WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2703/98 by Luisa TODINI Earthquake in the Marches and Umbria - decision by the European Commission
6. 11. 1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 320/11 However, the Cohesion Fund includes provision for restoring areas damaged by forest fires, subject to the usual requirements in particular, that the aim of the proposed measures must be expressly environmental and that the land in question must be non-agricultural in character. It is for the Spanish authorities to take the initiative in submitting such projects for funding. It should be borne in mind that, since 1995, the Cohesion Fund has financed reafforestation and anti-erosion projects in all the principal basins in Spain, including projects whose main aims are to prevent forest fires and regenerate areas damaged by fire. The autonomous regions and the Spanish Environment Ministry’s directorate-general for nature conservation have been jointly responsible for these projects. (1999/C 320/015) WRITTEN QUESTION P-2703/98 by Luisa Todini (PPE) to the Commission (1 September 1998) Subject: Earthquake in the Marches and Umbria decision by the European Commission During an official visit to Umbria on 19 and 20 July 1998, the Commissioner responsible for regional policy, Monika Wulf-Mathies, ensured the local authorities that the European Commission would sign the decisions rescheduling Objective 5b for the regions of Umbria and the Marches by 31 July 1998. It emerged from a meeting with a member of the cabinet of Franz Fischler, the Commissioner responsible for agriculture and rural development, that the decisions will not be signed by 31 July 1998 but after the summer holidays. In view of this, can the Commission say why it did not adopt the decisions in question by the specified date, despite the assurances to that effect given by Commissioner Wolf-Mathies? Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (16 September 1998) The Commission adopted the decisions amending the single programming documents for Objective 5(b) in Marche and Umbria on 4 August 1998 (1). These decisions were notified to Italy on 5 August 1998 and at the same time were sent for information to the presidents of the two regions concerned. (1) Commission Decision C(98) 2335 of 4 August 1998 amending Commission Decision C(94) 3485 approving the single programming document for Community structural assistance in Umbria under Objective 5(b) and Commission Decision C(98) 2336 of 4 August 1998 amending Commission Decision C(95) 736 approving the single programming document for Community structural assistance in Marche under Objective 5(b). (1999/C 320/016) WRITTEN QUESTION P-2713/98 by Leonie van Bladel (UPE) to the Commission (1 September 1998) Subject: Threat to the peace process in Angola caused by an arms build up On 16 July 1998, during the topical and urgent debate on human rights, Sir Leon Brittan, for the Commission, said in the House that he would ensure that I had a response to my question whether, in order to prevent the peace process in Angola from being threatened by an arms build up, the EU representation in Luanda could not give a clear signal that, within the current political relationship based on the Convention of Lomé, the EU could not tolerate a solution to the problem that involved military attacks launched from the territory of the