WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1861/98 by Alexandros ALAVANOS to the Commission. Implementation of the 'Education and Initial Vocational Training' programme in Greece
Date: 1998-06-16
Institutions: ALAVANOS, European Parliament
Subjects: EU programme, Greece, education, financial intervention, operational programme, vocational training

C 13/104

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.1.1999

(1999/C 13/147)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1858/98

by Carmen D(cid:237)ez de Rivera Icaza (PSE) to the Commission

Subject: Blue flags and Cantabria

(8 June 1998)

I am not entirely reassured by the Commission(cid:146)s reply to the written question P-1421/98 (1) concerning the
awarding of blue flags which I tabled in view of the complaints made against the awarding of such flags to the
beaches at Arena, Tregandin, Berria, Magdalena, Concha, etc., and I therefore ask the Commission once again
what action it is planning to take with regard to the 1998 Blue Flag Campaign in order to prevent any repetition of
the abuses brought to light in the complaints lodged by the ARCA and Mortera Verde associations, of which I am
patron.

(1) OJ C 402, 22 12.1998, p. 130.

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission

(13 July 1998)

Within the award procedure for the blue flags, the Commission is only associated to confirm compliance of
candidate sites with the water quality criteria set out in Directive 76/160/EEC (1) on bathing water quality. This
verification is done on the basis of data provided by the Member States under existing reporting obligations
pursuant to the Directive. This information is also the basis for the Commission(cid:146)s annual report on the quality of
bathing water in the Community.

The complaints mentioned by the Honourable Member are being investigated by the Commission in the light of
Directive 76/160/EEC. The complainants will be informed in due course of the outcome.

(1) OJ L 31, 5.2.1976.

(1999/C 13/148)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1861/98

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(16 June 1998)

Subject: Implementation of the (cid:145)Education and Initial Vocational Training(cid:146) programme in Greece

The Commission is reported to have proposed to the monitoring committee that funding for activities within the
framework of the operational programme (cid:145)Education and Initial Vocational Training(cid:146) in Greece should be cut.
What scale of cuts was proposed for each subprogramme? Why has the Commission proposed these cuts?

Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission

(3 September 1998)

At the last meeting of the monitoring committee of the operational programme (cid:145)Education and initial training(cid:146),
held in Athens on 7 May 1998, the Commission proposed the scaling down of the programme in question.
Although it was not specified how each sub-programme should be scaled down, it is worth noting that sub-
programme 2 (initial training) is advancing well and almost on target as far as European social fund credits take-
up rate is concerned (47 % at the end of March 1998). The respective figures for the other sub-programmes are
20 % (secondary education); 23 % (tertiary education) and 16 % (administrative modernisation of the education
system).

Taking into consideration that the present programming period is rapidly coming to an end and all financial
commitments have to be undergone by 31 December 1999, that the programme(cid:146)s absorption rate amounts to 29 %
and about 1 350 MECU remain still unused, that it is not realistic to expect such a dramatic increase in the take-up
rate in the coming years, and that implementing structures and mechanisms are weak, the Commission proposed
the above scaling down in order to ensure the full and timely use of European social fund credits in Greece.