong record of support to programmes and projects addressing the
problems of dryland areas throughout
the world. Over the period 1990-1999, a contribution of
approximately EUR 1,1 billion was committed to over 600 development projects in dryland areas of
Africa, Asia and Latin America. The northern Mediterranean region also benefited substantially from
Community funds for cooperation activities of the Commission.

For developing countries, projects have been funded under the European Development Fund (EDF-Lomé
Convention), the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership Agreements (MEDA) and the Asia and Latin America
Agreements (ALA). Specific projects have also been funded through the Environment and Tropical Forests
budget lines (now under Regulations (EC) Nos 2493/2000 and 2494/2000) (1). Furthermore, research
projects have been funded under
research and
the fourth and fifth Framework Programmes for
technological development, in particular the International Cooperation (INCO) programme.

For Western and Eastern European countries, projects addressing or relevant
to the desertification
phenomenon have been funded through the Financial Instrument for the Environment (LIFE), the scheme
for Technical Assistance for the Commonwealth of Independent States (TACIS) and specific research
programmes, in particular through the environment research programme, such as Medalus, Aachaeomedes,
EFEDA, EPOCH, which directly address desertification. Desertification and land degradation research will
form a priority item of the Sustainable Development and Global Change component of the Framework
Programme of the Community. Many projects funded under regional policy (Interreg) and the Common
Agricultural Policy (CAP) are also relevant. A detailed list of these projects is included in a public report
prepared by the Commission in 2000 under the Convention, which is being sent direct to the Honourable
Member and to Parliament’s Secretariat.

In addition, following a proposal from some affected regions, projects to combat desertification on which
Member States and non-Community Mediterranean countries cooperate may be cofinanced from the
budget
for the Interreg III programme for the period 2000-2006. The proposals for transnational
programmes sent to the Commission for approval include this kind of project.

In future, in line with the recently adopted Community development policy, the main funding available to
combat desertification outside the Community will continue to come from general aid funds (EDF, ALA,
MEDA). Allocations will normally be made in the light of the National Action Programmes against
Desertification put forward by countries themselves under their Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers and
related Country Support Strategies. Special budget lines such as Environment and Tropical Forest will, of
course, continue to be available for funding specific projects, in principle at a similar level.

Within the Community,
the sixth Environmental Action Programme which is under discussion by
Parliament and Council, includes a proposal for a thematic strategy on soils, which will need to cover inter
alia land degradation and desertification. In the context of enlargement a new Annex to the Desertification
Convention for Central and Eastern European Countries was agreed by the last Conference of the Parties
and should help to provide a coherent framework for future activities in the region.

(1) OJ L 288, 15.11.2000.