WRITTEN QUESTION No. 714/99 by José GARCÍA-MARGALLO Y MARFIL Structural Funds
Date: 1999-03-29
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Basque Country, OSCE, Structural Funds, economic statistics, eligible region, gross domestic product, less-favoured region, regional aid, regional economy, underground economy

3.12.1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 348/123

(1999/C 348/165)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0714/99

by José García-Margallo y Marfil (PPE) to the Commission

(29 March 1999)

Subject: Structural Funds

The regions whose level of income per inhabitant is less than 75 % of that which corresponds to the average
Community inhabitant are classed as ‘Objective 1 regions’ and are entitled to substantial Community aid.

In order to work out whether this threshold has been crossed or not, the draft Council Regulation,
COM(98) 0131 final (1), laying down general provisions on the Structural Funds, stipulates that the figures
corresponding to the last three years on which Eurostat has information will be taken into account.

The Director-General of the Statistical Office of the European Communities (Eurostat) disclosed at the meeting
of Parliament’s Subcommittee on Monetary Affairs of 17 February 1999 that the statistical data corresponding
to the financial years 1994, 1995 and 1996 already included the data corresponding to the hidden economy of
the regions analysed, although he did not say exactly what criteria had been followed in order to estimate or
assess this type of activity.

What proportion of the regional income corresponds to the ‘hidden economy’ and what proportion to the
‘regular economy’ in the Basque Country in each of the years in question?

(1) OJ C 176, 9.6.1998, p. 1.

(1999/C 348/166)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0715/99

by José García-Margallo y Marfil (PPE) to the Commission

(29 March 1999)

Subject: Structural Funds

The regions whose level of income per inhabitant is less than 75 % of that which corresponds to the average
Community inhabitant are classed as ‘Objective 1 regions’ and are entitled to substantial Community aid.

In order to work out whether this threshold has been crossed or not, the draft Council Regulation,
COM(98) 0131 final (1), laying down general provisions on the Structural Funds, stipulates that the figures
corresponding to the last three years on which Eurostat has information will be taken into account.

The Director-General of the Statistical Office of the European Communities (Eurostat) disclosed at the meeting
of Parliament’s Subcommittee on Monetary Affairs of 17 February 1999 that the statistical data corresponding
to the financial years 1994, 1995 and 1996 already included the data corresponding to the hidden economy of
the regions analysed, although he did not say exactly what criteria had been followed in order to estimate or
assess this type of activity.

What proportion of the regional income corresponds to the ‘hidden economy’ and what proportion to the
‘regular economy’ in Ceuta in each of the years in question?

(1) OJ C 176, 9.6.1998, p. 1.

(1999/C 348/167)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0716/99

by José García-Margallo y Marfil (PPE) to the Commission

(29 March 1999)

Subject: Structural Funds

The regions whose level of income per inhabitant is less than 75 % of that which corresponds to the average
Community inhabitant are classed as ‘Objective 1 regions’ and are entitled to substantial Community aid.

In order to work out whether this threshold has been crossed or not, the draft Council Regulation,
COM(98) 0131 final (1), laying down general provisions on the Structural Funds, stipulates that the figures
corresponding to the last three years on which Eurostat has information will be taken into account.