WRITTEN QUESTION E-1803/98

by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE) to the Commission

(11 June 1998)

Subject: Serious problems in the implementation of EU co-funded Greek operational programme for education

According to information which has recently come to light in Greece, at the last meeting of the Monitoring Committee responsible for the operational programme for education and basic vocational training, the Community did not accept the proposals made by the Greek Ministry of Education to incorporate in the programme funding for 70 new departments in higher and technological educational establishments and for the operation of the new comprehensive school system. Funding is also being cut back by various other sources to a total of Drs 70 billion. All of this comes on top of the general problems associated with the implementation of the operational programme for education, which only a year and a half before it expires, has a take-up rate of only 29 %, Drs 164,4 billion compared with the total appropriation for the programme of Drs 564,7 billion.

Can the Commission say whether and to what extent this information is accurate and, if it is, on what grounds the Commission has rejected the Ministry of Education's proposals, whether the rejection is provisional or definitive and into which programmes under the CSF for Greece the deducted funds will be channelled?

Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission

(3 September 1998)

The main issue discussed in the meeting of the monitoring committee of the operational programme for "Education and initial training", held on 7 May 1998, was the programme's mid-term review and reprogramming.

The programme in question has an overall budget of about 1 900 MECU, its take-up rate to date is approximately 29 %, and about 1 350 MECU remain still unused. If no corrective action is taken and the past years' absorption rate is projected for the eighteen months (until 31 December 1999) which remain for implementation, then about 800 to 1 000 MECU would remain unused.

The Commission has invited the national authorities to review the programme by withdrawing or restricting actions with poor performance; strengthening actions advancing well; incorporating in the programme new actions which are ready to be implemented, consistent with the programme's objectives and with sufficient absorption capacity; declaring the total cost of some operations being implemented; and taking immediately all necessary measures (administrative, institutional) to accelerate implementation.

In response to the above invitation, the ministry of Education submitted a reprogramming proposal, which consisted mainly of strengthening the budget for the Integrated Lyceum, the current absorption rate of which is 9.5 %; and reinforcing the measure pertaining to the reform of university educational programmes by allocating an amount of about 26 MECU for the establishment of 12 new university programmes (the current absorption rate of the measure amounts to 22 %).

The Commission understands the importance of the above measures. However, the Commission is not convinced that, in the current circumstances, all the credits initially allocated to the operational programme for "Education and initial training" can be fully used. Discussions between the Commission and the Greek authorities are still in progress to identify ways of ensuring that resources attributed to this operational programme are absorbed efficiently before the end of the programming period.

According to the procedures applicable to the structural funds, the final decision concerning the modification of the budget of a Community support framework (CSF) operational programme will be taken by the CSF monitoring committee, an extra meeting of which will be convened before the end of July 1998.