WRITTEN QUESTION E-0826/03 by Nicholas Clegg (ELDR) to the Commission. European Commission's Business Environment Simplification Taskforce.
Date: 2003-03-18
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: aid to undertakings, allowances and expenses, business management, business start-up, institutional structure, simplification of formalities, small and medium-sized enterprises

21.11.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 280 E/95

In the absence of an opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health the
5.
Commission made a proposal to the Council which unanimously adopted the proposed regulation making
it applicable as from 1 April 2003. An Application for suspension of the Regulation was rejected by Order
of the President of the Court of First Instance of 11 April 2003 (Case T-392/02 R Solvay Pharmaceuticals
bv v. Council, not yet reported).

6.
Any future decision allowing the use of Nifursol could only be taken in accordance with Directive
70/524 by the Commission, or the Council on a proposal from the latter, and could only be taken if it
would be proven that, notwithstanding its genetoxic affects in vitro Nifursol is safe and thus meets the
requirements of Article 3a of the directive. The Council understands that new data provided by the
producer of Nifursol were assessed by SCAN which on 17 March 2003 confirmed, as in its previous
opinions, that it was not possible to derive an acceptable daily intake of Nifursol for the consumers.

(1) OJ L 265, 3.10.2002, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 270, 14.12.1970, p. 1.

(2003/C 280 E/101)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0825/03

by Dana Scallon (PPE-DE) to the Council

(18 March 2003)

Subject: Sovereign rights of the EU

Can the Council confirm that the sovereign rights of the European Union are derived from the sovereign
rights transferred to the EU by the Member States?

Are there any EU sovereign rights which are not derived from its Member States?

Reply

(21 July 2003)

The Council would point out to the Honourable Member that the European Union acts under the powers
conferred on it in the Treaty negotiated, concluded and ratified by the Member States.

(2003/C 280 E/102)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0826/03

by Nicholas Clegg (ELDR) to the Commission

(18 March 2003)

Subject: European Commission’s Business Environment Simplification Taskforce

Can the Commission indicate the expenses and salaries received by the members of
Environment Simplification Taskforce, which operated from October 1997 to April 1998?

its Business

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(5 May 2003)

The members of the Business Environment Simplification Task Force (BEST), operating between October
1997 and April 1998, did not receive a salary, but were reimbursed for their travel expenses and were
entitled to a daily allowance of maximum ECU 221,84 (1). In addition, the entrepreneur/non-governmental
members were entitled to a fixed amount of ECU 400 per day, compensating for a maximum of two days
per meeting (including time for preparation of the meeting where applicable) (2).

C 280 E/96

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

21.11.2003

In total, the payments made amounted to ECU 118 575,83.

In September 1998, the members of the task force were invited to an additional meeting, where they were
given the opportunity to give their views on the draft Action Plan that the Commission had prepared
following the report by the task force. For this meeting, the members were reimbursed for their travel
expenses and were entitled to a daily allowance of a maximum of ECU 221,84.

In total, the payments made amounted to ECU 6 308,36.

(1) This maximum daily allowance, which was double the usual rate, was authorised by the Director-General
responsible, applying the conditions of Article 6, Paragraph 1 of the Rules concerning the reimbursement of travel
and subsistence expenses of experts from outside the Commission. In order to take account of the very tight time
schedule under which the members of the taskforce were obliged to work.
(2) On the basis of contracts established between the Commission and the members.

(2003/C 280 E/103)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0834/03

by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission

(18 March 2003)

Subject: Use of funds from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) by the City of Frosinone

In September 2002, the monitoring committee of the Italian Ministry for Economic Affairs issued a report
on the spending of EU funds.

The report reveals the alarming slowness and inefficiency with which EU funds are allocated to projects by
some regional authorities.

The grave concerns about the inadequate use of European funds by local authorities have frequently been
echoed by the Commission.

Bearing in mind that some local authorities, such as the City of Frosinone, urgently need to use European
funds to regenerate areas in industrial decline and to reduce imbalances in social and economic
development, can the Commission state:

1. whether the City of Frosinone has submitted projects for the ERDF?

2. whether the City of Frosinone has secured funding for these projects?

3. whether this funding has been used?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(16 April 2003)

The municipality of Frosinone is partially eligible for assistance from the European Regional Development
Fund (ERDF) under the Lazio SPD (single programming document) for 2000-2006.

The Lazio SPD was approved by a Commission decision (1) and provides for ERDF finance totalling
EUR 371,5 million towards public expenditure totalling EUR 845,5 million.

Since the Lazio SPD is a programme whose management is decentralised, the authority responsible for
implementing the assistance is the region of Lazio, which set out (cid:1) in the programme complement (cid:1) the
criteria for selecting projects and which is responsible for considering applications. It is therefore from that
administration that the Honourable Member should seek precise information on the projects submitted
and financed for the municipality of Frosinone.

(1) COM(2001) 2118 final.