91998E2599

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2599/98

by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE) to the Commission

(1 September 1998)

Subject: Progress with implementation of Community Support Framework for Greece

The Community Support Framework (CSF) for Greece is a little less than a year and a half away from its scheduled date of expiry.

Will the Commission say what amounts and percentages of the appropriations allocated for the CSF for Greece have been disbursed to date:

1. in relation to the budget allocated for the whole of the operational period of the CSF (1994-1999),

2. in relation to the budget for the period from the commencement of the programme until the present time (July 1998), and

3. in relation to each operational programme jointly funded under the CSF for Greece?

Answer given by Mrs Wulf-Mathies on behalf of the Commission

(9 October 1998)

On 1 September 1998, payments under the current Community Support Framework (CSF) for Greece amounted to ECU 7 213 million out of a planned total of ECU 13 933 million. This represents 52 % of the funding programmed for the entire 1994-1999 period and 68 % of that programmed up to the end of 1998.

A great improvement is usually expected in the last three months of the year, given that expenditure is normally concentrated towards the year-end. The Commission stresses that the commitments under the CSF must be undertaken before 31 December 1999, although the payments can legitimately continue beyond this date.

The Commission is sending direct to the Honourable Member and to the Parliament Secretariat a table detailing the payments for each operational programme and the percentages they represent.