WRITTEN QUESTION P-1072/00 by Salvador Jové Peres (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Reform of the system of aid for cotton.
13. 2. 2001 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 46 E/117 The Commission accordingly asked Italy to send as soon as possible an amended proposal which complies with the Council Regulation by adding new areas meeting those criteria and dropping others which do not. The Province of Viterbo in fact meets the criteria set out in Article 6(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999. The Commission regrets that no new proposal has yet been received. It has reminded Italy several times of the need to send a proposal urgently so that the regions in question are not penalised. Italy is the only Member State where the Objective 2 zoning has not been adopted. (1) OJ L 161, 26. 6. 1999. (2001/C 46 E/126) WRITTEN QUESTION P-1072/00 by Salvador JovØ Peres (GUE/NGL) to the Commission (29 March 2000) Subject: Reform of the system of aid for cotton Under Article 6 of Regulation (EC) No 1553/95 (1), before the start of the 1999/2000 marketing year the Commission is required to present a report on the operation of the system of aid for cotton and to submit a reform proposal only if the report shows it to be necessary. However, the Commission has submitted a reform proposal directly without first presenting a report. In its explanatory memorandum, the Com- mission acknowledges that áthis requirement was partly anticipated by the Report from the Commission to the Council on Greek requests in the cotton sector (COM(1998) 10 final)í. Nonetheless it states that the said report ádoes not in any way replace the report provided for in Council Regulation (EC) No 1553/95í and consequently ácannot be regarded as an investigation of the economy of the sector in generalí. Despite the fact that Protocol 4 annexed to the Act of Accession of Greece to the Community recognises its áspecifically agricultural natureí, cotton has never been listed in Annex II of the Treaty and is thus excluded from the majority of horizontal measures under the CAP. For instance, cotton is not covered by the environmental and rural development measures adopted with Agenda 2000 or the general regulations on producer groups. Given the status of cotton under the CAP as a whole, it would be advisable to offset the inadequacies in the regulations governing it in the report provided for under Regulation (EC) No 1553/95. Why has the Commission not presented the report required under Regulation (EC) No 1553/95 prior to submitting its reform proposal? Is it aware of its failure to honour obligations set out in a Council Regulation? Does it still intend to present the report in question and amend its reform proposal in line with the reportís conclusions? Does it believe it possible to introduce environmental restrictions for cotton, seeing that cotton is not covered by the environmental framework established under Agenda 2000? (1) OJ L 148, 30. 6. 1995, p. 45. Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (18 April 2000) Paragraph 11 of Protocol 4 on cotton annexed to the Act of Accession of Greece was amended by Article 6 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1553/95 (1) and states that the Commission is to send the Council a report on the operation of the system of aid for cotton. So the report does not set out to investigate the economy of the sector in general but seeks to carry out an examination of the scheme, which was to focus on four specific points in line with the Councilís wishes in June 1998 (2). C 46 E/118 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 13. 2. 2001 The Explanatory Memorandum and accompanying legislative proposals (3) make up the substance of the report, as the introductory paragraph states. The report examines the system of aid and goes into the four points suggested by the Council. The Commission proposals flow from the needs that surfaced in the report on the aid scheme. As the Honourable Member points out, cotton as such is not covered by most horizontal measures under the common agricultural policy because of the special features of the rules governing it. Cotton is therefore not subject to the environmental measures under Agenda 2000. Nonetheless, cotton growing, which is often a highly intensive activity that guzzles large quantities of water, might have disastrous effects on the environment if it is not made subject to environmental protection rules. Such rules can be introduced under the system of aid provided for in Protocol 4 since they make a long-term contribution to support for cotton production, as provided for in the first indent of paragraph 2 of the Protocol. (1) OJ L 148, 30. 6. 1995. (2) COM(1998) 10 final. (3) COM(1999) 492 final. (2001/C 46 E/127) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1078/00 by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) and Francesco Turchi (UEN) to the Commission (7 April 2000) Subject: Failure to publish the áexplanatory directiveí of 19 July 1999 (COM(1999) 372 final) in the C series of the Official Journal of the European Communities the áexplanatory directiveí of 19 July 1999 Following the biased translation into German of (COM(1999) 372 final) on the free movement of Community citizens in EU Member States, it has emerged that this document, originally drafted in French, was not published in the C series of the Official Journal of the European Communities, which regularly publishes communications and information of this kind. Given that by acting in this way the Commission is failing to publicise the legitimate decisions that the institutions of the Member States will subsequently have to transpose in order to comply with Community legislation, will it take action to resolve a serious problem which is jeopardising the inalienable rights of the Italian community in Germany? Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission (23 May 2000) The Honourable Members ask why the Commission Communication to the Council and the European Parliament on the special measures concerning the movement and residence of citizens of the Union which are justified on grounds of public policy, public security or public health (1) was not published in the C series of the Official Journal. The Honourable Members are reminded that it is not compulsory to publish Commission communications in the Official Journal. In any case, the said communication is available online in all languages on Europa, the Commission server at the following address: http://europa. eu. int/comm/internal_market/en/people/right/index. htm. (1) COM(1999) 372 final