91999E0508

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0508/99

by Klaus Lukas (NI) to the Commission

(8 March 1999)

Subject: EU resources for the Natolin Europe College

1. What are the EU's total payments for the Natolin Europe College?

2. How much is this per student?

3. Is there an EU educational establishment that is more heavily subsidized by the Commission?

4. Has this institute ever produced a scientific publication?

5. How much EU assistance has been provided per publication?

6. What proportion of the teaching staff, non-teaching staff and Polish students come, like the head of the institute, Mr Sariusz-Woski, from Lodz?

7. Could the Commission imagine other postgraduate institutes in the EU that have a better scientific reputation and are not staffed almost entirely with friends of their directors possibly being more deserving of assistance?

Answer given by Mr van den Broek on behalf of the Commission

(30 March 1999)

The College of Europe's campus at Natolin in Poland has been co-financed, on the basis of the provisions of article 76 of the Europe agreement, regarding the promotion of teaching in the field of European studies. The development of the College of Europe at Natolin responds to the comments and recommendations of the Parliament and of the Community-Poland joint parliamentary committee. The College of Europe provides a unique 50 year tradition of educating graduates according to a singularly European programme of academic studies and formation by practitioners of European affairs and this is reflected in its output. The College of Europe's Natolin campus is providing know-how to a new generation of European graduates and in particular to those of Central and Eastern Europe with a view to strengthening the transfer of urgently needed expertise in preparation for the requirements of enlargement. In accordance with the comments of the Parliament, the Phare programme has provided 400 000 euro per annum since its foundation, followed by a 3 million euro programme in 1997 for the development of a three year programme at Natolin. The development of the Natolin programme aims to ensure degressive Community co-financing, and progressive reductions in per capita costs in the duration of the development plan in line with the economies of scale achieved at Bruges. The origin of students at Natolin reflects the diversity of its European vocation with 60 % of students from Western Europe, 28 % from the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the New independent states (NIS), and a further 12 % of students from Poland. The College of Europe's selection and recruitment procedures are uniformly applied and Phare funded programmes are implemented in accordance with the requirements of the Phare regulation.