WRITTEN QUESTION P-0192/02 by Giuseppe Pisicchio (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Special aid for the Italian farming sector.
Date: 2002-01-30
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Italy, agricultural production, aid to agriculture, crop losses, natural disaster

C 172 E/164

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.7.2002

(2002/C 172 E/171)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0176/02

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(6 February 2002)

Subject: European emergency telephone number 112

The European emergency telephone number 112 was introduced in 1993.

Can the Commission state how many Member States have since replaced their old emergency telephone
numbers with 112?

Will it force Member States that have not yet introduced 112 as the European emergency number to do
so? If so, by what date? If not, why not?

In which languages will Europeans calling this emergency number be answered?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(1 March 2002)

Two Member States (Denmark and the Netherlands) have replaced their old emergency call numbers with
112.

Article 1(2) of Council Decision 91/396/EEC (1) of 29 July 1991 on the introduction of a single European
emergency call number provides that ‘the single European emergency call number shall be introduced in
parallel with any other existing national emergency call numbers, where this seems appropriate.’ The
number 112 had to be introduced by 31 December 1996 at the latest.

It is for each Member State to decide which emergency call numbers may be used in its territory. The
Commission is therefore not in a position to force Member States to introduce 112 as the only emergency
call number.

EU law does not lay down any obligations as regards the languages operators use to answer 112 calls. In
practice, operators answer in their countries’ official
in
English too. Some Member States also allow the use of French, German or other languages.

in nearly all Member States,

language(s) and,

(1) OJ L 217, 6.8.1991.

(2002/C 172 E/172)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0192/02

by Giuseppe Pisicchio (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(30 January 2002)

Subject: Special aid for the Italian farming sector

An extremely alarming situation has been produced in central and southern Europe 8 particularly in Italy
8 by the harsh weather conditions which have occurred during what is proving to be a very long winter,
with an unusual combination of drought and freezing temperatures.

For some autumn and winter crops which, in southern Italy in particular, are of leading importance, this
situation has now turned into a real emergency.

According to the latest estimates, in Puglia (one of the areas which has been hardest hit) fruit and vegetable
production has fallen by a minimum of 20 % and a maximum of 60 %, while the production of wheat and
artichokes 8 which are leading crops in the area 8 has fallen by as much as 80 %, making for a loss of at
least € 100 million.

This drastic fall in production has led to consumer prices rising to totally unacceptable levels and is having
such an alarming inflationary effect that the judicial authorities are looking into the matter.

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 172 E/165

Given the above, would the Commission not agree that it should provide special aid to farmers in view of
the seriousness of the disaster which has occurred in major EU countries in a sector which, because of the
specific nature of the activities involved, is exposed to weather-related risks for which current European
legislation makes no provision whatsoever.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(20 February 2002)

The Commission has not yet received official information about the effect of the exceptional weather
conditions in Italy.

Given the scale of the damage, existing Community provisions allow for the grant of special assistance
part-financed by the Community from the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF)
in order to restore agricultural potential damaged by these weather conditions, which can be classed as a
natural disaster.

In the context of the rural development plans for the regions outside Objective 1 and the regional
operational programmes, the Italian regions can put in place measures to restore agricultural production
potential damaged by natural disasters and introduce appropriate prevention instruments under
Article 33(12) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 of 17 May 1999 on support
for rural
development from the EAGGF and amending and repealing certain Regulations (1). Some Italian regions
have already included this option in their programmes, in order to tackle the damage caused by past
natural disasters of various kinds.

The Commission is accordingly prepared to look at any proposals from the Italian authorities, within
existing statutory and financial limits.

However, EAGGF assistance can only cover investments relating to production potential, not lost income.
National aid might be granted to cover lost income, if approved by the Commission under Articles 87 and
88 of the EC Treaty, which relate to state aid.

(1) OJ L 160, 26.6.1999.

(2002/C 172 E/173)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0202/02

by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission

(6 February 2002)

Subject: European artistic heritage

Europe is the home of a considerable part of the world’s architectural and cultural heritage. Despite the
fact that this heritage is of immense value to all Europeans,
in many cases we have only a patchy
knowledge of what it actually involves and what condition it is in. It would therefore be extremely useful
to draw up an inventory of Europe’s artistic and cultural heritage, both with a view to gaining a clearer
idea of its extent and so as to be able to ensure the protection, restoration, upkeep and promotion of
Europe’s many treasures.

the Commission, Mr Oreja answered a question of mine
On 27 November 1996, on behalf of
(E-2761/96 (1)) on whether an inventory had been made of Europe’s artistic and cultural heritage, saying
that an initial approach to the matter could be made on the basis of a directory of cultural statistics in
Europe, which was currently under preparation and the aim of which was to provide an overview of the
organisations producing cultural statistics on a regular basis.

Given the above, would the Commission state whether this directory was ever produced, whether an
inventory of Europe’s artistic and cultural heritage has been drawn up since 1996, and what its views are
on the matter?

(1) OJ C 83, 14.3.1997, p. 64.