WRITTEN QUESTION P-0897/00 by Vincenzo Lavarra (PSE) to the Commission. Crisis in the citrus fruit sector in southern Italy.
26. 1. 2001 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 26 E/127 Finally, can the Commission say whether any projects were submitted from the Piedmont region and, if so, how many there were and why none of them was selected? (1) OJ C 52, 24. 2. 2000, p. 4. Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission (18 April 2000) The projects which the Italian authorities submitted to the Commission in 1999 for funding under Council Regulation (EC) No 1404/96 of 15 July 1996 amending Regulation (EEC) No 1973/92 establishing a financial instrument for the environment (LIFE) (1) were selected in accordance with the criteria set out in Article 9(a) of that Regulation and the procedure set out in Article 13 thereof. Sufficient funding was available to support only a proportion of the selected projects, taken in the order of classification established during the evaluation phase. In 1999, none of the projects from submitted from the Piedmont region were classified in a position which resulted in funding. The same is true for seven other regions of Italy. The Commission does not believe that this can be attributed to a lack of adequate information on the in 1999 the region benefited from a LIFE information day territory of the Piedmont region. Indeed, organised in Turin by the regional authorities and attended by a representative of the Commission. A total of 12 projects were submitted from Piedmont in 1999 for funding under the LIFE Regulation. All of them related to action covered by Article 2(1)(b). However, the projects granted LIFE funding in 1999 include LIFE 99 ENV/IT/000051, which was put forward by CENSIS in Rome but is to be carried out in the province of Novara, and LIFE 99 NAT/IT/6279, to be carried out by the Ministry of the Environment in collaboration with all the Italian regions. (1) OJ L 181, 20. 7. 1996. (2001/C 26 E/157) WRITTEN QUESTION P-0897/00 by Vincenzo Lavarra (PSE) to the Commission (16 March 2000) Subject: Crisis in the citrus fruit sector in southern Italy Farmers in Sicily and southern Italy are worried about the crisis the sector has been going through. Although Sicily is in a good geographical position for the cultivation of quality oranges it is at a disadvantage because of its backward economy and its distance from European markets. All these factors, aggravated by competition from citrus fruits from third countries produced at lower cost, are seriously threatening the survival of tens of thousands of farms, with serious social repercussions on employment and hence on the economy of a region with very high unemployment, where the major source of jobs is, precisely, agriculture. No less important is the environmental impact and the enormous genetic resources which would be lost if this type of farming were abandoned. In order to reassure citrus fruit producers, can the Commission say: 1. what steps it intends to take to support citrus fruit production in Sicily and southern Italy; 2. whether it intends, with regard to the COM in citrus fruit, to revise the aid system by giving preference to aid per hectare, which would be more compatible with the principles of Agenda 2000, replacing the current system of aid per product sent for processing? C 26 E/128 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 26. 1. 2001 Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (10 April 2000) 1. To solve the structural problems of Italian citrus-fruit growing, Community legislation envisages two types of measure: operational programmes run by producer organisations as provided for in Council Regulation (EC) No 2200/96 of 28 October 1996 on the common organisation of the market in fruit and vegetables (1), and schemes forming part of rural development as set out in Council Regulation (EC) No 1251/99 of 17 May 1999 establishing a support system for producers of certain arable crops (2). 2. The Commission feels that the introduction of aid per hectare is not the right way to go in the Community citrus-fruit sector. Aid of this kind does not encourage the conversion to new varieties which is necessary to keep up with trends in demand. Furthermore, area aid is only worth considering if it applies to all land under cultivation, including areas growing fruit for the fresh-fruit market. (1) OJ L 297, 21. 11. 1996. (2) OJ L 160, 26. 6. 1999. (2001/C 26 E/158) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0905/00 by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Council Subject: Alteration of the cultural heritage in FYROM (24 March 2000) Extensive alterations have reportedly been made recently to the architecture of the Church of Ayios Dimitrios in the town of Bitola (Monastir) in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), which clearly constitute alteration of the cultural heritage of that historical monument and of the region in general. Will the Council say whether it is aware of this situation, what steps it intends to take to put an immediate end to these actions, and whether it has taken or intends to take any measures to protect the historical monuments and the cultural heritage in general in the Balkans? Reply (26 June 2000) The Council would point out that on 24 January 2000 it issued negotiating directives to the Commission for the negotiation of a stabilisation and association Agreement with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. These directives foresee that the future Agreement would contain provisions on cultural cooperation and in particular the conservation and restoration of monuments and cites. (2001/C 26 E/159) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0909/00 by Paulo Casaca (PSE) to the Commission (25 March 2000) Subject: Subsidies under the CAP for cruelty to animals The Commissionís answer to Question E-0039/00 (1) states that bovine animals are castrated at a very early age (in order to minimise their suffering). However, according to specialised literature (Compassion in World Farming Trust, For their own good ü a study of farm animal mutilationsí, October 1994, p. 18) quoting Robertson et al, 1994, any method of castration causes severe pain, irrespective of the animalís age (the test covered animals 6, 21 and 42 days old)