WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3436/97 by Cristiana MUSCARDINI to the Commission. Measures to combat usury
Date: 1997-10-31
Institutions: European Parliament, MUSCARDINI
Subjects: EU Member State, competition law, consumer credit, credit, credit institution, fraud, industrial credit, interest, report, small and medium-sized enterprises

30. 4. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 134/163

(98/C 134/221)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3427/97

by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE) to the Commission

(21 October 1997)

Subject: Transfer of appropriations from social programmes under the Greek Community Support Framework

to other sectors

The Greek Government has recently requested the Commission for a transfer of appropriations within the Greek
Community Support Framework (CSF) away from programmes and measures under the European Social Fund
which are far behind schedule to other sectors of the Greek CSF with a better take-up rate.

The  appropriations  concerned  were  designed  for  measures  such  as  education,  basic  and  further  vocational
training, job creation and combating exclusion from the labour market, i.e. sensitive areas of social policy which
are  also  basic  priorities  of  Union  policy  to  promote  employment  and  social  conditions  in  Europe.  Will  the
Commission,  therefore,  state  its  position  on  the  Greek  Government(cid:146)s  request?  What  are  the  grounds  for  the
transfer of appropriations and what amount ultimately will be cut back?

Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission

(24 November 1997)

The  main  reason  for  which  the  Greek  government,  in  the  framework  of  the  Community  support  framework
(CSF) II mid-term review, recently asked for the transfer of European social fund (ESF) credits to other funds
was the relatively low absorption rate of the human resources operations.

On  10th  October  1997,  a  meeting  of  the  advisory  committee  for  human  resources  of  the  CSF  1994-1999  for
Greece was held in Athens. During this meeting new proposals, submitted in terms of the mid-term review of the
human resources actions, were considered. Assurances were given by the Greek authorities with regard to their
determination to improve and accelerate implementation. In this context, a number of important measures taken
in the meantime, in particular the creation of a national accreditation structure, should prove helpful. A general
consensus  was  reached  that  there  was  no  need  at  this  stage  to  modify  the  credit  allocations  of  the  human
resources programmes. It was also agreed that the monitoring arrangements of the implementation of the ESF
co-financed actions in Greece will be strengthened, in order to underpin the rapid and effective execution of the
ESF allocated appropriations.

The CSF monitoring committee, at its meeting on 30th and 31st October 1997, decided that at this stage the
credits  allocations  of  the  human  resources  programmes  should  not  be  modified.  The  progress  of  all  CSF
operational programmes will be re-examined in the framework of the mid-term review of the CSF for Greece,
during the first semester of 1998.

(98/C 134/222)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3436/97

by Cristiana Muscardini (NI) to the Commission

(31 October 1997)

Subject: Measures to combat usury

The  phenomenon  of  usury,  fuelled  by  the  economic  crisis  and  neediness,  is  today  assuming  significant
proportions and expanding constantly.

In  many  cases  usury  has  penetrated  vital  economic  sectors  such  as  financial  broking  and  employs  complex
company forms for its operations.

Will the Commission set up a permanent monitoring centre to keep track of usury and economic crime and issue
a Directive to prevent usury in order to help firms denied access to traditional credit?