(2004/C 70 E/211)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3403/03

by John Cushnahan (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(11 November 2003)

Subject:   Funding for European Carrefour

I understand that DG Press and Communications has recently decided to cancel the current contracts with the European Carrefour organisations and to offer them replacement contracts without the annual operating grant of EUR 20 000 for 2004. I understand that the relevant financial rules have been in force since 1 January 2003, yet the European Carrefour were not informed of this decision until 29 September 2003.

The European Carrefour constitutes an essential source of information about the EU, and it would seem that this is an inopportune moment for such a change in policy, given that they are in the process of preparing public campaigns on enlargement; the new Constitution and the European Parliament elections.

Why was such a decision taken, and how does the Commission envisage that the European Carrefour will be able to function in 2004 with such a reduced budget?

Joint answer

to Written Questions E-3007/03, P-3068/03, E-3112/03, P-3153/03, E-3240/03, P-3265/03, E-3287/03, E-3301/03, P-3389/03 and P-3403/03

given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(21 November 2003)

The Commission would thank the Honourable Members for their questions and wishes to make the following points.

The thirteen hundred general public information relays which are run on the Commission's behalf by the Directorate-General for Press and Information all receive logistical aid in the form of technical support services in kind (1) which, it has been confirmed, will continue.

Only the 270 or so host structures of an information relay belonging to the rural information and promotion carrefours or Info-Points Europe have in the past received a flat-rate annual operating grant. This grant was awarded on the basis of an agreement signed with the Commission which was renewable annually by means of a supplementary agreement.

For 2004 the Commission was subject to two constraints: first of all, the award of this grant is not compatible with the new Financial Regulation (2), which came into force on 1 January 2003, and second, the agreements provide that either party may terminate the agreement at the end of each calendar year subject to three months' notice.

As it will be unable to continue financing the information relays in 2004 on the basis of the past arrangement, the Commission informed the host structures of European rural carrefours or Info-Points Europe accordingly, giving the appropriate notice.

The Commission would add that the relays may also respond — via their host structure, as no relay has legal personality enabling it to act by itself — to the calls for proposals of the European institutions; some of them have done so and been awarded grants. The notices are published in the ‘procurement’ annex of the Official Journal of the European Union and are accessible on the Europa website.

The Commission will shortly be taking a position on the general issue of public information relays and networks, in particular with a view to enlargement. It will inform the Honourable Members as soon as possible.

(1)  Free supply of documentation and publications for the general public (some 3 million copies a year), access to the relays and networks intranet, specialist services via a relays and networks help desk (at an annual cost of around EUR 1 500 000), free staff training courses (800 man/days a year), leadership and networking measures: periodic coordination meetings, visits, exchange programmes for relay staff (over 3 000 man/days a year), original information products targeted at the specific needs of relays, etc.

(2)  Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 of 25 June 2002 on the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities, OJ L 248, 16.9.2002: that Regulation covered, for the first time, grants awarded by the European institutions and lays down conditions for their use. Implementing measures: Commission Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2342/2002 of 23 December 2002, OJ L 357, 31.12.2002.