WRITTEN QUESTION P-1854/01

by Herbert Bösch (PSE) to the Commission

(21 June 2001)

Subject: PHARE funding for the European Middle School in Vienna

The Cernet project was launched in 1996 by a group of Czech, Slovak, Hungarian and Austrian education experts to establish cross-border cooperation in education. This cooperation gave rise to a very successful cross-border educational network, the core of which is the European Middle School which teaches 10-14 year-old pupils from the Cernet regions together with Viennese pupils.

The project has so far been funded from PHARE CBC and through national contributions from the countries involved. To secure further funding for the project, the FAIME financing plan was developed, though this was rejected in a letter from the Commission (Mr Verheugen's office). This rejection has left the future of the project in jeopardy, which in turn casts doubt on whether the pupils taking part will be able to finish their education. The letter states that the project is not eligible for support because its headquarters are in Vienna and because pupils from the applicant countries are involved.

Why was it possible in the past to receive support from PHARE funds, although the headquarters of the Cernet project have always been in Vienna? Why is it no longer possible?

Since the funding is in jeopardy, it is highly probable that the pupils involved in the project will not be able to sit their final examinations. Can the EU or the Commission make other programmes or funding available to enable those pupils to complete their education at the school?

The European Middle School in Vienna is a highly successful project. The school has taken first place twice in the NEWS rankings and this year lies second. Is the Commission aware of any similarly successful cross-border educational network supported by PHARE funding?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(3 September 2001)

The letter on behalf of the Commissioner responsible for Enlargement to which the Honourable Member refers gives the ineligibility of Vienna as only one of the reasons why PHARE cross-border co-operation (CBC) funds cannot support the FAIME project. In addition, the letter does not reject PHARE financing outright, but indicates that support cannot be provided up-front, i.e. directly upon submission of the project proposal.

While it is true that the Cernet project referred to in the question has benefited from PHARE CBC funding in the past, the rules under which the Commission may provide this support have changed. Within the framework of accelerated preparations for accession, the original Regulation(1) underlying financial support provided under the PHARE CBC programme was updated in December 1998(2). One of the changes brought about by this new Regulation is a stricter application of the geographical eligibility criteria. Other changes concern the programming mechanism and the eligibility of projects. Whilst recognising the success of the project of European Middle School in Vienna, the latter in particular prevent the Commission from agreeing to finance the FAIME project as it has been presented.

Under the terms of the existing CBC Regulation, activities such as the FAIME project can only be supported by PHARE under the terms of Article 5.2, i.e. within the framework of a Joint Small Projects Fund (JSPF). Such activities are restricted to proposals submitted by the local authorities in the border region concerned, further to a call for proposals launched by the partner countries. In addition, the budget for such activities should not exceed 50,000.

The FAIME project presented to the Commission earlier this year had not been submitted for financing under the JSPF, and had a budget far in excess of the 50,000 limit. Therefore, if the FAIME project is to be eligible for PHARE CBC support, it would have to be submitted for consideration under the JSPF and its budget would have to be considerably reduced. It should be noted, however, that even if it is re-submitted, it would have to compete with other potential projects and its financing cannot therefore be guaranteed up-front.

It has to be further noted that the Phare CBC programme does not finance any other such cross-border educational network like FAIME in Central Europe.

With respect to the possibilities for funding under other Community programmes, the office of the Commissioner responsible for Enlargement, in the above letter, suggested funding possibilities under the Socrates programme be investigated. The Socrates programme aims to provide support to transnational co-operation initiatives in the field of education, and is open to participation by the candidate countries. Indeed, many candidate countries already take part in the Socrates programme, and benefit from a PHARE contribution to meet the costs of their participation.

Within Socrates, the action Comenius 1 provides financial support to schools participating in projects organised within a trans-national school partnership. Comenius 1 is a decentralised action implemented by National Agencies in all participating countries. Information on the programme is available on the Europa server at http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/socrates/comenius/index.html, including contact information for all participating countries and details on the conditions for participation.

(1) Commission Regulation (EC) No 1628/94 of 4 July 1994 concerning the implementation of a programme for cross-border cooperation between countries in central and eastern Europe and Member States of the Community in the framework of the Phare programme, OJ L 171, 6.7.1994.

(2) Commission Regulation (EC) No 2760/98 of 18 December 1998, OJ L 345, 19.12.1998.