WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1685/98 by Kirsi PIHA to the Commission. Monitoring of the EMU information fund
Date: 1998-05-29
Institutions: European Parliament, PIHA
Subjects: EU control, EU financing, EU programme, Economic and Monetary Union, dissemination of EU information, euro, financial control, monetary union, public awareness campaign, use of aid

C 31/68

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

5.2.1999

(1999/C 31/089)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1667/98

by Marjo Matikainen-Kallstr(cid:246)m (PPE) to the Commission

(29 May 1998)

Subject: Compatibility of the criteria for aid under the Commission(cid:146)s milk programme with Article 129

The Commission(cid:146)s milk subsidy programme, the basic principle of which is to subsidise full-fat milk products to
a greater extent than low-fat ones, is not sensible from a public health point of view.

That being so, does the Commission consider that the criteria for subsidy under the milk programme, which
favour full-fat milk products at the expense of low-fat ones, are in accordance or are compatible with the
objectives of Article 129 of the Treaty?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(15 July 1998)

The Commission is convinced that the Community aid scheme for school milk, to which the Honourable Member
is presumably referring, is entirely beneficial to public health. Accordingly, it considers that the programme is
fully in line with the objectives set out in Article 129 of the EC Treaty.

(1999/C 31/090)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1685/98

by Kirsi Piha (PPE) to the Commission

(29 May 1998)

Subject: Monitoring of the EMU information fund

A considerable amount of money from the EU budget has been earmarked for campaigns to inform citizens about
EMU.

How does the Commission intend to monitor the proper utilization of these appropriations? How have these funds
been allocated, firstly to the EU institutions(cid:146) campaigns, and secondly to campaigns by citizens(cid:146) organizations?

Answer given by Mr Oreja on behalf of the Commission

(18 September 1998)

From the budget for the Information Programme for European Citizens (Prince), ECU 30 million has been
earmarked for the priority information campaign (cid:145)The euro, a currency for Europe(cid:146) in 1997 and in 1998. The
Commission, in its Communication on the information strategy for the euro, (1) estimated that the overall cost of
this campaign for the period between 1999 and 2001 would be ECU 100 million.

The campaign is based on partnership, decentralisation and subsidiarity, which is why, apart from a number of
information products produced (e.g. Internet site on the Europa server, brochures) or communication activities
carried out by the institutions, priority is given to partnerships with the Member States set up through agreements
to cofinance euro communication plans (two thirds of the appropriations, or around ECU 20 million). Sums are
allocated to Member States on the basis of their communication plans. For 1998, partnerships are in place with
eleven Member States. To supplement them, partnerships have also been agreed for a total of around ECU 5
million, mainly with citizens(cid:146) organisations, to finance cross-border campaigns.

The proper utilisation of these funds is monitored by means of the mechanisms normally used to monitor
financial contributions paid out of the Community budget. Such mechanisms include the audit activities assigned
to the Financial Controller by the Financial Regulation and the external audit activities carried out by the Court of
Auditors.

Nevertheless, as part of the management of the programme, an internal audit mechanism is in place, comprising
three types of audit: (1) systematic audit of the file when payment of the balance of the contribution is requested