The full amount of the ‘TERRA 1’ loans of EUR300 million signed in 2000 have been completely
allocated and disbursed. This is a complex, multi-sector, multi-location operation embracing thereconstructionofover3100housingunits,theestablishmentofbusinesscentersforover5600businesspremises,supporttonearly25000smallbusinessestoreplacebusinessassets,emergencyhighwayrepairs,railwayrepairs,rehabilitationofmunicipalinfrastructure,reconstructionofhospitals.Inall,almost60distinctinvestmentreconstructionprogrammesorprojectshavebeenindividuallyfinancedbytheEIB.ImplementationoftherecentlysignedfinalTERRA1trancheofEUR150millioniswellunderway.
Asregardstheevaluation,theEIBmonitorsincooperationwiththeWorldBankandotherdonorstheuse
oftheloanscloselyandreceivesmonthlyprogressreports.Arecentin-depthreviewbytheBankofthewholeTERRA1projectconfirmedthatitisprogressingwell.ThephysicalcompletionoftheTERRA1projectanduseofthefullEUR450millionisforeseenbeforetheendof2004.Atthattime,aProjectCompletionReportwillbeissued.
Knownasthe‘TERRA2’project,theremainingamountoftheoverallTERRAFacility(EUR150million)
wasmountedinparallelandsignedin2000/2001intheformofgloballoans,vialocalbanks,toassistTurkishenterprises(mainlysmallandmedium-sizedenterprises(SMEs)intheaffectedareas)torebuildandreconstructtheirformerbusinesses.ThispartoftheMandateisalsonowprogressingwellafteraslowstart,anditisexpectedthattheamountwillalsobefullycommittedbyend2004infavourofawiderangeofTurkishSMEsintheaffectedareas.
Followingthe earthquake ofSeptember 1999,Greece andthe EIB entered in December 1999intoa
financecontractsignedforanamountofEUR300million(ofanoriginalEUR900millionapprovedbytheBoardon7December1999).EUR150millionweredisbursedon15December1999.Mid2002,thedisbursement deadline was extended to 31December 2002, following which date, any undisbursedbalance would be automatically annulled. The Progress Report of the Ministry of Economy datedNovember2002,demonstratedthatrealisedprojectexpenditurewasnotsufficienttojustifyfurtherloandisbursementsanditwasdecidedthattheremainingcredit(EUR150millionsignedbutundisbursedandEUR600millionnotsigned)wouldbecancelledon31December2002.
Theprincipalreasonsidentifiedforthedelayare:
/dash a higher than expected Community contribution (mainly European Regional Development Fund
(ERDF)grants)allowingforamere10%ofinvestmentcostlentbyEIB;
/dash theconsiderabledelaysinschemesimplementationbecauseoflengthyandcumbersomeadministrative
procedures;
/dash theover-estimatedoriginalbudgetasestablishedbytheMinistryofEconomyandFinanceatappraisal.
(1) CouncilDecision2000/24/ECof22December1999grantingaCommunityguaranteetotheEuropeanInvestment
BankagainstlossesunderloansforprojectsoutsidetheCommunity(CentralandEasternEurope,Mediterranean
countries,LatinAmericaandAsiaandtheRepublicofSouthAfrica),OJL9,13.1.2000.
(2) EUR350 million loans were signed on 2April 2003, of which EUR150 million under TERRA 1 and
EUR200millionforothernon-relatedoperations.
(2004/C58E/094) WRITTENQUESTIONP-1530/03
byGiuseppeDiLelloFinuoli(GUE/NGL)totheCommission
(29April2003)
Subject:FundingbytheItalianStateandtheregionofCampaniaoftheprogrammecontractpresentedby
AgrifuturoS.c.a.r.l.
Inapreliminaryreplyof14February2003tomywrittenquestionof22January2003(P-0126/03(1)),
CommissionerFischlersaidthathehadnoknowledgeoftheinvestmentprojectsubmittedbythecompanyAgrifuturo.6.3.2004EN C58E/77 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
ItlateremergedthattheregionofCampaniahadproposedanamendmenttopoint4.9ofitsregional
operationalprogrammeinanefforttohavetheCommissionreviewthelimitsandprohibitionsaffectingfundingofthetomato-processingsector.
Withoutanamendmentofthiskind,theAgrifuturoprogrammecontractcouldnotbefunded,asitwasin
breachofthespecificprovisionsofpoint4.9,underwhichplantmodernisationresultinginanincreaseinprocessingcapacitywasnoteligibleforassistance.
TheCommissiondidnotaccepttheproposedamendmentandnotifiedtheregionofCampaniaofits
decisioninApril2002.
Inthelightoftheabove,willtheCommissionascertainwhether,despitetherejectionoftheproposed
amendmenttopoint4.9ofCampania’sregionaloperationalprogramme,fundingfortheabovementionedprogrammecontracthasbeenprovidedbytheItalianStateand/ortheregionofCampaniaand,ifso,
whetherinfringementproceedingshavebeeninitiated?
(1) OJC161E,10.7.2003,p.180.
AnswergivenbyMrFischleronbehalfoftheCommission
(5June2003)
TheCommissionrequestedfromtheItalianauthoritiesallthedataneededtoascertainiffundinghadbeen
accordedAgrifuturo.
TheItalianauthoritiesrecentlysuppliedthesame.Noproceedingshaveyetbeeninitiatedasthesaiddatahasstilltobeanalysed.
(2004/C58E/095) WRITTENQUESTIONE-1539/03
byJonasSjöstedt(GUE/NGL)totheCommission
(7May2003)
Subject:EIBloanstoMorocco/dashallegedirregularitieswithriskcapitalgiventoSMEs
Inanotedated21February2003,MrAbdelkaderChatri,former‘ResponsableduContrôleRégionaledu
CréditAgricoleduMaroc(CNCA)’hasdrawntheattentionoftheEuropeanInvestmentBanktoserious
irregularitiesinconnectionwithEIBloansgiventothecompanyBiopain.
WhatstepshavebeentakenbytheEIBtofollowuptheseallegations?HastheEIBinformedtheEuropeanAnti-FraudOfficeOLAFabouttheseallegations?WhatstepshavebeentakensofarbyOLAF?
AnswergivenbyMrsSchreyeronbehalfoftheCommission
(30June2003)
TheCommissionhasreceivedthefollowinginformationfromEIB:
TheEuropeanInvestmentBank(EIB)receivedaletterfromMrChatri,formerfinancialcontrollerof
oneoftheparticipatingbanksinanapexgloballoantotheMoroccanGovernment.Inthatletter,MrChatricomplainedthatproceedsoftwosub-loanswerenotusedfortheintendedpurpose.Inlinewithprevailingprocedures,theletteranddocumentswereimmediatelytransmittedtoEIB’sHeadofC58E/78 EN6.3.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion