WRITTEN QUESTION E-0952/98 by Riitta Myller (PSE) to the Commission (30 March 1998)

Subject: Cooperation between the Structural Funds and the PHARE/TACIS programmes

In recent years, various Community programmes and instruments have been introduced in support of cross-border cooperation across the Union's external borders. The CBC section, a new element in the TACIS and PHARE programmes, has for example played an important part in this. However, the introduction of the programmes has not been trouble-free. It would be highly desirable to improve the coordination and effectiveness of the programmes. To this end, an adequate legal basis should be created for cross-border cooperation between the EU and third countries.

Could the appropriate member of the Commission say how the Commission intends to ensure proper cooperation between the Structural Funds and the TACIS/PHARE programmes? Will the Commission advocate the inclusion in new rules concerning the Structural Funds of more flexible provisions regarding Community funding from the supranational, interregional TACIS and PHARE programmes?

Answer given by Mr Van den Broek on behalf of the Commission (8 May 1998)

As the Honourable Member recalls, the Commission has in recent years taken several initiatives to foster cross-border cooperation. These initiatives apply to cooperation between the Community and Central and eastern European (CEC) countries, between the CEC countries themselves and between these countries and the New independent states (NIS). The PHARE and TACIS cross-border cooperation (CBC) programmes are two of these initiatives. Another is the CREDO programme which covers CEC/CEC and CEC/NIS cross-border cooperation and aims to fund projects which will give tangible benefits to border regions and communities.

The Commission is at present reviewing the PHARE CBC Commission Regulation (EC) No 1628/94 of 4 July 1994 concerning the implementation of a programme for cross-border cooperation between countries in central and eastern Europe and Member States of the Community in the framework of the PHARE programme ((OJ L 171, 6.7.1994. )) with a view to increasing the programme's flexibility. The review will also take into account experience to date in coordinating PHARE CBC activities with those funded from Community structural funds (Interreg IIA). The Commission has furthermore decided to launch a special preparatory programme (SPP) to prepare candidate countries for Community structural policy. The SPP provides for a range of actions to prepare candidates in the short term for the special funds which will become available to them from the year 2000, and in the longer term enabling them to participate as Member States in the structural funds.

Regarding TACIS funded cross border cooperation the question of coordination with activities funded from the structural funds will be reviewed in the context of the new TACIS regulation expected to come into force in the year 2000.

It will be crucial to ensure that PHARE assistance after the year 2000 is well coordinated with pre-accession aid available under the new structural and agriculture instruments proposed in Agenda 2000 and endorsed by the European Council in Luxembourg in December 1997. To this end the Commission has proposed a coordination regulation ((COM(98) 150. )) which describes what each of the instruments will do and ensures that they are implemented in a coordinated way.