WRITTEN QUESTION E-3683/00

by Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(29 November 2000)

Subject: Amounts allotted under and implementation of the Cohesion Fund

Can the Commission say what aggregate amounts were allotted to each Member State under the Cohesion Fund during the 1994-1999 programming period and what was the out-turn in each country?

Can it say what aggregate amounts have been allotted to each Member State under the Cohesion Fund in 2000 and what has been the out-turn to date in each country?

How does the Commission view out-turn of the Cohesion Fund during the 1994-1999 programming period in each of the recipient Member States?

How does the Commission view out-turn of the Cohesion Fund so far in the year 2000 in each of the recipient Member States?

Does it have any means of rectifying implementation of the Cohesion Fund in recipient Member States that are not implementing it fully or properly?

Could unused appropriations be transferred to Cohesion Fund countries which are making full and effective use of the resources allocated to them?

Supplementary answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(5 April 2001)

The appropriations allocated to the Member States eligible under the Cohesion Fund in 1993-1999 are shown in the following table. The rate of implementation of commitment appropriations was 100 % and all the appropriations available during that period were implemented. Implementation of commitment appropriations by Member State in 1993-1999 was in line with the allocation by Member State.

>TABLE>

The appropriations allocated to each Member State eligible under the Cohesion Fund and the extent of implementation for 2000 are shown in the following table.

>TABLE>

Because of the time required to process the new projects submitted for financing from the Cohesion Fund under Council Regulation (EC) No 1164/94 of 16 May 1994 establishing a Cohesion Fund(1), as amended by Council Regulations (EC) Nos 1264/1999(2) and 1265/1999, both of 21 June 1999,(4) implementation of Cohesion Fund appropriations in 2000 was inevitably concentrated at the end of the year. Indeed, 49 % of the appropriations were committed in December 2000 and some ( 413,5 million) could not be committed before the end of the year. The appropriations not implemented will be carried out to 2001 pursuant to Article 7 of the Financial Regulation(3). The Commission authorised Ireland to exceed its allocation in order to avoid the risk of losing appropriations if the projects ready for adoption at the end of 2000 did not permit all the appropriations available at the end of the year to be carried over in accordance with the conditions imposed by Article 7 of the Financial Regulation.

The difference between implementation and the allocation by Member State eligible under the Cohesion Fund will be offset in 2001 against each country's forecast allocation.

It should be noted that Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 1164/94, as amended by Regulation (EC) No 1264/1999, lays down an indicative allocation of the total resources of the Cohesion Fund among the beneficiary Member States for the period 2000-2006. The Commission will do everything possible to respect these allocations, which reflect a political commitment given at the Berlin European Council. It should also be remembered that the commitments for 2000 plus those from 2000 carried over to 2001 exhaust the allocation. Adjustments may be made between the Member States eligible under the Cohesion Fund so that finally these allocations are fully used by the beneficiary countries.

(1) OJ L 130, 25.5.1994.

(2) OJ L 161, 26.6.1999.

(3) OJ L 356, 31.12.1977.

(4) OJ L 161, 26.6.1999.