WRITTEN QUESTION E-0043/04 by Elspeth Attwooll (ELDR) to the Commission. Trade impact of the euro.
Date: 2004-01-20
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Economic and Monetary Union, euro, euro area, impact study, trading operation

C 84 E/298

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

3.4.2004

system of inspecting third countries’ aircraft, particularly with regard to public information. It will also
ensure a more rigorous application of the most stringent standards.

(1) OJ C 78 E, 27.3.2004.

(2004/C 84 E/0345)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0039/04

by Elspeth Attwooll (ELDR) to the Commission

(20 January 2004)

Subject: Amount of EU legislative acts

Can the Commission provide a breakdown of the number of legislative acts adopted by the institutions of
the European Union in 2003, broken down by institution (Commission, Council and EP/Council) and by
nature of the acts (Recommendation, Decision, Directive, Regulation, etc.)?

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(6 February 2004)

A table giving the number of legislative instruments which were adopted, repealed or expired in 2003,
listed by type of instrument and institution concerned, is being sent direct to the Honourable Member and
to Parliament’s Secretariat.

The data is taken from the General Report on the Activities of the European Union for 2003, which each
year, is transmitted to Parliament on the second Tuesday of February under Article 212 of the EC Treaty.

(2004/C 84 E/0346)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0043/04

by Elspeth Attwooll (ELDR) to the Commission

(20 January 2004)

Subject: Trade impact of the euro

In the answer to Written Question E-1883/03 (1) by Chris Huhne, Commissioner Solbes made a number of
comments regarding the trade impact of the euro. Is the Commission now able to provide any additional
information based on economic developments over the last six months?

(Original Question by Chris Huhne: Will the Commission summarise the conclusions of any major studies,
including its own, on the impact of the euro on trade within the euro-area? Will it estimate the size of any
increase in trade as a result of the introduction of the euro?)

(1) OJ C 58 E, 6.3.2004, p. 106.

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(23 February 2004)

In its reply to Written Question E-1883/03 by the Honourable Member Mr Huhne (1), the Commission
gave an overview of the results of several academic studies assessing the euro’s impact on trade within the
euro-area. In the Quarterly Report on the Euro Area published on 30 September 2003, the Commission

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estimates, using trade data for the first quarter of 1991 to the fourth quarter of 2002, an effect of between
7 % and 18 %. The Commission, therefore, concludes that the euro has already had a sizeable impact on
intra-euro area trade flows and that this effect could increase further.

Apart from the studies mentioned in the answer to the Written Question E-1883/03, it could be noted
that in addition, an Economic and Monetary Union (EMU)-effect has also been established in studies on
trade flows to and from individual Member States.

The Commission is not aware of any recent studies in this field using more recent trade data than the
studies mentioned in the answer to the Written Question E-1883/03. However, it is unlikely that cyclical
economic fluctuations in trade in the past six months would alter the basic findings of previous studies.

(1) OJ C 58 E, 6.3.2004, p. 106.

(2004/C 84 E/0347)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0045/04

by Monica Frassoni (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(20 January 2004)

Subject: Failure to carry out prior checks and a simultaneous environmental impact assessment on the
entire building project coordinated by Impreglio SpA on the coastline of Sa Sea (cid:1) Tentizzos in the
municipality of Bosa (NU), Sardinia, Italy

Projects covering four plots of land for the construction of tourist facilities (housing, hotels, holiday homes,
services, golf courses, etc.) on the coast at Sa Sea (cid:1) Tentizzos in the municipality of Bosa (NU), have been
publicly announced (1). They will adjoin one another, together forming (cid:1) according to press reports (cid:1)
a single project accounting for a total of 350 000 cubic metres, coordinated by Impreglio SpA.

A forthcoming request
EUR 225 million) has also been announced.

for Community funding (20 % of

the declared overall

investment of

On several occasions the environmental organisations ‘Friends of the Earth’ and ‘Gruppo d’intervento
giuridico’ have requested that an environmental impact assessment (2) be carried out by the competent
Community, national, regional and local authorities, since the area is one of the few broad stretches of
unspoilt coastline on the Mediterranean.

The area is under an environmental conservation order (3), much of it requiring total conservation (4), and
is included in the proposed site of Community importance ‘Hinterland of and areas between Bosa, Capo
Marrargiu and Porto Tangone’ (Code No ITB000041) within the meaning of Directive 92/43/EEC (5) on the
conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (6).

The environmental impact assessment procedure has now been launched for one single section (35 000
cubic metres in the village of Sa Sea) at the behest of Tecnestudio, run by the architect Gianni Delitala,
although the Autonomous Region of Sardinia is also aware of the scope of the project (7),
in blatant
violation of the Community and national provisions which make a global assessment of the proposed
measures compulsory (cf.
Justice case 435/97 of 16.9.1999; Lazio Regional
Administrative Court, No 1456 of 16.12.2002).

for example, Court of

It does not appear that any environmental impact assessment has been carried out.

Can the Commission say:

(cid:1) whether it is aware of the facts outlined above;

(cid:1) whether any projects are being carried out or are planned (e.g. roads, water supply and sewerage
facilities, etc.) with Community funding (2000-2006 Regional Operational Programme for Sardinia) to
cater for the needs of the housing and facilities planned in the Sa Sea (cid:1) Tentizzos area;