WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3743/98 by Maartje van PUTTEN to the Commission. EU aid to France for the 'Route forestière du Port des Moines' in Morvan (Burgundy)
21. 7. 1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 207/121 The Commission can find no general statement in the Court’s opinion leading to the conclusion which is the subject of the Honourable Member’s question. There are just two comments, relating exclusively to the reform of the CAP, which could have prompted the question: the Court refers to the risk of world wheat prices falling below the proposed intervention price (paragraph 82 of the opinion) and judges the forecast of the increase in demand for beef (paragraph 83) to be optimistic. The Commission has no new facts in its possession at present which would warrant a revision of its assumptions. The Court also referred to the case of payment of direct aid in new Member States following enlargement of the Community. The Commission clearly stated in its proposals that it was not considering the possibility of such payment being made in the new Member States during the coming period given the present average prices of agricultural products in these countries and the danger that this aid could disrupt economies. (1999/C 207/162) WRITTEN QUESTION E-3743/98 by Maartje van Putten (PSE) to the Commission (11 December 1998) Subject: EU aid to France for the ‘Route forestière du Port des Moines’ in Morvan (Burgundy) Is the Commission aware of the deforestation taking place in various parts of the ‘Route forestière du Port 1. des Moines’, that the deforestation involves species of conifers, that water resources in the area are affected and that the natural values of the area are impaired and a drought is occurring as a result? 2. What are the Commission’s views of the affect on natural values in the regional natural park in the light of the fact that the region receives European financing via the structural funds (SPD Burgundy, Objective 5a regions 1994-1999, EAGGF money)? Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (2 February 1999) The operational programmes part-financed by the Structural Funds in rural areas (Objective 5(b)) are implemented in a decentralised manner by the regional authorities responsible for selecting the projects. The Burgundy region authorities consulted by the Commission have informed it of difficulties in identifying the ‘Route forestière du Port des Moines’. To allow a more detailed reply to the question raised, more precise geographical references are required (name of the commune and of the forest in question). (1999/C 207/163) WRITTEN QUESTION E-3745/98 by Christoph Konrad (PPE) to the Commission (11 December 1998) Subject: Electoral law in Italy 1. Is the European Commission aware that, in the vote in the Italian Parliament on 25 July 1998, a bill was defeated which would give Italian voters living abroad the possibility of exercising their right to vote in Italian parliamentary elections (postal vote)? Does the Commission believe that this legal vacuum constitutes a violation of the democratic principles 2. that must be upheld by the Member States of the European Union and the applicant countries? 3. 4. 5. If so, what steps is the Commission going to take? If not, why not? In which other EU Member States can citizens exercise their right to vote only in their own country?