WRITTEN QUESTION E-2473/03 by Marie Isler Béguin (Verts/ALE), Charles Tannock (PPE-DE),Alima Boumediene-Thiery (Verts/ALE), Patsy Sörensen (Verts/ALE)and Miquel Mayol i Raynal (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Regions adjacent to the enlarged Union's external borders.
Date: 2003-07-24
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Belarus, European neighbourhood policy, Moldova, Ukraine, economic consequence, economic cooperation, enlargement of the Union

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(2004/C 65 E/174)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2468/03

by Catherine Stihler (PSE) to the Commission

(24 July 2003)

Subject: Introduction of digital tachographs

Regulation (EEC) 3820/85 (1) lays out the rules relating to the acceptable driving, resting and working
times of drivers of commercial vehicles and buses. The hours of such drivers are recorded and controlled
by use of tachographs in accordance with Regulation (EEC) 3821/85 (2). More recently, Regulation (EC)
2135/98 (3) was published, paving the way for the introduction of digital tachographs (which record on
smart cards) in place of the current tachographs (which record on paper charts).

Article 2, paragraph 1(a) of Regulation 2135/98 states:

24 months from the date of publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities of the
act to be adopted pursuant to Article 17(2) of Regulation (EEC) No 3821/85, as amended by this
Regulation, vehicles put into service for the first time must be fitted with recording equipment in
accordance with the requirements of Annex IB to Regulation (EEC) No 3821/85.

Would the Commission please confirm that the act referred to in this paragraph is that which was
published as Regulation (EC) 1360/2002, published on 5 August 2002 (4)?

(1) OJ L 370, 31.12.1985, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 370, 31.12.1985, p. 8.
(3) OJ L 274, 9.10.1998, p. 1.
(4) OJ L 207, 5.8.2002, p. 1.

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(24 September 2003)

Herewith the Commission confirms that Commission Regulation (EC) No 1360/2002 (1) is the act referred
to in Article 2, paragraph 1 (a) of Council Regulation (EC) No 2135/98 (2).

(1) Commission Regulation (EC) No 1360/2002 of 13 June 2002 adapting for the seventh time to technical progress

Council Regulation (EEC) No 3821/85 on recording equipment in road transport, OJ L 207, 5.8.2002.

(2) Council Regulation (EC) No 2135/98 of 24 September 1998 amending Regulation (EEC) No 3821/85 on recording
equipment in road transport and Directive 88/599/EEC concerning the application of Regulations (EEC) No 3820/
84 and (EEC) No 3821/85, OJ L 274, 9.10.1998.

(2004/C 65 E/175)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2473/03

by Marie Isler Béguin (Verts/ALE), Charles Tannock (PPE-DE),
Alima Boumediene-Thiery (Verts/ALE), Patsy Sörensen (Verts/ALE)
and Miquel Mayol i Raynal (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

Subject: Regions adjacent to the enlarged Union’s external borders

(24 July 2003)

The current process of enlargement towards the east will,
in the near future, alter the EU’s political,
economic and social makeup, as harmonisation, protection and transitional aid measures are applied in the
applicant central European and Baltic countries.

Given their particular sensitivity to this process of economic alignment, during the successive enlargements
of the EU the eastern border regions of the Member States and, subsequently, the applicant countries, have
benefited from special programmes and aid intended to guard against and mitigate imbalances and socio-
economic repercussions within their borders. The western border regions of the European countries

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neighbouring the enlarged EU, such as Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine, are primarily and intrinsically
dependent on the interregional economy and trade with their many partners on the EU side of the border.
These three eastern European countries, which form part of our continent’s history and identity, are
directly concerned by the implications of the EU enlargement process at all levels. The current Moldovan
and Belarussian governments’ predecessors clearly stated their wish to join the EU, and this has remained a
priority for the current Ukrainian Government.

On 11 February 2003 the European Parliament adopted a report by Pedro Marset Campos on ‘relations
between the European Union and Belarus: towards a future partnership’,
in which it called on the
Commission, ‘in order to prevent any cracks from appearing in the economic or social structure at the
future eastern border of the enlarged EU and to curb smuggling and immigration, to develop Community
financial programmes and support for the western regions of the new neighbours to the East, Ukraine,
Belarus and Moldova, on the same scale as those already being implemented in the eastern regions of the
neighbouring candidate countries’.

1. What interregional programmes does the Commission intend to implement with a view to providing
support for symmetrical social and economic development on both sides of the EU’s future eastern border
so as to guard against a widening gulf between the new Member States and Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus?

2. What preventive measures does it intend to take in order to protect cross-border trade in this region,
a trade which, in Ukraine, accounts for one third of imports and provides a livelihood for 20 % of the
population, and which is directly threatened by the introduction of visas on 1 July 2004?

3. Would the Commission not agree that in order to maintain and foster the existing social and
economic links between the applicant countries and these eastern European partners coordination between
the Phare and TACIS and Interreg and Phare-CBC programmes should be optimised and, if necessary,
reorganised?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(17 September 2003)

1. Working together to create an area of shared prosperity and stability with the neighbours of the
future enlarged Union, is a clear objective for the Union, as outlined in the Commission’s Communication
‘Wider Europe (cid:1) Neighbourhood’ (1).
In its follow-up Communication ‘Paving the way for a New
Neighbourhood Instrument’ (2), the Commission proposes the specific possibility of creating a Neigh-
bourhood Instrument, which would build on the experience of promoting cross-border co-operation
within the PHARE, TACIS and Interreg programmes. The programme could focus on ensuring the smooth
the future Eastern and Mediterranean borders, promoting
functioning and secure management of
regions and pursuing regional and
sustainable economic and social development of
transnational co-operation. As such an instrument cannot be created immediately, the Commission is
introducing a two-phase approach, starting with the concept of Neighbourhood Programmes for the
period 2004-2006 operating as joint cross-border and regional co-operation programmes on the Union’s
external borders with Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova (as well as those in the Western Balkans and the
Mediterranean) and addressing the above issues.

the border

2.
The neighbouring countries of the enlarged Union should be well placed to take advantage of direct
access to a Single Market of 450 million people. The enlarged Union will remain an open trading partner,
with a single set of rules and administrative procedures, and a single tariff, with the overall level of tariff
protection decreasing after enlargement. This will simplify the activity of third country operators within
the new Member States. The simplification and standardisation of rules will benefit particularly small and
medium-sized enterprises and individual operators, who are often those involved in border trade activities,
for whom the costs of compliance with trade procedures are proportionately higher.

Moreover, enlargement is expected to bring accelerated economic growth in the new Member States,
which will increase demand for imports. This will especially benefit bordering regions to the new Member
States which will be well positioned to take advantage of this economic growth and can increase their
trade with these expanding markets.

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Finally, cross-border trade is an issue addressed under the Neighbourhood Programmes, with one of the
main objectives of the programme being ‘Ensuring efficient and secure borders’ under which activities
towards facilitation of trade and passage such as user-friendly small border traffic would be possible.

3.
The Commission is addressing this issue within the framework of the current financial perspective
and on-going programming for 2004-2006 through the introduction of Neighbourhood Programmes.
Over the coming months, the Commission will examine the possibility of creating a New Neighbourhood
Instrument from 2007, which could be capable of operating on an identical footing on both sides of the
Union’s external border.

(1) COM(2003) 104 final.
(2) COM(2003) 393 final.

(2004/C 65 E/176)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2489/03

by Sérgio Marques (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: State of implementation of aid for Venezuela

(25 July 2003)

Following the tragic floods which hit Venezuela in December 1999, the Commission allocated a substantial
amount of funding to support reconstruction in the areas affected, the purpose being to aid reconstruction
in Vargas State and to support risk prevention, i.e. the drawing-up and implementation of programmes
aimed at the management of natural risks in a vast area adjacent to that struck by the 1999 floods, in
Falcon, Miranda and Yaracuy States.

With regard to the projects on ‘Support for reconstruction and disaster prevention in Vargas State’
(Community contribution: EUR 25 million) and ‘Social reconstruction in Vargas State’
(Community
contribution: EUR 10 million), signature of the financing agreement by the Venezuelan national authorities
is being awaited for implementation to commence.

With regard to the programme on ‘Flood prevention in Falcon, Yaracuy and Miranda States’ (Community
contribution: EUR 20 million), a Commission decision on the allocation of the relevant appropriations was
expected in the first half of 2003.

A European Parliament delegation, of which I formed part, visited Venezuela between 7 and 9 July 2003
and observed that there has been a series of delays in the approval and implementation of these projects,
largely on account of differences of opinion between the Commission and the Venezuelan authorities
concerning the tax arrangements for the Community projects (exemption from VAT on goods and
services).

Can the Commission answer the following:

1. What date is scheduled for implementation of the two projects in Vargas State? Will it be possible for
all the funding allocated to be used up despite the significant delay? What obstacles remain as regards
implementation of the projects?

2. What is the Commission’s position on the programme on ‘Flood prevention in Falcon, Yaracuy and
Miranda States’ and, if a decision has been taken in favour of this programme, what timescale is
envisaged for its implementation?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(24 September 2003)

1.
Financing agreements for two projects in the State of Vargas were signed by the Venezuelan
Government on 19 December 2002. These two projects will be implemented by Corpovargas (Instituto
Autónomo Corporación para la Recuperación y Desarrollo del estado Vargas) and will start on the arrival
of two European technical assistants experts already hired by the Commission. The Commission has done
its utmost to ensure that these projects start in September this year.