WRITTEN QUESTION E-2047/99 by Jeffrey Titford (EDD) to the Commission. Number of stars on the European Union flag.
8. 8. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 225 E/43 Supplementary joint answer to Written Questions E-2029/99 and E-2054/99 given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (11 January 2000) Based on the theory that the Community aid scheme would be discontinued from 2000 as recommended in an evaluation report, the Commissionís budget proposals for 2000 included a reduction in appropria- tions for Community expenditure on subsidising school milk. In the light of the arguments put forward during the resultant detailed discussion of the schemeís future at the Council meeting of Agriculture Ministers on 14 and 15 June 1999 (to which the Honourable Member refers), the Commission has re-examined the issue and now proposes that aid for school milk should continue but that Member States should part-finance the expenditure entailed. This new approach is justified firstly by the need to observe the budgetary constraints governing agricultural expenditure, under which priority must be given to less expensive market support measures than the school milk scheme. Secondly, the Commission wishes to emphasise that national part-financing could improve the schemeís combined effectiveness. The Commission regards the Honourable Memberís suggestion of alternative funding under health policy as an interesting idea which merits further examination, and sees national part-financing as the only viable way of taking non-agricultural objectives into account. (2000/C 225 E/043) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2047/99 by Jeffrey Titford (EDD) to the Commission (3 November 1999) Subject: Number of stars on the European Union flag Can the Commission explain why, when the European Union was expanded from 12 to 15 nation states, the number of 5-pointed golden stars on the EU flag did not increase to 15? Can it explain the procedure (if any) by which Members of Parliament may propose and decide on changes to the European Union flag? Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission (3 December 1999) The stars of the European flag do not represent the Member States. According to the decision of the Council of Europe which adopted the European flag in 1955 the number of stars is invariably twelve. In a resolution adopted in April 1983 (1) the Parliament recommended that the Communityís flag should be that adopted by the Council of Europe in 1955. It was introduced by the institutions of the Community in early 1986. (1) OJ C 128, 16. 5. 1983