WRITTEN QUESTION E-2013/02 by Hiltrud Breyer (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Greek Agriculture Ministry funding.
Date: 2002-07-09
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Greece, competence of the Member States, domestic animal, national financing, protection of animals, public safety

6.2.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 28 E/169

responsibility for farmers’ aid applications, and the implementation guidelines are confusing. In the end it
is farmers who suffer because of this administrative practice and they are unduly penalised as a result of
the errors that can occur.

The Commission’s administrative simplification proposals do not mention agriculture.

How will the Commission reform agricultural administration and the related decision-making to enable
farmers to enjoy legal security and administrative procedures to be conducted properly in the constantly
changing circumstances?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(19 August 2002)

The Commission is of the view that simple, clear legislation is vital for sound and efficient management of
limited resources, both human and financial, in all policy sectors. The more ambiguous and complex the
rules, the more difficult and costly they are to implement, manage and control in terms of administrative
and human resources, and the more scope will there be for fraud. Simplification is important both to
increase the cost effectiveness of the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) and to reduce the risk of errors
and fraud.

The Directorate General for Agriculture has made simplification one of its priorities for a number of years,
and work in this area considerably pre-dates the current Commission proposals for administrative
simplification. A service with specific responsibility for simplification was created in 1995, and internal
simplification guidelines have been in place since 1999. Both the Parliament and the Council have
expressed their support for the Commission’s efforts over the last few years to minimise the administrative
burdens imposed by the Common Agricultural Policy on both farmers and national administrations.

In its work to simplify the CAP the Commission has until now chosen to focus on making agricultural
legislation as clear, transparent and easily accessible as possible and on reducing the administrative
workload that the CAP imposes on farmers and on others concerned, as well as on national and
Community authorities, to only what is strictly necessary.

A number of specific initiatives have also been undertaken, notably the Small Farmers’ Scheme, which is
intended to replace annual applications for the different aid schemes with one single aid application valid
for a trial period of
thus reducing the administrative burdens on both farmers and
administrations.

four years,

Simplification is one of the main orientations of the current Mid-Term Review of the CAP (1), in which it is
proposed to simplify the aid regimes, and in which this concept of a single global aid payment is further
developed.

As far as the correct application of aid schemes and the related administrative procedures is concerned,
this falls under the responsibility of Member States;
implementation guidelines issued by national
authorities are the responsibility of those authorities.

(1) COM(2002) 394 final.

(2003/C 28 E/193)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2013/02

by Hiltrud Breyer (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(9 July 2002)

Subject: Greek Agriculture Ministry funding

The Ministry of Agriculture of the Hellenic Republic has made available to the relevant recipients (town
councils, local authorities and animal welfare organisations) appropriations amounting to EUR 2 350 000.

C 28 E/170

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.2.2003

for Veterinary Science, this funding was
According to an announcement by the Directorate-General
provided on condition that the above recipients displayed an interest in making appropriate arrangements
for dealing with stray dogs by setting up a dogs’ home, rounding up strays, medically examining,
registering and castrating them and taking all possible measures to promote respect
for animals
throughout Greece. There are fears, however, that the sum of EUR 2 350 000 may have been used to put
down animals, as was already the case at the ‘Noah’s Ark’ home in the town of Chania, Crete, which had
to close down in early 2002.

1.

Does the Commission know whether these funds come from EU appropriations?

If they do, will the Commission say who received the funds and what amount was involved, what the

2.
funds were used for and who monitors their use?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(23 September 2002)

As the Commission has already indicated in its reply to written question E-1658/02 by Mr Bakopoulos (1),
the Control of stray dogs is a matter within the sole competence of Member States. No Community
funding is available to Member States, their National or Local Authorities or Animal Welfare associations
for this purpose.

(1) OJ C 277 E, 14.11.2002.

(2003/C 28 E/194)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2026/02

by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission

Subject: Adoption of the HPV test in the European Union

(9 July 2002)

It is well known that human papillomavirus (HPV) is the cause of cervical cancer and that the HPV test, if
applied, could prevent the futile deaths of women who die each year because testing was not provided.

Six regions in Italy are currently involved in a research programme to determine the conditions necessary
for the test to be adopted in Italy. All women should be given access to the most advanced technology
available to ensure their health is protected. This is particularly important in the case of cervical cancer, a
slow-growing disease which is 100 % curable if treated in time.

Can the Commission therefore provide information on the number of women who die unnecessarily

1.
as a result of this disease?

2.
Given the scientifically proven advantages of the HPV test and the latest developments both in the
EU and the United States (the ESIDOG conference and the new guidelines provided by the US National
intends to include HPV testing as part of the
Cancer Institute), can the Commission indicate if
recommendations on cancer screening which it will be publishing shortly?

it

3.

If it does not intend to do so, can it say why?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(15 October 2002)

1.
No, the Commission cannot provide the information on the number of women, who unnecessarily
die from cervical cancer due to not being screened for their cervical HPV status due to the fact that this
particular test has only been used in a restricted number of clinical studies. The European Cervical Cancer
Screening Network co-financed by the Europe against Cancer programme has followed these developments