WRITTEN QUESTION P-1555/03 by Eija-Riitta Korhola (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Averting alcohol-related harm in Finland.
Date: 2003-05-02
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Finland, alcoholic beverage, alcoholism, excise duty, exemption from customs duties, free movement of goods, import restriction, single market

8.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 88 E/613

(cid:1) Project No 42/4655 under measure 3.3 ‘Inovação e Internacionalização de Estruturas Empresariais’
was presented as part of the ‘Programa Estratégico de Dinamização e Modernização da Indústria
Portuguesa (PEDIP II)’. The closure of the ESF component for this project was approved on 16 August
2001 with the final amount of assistance coming to PTE 92 480 187 (EUR 461 289,23).

All the payments which were due have been made.

(cid:1) From the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)

ERDF co-financing of EUR 1 473 867,72 has been awarded to the company ‘Car InterMedia System’
(CIS) and is to be distributed as follows:

(cid:1) a sum of approximately EUR 84 285,26 for a project approved on 31 December 1992 under the

Community’s ‘Stride’ programme (CCA I),

(cid:1) a total of EUR 1 389 582,46, under the programme to promote economic modernisation (CSF II).

This last amount concerns financial assistance for the following projects:
(cid:1) ‘Calibração de instrumentos’, approved on 31 December 1999
(cid:1) ‘Modernização tecnológica’, approved on 17 April 1998
(cid:1) ‘Diagnóstico e análise estratégica’, approved on 29 December 1995.

Assistance from the ERDF was awarded by the Member State under an aid scheme approved by the
Commission. The Member State must ensure that Community rules are complied with.

If, within five years of the decision of the competent authorities on the contribution of the Structural
Funds, a substantial modification occurs in a co-financed operation due to a cessation or change of
location of a co-financed productive activity, the Member States are obliged to inform the Commission.
Article 30(4) of the Council Regulation laying down general provisions on Structural Funds (applicable to
the 2000-2006 programming period) provides that where such a modification occurs, Article 39 on
financial corrections shall apply.

Moreover, in order to prevent delocalistion problems, the guidelines on national regional aid which were
adopted by the Commission on 10 March 1998 stipulate that the assets eligible for funding and the
employment created must be maintained for at least five years from the date on which the investment for
which funding has been granted is made.

(2004/C 88 E/0633)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1555/03

by Eija-Riitta Korhola (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Averting alcohol-related harm in Finland

(2 May 2003)

I wish to thank Commissioner Frits Bolkestein for the answer which he gave on 14 April 2003, on behalf
of the Commission, to question P-0870/03 (1).

However, the Commissioner did not answer the part of my question concerning the possible use of
Articles 30 and 95 of the EC Treaty.

I should therefore like to repeat the last part of my question:

(cid:1) if a Member State can show that complete freedom as regards private imports (of alcoholic beverages)
(cid:1) that is, complete freedom from import restrictions (cid:1) causes serious problems from the point of
view of public morality, public policy, public security, or health, as referred to in Article 30 of the EC
Treaty, or specific public health problems within the meaning of Article 95, can it act to put matters
right;

(cid:1) what kind of measures are possible in such a situation?

(1) OJ C 33 E, 6.2.2004, p. 85.

C 88 E/614

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

8.4.2004

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(16 June 2003)

Article 26 of Council Directive 92/12/EEC of 25 February 1992 on the general arrangements for products
subject to excise duty and on the holding, movement and monitoring of such products (1) authorised
Denmark, Finland and Sweden to apply restrictions on the quantity of excise products that can be brought
into their territory from other Member States by travellers for their own use, without further excise duty
payment. These derogations expire at the end of 2003. This Directive is based on Article 99 (now
Article 93) of the EC Treaty. Any extension of the derogations authorised by Article 26 of this Directive
would require a modification of this provision on the basis of the same Treaty provision and could not be
based upon Articles 30 or 95 of the EC Treaty.

Outside the area of taxation, any non fiscal measure adopted in non-harmonised areas by a Member State
on public health grounds which could result in restricting imports of alcoholic beverages would have to be
assessed on a case-by-case basis in order to decide whether it complies with the conditions set in Article 30
of the EC Treaty, or in Article 95 if the relevant area is already subject to harmonisation measures at
Community level.

(1) OJ L 76, 23.3.1992.

(2004/C 88 E/0634)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1690/03

by Anders Wijkman (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(21 May 2003)

Subject: Bushmeat

The Commission is developing an environment manual for development and cooperation projects, called
‘Integrating environment concerns into development and economic cooperation’. The EU has committed
itself to integrating the Environment into other areas of policy, an extremely important process.

Currently bushmeat is not included in the manual, even though bushmeat is integral to forest and poverty
issues. Development and cooperation projects may have highly significant impacts on poaching and
conduits for the illegal trade.

Is the Commission willing fully to integrate bushmeat into the manual?

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(25 July 2003)

Bushmeat is a very important issue. There are estimates that as many as 150 million poor people
(one-eighth of the world’s poorest) perceive wildlife to be an important livelihood asset (increasingly
through tourism development). Where wildlife is declining, poor people adapt, but often at a cost to their
livelihoods in terms of reduced income, fewer diversification opportunities and increased vulnerability.

Poverty alleviation being the overarching principle of the Commission development cooperation policy,
the Commission will improve the way it integrates bushmeat issues.

Three directions are proposed:

(cid:1) The environment manual for development and cooperation projects, called ‘Integrating environment
concerns into development and economic cooperation’, will be reviewed at the end of 2003 (cid:1)
beginning of 2004, and bushmeat issues will be integrated in this manual.