WRITTEN QUESTION E-0711/04 by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Specific characteristics of mountain regions and Community policy.
Date: 2004-03-10
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU regional policy, Structural Funds, economic and social cohesion, mountain region, structural policy, sustainable development

3.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 84 E/661

However, the Commission cannot be aware of all situations which are likely to be considered as a bad
application of environmental Community law by the competent authorities of the Member States. Such
situations are normally drawn to the attention of the Commission by letters of complaint, Parliamentary
Written Questions and Petitions to the Petitions Committee of the Parliament and they need to be precisely
described so as to enable the Commission to assess them in relation to applicable Community
environmental law.

In this specific case, on the basis of the information given by the Honourable Member, the Commission is
not in a position to take a view on the subject matter. In light of the above, the Honourable Member is
kindly requested to give more information on the matter in order to enable the Commission to assess the
case according to the relevant Community law.

As regards Directive 2001/42/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 27 June 2001 on the assessment
of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment, the deadline for Member States to
transpose this Directive is 21st July 2004. Therefore, at present, Member States are not yet obliged to
apply the provisions of this Directive in their legal system.

(2004/C 84 E/0745)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0711/04

by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(10 March 2004)

Subject: Specific characteristics of mountain regions and Community policy

Mountain regions are of genuine public interest, in environmental, social and cultural terms, and represent
an exceptional heritage which must not only be preserved but, above all, properly promoted. This requires
adequate policies to stabilise population figures for these areas, and promote their development.

As the Mountain Areas Local Authorities Section of
the National Association of Portuguese Local
Authorities stressed at a recent meeting, mountain areas need to be integrated into Structural Fund policy,
recognition of their specific characteristics needs to be ensured, the various sectoral policies need to be
combined within a global mountain policy which is equipped with instruments tailored to the needs of
these areas and their inhabitants; and there has to be full acknowledgement of the need for solutions, for
the wherewithal to take action, and for particular attention to the problem of mountain areas.

Does the Commission intend to:

1. Acknowledge fully and effectively the particular features and diversity of mountain regions?

2.

Put mountain regions on the EU’s political agenda and bring them within the Structural Funds
framework?

3. Create a Community political instrument for the mountain regions?

4.

Establish better harmonised response procedures for proposals at mountain region level and for the
management or Community funds in this connection?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(21 April 2004)

The Commission shares the Honourable Member’s interest in the place of the mountain regions in
Community policies.

In October 2002 the Commission organised a conference on ‘Community policies and mountains’, which
brought together around 500 participants from the political, economic and social spheres in the fifteen
Member States and the candidate countries.

C 84 E/662

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

3.4.2004

During the Structural Funds’ 2000-2006 programming period, 95 % of the Union’s mountain regions are
eligible for support under either Objective 1 or Objective 2.

For the period after 2006 the Commission proposed a reform of cohesion policy in the third progress
report on economic and social cohesion, adopted on 18 February 2004 (1), which it formally sent to
Parliament and to the Council. The Commission proposes that territorial cohesion should from now on
form an integral part of cohesion policy.

The Commission proposes that the specific characteristics of regions with a natural handicap should be
taken into account in the new generation of regional programmes. For example, it is proposed that regions
with a permanent handicap could be eligible for a maximum rate of Community financing, above that
which would apply to other regions.

Regarding rural development, an important sphere of activity for mountain regions, the Commission also
made a number of proposals in its communication ‘building our common future (cid:1) policy challenges and
budgetary means of the enlarged Union 2007-2013’ (2). For example, the Commission proposes a single
instrument which would contribute inter alia towards improving the environment, the countryside and
quality of life in rural areas.

(1) COM(2004) 107 final.
(2) COM(2004) 101 final.

(2004/C 84 E/0746)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0716/04

by Luis Berenguer Fuster (PSE)
and Anna Terrón i Cusí (PSE) to the Commission

(10 March 2004)

Subject: Radio alarms

The problem of jamming is increasing exponentially due to the spectacular growth of the private security
sector, and particularly sales of radio alarms, with security firms competing to under-price, so as to obtain
the largest share of the market, ignoring the fact that alarms are security systems.

Does the Commission intend to take any steps to regulate this sector, so as to plug the existing legal gap?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(19 April 2004)

As the Honourable Member points out, the market for surveillance services that is offered to the public is
growing. These services are competing on both quality and price aspects.

The Commission is, however, not aware that there are currently problems with the quality and reliability
of such services that are attributable to congestions in and/or jamming of the radio frequency spectrum
that they use.

This issue was discussed with Member States in the context of Directive 1999/5/EC (1)
(the R & TTE
Directive) in September 2000. At the time, it was judged that additional regulations to protect specific
applications such as security alarms from harmful interference and to ensure access to emergency services
were not necessary as it was deemed that market forces would already ensure this.

The Commission however intends to raise this issue again in the next meeting with Member States,
scheduled for June 2004, so as to assess whether recent developments would require the Commission to
reconsider the matter.