WRITTEN QUESTION E-1266/00 by Christopher Huhne (ELDR) to the Commission. Microcredit as a means of poverty reduction.
20. 2. 2001 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 53 E/115 budgetary expenditure on the other, both in terms of the volumes involved and as a proportion of annual budgetary appropriations designated for the financing of the Communityís external operations, of Chinese accession to the World Trade Organisation? Answer given by Mr Lamy on behalf of the Commission (11 May 2000) The Community already treats China as a World Trade Organisation (WTO) member in so far as it is subject to most favoured nation tariff rates on exports to the Community. Moreover, Chinaís accession to the WTO will not alter the Communityís own market access commitments, including tariff rates, in the WTO. Chinaís accession to the WTO is a negotiation on Chinaís future commitments, not those of present WTO members. Levels of customs tariff revenues will therefore be a function of the level of imports. Assuming that Chinaís WTO accession will boost their exports to the Community, an increase in duty revenue can be expected in the longer term. China will reduce the agricultural tariff rates for import of products from all WTO members, including the Community. This will improve the market access possibilities for Community products but will not alter the Communityís export commitments undertaken in the Uruguay Round. Consequently, the Communityís budgetary expenditure will have to stay within the committed limits. (2001/C 53 E/146) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1266/00 by Christopher Huhne (ELDR) to the Commission Subject: Microcredit as a means of poverty reduction (19 April 2000) What funds has the Commission committed in the last three years to the expansion of microcredit as a means of poverty reduction (which was endorsed in principle in the Commissionís April 1998 Micro- finance and Poverty Reductioní report), and in what other ways is the Commission supporting poverty elimination under its development and cooperation policy? Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission (19 May 2000) Over the last three years, the Commission has committed approximately € 200 million to microcredit schemes, through different instruments (non-governmental organisation (NGO) co-financing, rural devel- opment projects, food security, Stabex, support to micro-enterprises). Poverty reduction constitutes the overarching goal of European development co-operation. In this context, Community policy reflects the international consensus but takes the approach further, recognising inequality as a constraint on growth and poverty reduction, suggesting a return to a policy of growth with distribution, and emphasising the political aspects of development strategy. At the macro-economic level, structural adjustment programmes of the ánew generationí include social indicators (health and education) for the allocation of part of the funds, in order to stimulate the countries concerned to achieve better results in these sectors. C 53 E/116 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 20. 2. 2001 In the framework of the LomØ Convention the 8th European development fund (EDF), the National indicative programmes (NIPs) put emphasis on poverty reduction as an important objective of develop- ment co-operation. In many African countries this is reflected in the choice of focal sectors, such as food security, rural for example specific poverty reduction island countries, development, or social sectors. programmes are often envisaged. Overall amounts allocated to basic social services (health and education) have dramatically increased. In small The newly concluded partnership agreement between the Community and the African, Caribbean and Pacific states provides an integrated approach to poverty reduction, with support to growth factors on the one hand, and support to redistribution and social policies on the other. Support to social policies includes, as a priority, access to all basic social services and to social protection, with greater protection to the most vulnerable. (2001/C 53 E/147) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1267/00 by María Sornosa Martínez (PSE) to the Commission (19 April 2000) Subject: Structural Funds finance for the Autonomous Community of Valencia With reference to the criteria established by the Berlin Summit, what amounts from which Structural Funds are to be allocated to the Valencian Autonomous Community between 2000 and 2006? Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission (25 May 2000) It is not possible at the moment to estimate precisely the amount of money from the Structural Funds which the Autonomous Community of Valencia will receive in 2000-2006. Assistance under Objective 1 in Spain is currently being negotiated with the Spanish authorities and furthermore the Commission cannot prejudge at this stage the amounts which will be allocated to this region under the Interreg, Urban, Equal and Leader Community Initiatives. In the case of Objective 1, the Commission sent each Member State a proposed distribution of the appropriations available among the eligible regions of the country based on the method used by the Commission to allocate the Objective 1 appropriations among the Member States themselves. The Commission is sending a copy of the proposal on Spain direct to the Honourable Member and Parliamentís Secretariat. However, it should be stressed that this is an outline proposal. The final allocation will be decided by mutual agreement between the Member State and the Commission when the Community Support Framework is adopted. (2001/C 53 E/148) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1269/00 by Salvador Garriga Polledo (PPE-DE) to the Commission (19 April 2000) Subject: Proposed new Community regulation on the system for promoting agricultural produce The Community helps to fund various promotional programmes for some agricultural produce, including olive oil, apples, citrus fruit or raisins