WRITTEN QUESTION E-2958/03 by Armando Cossutta (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Price rises in the eurozone countries.
Date: 2003-10-08
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Economic and Monetary Union, consumer price, economic policy, euro area, inflation, price increase, prices policy, purchasing power

C 70 E/178

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

20.3.2004

2.

3.

In the period 1992-2001,

the share of projects financed directly to non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
to some 35 %.

is
In 2003,
equivalent
the NGO share was 25 % on average.
The comparison of these figures indicates that the NGO share remains stable or tends to increase.
Public authorities (local and national) remain, however, the most important type of beneficiary under
LIFE-Nature with an average share of 73 % between 1992 and 2001. It should also be noted that
NGOs very frequently work as partner in projects led by public authorities, thus increasing their
effective share of the LIFE-Nature budget. Finally, the extension envisaged does not change the
possibility for NGOs to submit LIFE-Nature proposals and the Commission expects them to continue
to play a central role in the implementation of LIFE-Nature projects.

In the future LIFE-Nature will continue to support the implementation of the Habitats Directive (1) and
Birds Directive (2) and in particular the set-up and active management of the Natura 2000 network.
Both Directives identify a series of measure that are not site-related and will need to be implemented.
Furthermore the ‘network’ concept for Natura 2000 will require an approach that goes beyond the
boundaries of single sites. For these reasons, the Commission does not envisage restricting the use of
LIFE-Nature funds to Natura 2000 sites only. However, the focus of LIFE-Nature will, at least during
the extension envisaged, remain on the active management of Natura 2000 to avoid dispersion of the
limited financial resources.

4. The Commission believes that LIFE should remain a separate instrument from the other existing ones.
Its characteristics make it a very specific programme. At the same time complementarity and working
in synergy with the other instruments should be improved to ensure that LIFE delivers its full
potential. This is consistent with the findings of the intergovernmental group that worked on Article 8
of the Directive 92/43/EEC.

(1) Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora,

OJ L 31, 6.2.1998.

(2) Council Directive 79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979 on the conservation of wild birds, OJ L 103, 25.4.1979.

(2004/C 70 E/186)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2958/03

by Armando Cossutta (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(8 October 2003)

Subject: Price rises in the eurozone countries

On 16 September 2003, a consumer boycott was held in Italy in protest against the continual and
uncontrolled rise in consumer prices. The Italian consumers’ association Adiconsum estimates that the
average household has lost EUR 1 000 in purchasing power in 2003. The average inflation rate in the
eurozone is 2,1 %, with the highest rate (3,9 %) in Ireland. The rates for Italy, Greece and Portugal have
risen to 2,9 %, 3,5 % and 3,7 % respectively.

Italy’s inflation rate has returned to the level of last January, and the general trend clearly implies a
constant rise in consumer prices.

1. What detailed information does the Commission intend to provide on the plans for action on the
matter of the governments concerned, especially the Italian government?

2. What action will the Commission take, as a matter of urgency, to protect consumers’ purchasing
power?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(14 November 2003)

The Commission would like to point out that the responsibility for price stability in the euro area as a
whole lies with the European Central Bank and that, as the single monetary policy is not in a position to
address country-specific inflation developments,
it is up to the Member States concerned to address
national inflation developments that are deemed to be unwarranted.

20.3.2004

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Official Journal of the European Union

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The latest data available for the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) shows that consumer prices
have risen by 2,1 % for the euro area as a whole between September 2002 and September 2003, 3,8 % for
Ireland, 3,3 % for Greece (August to August), 3,2 % for Portugal, 3,0 % for Spain and 3,0 % for Italy. These
are the five Member States with the highest annual rates.

The Commission draws the attention of the Honourable Member to the section on the euro area in the
2003-2005 Broad Economic Policy Guidelines (BEPG) adopted by the Council
in June 2003. In that
section, it is recognised that inflation differences in a monetary union are a matter of fact and that the
inflation differences observed between euro area Member States largely reflect differences in economic
structures and growth performance. The BEPG recommends policy actors at the national level to ‘analyse
the causes of inflation differences to identify instances when they are undesirable, with a view to Member
States addressing them through using the levers available to them’. As usual, the Commission will continue
to closely monitor
the Member States and report on the
implementation of the BEPG.

the macroeconomic situation in all

(2004/C 70 E/187)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2963/03

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(8 October 2003)

Subject: Spending cuts on accident research and prevention

In a letter to the Commission’s Health Directorate, the European Accident Prevention Network expresses
concern at a 30 % cut in funding for accident research and prevention. According to the Public Health and
Epidemiology laboratory, EUR 1,7 to 1,8 million is being earmarked annually for the accident prevention
programme over the next five years compared with EUR 2,5 million annually for the previous period,
despite an overall increase in the Community public health budget.

Given that in the industrialised countries, accidents are the prime cause of death among productive
workers in the under-45 age group and that overall life expectancy is affected more by fatal accident
statistics than by other factors (such as cardiovascular disorders or tumours) and in view of the high social
and economic cost of serious injury for the Community as a whole:

1. What were the reasons for these drastic cuts in funding?

2. Will the Commission act (cid:1) and if so how (cid:1) to ensure that research into accident prevention is
stepped up?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(14 November 2003)

The Commission did not recently cut the appropriations allocated to research into and prevention of
accidents in the Union by 30 %.

The proposals for financial support regarding accident and injury prevention received in the framework of
the 2003 funding round of the Community public health programme are currently being evaluated.
A decision on selection of projects to be financed is expected shortly. Several projects dealing with
accidents and injuries have been presented in the selection process.