WRITTEN QUESTION E-2701/01 by Mario Mauro (PPE-DE) to the Council. Sustainable tourism policy in the European Union.
Date: 2001-10-04
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Union, environmental protection, exchange of information, sustainable development, tourism

6.6.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 134 E/81

Public Health

There are currently eight Public Health Programmes. A new Action Programme on Public Health is
currently under discussion in the Parliament and the Council. When adopted,
the current eight
programmes will be repealed.

An annex containing information on the number of projects submitted in 2000 and 2001 from the
Regions of Liguria, Lombardy, Piedmont and Valle d’Aosta financed or to be financed is sent direct to the
Honourable Member and to the Parliament’s Secretariat.

General information as well as information on projects financed up to 2000 under the eight individual
Public Health programmes can also be found on DG SANCO’s web pages (2)

Consumer Protection

Another annex containing information on the number of projects submitted and the projects financed in
2000 and 2001 from the Regions of Liguria, Lombardy, Piedmont and Valle d’Aosta is also sent direct to
the Honourable Member and to Parliament’s Secretariat.

General information as well as information on projects financed up to 2001 can also be found on DG
SANCO’s web pages (2)

(1) OJ L 34, 9.2.1999.
(2) http://europa. eu. int/comm/dgs/health_consumer/index_en. htm.

(2002/C 134 E/084)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2701/01

by Mario Mauro (PPE-DE) to the Council

(4 October 2001)

Subject: Sustainable tourism policy in the European Union

The European Union is one of the world’s major tourist destinations.

In 1997 the Commission initiated three studies on integrated quality management in rural, urban and
coastal tourist destinations. These studies are aimed at identifying and analysing best practice in integrated
quality management in countries belonging to the European Economic Area and contributing to exchanges
of information and knowledge transfer within Europe and serving as a guide to the public sector, in
particular local authorities, and the private sector, in particular tourist companies. These studies were also
intended to constitute a first step towards preparing sustainable development indicators for the tourist
industry (beyond the transport and energy sectors).

It would in fact be desirable to develop a policy aimed at preserving as far as possible resources and all
landscape, archaeological) from the impact of the tourist industry,
forms of environment (ecological,
guaranteeing compatibility between tourist activities and the protection of areas of great natural beauty
and biological value and drawing up directives, e.g. on the ‘load capacity’ of tourist destinations.

In this connection, will the Council state whether it is about to draw up a strategy for the improvement of
Community tourist areas, as announced?

Has the Council considered the possibility of promoting initiatives to support sustainable tourism in the
European Union, taking due account of the economic importance of this sector, as well as its impact on
regional planning and increasing international competition?

C 134 E/82

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

6.6.2002

Reply

(12 February 2002)

The attention of the Honourable Member is drawn to the work carried out by the Council to date on the
issue of sustainable development in the field of tourism.

At its meeting on 21 June 1999, the Council adopted conclusions on tourism and employment in which it
recognised the significant role of the European Tourism Industry in the economy and the need to improve
its competitiveness on the basis of balanced and sustainable development and environmental protection,
and called on the Commission and the Member States to pursue their work, in particular on the question
of environmental protection and sustainable development in tourism.

As part of its follow-up to these conclusions, the Commission has coordinated proceedings of experts
meeting in working groups, one of which has focused on the promotion of environmental protection and
sustainable development in tourism.

At its meeting on 30 November 2000, the Council took note of the proceedings of the seminar organised
by the French Presidency in Lille on 22 November 2000 on ‘Tourism and Sustainable Development’. These
proceedings were summarised in a Presidency note, which identified a number of common concerns
among the delegations including, in particular, the desire to encourage a tourism policy committed to
sustainable development and to the well-being of the European Union’s inhabitants, mindful of their values
and diversity.
the Advisory
In its note the Presidency also recommended continuing the work of
Committee, particularly in relation to setting up a network of pilot areas to share experiences on the
sustainable development of tourism and to disseminate good regional planning practice with the aim of
fostering the emergence of a European tourism strategy.

Furthermore, it should be noted that the Commission is currently preparing a communication entitled
‘Framing the Future for European Tourism’. This communication will be presented at a forthcoming
meeting of the Internal Market Council and may very well address some of the issues raised by the
Honourable Member in his question. In any event, the communication will be forwarded to the European
Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions.

(2002/C 134 E/085)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2706/01

by Harlem Désir (PSE) to the Commission

(26 September 2001)

Subject: Lack of progress in the negotiations on the trade and cooperation agreement between the EU and

South Africa

What proposals will the Commission make for breaking the stalemate and completing the negotiations
with South Africa on the trade and cooperation agreement with the European Union? Is it not damaging
to delay the entry into force of this agreement, which could substantially benefit the development of
Africa, purely on account of the fisheries aspect?

Cannot the Commission accept South Africa’s desire to preserve its fish stocks as legitimate and well-
founded, and likewise its intention not to consent to further exploitation agreements of the kind which the
previous Apartheid regime concluded with Korea and Japan D which it does not intend to renew D but
rather, in advance of any agreement, to implement a programme of scientific cooperation and monitoring
of fish stocks?