WRITTEN QUESTION P-2006/00

by María Sornosa Martínez (PSE) to the Commission

(16 June 2000)

Subject: Improper use by the Valencia regional government of Community funds for the development of the information society

On 21 June 1996 the Valencia regional government issued a resolution by means of which the Valencia Office for the Information Society (OVSI) was set up for the purpose, inter alia, of coordinating and supervising the implementation of the project designed to incorporate the Valencia region into the information society in the way described in the Memorandum signed in Brussels on 28 November 1994.

Since it was set up, however, the OVSI has been challenged in political, economic and business circles for its failure to perform satisfactorily the tasks for which it was established. This has led to the resignation of a regional government minister for alleged perversion of the course of justice and complaints from traders' associations concerning unfair competition in the Renove plan, which is part of the Infoville programme (an aspect of the regional government's telecommunications master plan).

Is the Commission aware of these facts?

Could the Commission provide information regarding the type and the amount of Community funding which the Valencia regional government has received for the OVSI Foundation and the Infoville programme (or any of the programmes run by the regional government's Infocentre), with particular reference to headings B5-330 and B5-331 relating to the information society?

Is the Commission intending to open an inquiry in order to establish whether or not the Valencia regional government is using the Community aid in question correctly and in accordance with the Valencia region information society development objectives for which purpose they were allocated?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(28 July 2000)

The Commission was not previously aware of the information supplied by the Honourable Member.

On 8 July 1998, the Commission received a formal application for grant from the OVSI Foundation, for an amount of 10 000 on a total budget of 60 000. The objective was to support the organisation of the second summer school on regional policy of information society and telecommunication which was to be held in Alicante from 21 to 24 September 1998.

The proposed project was found to be in line with the goals set out in the work programme of ISAC and after assessment by ISAC/IS2, it was decided to grant a subvention on the budget line B5-331. Payments were made according to existing rules and the final report and financial statement clearly showed that the funds granted were indeed used for the organisation of the event as described in the application.

The 1994-1999 operational programme for the Valencia region supported by the European regional development fund did contain a measure in support of the information society. The OVSI Foundation was one of the potential beneficiaries of this measure. However, given that, apart from large investments, the Commission is not involved in the selection of individual projects for structural fund assistance, it does not have details of the use made of any grants in favour of the Foundation in question.

The Commission has requested the relevant information from the Spanish authorities.