WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2428/97 by Claude DESAMA to the Commission. European subsidies for training people on minimum income benefit in Belgium
Date: 1997-07-11
Institutions: DESAMA, European Parliament
Subjects: Belgium, EU aid, European Social Fund, Flanders (Belgium), Walloon region (Belgium), distribution of aid, employment aid, equal treatment, non-governmental organisation, welfare

C 76/110

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

11. 3. 98

Answer given by Sir Leon Brittan on behalf of the Commission

(4 September 1997)

The decision concerning the arms embargo against China was taken within the framework of European political
cooperation. Implementation falls in the first instance to Member States and to the General Affairs Council. The
information at the disposal of the Commission regarding the embargo is confidential, and its disclosure can only
be authorised by the Member States.

(98/C 76/214)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2428/97

by Claude Desama (PSE) to the Commission

(11 July 1997)

Subject: European subsidies for training people on minimum income benefit in Belgium

On  23  June  the  newspaper  Le  Soir  published  an  article  claiming  that  the  TOK-EFD  is  amassing  European
subsidies in the north of Belgium. It described enormous imbalances in the allocation of European subsidies for
training people on minimum income support, to the benefit of Flemish public social welfare centres. Despite the
fact that there are more people on minimum income benefit in Wallonia (48%, compared with 36.6% in Flanders
in  1997),  over  80%  of  European  subsidies  go  to  Flemish  public  social  welfare  centres.  This  imbalance  has
persisted since 1988, the date when the non-profit-making association TOK-EFD (Employment and Training for
the Disadvantaged) was set up.

The association was set up by Mrs Miet Smet, the Belgian Employment Minister. Former members of her office
got it under way and it remained exclusively Flemish until 1991. There are currently 57 people on the board of
directors: three institutional representatives (including the Ministry of Employment), three representatives of the
Brussels  public  social  welfare  centre,  five  from  the  Walloon  public  social  welfare  centre  and  45  from  the
Flemish.

Will  the  Commission  investigate  this  flagrant  imbalance  and,  if  irregularities  are  established,  will  it  take
measures to ensure a fair allocation of funding?

Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission

(11 September 1997)

The  Commission  is  aware  of  the  concerns  raised  by  the  Honourable  Member  regarding  possible  unequal
distribution  of  the  finances  managed  by  (cid:145)TOK-EFD(cid:146),  the  non  governmental  organization  (NGO)  promoter
managing the objective 3 operational programme of the European social fund, under the framework established
by the federal ministry of Labour and Employment.

In considering this matter, two particular points need to be borne in mind. First, Hainaut is an objective 1 region
and  is  not  eligible  for  funding  through  the  federal  programme  for  objective  3.  This  has  an  impact  on  the
geographical distribution figures for objective 3. Second, no formal requests for funding from the public centres
for social aid (CPAS) of Wallonia were refused by TOK-EFD prior to 1996.

In the monitoring committee of December 1996, the Commission learned of a refusal and arranged a meeting
with  the  management  of  TOK-EFD.  The  subject  was  also  added  to  the  agenda  of  the  next  meeting  of  the
monitoring committee for the federal operational programme. At both meetings the Commission representative
expressed concern at the composition of the administrative council insofar as this might prejudice a balanced
section of projects. The federal ministry for Labour and Employment and the management of TOK-EFD have
undertaken to look at possible reforms to guarantee the equal treatment of all cases.

In  the  framework  of  the  mid-term  review  of  the  Belgian  federal  operational  programme,  the  monitoring
committee  has  requested  that  additional  resources  be  made  available  as  a  matter  of  priority  to  redress  the
geographical balance and avoid interrupting the good work being carried out by the Flemish CPAS.

The Commission will continue to monitor this problem.