WRITTEN QUESTION E-2168/99

by Gerhard Schmid (PSE) to the Commission

(29 November 1999)

Subject: Teleworking centres in Bavaria

The Bavarian land government wishes to establish so-called teleworking centres in all administrative districts that are Objective 5b areas, as part of the top-eleven programme. A total of 40 such centres are to be established in Bavaria. The amount of DEM 60 million is being contributed from public funds. The greater part of that amount consists of European aid allocations. The Objective 5 programme is contributing some DEM 17,8 million, and about DEM 7,5 million are coming from the European Social Fund. The Bavarian land contribution runs to about DEM 15 million.

A brochure has also been prepared. It does not contain a single mention of the fact that the greater part of the funding has been allocated from the EU budget. Nor is any indication to be seen on the ground, on any of the projects known to me, that European funding has been provided.

1. Are there any provisions requiring Member State authorities that administer EU-funded projects publicly to acknowledge the source of such funding? If so, will the Commission reprimand the Bavarian land government on this occasion? If not, why not, and are any provisions to that effect in the pipeline?

2. To my present knowledge, the objective associated with the establishment of these centres of creating 600 new jobs in rural areas has fallen well short of its target. Has the Commission monitored this project for effective use of public funds, in relation in particular to job-creation? If so, with what results? If not, why not, and does it intend to do so?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(21 December 1999)

Operational programmes in the framework of objective 5b and Leader II and co-financed by the structural funds are designed on the level of priorities and measures, not at project level. Therefore the Commission usually has no knowledge of individual projects.

In the case of top elf (English: top eleven) the Bavarian authorities informed the Bavarian objective 5b and Leader II monitoring committee that the Bavarian concept for the integrated use of telecommunication in rural areas (top elf) fits into the measures of the operational programmes. It consists of a bundle of different projects which, for better visibility, were summarised in the concept top elf. These projects were connected with the European agriculture guidance and guarantee fund (EAGGF) and European social fund (ESF) measures of the objective 5b operational programme e.g. measure 7 forestry and top elf project forestry information system.

Neither Commission nor monitoring committee were informed of the detailed amounts of money intended to be spent under top elf. The Commission has contacted the German authorities in order to verify the figures the Honourable Member mentioned in his question.

The Commission was not informed about the brochure, which was prepared by the Bavarian authorities on top elf.

1. Point E of the horizontal clauses, annexed to the Commission decisions on the operational programmes, lays down that Commission Decision No 94/342/EC of 31 May 1994(1) concerning information and publicity measures to be carried out by the Member States concerning assistance from the structural funds shall apply.

The Commission is not in a position to confirm the Bavarian government did fulfil the requirements of the above mentioned publication in respect to the projects in question. The Commission is contacting the Member State in this connection.

2. As the operational programme is designed on measure level the Commission cannot carry out feasibility studies for projects. This is up to the Member State. In order to be able to deliver more detailed information the Commission is contacting the Member State.

(1) OJ L 152, 18.6.1994.