WRITTEN QUESTION No. 537/98 by José APOLINÁRIO to the Commission. Funding of BICs
C 310/80 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 9. 10. 98 (98/C 310/105) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0536/98 by Giuseppe Rauti (NI) to the Commission (4 March 1998) Subject: Prevention of severe damage to the environment in Porto Corsini, Ravenna In the region of Porto Corsini (Ravenna) signatures are being collected for various petitions protesting against threatened severe damage to the ecology of this area and in particular to the belt of pine-wood known as the Pineta Staggioni on the north side of Porto Corsini. What action does the Commission intend to take to ensure compliance with the EEC environmental constraint (SIC-BIO-Italy IT No 47. 000005)? Given that the Pineta Staggioni is subject to an environmental constraint, that the Council of Europe and the European Union have been continually monitoring the problem and cooperating in the conservation of this exceptionally beautiful ecological area and that the threatened change in the regional landscaping plan would immediately involve, inter alia, the felling of at least 2400 pine trees, many of which are hundreds of years old, is the Commission prepared to take urgent measures? In addition to the EEC environmental constraint (SIC-BIO-Italy No 47. 000005), it should be pointed out that the Pineta Staggioni is also scheduled for inclusion in the Po Delta park and that there are plans to request economic aid for that park from the European Union. The refusal of such aid, if 2400 pine trees were felled in the Pineta Staggioni and the environmental constraint imposed on it at present were not observed, might also be a deterrent. Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission (8 April 1998) The site of Pineta di Casalborsetti, Pineta Staggioni, Duna di Porto Corsinií, has been proposed by Italy as a site of Community importance in the framework of Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (1). Article 6 sets the rules to be followed in order to assess the coherence of a plan with the objectives of the directive. This article has been transposed in the Italian legislation through presidential decree 08/09/97 No 357. In order to assess compliance with the Community legislation, the Commission has requested further information from the Italian authorities. (1) OJ L 206, 22. 7. 1992. (98/C 310/106) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0537/98 by Jose· Apolina·rio (PSE) to the Commission (4 March 1998) Subject: Funding of BICs Can the Commission say what the outlook is for the future funding of BICs (Business Innovation Centres) in the financing period 2000-2006? To what extent is the continued existence of these information structures guaranteed? Answer given by Mrs Wulf-Mathies on behalf of the Commission (8 April 1998) Business and innovation centres (BICs) are not organisations for information but provide business advisory services for the creation and development of innovative enterprises. The Commission is currently evaluating the past programme for the promotion of BICs in order to determine, by mid-1998, if and from which financial source it might be pursued in the future