WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1579/97 by Amedeo AMADEO to the Commission. ADAPT: call for new proposals for 1997
22. 1. 98 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 21/73 Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission (25 June 1997) The Commission is aware of the change in the conditions of movement for the carriage of goods on Sundays and public holidays in France. Before this decision, the banning of lorries over 7. 5 tonnes total weight on the roads in France from Saturday 10 p. m. to Sunday 10 p. m. and on public holidays was accompanied by certain general exemptions. These exemptions were granted for urgent economic activities (the carriage of perishable goods, live animals) which could not be delayed and to allow, in international traffic only, French or foreign vehicles to return to their residence, their home base or their country of registration. The French authorities withdrew this latter exemption, with effect from 24 March 1997. France is neither the first nor the only Member State to prohibit the movement of lorries on Sundays and public holidays. The prohibition has been justified by the French authorities on the grounds of improving road safety and protecting local residents against excessive nuisance. It is not discriminatory since it applies to French lorries as much as it does to all others. However, the Commission is aware of the negative implications of the current situation regarding bans on night and weekend driving for international road haulage in the Community. Therefore, it will discuss the general issue of driving bans with Member States and the industry in order to assess whether Community action in this field would be feasible and desirable. (98/C 21/164) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1579/97 by Amedeo Amadeo (NI) to the Commission (6 May 1997) Subject: ADAPT: call for new proposals for 1997 The Community ADAPT initiative finances projects which help workers to adapt to changes in the labour market. It operates under the auspices of Objective 4 of the European Social Fund, which is aimed at improving the qualifications and employment prospects of citizens who already have jobs. It is possibly the only EU fund that is of particular importance to older workers. ADAPT is being implemented in two stages: the first covers the period from 1995 to 1997 and the second covers the period from 1997 to 1999. The budget is ECU 1500 million for five years, including 162 million for a new priority project, ADAPT A. There are five ADAPT projects focusing on older workers, in Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria (2) and Sweden. Another four projects, in Germany, France and the UK (2), aim to involve a significant proportion of older workers. However, these nine projects account for only a very small percentage of the 1400 programmes funded overall by ADAPT. Can the Commission take care to ensure that the second round of funding applications results in a greater number of projects specifically targeted at older workers? Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission (9 June 1997) As stated by the Honourable Member, the purpose of the ADAPT initiative is to help workers adapt to industrial change and to improve the functioning of the labour market with a view to ensuring growth, employment and the competitiveness of Community businesses. The initiative covers the entire Community and has been allocated a total budget of ECU 1 582 million for the period 1995-1999 (including a reserve, at 1996 prices). As regards the target group, ADAPT is aimed more particularly at workers affected by industrial change, regardless of their age. All projects financed under ADAPT include or may include older workers among their beneficiaries. In accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, the selection of projects is the responsibility of the national authorities. The Commission, through the monitoring committees, checks that the selections made are consistent with the principles and objectives of the initiative