WRITTEN QUESTION P-3268/02 by Maurizio Turco (NI) to the Commission. Media funding and monitoring of the impartiality of information provided by bodies funded by the Union and public entities in the Member States.
Date: 2002-11-12
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, application of EU law, award of contract, freedom of communication, freedom of the press, invitation to tender, mass media, pluralism in the media

C 155 E/122

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

3.7.2003

As the problem referred to is situated in a third country, ultimate responsibility for dealing with it lies with
that country. However, the Commission does examine the possibility to use its external assistance to
address priorities identified by the beneficiary countries, within the limitations of available resources. In
this context, the Commission is supporting the ongoing preparation of a Local Environmental Action Plan
for Panèevo through the FRY package of the CARDS assistance programme. This plan will reflect on a
realistic financial framework for implementation of the most urgent environmental protection measures.

Through the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River the Commission is also
working to pursue river basin management in accordance with the principles of the Community Water
Framework Directive (1), for the countries that lie within the Danube catchment area.

(1) Directive 2000/60/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for

Community action in the field of water policy (cid:1) OJ L 327, 22.12.2000.

(2003/C 155 E/134)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3265/02

by Renzo Imbeni (PSE)
and Guido Podestà (PPE-DE) to the Council

(19 November 2002)

Subject: Seat of the European Food Safety Authority

Now that the top-level managers responsible for European food safety policy have been appointed in both
the Commission and the European Food Safety Authority, is the Council ready to take a decision within
the next few months on the definitive seat of the European Food Safety Authority so that it can start
carrying out its tasks under optimum conditions?

How does the Council intend to persuade the Heads of State or Government to comply with the functional
criteria set by the Commission and the European Parliament when taking their decision?

Reply

(3 March 2003)

The European Council agreed at the Laeken Summit that the question of the definitive seat of the
European Food Safety Authority would be resolved in the context of an overall agreement on the seats of
the various newly-created European agencies.

Not wishing, however, to call into question the timetable requiring the Authority to commence operations
as from 2002, which it had adopted at the Nice summit and confirmed at the Göteborg summit, the
European Council also agreed that, pending overall agreement, the Authority could begin operations in
Brussels.

This solution facilitated, in particular, the rapid establishment of the Management Board, an essential body
of the Authority which has been up and running for several months.

(2003/C 155 E/135)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3268/02

by Maurizio Turco (NI) to the Commission

(12 November 2002)

Subject: Media funding and monitoring of the impartiality of information provided by bodies funded by

the Union and public entities in the Member States

The violation of pluralism and the impartiality of
principles and the rule of law.

information is a serious violation of democratic

3.7.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 155 E/123

In the light of Articles 6 and 7 of the EU Treaty, can the Commission say:

(cid:1) whether, and if so which, media organisations (cid:1) press, radio, television, online (cid:1) have received
funding from the European Union from 1992 until the present; what is the amount involved and why
was the funding provided; did it
take the form of non-repayable grants, advertising measures,
institutional information or something else?

(cid:1) whether and, if so how, the Commission enforces pluralism and impartiality of information on the

part of any bodies that receive Union funding?

(cid:1) whether it monitors or thinks it should monitor the information provided by public information
offices in the Member States in order to determine whether the principles of pluralism and impartiality
are being observed or violated, given that the violation of these principles constitutes a serious breach
of the rule of law as referred to in Article 6 of the EU Treaty and that, under Article 7 of the EU
Treaty, the Commission has the power to determine the existence of such a breach?

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(12 December 2002)

Since 1992 the Commission has made funding available to a great number of media organisations, from
press to television programmes. Given the breadth of the Honourable Member’s question, the Commission
considers that the research required in order to provide a detailed answer (cid:1) which would involve the
majority of the Commission’s services and a large variety of financial
instruments (cid:1) would be time-
consuming and it might not respond to the real purpose of the present written question.

When providing funds to media, the Commission fully respects their editorial freedom. In doing so, the
Commission fully respects Articles 6 and 7 of the Treaty on the European Union.

The Commission contributes to pluralism and impartiality of information by giving equal opportunities to
all media through the normal procedures for calls for tenders and calls for proposals.

(2003/C 155 E/136)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3270/02

by Daniel Hannan (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(12 November 2002)

Subject: Impact of building an airport at Cliffe

Has the Commission investigated the likely environmental impact of the building of an airport at Cliffe on
the Hoo Peninsula? What conditions will have to be met by the British Government in order to satisfy EU
regulations on building on an EU-designated area of environmental protection? What processes exist to
ensure that the British Government does not act without the sanction of the EU in this matter, and have
these processes been put into play?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(11 December 2002)

The Commission is aware that the United Kingdom is considering the construction of a new international
airport at Cliffe as one of its possible options for the future development of air transport in the South East
of England.