WRITTEN QUESTION E-1912/99 by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Substandard road construction funded by the 2nd Community Support Framework for Greece.
C 280 E/2 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 3. 10. 2000 jointly with the European Parliament, adopted Directive More recently, on 6 July 1998, the Council, 98/43/EC relating to the advertising and sponsorship of tobacco products, which is due to enter into force on 30 July 2001 at the latest. This Directive should have a particular impact on the young. Since 1994, the Council has established, in the context of the Regulation on the common organisation of the market in raw tobacco, a Community fund financing tobacco research and information, half the resources of which are assigned to information projects on the dangers of smoking, aimed primarily at young people. Finally, further to the Commissionís communication of December 1996 on the present and proposed Community role in combating tobacco consumption and the Commissionís September 1999 report to the Council and the European Parliament on progress achieved in relation to public health protection from the harmful effects of tobacco consumption, the Council at its meeting on 18 November 1999, adopted conclusions on combating tobacco consumption and held a policy debate focusing particularly on protecting young people from the harmful effects of tobacco consumption and on the European Unionís action in the international context. This was an open debate. Regarding the external angle, on 22 October 1999 the Council adopted a Decision authorising the Commission, for matters falling within the sphere of Community competence, to open negotiations, in the context of the World Health Organisation, on an International Framework Convention for Tobacco Control and related protocols. (2000/C 280 E/002) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1912/99 by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission (29 October 1999) Subject: Substandard road construction funded by the 2nd Community Support Framework for Greece In reply to my previous question (P-3016/98) (1), the Commission acknowledged that there were wide- spread problems with substandard road-building in Greece funded by the 2nd Community Support Framework and assured me that it would monitor the question closely and would not fail to apply the relevant Community rules, if necessary. Will the Commission say whether it has any further information concerning the extent of substandard workmanship in all the projects funded in Greece by the 2nd CSF? Does that information show that the proportion of substandard work has fallen and that Greece has taken the necessary measures to remedy it? If not, will the Commission say what steps it will take to ensure that this tremendously important issue is now dealt with seriously and that those responsible are held to account? (1) OJ C 297, 15. 10. 1999, p. 42. Supplementary answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission (18 February 2000) According to the information received from the Greek authorities, an independent quality control mechanism (ESPEL) has checked 1 025 of the projects part-financed in Greece under the second Community support framework for the 1994-99 programming period, including road projects. From its beginning work in January 1998 up to June 1999, half its 1 189 site visits resulted in the projects being checked by sampling while the others were checked systematically between October 1998 and June 1999. 3. 10. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 280 E/3 The results were as follows: 224 projects were in order or had minor problems which will be corrected by the contractors (first category projects), 272 projects suffered from major shortcomings without safety implications but which will involve higher maintenance costs: these additional expenses will be deducted from the payments to the contractors concerned (second category projects), 19 of the projects checked had serious defects which could not be corrected: they will have to be rebuilt by the contractors at their own expense (third category projects). The Commission considers that there has already been an improvement in the quality of work. It is nevertheless convinced that, in the long term, the work of ESPEL will result in improvements in the situation. is too early to be able to say that it Following the various ESPEL reports, the Greek authorities took the following measures. As it had promised, the national Ministry for Economic Affairs (MEN) sent the public services managing the projects all the individual ESPEL reports showing quality defects and asked them to take the action provided for by the law. MEN also reported the second and third category projects mentioned above to the public works inspectorate for it to check on the action taken by the managing departments, with particular regard to implementation of the various measures provided for by law, including financial penalties. In the case of the projects in the third category, MEN also automatically sent the file to the public prosecutor. The Commission does not at present have concrete information regarding the various results. Nevertheless, the Greek authorities have told it that, in several cases, defects have already been corrected or the payments for the work in question reduced. Moreover, the checks carried out by the inspectorate mean that the files on the civil engineering firms which do not comply with the procedure can be updated. The Commission will ensure that the Greek authorities notify it formally of the irregularities arising from this situation under Regulation (EC) 1681/94 concerning irregularities and the recovery of sums wrongly paid in connection with the financing of the structural policies and the organisation of an information system in this field (1). The Commission intends to ask the Greek authorities to monitor this matter and its budgetary consequences carefully. (1) OJ L 178, 12. 7. 1994. (2000/C 280 E/003) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1955/99 by Gerhard Hager (NI) to the Commission (5 November 1999) Subject: Kosovo ü Agenda 2000 As part of the reconstruction effort in Kosovo, the EU has provided financial assistance running into billions. The same is true for the reconstruction following the devastating earthquake in Turkey. These measures were decided on after the adoption of Agenda 2000. In view of this, can the Commission answer the following: How much will the EU and/or their Member States invest in the reconstruction of Kosovo and what 1. is the duration of the aid programmes? 2. What is the effect of these measures likely to be on the future budgets of the EU? 3. Does the Commission consider that the plans for financing the Agenda 2000 need to be reviewed? If not, how does the Commission explain the fact that financial assistance will have no effect on the 4. plans for financing Agenda 2000?