WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1627/97 by Bárbara DÜHRKOP DÜHRKOP to the Commission. URBAN Programme
22. 1. 98 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 21/75 (98/C 21/167) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1627/97 by Ba·rbara Du¤ hrkop Du¤hrkop (PSE) to the Commission (14 May 1997) Subject: URBAN Programme 10 January 1997 was the deadline for the submission of urban development projects under the 1997-1999 URBAN programme. How many projects have been submitted by the Spanish authorities? How many of those were originated by the Basque Country Autonomous Community? To which localities do they relate and what are their intended objectives? Which projects has the Commission selected amongst all the ones submitted by the Spanish Government? Answer given by Mrs Wulf-Mathies on behalf of the Commission (27 June 1997) On 9 January 1997 the Spanish authorities submitted a programme under the Urban Community Initiative (1997-99) comprising 12 projects. Of these projects, none concerns municipalities located in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country. The Commission is examining the application. However, the Spanish authorities are at present reformulating the text of the programme originally submitted. The Commission considers that a decision approving this programme is unlikely to be taken until the last quarter of this year. (98/C 21/168) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1632/97 by Johanna Maij-Weggen (PPE) to the Commission (14 May 1997) Subject: American ban on investing in Burma Can the Commission confirm that the American President has signed a law banning American businesses from investing in Burma because of the adverse situation regarding democracy and human rights in that country? How can the Commission prevent businesses in the US making their investments via European firms and European Member States? Would it not be appropriate, in the wake of the Unionís lifting of the preferential system for Burma, for the Commission to submit a proposal as soon as possible for an end to investments on the part of the Union so that, together with the US, maximum pressure can be put on Burma? Answer given by Mr Marin on behalf of the Commission (12 June 1997) On 22 April 1997, the United States (US) President announced his decision to impose a ban on new US investment in Burma, invoking the so-called Cohen-Feinstein amendment to the Appropriations Act for the fiscal year 1997. The new sanctions prohibit US persons from new investment in Burma. The details, including the definition of US persons and new investment, have been specified in an executive order published on 20 May 1997. The Commission is at present examining in depth the executive order to further analyse the potential impact of this decision. The withdrawal of privileges under the generalized scheme of privileges (GSP), on the other hand, is in no way linked to the sanctions imposed by the Community in its common position on Burma adopted on 28 October 1996 and prolonged for a second six -month period on 29 April 1997. The withdrawal of GSP privileges is exclusively based on the provisions of the Council Regulation (EC) No 3281/94 and 1256/96 (1), Articles 9-12 and clearly not related to the common foreign and security policy (CFSP)