WRITTEN QUESTION No. 61/99 by Ursula STENZEL Urban issues
Date: 1999-01-27
Institutions: European Parliament, STENZEL
Subjects: Structural Funds, economic and social cohesion, eligible region, less-favoured region, regional policy, urban area, urban problem, urbanisation

C 348/16

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

3.12.1999

Supplementary answer
given by Mr Santer on behalf of the Commission

(10 June 1999)

In view of the length of its answer, the Commission is sending it direct to the Honourable Member and to
Parliament’s Secretariat.

(1999/C 348/019)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0061/99

by Ursula Stenzel (PPE) to the Commission

(27 January 1999)

Subject: Urban issues

In May 1997, the European Commission published its communication entitled ‘Towards an urban agenda in
the European Union’ (COM(97) 197 final). That communication serves as a good basis for an overall analysis
of the way in which urban issues are tackled under the various Community policies at local authority level.

In the resolution of the European Parliament of 2 July 1998, A4-0172/98 (1), the European Parliament closely
connects urban issues with the maintenance and strengthening of economic and social cohesion and
emphasises the importance of the reform of the Structural Fund Regulations, as the first phase of the
European urban agenda. The proposals set out by the European Commission treat the discussion of urban
issues under the eligibility criteria for Objective 2. On several occasions, the Commission has confirmed that
urban issues can be approached in a horizontal manner within the corresponding policies and programmes of
the Community Support Frameworks and the Single Programming Document under Objectives 1 and 2. How
does the Commission intend to implement this approach?

The horizontal dimension of urban issues means, at the same time, close coordination and synergy between
the different Community policies, in particular regional policies, if they are to have an impact at urban level.
Has the Commission identified which implementing measures and financial mechanisms are needed to secure
such coordination and synergy?

(1) OJ C 226, 20.7.1998, p. 36.

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

(10 March 1999)

On 3 February 1999, the Commission adopted a working paper entitled ‘The Structural funds and their
coordination with the Cohesion fund : draft guidance for programmes in the period 2000-2006’ (1).

This made it clear that in both objective 1 regions end objective 2 areas the various programming documents
under the structural funds should include integrated measures for urban development. The regeneration of
disadvantaged urban areas which could receive special support, within objective 2, through an integrated
territorial approach similar to that developed by the urban initiative, will therefore represent one, but certainly
not the only way to address urban problems within the new programming period.

All these measures will make a vital contribution to an integrated approach to regional development and
conversion.

As far as the horizontal dimension and a closer co-ordination of urban matters are concerned, the Commission
recently adopted the communication ‘Sustainable urban development in the European Union: a framework for
action’ (2). This indicated that an interservice group in the Commission will continue to examine the urban
implications of Community policies and instruments with a view to further strengthening their urban
sensitivity and integration. It will in particular monitor progress in the implementation of the framework for
action.

(1)
SEC(99) 103.
(2) COM(98) 605 final.