WRITTEN QUESTION E-1932/00 by Christopher Heaton-Harris (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Budget Item A-3038.
Date: 2000-06-16
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU expenditure

20.3.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 89 E/115

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(7 September 2000)

The European Union Migrants(cid:146) Forum is an international non governmental organization (NGO), funded
by the Commission in compliance with a Parliament resolution. The Forum(cid:146)s aim is to provide migrants
and ethnic minorities residing legally on the territory of the Union with a voice in the Member States.

The Forum(cid:146)s work is based on the information that its national support groups collect in each Member
State. These support groups bring together migrants(cid:146) associations and federations of associations working
at the national level. The Forum also has ten regional support groups, which bring together migrants(cid:146)
associations and federations based on their regions of origin. Women and youth are also represented in
two specific support groups.

The Migrants(cid:146) Forum currently represents some 65 third country nationalities. It is composed of 190
organisations and national associations, which represent over two thousand grass-roots associations around
the Union. The Forum is committed to supporting the rights and freedoms of migrants and ethnic
minorities, as well as playing an advisory role vis-(cid:224)-vis the European institutions as regards policy
development in this field.

The main areas of activity can be summarised as protecting fundamental rights for third-country nationals
residing in the Union; access to the territory of the Member States and free movement; citizenship and
political rights; social equality, multiculturality and integration into European societies; fighting against
racism; democracy issues and development aid to third countries.

The Migrants(cid:146) Forum action programme for the year 2000 plans specific actions on the right to vote for
third country nationals in local and European elections; lobbying with the Parliament for the adoption of
anti-racism legislation; proposals for programmes promoting cultural and social actions for young
migrants to assist their integration; developing a catalogue of claims and publishing it on the website of
the Forum; and training young people in the framework of its youth committee and managers from
national associations. The Forum has set up a working group on immigration and will seek to mobilise
European networks working in this field.

The Directorate-general for Justice and home affairs took over the management of matters relating to the
Forum from 1 January 2000.

With regard to the Commission(cid:146)s role in ensuring that the funding is effectively spent, the Migrants(cid:146) Forum
has a contractual obligation to report to the Commission on its activities and does so regularly. This
contractual obligation extends to annual submission of accounts which are then assessed by the
Commission. A Commission official is also an observer on the executive committee of the Forum and
the board of management.

The Commission will undertake a full audit of the activities and accounts of the Forum in the near future.

(2001/C 89 E/125)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1932/00

by Christopher Heaton-Harris (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(16 June 2000)

Subject: Budget Item A-3038

€ 300 000 is allocated under Item A-3038 to (cid:145)other general grants(cid:146). Could the Commission indicate what
these general grants are and how these funds are used?

C 89 E/116

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.3.2001

Answer given by Ms Schreyer on behalf of the Commission

(7 September 2000)

Item A-3038 is intended to cover various specific grants not related to the other items in Chapter A-30
(Community subsidies) which provide financing for institutions of European interest or contribute to the
financing of organisations advancing the idea of the European civil society.

In its preliminary draft budget for 2000, the Commission asked for € 171 000 to cover the following
grants:

(a)

International Press Club (IPC): € 100 000

the IPC is a centre where the international press reporting on
Founded in 1973 in Brussels,
Community affairs from Brussels can meet and work.
It receives an annual subsidy from the
Commission in the form of a financial contribution to its operating costs. This is in addition to grants
from the Belgian Government, the Council and Parliament.

(b) European Institute (cid:129) Washington: € 50 000

The European Institute in Washington, set up in 1989 in close cooperation with the Commission,
conducts information campaigns and studies to explain the position of the European Union on topics
which are important to relations with the United States (economic and monetary union, General
Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), security and defence, competition, etc.). The Institute holds
information meetings at government level, organises conferences addressed by top European political
leaders and maintains a communications network with American decision-makers.

(c)

International Association of Former Officials of the European Communities: € 21 000

About half the European Communities(cid:146) former staff are members of the International Association of
Former Officials of the European Communities, whose main objectives are to represent the interests of
former employees in dealings with Community bodies and the national authorities and, if necessary, to
defend those interests in administrative and social matters, to maintain contacts and forge links with
organisations with similar aims at international, Community or national
level, and to place its
experience at the disposal of the Community institutions for the preparation of officials and other
staff for retirement.

In amendment 451 to the draft budget for 2000, adopted on 28 October 1999, Parliament entered a sum
of € 300 000 under item A-3038, corresponding to the amount entered in the 1999 budget, but without
specifying where the extra € 129 000 should go. At this stage, in the absence of factors over and above the
estimates, the Commission proposes to execute the appropriations under this item in accordance with the
preliminary draft budget for 2000.

(2001/C 89 E/126)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1934/00

by Christopher Heaton-Harris (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(16 June 2000)

Subject: Budget Item A-3029

Could the Commission indicate which international non-governmental youth organisations receive
Community funds from Item A-3029 and the selection procedure that is used?