EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 88/6

(2004/C 88 E/0007)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0238/03

by Marjo Matikainen-Kallström (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(4 February 2003)

Subject: Clarification of the status of the Northern Dimension in the EU budget

In his reply to Question E-3670/01 (1), Commissioner Patten stated: ‘The Commission is in general against the creation of small thematic or specialised small budget lines, which hinder effective management of the Community budget.’

In view of this, I should appreciate it if the Commission could clarify a number of points. Does the Commission regard the Northern Dimension as ‘thematic’? Ought the MEDA programme therefore likewise to be regarded as thematic? Are not the Northern Dimension and MEDA EU common programmes?

What does the Commission mean by ‘effective management of the Community budget’? Is it not precisely in budget lines whose scope is broad that fraud occurs?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(3 March 2003)

The Northern Dimension is an important political initiative, which has the full support of the Commission. Since its launch, as decided by the European Council in Feira (June 2000), it has been clear that the Northern Dimension would be based on political dialogue and co-ordination of Community instruments. The Northern Dimension cannot, therefore, be compared to completely different frameworks for Community action such as the MEDA Programme.

The establishment of a Northern Dimension budget line would not be coherent with the fundamental characteristics of the initiative, which is and will continue to be financed from existing Community programmes. This basic principle was reaffirmed by both the Ministerial Meeting on the Northern Dimension that took place on 21 October 2002 and by the General Affairs Council of 22 October 2002. The ‘Guidelines for the new Northern Dimension Action Plan’ approved by the Foreign Ministers of Member States and of the seven Partner Countries (Russian Federation, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Norway and Iceland) and subsequently endorsed by the Council do not propose any change in this funding mechanism.

Since 2000, Northern Dimension initiatives have received substantial financing by the TACIS programme for actions in Russia, from the PHARE, ISPA and Sapard programmes for the Candidate Countries and from Interreg in the Member States concerned. For example, the budget line (B7-521) for Cross-Border Cooperation is used predominantly in the Northern Dimension area; its subsidiary line for the Baltic Sea (B7-5211) is entirely aimed at the Northern Dimension area. In addition, the Commission has actively participated in the creation of innovative funding schemes such as the Northern Dimension Environmental Partnership, towards which the Commission is contributing EUR 50 million over three years.

The recent 2002 Annual Progress Report on the implementation of the Northern Dimension Action Plan (2) provides a good overview of the wide range of activities being carried forward within the Northern Dimension. The Commission is convinced that such substantial support, in so many different areas, could not be guaranteed by a single Northern Dimension budget line.

(1) OJ C 301 E, 5.12.2002, p. 19.

(2) SEC(2002)1296.