WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3649/97 by Honório NOVO to the Commission. Support for small and very small businesses in the civil construction sector in Portugal
Date: 1997-11-19
Institutions: European Parliament, NOVO
Subjects: Portugal, aid to undertakings, building industry, competitiveness, financial management, public works, small and medium-sized enterprises, technological change, tourism, vocational training

C 174/90

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

8. 6. 98

(98/C 174/141)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3649/97

by Hono·rio Novo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(19 November 1997)

Subject: Support for small and very small businesses in the civil construction sector in Portugal

The  civil  construction  sector  is  of  major  social  and  economic  importance  in  Portugal.  In  addition  to  a  small
number  of  big  companies,  there  are  numerous  very  small,  small  or  medium-sized  firms  which  exist  in  an
increasingly  dependent  situation  vis-a‘-vis  the  former  and  are  therefore  in  ever  direr  economic  and  financial
straits, with all that may entail for higher unemployment.

As is well-known, there is a growing desire throughout the Union to promote substantial and sustained support
for  very  small  firms  and  SMUs;  also  relevant  here  is  the  specific  programme  for  the  restructuring  and
development of Portuguese industry (PEDIP).

In this connection, can the Commission state:

1. 

2. 

in  the  context  of  the  PEDIP,  what  concrete  measures  or  programmes  exist  to  support  SMUs  in  the  civil
construction sector in Portugal;

in  the  more  general  context  of  the  Community  programmes  in  support  of  very  small  firms  and  SMUs,
whether  there  are  any  measures  specifically  targeted  on  enterprises  of  this  type  in  the  civil  construction
sector?

Answer given by Mrs Wulf-Mathies on behalf of the Commission

(22 December 1997)

Although  there  are  no  measures  in  the  PEDIP  programme  specifically  aimed  at  supporting  small  and
medium-sized enterprises in the sector of civil construction in Portugal, many of the projects supported by the
programme  provide  very  significant  amounts  of  work  for  such  enterprises,  as  indeed  is  the  case  with  other
programmes in the Community support framework for Portugal.

Small  and  medium-sized  enterprises  (SMEs)  in  the  sector  of  civil  construction  are  directly  supported  by  the
Community initiative for SMEs. This category of SMEs is specifically eligible under the following measures of
the programme:

Measure 1:  Support for micro and small enterprises.

Measure 2:  Strengthening  of  competitivity  of  enterprises  in  the  area  of  tourism  and  civil  construction  and

public works.

Measure 3:  Development of technological competence in SMEs.

Measure 4:  Training.

Measure 5:  Financial engineering.

(98/C 174/142)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3654/97

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(19 November 1997)

Subject: Continuation of Cohesion Fund actions

Under present rules Cohesion Fund resources are intended for those Member States whose per capita GNP is less
than 90% of the Community average, providing there exists a national programme which satisfies the economic
conditions for convergence.

In the action programme 2000 the Commission has proposed that the Cohesion Fund be maintained in its present
form so as to allow Community support to continue for the less prosperous Member States which have embarked
on the third phase of EMU.