WRITTEN QUESTION E-1957/99 by Gerhard Hager (NI) to the Commission. Alitalia.
C 219 E/52 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 1. 8. 2000 In view of this, can the Council answer the following: 1. How much will the EU and/or their Member States invest in the reconstruction of Kosovo and what 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 Council consider that the plans for financing the Agenda 2000 need to be reviewed? 4. If not, how does the Council explain the fact that this financial assistance will have no effect on the plans for financing Agenda 2000? Reply (14 February 2000) 1. The budgetary procedure for the year 2000 been concluded, the amount allocated to the reconstruc- tion of Kosovo in the EU-budget for the year 2000 shall be up to a maximum of € 360 million. This will include € 300 million in commitment appropriations. In addition to this, the Member States have pledged bilateral aid in different forms at the two donors conferences organised by the World Bank and the Commission. The European Parliament and the Council, noting that the conditions laid down in paragraph 24 of 2. the Interinstitutional Agreement had been met, have decided by common agreement to use the flexibility instrument to finance the balance of the needs created by the reconstruction of Kosovo which cannot be met by carrying over appropriations from the 1999 budget or by redeployment of appropriations entered in the draft budget for the financial year 2000. 3. It is obvious that the reconstruction of Kosovo will take more than one year, but as the estimates for a longer period have not as yet been established, no exact figures on the amount of reconstruction aid can be fixed at the moment. (2000/C 219 E/061) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1957/99 by Gerhard Hager (NI) to the Commission (5 November 1999) Subject: Alitalia The Italian airline Alitalia offers its passengers a free transfer from Milan to Malpensa airport. 53 % of Alitalia shares are owned by IRI which in turn is owned by the Italian state. In view of this, can the Commission answer the following questions: 1. Is the Commission aware of this? 2. Does the Commission consider that the Alitalia offer constitutes an illegal state aid pursuant to Article 87 of the EC Treaty? 3. 4. If not, how does the Commission justify its interpretation of the provisions? If so, what legal steps does the Commission intend to take to curtail this practice? Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission (3 January 2000) The Commission is aware that Alitalia has entered into an agreement with the Malpensa Express company to offer its passengers free rail transport between the city of Milan and Malpensa airport. This is a commercial arrangement designed to offset the inconvenience for Alitaliaís customers of the new airport 1. 8. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 219 E/53 being located 50 kilometres from Milan. The Italian authorities have said that the other airlines operating at Malpensa are free to take the same commercial step and enter into a similar arrangement with Malpensa Express. The Commission is unable, on the basis of the information currently available to it, to determine whether the contract includes elements of State aid favouring one or other of the parties. (2000/C 219 E/062) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1961/99 by Gerhard Hager (NI) to the Council (9 November 1999) Subject: General amnesty in Italy ü Compatibility with the Schengen Agreement Whenever it is unable to cope with the persistent infringement of its laws, it is the Italian Governmentís habit to have recourse the ácondonoí or amnesty. This happened again at the beginning of this year when it used this device to legalise some quarter of a million illegal immigrants. The fact that the Italian State is clearly unable to police its borders efficiently does however inevitably affect the other Member States of the EU and the Schengen Agreement. 1. 2. 3. 4. Is the Council aware of this practice? Is this course of action by Italy compatible with the Schengen Agreement? If so, on what grounds is it compatible? If not, what action does the Council intend to take, or what action has it already undertaken? Reply (31 January 2000) In the context of the exchange of information on migration policy taking place routinely within the Council, Member States that have introduced programmes to regularise the situation of illegal migrants, or plan to introduce such programmes in the near future, have informed the Council thereof. The measures to strengthen the effectiveness of controls by Member States of external borders developed in the Schengen framework (which, following the entry into force of the Amsterdam Treaty, have been integrated in the framework of European Union) are without prejudice to the Member Statesí right to determine the conditions for allowing third-country nationals who have entered or are staying on their territory without the required documentation and who have been staying there for a fairly long period of time, to continue to do so. (2000/C 219 E/063) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1965/99 by Gerhard Hager (NI) to the Council (9 November 1999) Subject: EU project Natura 2000í ü Repercussions on the situation of individuals under private law The Federal State of Lower Austria has registered 31. 63 % of its total surface area under the EU project Natura 2000í. Under this project, the Member States are obliged to ensure compliance with the directive on the preservation of bird life and the áflora-fauna-habitat directiveí in the designated areas. In drawing up the corresponding lists of designated areas, most landowners were neither asked nor informed even though this entails major restrictions on property rights and use