WRITTEN QUESTION P-0118/00 by John Cushnahan (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Cost of processing a litre of milk.
24. 10. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 303 E/143 worst affected. There is general agreement that the spectre of world recession following the crisis and its repercussions on the rest of the world has faded. The Communityís position has been expressed on numerous occasions: the temptation of it stresses the need to keep the markets open and fight protectionism (the EU-Asia (ASEM) (1) trade deficit was EUR 87 000 million in 1998, double that of 1997), the importance of international aid and of bilateral as well as multilateral Community aid (including via the ASEM trust fund), and the need to continue with reform of the financial system in countries affected by the crisis and measures to deal with its social consequences. The Commission has had the opportunity to assess specific proposals relating to the major Eurasian landbridge project, notably in regard to transport. The Commission carried out an in-depth study which concluded that given the very long distances involved, for the foreseeable future maritime transport was more economical in linking Europe and the Far East than road, rail or canal transport, even if the Trans- Siberian remains the only real alternative (less attractive in current conditions than maritime transport). Under no circumstances should the Community participate financially in any transport objective relating to trade between Europe and the Far East. In regard to the building or rebuilding of infrastructures, it has been recommended that no Community financial commitment be undertaken to achieve transport objectives relating to Europe-Caucasus-Central Asia trade before a full financial and market study on the potential viability of the project is made. Any Community-financed measures to improve transit reliability, security and time-scales, on the other hand, must aim at bringing recipient countries into line with the acquis communautaire. In line with the general recommendations approved by the Commission, a project entitled Traceca has been launched. It concerns technical assistance for the creation of a west-east transport corridor, going from Europe, through the Black Sea, Caucasus and the Caspian Sea to Central Asia (22 projects for a total of EUR 30 million and 7 investment projects for infrastructure rehabilitation for a total of EUR 25 million have already been launched). Traceca supports the development of regional cooperation between the recipient countries and facilitates their integration into international economic trade. Synergy between it and the Trans European Network projects will be ensured. Traceca has also been a catalyst in leading such international financial institutions as the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the World Bank to finance ports, roads and rail infrastructure on the Traceca route. (1) ASEM: Asia Europe Meeting. Asian partners: China, Japan, Korea, Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam. (2000/C 303 E/155) WRITTEN QUESTION P-0118/00 by John Cushnahan (PPE-DE) to the Commission (18 January 2000) Subject: Cost of processing a litre of milk Does the Commission know how much it would cost to process a litre of milk in Denmark and Holland? Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (7 February 2000) The Commission does not have at its disposal data on the cost of processing a litre of milk in Denmark, the Netherlands or in any other Member State. It should be underlined that these processing costs may vary considerably depending on the type of product manufactured or on the size and structure of the processing plant