91997E3232

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3232/97 by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE) to the Commission (20 October 1997)

Subject: Problems concerning the implementation of the PACTE border region action programme

According to allegations by Greek participants in the PACTE border region action programme, major delays are occurring in the release of appropriations earmarked for measures under the programme.

These delays appear to be caused by inefficient administration of the programme by the PACTE office in Strasbourg (AER) which is failing to release the funds, although all the necessary supporting documentation has been produced and submitted. It also appears that similar complaints have been made by local and municipal authorities in other Member States participating in this and other regional cooperation programmes.

Is the Commission aware of this, to what does it attribute these delays and what measures will it take to ensure that regular funding is restored?

Answer given by Mrs Wulf- Mathies on behalf of the Commission (13 November 1997)

The question raised concerns one of the allocations granted to the PACTE programme in 1993. This programme was financed through a global grant allocated to the Assembly of European Regions for monitoring the management of projects. At the beginning of 1997, the Commission, on the basis of reports submitted to it, paid the organisation in question the totality of Community part-financing due under the various allocations granted to that organisation since 1993.

As a result of ex post checks carried out on each of the projects by the management office of the Assembly of European Regions, it was found that in certain cases the amounts of eligible expenditure were different from the amounts declared by project leaders in their final report. Before paying the last instalment, the Assembly of the European Regions asked the project leaders to provide it with the supporting documents for all the expenditure they had incurred. The Assembly informed the Commission that the majority did this and received the balance due.

As for the projects for which the balance has not been paid to date, insofar as project leaders were not able to produce the details requested within the time limit specified, their account will be closed on the basis only of the expenditure considered eligible.