WRITTEN QUESTION No. 352/98 by Ernesto CACCAVALE to the Commission. Nature of eligible expenditure for training activities financed by ESF contributions
Date: 1998-02-06
Institutions: CACCAVALE, European Parliament
Subjects: European Social Fund, association, eligibility criteria, regional development, vocational training

C 304/84

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

2. 10. 98

Joint answer to Written Questions
E-0344/98, E-0345/98, E-0346/98, E-0347/98 and E-0348/98
given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission

(18 March 1998)

The Parliament has scheduled its discussions on the Commission(cid:146)s proposal for a Council directive establishing
a framework for Community action in the field of water policy (1) for the March 1998 and April 1998 meetings of
the  environment  committee.  The  Commission  will  address  the  questions  raised  by  the  Honourable  Member
during those meetings.

(1)  COM(97)47.
COM(97)614.
COM(98)76.

(98/C 304/127)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0352/98

by Ernesto Caccavale (UPE) to the Commission

(6 February 1998)

Subject: Nature of eligible expenditure for training activities financed by ESF contributions

Local  development  agencies,  set  up  as  consortia  and/or  associations  of  institutions,  SMEs,  universities,  and
professional  organizations,  are  today  playing  an  increasingly  important  role  in  promoting  or  implementing
spatial development operations, not least because they can pool applications and identify objectives and are able
to bring about synergy by making efficient use of resources.

Among their spatial development operations, pride of place has to be given to training activities.

From  the  legal  and  operational  point  of  view,  the  consortia  and/or  associations  in  question  are  different  and
separate from their partners and/or members, since they have their own VAT registration numbers, are managed
separately and keep separate accounts for their specific purposes, and have their own departments.

The (cid:145)datasheet No 4(cid:146) published in conjunction with Commission Decision 97/322/EC (1) gives (cid:145)Details on the
principle of real cost(cid:146). Circular No 130/95, issued by the Italian Ministry of Labour on 25 October 1995, relates to
the  concept  of  (cid:145)delegation  of  training  activities(cid:146).  In  the  light  of  the  foregoing,  and  with  a  view  to  avoiding
excessive red tape and maintaining the standard of project activities, will the Commission answer the following
questions:

1.  Do local development agencies have to be regarded as the most suitable bodies to implement and manage

development operations, including training activities?

2.  When an agency intends to implement a training project, should an appropriately qualified partner and/or
member  be  made  responsible  for  one  or  more  stages  of  the  projected  activities  ›  so  as  to  achieve  the
desirable and necessary synergy › rather than assigning the task to bodies not belonging to the consortium
and/or association?

3.  Given that development agencies intending to carry out a training project must not seek to make a profit, is it
considered acceptable, in the case described in point 2, that partners and/or members should charge market
prices for their services when they have not exceeded the approved budget or the limits laid down?

4.  Are development agencies, and no other bodies, consequently entitled to recover not more than the costs

incurred by partners and/or members in rendering the services in question?

5. 

Is the Commission aiming to support the activities and projects sponsored by local development agencies?

(1)  OJ L 146, 5.6.1997, p. 11.

Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission

(10 March 1998)

1.
The Commission does not give preference to any particular body, since it is not involved ex ante in the
selection and evaluation procedure. The Commission confines itself to laying down › in a general manner, and
in partnership with the Member State › the criteria and guidelines which the final beneficiaries must observe in
implementing actions that are co-funded by the European Social Fund (ESF).