WRITTEN QUESTION No. 966/96 by Christine ODDY to the Commission. Regionalization of Objective 3 funds
Date: 1996-04-26
Institutions: European Parliament, ODDY
Subjects: EU aid, European Social Fund, United Kingdom, adult education, budget appropriation, free competition, regional aid, regionalisation, vocational training













EUR-Lex - 91996E0966 - EN






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91996E0966

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 966/96 by Christine ODDY to the Commission. Regionalization of Objective 3 funds  


Official Journal C 217 , 26/07/1996 P. 0129 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-0966/96 by Christine Oddy (PSE) to the Commission (26 April 1996)Subject: Regionalization of Objective 3 fundsIs the Commission aware of discussions in the UK to end allocation by sector of Objective 3 funds and instead to have open competition for funds at regional level?What steps will the Commission take to ensure that the women's training sector will continue to receive funds at a national level via the Women's Training Network?Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission (23 May 1996)The background to current discussions to end the allocation of objective 3 resources by sector in the United Kingdom is the submission to the Commission by the United Kingdom authorities of their plan for objective 3 for 1997-1999. This plan forms the basis of the negotiations between the United Kingdom and the Commission upon the new single programming document (SPD) setting out the strategy, priorities and proposed implementation arrangements for the European social fund under objective 3 in the United Kingdom for the coming three years.The plan submitted by the United Kingdom authorities on 7th February 1996 does not make detailed proposals for the implementation of the SPD. Nevertheless, the Commission is aware that the Department for education and employment has recently undertaken a feasibility study on the regionalisation of the objective 3 programme and its delivery in the period 1997-1999. Furthermore, the Commission is aware that ministers in the United Kingdom have not yet agreed detailed proposals on regionalisation. The timetable and exact arrangments for regionalisation will be discussed between the Commission and the United Kingdom authorities in negotiations on the new SPD.It is the aim of the Commission to afford the wider objective 3 partnership every opportunity to exchange views on the optimum policy content and implementation structure for the new SPD. To this end, an extended objective 3 monitoring committee meeting will take place in the United Kingdom on 22 May at which all non-government partners, including the Women's training network, will have the opportunity to feed in to the process of negotiations.In addition, the Women's training network has already submitted a paper outlining its views on regionalisation to the Commission. The network's concern that they should continue the considerable progress already made in accessing ESF projects which are tailored to women's needs has been usefully expressed to the Commission. It is the firm intention of the Commission that the new SPD should facilitate an increase in the amount of provision of high quality equal opportunities than has been possible under the objective 3 SPD. This will be a central objective of the Commission when negotiations on the new SPD commence.