WRITTEN QUESTION E-2590/01 by Luciano Caveri (ELDR) to the Commission. Wine growing in mountain areas.
Date: 2001-09-26
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: aid system, competence of the Member States, eligibility criteria, mountain region, rural development, viticulture

18.4.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 93 E/167

(2002/C 93 E/198)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2584/01

by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Risk of losing resources from the third CSF in Greece

(24 September 2001)

According to reports in the Greek press, Greece is at risk of losing resources from the third CSF because of
agencies’ shortcomings in adjusting to stringent preconditions for efficient and successful use of resources.
It is indicative that, of the 275 projects submitted by local authorities throughout the country for approval
and funding by the Cohesion Fund, the 13 regional authorities responsible preselected 106, of which only
30 projects will finally be submitted for the approval of the appropriate Community bodies, since the
remainder did not meet the eligibility requirements specified by the new regulations.

Could the Commission say whether it is possible that Greece may lose these appropriations through
inability to make use of them? In its opinion, are the local agencies really to blame for not being able to
meet the newly prescribed eligibility requirements?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(29 October 2001)

The Commission welcomes the effort made by the Greek government for improved management of
projects and programmes co-financed by funds of the Community. This is reflected in the press reports to
which the Honourable Member refers.

A more rigorous approach for project selection and implementation has been introduced, both for the
Structural Funds and for the Cohesion Fund, for the programming period 2000-2006.

The year 2001 is a transitional year for the establishment and operation of the new structures and
procedures, which are expected to be fully operational by 2002.

Both the Greek government and the Commission recognise the need to reinforce the management capacity
of local and departmental authorities and administrations, and the Community support framework for the
2000-2006 period provides for actions in this regard.

(2002/C 93 E/199)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2590/01

by Luciano Caveri (ELDR) to the Commission

(26 September 2001)

Subject: Wine growing in mountain areas

There are no Community documents, other than the recent Ebner report on mountain farming, which
provide a definition of ‘wine growing in mountain areas’. This is surprising, given the specific nature of
wine-growing problems in European mountain areas and the need for Community law to take account of
these aspects, especially the amount of work and extra cost
involved in maintaining this type of
agriculture, which is essential to the protection of the countryside in particularly sensitive areas.

What does the Commission intend to do and what proposals will it put forward to support wine growing
in mountain areas?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(25 October 2001)

Given the need to simplify the Common agricultural policy (CAP), it has not been judged necessary to set
up a specific tool to address the specific problems of mountain vineyards.

C 93 E/168

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.4.2002

As is the case for other sectors, the Common market organisation and the new Rural Development policy
give Member States many possibilities to tackle the specific problems of wine production in mountain
areas.

As regards the common organisation of the market in wine, Member States are for instance responsible for
the implementation of the restructuring plans and for fixing the amounts of premia. This gives them the
possibility,
for instance through
appropriately raised levels of support taking into account the higher restructuring costs of these areas.

to support wine production in mountain areas,

they wish so,

if

The new rural development policy also gives Member States the possibility to take account of the positive
contribution of specific production sectors to the maintenance of traditional landscapes and the protection
of
instance through compensatory allowances for mountain areas or agri-
environment measures. Such measures seem to be well adapted to mountain vineyards, which are an
important feature of many mountain areas.

the environment,

for

As regards the proposal to establish a definition of mountain vineyards at the European level, the
Commission estimates that this centralised approach wouldn’t be appropriate. While the new regulation on
rural development, Commission Regulation (EC) No 1763/2001 of 6 September 2001 amending
Regulaiton (EC) No 1750/1999 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC)
No 1257/1999 on support for rural development from the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee
Fund (EAGGF) (1) defines the general community criteria to be respected to establish the list of less
favoured areas (among which mountain areas),
it is indeed the responsibility of national and regional
authorities to proceed to the classification of these areas and to define the detailed eligibility conditions
applying to specific sectors of production.

(1) OJ L 239, 7.9.2001.

(2002/C 93 E/200)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2593/01

by Mario Borghezio (TDI) to the Council

(27 September 2001)

Subject: European checks on irregularities in the issuing of visas and residence permits in Italy

Investigations which are currently taking place in Italy, on the initiative of various judicial bodies, have
revealed large-scale trafficking in visas and residence permits issued illegally by Italian diplomatic and
consular offices in many countries around the world.

The investigations have shown that this traffic involves not only Italian and other Mafia organisations, but
also a number of Islamic terrorist networks.

What practical measures are to be taken as a matter of urgency at European level in order to introduce an
effective system of controls aimed at preventing immigrants who have entered the Schengen area on the
basis of irregular documents from travelling around and remaining in the EU?

Reply

(10 December 2001)

One of the priorities of the Belgian Presidency is to step up the fight against document fraud, in particular
by means of provisions aimed at
improving local consular cooperation. Following the events of
11 September 2001, the Extraordinary Council meeting (Justice, Home Affairs and Civil Protection) held
on 20 September 2001 identified over thirty measures to combat terrorism. These measures, which
concern inter alia judicial and police cooperation, will also serve to speed up the process of creating an
area of freedom, security and justice. In relation to border controls, the Council has invited ‘the competent
authorities of the Member States to strengthen controls at external borders’ and has requested ‘the Police
Chiefs Task Force to examine without delay procedures for achieving this aim and report back to the