WRITTEN QUESTION E-1269/00 by Salvador Garriga Polledo (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Proposed new Community regulation on the system for promoting agricultural produce.
C 53 E/116 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 20. 2. 2001 In the framework of the LomØ Convention the 8th European development fund (EDF), the National indicative programmes (NIPs) put emphasis on poverty reduction as an important objective of develop- ment co-operation. In many African countries this is reflected in the choice of focal sectors, such as food security, rural for example specific poverty reduction island countries, development, or social sectors. programmes are often envisaged. Overall amounts allocated to basic social services (health and education) have dramatically increased. In small The newly concluded partnership agreement between the Community and the African, Caribbean and Pacific states provides an integrated approach to poverty reduction, with support to growth factors on the one hand, and support to redistribution and social policies on the other. Support to social policies includes, as a priority, access to all basic social services and to social protection, with greater protection to the most vulnerable. (2001/C 53 E/147) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1267/00 by María Sornosa Martínez (PSE) to the Commission (19 April 2000) Subject: Structural Funds finance for the Autonomous Community of Valencia With reference to the criteria established by the Berlin Summit, what amounts from which Structural Funds are to be allocated to the Valencian Autonomous Community between 2000 and 2006? Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission (25 May 2000) It is not possible at the moment to estimate precisely the amount of money from the Structural Funds which the Autonomous Community of Valencia will receive in 2000-2006. Assistance under Objective 1 in Spain is currently being negotiated with the Spanish authorities and furthermore the Commission cannot prejudge at this stage the amounts which will be allocated to this region under the Interreg, Urban, Equal and Leader Community Initiatives. In the case of Objective 1, the Commission sent each Member State a proposed distribution of the appropriations available among the eligible regions of the country based on the method used by the Commission to allocate the Objective 1 appropriations among the Member States themselves. The Commission is sending a copy of the proposal on Spain direct to the Honourable Member and Parliamentís Secretariat. However, it should be stressed that this is an outline proposal. The final allocation will be decided by mutual agreement between the Member State and the Commission when the Community Support Framework is adopted. (2001/C 53 E/148) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1269/00 by Salvador Garriga Polledo (PPE-DE) to the Commission (19 April 2000) Subject: Proposed new Community regulation on the system for promoting agricultural produce The Community helps to fund various promotional programmes for some agricultural produce, including olive oil, apples, citrus fruit or raisins. 20. 2. 2001 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 53 E/117 It is planning shortly to put forward a proposal for a regulation to harmonise and simplify the system for promoting agricultural produce in the Community. Can the Commission say if there is already a specific date for presenting this proposed regulation? Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (12 May 2000) No precise date has yet been fixed for the presentation of a proposition for a Council Regulation concerning the new Community arrangements for the promotion of agricultural products on the internal market. The Commission is in the process of drawing up the draft proposal. (2001/C 53 E/149) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1271/00 by Guido Sacconi (PSE) to the Commission (19 April 2000) Subject: Action plan for mountain areas Mountain areas are one of Europeís most priceless assets, in that they contain vital resources such as water and forests which provide a habitat for rare species and are the home to deep-rooted cultural traditions, as well as providing a refuge from the stresses and strains of everyday life for many Europeans. Furthermore, it is important to maintain adequate population levels in those areas so as to help ensure the preservation of delicate hydrogeological balances that require permanent attention and care. Therefore, given the wide range of problems facing those areas and the fact that many of the applicant countries themselves have extensive mountain areas, an EU strategy specifically aimed at assisting the local population in preserving this environment is of particular importance. In this connection, on 23 October 1998 the European Parliament adopted a resolution (A4-0368/98) (1) on a new strategy for mountain regions in which it called on the Commission to submit at the earliest opportunity a Community action planí for mountain areas and to make greater provision for those areas under Objective 2 of the Structural Funds. Given that, two year since that resolution was published, such an action plan has yet to be submitted, can the Commission state whether the current Objective 2 eligibility criteria really do cater properly for the specific needs of mountain areas? Does it consider that the submission of an action plan would help to make Community action in such areas more effective? If it does, what is the time frame for implementation? Furthermore, has the Commission taken due account of the specific problems of mountain areas during the negotiations with the applicant countries? (1) OJ C 341, 9. 11. 1998, p. 369. Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission (31 May 2000) The Commission has indeed taken into account Parliamentís resolution calling on it Community action plan for mountain areas. to present a During the 2000-2006 programming period, a large number of mountain areas will be eligible under Objective 1 or Objective 2 of the reform of the Structural Funds. As regards Objective 2, the eligibility