WRITTEN QUESTION E-1338/02 by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Dismantling of the CAP and agricultural negotiations in the WTO.
Date: 2002-05-13
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Union, World Trade Organisation, agricultural product, common agricultural policy, international negotiations, liberalisation of trade

C 277 E/190

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

14.11.2002

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(27 June 2002)

The Commission acknowledges the concern expressed by the Honourable Member about the teaching of
mother tongue in the host countries for children of migrant workers, especially at a time where
occupational and geographic mobility are essential elements in European policies.

Directive 77/486 referred to by the Honourable Member states in Article 3 that ‘Member States shall, in
accordance with their national circumstances and legal systems, and in co-operation with States of origin,
take appropriate measures to promote, in co-ordination with normal education, teaching of the mother
tongue and culture of the country of origin’. The lack of a specifically binding force of this article is
consistent with Article 149 of the EC Treaty: ‘the Community contributes to the development of education
of quality encouraging co-operation between Member States (…) respecting exclusive responsibility of
Member States for the content of education and the organisation of their educational systems.’

The Commission’s approach to the implementation of Article 3 is a co-operative one, based on the
identification of deficiencies and encouragement of progress through prioritisation within the Socrates
Programme, thus confirming the Commission’s long-standing commitment record to support initiatives
aimed at improving the education of the children of migrant workers. Under the current phase of Socrates
(2000-2006), this commitment is in fact strengthened, this target group being one of the main priorities
for support across all the actions.

In addition, the Commission’s recent report (1) on ‘The concrete future objectives of education and training
systems’ mentions expressly ‘the development of society, in particular by fostering democracy, reducing the
disparities and inequities among individuals and groups and promoting cultural diversity’. The report also
acknowledges that ‘The learning of languages as part of education and training is important not only for
the cultural enrichment of
the individual but also as a contribution to mobility and European
competitiveness’.

The Commission therefore fully acknowledges the problems linked to the teaching of migrant workers’
children and actively strives in co-operation with the Member States to tackle them, but has no plans to
propose any revision of the Directive concerned.

(1) Annex to the Council conclusions of 14 February 2002, OJ C 58, 5.3.2002.

(2002/C 277 E/211)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1338/02

by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(13 May 2002)

Subject: Dismantling of the CAP and agricultural negotiations in the WTO

According to a report reproduced in the Portuguese press, the Guardian newspaper has had access to
the Commission had a negotiating strategy which consisted in using the
documents proving that
agricultural sector as a bargaining counter in negotiations within the World Trade Organisation,
in
exchange for greater
liberalisation and access to certain sectors in third countries, such as tele-
communications, financial services, the energy sector and direct investments.

According to the report, the gradual dismantling of the CAP would be the price for this. It should be borne
in mind that
the various bilateral agreements and successive GATT rounds led to a far-reaching
liberalisation of agricultural trade worldwide, calling into question the principle of Community preference
and benefiting the large multinationals in the agricultural and food industries. Farming is in an ongoing
state of crisis, with a drastic reduction in the number of farmers and farms, an increase in verticalisation
and concentration of production and intensification, with the well-known risks as regards food safety. The
latest reforms of the CAP did not manage to solve the main problems and made some forms of injustice
worse, in particular as regards the distribution of aid between products, producers and countries.

14.11.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 277 E/191

In view of all this, can the Commission say:

? whether the report is true;

? if it is, how this strategy will benefit farmers, especially those with small and medium-sized and family
farms, bearing in mind the proposals to dismantle the CAP’s market pillar and for the co-funding of
agricultural expenditure (as has already been proposed for the candidate countries);

? what the risks are as regards the EU’s dependence on food and agriculture, in particular in the area of
vegetable proteins, which might be caused by this kind of strategy, and what the risks for food safety
are?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(24 June 2002)

The Commission has no knowledge of the report mentioned by the Honourable Member.

The Community’s position in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) negotiations on agriculture is set out
in the negotiating proposal adopted by the Council
the
Agriculture Council (20-21 November 2000). The Commission is negotiating within the limits of the
Council position.

in October 1999 and the conclusions of

(2002/C 277 E/212)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1347/02

by Robert Evans (PSE) to the Commission

(13 May 2002)

Subject: Social security provision

Would the Commission clarify the current situation regarding Member States’ obligations towards their
citizens who move to another EU country, as regards the continued payment of social security benefits?

I have a constituent who has been receiving Disability Living Allowance and who wishes to move to
Belgium, where he will live with his partner. It seems that he is entitled to continue receiving Incapacity
Benefit but not Disability Allowance.

Would the Commission clarify this?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(20 June 2002)

The Commission wishes to confirm that, in the framework of the free movement of persons within the
Community, Member States must
in principle provide social security benefits acquired under their
legislation to beneficiaries residing on the territory of another Member State. This is the case with the
British Incapacity Benefit.

However,
the Community rules co-ordinating the national social security systems, and in particular
Regulation (EEC) No 1408/71 (1), provide for certain exemptions to the principle of exportation, notably in
the case of special non-contributory benefits intended either to provide supplementary, substitute or
ancillary cover against the relevant risks or solely as specific protection for the disabled. Hence, the system
established by this Regulation provides that such benefits, provided they are listed in Annex IIa, shall
belong to a specific system which only guarantees that the benefits prescribed by the legislation of the
Member State shall be provided to beneficiaries residing on its territory (2). This list includes the British
disability living allowance.