WRITTEN QUESTION P-2896/03 by Patricia McKenna (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation.
Date: 2003-09-23
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing arrangements, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, action programme, audit, establishment of peace, management audit

13.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 65 E/241

The construction products directive and the harmonised technical specifications which are its technical
references for implementation constitute the legal means whereby European legislation can ensure the free
movement of construction products by means of technical harmonisation which ensures the highest level
of safety and which at the same time allows them to bear the EC mark.

However, responsibility for supervising the certification and approval of products and materials bearing the
EC mark lies with the national authorities, who remain solely responsible for the safety of structures.

The harmonised technical specifications for this group of products are not yet fully available. As they are
completed by the CEN committee, the Commission will publish the references in the C series of the
Official Journal of the European Union.

(1) Council Directive 89/106/EEC of 21 December 1988 on the approximation of laws, regulations and administrative

provisions of the Member States relating to construction products, OJ L 40, 11.2.1989.

(2004/C 65 E/257)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2896/03

by Patricia McKenna (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(23 September 2003)

Subject: EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation

1.

Is the EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation monitored from Brussels?

2. Who signed off the present conditions that must be satisfied to secure funding?

3.

Is the EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation audited?

4.
How was a body permitted to draft the conditions for securing EU funding while also being allowed
to act as administrator of the fund that body being the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) and the
Department of Environment and Local Government of Ireland?

Are the monies employed to establish the Peace and Reconciliation fund in addition to EU funds

5.
normally allocated to Ireland from the EU?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(20 October 2003)

As for all interventions financed under the Structural Funds, the PEACE Programme operates within the
legal framework of the Structural Funds’ Regulation (1). In accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, the
primary responsibility for the day-to-day management and monitoring of the programme lies with the
programme’s delivery structures at the regional level, mainly the Managing Authority (cid:1) the Special Union
Programmes Body (SEUPB) (cid:1) and the Monitoring Committee.

Day-to-day management is exercised within the framework of the Operational Programme document
agreed by the Commission and the Irish and United Kingdom governments, which sets out the the priority
areas for spending and their financial allocations. The document also sets out the general criteria for the
selection of projects. Future detail in this regard is provided in the Programme Complement, which is a
document drafted by the Managing Authority and approved by the Monitoring Committee.

The PEACE Programme is subject to the standard audit requirements involving both the Commission and
the relevant national or regional audit bodies. SEUPB acts as the overall Programme Managing Authority
and therefore has responsibility for all administrative aspects of the programme such as application forms,
co-ordination, guidance to intermediary funding Bodies or final beneficiaries. It also implements a number
of specific measures, while maintaining a clear administrative separation of duties in accordance with the
principles of sound management.

C 65 E/242

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

13.3.2004

The Department of Environment and Local Government is represented in an advisory capacity on the
PEACE Monitoring Committee. It acts as the accountable department for the County Council Task Forces
in the Border Region of Ireland; it is not involved directly in the implementation of any measure.

In accordance with the conclusions of the Presidency of the European Council meeting in Berlin in March
1999, the financial allocation for the PEACE Programme is fully additional to the Structural Funds
allocation to Ireland and the United Kingdom.

(1) Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 of 21 June 1999 laying down general provisions on the Structural Funds,

OJ L 161, 26.6.1999.

(2004/C 65 E/258)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2897/03

by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission

(25 September 2003)

Subject: Job crisis at Alcatel Italia S.p.A.

In June 2003 the management of Alcatel presented its financial programme entailing, inter alia, job cuts
for 1 300 employees, mainly in two factories in Italy, at Cittaducale in the province of Rieti and at
Battipaglia in the province of Salerno.

Alcatel operates in 130 countries and is one of the world’s largest producers of public telecommunications
equipment, as well as the main supplier of satellite technology in Europe.

These cuts would be made by means of temporary lay-offs in accordance with the procedures set out in
Italian Law No 223/91 or, what is even more serious, by closing down the factories, as envisaged in
Article 47 of Law No 428/90.

All this would have grave repercussions on employment, not least for all the SMEs dependent on the
sector, which in turn would create social problems.

However, the employees have so far not been sufficiently involved, although the Italian Government has
implemented Directive 94/45/EC (1) by means of Legislative Decree No 74/02.

In view of all this, can the Commission say:

1. whether it does not consider that the restructuring plan contravenes Articles 136, 137 and 138 of the
EC Treaty, the Community Charter of the Fundamental Social Rights of Workers of 1989, Article 27
of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU and Directive 98/59/EC (2) on the approximation of
the laws of the Member States relating to collective redundancies;

2. whether it does not consider that the restructuring plan contravenes Directive 94/45/EC, amended by
Directive 97/74/EC (3) on the establishment of a European Works Council or a procedure in
Community-scale undertakings and Community-scale groups of undertakings for the purposes of
informing and consulting employees;

3. whether it does not consider that

the restructuring plan contravenes Directive 2002/14/EC (4)

establishing a general framework for informing and consulting employees?

(1) OJ L 254, 30.9.1994, p. 64.
(2) OJ L 225, 12.8.1998, p. 16.
(3) OJ L 10, 16.1.1998, p. 22.
(4) OJ L 80, 23.3.2002, p. 29.