WRITTEN QUESTION P-0976/03

by José Ribeiro e Castro (UEN) to the Commission

(20 March 2003)

Subject: The structural and cohesion funds in Portugal

In an interview published in the newspaper Diário Económico on 3 March this year, Commissioner Günther Verheugen, when asked about the future of structural and cohesion measures in Portugal, in view of the enlargement of the European Union and the accompanying rise in Portugal's GDP in relation to the Community average above the ceiling of 75 % replied that the Commission had made it clear that the statistical effect of enlargement, whereby countries such as Portugal would be rich on paper but not in reality, must not mean the end of cohesion policy. Later on he said that if there were successful programmes which were helping Portugal to prepare itself and to create more growth, more jobs and more opportunities for people, it was in the EU's interest to continue with such programmes.

In conclusion he promised that the Commission would propose that the level of support for Portugal in the forthcoming financial package should remain more or less the same.

Can the Commission:

- clarify in greater detail these important statements made by the Commissioner;

- say whether it already has any policy documents concerning the financial package for Portugal in the context of the structural and cohesion funds after 2006, and when it expects to formalise the proposal to maintain the level of Portugal's financial package after 2006;

- say what specific programmes in Portugal it considers to be successful and helping Portugal to prepare itself and to create more growth, more jobs and more opportunities for people, and hence considers it in the EU's interest to continue with.

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(15 April 2003)

The programmes financed by the Structural Funds and the Cohesion Fund in Portugal are intended to make the Portuguese economy more competitive, stimulate growth and job creation, and provide citizens with new opportunities.

The Honourable Member is no doubt aware of the significant results achieved so far thanks to Community assistance, which has enabled Portugal to reduce part of its development shortfall.

It is too soon to evaluate the results of programmes and projects financed for the 2000-2006 programming period. The Directorate-General for Regional Policy has published a macroeconomic impact assessment study for the 2000-2006 period on its Inforegio website(1).

An interim evaluation of programmes financed under the third Community support framework will be available at the end of 2003. It will enable the Commission to draw initial conclusions and to identify the most effective programmes in relation to the objectives sought.

The future shape of Community cohesion policy after 2006 is currently still being discussed. The latest stage in this process was the seminar with Structural Funds managers held on 3 and 4 March 2003.

In the third cohesion report at the end of 2003, the Commission will present proposals for future cohesion policy after 2006. The financial perspective proposals for the post-2006 period will be presented later. It is therefore not currently possible to give an indication of the amounts which Portugal might receive after 2006.

(1) http://europa.eu.int/comm/regional_policy/sources/docgener/studies/pdf/objective1/final_report.pdf.