WRITTEN QUESTION E-2211/98

by Daniela Raschhofer (NI) to the Commission

(16 July 1998)

Subject: Europartenariat

Europartenariat is a programme set up by the Commission in 1987 with the aim of stepping up cooperation between undertakings (SMUs). To this end a major event is held every six months, each time in a different European region. Alongside this event, at which meetings are arranged between companies and presentations made, a catalogue is published which is translated into five languages and distributed in 80 countries.

In connection with this event and the programme:

1. How is the venue for the events selected?

2. Which people and organizations are included in the "network of national counsellors"? Which organization is involved in Austria?

3. According to what criteria are companies selected to take part in this event?

4. According to what criteria are the counsellors selected who choose appropriate business partners abroad?

5. What sums are disbursed by the Commission for the preparation and implementation of this event?

6. What are the costs of the interpreting service which is made available?

7. What proportion of the costs is received by these counsellors in fees?

8. How many participants are involved in these events?

9. In which five languages is the catalogue of the event translated?

10. What is the size of the print-run and what is the cost of the catalogue distributed in more than 80 countries?

11. How are the desired positive effects of this event examined or assessed?

12. Is there a uniform evaluation procedure?

Answer given by Mr Papoutsis on behalf of the Commission

(23 October 1998)

1. The choice for a Member State is based on a request by the authorities of the Member State to the Commission.

2. The national counsellors are intermediary organisations of the different Member States themselves that have close links with the business community in their Member States (often chambers of commerce). For Austria, the Austrian federal economic chamber acts as national counsellor.

3. The minimum requirements from the Commission are that companies are small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) (according to the Commission's definition(1)) that they must have proved to have been viable (at least three years in business) and that they must be capable of international co-operation.

4. The choice of the national counsellors is - with regard to those active in the Community - in principle made by the main organiser itself, although former organisers and the Commission are consulted on this.

5. The budget for the organisation of a Europartenariat event is around ECU 3 million (one third of which is provided by the national or regional authorities concerned).

6. At a Europartenariat between 150 and 250 interpreters can be used. Costs for this item in recent events were around ECU 100 000.

7. The fees for the Community national counsellors take up approximately 15 to 20 % of the total budget.

8. The number of participating firms in a Europartenariat event is around 2000.

9. The five languages used for the catalogues are English, French, German, Italian and Spanish, plus the organising country's language itself if necessary or desired.

10. The size of the print-run is ECU 65 000 - 80 000. The cost of the catalogues is around ECU 400 000 (costs include design, printing, and shipment).

11. The main organiser is requested to submit two evaluation reports to the Commission, one three months after the event, and one a year after the event. In addition, the national counsellors are required to write evaluation reports. The results of the latter are to be included in the reports of the main organiser to the Commission.

12. Yes, as described above. In addition, the Commission provides a main organiser with standard questionnaires to be used in interviewing companies (based on examples obtained via earlier events), and for standard formats of reporting by national counsellors.

(1) OJ L 107, 30.4.1996.