WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3039/97 by Amedeo AMADEO to the Commission. Failure to act by the Commission - Phare programme
Date: 1997-10-01
Institutions: AMADEO, European Parliament
Subjects: Central and Eastern European countries, EU financing, EU programme, contract, invitation to tender, operating cost, services contract, supplies contract, technical cooperation, works contract

16. 4. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 117/133

(98/C 117/178)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3038/97

by Amedeo Amadeo (NI) to the Commission

(1 October 1997)

Subject: Age discrimination

The IGC should have acted to eliminate discrimination on grounds of age by inserting an article (6a) in the new
Treaty. Documents in my possession indicate that this was not the case. Nonetheless, this is a genuine problem
and we are faced with cases of discrimination in our daily lives. What is more, this problem is occurring as the
average age of Europe(cid:146)s citizens continues to rise almost exponentially.

Will the Commission tackle the problem, particularly as regards harmonizing the rules on notices of competition
and their enforcement?

Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission

(24 November 1997)

The Commission would like to inform the Honourable Member that the Amsterdam Treaty has introduced a new
legal basis for the adoption of Community measures to combat, inter alia, discrimination based on age (new
Article 6a of the EC Treaty).

The Commission will consider any measures which might be appropriate in this field once the Amsterdam Treaty
has been ratified.

(98/C 117/179)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3039/97

by Amedeo Amadeo (NI) to the Commission

(1 October 1997)

Subject: Failure to act by the Commission › Phare programme

The EU Court of Auditors has drawn up a Special Report on the functioning of the decentralized system for the
implementation  of  the  Phare  programme  (1990-1995)  for  the  Countries  of  Central  and  Eastern  Europe
(CEECs) (1). We know that the Commission created decentralised implementation systems (DIS) to streamline
the  programmes  and  speed  up  the  mobilization  of  financial  resources.  The  programme  management  units
(PMUs) responsible within the national administrations of the beneficiary countries for administering the Phare
funds lack staff and training.

The  Commission  contributed  to  funding  the  staffing  and  operating  costs  of  the  PMUs  but  did  not  define  the
principles governing the funding, accounting procedures and monitoring. The Court of Auditors also confirms
that the intensive use of technical assistance providing administrative and operational support for the PMUs is
costly, particularly because of the (cid:145)restricted competition(cid:146) in awarding contracts (where transparency is always
lacking).  Some  consultancies  were  awarded  a  disproportionate  number  of  contracts.  The  Commission  also
delayed setting up a system to monitor the PMUs(cid:146) expenditure and did not ensure an adequate evaluation of the
programmes carried out.

What is the Commission(cid:146)s answer to this very serious charge?

(1)  OJ C 175, 9.6.1997, p. 4.

(98/C 117/180)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3040/97

by Amedeo Amadeo (NI) to the Commission

(1 October 1997)

Subject: Phare programme

The Court of Auditors has levelled serious criticism at the manner in which the Commission applied the rules on
awarding  contracts.  Some  80%  of  the  Phare  funds  managed  on  a  decentralized  basis  are  spent  on  contracts