WRITTEN QUESTION E-0989/98

by Cristiana Muscardini (NI) to the Commission

(2 April 1998)

Subject: Reform of the Structural Funds for the years 2000-2006

It appears from the proposals contained in Agenda 2000 that the reform of the Structural Funds will result in several central and northern Italian provinces currently covered by Objectives 2 and 5b being excluded from them, leading to a reduction of some 10 % in the the funds allocated to Italy in the period from 1994-1999, and reducing the percentage of the population concerned from 19.3 % at present to 9.3 %. The areas affected by these cuts would apparently include the Scrivia valley (Objective 2) and rural districts of the province of Alessandria (Objective 5b), under the terms of Regulation 2081/93. In view of the fact that, thanks to Community funding, many communes - including Novi Ligure - have already embarked on ambitious projects to encourage production conversion, the regeneration of blighted industrial areas, vocational training and the development of tourism.

The Commission:

1. Could it state the criteria to be used to determine and delimit the new Objective 2 areas?

2. Could it state - in the interests of transparency - with whom and when those criteria were discussed and decided?

3. Could it state whether the mayors and the presidents of the provinces and regions concerned were informed of the reasons why the Commission decided to exclude them?

4. Could it confirm whether or not the decision to exclude these areas was connected to the new expenditure earmarked - without corresponding budget increases - for the purpose of enlarging the Union to include countries formerly run on collectivist lines?

5. Has it planned any alternative measures for the benefit of areas adversely affected by the forthcoming reform, to ensure they are not treated in an unfair and discriminatory fashion?

Answer given by Mrs Wulf-Mathies on behalf of the Commission

(20 May 1998)

The full text of Article 4 of the proposed general regulation on the structural funds(1) containing the criteria for the new objective 2 is forwarded directly to the Honourable Member and to Parliament's Secretariat.

The Commission's proposals for the new objective 2, as for all other elements of the proposed new regulatory framework, are the result of a long period of consultation that began with the publication of the cohesion report in November 1996(2) and a major conference, the cohesion forum, in April 1997. This was followed up in July 1997 by the Commission's communication Agenda 2000(3), which set out concrete proposals for the next generation of Community cohesion policies, including those for a new objective 2. In the light of the opinions expressed on Agenda 2000 by the Community institutions and bodies, the Commission adopted proposals for new regulations for the structural funds on 18 March 19981.

The proposals include specific eligibility criteria for the new objective 2. They also establish a procedure for the determination of the new list of objective 2 areas for the next period. The new list would be drawn up by the Commission after the regulation has been formally adopted, on the basis of areas proposed by the national authorities and in the light of the most recent statistical data. This means that it would not be appropriate to speculate on the future eligibility of any region of the Community at this stage, including the Italian regions to which the Honourable Member refers.

The Commission's proposals are motivated, independently of the effects of future enlargement, by a determination to raise the efficiency of interventions under the structural funds. For this to be achieved, the Commission proposes that Community aid should be targeted on a limited number of areas with the most severe structural problems. For areas that are currently eligible under objectives 2 or 5b but would no longer meet the criteria, the Commission proposes a gradual phasing out over a period of four years of assistance under the European regional development fund. Such areas would also benefit throughout the period 2000-2006 from assistance from the European social fund and from the European agricultural guidance and guarantee fund-guarantee section in the context of national programmes targeted respectively on human resources and on rural development and fisheries.

(1) COM(98) 131 final.

(2) COM(96) 542 final.

(3) COM(97) 2000 final.