WRITTEN QUESTION E-2856/02 by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission. Use by the municipality of Rome of funding for the benefit of refugees and migrant workers.
Date: 2002-10-10
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU employment policy, EU financial instrument, EU financing, European social policy, Italy, admission of aliens, aid to refugees, integration of migrants, social facilities

10.7.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 161 E/45

(2003/C 161 E/046)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2856/02

by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission

(10 October 2002)

Subject: Use by the municipality of Rome of funding for the benefit of refugees and migrant workers

The social services committee of the province of Rome has recently carried out checks on refugee camps
and reception centres in Rome and noted the severe deterioration in facilities, owing to the excessive
number of people accommodated and the lack of sanitation, drinking water and electricity. Furthermore,
health care is almost non-existent and this has led to the spread of some diseases, such as tuberculosis and
scabies. Finally, the standard of education and schooling is minimal.

Since there are Community programmes such as the one for the benefit of refugees, the aims of which
include analysing problems connected with their reception, or the fund for the benefit of migrant workers,
which promotes their integration by building housing and improving their legal
‘status’, can the
Commission say:

1. whether the municipality of Rome has submitted projects for the benefit of refugees and migrant

workers;

2. whether the municipality of Rome has obtained funding for such projects;

3. whether the funding has been used?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(9 December 2002)

As far as asylum seekers and refugees are concerned it is relevant to make reference to the European
Refugee Fund (ERF) (1). The Fund was established by Council Decision 2000/596/EC to promote solidarity
between Member States in matters of asylum, by supporting and encouraging the efforts made by the
Member States to receive and bear the financial consequences of accepting asylum seekers, refugees and
displaced persons. The Fund, in its present form, runs from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2004, with
an indicative financial amount of EUR 216 million, including emergency measures.

Resources are distributed in proportion to the burden of expenditure in each Member State resulting from
receiving refugees and displaced persons. From 2000-2002, Italy’s allocation from the European Refugee
Fund has amounted to EUR 8 158 928,55 or 7,82 % of the Fund.

It is for each Member State, and not for the Commission, to select the projects to be co-financed by the
allocation from the European Refugee Fund they are entitled to. The Commission is responsible for direct
management of 5 % of the Fund for ‘… innovatory action or action of interest to the Community as a
whole’ (Community actions).

In Italy the authority managing the allocation from the European Refugee Fund is the Ministry of the
Interior. The Ministry of the Interior informed the Commission that it is running a programme for the
reception of asylum seekers and refugees Piano Nazionale Asilo (cid:1) (PNA) financed by several sources,
including the European Refugee Fund. The Municipality of Rome is part of the PNA and in this framework
has benefited of financing from sources different from the ERF. Further information on this issue should be
addressed to the Italian Ministry of the Interior.

With regard to Community actions, in 2002 the Municipality of Rome has presented a project for the co-
financing concerning the institution (by local authorities from Berlin, Rome and London) of an
‘observatory’ with the specific aim of monitoring and closely analysing the reception and integration of
asylum seekers and refugees at a local level. This request for co-financing (EUR 318 396) is still under
scrutiny.

The Community Initiative Equal seeks to combat exclusion and inequality in the labour market. Equal
concerns both asylum seekers and migrants who have the right to have access to the labour market. It is
funded through the European Social Fund, which provides EUR 2 973 million for 2000-2006, which must
be matched by contributions from the Member States. The initiative is co-ordinated across the Union and

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Official Journal of the European Union

EN

10.7.2003

has been developed on a thematic basis, which relate to the European Employment Strategy and the need
to improve: employability; entrepreneurship; adaptability and gender equality. It also has a theme which
seeks to test innovative ways to improve the social and vocational integration of asylum seekers.

Although the Initiative is co-ordinated across the Union, it is managed by each Member State, and they are
responsible for the selection of the development partnerships. In Italy the Managing Authority responsible
for the implementation of EQUAL is the Ministry of Labour (Ministero del Lavoro e della Previdenza
Sociale), and they have approved funds for two Development Partnerships (DPs) under the theme which
addresses the needs of Asylum Seekers. The Municipality of Rome is involved in one of these DPs
(Integ.R.A. (cid:1) Integrazione Richiedenti Asilo). Further information about the DP itself, or the financing
should be addressed to the Italian Authorities who is responsible for the implementation of EQUAL in
Italy. Information about the each DP, objectives, working programme is also available at the EQUAL
website http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/equal/index_en.html.

(1) OJ L 252, 6.10.2000.

(2003/C 161 E/047)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2859/02

by Ria Oomen-Ruijten (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(10 October 2002)

Subject: Processing of fats from animal waste

In the Netherlands animal waste is currently processed into meat-and-bone meal, which is then burned in
large quantities. In addition to meat-and-bone meal, fats or tallow are also produced from animal waste.

1.

Are the fats produced from animal waste completely free of prions?

Is it still permitted for such fats to be processed into animal feed, in particular ‘milk’ given to young

2.
calves?

In France it is prohibited to use such fats in processing animal feed. Is the use of such fats in the
3.
processing of animal feed permitted in the Netherlands and in other EU countries? Because, if this is the
case, BSE transmission in cattle could persist.

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(18 November 2002)

The Scientific Steering Committee (SSC),

1.
in its opinion adopted at the SSC meeting of 28 and
29 June 2001 and updated at the meeting of 6 and 7 September 2001, concludes that there is no evidence
that tallow derived from ruminant animals would constitute a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy
(TSE) risk. The SSC considers that possible TSE risks associated with tallow will result from protein
impurities.

In the above opinion, the SSC recommends therefore additional conditions for using ruminant fat in
ruminant feed. Based on that opinion, a Commission working document concerning tallow in milk
replacers and other ruminant feed was prepared and discussed with the Member States. However, as in the
meantime the SSC had started a quantitative risk assessment of the safety of ruminant fat, it was decided to
wait for that assessment before proceeding with the document.

The following provisions are at this moment in force to prevent the transmission of TSE by fat in the
feeding of farmed animals:

(cid:1) pressure cooking of high-risk materials derived from ruminants and purification (total

insoluble
impurities max 0,15 %) of all rendered fat derived from ruminants in accordance with Council
Decision 1999/534/EC (1);