91998E2228

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2228/98

by Kirsi Piha (PPE) to the Commission

(16 July 1998)

Subject: Freezing of budget appropriations for grants

The Court of Justice of the European Communities has frozen the Commission's social aid funds on the grounds that there is no legal basis for them, because the aid programmes concerned were not endorsed by the Council. Yet these programmes are significant from the point of view of a people's Europe.

How many projects, and which ones, will now be deprived of assistance, and for which will it be possible to secure the Council's endorsement?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(17 September 1998)

Following the interinstitutional agreement on legal bases and implementation of the budget and the ad hoc agreement for 1998 reached on 17 July 1998 the Commission has authorised on 29 July the resumption of the line B3-4109 Measures for combating violence against children, adolescents and women.

The Council and the Commission have also jointly stated that, regarding the fight against social exclusion, the Council considers that the Treaty of Amsterdam, once ratified, will provide the means of establishing the requisite legal bases. The Commission will consider how redirecting the measures covered by the budget lines B3-4101 Co-operation with charitable associations, B3-4102 Preparatory actions to encourage co-operation between Member States to combat social exclusion, and B3-4116 Co-operation with non-governmental organisations and associations formed by the socially excluded and the elderly, would enable them to be regarded as preparatory to new Community action.

Moreover, the Commission has already decided on 14 July 1998 to deblock the lines B3-4106 Disabled persons, B3-4113 Integration of refugees, B3-4114 Fight against racism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism.

For the line B3-4304 Health and well-being the Commission is awaiting the adoption of the legal base. The only lines in the field of social aid for which there is not yet a solution, are the lines B3-4108 Measures in favour of the family and children and B3-440 Combating drugs.