A3-0227/93

Resolution on the regional impact of the conversion of the arms industry and military sites in the Community

The European Parliament,

-having regard to the motion for a resolution by Mr H. Köhler on the conversion of military sites in the European Community (B3-0518/91),

-having regard to its resolutions of:

-14 March 1989 on European arms exports,

-13 July 1990 on disarmament, the conversion of defence industries and arms exports,

-18 April 1991 on the arms trade,

-10 June 1991 on the significance of a European security policy and its institutional implications for European Political Union,

-12 September 1991 on reductions in arms spending and troop withdrawals, and the impact of these developments on employment in the hardest hit regions of the Community,

-22 November 1991 on the PERIFRA programme,

-10 April 1992 on the conversion to civil uses of the military missile base at Comiso (Sicily),

-17 September 1992 on the Community's role in the supervision of arms exports and the armaments industry,

-9 February 1993 on disarmament, energy and development,

-having regard to the report of the Committee on Regional Policy, Regional Planning and Relations with Regional and Local Authorities and the opinion of the Committee on Budgets (A3-0227/93),

A.whereas the KONVER programme, to be financed by the Structural Funds, for the conversion to civil uses of military industries and sites in the Community's territory was adopted for 1993 by the budget authority; whereas the reduction in military production and the closure of sites have serious regional effects in economic and social terms,

B.whereas the recent changes in international security policy have substantially reduced and modified the demand for weapons, leading to a serious employment crisis in military industries and the closure of military sites (bases and other installations/infrastructures); whereas this process has been accelerated in addition by the need to reduce military expenditure as a result of countries' financial difficulties,

C.whereas the Clinton administration in the United States has also adopted a conversion plan for the defence industry with a budget of $20 000 million,

D.whereas, in many previous resolutions, it has called for the Community to cooperate and assist in the process of disarmament and the resulting conversion of the arms industry to civil uses and to adopt specific conversion programmes to take account of the social and regional implications and to solve the problems connected with the regional labour market,

E.whereas military bases have often been sited, for security reasons, in outlying sparsely populated regions which have subsequently become economically and socially dependent on military activities,

F.whereas the new Länder of the Federal Republic of Germany have been particularly affected by conversion as a result of the impact on employment resulting from their heavy dependence on military activities and because of the pollution of military sites, the restoration of which will require major investment,

G.whereas modern military production not only involves high technology and valuable know-how in the area of advanced technologies but also represents dual-use production; whereas this should be a special feature of all conversion programmes since it is essential to ensure that all new production remains converted to civil use,

H.noting the Commission's letter of 28 May 1993 to the Member States setting out the eligibility conditions for the KONVER programme,

1.Deplores the fact that the Commission has once again reached its decisions without formally consulting Parliament;

2.Notes, nonetheless, that the co-financing measures under the KONVER programme are in line with the proposals of its Committee on Regional Policy as regards:

-conversion projects which involve cooperative action between different industries in the sector for the purpose of disseminating know-how, new production and new technologies,

-training and job conversion projects involving new activities and new qualifications,

-projects for the environmental restoration of sites and regions which have deteriorated as a result of military presence;

3.Calls for the relevant provisions of the EEC Treaty, in particular Article 223, to be adapted so as to permit stricter control at Community level over the production and export of arms;

4.Calls for the process of Community conversion to be the subject of a specific policy on the part of the national and Community authorities;

5.Calls for Member States, following established principles of partnership, to submit plans for the KONVER programme along the lines established by PERIFRA;

6.Reminds Member States that the KONVER programme is a European Parliament initiative and that it is not intended that its scope should be restricted only to those areas of the Community covered by the Structural Funds;

7.Calls on the regions, when submitting their plans, to consult both sides of industry and the NGOs, and on the Commission to check regularly whether the objectives laid down in the plans have been achieved;

8.Considers, in agreement with the Commission, that the financial instruments (ERDF and ESF) must be flexible so far as the areas to be assisted are concerned, that areas covered by the Structural Funds' objectives and those which, albeit not so covered, suffer from problems of reduced employment as a result of the reorganization of the arms industry and the closure of military sites must be eligible for help from the Funds, and that the rate of aid must be 75% for Objective 1 regions and 50% for all other regions covered;

9.Calls for KONVER, despite being a programme covered by the Community's regional policies, not to be permitted to finance projects submitted by regions which are economically strong and capable of managing the conversion process on the basis of their own financial resources;

10.Insists, in accordance with the Commission's position, that the conversion projects carried out with the Community's help must complement and be coordinated with the Community's other policies, particularly the structural policies on the environment, transport, education, vocational training, research and technology;

11.Calls on the Commission, in the stage following that of the choice of projects to be funded, to take account of the need to include environmental safeguards for existing military exercise areas, rifle-ranges, transition zones and sites and areas which have deteriorated as a result of military presence, thus protecting them from property speculation;

12.Calls on the Commission, before it takes a decision on financing plans, to forward all available documentation to Parliament so as to ensure that nothing is concealed;

13.Calls on the Commission to ensure that the operation of the KONVER programme is reviewed three years after its introduction, on the basis, if necessary, of a review of the programme itself, subject to mandatory consultation of Parliament;

14.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission and Council.