WRITTEN QUESTION E-3653/01 by Sebastiano Musumeci (UEN) to the Commission. Creation of the Mediterranean Bank and Immigration Observatory.
Date: 2002-01-14
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU migration policy, European Investment Bank, Mediterranean third countries, development bank, financing policy, investment bank

17.4.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 92 E/3

(2003/C 92 E/003)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3653/01

by Sebastiano Musumeci (UEN) to the Commission

(14 January 2002)

Subject: Creation of the Mediterranean Bank and Immigration Observatory

Recent press reports have claimed that the Commission President, Mr Romano Prodi, intends to propose
the creation of a ‘Mediterranean Bank’ (to support joint investment and development projects in the
Mediterranean area) and an ‘Immigration Observatory’ relating to the countries on the southern shore of
the Mediterranean.

Can the Commission state:

(cid:1) whether these reports are correct; and

(cid:1) how and when it intends to set up these institutions?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(12 April 2002)

The President of the Commission has announced a number of initiatives to strengthen relations with the
Mediterranean partners including a proposal to study the setting up of a Euro-Mediterranean Bank and of a
mechanism for the regular monitoring of migration flows.

Following this and at the request of the European Council at Laeken held in December 2001, the
Commission and Council examined the setting up of a new Euro-Mediterranean Bank. On the basis of
these reflections, the European Council held 15/16 March in Barcelona endorsed the setting up of a
reinforced Euro-Mediterranean Investment Facility within the EIB, complemented by the Euro-Medi-
terranean Partnership arrangement and a EIB representative office located in the area. It was also agreed
that one year after the launching of this Facility, a decision on the incorporation of an EIB majority owned
subsidiary dedicated to Mediterranean Partner Countries will be considered.

As regards migration, the Commission is actively engaged with the Council and the Mediterranean partners
on the elaboration of guidelines for a Euro-Mediterranean regional co-operation programme on Justice and
Home Affairs. This programme will contain a significant section on issues related to migration in which
the setting up of the proposed monitoring mechanism could be considered.

(2003/C 92 E/004)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0201/02

by Carlos Ripoll y Martínez de Bedoya (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(5 February 2002)

Subject: Use of official languages in information on Commission programmes

Those consulting the information made available by the Commission to Internet users at
the site
www.europa.eu.int will notice that for certain Community programmes, such as Comenius, Grundvig,
Tempus, Learning and others, information is only provided in English, while for other programmes such as
Leonardo the information exists only in English, French and German.

This failure to include all the official languages of the EU is a form of discrimination affecting every citizen
and is also a breach of the right of unrestricted access to information.

Why has information about these programmes not been made available in all the official languages of the
EU?

When will this information be provided for all EU citizens in the eleven official languages?