WRITTEN QUESTION P-0352/03

by Jean-Claude Fruteau (PSE) to the Council

(6 February 2003)

Subject: Ultraperipheral regions

The European Union has seven ultraperipheral regions: the Azores, Madeira, the Canary Islands, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Guyana and Réunion. These regions form a unique and remarkable part of the Community's territory, enshrined in Article 299(2) of the Amsterdam Treaty.

The ultraperipheral regions suffer from many geographical and natural handicaps (distance from continental Europe, difficult topography, small size, insularity and/or enclosed position), which considerably hamper their economic development. As a result, six of the European Union's ten least prosperous regions are ultraperipheral regions.

What measures does the Greek Presidency intend to take for the benefit of these regions?

Joint answerto Written Questions E-0235/03 and P-0352/03

(13 May 2003)

In the context of the report(1) from the Commission on implementation of Article 299(2) of the EC Treaty: measures to assist the outermost regions, the Council, during the first semester of 2003 has planned to examine the Commission proposals concerning on the one hand modifications to the POSEI regime(2) and on the other, the modification of the Regulation(3) introducing a scheme to compensate for the additional costs incurred in the marketing of certain fishery products from the outermost regions. These proposals have not yet been officially presented to the Council.

Furthermore, the Council will examine the 2nd Interim Report on Economic and Social Cohesion, which presents an update of the analysis of the situation and trends emerging in the regions, along with the main topics of the debate on future cohesion policy after enlargement.

(1) COM(2002) 723 final.

(2) Regulations 1452/2001, 1453/2001 and 1454/2001.

(3) Regulation 579/2002.