WRITTEN QUESTION No. 782/99 by John IVERSEN Aid for shipyards in the EU
21. 12. 1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 370/107 The Commission suggests the Honourable Member could address a similar question to the Italian competition authority. (1) Council Regulation (EEC) 4064/89 of 21 December 1989, OJ L 395, 30. 12. 1989; corrected version OJ L 257, 21. 9. 1990; as last amended by Council Regulation (EC) 1310/97 of 30 June 1997 amending Regulation (EEC) 4064/89 on the control of concentrations between undertakings, OJ L 180, 9. 7. 1997; corrigendum in OJ L 40, 13. 2. 1998. (1999/C 370/152) WRITTEN QUESTION P-0780/99 by Gerhard Hager (NI) to the Commission (16 March 1999) Subject: Financing of political parties As indicated, inter alia, in the Tsatsos report (A4-342/96), and as has been the practice for many years, European political parties receive funding from the Community. However, I cannot clearly identify the grants paid in the budget. I should therefore like to put the following questions to the Commission: 1. How much Community funding is allocated to European political parties in the budget for 1999? 2. Which parties received grants, and how much is paid in each case? 3. What is the required legal basis for this in primary and secondary Community legislation? 4. Were the appropriations increased in the 1999 financial year with a view to the European elections, and if so, by how much? 5. What preconditions must a party meet in order to qualify for EU funding? 6. How much money is budgeted for the individual political groups in Parliament, broken down into staff expenditure, administrative expenditure and travelling expenses? Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission (4 May 1999) Following the Tsatsos report an item was established in the Parliament Section of the general budget (item 3710) to provide funding for political parties. In the 1998 and 1999 budgets this item received only a token entry. Point 6a of the Tsatsos report notes that a basic instrument would have to be adopted to give effect to this item. The budget remarks on item 3710 cite Article 191 of the EC Treaty (former Article 138a) as the legal basis in primary law. Only the administration of Parliament, as authorising officer of Section I = Parliament = of the budget, can answer the Honourable Member’s question regarding the breakdown of appropriations between the parliamentary political parties (1999/C 370/153) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0782/99 by John Iversen (PSE) to the Commission (6 April 1999) Subject: Aid for shipyards in the EU On 26 January 1999 the Danish shipyard Aarhus Flydedok A/S went bankrupt with the loss of some 2000 jobs. The bankruptcy is bound up with the unfair conditions of competition in the shipbuilding industry. Shipyards in some Member States apparently still receive state aid whereas other have to manage on market terms, which does not seem to fit in with the objectives of EU policy. The most recent example of