WRITTEN QUESTION E-1745/03 by Toine Manders (ELDR)and Herman Vermeer (ELDR) to the Commission. European Cycling Day.
Date: 2003-05-26
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, EU policy, public awareness campaign, two-wheeled vehicle

C 58 E/92

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.3.2004

to strengthen the
European co-ordination of this diverse agricultural research landscape is essential
research capacity and to avoid duplication. This is a starting point of the Communication ‘Towards a
European Research Area’ (1) and a guiding principle of FP 6 (2). Specifically the new instruments in
Thematic Priority 5 ‘Food quality and safety’, will have a structuring effect on European research. In
addition, the ERA-NET scheme is targeting co-ordination of national or regional research programmes
while policy oriented research on CAP reform is part of the ‘Scientific Support to Policies’ activity.

The Commission is also supporting co-ordination activities (3) in the ‘Standing Committee of Agricultural
in collaboration with Euragri (4) or targeting developing country needs in the EFARD (5).
Research’,
Numerous Community funded concerted actions co-ordinate subject specific research.

Time is more than ripe, at the eve of the adhesion of new Member States which can only reinforce the
overall strength and potentials of agricultural research in Europe, to carry out a mapping exercise of
relevant research investments and prospects, and to lay down the basis for a reinforced co-ordination.
The Commission is already co-operating closely with the main national actors. In the favourable context
resulting from the conjunction of the European Research Area and the new Common Agricultural Policy,
both in progress, a Europe-wide stock taking activity would gain political desirability. In light of these
recent developments, the Commission will
initiative for
European agricultural research in the future.

investigate the opportunity of a new political

FP 6 (cid:1) 6th Research Framework Programme (2002-2006).
Full overview at: http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/agriculture/index_en.html.

(1) COM(2000) 6 final.
(2)
(3)
(4) Euragri (cid:1) European agricultural research initiative.
(5) EFARD (cid:1) European Forum for Agricultural Research for Development.

(2004/C 58 E/108)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1745/03

by Toine Manders (ELDR)
and Herman Vermeer (ELDR) to the Commission

(26 May 2003)

Subject: European Cycling Day

To promote recreation and physical exercise, a National Cycling Day is organised annually in the
Netherlands by Dutch tourist offices (VVVs) and the Netherlands Tourist Board (Toerisme Recreatie
Nederland) on the second Saturday in May. On 10 May of this year, some 22 000 people took part in the
event.

Lack of physical exercise is one of the causes of obesity, which can be a factor in cardiovascular disease.
This is a worrying situation, bearing in mind that the consequences of so-called Western diseases go
beyond the implications for the health of European citizens. The high healthcare costs associated with such
diseases stifle economic growth and prevent the higher labour market participation rates considered
necessary to achieve further growth. These trends consequently have the potential to frustrate the Lisbon
Process.

As well as encouraging people to take exercise, events of this kind also promote cycling as a mode of
transport, helping to reduce car use, and therefore traffic congestion, including commuter traffic.

Finally, the event promotes tourism and recreation, which can also lead to the setting up of a transnational
network of cycle paths and cycling routes.

Given that Commission policy views the fight against obesity, as well as transport and tourism/recreation,
as being of paramount importance, it makes sense to investigate the prospects of creating a European
equivalent of the Dutch National Cycling Day, and/or to initiate, encourage, and provide financial support
for such an event.

6.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 58 E/93

1.

Is the Commission aware of the above-mentioned National Cycling Day?

Is the Commission prepared to investigate the prospects of creating an annual European Cycling Day

2.
and linking it to the National Cycling Day in the Netherlands?

If these prospects prove positive, is the Commission prepared to encourage the organisation of such
3.
an event and, where appropriate, to provide financial support for it, so that the policy areas mentioned
above can be further developed?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(15 July 2003)

The Commission is aware of the Dutch National Cycling Day event, which it regards as a valuable
initiative. The Environment Directorate General of the Commission supports cycling in many different
ways. The Member of the Commission responsible for the Environment, launched the European Car Free
Day 2000 on 4 February 2000 in Brussels and invited Member States to join the initiative. In just a few
months, this event not only enticed 14 Member States in the Union to participate, but also 12 other
countries in Europe and beyond. In 2002 1446 European cities and local authorities participated in the
European Car Free Day.

Based on the success and lessons learnt from the European Car Free Day, the European Mobility Week was
launched on 19 April 2002 in Brussels (during the Green Week).

The first edition of the European Mobility Week, organised from 16 to 22 September 2002, consisted of a
whole week of awareness raising events focusing on various aspects of sustainable mobility. Public
Transport, Cycling and Living Streets/Greenways were chosen as common themes for the whole of Europe.
A list of other themes was also available for the other days and of course the Car Free Day on Sunday
22 September 2002 was the highlight of the whole Mobility Week.

At European level the Commission feels that cycling is an important alternative mode of transport and that
this is highlighted sufficiently in the framework of the European Mobility Week. There is a web site
promoting the European Mobility Week (http://www.mobilityweek-europe.org/).

In addition, the Commission also promotes innovative integrated actions in urban mobility (cid:1) including
cycling (cid:1) in the context of the Civitas initiative, which aims to encourage the introduction of sustainable
urban transport policy strategies in a number of European cities. The aim is to achieve a significant change
in the modal split towards sustainable transport modes. Further information on the Civitas initiative can be
found at (http://www.civitas-initiative.org).

The lack of physical exercise will also be taken into account in the Public Health Programme (2003-2008),
via the activities of the Network for Nutrition and Physical Activity: (http://europa.eu.int/comm/health/
ph_determinants/life_style/nutrition/nutrition_en.htm).

In view of the above, the Commission considers that cycling and its health effects are sufficiently addressed
and is therefore not prepared to investigate the prospects of an annual European Cycling Day linked to the
National Cycling Day in the Netherlands. As a consequence, no Community funding will be available to
support such an initiative.

(2004/C 58 E/109)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1749/03

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(26 May 2003)

Subject: Partial financing by Europe of the American balance of payments deficit as a result of the

dominance of the dollar on the oil market

1.
Is the Commission aware that, since 1983, the United States of America has had a permanent
external balance of payments deficit, with expenditure and imports high in relation to production and
exports, that the deficit has grown from 1 % at that time to almost 6 % or USD 600 thousand million in