WRITTEN QUESTION E-2673/99 by Mark Watts (PSE) to the Commission. Import of donkeys from CEECs to the EU for slaughter.
C 374 E/10 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 28. 12. 2000 (2000/C 374 E/011) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2673/99 by Mark Watts (PSE) to the Commission (12 January 2000) Subject: Import of donkeys from CEECs to the EU for slaughter How many live donkeys were imported from central and eastern European countries for slaughter in the EU in (a) 1997 and (b) 1998? Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (27 January 2000) Customs statistics do not differentiate between the different purposes for which donkeys are imported into the Community. The total number of those animals which in 1997 and 1998 were imported from Central and Eastern European countries are respectively 4 715 and 7 467. More than 90 % of them were of Romanian origin and imported into Italy. (2000/C 374 E/012) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2702/99 by Chris Davies (ELDR) to the Commission (12 January 2000) Subject: Approval procedures for projects seeking ERDF support Applicants seeking ERDF funds to support the construction of an industrial estate will frequently argue that the project will provide new employment opportunities. What steps does the Commission take to ensure that such claims are justified and, in particular, to verify that such employment as may be created will represent additional jobs rather than jobs transferred from other industrial locations? In the case of industrial parks being built on greenfield sites, what steps does the Commission take to ensure that the development complies with EU requirements promote environmental sustainability by, for example, (a) protecting habitats, (b) giving priority to the development of brownfield sites, (c) discouraging the additional use of motor transport? Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission (10 March 2000) The Commission has developed a systematic approach to assessing job creation targets. This is summarised in the booklet Counting the Jobsí published in the series Evaluation Documentsí, which is sent direct to the Honourable Member and to the Secretariat general of the Parliament. The specific concern raised, that claimed jobs will actually consist of transfers from other locations, is a type of displacement and this issue is addressed specifically as part of the calculation of net jobs created. It is true that most ex-ante predictions of employment effects are based on gross job creation, but the net effect is examined in intermediate evaluation and particularly in ex-post evaluation. Concerning sustainable development, the Commission stressed in its indicative guidelines for programmes in the period 2000-2006 (1) that priority should be given to the rehabilitation of brownfield industrial sites over the development of greenfield sites. Moreover, the Commission has emphasised that transport interventions to be assisted should be integrated into strategies for sustainable transport systems. Whilst the guidelines are not legally binding, compliance with Community legislation such as Council Directive