WRITTEN QUESTION E-2438/98

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(30 July 1998)

Subject: Operational programme on health and welfare

The Second Community Support Framework for Greece contains an operational programme on health and welfare endowed with a total budget of ECU 339 million; its objective is to reduce regional disparities and increase the effectiveness of the health and welfare system in Greece. The programme comprises the following sub-programmes: 1. Health; 2. Welfare; 3. Human resources; and 4. Technical aid.

Given that the sub-programmes have been running since 1994, will the Commission say:

1. What is the take-up rate for the sub-programmes?

2. If there have been any delays in take-up, what are the main causes for these delays for each sub-programme?

3. Did the last review of the Second CSF for Greece see cuts in the programme in question and, if so, what measures were affected and how large were the cuts?

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

(9 October 1998)

1. At the end of the first half of 1998, utilisation of appropriations under the operational programme for health and welfare was as follows:

- total cost of the programme: ECU 339,02 million

- total cost to 31 December 1998: ECU 224,20 million

- commitments by the Commission: ECU 60,29 million

- payments by the Commission: ECU 49,5 million

- total of statements of expenditure by the Greek authorities at 31 November 1997: ECU 30,00 million

A considerable improvement is normally expected during the last three months of the year because that is when expenditure is usually concentrated.

2. The reasons for the delay in the use of appropriations are:

- subprogramme 1 "health": a large part of the budget for this subprogramme concerns equipment for hospitals built under the regional OPs. Since the installation of equipment is the last stage, after construction of the buildings, this expenditure will be incurred at the end of the programming period;

- subprogramme 2 "welfare": the projects financed are innovative and their implementation is linked with institutional measures currently being finalised;

- subprogramme 3 "human resources": implementation began in October 1997, after establishment of a specific system for the management, monitoring and evaluation of the training projects in the OP. The Ministry concerned expects all these appropriations to be absorbed by the end of 1999;

- subprogramme 4 "technical assistance": almost all the appropriations (80 %) will be used to pay the OP assessor, whose contract was signed in July 1998, and the communications adviser, who is currently being chosen.

3. At the last meeting of the Monitoring Committee for the Community Support Framework, on 21 July 1998, it was decided, as part of the adjustments to be carried out to take account of the change in the exchange rate of the drachma against the ecu, that the total cost of the programme would fall from ECU 339,02 million to ECU 315,98 million. The procedure for ratifying this amendment is in hand. However, the current budget in drachmas is expected to cover planned expenditure on all the projects, which means that there will be no reduction in either the number of projects or total funding.