92001E3515

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3515/01

by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE)and Ioannis Marínos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(8 January 2002)

Subject: Exclusion of official languages from the LIFE programme

According to an article published in English on 16 November 2001 on the internet website www.medeuropa.net and in Spanish on 8 November 2001 at www.aquieuropa.com, the Commission requires anyone wishing to submit proposals under the Community's LIFE programme to communicate with it henceforth in writing in English and French only. This policy is totally contrary to the rules applying hitherto under which the 11 official languages of the Union were used for communication within the LIFE programme and the other Community initiatives.

Is there a requirement that only two of these languages should be used for LIFE and, if so, why? To what extent is this requirement consistent with the provisions of the EC Treaty concerning the parity of all its official languages (Articles 290 and 314) and with the constant references to the multicultural nature of the Union?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(14 February 2002)

The Commission does not require that those wishing to submit proposals under the Community's LIFE programme do so only in English or French.

All the information concerning the submission of proposals under the Community's LIFE programme is available in the 11 official languages at the following Internet address: http://europa.eu.int/comm/life/life3.htm.