WRITTEN QUESTION P-0750/03 by Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou (PPE-DE) to the Commission. The homeless in the European Union.
Date: 2003-03-05
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU Member State, EU statistics, data collection, economic and social cohesion, homelessness, marginalisation, poverty, right to housing, social integration, social policy

C 192 E/216

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

14.8.2003

Community law on public procurement were committed by the SEA Awarding Entity when awarding the
contract for the enlargement of the Malpensa airport. This said, the Commission would like to inform the
Honourable Member
(Internal Market Directorate-General, Directorate for Public
Procurement Policy) are available to examine any additional information that is liable to clarify the nature
and scope of the infringement of Community law on public procurement alluded to in the said written
question.

services

that

its

Council Directive 85/337/EEC of 27 June 1985 on the assessment of the effects of certain public and
private projects on the environment (1), as amended by Council Directive 97/11/EC of 3 March 1997 (2)
hereinafter referred to as ‘the Directive’ establishes that, before consent is given, projects likely to have
significant effects on the environment by virtue, inter alia, of their nature, size or location are made subject
to a requirement for development consent and an assessment with regard to their effects. Projects listed in
Annex I to this Directive shall be subject to an assessment in accordance with Articles 5 to 10. For projects
listed in Annex II, the Member States shall determine through (a) a case-by-case examination, or (b)
thresholds or criteria set by the Member State, whether the project shall be subject to an assessment in
accordance with Articles 5 to 10.

Airports with a basic runway length of 2 100 metres or more are mentioned in Annex I of the Directive
(class 7a). Any change or extension to projects listed in Annex I or Annex II, already authorised, executed
or in the process of being executed, which may have significant adverse effects on the environment are
listed in Annex II to the Directive (class 13).

In order to gather information on this specific issue and assess its compliance with the above-mentioned
provisions of Community law, the Commission has recently sent a request for information to the Italian
authorities. Should it emerge that in the case raised by the Honourable Member the above-mentioned
provisions have not been correctly applied, the Commission will not hesitate to take the appropriate steps,
in accordance with its prerogatives under Article 211 of the EC Treaty, in order to ensure compliance with
Community law.

(1) OJ L 175, 5.7.1985.
(2) OJ L 73, 14.3.1997.

(2003/C 192 E/258)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0750/03

by Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: The homeless in the European Union

(5 March 2003)

The number of homeless people in the European Union is steadily increasing. According to Feantsa (the
European Federation of National Organisations working with the Homeless) there are some three million
homeless people in the EU today, 10 % of whom sleep in the open on a permanent basis. The extent of the
problem differs from one Member State to another, even though it is difficult to form an accurate picture
of the situation and to make comparisons between Member States, owing to a lack of statistics and a
precise definition.

Does the Commission have any studies on this phenomenon which threatens our social cohesion and
undermines our social model? Does it have an evaluation of the housing policies of the Member States?
Does it intend to take initiatives to address this problem?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(31 March 2003)

The issue of homelessness is an important aspect of the open method of co-ordination on social inclusion.
Under objective 1 of the common objectives on poverty and social exclusion agreed at the European
Council of Nice in December 2000 a goal ‘to implement policies which aim to provide access for all to
decent and sanitary housing, as well as the basic services necessary to live normally having regard to local
circumstances’ was set up. A more specific goal was set up under objective 2: ‘To put in place policies
which seek to prevent life crises which can lead to situations of social exclusion, such as indebtedness,
exclusion from school and becoming homeless’.

14.8.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 192 E/217

Homelessness is a complex issue, which is about more than just housing. Many homeless people are also
struggling with multiple problems (cid:1) mental and physical health, joblessness (cid:1) which drag them down
into the spiral of poverty. This makes it essential not just to target street people, but take a larger approach
to homelessness. Decent housing and living conditions are the most basic needs of each individual.
Gaining secure access to adequate accommodation is often a pre-condition for exercising many of the
fundamental rights that should be enjoyed by everyone.

The issue is highlighted in the Joint Report on Social Inclusion, based on an analysis of the National Plans,
adopted in December 2001 (1). The report identifies eight core challenges for the future most of which
is
would contribute to addressing homelessness. In particular,
concerned with access to good quality and affordable accommodation as fundamental need and right.
Ensuring that this need is met is still a significant challenge in a number of Member States. In addition,
developing appropriate integrated responses both to prevent and address homelessness is another essential
challenge for some countries. Member States are expected to set out initiatives to address these challenges
in the National Plans they will submit in July 2003.

‘Ensuring good accommodation for all’

Significant steps have been made towards addressing the data gaps that exist in relation to poverty and
social exclusion. However, this is an area where it is very difficult to gather satisfactory data coverage. The
European Community Household Panel (ECHP), the statistical instrument for the collection of comparable
data on income and living conditions, addresses issues of decent housing and living conditions. However, it
cannot adequately meet the need to measure the extent of the phenomenon of homelessness since it is a
household-based survey, thus excluding the homeless by definition. From 2003 onwards the ECHP will be
replaced by the new statistical instrument Union-Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (SILC), but
that will continue to provide household-based statistics. In order to fill this gap, Eurostat has set up a
specific expert group.

The objectives of this group are:

(cid:1) To review the current availability of statistics in the 15 Member States and the 13 Candidate Countries
and the countries that are member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
(OECD), including definitions; sampling methods; question asks; data availibility.

(cid:1) To develop a harmonised methodology for

future data collection,

including a definition of

homelessness; sampling guidelines; statistics to be collected.

(cid:1) To propose a list of suitable indicators to be considered for common agreement by the Social

Protection Committee.

(1) COM(2001) 565 final.

(2003/C 192 E/259)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0753/03

by María Rodríguez Ramos (PSE) to the Commission

Subject: Seventy head of cattle shot dead in Castille and Leon

(5 March 2003)

The Ministry of Agriculture of the Castille and Leon Regional Government was unable to round up more
than 250 cattle which had been roaming around on public land for 5 years following the death of their
owner and therefore authorised local hunters to shoot them. Seventy were shot during the first weekend of
this month. After a long period of agony some of them were finished off with pistols, and this slaughter
method is expected to continue.

Can the Commission immediately prevent the Spanish authorities from allowing such barbaric slaughter
methods to be used on its territory in violation of all Community legislation governing the killing of
animals?