WRITTEN QUESTION E-0534/00 by Raffaele Costa (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Customs 2000 (1996-2000).
C 53 E/6 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 20. 2. 2001 Does not the Commission think that a European regulation would end these differences, which can 1. seriously disrupt competition between Member States and regions? Is the Commission aware of practices in United Kingdom? If not, could the Commission investigate 2. them? 3. Does the Commission intend to draw up a European regulation? Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission (21 March 2000) 1. The Commission is aware that financial support for the processing and disposal of animal waste, including dead animals, varies in the different Member States and that such differences could affect the conditions of competition between agricultural products. The Commission is reflecting on the possibility of proposing harmonized rules on this issue at Community level. 2. Article 7 of Council Directive 90/667/EEC of 27 November 1990, laying down the veterinary rules for the disposal and processing of animal waste, for its placing on the market and for the prevention of pathogens in feedstuffs of animal or fish origin and amending Directive 90/425/EEC (1) establishes that Member States may authorize in exceptional cases and under the supervision of the competent authority, the use of animal waste referred to in Article 3(1) (a), (b) (i. e. dead animals) and (e), provided it comes from animals which were not slaughtered as a result of the presence or suspected presence of a notifiable diseases, for the feeding of zoo, circus or fur animals, recognized packs of hounds and maggot farming for fishing bait. This derogation is not just limited to United Kingdom. Member States may also authorize the local distribution, through intermediaries already authorised on the date of adoption of Directive 90/667/ EEC, of small quantities of the above animal waste for use as food for animals whose flesh is not intended for human consumption, provided that the competent authority considers that this entails no risk to human or animal health. Council Decision 95/348/EC of 22 June 1995 laying down the veterinary and animal health rules applicable in the United Kingdom and Ireland to the treatment of certain types of waste intended to be marketed locally as feedstuffs for certain animal categories (2) establishes the rules applicable in the United Kingdom and Ireland to the special treatment of this animal waste intended to be marketed locally though these authorised intermediaries. 3. A proposal for a Council and Parliament regulation establishing new rules for the disposal and the processing of animal waste is in preparation. Its submission to the Council and to the Parliament is scheduled for June 2000. (1) OJ L 363, 27. 12. 1990 ü Directive last amended by the 1994 Act of Accession. (2) OJ L 202, 26. 8. 1995. (2001/C 53 E/009) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0534/00 by Raffaele Costa (PPE-DE) to the Commission (28 February 2000) Subject: Customs 2000 (1996-2000) Could the Commission list the regional and/or national administrative authorities and public or private organisations to which sums or contributions have been allocated, stating the amount involved and whether or not payments have already been made, for each of the various actions included in the Customs 2000 programme (1996-2000) (which has a budget of ECU 50 million, or approximately ITL 97 billion) in Italy and in the other Member States? Has any action been taken to check that the funds were used for their intended purpose and the projects successfully implemented? 20. 2. 2001 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 53 E/7 Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission (28 April 2000) The Customs 2002 programme (established by Decision No 105/2000/EC of the Parliament and the Council of 17 December 1999 (1)), which replaces the Customs 2000 programme, aims to encourage and facilitate co-operation between the Communityís customs administrations and the Commission, thereby ensuring that customs action matches the needs of the internal market. The programme is managed by the Commission, with a single set of financial and organisational rules. There are no sums or allocations made to national administrative bodies, professional associations or public or private bodies. The participants in the programme are Member Statesí national customs administrations in partnership with the Commission. All payments are made by the Commission, although local costs are reimbursed through the agency of Member Statesí administrations. Expenditure under the Customs 2000 programme falls into two main areas. The first is the area of joint actions which includes seminars, exchanges and working groups, aimed at officials and experts from these administrations. The cost of their participation in these actions is met by the Community and expenditure related to them is expected to account for approximately € 6 million in 2000. The second area covers information exchange systems, manuals and guides and common training actions, of which information technology related activities account for the greater part (approximately two-thirds of the annual budget). Activities in the field of information technology are often performed by external sub-contractors under the supervision of the Commission. Contracts are awarded to these companies under existing public procure- ment rules. Expenditure related to these actions is expected to account for approximately € 19 million in 2000. All activities approved under Customs 2002 have to support Community objectives and to be of benefit to the internal market. There is management of actions with both ex-ante justification and ex-post evaluation by the Commission, with advice from Member States through the appropriate committees. Member States are obliged to keep records and supporting documents in relation to the management of any funds entrusted to them for a period of five years during which the Commission is entitled to perform controls to verify its proper management (six monthly and annual financial reports, reports for single activities, evaluation etc). The Commission will, in line with the Customs 2002 Decision, submit a communication to the Parliament and the Council, by 30 June 2001 at the latest. This will provide an interim evaluation, prepared on the basis of the Member Statesí interim reports, with detailed information on the programmeís activities. (1) OJ L 13, 19. 1. 2000. (2001/C 53 E/010) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0538/00 by Raffaele Costa (PPE-DE) to the Commission (28 February 2000) Subject: Fiscalis programme (1998-2002) Could the Commission list the national administrative authorities, professional associations and (public or private) bodies to which sums or contributions have been allocated, stating the amount involved and whether or not payments have already been made, for each of the various actions included in the Fiscalis programme (1998-2002) (which has a budget of ECU 45 million, or approximately ITL 87 billion) in Italy and in the other Member States? Has any action been taken to check that the funds were used for their intended purpose and the projects successfully implemented?