Parliamentary questions
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2944/98
by Gianfranco Dell'Alba (ARE) to the Commission
(8 October 1998)

Subject: B7-6601 - Cooperation agreements with third countries

On the initiative of the European Parliament, the European Union budget provides in Item B7-6601, Cooperation agreements with third countries, for ECU 1,6 million intended for the co-financing of external measures with the Republic of China with a view to Taiwan's integration into the World Trade Organisation.

On 31 July 1998, seven months after the budget was adopted by the budgetary authority, only 19 % of the commitment appropriations had been committed.

Since the Commission entered this budget line in its preliminary draft budget with the same remark and the Council retained it at first reading, why has the Commission still done nothing and what is it waiting for in order to implement it?

E-2944/98EN
Answer given by Sir Leon Brittan
on behalf of the Commission
(4 November 1998)

As the Honourable Member will be aware, there is currently no legal base for actions concerning Taiwan under budget line B7-6601 devoted to cooperation agreements between the Community and third countries. The Commission is actively reflecting on how to put this part of the budget line into practice, but at this stage its top priority must be to establish the legal base, without which actions taken under this line would risk being unwound at a later stage.

Nonetheless, the Commission underlines that it remains committed to strong and healthy economic and commercial ties with Taiwan.