(2004/C 70 E/192)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2978/03

by Nelly Maes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(6 October 2003)

Subject:   Structural Funds in Brittany

Following the French Government's recent budgetary decisions, Brittany will be hard hit by the withdrawal of government funding, which is jeopardising the payment of EU appropriations. It would appear that part of the Structural Funds allocated to Brittany for the period 2000-2006 will be blocked owing to the fact that the French Government is no longer willing to disburse the amounts it had previously undertaken to pay under the State-Region planning contract. This situation is giving particular cause for concern in the Lorient area, which is already facing a serious economic crisis as a result of the Navy's withdrawal and the conversion of the arsenal, and in the Brest, Trégor and west central Brittany areas.

Given that the Commission has always taken pains to ensure strict observance of the additionality principle, would it not agree that the decision to withdraw funding half-way through the period is in breach of this principle, and that the government's attitude is placing a region which is in need of strong support from Europe in a position of extreme economic and financial uncertainty?

Does the Commission intend to ask the French Government for an explanation? If it has already done so, what form did this action take?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(3 November 2003)

The financing plan in the single programming document for structural assistance in the Brittany region for the period 2000-2006 provides for a contribution (national, regional or local) from the Member State of EUR 583 902 092 towards the total eligible cost of EUR 1 400 926 184 (including private funding). On 1 September 2003 the level of programming was 65 % of the total amount of the national public matching funds laid down in the SPD.

The Commission has no information on any withdrawal of funding by France entailing a reduction in the national public matching funding for the 2000-2006 SPD in Brittany.

A mid-term check of the Objective 2 programmes for compliance with the principle of additionality will be carried out, covering all the French Objective 2 programmes together but not each individual programme. The French authorities must provide the Commission with the relevant information by 31 December 2003. Independently of these checks, France must inform the Commission in the course of the programming period of any threat to its ability to maintain the level of expenditure laid down.