WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2382/97 by Nikitas KAKLAMANIS to the Commission. Population decline in the European Union and incentives by the Commission
C 76/104 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 11. 3. 98 The measures in question do not respect the conditions set by Article 12 of Regulation (EC) No 950/97 as regards aid rates, maximum investment volumes and sectoral restrictions. These facts were pointed out to the Region of Sicily in letters from the Commission of 15 March and 30 April 1996 and the regional authorities were asked to notify the Commission whether they intended to amend or repeal the legislation in question so as to resolve the problems of conformity. The region has however never expressed any intention of adjusting the provisions in question in line with the Commission’s observations, which were repeated at a meeting with the Sicilian authorities in Brussels on 11 October. Accordingly the problems of conformity with Regulation (EC) No 950/97 remain and prevent the Commission from taking a decision under Article 30 of that Regulation. The Commission has never authorized similar aids for Greece that fall within the field of application of Article 12(4) of Regulation (EC) No 950/97. (1) OJ L 142, 2. 6. 1997. (98/C 76/205) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2381/97 by Nikitas Kaklamanis (UPE) to the Commission (10 July 1997) Subject: Conversion of a Christian church into a mosque in Trabzon (Turkey) According to reports in the Trabzon local press, the Turkish Ministry of Culture has ordered the church of Santa Sofia to be cleared in order to turn it into a mosque. Since 1964, the church has been a museum housing archeological remains from the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman periods. Is the Commission aware of this development and what steps will it take to oppose a move which has once again shown Turkeyís disregard for the cultural treasures of other peoples and the religious symbols of Christianity? Answer given by Mr Van den Broek on behalf of the Commission (4 September 1997) The Commission has been informed that the Turkish authorities have revoked their decision to convert the church in question following the investiture of the new government led by Zehranur Yilmaz. (98/C 76/206) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2382/97 by Nikitas Kaklamanis (UPE) to the Commission (10 July 1997) Subject: Population decline in the European Union and incentives by the Commission A number of EU countries are currently experiencing a marked decline in their population, a situation that is particularly worrying in Greece, where the population pyramid has been completely inverted. Given that the existence of an ageing population has a direct bearing on the security and integrity of each country and that at present the EU does not seem very inclined to make it clear that any threat or attack against the territory of one Member State will produce an immediate response from the others, it is clear that each individual country must take sole responsibility for its own survival, and this depends directly on an increase in birth rates