WRITTEN QUESTION E-1929/00

by Bartho Pronk (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(16 June 2000)

Subject: ESF-3 single planning document for the period 2000-2006

The Commission is at present in the concluding stage of negotiations with the Netherlands on the ESF-3 single planning document for the period 2000-2006. The Netherlands Government is proposing that two priorities, namely Pro-active employment policy and Lifelong learning, should be the only ones entitled to apply for ESF funds.

1. Is this approach not likely to result in the ESF in effect taking charge of regular expenditure for employment and the Netherlands vocational training system?

2. How will the Commission ensure that the ultimate recipients, including local authorities, not only the communes belonging to the G25 but also the other communes where the projects are actually being carried out, do not receive less funding?

3. Is it possible to safeguard transparency and additionality in the proposals of the Netherlands Government?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(24 July 2000)

The Commission would inform the Honourable Member that it has reached agreement with the Dutch authorities to have a single programming document (SPD) with four priorities (the respective budgetary shares are indicated in brackets):

- Priority 1: Prevention according to guideline 2 (36 %)

- Priority 2: Employability of the labour force (45 %)

- Measure 2.1: Reintegration of long-term unemployed (36 %)

- Measure 2.2: Training of workers (8 %)

- Measure 2.3: Article 4.2 of the ESF regulation (1 %)

- Priority 3: Life long learning in vocational education (16 %)

- Priority 4: Technical assistance (3 %).

European social fund-Netherlands (ESF-NL) is a new unit, recently established within Arbeidsvoorziening (ARBVO), that will act as managing authority. ESF-NL has created a network of six regional clusters to maintain contacts with the final beneficiaries. Apart from ARBVO it has been decided, for the moment, that there will be five other types of final beneficiaries: the 25 largest cities (G25), the 40 sectoral training funds, the Landelijk Instituut Sociale Verzekeringen (LISV), the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science for priority 3, and ESF-NL as the sole final beneficiary for technical assistance.

1. The SPD contains a specific chapter on additionality with a detailed table showing how much the Netherlands has been spending in the past. The Commission will ensure that the Netherlands does not use ESF funds simply to replace existing expenditure. The additionality principle is checked three times by the Commission during the programming period: ex ante, before the end of 2003 and before the end of 2005.

2. The G25 are individually recognised as final beneficiaries, the smaller municipalities will have to apply to ARBVO for ESF support. The budget given to ARBVO for this purpose will be closely monitored. The European employment strategy has given a new role to the ESF which requires a shift in policy emphasis away from curative to preventive. The new SPD has taken this into account which means that a large part of the ESF budget has been set aside for the comprehensive approach according to guideline 2 of the national action plan (NAP) in which the municipalities are to play an important role. The Commission has asked the Netherlands to give the comprehensive approach more visibility in its new SPD.

3. Once the new SPD has been approved, the Commission will forward a copy directly to the Parliament. The Commission is confident that the Honourable Member will find that transparency and additionality have been respected in the proposals of the Netherlands government.