WRITTEN QUESTION No. 831/99 by Graham WATSON Habitats Directive and Birds Directive
21. 12. 1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 370/119 Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission (26 April 1999) The anti-avoidance measures recently announced in the British budget statement relate to specific problems of avoidance and abuse in the British value added tax system. On the basis of the information so far provided to the Commission, the measures do not appear to affect the basis of the tax or its underlying philosophies of equity and neutrality. This initial position is of course subject to review once the legislative process in the United Kingdom has been finalised. (1999/C 370/167) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0819/99 by Antoni Gutiérrez Díaz (GUE/NGL) to the Commission (6 April 1999) Subject: Illegal activities financed from the Structural Funds in Llançà (Gerona, Spain) In its answer of 26 February 1998 to Written Question No P-0194/98 of 28 January 1998 (1), which brought the illegal activities undertaken with Community funding on the Grifeu promenade in the municipality of Llançà to its attention, the Commission undertook to obtain information from the Spanish authorities on the irregularities concerned and suggested the measures to be taken should the judgment which declared the activities illegal (No 247/97 of 12 December 1997) prove final. Can the Commission provide information on the result of its contacts with the Spanish authorities? (1) OJ C 304, 2. 10. 1998, p. 49. Answer given by Mrs Wulf-Mathies on behalf of the Commission (7 May 1999) The Commission has been informed of a court decision declaring illegal work carried out in the municipality of Llança (Catalonia) by the Directorate-General for Ports and Coastal Areas of the Depart- ment of Regional Policy and Public Works of the Catalan Autonomous Government and part-financed by the Community under the Interreg II A programme for Spain and France. The Commission notes that the judge ordered the demolition of the structure, compensation for people whose property had been expropriated and the return of the land to its original owners. Should this decision be made final, the Commission has suggested that the Spanish authorities cancel the part-financing and reallocate it to another project at the next meeting of the Monitoring Committee. The Commission therefore awaits new proposals from the Spanish authorities. (1999/C 370/168) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0831/99 by Graham Watson (ELDR) to the Commission (7 April 1999) Subject: Habitats Directive and Birds Directive The Somerset Levels and Moors are designated sites under the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive. They form England’s largest wetlands. The main industry in the area is dairy agriculture, which depends on excessive drainage of the wetlands to provide dry grazing land, intensive use of nitrate based fertilisers, deposit of nitrate rich silage and other such damaging practices. What cooperation and policies exist involving the Directorate on the Environment and the Directorate on Agriculture to minimise conflict between traditional farming practices and environmental needs and to give encouragement and compensation to farmers for putting the environment first?