EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 88/310

(2004/C 88 E/0316)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3917/02

by Juan Naranjo Escobar (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(14 January 2003)

Subject: Border regions

In its communication ‘Community Action for Border Regions’ (1), the Commission proposed allocating appropriations totalling EUR 195 million over the period 2002-2006 for additional measures in regions bordering with candidate countries.

These measures, which affect 23 regions of five Member States, would be managed through the TEN, Interreg and Youth programmes and the pilot project for SMEs under budget heading B5-3003.

Can the Commission provide a breakdown by heading of the total sum of appropriations allocated to the border regions under the 2002 and 2003 budgets, including additional funds approved by the budgetary authority?

Can the Commission provide a breakdown of the payments allocated in 2002 and 2003 to each of the regions concerned?

What were the total payments made to each of these regions in 2002?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(27 February 2003)

The total amount of the additional commitment appropriations for the Union regions bordering the acceding countries in the budgets 2002 and 2003 is some EUR 98 million. The amount is split up as follows.

As regards the 2002 budget:

— EUR 30 million has been committed to the 13 Strand A Interreg programmes covering the borders with candidate countries as well as to the Strand Β Interreg programme for the Baltic Sea Region in the framework of a common priority ‘Special Support for Regions bordering the Candidate Countries’ (budget line B2-1411);

— EUR 20 million has been allocated to three strand C programmes of Interreg (East, North and South) and to the Interact programme for actions intended to encourage and facilitate co-operation in border regions; this amount is derived from paragraph 53 of the Interreg Guidelines (budget line B2-1410);

— EUR 20 million is under the ‘pilot project on the impact of enlargement in the border regions of the EU’ (budget line B5-3003), of which — EUR 3 million has been granted to ARGE28 to support a project in favour of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) (‘Growing together with Europe’); — EUR 15 million is to be committed in the framework of three calls for proposals launched by the Commission, which aim at improving the competitiveness of SMEs, addressing the needs of employees and workers, as well as strengthening the capacity of local and regional authorities to prepare for the administrative effects of enlargement; — EUR 2 million is to be used to finance additional measures in favour of young people in border regions according to the sets of rules, criteria and procedures applied in the YOUTH programme.

As regards the 2003 budget:

— EUR 17 million will derive from the budget line B5-3003 ‘Impact of enlargement in the border regions of the EU — preparatory actions’;

— EUR 3 million will be committed to finance additional measures in favour of young people in border regions in the framework of the YOUTH programme (B3-1010);

— EUR 8 million will be committed in the framework of the ‘Enlargement Programme for SMEs’ (budget line Β5-514). This programme has, however, a wider geographical scope than that of the present Union border regions.

No additional commitments in favour of Union regions bordering the acceding countries have been made in the framework of the trans-European networks since the corresponding legislative proposal adopted by the Commission on 2 October 2001, i.e. the draft regulation amending Council Regulation (EC) No 2236/95 laying down general rules for the granting of Community financial aid in the field of trans-European networks (2), has not yet been adopted.

The Commission is not in a position to deliver an overview of the exact financial allocation to each border region in 2002 and 2003. Especially where the Interreg programmes are concerned, the geographical pattern of expenditures is a result of the location of the projects supported, the projects themselves being selected on quality criteria.

The process of committing the additional financial resources for regions bordering the acceding countries in 2002 has been completed. Project implementation is, however, still in its early stage. Payment data are therefore not meaningful at present.

Concerning the above mentioned Interreg A and Β programmes, most of the adjusted programme complements were sent to the Commission by the end of 2002. Spending on projects can thus start in early 2003. It will be the task of the respective steering committees to commit these financial means to concrete projects according to criteria of the programme complements. Future payments will therefore depend on spending on the ground. The closing date for the eligibility of expenditure for this funding is 31 December 2004.

(1) COM(2001)437.

(2) OJ C 75 E, 26.3.2002.