WRITTEN QUESTION P-1411/01

by Cecilia Malmström (ELDR) to the Commission

(3 May 2001)

Subject: State for European political youth organisations

The Commission has recently tabled a proposal for a Council Regulation on statutes for and financing of European political parties, COM(2000) 898, based on article 191 of the Treaty. The proposal, which deals with the concrete way in which party administration and activities are to be financed, also calls for a Statute on European political parties.

Article 191 TEU refers to political parties at European level as an important factor for integration within the Union, as well as contributing to forming a European awareness and to expressing the political will of the citizens of the Union.

In its proposal, the Commission refers to the lack of legal base for the current funding of parties, and also mentions the important role that will be played by European parties with a view to the upcoming enlargement and the next European elections. It should not be forgotten that political youth organisations are often even further ahead than their mother parties in creating contacts with young people involved in political life in the candidate countries. A lot of important work, in particular related to forming new ideas on European integration and the future of the European project, is done by political youth organisations at European level. The major party federations connected to the political groups in the European Parliament have had youth movements for many years already, of which ECOSY (PSE), YEPP (PPE) and LYMEC (ELDR) may be the most well-known.

The European political youth organisations are currently entitled to apply for funding from budget line A-3029 in the general budget of the European Commission. The same budget line applies to all other, non-political, youth organisations that are members of the European Youth Forum. As do the European political parties, several political youth organisations also receive funds directly out of the budgets of the parliamentary groups, and thus from the European Parliament. Considering the criticism expressed by the Court of Auditors in relation to the political parties, there may also be a lack of legal base for parliamentary groups to provide youth organisations with funds for overheads and projects.

As mentioned by the Commission, transparency in the financing of political parties is of great importance. However, in a situation where political parties would be entitled to funding out of the general EU budget, it may well be that parties would devote parts of their budgets to youth movements, most of which are independent legal persons. This would not contribute to increased transparency. The most effective and transparent solution in this respect may be to set up a statute for, as well as a system for direct financing of, political youth organisations at European level.

Considering this, would the Commission be ready to put forward a proposal concerning a statute and funding for European youth organisations?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(29 June 2001)

1. The Commission is aware of the importance of the activities of political youth organisations in connection with European integration.

2. As mentioned by the Honourable Member, these organisations are eligible for financial assistance under budget line A-3029(1) of the Commission's general budget provided that, in the same way as other types of organisation, they meet the conditions and criteria set out in the annual call for proposals published in the Official Journal(2).

The funding provided in this connection relates to the organisations' operating expenses and may not exceed 50 % of this expenditure. In addition, as stated in the comments on Article A-302, the organisations concerned must be in receipt of at least 20 % cofinancing from sources other than the Commission's budget.

The financing arrangements are transparent. The organisations are obliged to declare the Community financial support they receive, and also in future any Community funding they may receive via the financing of political parties.

3. The proposal for a Council Regulation on the statute and funding of European political partie is currently being discussed in the Council. Given the transparency of the current arrangements, the Commission does not at this stage see any need to submit a proposal of the same kind concerning European political youth organisations.

(1) The appropriation under budget line A-3029 is intended to cover the provision of funding to international non-governmental youth organisations working in a European context.

(2) OJ C 11, 13.1.2001, for the 2001 financial year.