WRITTEN QUESTION P-0303/01 by Carlos Carnero González (PSE) to the Commission. Information concerning the use of EU funds for employment and training administered by the Municipal Institute for Enterprise Training and Employment (IMEFE) in Madrid.
Date: 2001-02-02
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, European Social Fund, Spain, competence of the Member States, fraud against the EU, vocational training

C 187 E/214

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

3.7.2001

(2001/C 187 E/236)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0303/01

by Carlos Carnero GonzÆlez (PSE) to the Commission

(2 February 2001)

Subject: Information concerning the use of EU funds for employment and training administered by the

Municipal Institute for Enterprise Training and Employment (IMEFE) in Madrid

On 29 January the Spanish daily El Pais published a report under the headline (cid:145)Business networks affiliated
to the Partido Popular (PP) receive 1400 million to train unemployed in Madrid. Companies sweep the
board in award of EU funded courses(cid:146). The article reported that, after careful scrutiny of all contracts
awarded in this field by the Madrid IMEFE, the socialist councillor on the Madrid municipal authority,
Isabel Vilallonga (cid:145)believed that the companies concerned had clearly been given favourable treatment and,
more seriously, suspected that all the courses paid for may not actually have been provided(cid:146).

Bearing in mind the justifiable public concern in Madrid generated by these reports and the fact that the
questions concern activities funded from Community resources, can the Commission say what Union
funds have been allocated for training and employment and administered by the IMEFE since 1995 and
what were the programmes concerned? Will
the Commission use the appropriate mechanisms to
investigate the cases referred to by the abovementioned report in order to ensure that the European
funds allocated for training and employment and administered by the IMEFE since 1995 have been
properly used? Will it bring the matter to the attention of the relevant or competent Spanish authorities?
What measures will it take if irregularities are detected?

(2001/C 187 E/237)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0355/01

by Carlos Carnero GonzÆlez (PSE) to the Commission

(6 February 2001)

Subject: Important new information on the misuse of Community funding for training and employment

managed by Madrid City Council(cid:146)s IMEFE

Following on from what they published on 29 January, the Spanish media have today reported that
Ricardo Peydr(cid:243), the director of the Madrid City Council(cid:146)s Instituto Municipal de Empleo (IMEFE (cid:129)
Municipal Employment Institute) yesterday announced that the IMEFE would be bringing criminal charges
against the Ifomar company for alleged fraud and falsification of documents, and further claimed that there
was (cid:145)sufficient evidence(cid:146) that the company had (cid:145)simulated(cid:146) courses in prisons which it did not actually hold,
but for which it received municipal and European funding.

These statements confirm the seriousness of the news published this week, which led me to table a priority
written question on Monday, 29 January.

The Commission must take effective action with all possible speed to ensure that the criminal actions of
certain, unscrupulous operators do not prejudice companies making proper use of funds managed by the
IMEFE (and thus performing a social task of the first importance as regards training and employment) or
their students.

In view of the facts, what measures does the Commission intend to take under current Union legislation to
investigate the full scope of the alleged crimes and fully guarantee the proper use of European taxpayers(cid:146)
money, thus ensuring that the training and employment programmes can continue, despite whatever acts
of fraud may have been committed? Has the Commission already approached the appropriate Spanish
authorities, i.e. the Madrid City Council, or has it been contacted by that body?