WRITTEN QUESTION E-3872/02 by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Defence of employment and social inclusion.
Date: 2003-01-10
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Employment Strategy, Portugal, collective dismissal, footwear industry, fund (EU), industrial restructuring

C 11 E/62

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

15.1.2004

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(12 February 2003)

The map referred to by the Honourable Member could indeed lead to an incorrect interpretation of the
position of the border between Spain and Portugal. This technical mistake was corrected as soon as the
Commission became aware of it. The new map clearly shows the ‘Ilhas Selvagens’ as belonging to Portugal.

(2004/C 11 E/066)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3872/02

by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

Subject: Defence of employment and social inclusion

(10 January 2003)

The Portuguese branch of the Danish footwear-manufacturing multinational ECCO, which operates a plant
in São João de Ver, in the municipality of Santa Maria da Feira (Portugal) that currently employs about one
thousand workers, has announced via an internal circular that it intends to close a production unit, thus
making some 180 workers redundant.

This follows on the heels of earlier restructurings which made some 300 workers, both male and female,
redundant.

The Commission:

1. Can it state whether the ECCO group has received Community aid in Portugal or in any other EU

Member State in order to set up factories, develop production, provide training, etc?

2.

Is it aware of other restructurings accompanied by redundancies in companies belonging to this group
in other EU Member States?

3. Can it state what information exists on the economic and financial evolution of the ECCO group?
What measures will be taken to prevent unemployment in Portugal from rising further, in the context
of the European Employment Strategy and the vital importance of social inclusion?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(20 February 2003)

In accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, the Council Regulation (EC) no 1260/1999 of 21 June
1999 laying down general provisions on the Structural Funds (1) for the period (2000-2006) assigns the
responsibility of implementing and monitoring of structural funds assistance to the Member States.

Therefore, the decision to approve projects submitted by private companies for Community funding is the
responsibility of the Member State, through the power assigned to the management authorities of the
various operational programmes.

The Commission has, however, been informed by the Instituto de Gestão do Fundo Social Europeu
(IGFSE), that the company ECCO’LET (Portugal) (cid:1) Fábrica de Sapatos, Lda. has benefited from the
following incentives for training their staff:

Programme

PEDIP II (1)

PEDIP II

POE (2)

Project
number

43.0621

43.11222

00.9979

Data
approved

26.05.1996

31.12.1999

04.10.2002

Total incentive
approved

102 244

70 446

168 744

(In euro)

Payments
to date

102 243

43 273

0

(1)

(2)

Programa específico para o Desenvolvimento Industrial Português (specific programme for the development of
Portuguese industry).
Programa Operacional Económico (operational programme for the economy).

15.1.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 11 E/63

According to the information of General Direction for Regional Development in Portugal, the company
ECCO’LET has benefited as well from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) incentives in the
amount of EUR 3 166 101, concerning the Community Structural Fund (CSF) II (1994-1999). In what
concerns the CSF III (2000-2006), the amount of incentives included in the programme for economy is
EUR 2 020 907 as indicated in the following table.

(In euro)

Payments
to date

64 801

204 691

269 492

13 966

7 481

952 510

429 081

257 928

Programme

Project
number

Environment

ECCO’LET

Environment

ECCO’LET

Data
approved

28.06.1996

31.12.1999

Total incentive
approved

64 794

204 691

Environment

269 485

PEDIP II

PEDIP II

PEDIP II

PEDIP II

PEDIP II

RETEX (1)

RETEX

POE

(1)

Textile sector.

Diagnosis

Specific study

Expansion

Minimisation of waste

Other

5.8.1998

5.8.1998

26.5.1996

21.7.1995

31.12.1999

13 966

7 481

957 330

429 413

994 862

Demonstration
actions

Productivity
actions

PEDIP

2 403 052

1 660 966

11.1.1995

252 485

252 308

13.02.1998

241 079

RETEX

493 564

241 921

494 229

TOTAL CSFII

3 166 101

2 424 687

TOTAL CSFIII

2 020 907

The Commission is not aware of other restructurings accompanied by collective redundancies in
companies belonging to the ECCO group in other Member States.

More generally, the Commission would like to note that it invited the European social partners to engage
in a dialogue on anticipating and managing change with a view to applying a dynamic approach to the
social aspects of corporate restructuring. The social partners agreed to incorporate this important issue in
their recently adopted pluriannual work programme.

(1) OJ L 161, 26.6.1999.

(2004/C 11 E/067)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0032/03

by Terence Wynn (PSE) to the Commission

(21 January 2003)

Subject: Customs authorities

The response to my question E-3264/02 (1) is not explicit. Do customs authorities at Palma Airport have
the right to confiscate cigarettes from outbound travellers when those cigarettes have been purchased with
the duty paid? I assume the previous answer implies ‘no’, can this be confirmed?

(1) See page 44.