WRITTEN QUESTION P-2320/00 by Glenys Kinnock (PSE) to the Commission. Budget 2001.
Date: 2000-06-30
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU expenditure, Yugoslavia

C 89 E/182

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.3.2001

(2001/C 89 E/203)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2320/00

by Glenys Kinnock (PSE) to the Commission

(30 June 2000)

Subject: Budget 2001

The Commission proposes in the 2001 Preliminary Draft Budget to find ways of funding a 48 % increase
in spending in the Western Balkans (38 % between 2000-2006) including € 2,3 billion for Serbia.

How can the Commission justify such an increase and simultaneously propose cuts on lines for the
poorest countries? Can such levels of spending be effectively spent?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(24 July 2000)

The 48 % increase in Balkans expenditure proposed by the Commission in the 2001 preliminary draft
budget is largely attributable to Kosovo. The Commission and the World Bank assessed the needs for
reconstruction in Kosovo at € 2 300 million. It is generally recognised that stabilisation in the region will
depend to an extent on the rapid reconstruction of Kosovo. The United Nations mission in Kosovo
(UNMIK) asked donors to concentrate their efforts in the three years after the end of the conflict. On this
basis the Commission decided that € 350 million should be disbursed in 2001. If this special allocation for
Kosovo is not included in the overall proposal for spending in the Balkans, the increase over 2000
proposed by the Commission for the five countries of the Balkans is only 1,03 %. The Commission would
like to emphasise that 90 % of the Kosovo allocation was committed by the end of June with 54 %
contracted. The Commission notes that the Parliament Ad Hoc Delegation that visited Kosovo from
31 May-3 June confirmed that (cid:145)Kosovo demonstrates a real capacity for absorption in relation to the 2000
Budget and the PDB for 2001(cid:146). Of the total 2000 budget allocated for the Western Balkans countries
(€ 527 million) the Commission expects 87 % will have been committed by September, with nearly 60 %
contracted. The absorption capacity of these countries is not comparable to that of other less developed
countries. The Commission does not propose to reduce the allocations for the poorest countries but to
find a better balance between countries over the period within the same overall allocation.

(2001/C 89 E/204)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2324/00

by Gerard Collins (UEN) to the Commission

(30 June 2000)

Subject: URBAN Community Initiative

The URBAN Community Initiative as agreed under the Agenda 2000 package in March 1999 is intended
to aid social and economic regeneration in declining towns and run-down urban districts. Continuity of
funding is vital for the survival of many small community groups involved in projects of this nature. While
the Commission has already adopted its final version of the guidelines for the URBAN II Initiative,
providing for € 700 million in funding from 2000-2006, local groups are still waiting to draw down such
funds. Can the Commission say whether it is prepared to speed up the process of releasing the URBAN II
funds so as to allow key socio-economic projects to proceed?