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COM (83) 100 
 
 
 
Vol. 1983/00 31 
  
 
Disclaimer  
Conformém ent au règlement (CEE, Euratom) n° 354/83 du Conseil du 1er février 1983 
concernant l'ouverture au public des archives historiques de la Communauté économique 
européenne et de la Communauté européenne de l'énergie atomique (JO L 43 du 15.2.1983, 
p. 1), tel que modifié par le règlement (CE, Euratom) n° 1700/2003 du 22 septembre 2003 
(JO L 243 du 27.9.2003, p. 1), ce dossier est ouvert au public. Le cas échéant, les documents 
classifiés présents dans ce dossier ont été déclassifiés conformément à l'article 5 dudit 
règlem ent. 
In accordance with Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No 354/83 of 1 February 1983 
concerning the opening to the public of the historical archives of the European Economic 
Community and the European Atomic Energy Communit y (OJ L 43, 15.2.1983, p. 1), as 
amended by Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1700/2003 of 22 September 2003 (OJ L 243, 
27.9.2003, p. 1), this file  is open to the public. Where necessary, classified documents in this 
file have been declassified in conformity with Article 5 of the aforementioned regulation.  
In Übereinstimmung mit der Verordnung (EWG, Euratom) Nr. 354/83 des Rates vom  1. 
Februar 1983 ü ber die Freigabe der historischen Archive der Europäischen  
Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft und der Europäischen Atomgem einschaft (ABI. L 43 vom  15.2.1983,  
S. 1), geändert durch die Verordnung (EG, Euratom) Nr. 1700/2003 vom 22. Septem ber 2003  
(ABI. L 243 vom 27.9. 2003, S. 1), ist diese Datei der Öffentlichkeit zugänglich. Soweit  
erforderlich, wurden die Verschlusssachen in dieser Datei in Übereinstimmung mit Artikel 5  
der genannten Verordnung freigegeben.  
COMMISSION  OF THE  EUROPEAN  COMMUNITIES 
COM(83)  100  final 
Brussels,  1 March  1983 
FOURTH  COMMISSION  REPORT  
TO THE COUNCIL AND PARLIAMENT 
on the implementation of Council Regulation (EEC) No  2744/80 
of 27 October 1980 establishing supplementary measures in 
favour of the United Kingdom 
COM (83)  100  final 

FOURTH  COMMISSION  REPORT 
TO THE  COUNCIL  AND  PARLIAMENT 
on the  implementation  of  Council Regulation  (EEC) No  2744/80 
of 27  October  1980  establishing supplementary measures  in 
favour  of the  United Kingdom 
Introduction 
1« The  first  three half-yearly reports  on the  implementation  of the  Regulation 
establishing  supplementary measures  in  favour  of the  United Kingdom  (1) 
covered  the  period from  1 November  1980  to 30  June  1982,  This  fourth  report 
covers  the  period from  1 July  to  31  December  1982, 
Verification  of the  implementation  of the  special programmes 
2. As in  previous periods. Commission staff carried  out a  number  of  on-site 
inspections  and  document checks,  to verify  that  the  special programmes  anc 
sub-programmes were being implemented  in  accordance  with  the  Regulation 
and the  Decisions pursuant thereto,  and to  monitor  the use  made  of the 
financial contributions granted  by the  Community,  In  particular,  it was 
verified  that  the  investments which  had  been made corresponded  to the 
financial assistance provided. 
Inspections during  the  period  of  this report covered,  in  September  1982, 
the special road investment programme  in  various regions  of the  United 
Kingdom,  and, in  November,  the  roads sub-programme  as  well as the  water 
and sewerage sub-programme  in the  North  of  England, These inspections, 
relating  to  expenditure  in the  financial year  1981/82,  did not  reveal 
any problems. 
(1) Doc, SEC(81)1140 of  15  July  1981,  C0M(82)137  final  of  23  March  1982  and 
C0M(82)460  final  of  20  July  1982. 
Provisional address:  Rue te la Loi 200,  B-1040  Brussels  - Telephone  350040-358540 -  Telegraphic  address: «COMEUR  Brussels*  -
Telex;  « COMEURBRU  21 877  « 

- 2 -
This  means  that  the eight inspections carried out by Commission staff to 
date have found on the whole  that  the funds had been used correctly and 
the special programmes properly executed. No irregularities were found 
and a few accounting questions were ironed out  without  any difficulty. 
Official statement  that  the amount paid has been exhausted 
3» On  23 July  1982  the United Kingdom Government certified  that  the assistance 
granted under the Decisions of  24  March  1982  had been exhausted, and this 
was confirmed in its annual report submitted on  25  October  1982. 
In a few  cases  there were larger differences between the estimated and the 
actual amount of public expenditure. These divergences were duly taken  into 
account  in preparing the next Decision in December  1982  (see point  8). 
Annual  report from the United Kingdom 
4. As mentioned in the above point, in October the United Kingdom submitted 
its annual report on the implementation of the special programme to the 
Commission.  As in the previous year, this report contains detailed information 
on the progress of the investments planned under the special programmes and 
the individual sub-programmes. It also provides explanations for the 
differences between final expenditure and the programme estimates. Short­
falls in expenditure resulted primarily from a reduced rate of economic 
activity and, in the  case  of outdoor construction projects, from unfavourable 
weather conditions, but also because the trend in prices was more favourable 
than originally expected. In a number of  cases  shortfalls in expenditure 
on some categories of investment were offset by higher expenditure in other 
areas, 
5. The report, together  with  its own inspections,enabled the Commission to 
obtain an accurate picture of the implementation of the special programmes. 
It also contains revised estimates for public expenditure under the 
individual sub-programmes for the financial year  1982/83. 

- 3 -
Payment  of the  balance  of 10%  in respect  of the  Decisions taken  in  March  1982 
6. After  the  official statement  that  payments  had  been exhausted,  had  been 
received  and  scrutinized,  the  outstanding  10%  balances  in  respect  of  24 
of the  30  sub-programmes were paid over  at the  beginning  of  August.  In 
the remaining  cases,  in  which there were larger divergences between estimated 
and actual expenditure  or in  which additional information  was  required, 
payment  of the  outstanding  10%  was  temporarily postponed;  it took  place  in 
November  and  December  1982  (see  point  11). 
Budgetary amounts available  in  December  1982 
7. The  budgetary appropriations available  in  1982  amounted  to  1 804.212  MioECU. 
After  1 617.843  MioECU  had  been committed under  the  Decisions  of 24  March 
1982,  the  situation  was as  follows: 
Available  in  1982 : 1 804.212  MioECU 
Committed  in  March  1982 : 1 617.843  MioECU 
Balance  remaining available:  186.369  MioECU 
This  balance  of 186.369  MioECU  was  available  for use  under  the  supplementary 
measures  until  the end of  1982. 
Decision  of  14  December  1982 
8. The  existing multiannual special programmes were available  for  allocation 
of the  remaining funds,  and it was  decided  to  consider  in  particular  the 
railways sub-programme,  for  which  no  assistance  had  been granted  in 
March  1982,  and to  increase  aid for the  electricity sub-programme. 
In preparing  the  Decision,  attention  was  also paid  to the  need  to  take intc 
account  the  divergences between  the  expenditure actually incurred  by the 
United Kingdom authorities  and the  original programme estimates,  and to 
redistribute accordingly  the  funds granted  in  March  (see  point  3). 

- 4 -
The Commission therefore adopted only  a single  Decision,  which amended 
and extended  the  Decisions taken  in  March  and  brought  the new  commitments 
for the  eight infrastructure programmes  to  186,369  MioECU, 
9, With this  Decision,  which  was  adopted  on  14  December  1982  and  published 
in the  Official Journal  of the  European Communities  (2),  the  total  funds 
entered  in the  Community Budget  for  1982  for the  supplementary measures 
for 1981  were exhausted.  The  amount  of  financial assistance granted  for 
the supplementary measures  in  1982  accordingly came  to 1 804,212  MioECU, 
which brought  the  total  financial assistance granted  by the  Community between 
December  1980  and the end of  1982  to 3 241.796  MioECU, 
10. Table  I attached shows  the  chronological  and  regional breakdown  of all the 
amounts committed under  the  Decision  of December  1980,  January, March  and 
December  1981,  and  March  and  December  1982.  Table  II shows  the  breakdown  of 
appropriations among  the  special programmes  and  sub-programmes  and the 
rate  of  assistance applied. 
(2) Decision  82/910/EEC,  OJ L  381,  31.12.1982,  p. 15 Payments  made  in  December  1982 
11. The  financial assistance granted under  the  Decision  of 14  December  1982 
related  to  expenditure made during  the  British financial year  1981/82 
which ended  in  March  1982.  The  investments  to be  financed  had  therefore 
already  been completed  at the  time  this Decision  was  taken  (see  point  4 
above  on the  annual  report  from  the  United Kingdom),  The new  commitments 
could  therefore  be  paid  in  full.  At the  same  time  the  last remaining  10% 
balances  were paid over, after  the  Decision  had  effected  the  necessary 
redistribution between individual sub-programmes  (see  point  8). 

- 5 -
12. A Look back  at the  payments made from  1980  to 1982  gives  the  following 
pi cture: 
December  1980 : 174.150 MioECU 
January  1981 : 110.430 H H 
March  1981 : 507.978 H H 
July  1981 : 51.199 H H 
September  1981 : 30.550 H H 
December  1981 : 548.276 H H 
March  1982 : 1 456.059 H H 
April  1982 : 15.001 H H 
August  1982 : 130.110 H M 
November  1982 : 8.325 H H 
December  1982 : 209.718 H H 
Total 3 241.796 MioECU 
This  means  that the  payments actually made corresponded  to the  amount  of all 
commitments adopted  in the  Decisions. 
The ad hoc  Committee 
13. The  Committee  on  supplementary measures  in  favour  of the  United Kingdom 
held  its fifth  meeting  on  10  December  1982.  The  object  of  this meeting 
was to  discuss  the  annual report  on the  implementation  of the  special 
programmes  and to  express  an  opinion  on the  amending  and  supplementary 
decision  prepared  by  Commission  staff.  The  Committee gave  a favourable 
opinion  by a  qualified  majority. 

TABLE  I 
Supplementary measures in favour of the United Kingdom 
Financial  contributions  allocated in  1980, 1981  and  1982 
MioECU 
North North  West South West Yorkshire  S 
Humberside Scot  land Wales Northern 
Ireland Special  road 
investment 
oroaramme Total 
Dec.  1980 - 101,400 - -92,100 - 193,500 
Jan.  1981 - 64,300 - - - 58,400 - - 122,700 
March  1981 106,490 -28,140 144,580 159,540 - 125,670 - 564,420 
Dec.  1981 39,136 77,544 13,173 75,213 73,459 56,698 40,280 181,461 556,964 
March  1982 140,662 333,967 40,608 246,876 277,886 182,919 200,502 194,423 1.617,843 
Dec.  1982 9,043 21,574 2,024 31,692 46,412 1,093 9,437 65,094 186,369 
Total 295,331 598,785 83,945 498,361 . 557,297 391,210 375,889 440,978 3.241,796 

TABEL  II Supplementary measures in favour of the United Kingdom 
Breakdown by region and sub-programme 
Commitments made in a) 1980 and 1981 
b) 1982  MioECU 
Sub-programme North  o1 
Eng land North  West 
of England South West 
of England Yorkshi  re 
& 
Humbersi  de Scot land , Wales V. of 
publi  c 
expendit. Northern 
I re land % of 
publi  c 
expendit 
(N.Irel. Special 
road 
,invest* 
progr* Total 
Roads a 
b 30,350 
17,332 48,692 
44,834 0,358 17,199 
17,117 66,955 
52,712 73,484 
63,456 50 
40 46,463 
26,590 60 
50 - 283,143 
222,399 
Rai Lways a 
b 17,658 
13,608 30,499 
22,202 6,714 
2,936 35,961 
24,996 44,238 
28,004 12,842 
6,016 50 
40 2,097 
3,581 60 
50 _ 150,009 
101,343 
Electri  city a 
b 38,317 112,892 4,029 90,063 129,454 29,096 25 _ - -
403,851 
Water and 
sewerage a 
b 36,917 
25,515 43,876 
54,360 9,767 
11,101 41,552 
46,124 - 16,533 
22,704 30 
40*) 19,939 
22,650 40 
50 - 168,584 
182,454 
Advance 
factories a 
b -1,569 — — 13,133 22,294 20 4,672 20 - 41,668 
Land 
reclamation a 
b -6,585 
4,978 — 20 
20 0,441 
0,358 20 
20 -7,026 
5,336 
Teleeonmu-
ni cations a 
b 60,701 
54,933 118,608 
121,253 24,832 
24,208 125,081 
100,268 102,088 
109,150 82,045 
62,740 50 
40 59,597 
56,849 60 
50 - 572,952 
529,401 
Housing a 
b -— 
-— — — _ 32,741 
99,911 20 
50 - 32,741 
99,911 
Special  road 
investment 
programme a 
b - - - - - -59,22 
57,5 - -181,461 
259,517 181,461 
259,517 
Total a 
b 145,626 
149,705 243,244 
355,541 41,313 
42,632 219,793 
278,568 232,999 
324,298 207,198 
184,012 165,950 
209,939 181,461 
259,517 1437,584 
1804,212 
Total a and b 295,331 598,785 83,945 498,361 557,297 391,210 375,889 440,978 3241,796 
*) North  of England: 30X