WRITTEN QUESTION No. 999/96 by Richard HOWITT to the Commission. Participation of the voluntary sector in UK Social Fund projects
Date: 1996-04-26
Institutions: European Parliament, HOWITT
Subjects: European Social Fund, United Kingdom, action programme, aid to disadvantaged groups, economic support, fight against unemployment, regionalisation, voluntary organisation













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91996E0999

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 999/96 by Richard HOWITT to the Commission. Participation of the voluntary sector in UK Social Fund projects  


Official Journal C 297 , 08/10/1996 P. 0064 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-0999/96 by Richard Howitt (PSE) to the Commission (26 April 1996)Subject: Participation of the voluntary sector in UK Social Fund projectsDoes the Commission accept that ESF projects undertaken by local voluntary organizations may be at higher cost than equivalent projects undertaken by larger institutions such as colleges or private training organizations who are able to spread administrative costs, but which may be more effective in ensuring the participation of marginalized groups and thus of increased effectiveness?Will the Commission undertake discussions with the UK Government to ensure such local voluntary sector projects are not eradicated by too narrow focus on cost issues under its proposed regionalization of ESF in the UK?Will the Commission press the UK Government for a minimum quota allocation for voluntary sector projects in each region for the first year of operation?Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission (13 June 1996)The background to current discussions on the regionalization of European social fund (ESF) actions in the United Kingdom, and the implications of this for local voluntary organization, is the submission to the Commission by the United Kingdom authorities of their plan for objective 3 for the period 1997-1999. The timetable and arrangements for regionalization will be discussed between the Commission and the United Kingdom authorities in negotiations on the new single programming document (SPD) to be held in the coming months.What is already clear is that the new SPD, in line with the principle of partnership, will include specific arrangements for the joint devolved management of the programme. As with all single programming documents, the SPD monitoring committee will remain the responsible authority. The Commission is represented on all monitoring committees, but has no specific authority over the selection of projects, which is carried out according to rigorous selection criteria.The Commission will continue to ensure that, in drawing up project selection criteria, the partnership takes account of factors other than cost alone. The Commission is of the opinion that project selection criteria agreed at the regional level, within a broad national framework, will increase the transparency of project selection. Moreover, such criteria should also assess the extent to which high quality projects are addressing the needs of the key sub-target groups identified under the objective 3 SPD. It is the firm intention of the Commission that the new SPD should facilitate the provision of high quality projects addressing the clearly identified needs of the long-term unemployed, unemployed young people with few or no qualifications, those at risk of exclusion from the labour market, and potential beneficiaries of equal opportunities measures.