WRITTEN QUESTION E-2895/03 by Dana Scallon (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Irish sheep farmers.
Date: 2003-09-29
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Ireland, agri-environmental plan, allocation of land, environmental protection, grassland, sheep, slaughter of animals

C 78 E/440

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

27.3.2004

(2004/C 78 E/0461)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2877/03

by Jan Dhaene (PSE) to the Commission

(29 September 2003)

Subject: The ‘Sentiers de l’Europe’ international architecture competition and Place Jean Rey

Further to written question E-0405/03 (1):

1.

It has been established with reference to the international architecture competition ‘Les Sentiers de
l’Europe’ that the requirement of independence was not fulfilled in the case of the chairman of the jury
and the second-placed participant, since direct and formal economic links were detected between the
two (see Moniteur Belge No 980804 (cid:1) Atelier Place Léopold S.A.).

In view of this state of affairs, will the Commission claim reimbursement of the amounts paid in
respect of the second-placed participant?

2. Can the Commission finally indicate, following its consultations with the Belgian authorities (see
Mr Kinnock’s answer of 21 May 2003 to written question E-0405/03), whether or not the Belgian
authorities’ awarding of the service contract for the ‘Place de l’Union Européene’ (Place Jean Rey) to the
ODC architects office conformed to the provisions of Council Directive No 92/50/EEC (2) of 18 June
1992 relating to the coordination of procedures for the award of public service contracts?

(1) OJ C 268 E, 7.11.2003, p. 98.
(2) OJ L 209, 24.7.1992, p. 1.

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(11 December 2003)

A complaint procedure concerning the ‘European Footpaths’ international architectural competition was
brought to a close by a Commission Decision of 24 April 2002. Contacts are being established between
the Commission and the Brussels Region to discuss the reimbursement of the prize awarded to the winner.
In the context of these contacts the Commission also intends to discuss the question of the independence
of the President of the Jury vis à vis the second winner.

On the public procurement procedure for the study ‘Place de l’Union européenne’, the Honourable Member
is referred to the letter sent by the Deputy Director General of Directorate General Internal Market dated
4 August 2003 to the Honourable Member. In this letter,
it is explained that the contract had been
awarded to ODC in 1986 according to the then existing Belgian law. The Directive 92/50/EC (1), which
came into force at a date later than the date the contract was awarded, could therefore not be applied.

(1) Council Directive 92/50/EEC of 18 June 1992 relating to the coordination of procedures for the award of public

service contracts.

(2004/C 78 E/0462)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2895/03

by Dana Scallon (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(29 September 2003)

Subject: Irish sheep farmers

How many Member States insist on the same stocking rate of sheep, for fenced pasture and adjoining
commonly-owned unfenced hillside, within the one farm?

Did the Commission ask for the culling of 800 000 sheep for the sake of environmental protection of the
hillsides in Ireland?

What number of sheep did the Commission ask to be culled from the hillsides in Ireland?

27.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 78 E/441

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(4 November 2003)

The situation where a ‘Member State insists on the same stocking rate of sheep, for fenced pasture and
adjoining commonly-own unfenced hillside, within the one farm’ does not seem to exist in the other
Member States. A provision of the current Article 13 of the Commission Regulation (CE) No 445/2002 of
26 February 2002 (1) laying down conditions for commitments to extensify livestock farming states at
point b) that ‘the livestock shall be distributed across the farm in such a way that the whole of the grazed
area is maintained, thus avoiding both over-grazing and under-utilisation’.

The Commission did not specifically ask for a cull of 800 000 sheep as mentioned in the second and third
part of the question but rather for cross compliance between the Rural Environmental Protection Scheme
(Agri-environmental scheme) and Sheep Headage Schemes as well as compliance with Union habitat
protection requirements laid down in Directives 79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979 on the conservation of wild
birds (2) and 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild flora and
fauna (3). On 13 June 2002, Ireland was condemned by the Court of Justice with regard to widespread
vegetation loss and erosion linked to excessive sheep stocking levels in the west of
Ireland (Case
C-117/00). It is obliged to take measures to comply with this Court ruling as soon as possible. In order to
address the problem of overgrazing of sheep on commonly owned areas (commonages) and resulting
environmental damages in such sensitive areas, destocking measures were deemed necessary. Thus a
Supplementary Measure A was approved by the Commission in 1998 under the Rural Environmental
Protection Scheme (REPS) to compensate farmers in those areas for following an Agri-environmental plan
which would reduce sheep numbers to sustainable stocking density and which would have special
conditions to allow for the regeneration of degraded areas. The Agri-environmental plan would conform to
framework plans to be drawn up for each commonage.

While the commonage framework plans were defined, interim measures were taken in order to address the
problem of overgrazing in six western counties where the environmental damages were more serious. This
required the immediate 30 % reduction in sheep number and some 140 000 sheep were permanently
removed during the period November/December 1998 from the commonages in these counties. Such a
cross compliance measure was put in place before 1998 payments of Sheep Headage Schemes. Payments
of 1999 and 2000 sheep headage to farmers was limited to the number applied for subject to an overall
ceiling of 70 % of the 1998 entitlement to the scheme.

Full cross-compliance was introduced with effect from 2001. It is a condition of the 2001 headage
schemes that farmers with commonage land must participate in an approved REPs plan (including
measure A) or a national plan (State Aid scheme approved by the Commission in September 2003) before
payment can be made under the Ewe Premium and less favoured areas (LFA’s) Compensatory Allowances
schemes. Information concerning the reduction of number of sheep due to cross compliance since 2001 is
not available.

(1) Commission Regulation (EC) No 445/2002 of 26 February 2002 laying down detailed rules for the application of
Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 on support for rural development from the European Agricultural Guidance
and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF), OJ L 74, 15.3.2002.

(2) OJ L 103, 25.4.1979.
(3) OJ L 206, 22.7.1992.

(2004/C 78 E/0463)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2903/03

by Miet Smet (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(1 October 2003)

Subject: Suspension of cooperation agreements and postponement of their signature

In its answer to my Question E-0520/03 (1) of 13 February 2003 about respect for women’s rights in
Pakistan, the Council has told me that, so far, not one agreement with a third country in which a human
rights clause has been incorporated as an ‘essential element’ has been suspended.