WRITTEN QUESTION P-0976/00 by Ursula Schleicher (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Continuation of the building projects in the Sintra-Cascais natural park in Portugal.
C 374 E/194 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 28. 12. 2000 (2000/C 374 E/227) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0972/00 by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission (31 March 2000) Subject: Aid from Community funds Over 150 workers at Lisnave ü Lisbon Naval Shipyards Ltdí have been waiting for 15 years to be taken on again by this undertaking, having been forcibly dismissed a move which they have never accepted. It is now reported that Lisnaveí or Gestnave ü Industrial Services Ltdí, the successor company, received aid from Community funds. In view of the above, will the Commission say: 1. What Community funds were allocated to these undertakings? 2. In allocating Community funds, was due attention paid to the need to maintain jobs? Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission (26 May 2000) The Commission is collecting the information it needs to answer the question. It will communicate its findings as soon as possible. (2000/C 374 E/228) WRITTEN QUESTION P-0976/00 by Ursula Schleicher (PPE-DE) to the Commission (22 March 2000) Subject: Continuation of the building projects in the Sintra-Cascais natural park in Portugal In the answer to my Written Question E-1977/99 (1) Mrs Wallström stated that she had registered the cases notified by me and sought clarification from the Porguese authorities. Is the Commission aware that the above building projects in particular in the Cabo Raso and Abano areas ü notwithstanding statements by the competent national authorities to the contrary ü are being continued and have already resulted in considerable damage to the natural park which is visible to all and to which the Portuguese media have repeatedly drawn attention? (1) OJ C 219 E, 1. 8. 2000, p. 57. Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission (19 April 2000) The two building projects in the Cabo Raso and Abano areas of the Sintra-Cascais park, which has been proposed as a site of Community importance by the Portuguese authorities, were registered as case No 1999/2275. Having examined the case, the Commission wrote to the Portuguese authorities on 4 January 2000 to draw their attention to the obligations laid down in Directives 92/43/EEC (Habitats) (1) and 85/337/EEC (Impact Assessment) (2). At the same time, it asked them for their assessment of the situation. No reply has been forthcoming. 28. 12. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 374 E/195 At its meeting on 21 March 2000, taking the view that the projects were not being carried out in compliance with the above-mentioned Directives, the Commission decided to pursue the case under Article 226 (ex 169) of the EC Treaty. (1) OJ L 206, 22. 7. 1992. (2) OJ L 175, 5. 7. 1985. (2000/C 374 E/229) WRITTEN QUESTION P-0977/00 by Juan Ojeda Sanz (PPE-DE) to the Commission Subject: Situation of the European shipbuilding industry (22 March 2000) During February and March a delegation from the European Commission met with the South Korean authorities to express once more the grave concern in the European shipbuilding sector regarding the well- documented unfair practices employed by this country, which have brought the industry to the brink of destruction. Will the Commission explain which issues were discussed and why no agreement was reached? Knowing the desperate situation of the sector, what action does the Commission intend to take next? Given that this question does not just affect Europe, do the United States and Japan share the European Unionís concerns? If South Korea maintains its inflexible position, does the Commission, with the support of the European shipbuilding industry, intend to take up the issue with the World Trade Organisation? Answer given by Mr Lamy on behalf of the Commission (18 April 2000) The Commission shares the concern expressed by the Honourable Member in regard to the European shipbuilding industry. In line with the Industry Councilís conclusions of 9 November 1999, the Commission has initiated a dialogue with Korea aiming to halt the unfair practices of Korean shipyards. The Commission has had three bilateral meetings, one in Paris in December 1999, the second in Seoul in February 2000 and the third in Brussels from 14 to 16 March 2000. The aim of the discussions was to obtain definite commitments from Korea with a view to stabilising the world shipbuilding market, which would help to bring prices up. To achieve this, Korea should undertake not to aid shipyards in difficulty and not to subsidise the sector either directly or indirectly. It should also make commitments to financial transparency and compliance with international accountancy standards. On 29 March 2000 Korea sent áagreed minutesí accepting the Commissionís proposals, with some exceptions. If an agreement is reached in the near future, the Commission ü together with the European industry and the Member States ü will check very carefully that Korea fulfils its commitments. However, should Korea not deliver or if there are no tangible results on the market, the European industry has said that it will file a complaint with the Commission (under the Trade Barriers Regulation, i. e. Council Regulation No 3286/94 of 22 December 1994 laying down Community procedures in the field of the common commercial policy in order to ensure the exercise of the Communityís rights under international trade rules, in particular those established under the auspices of the World Trade Organisation) (1) against Korean subsidy practices. If the complaint provided sufficient evidence the Commission would be prepared