WRITTEN QUESTION E-0647/00 by Markus Ferber (PPE-DE) to the Commission. The artificial lake Lago di Lacina in Calabria.
26. 1. 2001 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 26 E/79 (2001/C 26 E/096) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0647/00 by Markus Ferber (PPE-DE) to the Commission Subject: The artificial lake Lago di Lacinaí in Calabria (9 March 2000) Auditors in southern Italy have ascertained that the artificial lake Lago di Lacinaí, which appears on many maps of Calabria, does not exist. Furthermore, in 1999 it was discovered that there are 120 hospitals in southern Italy on which building work has never been completed and which have never treated any patients. One of these hospitals is even supposed to have been used by the Mafia to hide weapons. There are also roads which end in the middle of nowhere and factories which have never started production. Have these projects received funding from the European Union? If so, what kind of funding and how much did they receive? Is it possible to demand repayment of the funding? Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission (7 April 2000) As far as the Commission knows, no Community contribution has ever been paid towards the Lacina reservoir. As for the other projects cited by the Honourable Member, the details in the question are not sufficient to be able to identify them and confirm whether they have benefited from Community funds or not, or if any irregularities have occurred in their implementation. The Commission is willing to help the Honourable Member further if he can supply more precise information. (2001/C 26 E/097) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0649/00 by Carlos Ripoll y Martínez de Bedoya (PPE-DE) to the Commission Subject: Air transport liberalisation (9 March 2000) Considerable progress has now been made on liberalising air transport. Airlines, however, still maintain practices which are against consumersí interests. Does the Commission intend to draw up a directive on consumer protection with regard to airlines? Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission (2 May 2000) Air passengers already benefit for example, compensation and fair treatment in case of denied boarding, compensation for accidents and the obligations of organisers of package holidays. from certain protection under Community legislation involving, Under its work programme for 2000, the Commission will present a communication on strengthening air passengersí rights, to be ready in June 2000. To prepare this, the Commission has sent out a consultative document, to which there has been a strong response from the many different bodies with an interest in air transport. The document covers contracts and conditions of carriage, business practices, cabin conditions and health questions and information and transparency