WRITTEN QUESTION No. 821/98 by José APOLINÁRIO to the Commission. The Community initiative, Leader, and tourism
Date: 1998-03-26
Institutions: APOLINARIO, European Parliament
Subjects: EU action, EU financing, EU initiative, action programme, decentralisation, eligibility criteria, local authority, regional and local authorities, rural development, rural tourism

C 323/80

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

21. 10. 98

(98/C 323/106)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0821/98

by Jose· Apolina·rio (PSE) to the Commission

(26 March 1998)

Subject: The Community initiative, Leader, and tourism

Will  the  Commission  give  the  total  amount  allocated,  per  Member  State,  in  the  1994-1999  financial
programming  period  to  actions  and  projects  specifically  involving  tourism  within  the  framework  of  the
Community initiative, Leader?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(23 April 1998)

A feature of the Community Leader II initiative is its decentralised implementation, with due regard for each
regional/local authority(cid:146)s institutional jurisdiction and for the subsidiarity principle. The programmes approved
by the Commission under the initiative for each Member State or region have an overall financial appropriation
which  is  divided  between  four  measures:  acquiring  skills,  local  action  groups,  other  collective  bodies  and
transnational cooperation.

In  accordance  with  the  notice  to  the  Member  States  on  the  Community  Leader  II  initiative, (1)  each  rural
innovation programme run by a local action group (public and private partners cooperating on a multisectorial
development strategy in a local-scale continuous area) may cover several operational aspects: technical support
for rural development; training and recruitment assistance; rural tourism; small firms, craft enterprises and local
services;  local  exploitation  and  marketing  of  agricultural,  forestry  and  fisheries  products;  preservation  and
improvement of the environment and living conditions.

The Commission was not involved in selecting the local action groups (roughly 800 for the 15 Member States),
and each Member State is responsible for approving the groups(cid:146) rural innovation programmes. The individual
selection  of  projects  is  a  matter  for  the  decision-making  partnership  at  regional  level,  in  compliance  with
Community policies and the criteria for the eligibility of measures under the Structural Funds.

Since rural tourism covers a wide range of activities, its importance will vary between Member States and Leader
groups, depending on the opportunities for tourism projects and the priority they are given in the development
plans submitted by each local action group.

Based on the experience of Leader I and the first reports for Leader II, it is estimated that 40% of the Community
contribution of ECU 1 700 million (i.e. ECU 680 million) will be invested in rural tourism projects during the
current programming period (1994-1999). Local Leader investment in rural tourism can be estimated at around
ECU 1 300 million when national and private funding is taken into account.

The Commission will very shortly have available a retrospective assessment report on the Leader I programme,
which will enable a more detailed overview of activities connected with rural tourism.

(1)  OJ C 180, 1.7.1994.

(98/C 323/107)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0838/98

by Roberta Angelilli (NI) to the Commission

(26 March 1998)

Subject: Alleged irregularities committed by Enfap Uil in the management of ESF vocational training funds

There have recently been reports of further suspect episodes concerning the management of funds for vocational
training in Latium. On 7 February 1998 the Director-General of the INPS (National Social Security Institute),