WRITTEN QUESTION P-2063/00 by Juan Naranjo Escobar (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Specific measures to improve budgetary implementation for external policy.
Date: 2000-06-16
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU programme, EU relations, aid system, budget, cooperation policy, implementation of the budget

13.3.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 81 E/135

EU Member States over the last five years under the TACIS, PHARE, MED, FED and AL (cid:129) Asia and Latin
America programmes, both broken down by year and for the entire period and specifying the following in
each case:

1. number of contracts;

2.

total value of the contracts?

On each of the above points, can the Commission provide information on the component allocated
by direct award and the component allocated by tender, as well as indicating the awarding bodies
(i.e. the Commission or the beneficiary states)?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(24 July 2000)

Until the Common Service for External Relations (SCR) was effectively set up in 1998, the external aid
programmes were administered by five Directorates General in the Commission with particularly complex
rules and procedures applied to each of the programmes.

The fragmented management structure of aid to non-member countries made it impossible to set up a
computer system that could provide the information on contracts and financing sought by the Honourable
Member, with the exception of contracts financed under the European Development Fund (EDF). The
Commission has begun to develop a computer system that meets this requirement.

Already the (cid:145)Calls for tenders (cid:129) Calls for proposals(cid:146) page of the SCR(cid:146)s Web site (1) gives details of pre-
information notices, procurement notices (setting out the selection and award criteria) and subsequent
notices on selection procedures, calls for tender and calls for proposals.

The Commission is sending the Honourable Member (and Parliament(cid:146)s Secretariat) copies of the annual
reports available on contracts financed under the EDF.

(1) http://europa.eu.int/comm/scr/tender/index_en.htm.

(2001/C 81 E/164)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2063/00

by Juan Naranjo Escobar (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(16 June 2000)

Subject: Specific measures to improve budgetary implementation for external policy

On 5 June last, Commissioner Patten presented the European Parliament with statistics in the form of
graphics highlighting the existing imbalance under heading 4 between the political decision-making which
leads to budgetary allocations and the implementation thereof, where both commitment appropriations
and payment appropriations are concerned.

What specific measures have been introduced to remedy these shortcomings in respect of the Commis-
sion(cid:146)s working methods, the rules applicable to the programmes concerned, and the staff who manage
them?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(14 July 2000)

The member of
the Commission responsible for external relations has presented statistics on the
unexpended balance of the various external cooperation programmes. The unexpended balance is the
difference between budget commitments and payments for a programme. It is one of the indicators used
to gauge a programme(cid:146)s progress on the ground. A relatively high or steadily rising unexpended balance
may be a sign that a programme is having absorption problems.

C 81 E/136

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

13.3.2001

Absorption problems vary in their causes and can be attributed to donors or recipients: excessive red tape,
lack of suitable human resources, external factors (natural disasters) and political or organisational changes
by the recipients.

The Commission has recently approved a paper setting out measures to reform the management of aid to
third countries with a view to improving the performance and efficiency of aid programmes (1). The paper
contains an action plan, complete with a timetable, setting out all the measures to be taken by the
Commission. They include the conversion of the Common Service for External Relations into an Office
and increased recourse to devolved and decentralised management. The question of human resources,
including staff currently provided by technical assistance offices, will be covered in the letter of
amendment
for 2001, which the Commission will be presenting
in September. Further devolution has implications for the budget and will not succeed without the
requisite funding.

to the preliminary draft budget

(1) SEC(2000) 814.

(2001/C 81 E/165)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2066/00

by Margrietus van den Berg (PSE) to the Commission

Subject: Euro 2000 and the sale of black market tickets

(16 June 2000)

The French judicial authorities are currently investigating the firm of ISL-France, a subsidiary of the
marketing bureau ISL, which is the Euro 2000 foundation(cid:146)s most important partner in organising the
2000 European Cup.

ISL-France is suspected, during the World Cup in 1998 in France, of having sold tickets allocated to it on
the black market. The parent company ISL is alleged to have been aware of these activities.

The problems surrounding ticket sales during the 1998 World Cup led the Commission at the time to
investigate possible breaches of the competition rules by ISL-France.

An active black market in tickets has also been observed in connection with Euro 2000, and seems to have
been thriving in recent weeks in spite of tickets being issued bearing the name of the holder.

1. What measures have been taken in consultation with the Euro 2000 foundation to prevent the sale
of black market tickets for Euro 2000?

2. What lessons were learnt from the 1998 debacle, and what measures have been taken in consultation
with ISL to prevent the sale of black market tickets?

Does it agree that more intensive European cooperation, for example in the exchange of information

3.
in the broad sense, could help combat the trade in black market tickets?

Does it propose to take further European measures seeking to achieve a joint approach to the

4.
problem of the trade in black market tickets?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(19 July 2000)

Ticketing arrangements for Euro 2000 were established by the Union of European football associations
(UEFA) (cid:129) acting through its local organising committee, the Euro 2000 Foundation (cid:129) as organiser of the
tournament. These arrangements were notified to the Commission in March 1999 in order to determine
their compliance or otherwise with European competition rules. The Commission did not enter into
discussions either with the Euro 2000 Foundation or ISL as regards the appropriateness of the specific
measures intended by UEFA to prevent black market ticket sales.