WRITTEN QUESTION E-2593/01 by Mario Borghezio (TDI) to the Council. European checks on irregularities in the issuing of visas and residence permits in Italy.
Date: 2001-09-27
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Italy, admission of aliens, consulate, exchange of information, fraud, public safety, residence permit, terrorism

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

18.4.2002

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 93 E/169

December Council’, and the Member States ‘to apply procedures for the issue of visas with maximum
rigour and to this end step up local consular cooperation’. The Council has also invited the Commission ‘to
submit proposals for establishing a network for information exchanges concerning the visas issued’. The
Commission has confirmed that it will submit such a proposal, as well as proposals to reinforce the
security features of visas modifying the proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation 1683/95
laying down a uniform format for visas currently under examination in the Council.

Council bodies are also examining the possibility of establishing common visa issuing offices.

(2002/C 93 E/201)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2599/01

by Antonios Trakatellis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(19 September 2001)

Subject: Operation of Olympic Airways: privatisation and State aid

After the failure of the two programmes aimed at restructuring a debt-ridden Olympic Airways through
the provision of Drs 3 trillion in State aid, the Greek Government has gone back on its original decision to
privatise the company by declaring it bankrupt and splitting it into two companies (one profit-making, the
other loss-making) and in May 2001 invited offers for a majority stake in the company. Although the
highest bidder was selected following an assessment of the offers, negotiations on the sale of the company
have yet to be opened. There are a great many unclarified aspects of this case relating to Community law
and the continued operation of Olympic Airways under these circumstances is creating further debt.

Will the Commission, therefore, say:

1. whether Greece has fulfilled its obligations to the European Union under the two restructuring

programmes and, if not, which obligations it has yet to fulfill,

2. what amount of State or other aid the company received for operations in 2000 and 2001 and
whether such aid, e.g. payment of Olympic Airways’ dues to the Spata airport authority by means of
interest-free loans from the Greek Government, was notified to and approved by the Commission in
accordance with Community rules, and

3. what representations it has made to the Greek authorities to speed up the privatisation process,
establish transparent rules for the sale of the company and produce data such as the official accounts
for 1999 and 2000?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(25 October 2001)

The Commission has been closely following the ongoing privatisation process of Olympic Airways since its
it has stressed to the Greek authorities that the
starting point in December 2000.
privatisation procedure has
transparency, neutrality and non-
discrimination and that both the process as well as the transaction itself cannot contain any state aid.
The Greek authorities have stated that the privatisation deal will be duly notified to the Commission.

to fully observe the principles of

In this context,

On the basis of a complaint the Commission has asked the Greek authorities for clarifications of various
aspects relating to the compatibility of the current situation of the company with the Commission’s passed
decisions relating to state aid matters and, in a more recent correspondence, it inquired about the state of
payment of various amounts since its 1998 decision. Following a first reaction from the Greek authorities
in August, the Commission expects to receive such detailed information before the end of October.
Therefore, the Commission will be only thereafter in a position to resond to the Honourable Member’s
detailed points.