WRITTEN QUESTION E-1918/02 by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Europe Houses.
Date: 2002-07-03
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, European Commission, association, dissemination of EU information, information network, information policy, operation of the Institutions

C 52 E/114

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.3.2003

(2003/C 52 E/128)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1918/02

by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(3 July 2002)

Subject: Europe Houses

The International Federation of Europe Houses includes a number of associations, some of
them
Portuguese, which have acquired considerable experience in the area of information and debate on
Community-related matters.

However, those responsible for the Europe Houses in Portugal state that they have been encountering
difficulties in obtaining funding for their activities, in view of the excessive time taken by the services
concerned to evaluate proposals and the delays in replying, which are in practice making it impossible to
organise initiatives, thus leading to projects being frozen.

1. What is the Commission’s position with regard to the initiatives organised by the International
Federation of Europe Houses?

2. What role has been reserved for the Europe Houses in the context of the future shape of the
Commission’s information policy?

Reply given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(31 July 2002)

The Commission believes that it is vital for the Community institutions to make every effort to guarantee
that their information and communication policy is reliable, objective and effective, and that it meets
people’s real needs. In this context,
independent networks like the International Federation of Europe
Houses (FIME) certainly have a role to play in helping to provide individuals with clear, accessible
information, as the many years of cooperation between FIME and the Commission testify.

Accordingly, the Commission examines with particular interest the projects presented each year by FIME’s
General Secretariat under budget item B3-301, ‘Information outlets’; both FIME and the Commission are
concerned that Community funds should be impeccably administered. Once the projects have been
selected, an agreement covering them is drawn up between the Commission and FIME’s the General
Secretariat, which is responsible for collating the projects submitted by its affiliates and presenting them to
the Commission in groups. The Commission provides the Federation’s General Secretariat with an annual
grant towards the operating costs associated with these tasks.

However, the Commission has no contractual link with individual Europe Houses.

The Commission’s recent communication on an information and communication strategy for the European
Union (1), which it adopted on 2 July, states that there is a need to define a new framework of action for
the information centres and networks set up by the Commission, so as to reinforce their role under the
new strategy and prepare for their extension to new Member States.

The Communication also stresses that this new framework of action for Commission networks must take
account of the potential of other organisations disseminating information which work together with the
Commission, such as independent information networks.

As regards the difficulties which certain Europe Houses have encountered in obtaining funding for their
activities, the Commission has a duty to examine projects presented by FIME’s General Secretariat, after
which it decides whether they are eligible for funding. FIME has contested the Commission’s decisions
rejecting certain projects, advancing arguments and providing additional information; this has inevitably
led to delays. The absence of agreement on the number of projects eligible for funding per group has made
it impossible to make commitments on a group-by-group basis, to sign individual contracts and, lastly, to
pay advances. This situation clearly has an impact on the activities planned by the Europe Houses, and
notably in the case of Portugal.

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Official Journal of the European Union

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The Commission is regretfully aware of the situation. However, it cannot simply abdicate responsibility for
the sound management of the funds entrusted to it by the Budgetary Authority. Solutions which reconcile
the Commission’s responsibilities with the plans of FIME and its affiliates are currently being examined.

(1) COM(2002) 350 final.

(2003/C 52 E/129)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1919/02

by André Brie (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(3 July 2002)

Subject: Infringement of various EU directives and provisions in connection with the construction of an

air-to-ground firing range in Brandenburg

Is the Commission already aware of concrete plans by the Federal German Ministry of Defence to construct
an air-to-ground firing range in the Kyritz-Ruppiner-Heide area (Brandenburg)? If not, can the Commission
consider the following issues?

The above air-to-ground firing range is to be constructed in the immediate vicinity of the Müritz national
park (the approach path for aircraft would be directly above the national park), which would, according to
various analyses, not only contravene several national regulations but also the following international rules:

(cid:1) the national park area is a bird protection area pursuant to the European Birds Directive (79/409/

EEC) (1);

(cid:1) parts of the national park have been notified to the Commission as an area of Community importance

pursuant to the Fauna-Flora-Habitat Directive (92/43/EEC) (2);

(cid:1) the Müritz national park forms part of the coherent Natura 2000 network;

(cid:1) the Federal Republic of Germany is bound by a Community directive to refrain from taking any action
which would run counter to the objective of conservation in European conservation areas (this ban is
set out in Article 6(2) to (4) of the Flora-Fauna-Habitat Directive and paragraph 19c of the federal
German nature conservation law, requiring that an environmental impact assessment be carried out).

Given these infringements, and with a view to the possibility of calling for the repayment of EU funds:

(cid:1) is the Commission willing and able to look into the matter on the spot as soon as possible?

(cid:1) can the Commission take preventive action, will it do so, and what form will such action take?

(1) OJ L 103, 25.4.1979, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 206, 22.7.1992, p. 7.

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(5 August 2002)

The Commission has received unspecified information about plans for military activities at the site
‘Wittstock-Ruppiner Heide’.

The German Government has proposed this site to the Commission as Site of Community Importance
(pSCI) under Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of
wild fauna and flora (Habitats Directive). Additional
information has been requested of the original
correspondent to enable the Commission to assess whether this Directive is being respected.