WRITTEN QUESTION E-2598/99 by Roy Perry (PPE-DE), Mariotto Segni (UEN), Jean-Claude Fruteau (PSE), Luigi Cocilovo (PPE-DE), Ioannis Theonas (GUE/NGL), Raffaele Lombardo (PPE-DE), Francesco Musotto (PPE-DE), Konstantinos Alyssandrakis (GUE/NGL), Elspeth Attwooll (ELDR) and Carlos Ripoll y Martínez de Bedoya (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Wording of Article 158 of the Treaty relating to islands.
C 203 E/176 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 18. 7. 2000 conclusions of the Amsterdam European Council, the texts still had to be finalised, an indispensable stage involving legal correction and harmonisation, before the Treaty could be signed. The Amsterdam Treaty was signed on 2 October 1997. (1) Any differences between document CONF 4001/97 and the Amsterdam Treaty are therefore attributable to the legal correction and the final harmonisation of the texts, particularly as regards their concordance in all the languages in which the Treaty was drawn up. (1) OJ C 340, 10. 11. 1997. (2000/C 203 E/228) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2598/99 by Roy Perry (PPE-DE), Mariotto Segni (UEN), Jean-Claude Fruteau (PSE), Luigi Cocilovo (PPE-DE), Ioannis Theonas (GUE/NGL), Raffaele Lombardo (PPE-DE), Francesco Musotto (PPE-DE), Konstantinos Alyssandrakis (GUE/NGL), Elspeth Attwooll (ELDR) and Carlos Ripoll y Martínez de Bedoya (PPE-DE) to the Commission Subject: Wording of Article 158 of the Treaty relating to islands (11 January 2000) The Treaty of Amsterdam amended Article 158 of the Treaty, which relates to economic and social cohesion, so that it now contains a reference to islands. The way in which the article is worded varies, and is sometimes contradictory, depending on which language version is referred to. In some language versions, Article 158 covers only áthe least favoured regions or islandsí, while in other language versions it applies áto disadvantaged regions or to islandsí. These two phrases clearly have very different meanings: the first version states that the islands are merely a subcategory of the regions designated as disadvantaged on the basis of socio-economic criteria, while the second version clearly identifies the fact of being an island as a separate criterion and calls for special treatment. The fact that inconsistencies have been allowed to appear in a text as important as the Treaty is quite astounding. What is even more amazing is the way in which the wording of the French version changed between June 1997 (following the IGC) and November of the same year (when it was published in OJ C 340). In June 1997, the European Councilís web site published a summary of the agreement reached in Amsterdam. The French version read as follows: (g) Island Regions Article 130a(2) of the EC Treaty shall be amended as follows: In particular, the Community shall aim at reducing disparities between the levels of development of the various regions and the backwardness of the least favoured regions or of the islands, including rural areas. A few months later, the wording had been changed; in the text published in the Official Journal, it became: In particular, the Community shall aim at reducing disparities between the levels of development of the various regions and the backwardness of the least favoured regions or islands, including rural areas. It should be pointed out that the change seems to have been made, as far as we know, only to the French version, since, in the other published language versions of the Treaty (such as the Italian version), Article 158 refers to áthe least favoured regions or the islandsí. It would therefore appear that the discrepancies cannot be attributed to the harmonisation of the text by lawyers and translators, work carried out with the unanimous consent of the Member States, following the agreement reached in Amsterdam. Commissioner Barnier, in both his current capacity as the Commissioner with special responsibility for regional policy and as the former French Minister for European Affairs responsible for the IGC negotia- tions until June 1997, would appear to be in a better position than anyone to explain to Parliament why the wording of Article 158 changed. Could he explain to Parliament why the wording of the French version of Article 158 of the Treaty changed between June 1997 and November 1997? Which of the two versions, áof the least favoured regions or islandsí or áof the least favoured regions or of the islandsí corresponds, in letter and spirit, to the text which he negotiated on behalf of France, at the Intergovernmental Conference? 18. 7. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 203 E/177 Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission (27 January 2000) The Honourable Members are requested to refer to the Commissionís reply to Written Question P-2579/99 by Mr FernÆndez Martín. (1) (1) See page 175. (2000/C 203 E/229) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2649/99 by Roberta Angelilli (NI) to the Commission (12 January 2000) Subject: Update on the URBAN programme in Rome With reference to my previous question E-0568/99 (1) and to the answer given by Commissioner Wulf- Mathies on 3 May 1999: 1. Can the Commission say whether, as a result of the accumulated delays, there have been reductions in allocations from the Commission? 2. Has the municipality of Rome made up ground since the end of April and reached the commitment level of 70 % forecast by the Commission? 3. Can it provide a comparative table of the other Member States? 4. What is the final budget? (1) OJ C 370, 21. 12. 1999, p. 63. Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission (2 February 2000) The Commission is collecting the information it needs to answer the question. It will communicate its findings as soon as possible. (2000/C 203 E/230) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2777/99 by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission (18 January 2000) Subject: Protection of archaeological treasures at Salamina in Turkish-occupied Cyprus Archaeologists from Ankara University have been reported as carrying out illegal excavations in the necropolis of ancient Salamina in the Turkish-occupied sector of Cyprus, an important archaeological site on the island and one of the most significant in the Mediterranean. The excavations are being carried out despite the fact that Turkey has been a signatory to the Hague Convention since 1965, Article 5 of which expressly prohibits any archaeological work in areas occupied by foreign forces without the consent of the legitimate government of the country. Will the Commission intervene to bring a halt to any excavation of archaeological sites and, if so, in what manner?