WRITTEN QUESTION E-3565/01 by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Application of the Community cotton scheme in Greece.
Date: 2002-01-08
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Greece, aid system, control of State aid, coordination of aid, cotton, quality control of agricultural products

C 160 E/142

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

4.7.2002

In addition to these checks scheduled before payment of the advance on the aid Member States must make
those specified in Articles 27 to 31 of Regulation (EC) No 2366/98. These checks should ensure that there
are no quantities appearing in aid applications on which the production aid will be improperly paid.

(1) OJ L 293, 31.10.1998.

(2002/C 160 E/178)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3565/01

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(8 January 2002)

Subject: Application of the Community cotton scheme in Greece

From 1981 to 2000 the application of the Community cotton scheme in Greece was the responsibility of
the Cotton Organisation, which has now been abolished. In the current marketing year, checks are being
carried out by the new payment agency, the OPEKEPE, which does not however have a properly structured
technical control service. This has led to considerable delays and confusion, and the various checks
stipulated by Regulations (EC) Nos 1051/2001 (1) and 1591/2001 (2) have been called into question.

1. What body or bodies and services have taken over responsilbity for the checks stipulated in
Regulation (EC) 1591/2001 (Articles 5 and 13, inter alia)? When were they designated? More specifically,
following the abolition of the Cotton Organisation, what body has been made responsible for quality
controls on ginned and unginned cotton (cases, length of fibres, moisture content of bales), which are
necessary in order to determine the price for unginned cotton and the weight of ginned cotton for which
aid is being paid and which require specialised staff, suitable infrastructure (classification facilities, quality
control laboratories) and central coordination if they are to be reliable?

2.
Has the Commission checked whether the bodies responsible for the various controls relating to the
Community cotton scheme are capable of dealing with and prepared for the requirements laid down by
Regulations (EC) Nos 1051/2001 and 1591/2001?

Has the Commission examined the reliability of

3.
Article 13(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1591/2001?

the coordination mechanism laid down by

(1) OJ L 148, 1.6.2001, p. 3.
(2) OJ L 201, 3.8.2001, p. 10.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(8 February 2002)

As the common agricultural policy rules on management of the market organisations for the various
products stand, it is not the Commission’s business to comment on the internal organisation of the Greek
authority responsible for policing Community agricultural subsidies.

Council Regulation (EC) No 1258/1999 of 17 May 1999 on financing of the common agricultural
policy (1) requires Member States to inform the Commission now what bodies it has decided to accredit
and provide it with information on their operation. It gives the Community a right of scrutiny of the
activities of the paying agencies that is exercised in close cooperation with the Member State.

4.7.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 160 E/143

Under the Community rules on the cotton aid scheme applicable from the 2001/2002 marketing year the
Commission was officially informed of
the reorganisation of policing arrangements to which the
Honourable Member refers. The tasks are now assigned to a single paying agency, OPEKEPE, with which
the Cotton Organisation has been integrated at both national and regional level.

Obviously with the new structure there is no need for establishment of a system of coordination, as
required by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1591/2001 of 2 August 2001 laying down detailed rules for
applying the cotton aid scheme (2) where there are several inspection bodies.

In the course of the accounts clearance procedure provided for by Regulation (EC) No 1258/1999 the
Commission will ensure within the set time limits that the requirements pertaining to the decisions on
financial clearance and compliance are met.

(1) OJ L 160, 26.6.1999.
(2) OJ L 201, 3.8.2001.

(2002/C 160 E/179)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3571/01

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(8 January 2002)

Subject: Building of gas-turbine thermal power stations in the province of Reggio Emilia

In the Reggio Emilia province (Emilia Romagna region, Italy), the authorities are making plans for the
building of gas-turbine thermal power stations in the inner suburbs of the city of Reggio Emilia and in
Brescello. Various action committees and associations, concerned at the implications of these plans in
terms of public health and environmental impact, are campaigning against the decision.

Will the Commission check whether the building of such power stations in the Reggio Emilia province is
in keeping with European environmental, public health and public safety regulations?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(20 February 2002)

The Commission has the task of ensuring the correct application of Community law, in the light of the
powers conferred on it by the EC Treaty. As the guardian of the Treaty, it does not hesitate to take all
necessary measures, including infringement procedures under Article 226 of the Treaty, in order to ensure
the observance of Community law.

In the specific situations pointed out by the Honourable Member, the Directive on environmental impact
assessment (Council Directive 85/337/EEC of 27 June 1985 (1) on the assessment of the effects of certain
public and private projects on the environment whether before or after being amended by Directive
97/11/EC of 3 March 1997 (2)) constitutes the possibly relevant Community law.

However, on the basis of the information given by the Honourable Member, due to a lack of grounds of
complaint on the application of Community law, no breach of it can be identified at present. Should the
Honourable Member provide detailed information enabling the Commission to assess the issues in relation
to the above mentioned directive, the Commission would also be able to investigate this matter.

(1) OJ L 175, 5.7.1985.
(2) OJ L 73, 14.3.1997.