WRITTEN QUESTION E-0839/00 by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Problems in implementing the Operational Programme on Education and Initial Vocational Training as part of the Community Support Framework for Greece.
C 330 E/218 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 21. 11. 2000 ü the forestry inspectorate of Chalkida has granted logging rights to the company in violation of forestry prohibition No 4049/4. 11. 87 of the same forestry inspectorate which prohibited grazing in the fir wood of Aghia Sofia so as to allow its natural regeneration up to 2007; ü local inhabitants and regional bodies have lodged a complaint and an appeal with the Council of State in this connection; ü the operations of Larko Ltd in the region in 1998-99 damaged the road network Aghia Sofia-Psachna, due to the shipment of ore and the movement of heavy vehicles, and the damage has not been repaired; ü problems have arisen for the local ecosystem and in particular the fir wood, an area protected by the Greek Constitution, and the coast of Limniona onto which a red mud is being discharged because no facilities exist to contain the waste, and stockbreeding and tourism in the area are affected. Will the Commission look into this matter and examine whether the appropriate environmental impact assessments have been published in accordance with the law and whether all the other measures provided by Community law have been properly implemented? What measures does the Commission intend to take if it detects violations of Community environmental legislation such as those noted above? Does it intend to call on the relevant Greek authorities to take the necessary measures in order to protect the inhabitants of the region and to restore the natural environment? (1) OJ L 175, 5. 7. 1985, p. 40. Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission (13 April 2000) The Commission did not have any information on the activities of the Larko company in Evvia (Euboea). The type of activity described by the Honourable Member is listed in Annex II to Directive 85/337/EEC, as amended by Directive 97/11/EC (1). As guardian of the Treaties, the Commission will investigate the case to check that Community law was not infringed when the environmental impact assessment presented by Larko was approved by the Greek authorities. If the Commission finds that Greece did infringe Community law, it will then decide whether infringement proceedings should be initiated under Article 226 (ex Article 169) of the EC Treaty. (1) Council Directive 97/11/EC of 3 March 1997 amending Directive 85/337/EEC on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment, OJ L 73, 14. 3. 1997. (2000/C 330 E/254) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0839/00 by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission (21 March 2000) Subject: Problems in implementing the Operational Programme on Education and Initial Vocational Training as part of the Community Support Framework for Greece In May 1998 the Greek Ministry of Education announced a competition for the modernisation of educational material for teaching chemistry for all three lycØe classes under the project entitled Reformula- tion and Modernisation of the Study Programmes of Natural Sciences of the Ministry of Education which forms part of the Operational Programme on Education and Initial Vocational Training, Subprogramme A1, Measure 1. 1 of the Community Support Framework. Three educational packages were approved by the Organisation for Educational Book Publications, and instructions were given for printing to go ahead under Ministerial decision C2 6201. However, the process of assessment has far exceeded the time limit provided, so that the Pedagogical Institute has entrusted some members of the Institute and others with the task of compiling provisional chemistry books for the 1999-2000 school year at considerable financial cost; it was however decided by Act No 32/1999 of 24 November 1999 to reprint these books with improvements for the 2000-2001 school year. At the same time the books which have been officially approved remain unused. 21. 11. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 330 E/219 Will the Commission say: 1. Is it aware of this matter? 2. Why have the three series of educational books which have been assessed and approved not yet been printed and distributed to pupils and teachers? 3. Why has Ministerial decision C2 6201 not yet been implemented? 4. Why has it been decided to reprint provisional textbooks, rather than use textbooks which have already been approved? Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission (18 April 2000) In the framework of the operational programme on education and initial vocational training, the European social fund (ESF) co-funds actions for the reform of curricula and the modernisation of educational material. According to the structural funds regulations, the Member States are responsible for the implementation of the programmes. According to information provided to the Commission by the Greek ministry of Education which is in charge of the implementation of the programme in question, with decision C2/6201/31. 12. 99, the ministry approved and decided to proceed with the printing and use of new educational material for chemistry for the Integrated Lyceum (i. e. textbooks for the students, textbooks for the teachers, laboratory guide, transparencies). However, the above material was not ready in time to be printed and used in the school year 2000-2001. Therefore, the reprinting of the old textbooks was asked, so that they will be available for the school year 2000-2001. The reprinted old textbooks will be used in the future as alternative textbooks. (2000/C 330 E/255) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0840/00 by Ioannis Marínos (PPE-DE) to the Commission (21 March 2000) Subject: Unemployment rate in Greece On 4 January 2000 Eurostat, the EUís statistics service, published very interesting data (Bulletin No 1/2000) on the unemployment rates for men and women in the EU. These data cover the period from November 1997 to November 1999 and refer to men and women below 25 years of age and above 25 years of age. It is noteworthy that no data whatsoever are given concerning Greece, although detailed information is given for all the other EU countries, as well as for the USA and Japan. Will the Commission say whether the Greek authorities have forwarded data on the unemployment rate in Greece and, if not, what reasons they have invoked for their failure to do so and what measures the Commission services have taken, if any, to obtain information on the unemployment rate in Greece? Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission (12 April 2000) The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its answer to written question E-0338/00 by Mr Alavanos (1). (1) See page 131