WRITTEN QUESTION P-2539/02 by Daniela Raschhofer (NI) to the Commission. EU funding for flood aid.
Date: 2002-09-05
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: aid to agriculture, aid to disaster victims, emergency aid, flood, fund (EU)

17.4.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 92 E/183

The Commission is not aware of any cases of discrimination by British surveillance and control authorities
regarding inspection and detention of certain Community fishing vessels flying the flag of the United
Kingdom.

From January to June 2002, Commission Fishery inspectors made seven missions to the United Kingdom
in order to verify, on the spot, the implementation of Community rules by the British authorities. The
purpose of these missions was to verify the implementation of Title II of Council Regulation (EEC)
No 2847/93 recording and reporting of catches). Any practices of discriminatory behaviour by British
authorities have not been reported by Commission Fishery inspectors.

(1) OJ L 261, 20.10.1993, as amended by a Proposal for a Council Regulation, OJ C 213 E, 31.7.2001.

(2003/C 92 E/241)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2539/02

by Daniela Raschhofer (NI) to the Commission

(5 September 2002)

Subject: EU funding for flood aid

Over the past few weeks, Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic have been devastated by floods of
hitherto unimagined proportions. Thousands of people have been deprived of their livelihoods; their lives
have been destroyed. The cost of the damage caused by the floods amounts to several billion euro.

In the light of this catastrophe:

(cid:1) Are funds available from the agriculture budget to ensure that the victims receive rapid financial

assistance, as was the case during the BSE crisis, for example?

(cid:1) If so, how much financial assistance could be granted, and in what form?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(2 October 2002)

The Commission has, at its meeting of 28 August 2002, adopted a broad package of measures and
initiatives of short- and medium-term support to people in the regions affected by the flooding. Details of
this package have been communicated to the Parliament and the Council (‘The European Community
response to the flooding in Austria, Germany and several applicant countries’ (1)).

One key part of the package consists of the proposal to create an Union Solidarity Fund, which puts at the
disposal of Member States and countries with whom accession negotiations are under way affected by
disasters up to EUR 1 billion as from 2002. The solidarity fund is to support immediate relief actions. The
Commission seeks the agreement of the budget authority (Parliament and Council) on this proposal.

As regards agriculture and rural development, the Commission would like to highlight the following
essential elements:

(cid:1) The payment of an advance in direct payments for arable crops, already decided by the Commission,
allows Germany to pay 50 % in advance to producers affected by floods in certain areas, between
1 September 2002 and 15 October 2002. This is to meet immediately liquidity needs. To this end,
Community funds of EUR 560 million are shifted from the 2003 budget to 2002.

(cid:1) The use of land set aside under the arable crops scheme for feeding purposes has already been
authorised as from 9 August 2002 onwards on condition that at least 33 % of the forage area of the
holding has been flooded in certain regions of Germany, Ireland, Austria and the United Kingdom.

C 92 E/184

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

17.4.2003

(cid:1) For Austria, the Commission has decided to make available 30 600 tonnes of intervention stocks of
cereals at EUR 50/tonne (almost half of the normal price) for animal producers, to compensate for
forage losses due to flooding.

(cid:1) The Commission will adopt a flexible and fast track-procedure to enable Member States and regions
concerned to use unspent Community funds for restoring the agricultural and forestry potential. These
funds shall be channelled through the rural development programmes. The Commission is ready to
examine further flexibility as regards administrative requirements of existing Commission implement-
ing provisions.

(cid:1) The Commission is preparing a proposal to modify the Sapard-Regulation (2) (Rural development pre-
accession instrument for candidate countries) for areas affected by disasters: the aid intensity (ceiling of
public aid) is to be increased from 50 to 75 %, and Community co-financing from 75 to 85 %.

The Commission is prepared to examine in a flexible way any further requests by the Member States and
candidate countries affected by the flood to support agriculture and rural areas.

(1) COM(2002) 481 final.
(2) Council Regulation (EC) No 1268/1999 of 21 June 1999 on Community support for pre-accession measures for
agriculture and rural development in the applicant countries of central and eastern Europe in the pre-accession
period, OJ L 161, 26.6.1999.

(2003/C 92 E/242)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2544/02

by Marco Cappato (NI) to the Council

(12 September 2002)

Subject: Violations of people’s freedom of movement committed by the French authorities at the Franco-

Italian border on the occasion of the ‘Technival’ of 15 August in Italy

On the occasion of the ‘Technival’ techno festival, held in Italy on the long weekend of 15 August, the
French authorities stopped lorries carrying musicians and their sound systems at the ‘Col de Larche La
Maddalena’ Franco-Italian border point and prevented them from reaching the event in Italy. The ‘Alpes de
Haute Provence’ prefecture even denied pedestrians access to Italy for several hours between 14 and
15 August.

What action does the Council intend to take vis-à-vis the violations of people’s freedom of movement
committed on this occasion?

(2003/C 92 E/243)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2546/02

by Marco Cappato (NI) to the Council

(12 September 2002)

Subject: French legal provisions on rave parties

French legal provisions on free and underground techno music events are extremely repressive. For
instance, as part of this war on rave parties, the Subprefect of Limoux took the questionable decision of
forbidding ‘Radio Ballade’ to broadcast techno music on 6 July 2002.

Does the Council consider that these legal provisions comply with European standards?