WRITTEN QUESTION E-1882/99 by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Town planning in an area with high seismic activity.
C 203 E/80 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 18. 7. 2000 Some examples for Austria, taken from the 10th annual report of the structural funds (1998), 5. underline the important contribution to the target of job creation. In Burgenland, which is the only Austrian region under objective 1, by the end of 1998 2 100 new jobs had been created and over 5 800 jobs had been saved by structural funds. In addition, over 6000 people underwent training instigated by the ESF. More than 900 small undertakings benefited from aid for investment in small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and around 1 700 new jobs were created. Under objective 2, the programme for Styria anticipates the creation of more than 2 000 new jobs. In Lower Austria, some 800 new jobs are projected and around 6 000 should be safeguarded. Under objective 3, more than 30 000 people took part in the various measures and two thirds found jobs in the six months following their training. 6. to 9. Job creation is part of the outcome sought in the interventions co-funded through structural funds. But it is only partly addressed to support measures of direct job creation. It is, therefore, not possible to provide figures on total impact of the funds on job creation. The Commission, the OECD and academics have published some partial evaluation of the impact of different programmes on job creation in the Member States. They often present sound evidence that the success of the programmes improves the social situation of individuals and groups and contributes significantly to job creation. There is no particular question that the Commisison would bring to the Honourable Memberís 10. attention on these matters. All Member States have taken action in line with the employment guidelines since 1997, adapted to 11. the specific characteristics of their labour markets. As regards direct job creation, the joint employment reports of 1998 (1) and 1999 (2) illustrate some examples of best practice submitted by the Member States where estimates of job creation impact are provided. At the beginning of 1999, the Commission launched a peer-review examination, together with the Member States to assess more in depth such practices. A report on the outcome of this examination will be presented in 2000. Also ESF publications have presented cases of best practice developed under the Community initiative Employment. (1) (2) SEC(98) 1688 final. SEC(1999) 1386 final. (2000/C 203 E/098) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1882/99 by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission (29 October 1999) Subject: Town planning in an area with high seismic activity The Ministry for the Environment, Regional Planning and Public Works is pushing ahead with a town- planning project in the community of Rio in the Prefecture of Achaia. Geologists have expressed their concern about these plans, because the risk of earthquakes in the region is one of the highest in Europe and there are many active fault lines. Will the Commission say: 1. Is the town-planning study being funded under the Community Support Framework? 2. Have the necessary micro-zone studies been carried out to ensure that anti-seismic building standards are scrupulously respected? 18. 7. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 203 E/81 Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission (8 December 1999) The town-planning study for the town of Rio is not part-financed under the Community Support Framework for Greece for the period 1994-1999. The Commission has no information on any seismicity studies of the region. (2000/C 203 E/099) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1885/99 by Esko Seppänen (GUE/NGL) to the Commission (29 October 1999) Subject: The Commissionís information material The Commission has produced a press release dated June 1999 entitled Four years of the structural funds in Finland 1995-1999í. This document is full of inaccuracies and contains many factual errors. How does the Commission propose to correct the content of this material, and does it intend to produce more reliable press releases in future? Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission (6 December 1999) The Honourable Member complains of inaccuracies in the figures quoted in the Infopressí and of misleading comparisons between the budgets for the current and new periods of the structural funds in Finland. The Directorate general for regional policy publishes Infopressí brochures on the structural funds for each Member State holding the Union presidency. They are meant as short guides for the general public. Although one mistake was made in the figures quoted in the Finnish brochure ü that of € 2 200 million for the approximate expenditure by the structural funds in Finland in the new period, instead of the actual figure which was nearer € 2 100 million ü this was largely due to the unclear situation at the time the brochure was written about the allocation for Community initiatives. The Commission does not accept that the comparisons made between the current and new periods were misleading for the general reader for whom such brochures are intended. All regulations, decisions and guidelines concerning the structural funds and their finances in the new period are published in extenso on the Commissionís Internet websites. In 2000, after the structural fund programmes have been adopted, it will publish more detailed brochures on the various programmes. (2000/C 203 E/100) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1886/99 by Alexander de Roo (Verts/ALE) to the Commission (29 October 1999) Subject: Commercial fishing problems Overfishing and the need to preserve dwindling fish stocks are matters of great concern to the European Union. Virtually no concern is expressed about the welfare of fish being caught and, in particular, the method by which they are killed. Scientific studies in both the Netherlands and the United Kingdom have shown that fish possess the physiological, anatomical and biochemical structures which, in mammals, are identified with pain sensitivity