# CE2004084EN.01071902.xml

| 3.4.2004 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | CE 84/719 |
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3.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

CE 84/719

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(2004/C 84 E/0808)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1046/03

by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission

(28 March 2003)

Subject:   Use of funds from the Leader+ programme by the municipality of Terni

Subject:

In September 2002, the monitoring committee of the Italian Ministry for Economic Affairs issued a report on the spending of EU funds.

The report reveals the alarming slowness and inefficiency with which EU funds are allocated to projects by some regional authorities.

The grave concerns about the inadequate use of European funds by local authorities have frequently been echoed by the Commission.

Bearing in mind that some local authorities, such as the municipality of Terni, urgently need to use European funds to support innovative rural development measures aimed at enhancing the cultural and natural heritage, creating new jobs by strengthening the local economy and improving the organisational capacity of rural communities,

can the Commission state:

| 1. | whether the municipality of Terni has submitted projects for the Leader+ programme? |
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1.

whether the municipality of Terni has submitted projects for the Leader+ programme?

| 2. | whether the municipality of Terni has secured funding for these projects? |
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2.

whether the municipality of Terni has secured funding for these projects?

| 3. | whether this funding has been used? |
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3.

whether this funding has been used?

Joint answer

to Written Questions E-1040/03 and E-1046/03

given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(15 May 2003)

(15 May 2003)

The Honourable Member's question concerns the use of funds from the Leader+ programme by the municipalities of Perugia and Terni.

In particular, the Honourable Member asks whether the municipalities of Perugia and Terni have submitted projects for the Leader+ programme, whether these municipalities have obtained funding for their projects and whether this funding has been used.

The documents in the Commission's possession show that the municipalities of Perugia and Terni form part of the territory participating in the Leader+ CIP for Umbria, which the Commission approved by its Decision C(2001) 3489 of 7 November 2001. The Umbria region has recently selected the Local Action Groups which will take part in the Leader+ programme. The municipalities of Perugia and Terni are thus among the possible beneficiaries of the LAGs actions, but no project has received any funding yet.

It should be noted that the Commission does not decide on specific projects or on the selection of the LAGs. It decides to contribute to a programme which includes criteria for selecting the groups using procedures which will guarantee the proper Leader approach. The final selection of the groups is made by the Member State or regional authority responsible, whereas the projects part-financed are selected by the LAGs in accordance with the conditions laid down in the programme.

As a result, the ‘Assessorato all'Agricoltura’ of the Umbria region, the body responsible for managing the programme, could provide information on the various beneficiaries, on the submission deadlines for invitations to tender planned by the Region and, more specifically, on the municipalities of Perugia and Terni.

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