WRITTEN QUESTION P-0157/00 by Jorge Hernández Mollar (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Modernisation and business incentive plan for Andalusia.
24. 10. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 303 E/151 movement of goods among the Member States (1), in order to restore free movement of goods as soon as possible and hence to keep to a minimum the damage caused to Community operators. The Commission therefore requested information from the French authorities on 10 January 2000, under Article 3 of this Regulation, calling on them to inform the Commission of measures taken to restore the free movement of goods. In their reply of 12 January 2000, the French authorities gave the Commission information concerning all the measures they had taken to restore free movement. They also stated that, in order to protect the interests of EU nationals who might suffer as a result of road blockades, the French Minister for the Interior had placed particular emphasis on the measures to be taken by those responsible for law and order to allow subsequent processing of any claims for compensation. it is in fact the On this point the Commission would like to repeat responsibility of the Member States to compensate operators whose rights under Article 28 (ex Article 30) may have been infringed. that, under Community law, (1) OJ L 337, 12. 12. 1998. (2000/C 303 E/164) WRITTEN QUESTION P-0157/00 by Jorge HernÆndez Mollar (PPE-DE) to the Commission Subject: Modernisation and business incentive plan for Andalusia (26 January 2000) On the scale of per capita wealth covering the autonomous communities of Spain, which is calculated as a percentage of Spainís average per capita GDP, the region of Andalusia scores a disappointing 72,26 %, compared with 154,48 % for the Balearic Islands, the region which tops the rankings. For Andalusia to close the gap that currently separates it from both the rest of Spain and the remainder of the Community regions ü amongst which it sadly finds itself towards the bottom of the rankings ü 80 000 businesses would have to be set up there over the next four years as a means of bringing full employment to the autonomous community. Can the Commission say whether it takes the view that, over and above existing Community policies which foster economic development in Andalusia, it ought to help launch a modernisation and business incentive plan for the region to boost the creation of enterprises in deprived areas and provide small businesses with access to more attractive sources of funding enabling them to expand and prosper? Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission (24 February 2000) In its draft guidance for programmes (1) adopted on 1 July 1999, the Commission underlined amongst other things the importance that it attaches to support measures for small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs), both setting them up and developing them, by focusing on the information society, networking and the aid services which will be open to SMEs. The Commission received Spainís regional development plan for the regions eligible under Objective 1 in the 2000-06 programming period on 29 October 1999. We are currently analysing this proposal in order to finalise, in partnership with the Spanish authorities, the Community support framework which will lay down the conditions for implementing the programming. The Commission will try to ensure that the priorities identified by the Spanish authorities are taken into account in an appropriate manner in the ensuing measures and forms of assistance. (1) Commission staff working paper SEC(1999) 103 final: The Structural Funds and their coordination with the Cohesion Fund ü Draft guidance for programmes in the period 2000-2006í