WRITTEN QUESTION E-3600/00 by Luciano Caveri (ELDR) to the Commission. The de minimis rule.
Date: 2000-11-22
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing arrangements, vocational training

19.6.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 174 E/87

from natural gas (which have lower CO2 and pollutant emissions than oil). This will particularly help
to reduce the dependence on oil in the transport sector. This Target Action also includes combustion
research aiming at a minimization of pollutant emissions and an optimisation of the efficiency.

(1) COM(2000) 769 final.

(2001/C 174 E/090)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3598/00

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

(22 November 2000)

Subject: EU Action Plan on Drugs

Can the Commission say what steps it has taken, following adoption of the EU Action Plan on Drugs, to
tighten up its internal coordination on drugs and safeguard the transparency and cohesion of the many
budget headings allocated to drugs? Can it submit a table showing these various headings for 2000 and
2001? Can it confirm that it intends to carry out an external assessment of all its programmes on drugs, as
has just been done for the EMCDDA?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(18 January 2001)

Following the endorsement of the Union Action Plan on Drugs (2000-2004) at Feira in June 2000, the
Commission is analysing the impact of the Action Plan on its activities over the next five years, both in
terms of its priorities and the allocation of its resources. This analysis will also cover the issue of
coordination of drug related activities within the Commission.

A table summarising the drugs budget lines has been prepared and a copy is sent directly to the
Honourable Member and to Parliament(cid:146)s Secretariat.

The Commission put great emphasis on evaluation in its Communication of May 1999 on an Union
Action Plan to Combat Drugs (2000-2004) (1), and regularly evaluates its programmes. For example, an
interim evaluation of the Community Action Programme on the Prevention of Drug Dependence was
carried out last year, and North-South Cooperation in the fight against drugs is being evaluated at the
moment. As stated in point 2.2.1 of the Action Plan, the Commission intends to organise appropriate
evaluations of the Drugs Strategy (2000-2004) at mid-term and on completion and to present them to the
Council and the Parliament.

(1) COM(1999) 239 final.

(2001/C 174 E/091)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3600/00

by Luciano Caveri (ELDR) to the Commission

(22 November 2000)

Subject: The (cid:145)de minimis(cid:146) rule

It is becoming increasingly apparent that the objectives of the European funds allocated to education and
training are being thwarted by the inflexible rules to protect competition with which firms must comply if
they are to obtain such funding. The (cid:145)de minimis(cid:146) rule, which fixes a ceiling of € 100 000 over a three-year
period for every firm applying for such funds, reflects a narrow view of training as something that benefits
only the undertaking involved, disregards its beneficial effects on individual employees(cid:146) skills and the
community at large and seems to be at odds with the objectives of the European Social Fund in terms of
improving the employment market.

C 174 E/88

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

19.6.2001

What measures will the Commission take to make the (cid:145)de minimis(cid:146) rule less inflexible, thereby correcting a
somewhat skewed view of (cid:145)competition(cid:146) and facilitating access to training programmes?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(1 February 2001)

Improving education and training is one of the policy objectives of the European Structural Funds. When
funding such measures, the Commission as well as the Member States are bound by the State aid rules,
which are designed to avoid distortions of competition.

As far as eduction and training are concerned, it should be pointed out, however, that many measures in
these fields do not constitute State aid and can therefore be freely implemented by Member States. This is
the case of general measures which directly benefit people and workers everywhere and do not grant an
advantage to certain enterprises or sectors. Examples are: schooling and initial training (such as apprentice-
ships and day release schemes); the training or re-training of unemployed people, including traineeships in
enterprises; measures directly targeted at workers, affording them the opportunity of receiving training
unconnected with the firm or industry in which they work (e.g. the (cid:145)learning account(cid:146)). Other measures do
not fall within the scope of the State aid rules because they are open to all enterprises in all sectors
without discrimination and without discretionary power for the authorities applying the measure, e.g.
general tax incentive schemes, such as automatic tax credits, open to all firms investing in employee
training.

For training measures constituting State aid, the Commission has laid down the assessment criteria in a
framework on training aid (1). This framework confirms the favourable approach of the Commission
towards training measures and allows training aid for general training up to 90 % of the eligible costs. In
order to simplify the State aid notification procedures and to facilitate the granting of training aid, the
Commission has on 6 December 2000 decided to adopt an exemption regulation for training aid, which
takes over the assessment criteria from the training aid framework. As a consequence, training aid
this regulation, Commission Regulation (EC) No 68/2001 of
measures fulfilling the conditions of
12 January 2001 on the application of Articles 87 and 88 of the EC Treaty to training aid (2), can in
future be granted without notification and authorisation by the Commission.

Finally, training measures favouring certain enterprises do not constitute State aid if they remain below the
de minimis ceiling (3). On 6 December 2000 the Commission has adopted a regulation codifying the de
minimis rule. In this regulation, Commission Regulation (EC) No 69/2001 of 12 January 2001 on the
application of Articles 87 and 88 of the EC Treaty to de minimis aid, the Commission has, in the light of
its experience, maintained the threshold of € 100 000 over a three-year. The de minimis Regulation is
without prejudice, however, to the possibility that enterprises receive, also for the same project, State aid
authorised by the Commission or covered by a group exemption regulation.

The Commission therefore considers that
adequately reflected in the existing rules.

its favourable attitude towards education and training is

(1) OJ C 343, 11.11.1998.
(2) OJ L 10, 13.1.2001.
(3) See Commission Communication OJ C 68, 6.3.1996.

(2001/C 174 E/092)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3602/00

by Luciano Caveri (ELDR) to the Commission

(22 November 2000)

Subject: Air traffic over the Alps

The Mont Blanc area has been an aviation reference point from the era when pilots navigated by
identifying landmarks until today(cid:146)s sophisticated instrument navigation system. Consequently, many air-