92000E3937

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3937/00

by Wolfgang Ilgenfritz (NI) to the Commission

(13 December 2000)

Subject: Funding for European political parties

In the draft budget for 2001, the Commission has once again provided for a separate item for subsidies to European political parties. A token entry has been made against that item, because no actual amount could be entered, apparently on the grounds that no legal basis exists for it but also in the light of other factors.

Since the various national political parties receive huge subsidies from national budgets, would the Commission kindly answer the following questions?

1. Are their any indications, or have any calculations been made, of the amount which will probably be entered against that item in 2001?

2. Does the Commission already know the date, or can it be estimated, when the European political parties may be sure of receiving these subsidies?

3. Will every European political party receive a subsidy, or have more specific criteria already been laid down for the selection of the parties which are to receive subsidies? Is it already known which parties will definitely receive subsidies? Do lists already exist, for example, on which those parties appear?

4. Have any national parties received subsidies this year or in previous years from appropriations entered against other budget items? If so, which Austrian parties received subsidies?

5. Is it conceivable that, once again, the item created in the budget for subsidies to European political parties will not have any appropriation entered against it in the 2001 financial year, although national parties will receive funds from other items in the 2001 budget?

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(27 February 2001)

1. and 2. As the Honourable Member indicates, a new budget line was created by Parliament in the 2001 budget (B3-500N) on which there is only a token entry because there is not, as yet, a legal base.

The Commission has now made a proposal for a regulation(1) on the statute and financing of European political parties on the basis of Article 308 (ex Article 235) of the EC Treaty. Parliament must give its opinion and it requires to be adopted unanimously by the Council before it can enter into force.

3. The draft regulation proposed by the Commission establishes clear criteria which a political party would need to meet in order to qualify for subsidy:

- table a statute with Parliament;

- meet in its statute and its activities basic requirements of respect for democracy, fundamental rights and the rule of law;

- be represented itself or through its member parties in the Parliament or national parliament or regional parliaments in at least five Member States, or have received 5 % of the vote at the last European elections in each of at least five Member States.

4. As the report of the Court of Auditors (No 13/2000)(2) makes clear (paragraph 46), some political groups have traditionally made both funding and support in kind available to the European political parties with which they are associated. This is a matter for the Parliament.

(1) COM(2000) 898.

(2) OJ C 181, 28.6.2000.