WRITTEN QUESTION E-1481/03 by Jan Mulder (ELDR) to the Council. Protecting financial interests in the context of agricultural expenditure.
Date: 2003-05-02
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Community acquis, EAGGF, accession negotiations, accession to the European Union, common agricultural policy, financial control, general budget (EU), transitional period (EU)

C 51 E/98

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

26.2.2004

(2004/C 51 E/109)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1481/03

by Jan Mulder (ELDR) to the Council

(2 May 2003)

Subject: Protecting financial interests in the context of agricultural expenditure

On 30 January 2003 Parliament adopted report A5-0447/2002 on reform of the procedure of the
In this report (paragraph 28) Parliament ‘insists that
clearance of accounts (P5-TAPROV(2003)0028).
candidate countries should not benefit from support systems under the CAP if IACS, in its simplified form
referred to in point 4.5.3. of the Commission Communication’
‘is not
operational’. It also asks the Commission (paragraph 36) to suspend or reduce substantially payments
under the CAP covered by IACS to Member States which have not implemented IACS until this system has
been fully implemented.

‘Enlargement and Agriculture’,

Can the Council state its attitude to the above viewpoints of Parliament, inter alia in the light of the

1.
forthcoming enlargement of the Union and the need to protect the EU’s financial interests?

Does the Council agree that as far as the measures taken to protect the Union’s financial interests are

2.
concerned, no distinction should be made between the present and the new Member States?

to approve the
Parliament also calls on the Council
Commission’s proposal to extend the period to which a correction to expenditure may be applied from the
current 24 months to 36 months (1). Parliament approved this proposal on 24 September 2002.

in the abovementioned report

(paragraph 33)

Can the Council say what its attitude is to this Commission proposal and when it intends to take a

3.
decision on it?

(1) COM(2002) 293.

Reply

(2 October 2003)

The Council would remind the Honourable Member that, as the EAGGF accounts for 45 % of the
1.
European Union’s budget,
to provide it with a mechanism that guarantees proper
implementation of the resultant expenditure and an efficient system of accounts clearance. The Integrated
Administration and Control System (IACS), which was introduced following the 1992 CAP reform and
which at present forms the main instrument for administering the bulk of CAP expenditure, meets these
objectives.

is essential

it

The Council underlines the importance it attaches to the protection of the EU financial interests.
2.
Therefore, particular attention has been devoted to these issues in the framework of the Accession
negotiations both in chapter 7 (Agriculture) and in chapter 28 (Financial Control).

The acceding States have achieved substantial progress in this key area of the ‘acquis’ and commitments
undertaken by the acceding States in the negotiations, their alignment with the ‘acquis’, as well as the
strengthening of their administrative capacity in order to effectively implement the relevant ‘acquis’ upon
accession, are closely monitored by the Union.

Furthermore, it is also clear that the ‘acquis’, including the terms agreed in the negotiations as enshrined in
the Treaty and Act of Accession, to which the European Parliament has given its assent, has to be fully
respected. On agricultural expenditure these terms provide for the acceding States the option of applying
the standard direct payments system applicable in the current EU if they are ready to effectively implement
the ‘acquis’, or to use the simplified scheme under the conditions laid down in the Act of Accession. This
simplified scheme should be available for three years with the possibility of being renewed twice by one
year. During the period of application of the simplified scheme, acceding States would have to take the
necessary steps to set up the IACS implementation structures required for properly running the standard
system of direct payments so as to be ready to apply this system immediately after the expiration of the
transitional period.

26.2.2004

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Official Journal of the European Union

C 51 E/99

Finally, in reply to the last question put by the Honourable Member, the Commission has in fact
3.
presented to the Council a proposed amendment to Regulation No 1258/99 on the financing of the CAP
extending from 24 to 36 months the period during which adjustment of expenditure can be applied.
The Council bodies examined this proposal, most recently on 7/8 October 2002, and were unable to agree
to it.

(2004/C 51 E/110)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1493/03

by Torben Lund (PSE) to the Commission

(2 May 2003)

Subject: Invitations to tender and the Bornholm ferry route

The Danish government has issued a proposal to invite tenders for the future ferry service to the Danish
island of Bornholm. One reason the government gives for its proposal is that EU rules require Denmark to
open up ferry and other services to competition.

Which article of which regulation or directive requires Denmark to issue an invitation to tender for the
ferry service to Bornholm? I should like a definitive answer as to the conditions under which subsidies can
be granted to ferry and transport services to island regions such as Bornholm.

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(1 July 2003)

Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 3577/92 of 7 December 1992 applying the principle of freedom
to provide services to maritime transport within Member States (maritime cabotage) (1) stipulates that a
Member State may conclude public service contracts with shipping companies participating in regular
services to, from and between its islands. The same Article provides that whenever a Member State
concludes public service contracts,
it must do so on a non-discriminatory basis in respect of all
Community shipowners.

To ensure that this principle is observed, the Community guidelines on State aid to maritime transport (2)
stipulate that reimbursement of operating losses incurred as a result of fulfilling public service obligations
need not be notified to the Commission provided that the authorities concerned organise a public tender,
that the successful tender is, in principle, the one requiring the lowest financial compensation and that
such compensation is limited to covering operating losses incurred as a result of fulfilling the public
service.

These rules were designed for transport to/from/between islands of the same Member State.

(1) OJ L 364, 12.12.1992.
(2) OJ C 205, 5.7.1997.

(2004/C 51 E/111)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1496/03

by Florence Kuntz (EDD) to the Council

(24 April 2003)

Subject: Safeguarding the Iraqi archaeological heritage

The bombs that have been raining down on Mesopotamia since 20 March and the destruction and looting
of the Baghdad Archaeological Museum remind us that Iraq’s archaeological heritage has since 1991 been
in peril.

Apart from the destruction of archaeological sites during the Gulf War there has been the looting, the
departure of foreign archaeological missions, the abandonment of digs and trafficking with the West in
stolen property.