WRITTEN QUESTION E-1076/00 by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission. PHARE programme.
C 53 E/66 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 20. 2. 2001 (2001/C 53 E/077) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1074/00 by Hubert Pirker (PPE-DE) to the Commission (7 April 2000) Subject: Promotion of European legal culture in the Republic of Slovenia In view of the ongoing accession negotiations, how does the Commission view the fact that discriminatory laws are in force in the Republic of Slovenia which are directed against other Member States or groups of their citizens? Does it agree that the abrogation of these decrees and laws would represent a welcome contribution to the establishment of a common European legal system? Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission (15 May 2000) The accession negotiations embrace all areas of Community legislation and policy, the áacquisí, which each applicant country will have to adopt and implement fully by the time of accession to the Union. Within the scope of the áacquisí, and without prejudice to any special provisions contained therein, Slovenia will have to cancel any discrimination on grounds of nationality by the time of its accession. (2001/C 53 E/078) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1075/00 by Hubert Pirker (PPE-DE) to the Commission (7 April 2000) Subject: Accession negotiations between the European Union and the Republic of Slovenia In its opinion on Polandís application for accession, the Commission pointed out that Poland had to complete the procedures for compensating persons who had been expropriated. Will the Commission say whether it has made similar demands to the Republic of Slovenia which has not yet provided any such compensation for expropriation? Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission (2 May 2000) The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its answer to his Written Question P-1048/00 (1). (1) See page 63. (2001/C 53 E/079) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1076/00 by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission (7 April 2000) Subject: PHARE programme Given that its overall strategy is to develop and support small and medium-sized undertakings, will the Commission say why programmes for which it is issuing calls for tenders as part of the PHARE programme, such as Lot 1, project title: Assessment of PHARE national programmesí, are on such a large scale as to make it practically impossible for small and medium-sized undertakings to cover the large number of countries involved, thus in effect excluding them from bidding for tenders? 20. 2. 2001 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 53 E/67 Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission (23 May 2000) The PHARE programme indeed has as one of its main planks the support and development of local small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) through specifically designed programmes and facilities. The case raised by the Honourable Member refers to a tender issued by the Commission for the assessment of the programme. It is a single tender covering all accession countries. The services required are highly specialised. It is anticipated that replies to this tender will come from consortia which are likely to include smaller but specialised companies. (2001/C 53 E/080) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1084/00 by Laura GonzÆlez `lvarez (GUE/NGL) to the Commission Subject: Protection of the endangered capercaillie in Asturias (7 April 2000) According to a report by JosØ Ramón Obeso of the University of Oviedo, the capercaillie, an endangered species whose numbers have dwindled to several hundred in Asturias, León and Cantabria (Spain), could become extinct before the year 2030 because it is not covered by any special conservation and protection plans. The capercaillie population has fallen by 60 % in the past 15 years, with the number of limited sites it commonly inhabits having dropped from 335 to less than 220 over the same period. The capercaillieís struggle to survive is compounded further by poaching, indiscriminate wild-boar hunts, road- and fence-building beside its sites and the lack of campaigns to alert local residents, hunters, skiers and tourists to the existence of natural habitats. The capercaillie is not listed as a species which may be hunted in Spain in Annex II/2 of Council Directive 79/409/EEC (1) of 2 April 1979 on the conservation of wild birds, and thus poaching this species should constitute grounds for prosecution. However, the authorities appear reluctant to take action against the continued illegal hunting of this species. The Spanish authorities previously notified the Commission of their intention to submit a report on the situation of the capercaillie at a meeting of the Ornis committee provided for under the Directive, consisting of representatives from the Member States, with a view to requesting priority funding for the species under the LIFE-Nature initiative. Has that report been submitted to the Ornis committee? Will the Commission make the report available? Has the capercaillie been recognised as a funding priority under the LIFE-Nature initiative? Will the Commission work together with the Spanish authorities on the necessary research into the factors threatening the survival of the capercaillie and on measures to halt the decline in its numbers? (1) OJ L 103, 25. 4. 1979, p. 1. Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission (31 May 2000) In September 1998 the Spanish authorities submitted a technical report to the Commission entitled áproposal to include the Cantabrian Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus cantabrius) in the list of priority species for LIFEí. This formed the basis for discussions, which took place on the subject during the Ornis committee meeting of October 1998. As the Spanish Ministry for the Environment is author of this report, the Honourable Member is invited to address her request for access to it directly to them