WRITTEN QUESTION E-2433/01 by Esko Seppänen (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Membership of Parliament under the Treaty of Nice.
Date: 2001-09-07
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Parliament, Treaty of Nice, enlargement of the Union, legislative period, operation of the Institutions

6.6.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 134 E/33

The Community-Vietnam bilateral co-operation programme is based on support for the Renovation
Programme launched by the Government of Vietnam in 1986, which included elements of both political
and economic reform. The projects supported under the programme are decided jointly with the
Government in the context of a co-operation strategy which was agreed with them in 1996. Essentially,
the strategy is to provide technical assistance to support the implementation of economic reforms as
Vietnam develops into a market economy and at the same time to provide development assistance to
alleviate the social costs of the economic reform process and help in the modernisation of the social
sector.

In this context, there are three agreed priorities for development assistance:

) poverty alleviation, where the main efforts are focussed on rural development

in poor and

mountainous regions;

) the social sectors, where there are currently two large projects in the health sector, (one dealing with
Malaria and the other with the development of the general health care system), and a project to help
develop the primary education system; and

) the environment, where support is being provided for a community-based approach,

linking the

development of environmentally sound practice with income-generation actions for poor farmers.

The Commission’s aid budget in Asia is relatively limited. The Commission is therefore determined to
maximise its impact and the strategic focus it has adopted in Vietnam has helped to do that. The
Commission will be reviewing the joint strategy with Vietnam over the next months. In this process, it will
be ready to consider any issues that may be raised, including assistance for persons affected by Agent
Orange. But the Commission will still need to ensure at the end of the day that it retains a well-balanced
and focussed approach.

In addition to the bilateral cooperation programme ) Vietnam also qualifies for assistance under the
Commission’s horizontal programmes, including the non-governmental organisations (NGO) co-financing
programme for developing countries. Indeed, there are several NGO actions currently being supported in
Vietnam. The possibility of presenting a proposal under the next call for proposals under the NGO
co-financing programme could also be considered by any NGO currently active in providing assistance to
Vietnamese citizens affected by Agent Orange.

(2002/C 134 E/034)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2433/01

by Esko Seppänen (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(7 September 2001)

Subject: Membership of Parliament under the Treaty of Nice

Replying to my Written Question P-1558/01 (1), the Commission interpreted the provisions of the Treaty
of Nice regarding the membership of Parliament to mean that the number of representatives of Member
States to be elected in 2004 could exceed the figures laid down in the Treaty. This might happen if
accession treaties had not been concluded with all the applicant countries. If new Member States were to
join during the 2004-2009 parliamentary term,
they would certainly be entitled to send their full
complement of representatives to Parliament immediately thereafter. According to the Commission’s
interpretation, would some representatives of old Member States elected in 2004 be required in that event
to resign before completing their term of office in order to make room for representatives of new Member
States?

(1) OJ C 350 E, 11.12.2001, p. 189.

C 134 E/34

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

6.6.2002

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(1 October 2001)

Article 2(4) of the Protocol on the enlargement of European Union annexed to the Treaty on European
Union and to the Treaties establishing the European Communities by the Treaty of Nice stipulates that, in
the event of new Member States acceding to the Union during the parliamentary term 2004-2009, the
total number of Members of Parliament may temporarily, i. e. for the remainder of the 2004-2009 term,
exceed 732 representatives (1). It is therefore out of the question that representatives would have to resign
in the course of the parliamentary term. The Commission would also draw the Honourable Member’s
attention to the explanatory statement in the Méndez de Vigo-Seguro Report on the Treaty of Nice and the
future of the European Union (2).

(1) OJ C 80, 10.3.2001.
(2) Report A5-0168/2001 (PE 294 755).

(2002/C 134 E/035)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2448/01

by Luciano Caveri (ELDR) to the Commission

(11 September 2001)

Subject: Ratification of protocols to the Alpine Convention

In its reply to the previous written question E-3599/00 (1), the Commission reported on relations between
the EU and the Alpine Convention and basically stated that the commitment to the Convention would be
maintained, as illustrated by the decision to sign the transport protocol. Discussions between the various
signatories to the Convention now mainly focus on ratification of the protocols which have been signed,
an essential step for their actual implementation. This also applies to those protocols which the European
Union has already signed (regional planning and sustainable development mountain farming, conservation
of nature and the countryside) or plans to sign (transport). In an interesting interpretation of the principal
of subsidiarity, the Commission’s reply also states that the EU will not sign the other protocols (mountain
forests, tourism, soil conservation and energy) because their implementation will be better guaranteed at
the level of the Alpine area member states and their regions than at Community level.

This being so, what stage has the EU reached in signing the transport protocol?

The reply to question E-3599/00 seems to infer that there are obstacles in the way of the ratification of the
protocols already signed by the Union. This ratification is essential in order to give practical effect to the
Community’s commitment, particularly in areas, such as agriculture, which clearly come under its sphere
of competence. What are the obstacles in question?

(1) OJ C 187 E, 3.7.2001, p. 19.

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(12 November 2001)

With regard to the signature of the Transport Protocol to the Alpine Convention, the Commission adopted
on 16 January 2001, in accordance with the provisions of Article 300 (ex Article 228), second paragraph
of the EC Treaty, a Proposal for a Council Decision (1) on the signature of this Protocol. This proposal is
currently being considered by the Council Working Party on Land Transport.

It should be clear, however, that the fact that the Commission is giving priority to the ratification of the
Transport Protocol, should not be seen as a lack of interest in the promotion of sustainable development
in the Alpine region. Indeed, the Commission stresses the interest it attaches to mountain regions. This
interest is exemplified by the fact that the Commission, in its second Report on Cohesion (2), recognised
that mountain regions are already at a disadvantage and have, as such, been included as one of ten