91999E1640

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1640/99

by Norbert Glante (PSE) to the Commission

(22 September 1999)

Subject: Allowing applications from German Landkreise for twinning assistance

The current programme to assist town twinning schemes is intended to help bring together the people of Europe with a view to overcoming the differences that divide them. According to the report on assistance by the European Commission for 1999, applications from German Landkreise (rural districts) for category I projects eligible for assistance, covering town twinning projects bringing citizens together, are not allowed.

Under the local government arrangements laid down in Germany's constitution, Landkreise belong to the category of local authorities, and in that respect are equal in status to cities and municipalities. German Landkreise cooperate both with local authorities in the other Member States and the newly-formed rural districts in CEECs in projects to bring citizens together, and make a valuable contribution to building a strong Europe.

1. Does the Commission consider the unequal way in which cities and municipalities, on the one hand, and German Landkreise, on the other, are treated to be legal?

2. If so, what is the justification for treating them differently?

3. Does the Commission intend to amend the criteria for assistance for town twinning projects to bring citizens together (category I projects) for the year 2000 in order to make German Landkreise eligible to apply?

Answer given by Ms Reding on behalf of the Commission

(4 November 1999)

The criteria applied with regard to the allocation of funding under the Community town twinning programme were decided by the Commission in close consultation with the representatives of the various Parliament committees and the national associations of local authorities, meeting in the Council of European Municipalities and Regions. These criteria are revised annually and are listed in a widely-distributed note on the subject of Commission assistance for town twinning.

At the last consultation meeting on 8 December 1998, it was decided that, because of the funds available, it would not be appropriate to include Landkreise under category I of this programme in 1999. However, the note states that twinning activities involving towns in the same region may benefit from assistance under category II.

The criteria for 2000 will be decided at the conference on European Town Twinning for the Third Millennium to be held in Bilbao on 3-5 December 1999.