WRITTEN QUESTION E-3069/00 by Herbert Bösch (PSE) to the Commission. Financial assistance for innovative and job-creating SMEs ‐ situation in Austria.
Date: 2000-10-02
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Austria, EU aid, EU industrial policy, EU programme, European Investment Fund, aid to undertakings, distribution of EU funding, early-stage capital, small and medium-sized enterprises, start-up

C 136 E/172

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

8.5.2001

(2001/C 136 E/201)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3061/00

by Jillian Evans (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(28 September 2000)

Subject: Clean beaches

What steps has the Commission taken to ensure that all Member States comply fully with European
legislation on the cleanliness of the European coastline and bathing water?

Answer given by Mrs Wallstr(cid:246)m on behalf of the Commission

(25 October 2000)

A number of Community directives may have a positive effect in the cleaning of coast and bathing water,
most importantly Council Directive 76/160/EEC of 8 December 1975, on the quality of bathing water (1)
and Council Directive 91/271/EEC of 21 May 1991 on urban waste water treatment (2), but also many
others such as Council Directive 76/464/EEC of 4 May 1976 on pollution caused by certain dangerous
substances discharged into the aquatic environment of the Community (3) or Council Directive 75/442/EEC
of 15 July 1975 on waste (4) as amended by Council Directive 91/156/EEC of 18 March 1991 (5).

If Community directives are not complied with, the Commission does not hesitate to take all appropriate
measures,
including legal proceedings under Article 226 (ex Article 169) of the EC Treaty and under
Article 228 (ex Article 171), which may lead to the Court of justice imposing penalty payments on
Member States which do not comply.

(1) OJ L 31, 5.2.1976.
(2) OJ L 135, 30.5.1991.
(3) OJ L 129, 18.5.1976.
(4) OJ L 194, 25.7.1975.
(5) OJ L 78, 26.3.1991.

(2001/C 136 E/202)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3069/00

by Herbert B(cid:246)sch (PSE) to the Commission

(2 October 2000)

Subject: Financial assistance for innovative and job-creating SMEs (cid:129) situation in Austria

In the 1998 Union budget, € 150 million were earmarked for an employment initiative. The funds were
primarily intended for assisting innovative small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

There are a good many innovative and job-creating SMEs in Austria. As an Austrian MEP, I naturally take a
special interest in the situation in Austria. Having regard to my Written Question E-2823/99 of 18 January
2000 to the Commission on financial assistance for innovative and job-creating SMEs and the reply of
27 March 2000 by Mr Solbes on behalf of the Commission,

I therefore ask the Commission:

1. How, in practical terms, was this employment initiative implemented in Austria?

2. Who in Austria received financial assistance?

3. What is the take-up rate for this initiative in Austria?

8.5.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 136 E/173

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(8 December 2000)

1.
In accordance with Council Decision 98/347/EC of 19 May 1998 on measures of financial assistance
to innovative and job-creating small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) (cid:129) the growth and employment
initiative (1), the European investment fund (EIF) consulted the (cid:145)Bundesministerium f(cid:252)r Wirtschaftliche
in order to find a suitable SME financial
Angelegenheiten(cid:146) and the (cid:145)Bundesministerium f(cid:252)r Finanzen(cid:146)
intermediary in Austria. Following this, the EIF began negotiations with B(cid:252)rges F(cid:246)rderungsbank. The
contract between the EIF and B(cid:252)rges F(cid:246)rderungsbank was signed on 14 December 1998. Under the small
and medium sized enterprises (SME) guarantee facility, two programmes of B(cid:252)rges are covered: the
programme for young entrepreneurs and the programme for structural improvement. The Commission
also published information in the Official Journal (2).

The Commission information in the Official Journal (2) also included a notice of implementation of the ETF
start-up facility. Interested venture capital funds were invited to contact the EIF. Similar information is also
available on the EIF web site and in leaflets produced in eleven languages. Several Austrian venture capital
funds contacted the EIF. Currently,
funds are under
assessment by the EIF.

the proposals of two Austrian venture capital

The Joint European Venture (JEV) programme is implemented through a network of financial intermedi-
aries (FIs), providing the link between the Commission and the SMEs. Eight Austrian intermediaries (Bank
Austria, B(cid:252)rges F(cid:246)rderungsbank, Creditanstalt, Erste Bank, FGG, Invest Kredit, (cid:214)sterreische Volksbanken,
Raiffeisen Zentralbank) have signed a framework agreement with the Commission.

2.
Last available figures showed 1947 Austrian SMEs benefiting from a guarantee under the SME
Guarantee facility, corresponding to € 188 million loans. 93 % of such SMEs are small companies with
0-10 employees and 75 % of them were established between 1998 and 2000.

The ETF Start-up facility is still at an early stage of its investment phase. Already € 48,1million, i.e. 44 % of
the Community budgetary allocation for the first two years, has been committed by the EIF to nine venture
capital funds, covering seven Member States. Austrian venture capital funds have not yet signed ETF start-
up agreements with the EIF. However, as mentioned above, the proposals of two Austrian funds are under
assessment by the EIF.

Under the JEV Programme, four joint venture projects that include Austrian SMEs have been approved by
the Community. The partners of the Austrian companies are from Belgium, Spain (2), and Italy. The four
transport, manufacturing, environmental services and
planned joint ventures are in the sectors of
information technology services. According to declarations made by the applicants, the total amount of
the foreseen investments is estimated at € 1,5 million, while 21 new jobs should be created.

Last available figures show that the average utilisation rate of the SME Guarantee facility by B(cid:252)rges

3.
F(cid:246)rderungsbank was 70,6 %.

In addition to the growth and employment initiative the Commission has launched in November 1998,
under the multiannual programme for SMEs (1997-2000), the new seed capital programme CREA. So far
12 contracts have been signed.
(cid:145)Innovationsagentur GmbH(cid:146) has received a subsidy of € 500 000 for
activities in the very risky seed capital market in order to support the creation of innovative growth
oriented businesses.

(1) OJ L 155, 29.5.1998.
(2) OJ C 302, 1.10.1998.