WRITTEN QUESTION E-0655/00 by Michel Rocard (PSE) to the Council. International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention on the worst forms of child labour (No 182).
13. 2. 2001 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 46 E/27 The GDP of a region is a global indicator of its production activity. It is therefore a suitable instrument for measuring regionsí levels of economic development. Moreover, since 1998 the per capita GDP expressed in purchasing power parity and calculated at NUTS level II has been used to determine whether regions may be covered by Objective 1. In accordance with the provisions of Article 3 of the aforementioned Regulation, the list of regions covered by Objective 1 was drawn up by the Commission on 1 July 1999. This list will remain valid until 31 December 2006. With this in mind, for the 2000-2006 period the Commission does not intend to propose eligibility criteria for Objective 1 different to those adopted by the Council and Parliament. In addition, the distribution of total appropriations between regions eligible under Objective 1 is based on criteria other than the regionís per capita GDP, in particular the unemployment rate. The Commission would like to remind the Honourable Member that, in the context of Objective 2 (regions under conversion), Article 4 of the same Regulation envisages a number of criteria in addition to the per capita GDP which may be used to justify the eligibility of the proposed areas. (1) OJ L 161, 26. 6. 1999. (2001/C 46 E/031) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0655/00 by Michel Rocard (PSE) to the Council (13 March 2000) Subject: International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention on the áworst forms of child labourí (No 182) In June 1999 the ILO adopted a new convention on áthe worst forms of child labour (No 182)í. Which Member States have ratified this convention? Does the current Council Presidency envisage measures to encourage all the Member States to ratify this convention as soon as possible? Reply (10 July 2000) At the end of March 2000, the United Kingdom, Finland and Ireland had ratified the Convention in question. In addition, two other European States and seven non-European States had ratified it. In Spain, the instrument of ratification is before the Parliament. The Presidency underlines the importance of this Convention being ratified by as many States as possible, recalling its exceptional unanimous adoption by the International Labour Conference in 1999, and its significant role in the efforts to improve the situation of the children of the world. Consequently the Presidency, although it is aware of the differences between the Member States as regards their ratification procedures, will use the means at its disposal to underline for them the necessity and importance of the ratification as soon as possible of this important Convention