WRITTEN QUESTION E-0555/02

by Giovanni Pittella (PSE), Guido Bodrato (PPE-DE), Luigi De Mita (PPE-DE),Giovanni Fava (PSE), Fiorella Ghilardotti (PSE), Vincenzo Lavarra (PSE),Francesco Musotto (PPE-DE), Giorgio Napolitano (PSE), Mauro Nobilia (UEN),Guido Podestà (PPE-DE), Adriana Poli Bortone (UEN), Guido Sacconi (PSE),Luciana Sbarbati (ELDR), Mariotto Segni (UEN)and Maurizio Turco (NI) to the Commission

(28 February 2002)

Subject: Implementation of the Structural Funds for the 1994-1999 programming period

Given that:

- the activities cofinanced by the Structural Funds for the 1994-1999 programming period were concluded on 31 December 2001;

- the time taken to approve the programmes meant that it was not possible to make the relevant payments and commitments until 1995.

- although the final figures for implementation are not yet available, the report on the arrangements and implementation times for cofinanced measures under the Structural Funds published by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers says on page 213 that, in the case of the ESF, spending for Objective 3 in Italy as at December 1999 was 66 % of the total;

- a joint study by the London School of Economics and the University of Castellanza has sounded an alarm bell about Italy's spending capacity in relation to the Structural Funds and on 30 June 2001 the Sole 24 Ore newspaper reported non-payment of EUR 5,2 billion;

- the total amount unspent by Italy is apparently more than a billion Euro;

- the spending capacity of the Funds has been affected by the introduction of new and highly complex procedures involving the regions and provinces to a greater extent in programming and spending;

- at the end of the programming period concluded in 1993, a bridging programme was set up for funds not used;

- Italy is lagging far behind in terms of training in informatics and telematics and languages and despite having raised training requirements in these areas and having introduced compulsory training for all apprentices, it finds itself in a position where this requirement is being widely ignored owing to lack of funds.

In the light of the above, can the European Commission give details of the total amount of Structural Fund resources not used in Italy during the 1994-1999 programming period and corresponding figures for the other EU countries?

Can the Commission assess the feasibility of a bridging programme which would allow the sums not spent to be used rapidly in three areas (computer literacy, language learning and training of apprentices) on the basis of national plans that could be launched immediately?

Finally, could the Commission assess the feasibility of increasing the funding for those programmes that have demonstrated high levels of efficiency and effectiveness in expenditure?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(29 April 2002)

Although for the 1994-1999 Structural Fund programming period the final date for eligibility of expenditure (except where an extension was granted) is 31 December 2001 the Commission is at present unable to notify the amounts not spent by Member States.

The reason is that under Article 21(4) of Regulation (EEC) 4253/88 as amended by Regulation (EEC) No 2082/93(1) Member States have until 30 June 2002 to send the Commission the final statements of expenditure and full programme execution reports. Only after these documents have been processed will the Commission be able to work out the sums not used by each Member State and execute the closure operations accordingly.

To permit Community and national commitments to be made the cut-off date for Member States' proposals to the Commission for adjustments to the 1994-1999 programmes, including proposals for new areas of spending, was 31 December 1999. Any amounts not covered by a declaration of expenditure will be decommitted from the Community budget. There is no provision in the Community rules for unused sums to be recovered by a bridging programme.

Article 44 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 of 21 June 1999 laying down general provisions on the Structural Funds(2) details the innovative performance reserve provision for the 2000-2006 programming period under which 4 % of total commitment appropriations remain unallocated until the first quarter of 2004 after assessment of all programmes.

Performance will be measured against the objectives agreed in the operational programmes, single programming documents and programme complements. The monitoring indicators to be used will gauge financial implementation, management and effectiveness. The Commission considers that the positive impact of the performance reserve lies in allocation of additional funds to the programmes that have demonstrated high levels of effectiveness and administrative efficiency in Structural Fund utilisation.

(1) Council Regulation (EEC) No 2082/93 of 20 July 1993 amending Regulation (EEC) No 4253/88 laying down provisions for implementing Regulation (EEC) No 2052/88 as regards coordination of the activities of the different Structural Funds between themselves and with the operations of the European Investment Bank and the other existing financial instruments, OJ L 193, 31.7.1993.

(2) OJ L 161, 26.6.1999.