WRITTEN QUESTION E-1459/01

by Christopher Heaton-Harris (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(17 May 2001)

Subject: Budget Line A-3022

Budget Line A-3022 grants 1 500 000 in 2001 to the academic world in order to co-finance projects whose aim is to promote the dissemination of knowledge on European integration.

This line would appear to duplicate, rather than complement, other Commission funding lines which have exactly the same aims, e.g. College of Europe, Bruges, European University Institute, Florence, Our Europe, grants to organisations advancing the idea of Europe, associations and federations of European interest, European think tanks and support for Jean Monnet House.

Could the Commission clarify exactly what makes Budget Line A-3022 different from the above funding lines and therefore merit 1 500 000 of taxpayers' money?

Are any of the organisations obtaining money from this line recipients of any other Community grants?

In the interests of fairness and democracy, would the Commission be prepared to fund organisations that take a balanced and unbiased approach to presenting information about the European Union to the public?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(23 July 2001)

Article A-3022 of the general budget of the Community offers grants for European integration activities organised by university-based study and research centres. This budget line targets university circles and their research activities and debates on the process of European integration. These factors are what gives the line its unique nature and what limits the range of eligible applicants.

Management of the financial resources revolves around the call for applications, which is published in the Official Journal and disseminated on the Internet.

The text of the call for applications allows certain priority themes to be supported each year. In this way, support can be provided for activities which closely reflect the Union's main preoccupations. Choosing priority themes helps to make sure the budget is spent as effectively as possible.

The projects submitted in response to the call for applications are assessed by independent experts, after which the successful candidates are selected.

Unlike in line A-3022, in budget lines A-3010 (College of Europe, Bruges), A-3011 (European University Institute, Florence), A-3020 (Our Europe Association) and A-3036 (Support for the Jean Monnet House) the beneficiaries are predetermined and in most cases the accompanying Remarks make it clear that the appropriations are designed to cover operating costs.

The intended beneficiaries under budget line A-3022 are universities. These must submit projects in response to the call for applications. The projects awarded grants under this line are concerned with examining and debating the process of European integration. The activities supported in the projects selected deal with the burning issues in Europe: seminars on the challenges of European integration, meetings of university professors on institutional reform and enlargement, organisation of conferences on the financial repercussions of the Euro, analysis of world trade and the Union, etc.

The main purpose of these grants is to support the debate on Europe and the active participation of universities in the European integration process. These are all unique aims compared with those pursued by other budget lines and they can be identified.

The beneficiary institutions specified in lines A-3010, A-3011 etc., not being eligible under the criteria applying to line A-3022, do not receive any support under this line.

As for the question of support for activities presenting information about the Union, it should be stressed that such activities are not eligible for funding from line A-3022.