WRITTEN QUESTION E-2272/99 by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Financial support for the activities of consumer organisations.
Date: 1999-12-13
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing arrangements, consumer movement

18.7.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 203 E/161

Will the Commission say:

1.

Is the expulsion of Greek doctors for the reasons given above at odds with the positions adopted by
the European Union on humanitarian aid? How does it intend to respond to this move, and what
measures does it intend to take?

2. The Greek section of (cid:145)MØdecins sans FrontiŁres(cid:146) has submitted for approval (ECHO) a humanitarian aid
programme for the psychiatric hospital of Toponica (near the City of Nis). In view of the above, how
does the Commission intend to deal with this application so as to endorse the principle that
humanitarian non-governmental organisations should intervene in crises purely on the basis of
humanitarian criteria without regard for any political or other considerations?

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(7 December 1999)

1.
In its relations with its partners, the European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO) scrupulously
respects their independence, as is laid down moreover in the Framework Partnership Agreement (FPA)
governing their mutual relations..

MØdecins Sans FrontiŁres (MSF) is one of ECHO(cid:146)s most important partners, whose work at international
level was recently recognised with the award of the Nobel Peace Prize. MSF is a non-governmental
organisation, currently represented by 18 sections throughout the world. Six of these sections have been
set up and recognised within MSF International as operational sections, i.e. MSF France, MSF Belgium, MSF
Netherlands, MSF Spain, MSF Switzerland and MSF Luxembourg. The operational sections of MSF have
signed the FPA with ECHO.

Section MSF Greece implements its own projects, a fact which might appear to generate some conflict
within the association. This is an internal matter for the organisation and concerns it alone.

2. MSF Greece submitted an application to sign the FPA in March 1997, at a time when the FPA was
undergoing a review. ECHO nonetheless recorded the application with a view to examining it in detail
once the review was complete.

Since January 1999, the date when the new FPA came into force, ECHO has given priority to signature
with its established partners. ECHO has now signed the new FPA with 159 non-governmental organisa-
tions (NGOs). Pending the enlargement of the network of partners, whenever one of ECHO(cid:146)s operational
units expresses interest in taking action on a measure proposed by an NGO which has not signed the FPA,
ECHO requests the Member State in which the organisation(cid:146)s head office is located to certify the NGO(cid:146)s
compliance with the criteria set out in Article 7(1) and (2 ) of Council Regulation 1257/96. The action that
ECHO then takes will depend on the reply received from the Member State concerned.

At present, ECHO is assessing a proposal from MSF Greece concerning the tuberculosis ward of the
Topinica psychiatric hospital near Nis, which is urgently in need of assistance. Assuming that it endorses
this proposal, ECHO will then apply the above-mentioned procedure to determine whether MSF Greece
can be accepted as a partner.

(2000/C 203 E/208)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2272/99

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

Subject: Financial support for the activities of consumer organisations

(13 December 1999)

Article 6(2) of Decision No 283/99 (1) of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a general
framework for Community activities in favour of consumers states that: (cid:145)unpaid work or donations in kind,
if properly documented, may be taken into account, up to a level of 20 % of total eligible costs when
assessing the organisations(cid:146) revenue and costs(cid:146).

C 203 E/162

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.7.2000

In view of the (cid:145)difficulties(cid:146) raised by government bodies concerning (cid:145)properly documented(cid:146) expenditure can
the Commission say:

1. What criteria will it use to assess whether unpaid work or donations in kind have been properly

documented?

2. Has it sent to consumer organisations information (what is the document reference?) setting out the

criteria regarding properly documented unpaid work or donations in kind?

(1) OJ L 34, 9.2.1999, p. 1.

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(16 December 1999)

Setting sound and transparent standards for the management of Community grants has been a priority of
the Commission from the very outset. A vade mecum was adopted by the Commission in 1998 (1) and is
applicable to all the grants in any policy area since 1 January 1999. This vade mecum provides the
Commission with a common framework for awarding and monitoring direct grants.

As a general rule, contributions in kind are not eligible costs, but are taken into account in calculating the
rate of Community co-financing. However, Decision No 283/1999/EC of the Parliament and of the Council
of 25 January 1999 establishing a general framework for Community activities in favour of consumers,
lays down, in Article 6.2 that (cid:145)unpaid work or donation in kind, if properly documented, may be taken
into account, up to a level of 20 %, of total eligible costs, when assessing the organisations(cid:146) revenue and
costs.(cid:146)

The criteria for the evaluation of (cid:145)in kind expenditure(cid:146) are foreseen in the vade mecum. Article 6.1.5
stipulates that (cid:145)In particular, contributions in kind include:
immovable property whether in its
entirety or in part, durable capital goods, raw materials, unpaid charity work by a private individual or
corporate body. The following conditions must be met: the amount declared by the beneficiary as
contributions in kind must be valued either on the basis of objective factors or on the basis of official
scales laid down by an independent authority or by an outside independent professional; the cost of
private charity work must be valued in accordance with the national rules regarding the calculation of
hourly, daily or weekly labour costs, if such rules exist.(cid:146)

land,

This information was included as an annex to the application form which all proposers received. It was
the
also put on the Directorate general
Commission also organised,
in July 1999, a teleconference, during which the representatives of the
consumer organisations were able to ask questions to Commission officials about the year 2000 subsidy
exercise. Furthermore, it was announced during this teleconference that Commission staff specialised in the
financial aspects of grants were available to answer any questions. Their phone numbers were also
mentioned on the grant application form.

for health and consumer protection web site. Moreover,

(1)

http://www.cc.cec/home/dgserv/serv19/icon/documents/subventions/index.htm.

(2000/C 203 E/209)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2295/99

by Brigitte Langenhagen (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(29 November 1999)

Subject: Imports of hucho and hucho fry into Finland

Fish may be imported into Finland only from EU-authorised fish hatcheries. This authorisation covers
establishments which have closed systems, i.e. which do not come into contact with open waters so that
the risk of disease is reduced.