WRITTEN QUESTION E-0868/04 by José Ribeiro e Castro (UEN) to the Commission. Large families.
Date: 2004-03-22
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European social policy, economic and social cohesion, family benefit, family policy, large family, open method of coordination, poverty, social survey, working poor

C 88 E/238

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

8.4.2004

In theory, all firms which purchased, at the minimum price, a quantity of raw materials exceeding the
quota allocated at the beginning of the marketing year benefited from the additional quotas;

In theory, all firms which had said that they were willing to conclude contracts for additional quantities
would have been eligible for the additional quotas.

(1) Decision 2004/136/EC: Commission Decision of 4 February 2004 excluding from Community financing certain
expenditure incurred by the Member States under the Guarantee Section of the European Agricultural Guidance and
Guarantee Fund (EAGGF).

(2004/C 88 E/0240)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0864/04

by Nelly Maes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(22 March 2004)

Subject: Linguistic diversity

With reference to my question E-2825/03 (1) of 23 September 2003 and the answer of 23 October 2003
given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission, I should like to put the following supplementary
question.

The Copenhagen criteria cite the protection of minority languages as one aspect of a good minority policy.
Will this no longer apply after accession? How do the European Union and the European Commission
intend to monitor this in practice?

(1) OJ C 65 E, 13.3.2004, p. 225.

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(30 April 2004)

From 1 May 2004 the Acceding Countries will become full Member States of the European Union.
The framework that applies will therefore no longer be the Copenhagen Accession Criteria, but rather, the
Union’s standard working arrangements.

In this context, and as set out in Article 6 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU), the Union is founded
on the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, which are
common to the Member States. If there is a serious or persistent breach of the principles, the Commission
or one third of the Member States may refer the matter to the Council, meeting in the composition of the
Heads of State or Government.

Those rights have been solemnly reaffirmed by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.
Article 21(1) refers to the prohibition of discrimination based, among other things, on ethnic origin,
language, religion or membership of a national minority, and Article 22 requires that the Union respect
cultural, religious and linguistic diversity.

(2004/C 88 E/0241)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0868/04

by José Ribeiro e Castro (UEN) to the Commission

(22 March 2004)

Subject: Large families

In its most recent report with a view to the Spring European Council, ‘Delivering Lisbon (cid:1) Reforms for
the Enlarged Union’ (1), the Commission pointed out (in point 2.4.1 on reinforcing social cohesion) that
the phenomenon of poverty ‘is very closely linked to unemployment as it affects 38 % of the unemployed.
Large families, elderly women living alone, and single-parent (71 % of whom are women) families’.

8.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 88 E/239

The European Council has set itself the aim of giving decisive impetus to reducing poverty by 2010 and
the Commission has, to this end, campaigned on various occasions for the adoption of National Social
Inclusion Strategies (2). In this context, it points out that ‘those living in large households with three or
more dependent children are particularly exposed to income poverty risk, with Ireland, Italy, Spain and
Portugal displaying the highest risk (between 34 % and 49 %, against a EU average of 27 %)’.

Can the Commission answer the following:

(cid:1) given that large families especially are particularly vulnerable and exposed to the risk of poverty, what
measures has the Commission suggested that Member States take to remedy this problem and
promote full implementation of the Lisbon Strategy for all? Does the Commission agree that this
particularly vulnerable status is partly due to the fact that many social policies and some aspects of tax
policies are devised for individuals or two-person households, thereby creating objective discrimi-
nation against families, who are penalised systematically and in proportion to their size;

(cid:1) does the Commission intend to instruct its services to carry out a study and submit proposals for the
definition of more effective solutions and, in particular, to aim at transversal promotion of the sharing
of best practice? Does the Commission consider it appropriate to adopt Community-wide measures
through the open coordination method?

(1) COM(2004) 29 final/2.
(2) COM(2003) 773.

Answer given by Mr Dimas on behalf of the Commission

(30 April 2004)

The Commission agrees with the Honourable Member that large families are particularly vulnerable and
exposed to the risk of poverty.
In addition, these are households that, together with single parent
households, are the most likely to transmit poverty and social exclusion to their children. In this respect
tax-benefit systems play an important role and the effects on large families vary considerably across
Member States, depending on the importance given to large families regarding the provision of cash
benefits, allowances and tax credits. In the framework of the common objectives adopted in Nice, which
call on Member States to implement actions to preserve family solidarity in all its forms and to move
towards the elimination of social exclusion among children, the Commission and the Council have recently
recommended in their Joint Report on social inclusion that Member States develop as a key policy priority
over the next two year period a particular focus on the elimination of poverty and social exclusion among
children.

A range of policies may be required for that purpose. These include: ensuring access to quality
employment; improving the net income of low wage earners with families, whether through tax, social
protection systems or minimum wage legislation; increasing income support for families with children;
improving the affordability, quality and availability of childcare facilities; and providing access for all to
decent and sanitary housing, as well as the basic services necessary to live (for example, electricity, water
and heating).

However, the Commission does not consider it appropriate to adopt Community-wide measures through
the open method of co-ordination as it has no legal competence to do so. Responsibility for the relevant
key policy areas is the competence of Member States.

The Commission has been, and will continue to be, active in promoting the transnational exchange of
learning and best practice in this area between Member States through a variety of actions:

(cid:1) it encourages the sharing of best practice in relation to child poverty through the Transnational
Exchange Programme being supported under the Community Action Programme on social inclusion
and through its support for a European Network of organisations active on the issue of child poverty;

C 88 E/240

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

8.4.2004

(cid:1) it launched a comparative study on policies to tackle child poverty which is being undertaken by the

University of Dortmund. The final report will be available soon;

(cid:1) it finances the European Observatory on the Social Situation, Demography and the Family, which
monitors demographic, socio-economic and policy trends across the Union, with a particular emphasis
on family-related issues and their policy implications;

(cid:1) it develops a study programme and carries out analysis on social trends and demography, including
‘The social situation in the

family and poverty-related aspects, in the context of the annual report:
European Union’.

(2004/C 88 E/0242)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0876/04

by Struan Stevenson (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Illegal fishing in waters around the Azores

(22 March 2004)

The Portuguese authorities publicly revealed that 63 foreign vessels were fishing in waters around the
Azores in January and February, 20 of them within the 100-mile limit.

The Portuguese media have claimed that the Commission’s position in this matter is that it considers these
fishing activities to be legal, since they are in accordance with the opinion of the Commission’s ‘Legal
Service’.

However, Article 15 of Regulation (EC) No 1954/2003 states very clearly that the old regime protecting
the Azorean waters will be repealed only after 1 August 2004 or after the approval of new fishing-effort
legislation.

Does the Commission assume full responsibility for the present situation of uncontrolled and unrestricted
fishing in water around the Azores?

If this is not the case, what is the Commission intending to do?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(26 April 2004)

The Commission can confirm to the Honourable Member that it has defined its position on the application
of Regulation (EC) No 1954/2003 (1). That position was communicated to Member States, in the form of a
speaking note, at the meeting of the Council internal/external fisheries policy group on 19 February 2004.

It follows from that document that the fishing activity of Community vessels which are not Portuguese is
legitimate, in the area contained between 100 and 200 nautical miles around the Azores, with regard to
the relevant provisions of the Regulation referred to above.

The Commission does not know about unmonitored or illegal activity in the waters referred to. At any
event, if Community law is not being complied with it is up to the national administrative or judicial
authorities to take appropriate measures with a view to correct application of the Community rules. In
addition,
the Commission may institute proceedings under Article 226 of the EC Treaty against a
Member State which is not complying with Community law.

In any case, the Commission clearly wishes fishing activity in that area to be undertaken in a manner
which is satisfactory and acceptable to all parties concerned.

(1) Council Regulation (EC) No 1954/2003 of 4 November 2003 on the management of the fishing effort relating to
certain Community fishing areas and resources and modifying Regulation (EC) No 2847/93 and repealing
Regulations (EC) No 685/95 and (EC) No 2027/95, OJ L 289, 7.11.2003.