WRITTEN QUESTION E-2069/00 by Daniela Raschhofer (NI) to the Commission. Cohesion Fund annual report for 1998.
Date: 2000-06-27
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Cohesion Fund, activity report, economic analysis, environmental policy, impact study, investment, job creation, subcontracting, transport policy

18.4.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 113 E/61

Amongst other things this evaluation will make it possible to identify the degree of practical enforcement,
as well as the efforts being made and the difficulties encountered by the various players in enforcing the
law.

To this end the Commission has since 1990 been developing projects to harmonise statistics on accidents
at work and occupational diseases (2). These indicators confirm that from 1993 to 1996 (3) there was a
slight reduction in the incidence of fatal accidents at work and accidents involving absence from work of
more than three days.

the Commission also intends to develop other indicators,

for example the existence of
However,
appropriate preventive structures and the level of investment in training in this field, which should cast
more light on the impact of Community law.

Finally, in order to help ensure that Community legislation is enforced effectively and consistently by the
Member States, the Commission, in its Decision of 12 July 1995 (4), created a Senior Labour Inspectors
Committee, whose main task is to coordinate labour inspection activities and to facilitate the pooling of
experience in this area.

This Committee has devoted particular attention to the problems of monitoring inspection in high-risk
sectors or activities, and has organised specific sessions devoted to agriculture, the building industry, and
work involving exposure to asbestos.

(1) COM(95) 282 final.
(2) SEAT and EODS projects.
(3) Eurostat (cid:129) Statistics in brief (cid:129) Population and social conditions, Theme 3-4/2000.
(4) OJ L 188, 9.8.1995.

(2001/C 113 E/057)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2069/00

by Daniela Raschhofer (NI) to the Commission

(27 June 2000)

Subject: Cohesion Fund annual report for 1998

The Cohesion Fund annual report for 1998, which the Commission presented on 15 October 1999,
mentions that the London School of Economics (LSE) was given the task of developing economic models,
including econometric models, in order to ascertain the social and economic effects of the Cohesion Fund.
According to the annual report this study appeared in 1999. The LSE model was applied to a range of
selected projects. At the end of 1998 no results were yet available.

Can the Commission answer the following:

(cid:129) Where was the LSE study published?

(cid:129) How does one obtain access to the LSE study?

(cid:129) In what respects do conventional assessment models differ from the assessment model developed by

the LSE?

(cid:129) How does one obtain access to the results of the assessment?

(cid:129) Which projects were assessed in these investigations?

(cid:129) Are there differences between the results obtained by the LSE assessment model and those obtained by

conventional assessment methods?

The Commission(cid:146)s departments have agreed on detailed reference values for a retrospective assessment
programme with which it proposes to assess 120 projects.

(cid:129) Which projects have been assessed in this way?

(cid:129) What results have been obtained, concerning the impact on employment of the projects receiving

support? Have durable jobs been created as a result of the projects assessed?

C 113 E/62

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.4.2001

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(7 September 2000)

The Commission entrusted a study to the London School of Economics in July 1995 in order to assess the
economic and social impact of the Cohesion fund on the beneficiary Member States and on the wider
economy of the Community. The study has been published by the Commission (1).

The study was aimed to develop evaluation techniques in the fields of infrastructure investment impact and
regional economic analysis. It was based on an innovative approach, which led to the development of
three distinct modelling approaches. Among main results, the study shows that there is a strong, positive
relationship between public infrastructure investment and private investment in the cohesion Member
States over the longer term, and that the Cohesion fund investments give rise to significant employment
impacts both in the short term and long term. In addition, it produces clear evidence that regional income
and spillover effects may exceed in some cases those resulting from more traditional approaches to project
appraisal such as cost-benefit analysis.

The models have been further tested and applied to a wider range of projects in the transport and
environment fields financed by the Cohesion fund. The results of such applications will be made available
in the annual reports of the Cohesion fund.

With regard to the ex-post evaluation of projects assisted by the Cohesion fund, the Commission has
evaluated so far, with the help of independent experts, 31 environment and 40 transport projects. The
results are generally favourable, in particular on employment. In the area of transport, Cohesion fund
assistance has generated about 2200 direct jobs in the construction phase. In the area of environment, it is
estimated that the assisted projects have created as a whole the equivalent of 43,000 person hours of
construction work and 460 permanent jobs.

(1)

ISBN 92-828-7238-6 (volumes 1, 2, 3).

(2001/C 113 E/058)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2071/00

by Elizabeth Lynne (ELDR) to the Commission

Subject: Core funding for NGOs working for disabled people

(27 June 2000)

Would the Commission outline exactly how much core funding was allocated to non-governmental
organisations working in the field of disability, exactly which organisations received such core funding,
and under which precise budget lines, for the year 1999? And for 1998? And for 1997?

Would the Commission explain which organisations are due to receive such funding under current plans
for 2000 and 2001, and under which budget lines?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(3 October 2000)

In 1997 € 1,6 million was granted to 26 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) (budget line B5-4106).
In 1998 € 1,28 million was granted to 14 NGOs (Budget line B5-4106). In 1999 € 0,87 million was
granted to 10 NGOs (Budget line B5-4111).

The list of NGOs to which the subsidies were granted in 1997, 1998 and 1999 is forwarded direct to the
Honourable Member and to Parliament(cid:146)s Secretariat.

For the years 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000 the European Disability Forum received core funding
amounting to € 750,000 as this organisation was expressly mentioned in the budget commentary to the
relevant budget line for each year.