WRITTEN QUESTION E-0808/01

by Antonios Trakatellis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(19 March 2001)

Subject: Establishment of national land registry under the 3rd CSF

According to Greek press reports, real estate owners in Greece will bear the cost of carrying out the National Land Registry programme totalling GDR 850 billion because the European Union is rumoured to have stopped funding for the registry from the 3rd CSF on account of discrepancies in the 1996-2000 programme. The Commission's Director-General for Regional Policy has in fact stated that the responsible Commission departments will be considering the matter further under the procedure laid down in paragraphs 1 and 2 of Regulation (EC) 2064/97(1), which means that the competent committee may reduce, suspend or cancel funding if it discovers any irregularity in the implementation of the land registry programme under the 2nd CSF in any Member State which did not request the Commission's prior approval for any departure from the programme which it may have pursued.

What discrepancies have occurred in the national land registry programme in Greece and what sums are involved? Does the Commission intend to terminate funding definitively on the basis of the information it has available? To what extent did Greece comply with Directive 92/50/EEC(2) on public contracts, and what must the Greek authorities do to avoid the programme being indefinitely shelved and to enable the project to go ahead as scheduled with funding from the 3rd CSF?

(1) OJ L 290, 23.10.1997, p. 1.

(2) OJ L 209, 24.7.1992, p. 1.

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(8 May 2001)

The National Land Registry project was included in the Environment operational programme (OP) of the Community Support Framework (CSF) for Greece for the 1994-1999 programming period. The total budget amounts to 138,9 million, of which 75 % in the form of aid from the European Regional Development Fund. Under the OP in question, the results expected by the end of 2001 applied to an operational land registry covering an area of 28 223 km2.

In recent contacts with the agency carrying out the project, it emerged that the work in progress covered only 8 000 km2, while more than 80 % of the budget envisaged in the OP had already been absorbed. The Commission therefore felt it was necessary to ask for explanations and additional information in order to examine the situation in greater detail. It is only after such an examination has been carried out that any cancellation of or reduction in Community aid can be envisaged. Any continued financing of this project under the CSF for the current 2000-2006 programming period will be looked at using the same criteria.

The Commission has also received complaints questioning the conformity of certain aspects of the procedure opening to competition the studies of the second phase with the rules of Council Directive 92/50/EEC of 18 June 1992 relating to the coordination of procedures for the award of public service contracts. An analysis of the exchange of correspondence on this subject between the Commission and the Greek authorities is currently in progress.

For any further information concerning this project, the Commission would ask the Honourable Member to refer to the answers it gave to Oral Questions H-0224/01 by Mr Hatzidakis(1) and H-0307/01 by Mr Korakas(2) as well as to Written Question E-0832/01 by Mr Xarchakos(3).

(1) Written answer at the plenary session of March 2001.

(2) Written answer at the plenary session of April 2001.

(3) OJ C 261 E, 18.9.2001.