WRITTEN QUESTION No. 905/97 by Edouard des PLACES to the Commission. Calls for proposals: use of languages
Date: 1997-03-05
Institutions: DES PLACES, European Parliament
Subjects: access to information, administrative formalities, form, invitation to tender, linguistic discrimination, official language













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91997E0905

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 905/97 by Edouard des PLACES to the Commission. Calls for proposals: use of languages  


Official Journal C 319 , 18/10/1997 P. 0191 





WRITTEN QUESTION P-0905/97 by Edouard des Places (I-EDN) to the Commission (5 March 1997)Subject: Calls for proposals: use of languagesThe Commission regularly publishes calls for proposals in connection with programmes of Community initiatives, as was recently the case for innovative projects for women in agriculture and in rural areas (96/C284/10).In order to be admissible, any proposal has to be drawn up according to a standard format described in the call for proposals.The provisions of invitation to tender 96/C 284/10 concerning the use of languages especially caught my attention.It appears that candidates submitting proposals in French must attach to the (8 page) summary in French an English translation of the summary, and vice versa.This Commission rule arbitrarily reduces the number of potential tenderers in rural areas and does not appear consistent with the rules on the use of working languages in the European Union.What steps will the Commission take to ensure that the invitations to tender it publishes are accessible to all Union citizens, in particular the most disadvantaged?More generally, could the Commission inform Parliament regularly of the holding, selection procedure and outcome of invitations to tender of this kind?Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (24 March 1997)Following the call for proposals in question particulars of the standard presentation format to be used were sent to all persons wishing to apply in the Community language of their choice.Bidders were asked to present, in conformity with that format, their proposal in the Community language of their choice, a summary of it in the Community language of their choice and a translation of the summary into English or French. Compliance with the format was a condition for consideration of the proposal.This procedure was not an arbitrary decision of the Commission. The classification and examination of several hundred proposals is a considerable burden of work and standardisation and prior translation of the summary is enabling the Commission to examine each proposal in proper and consistent fashion.The number of proposals received, in particular from applicants in rural areas and less favoured zones, indicates that the procedure followed does not at all appear to have disadvantaged potential applicants by reason of non-accessibility to all Community citizens.The call for proposals was given adequate publicity by publication in all languages in the Official Journal. The period for submission of proposals ran from 27 September 1996 to 20 February 1997.Article 16 of Regulation (EEC) No 2052/88 on the tasks of the Structural Funds ((OJ L 185, 15.7.1988. )), amended by Regulation (EC) No 3193/94 ((OJ L 337, 24.12.1994. )), requires the Commission to submit each year to Parliament, the Council and the Economic and Social Committee a report on implementation of the Structural Fund regulations during the previous year. This covers financing by the Guidance Section of the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund of pilot and demonstration projects.