WRITTEN QUESTION P-0133/00 by Frank Vanhecke (TDI) to the Commission. Commission support for staging political events.
Date: 2000-01-18
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, European Commission, interinstitutional relations (EU), party financing, political group, politics

C 225 E/222

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

8.8.2000

(2000/C 225 E/255)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0133/00

by Frank Vanhecke (TDI) to the Commission

(18 January 2000)

Subject: Commission support for staging political events

On 9 December 1999, a debate was held in the European Parliament between MEPs Dirk Sterckx and
FrØdØrique Ries on (cid:145)The press: Europe(cid:146)s lukewarm lover(cid:146). Both speakers are members of the Liberal Group

According to the poster advertising the debate, the evening was supported by the Belgian Foreign Affairs
Ministry, the EP(cid:146)s Belgian Office and the European Commission.

1. What did that support consist of?

2. What criteria must political organisations comply with to qualify for such support?

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(14 February 2000)

The event to which the Honourable Member refers did not receive financial support from the
1.
Commission. It was organised by the Parliament(cid:146)s Belgian Office and the Movement EuropØen Belgique
asbl, which receives support from the Commission to organise public debates.

2.

The Commission does not finance political parties.

(2000/C 225 E/256)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0150/00

by Emmanouil Mastorakis (PSE) to the Commission

(31 January 2000)

Subject: Community Interreg Initiative

Despite the increase in Interreg funding for the period 2000-2006 compared with the previous period,
efforts have clearly been made not to alter the list of Group A recipients, with very few exceptions, the
obvious aim being to concentrate the funds as effectively as possible. However, the fact that exceptions
have been made prove that there was a need to remedy previously existing injustices and omissions.
Notable omissions from the list of recipients in Greece are the prefectures of Arta and Ilia and this despite
the inclusion of neighbouring prefectures which could be regarded as falling within the same category.

Can the Commission show understanding in this matter and reconsider the possibility of including these
two prefectures, which were unjustly omitted?

(2000/C 225 E/257)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0229/00

by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(4 February 2000)

Subject: Failure to include the Prefecture of Arta in the Community initiative Interreg.

It appears from information I have received that the Prefecture of Arta has not been included in the
operational programmes announced by the Commission for part A of the Community initiative Interreg,
despite the fact that the basic criterion for inclusion, namely the existence of external land or sea borders,
is met by this prefecture, since the Gulf of Ambrakia lies at its southern extremity and is also part of the
Ionian Sea. Will the Commission say what the situation is and whether or not the Prefecture of Arta will
finally be included in the Community initiative Interreg like all the rest of north-western Greece?