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21 . 2 . 96 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 51/1 I (Information) EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT WRITTEN QUESTIONS WITH ANSWER WRITTEN QUESTION E-404/95 WRITTEN QUESTION E-2051/95 by Jean-Pierre Raffarin ( PPE ) by Wolfgang Nufibaumer ( NI ) to the Commission to the Commission (15 February 1995) (12 July 1995) ( 96/C 51/01 ) ( 96/C 51/02 ) Subject: Funding of the ' Coupe d'Europe des Saveurs Subject: Funding of trans-European networks régionales' At the Transport Council meeting of 20 June 1995 in The European Parliament voted to include in the budget for Luxemburg, the Council was unable to reach agreement on 1995 an appropriation of ECU 1 million for the ' Coupe the draft formal conclusions on funding the priority projects d'Europe des Saveurs regionales'. of the trans-European networks owing to a dispute concerning the distribution of appropriations . As a result, The aim of this event is to promote regional products of no decision was taken on allocating appropriations for the quality in Europe . 14 priority projects drawn up in Essen for the period 1997—1999 owing to a veto by Italy and Spain . One of the The appropriation was entered under item Bl-381 , 'Quality priority projects affected , for which EU funding from 1997 promotion measures'. to 1999 is now uncertain, is the link between Munich ( Germany ) and Verona ( Italy). What measures does the Commission intend to adopt to ensure that this event is indeed organized with its How does the Commission envisage that the support ? Munich-Verona connection might be funded following Italy's veto of the original proposal ? Supplementary answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission Answer given by Mr Kinnock (10 November 1995) on behalf of the Commission (18 October 1995) On 26 July the Commission took a decision endorsing the payment of a contribution for the 'Coupe d'Europe des Financing of the trans-European transport network is Saveurs regionales'. This contribution , in the form of primarily the responsibility of Member States although the cofinancing for the programme presented by the Community does contribute to their financing, especially Poitou-Charentes region, will cover a maximum of 50 % of through structural assistance and direct support for the total budget, up to the sum of ECU 1 million . trans-European networks . In the case of the Munich-Verona link ( the Brenner axis ), only one Community funding source is available : the trans-European networks ( TEN ) budget line No C 51/2 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 21 . 2 . 96 ( B5-700 ). The contribution from this line is limited . Council branches concerned, with the exception of certain owners, Regulation ( EC ) No 2236/95 ( ! ) regulating the management as the consultation procedure employed by DG XV of this budget line allows in principle contributions of up to involving the relevant professional and political bodies on 50% for feasibility studies together with interest rate the subject of pluralism during the 1993—1995 period subsidies and guarantees within a total of 10 % of the cost of shows . The basis on which such a shift of policy is ' based ' is the whole project . However, the outlook for the TENs the 'competitiveness' of European undertakings and the budget for the years 1995—1999 ( around ECU 1 800 exploitation of the promise of 'employment' offered by the million ) will allow a total contribution to the global new sectors . investment costs of the 14 priority projects ( in the order of ECU 90 billion ) of just 2% up to 1999 . Will the Commission say : As agreed at the Cannes summit, the Commission will 1 . In which audiovisual sectors is employment increasing, allocate a substantial part of the budget line to the 14 and what data and research findings have been used to projects . The structure of the financing of the reach this conclusion ? In so far as employment is Munich-Verona link remains the responsibility of the three declining, how does it interpret this and what measures Member States concerned, Germany, Austria and Italy . will be taken to combat this trend ? These Member States have launched a joint analysis to review the financing aspects of the link , the results of which will not be available before the end of 1996 . In the meantime 2 . How did the indicator, the increase of which constitutes upgrading work in Austria and Italy continues with the aid one of the strategic objectives of the European Union of the Community TENs budget line . However, work on the according to the 1993 White Paper, fluctuate during the main construction, the Brenner tunnel , cannot be expected 1985—1989 and 1989—1995 periods ? to commence before the year 2000 . 3 . What is the level of employment in the audiovisual sector and in the European audiovisual area , firstly, as a Apart from grant finance , the Community may also total , and, secondly, broken down by country, and what participate in the financing of projects through European conclusions does the Commission draw from current investment bank ( EIB ) loans and European Investment Fund trends ? ( EIF ) guarantees . In the present case the EIB is providing a loan of ECU 362 million for works on the Italian access railway routes to the Brenner tunnel . The possibility of a (') OJ No L 298 , 17 . 10 . 1989 , p . 23 . future involvement of the EIF should not be excluded . (!) OJ No L 228 , 23 . 9 . 1995 . Answer given by Mr Oreja on behalf of the Commission (8 November 1995) The development of a Community audiovisual policy WRITTEN QUESTION E-2135/95 reflects the need to take into account the specific by Alexandros Alavanos ( GUE/NGL ) characteristics of this sector, including its social and cultural to the Commission dimensions . The prospect of a global information society does not undermine those specific concerns which remain (19 July 1995) crucial , but offers new opportunities in terms of growth and ( 96/C 51/03 ) employment within the audiovisual sector . The 1993 Commission white paper, to which the Subject: Audiovisual sector and employment Honourable Member refers, has given an illustration of this potential growth . It cites a Eurostat estimate for the number of people involved in audiovisual software of 1,8 million . EU policies in the audiovisual sector have foundered either According to further studies , it seems that this figure is because they have been abrogated in practice ( Directive accurate in as far as it relates to the number of individuals, 552/89/EEC (*)), or because of impasses in decision-taking including casual and part-time employees, working in the ( pluralism and concentration in SMUs ). At the same time sector . the focus of policy in this and in the related broader sector of communications is shifting and being determined by the 'information society' promoted by the Commission's The growth prospects for the audiovisual sector are difficult DG XIII . This shift of interest and of the centre of gravity of to predict for at least two reasons . First, it must be policy in this area is taking place in the absence of the recognised that statistics for the audiovisual sector are 21 . 2 . 96 EN Official Journal of the European Communities No C 51/3 inadequate at Community level . Employment data are WRITTEN QUESTION E-2138/95 hap-hazard and suffer from inconsistency, from year to year by Cristiana Muscardini ( NI ) and from Member State to Member State . Moreover, as to the Commission stated in the white paper, growth will largely depend on industrial choices that still have to be made in the sector . (19 July 1995) ( 96/C 51/04 ) Nevertheless , figures can be reported from several sources ( 1993 OMSYC report and IDATE 1994—1995 world audiovisual market study). These suggest that over the Subject: Inquiry into fraud by agricultural cooperatives period 1983—1992 , audiovisual turnover in Europe grew by 204 % in nominal terms , and by 9 % as , a percentage of GDP . Between 1985 and 1992 , the rate of growth was 1 . Is the Commission aware that agricultural higher ( 15 % ). As an example , in the television broadcasting cooperatives ( COOP ) in Veneto have gone bankrupt and market average annual growth rates over the period been wound up after collecting large sums of money from 1987—1992 were higher in Europe ( 5,2 % ), than in North the Community ? America ( 2,5% ). 2 . Will the Commission conduct inquiries and checks to According to these studies , it can be also seen that, for the ascertain at least whether, after a brief period as going same period , employment in the television broadcasting concerns, the cooperatives, which were created for the sector doubled , and for cable television the increase was specific purpose of extorting money from Community three-fold . While some traditional areas have remained taxpayers and disappeared without any apparent trace , used bankruptcy as an expedient for transferring some or all of relatively static and others , like cinema , have shrunk , the sums received to the political parties with which they employment growth in the video retail sector is estimated to had connections ? have been 250 % . Generally, recent studies on behalf of the Commission show that employment in this sector represents about 0,7% of community employment, with a 37% 3 . What will the Commission do to prevent similar increase over the period 1983—1992 , which represents an scandalous swindles and the enormous waste of public average annual increase growth rate of 4% . money in the future ? The development of digital television and of a wide range of new audiovisual services ( specialized channels, pay-per view ) will consolidate this growth pattern . Accordingly, demand in the audiovisual software sector in Europe is Answer given by Mrs Gradin on behalf of the Commission already growing vigorously .