92000E3441(01)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3441/00

by Heinz Kindermann (PSE) to the Commission

(7 November 2000)

Subject: Union structural policy measures in the period from 2000 to 2006

On 24 and 25 March 1999 the Berlin European Council decided to earmark 260 billion for the Union's structural policy measures in the period from 2000 to 2006.

The Council issued the regulations on the various Funds on 21 June 1999.

The Structural Funds are used to finance programmes to promote economic and social development in the fifteen Member States. The activities financed under them are intended to make for relatively high concentration of resources in financial and geographical terms, decentralised management, more effective supervision, and greater efficiency.

Especially in the light of the last point, can the Commission say:

- what assistance operations are already under way; and

- which areas have yet to receive payments?

To clarify the previous question, can it supply tables indicating:

- when the Member States submitted their draft operational programmes; and

- the time taken for the Commission to reach the necessary decisions?

While the Commission was taking its decisions, were there any instances of failure to meet the five-month time-limit laid down in Article 15 of the general Structural Funds Regulation? If so, why?

Could the Commission also supply tables specifying:

- when the Member States submitted their draft national guidelines; and

- when the Commission took the necessary decisions?

Supplementary answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(19 July 2001)

The Commission is sending direct to the Honourable Member and to the Parliament Secretariat tables showing the date of submission by the Member States of Community support frameworks, single programming documents and operational programmes under Objectives 1 and 2 of the European Regional Development Fund and the actual or expected date of adoption by the Commission.

Most of these decisions were taken after expiry of the five-month period laid down in Article 15 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 laying down general provisions on the Structural Funds(1).

The reasons for this delay are mainly the result of the considerable effort of adaptation required from the Member States and the Commission in preparing, negotiating and approving each document because of the arrangements and requirements of this new Regulation, particularly as regards the systems for implementation and surveillance, the establishment of new structures for these purposes and the strengthening of partnership and the incorporation of environmental aspects. In view of the budgetary commitments and the length of the new programming period, the Commission preferred to concentrate on the adoption of programmes which fully conformed with the new Regulation and the Community policy guidelines.

(1) OJ L 161, 26.6.1999.