91997E3332

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3332/97 by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission (22 October 1997)

Subject: Progress of land registry in Greece

According to certain information that has come to light, the Greek Government is requesting a transfer of appropriations from the budget for the land registry - a project covered by sections 5.1, 5.2 and 5.3 of the operational programme for the environment - to other projects.

What is the present take-up rate of appropriations for the land registry? What, in the Commission's opinion, is the reason for the low take-up rate of approved appropriations for this project? What is the Commission's view of the above request from the Greek Government?

Answer given by Mrs Wulf- Mathies on behalf of the Commission (3 December 1997)

The Commission can confirm that, in the context of the mid-term review of the Community Support Framework (CSF) for Greece, the Greek authorities proposed, inter alia, the transfer of appropriations earmarked for the introduction of the land register in Greece. Since the guidelines laid down in this respect by the Monitoring Committee at its meeting of 30 and 31 October 1997 and agreed between the Commission and the Greek authorities have not yet been formalised, an exact amount cannot be indicated. However, it will certainly be far lower than the amount initially provided for.

The current take-up rate for this project is 11%. That rate is expected to double (22%) by the end of 1997, when 70% of all the contracts to be part-financed under the CSF will have been signed. The Commission considers that it was necessary to make proper legislative and organisational preparations for the introduction of a national land register system. This necessarily took time, so that the utilisation of funds as such could only start as from this year. The Commission believes that there are no more obstacles to prevent the appropriations from being taken up within the time limit laid down in the CSF and it will examine the Greek proposal in this spirit.