WRITTEN QUESTION E-0749/04 by Paul Rübig (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Introduction of the sector approach in EU development cooperation.
Date: 2004-03-11
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Development Assistance Committee, State aid, bilateral aid, development aid, statistics, technical cooperation

8.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 88 E/207

It is important to remember that unlike Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 753/2002 Council Regulation
(EC) No 1493/1999 (2) makes no reference to two types of traditional term but only to the possibility open
to the Commission of adopting rules on traditional terms that accord with the provisions in force in the
Member States.

The new requirements for third countries’ use of Community traditional terms are the equivalent of the
requirements already in force for the traditional terms of List A in Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 753/
2002.

They include (see Article 1(10) of Regulation (EC) No 316/2004 (3) amending Article 37(1)(e) of Regulation
(EC) No 753/2002) the following:

(cid:1) the third country must present a substantiated request to the Commission and provide the justificatory

data for recognition of the traditional term;

(cid:1) the language of the traditional term must be the official language of the third country and the term in

that language must have been used for at least 10 years;

(cid:1) if the language of the traditional term is not the official language, its use must be provided for in the
language must have been used

in such cases the traditional

term in that

country’s legislation;
continuously for at least 25 years;

(cid:1) other requirements such as that the term be specific and distinctive and that there is no risk of

consumers being misled.

In the case of the Spanish traditional terms Gran Reserva and Crianza referred to in the written question,
the requirements for their use in the Community by third countries remain unchanged, since they were
already included in List A in Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 753/2002.

(1) Commission Regulation (EC) No 753/2002 of 29 April 2002 laying down certain rules for applying Council
Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 as regards the description, designation, presentation and protection of certain wine
sector products, OJ L 118, 4.5.2002.

(2) Council Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 of 17 May 1999 on the common organisation of the market in wine,

OJ L 179, 14.7.1999.

(3) Commission Regulation (EC) No 316/2004 of 20 February 2004 amending Regulation (EC) No 753/2002 laying
down certain rules for applying Council Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 as regards the description, designation,
presentation and protection of certain wine sector products, OJ L 55, 24.2.2004.

(2004/C 88 E/0215)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0749/04

by Paul Rübig (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(11 March 2004)

Subject: Introduction of the sector approach in EU development cooperation

The Commmission’s development cooperation activities have undergone significant changes since the
introduction of the sector approach, which increasingly provides for direct budget support to beneficiary
countries. As a result, the amount of funding available for technical assistance (TA) in the form of projects
for European consultancy firms is steadily decreasing, as in future a wide range of tasks will need to be
carried out by the beneficiary state and its authorities.

Can the Commission provide statistics showing the absolute (in euro) and relative development of
technical assistance (including procurement procedures) as a percentage of the Commission’s estimated
development budget (e.g. projects/budget support/total budget) from 1996 to the present day and, as a
projection, until the end of the current financial period in 2006?

C 88 E/208

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

8.4.2004

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(30 April 2004)

The Commission is a member of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the Organisation for
Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and as such has an obligation to provide full and
regular reporting on its overall development aid, in accordance with standard DAC reporting formats.

One of the elements that it reports is the amount allocated to ‘Technical Co-operation’(TCO). Technical co-
operation according to the DAC ‘comprises provision of resources where the main aim is to augment the
stock of human intellectual capital, i.e. the level of knowledge, skills; technical know-how …’ and amounts
‘primarily aimed at assisting the implementation of a project …’

The attached table shows the amounts reported to the DAC as Technical co-operation in the period
1996-2002 as a proportion of the total amount of Official Development Assistance (ODA) during that
period in Commitments and Disbursements. This ratio has varied between 5,4 and 3,2 % for commitments
and in a ratio between 5,2 and 3,1 % for disbursements.

Technical Co-Operation of the EU reported to the DAC
compared to the total Bilateral Official Aid

Disbursement

Commitments

(in million euro)

Year

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

Bilateral ODA

TCO

4 297,28

4 549,91

4 580,58

4 593,19

4 789,75

6 160,42

6 645,80

178,13

235,48

192,54

181,93

228,93

199,74

203,81

%

4,1

5,2

4,2

4,0

4,8

3,2

3,1

Bilateral ODA

TCO

6 098,27

5 251,81

6 929,46

7 009,32

7 841,43

6 286,88

6 854,94

226,83

286,04

322,10

248,99

247,03

199,49

246,94

%

3,7

5,4

4,6

3,6

3,2

3,2

3,6

Considering that decisions on technical cooperation are taken in the framework of each specific project/
programme, it is not possible to provide forecasts of commitments and payments.

(2004/C 88 E/0216)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0762/04

by José García-Margallo y Marfil (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(11 March 2004)

Subject: Commission proposals for follow-up to the financial services action plan

During 2004 the Commission intends to launch a broad consultation exercise on the possible follow-up to
its financial services action plan from the end of the 1990s. Is it not astonishing that, when it comes to
European economic strategy, the Commission is not first drafting a White Paper, for example, setting out
the developments it envisages in terms of policy strategy for Europe before embarking on this consultation
exercise?