91997E3808

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3808/97 by Ernesto Caccavale (UPE) to the Commission (17 November 1997)

Subject: Loss of Community funds

The Community Initiatives such as Horizon, Adapt, Now, Youthstart and the emergency programme for employment in southern Europe are of considerable importance for Objective 1 regions.

Can the Commission say:

1. whether there is a deadline for the use of these funds and, if so, what it is;

2. if there is a deadline, whether it can be extended if projects are not launched;

3. whether failure to launch the activities may lead to the funds being lost, in particular as regards the region of Campania?

Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission (15 December 1997)

1. As regards the multi-regional Operational Programme 'Emergenza Occupazionale Sud', the Community initiative Employment and the Community initiative Adapt, the European Social Fund and the Member State co-finance actions in accordance with the conditions laid down by the Community decision concerning allocation of the financial resources, which is addressed to the Member State.

For the period 1994-1999, the deadlines fixed by the Commission with regard to the multi-regional Operational Programme are 31 December 1999 for entering into commitments and 31 December 2001 for settlement of payments. With regard to the Adapt initiative and the Employment initiative, the deadlines are in each case 31 December 1999 for entering into commitments and 31 December 2000 for final payments.

2. In response to a properly circumstanciated request from the Member State, the aforementioned deadlines may be re-negotiated within the framework of the partnership, but given that the deadlines are so far off no such adjustment is envisaged at present.

Since the financial commitment is established for the totality of the Operational Programme, the appropriations awarded would not be affected in any way if a particular action was not launched.

3. In this context, the Member State is responsible for implementing and monitoring the actions, and to this end is required to establish the arrangements with which operators must comply in carrying out their projects. In the case of Community initiatives, it is a question of national programmes. The committees set up to monitor these programmes may therefore propose a re-allocation between regions of any funds not used.