WRITTEN QUESTION P-0920/02 by Monica Frassoni (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. SIAs concerning trade agreements.
Date: 2002-03-26
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU programme, World Trade Organisation, economic policy, environmental policy, impact study, international trade, social policy, sustainable development, trade agreement

6.2.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 28 E/57

Regarding the emissions of dioxins due to the incineration of waste oils, the new Incineration Directive
2000/76/EC repeals the Annex of Directive 75/439/EEC as amended, and thus takes over the control of
the incineration of waste oils. The result has been tighter operating conditions for the incineration of waste
oils and the reduction of emission limit values for several pollutants including dioxins.

(1) OJ L 194, 25.7.1975, p. 23.

(2003/C 28 E/062)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0920/02

by Monica Frassoni (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(26 March 2002)

Subject: SIAs concerning trade agreements

its most recent meeting of 11 March 2002, the General Affairs Council adopted the following

At
conclusions:

… all new trade proposals will undergo sustainability impact assessments (SIAs) as agreed under the
EU sustainable development strategy last year. These will be done by external experts and made
public. Around 10 % of the EU trade directorate’s ‘available budget’ will be spent on SIAs in 2002.

It would be logical for these SIAs to be carried out on a regular (multiannual) basis and include all aspects
of sustainability, including gender aspects, in order to permit a review and, possibly, a reform of the
negative effects of trade agreements, to be determined at Joint Committee and Joint Council meetings.

How will the Commission ensure that this conclusion will apply to the agreement between the EU and
Chile, which is being negotiated, and does it envisage a suspension of the negotiation process between the
EU and Chile until the SIA is made?

Will the Commission make public the SIAs on the EU-Chile Agreement as well as on any imminent
agreements? How will MEPs be informed about the outcome of the SIAs?

Answer given by Mr Lamy on behalf of the Commission

(23 April 2002)

With regard to sustainability impact assessments (SIAs), the Commission would like to point out that the
methodological framework, established in 1999 and recently refined by a new study, takes equal account
of the three pillars of sustainable development (economic, social and environmental aspects). The impact of
agreements on gender inequality is obviously studied in the social sphere.

The programme launched by the Commission currently amounts to a total of EUR 2 750 000 in multi-
annual framework contracts:

(cid:1) a EUR 1 000 000 framework contract was signed with a consortium headed by IDPM Manchester at
the end of 2001; it concerns the SIA of the World Trade Organisation negotiations (maximum length
four years);

(cid:1) a EUR 250 000 framework contract was signed with a consortium headed by Planistat in March 2002;
this contract concerns the SIA of the EU-Mercosur and EU-Chile negotiations (maximum length four
years);

C 28 E/58

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.2.2003

(cid:1) an open tender procedure is being launched for a EUR 1 000 000 framework contract for the SIA of

Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations with ACP states (maximum length five years);

(cid:1) an open tender procedure is being launched for a EUR 500 000 framework contract for an SIA of the

ongoing negotiations with the Gulf states (maximum length two years).

As regards the specific question of the SIA of agreements currently under negotiation, in particular with
Chile, the Honourable Member is asked to note the following:

(cid:1) the current negotiations between the EU and Chile are making good progress and the General Affairs
Council stated on 28 January that they should continue with a view to conclusion by the Madrid
Summit in May;

(cid:1) A EUR 250 000 framework contract was signed with Planistat on 4 March for an SIA of the EU-
Mercosur and EU-Chile negotiations. In view of the progress of the negotiations with Chile, the
consultants will initially focus on the SIA of the EU-Chile talks.

The Commission has asked the consultants to submit the final results of the study by the end of July
so that, if the results of the negotiations were to be put to the Council and Parliament around that
time, they could include the SIA.

(cid:1) One of the underlying principles of the SIA process is its transparency: all the results of the studies
conducted by the consultants are available on the Commission’s website at: http://europa.eu.int/trade
(currently being updated) and on the consultants’ sites (Institute for Development Policy and
Management, University of Manchester, http://idpm.man.ac.uk/iasdu/index.html; Stockholm Environ-
ment Institute http://www.sei.se; the Mercosur study site will be set up in April/May). The Commission
will certainly inform the Parliament and Council of the results of the study. Meetings are also to be
organised shortly with civil society representatives. An initial meeting is planned for the week of 13 to
17 May.

(2003/C 28 E/063)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0922/02

by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(26 March 2002)

Subject: Temporary protection scheme for the shipbuilding industry

In the conclusions of the 4-5 December 2001 Council meeting of Energy and Industry Ministers it is stated
that the Council held an extensive discussion on the proposal for a regulation under which a temporary
protection scheme for the Community shipbuilding industry is to be set up. However, since it failed to
secure a qualified majority on the Commission proposal, the Council agreed to return to the matter at a
subsequent meeting.

Would the Commission therefore provide the following information:

(cid:1) Is any revision of the Commission’s original proposal being drawn up?

(cid:1) If so, will the time limit for the provision of aid be extended until the end of 2003? And when will the

revised version be considered by the Council?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(25 April 2002)

The Industry Council of 5 December 2001 did not take a decision on the Commission’s proposal for a
the
temporary defensive mechanism for
Community’s possible action against Korea in the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

intended to support

(TDM), which was

shipbuilding (1)