WRITTEN QUESTION E-1094/01 by Raimon Obiols i Germà (PSE) to the Commission. Implementation of the MEDA programme.
Date: 2001-04-06
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Community budget, EU programme, European official, Union for the Mediterranean, management, recruitment

C 40 E/20

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

14.2.2002

All participants in the Sensus project are legal entities established in the Community, which could
therefore participate in RTD activities under FP4 with a financial contribution by the Community, in
conformity with the rules for participation.

Said rules for participation do not contain a list of legal entities which should be a priori excluded from
participating in Community funded RTD activities. Governmental bodies, including intelligence organi-
sations such as Amt f(cid:252)r Auslandsfragen (AfA), are therefore entitled to participate in RTD projects
provided their participation is justified by the technical objectives of such projects and complies with any
further requirement under the rules for participation and the specific programme concerned.

A further Commission decision was necessary for the inclusion of European Police Office (Europol)
because of its status as an international organisation (the Honourable Member is referred to the answer the
Commission gave to his written question E-892/01 (1)).

Project

Aventinus I

Aventinus II

Sensus

Programme

TAP Call

First Call, closing
15 March 1995

Relevant Commission
Decision(s)

E/1389/95
26 July 1995

Fourth Framework
Telematics Applications
Programme (TAP)

Fourth Framework
Telematics Applications
Programme (TAP)

Fourth Framework
Telematics Applications
Programme (TAP)

Fourth Call, closing
15 April 1997

E/1791/97
3 September 1997

Fourth Call, closing
15 April 1997

E/1791/97
3 September 1997
E/696/99
25 May 1999
(inclusion of Europol)

As these projects focused on pre-competitive research, no commercial
resulted to date, or were expected to result, from the Aventinus or Sensus projects.

language technology products

(1) See p. 17.

(2002/C 40 E/019)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1094/01

by Raimon Obiols i Germ(cid:224) (PSE) to the Commission

Subject: Implementation of the MEDA programme

(6 April 2001)

The EU has adopted a new budget for the MEDA programme for the period 2000-2006.

In view of the circumstance that in the previous period 74 % of the MEDA budget was not implemented:

(cid:129) What action has the Commission taken, or what action does it intend to take, to ensure that such a

situation does not recur?

(cid:129) Does the Commission believe that there should be a realistic increase in staffing levels, both in
Brussels and in the Commission(cid:146)s delegations in the capitals of the Mediterranean countries, for the
purpose of encouraging and accelerating the application and implementation of
the MEDA
programmes?

(cid:129) Does the Commission believe that the procedures under the MEDA programmes should be simplified
and the standards and rhythms of the PHARE and TACIS programmes adopted as a minimum?

(cid:129) Does the Commission believe that a secondment scheme could be introduced for civil servants from
Mediterranean third countries who are responsible for preparing the MEDA programme dossiers, on
similar lines to the existing schemes for civil servants from the Member States?

(cid:129) Can the Commission confirm whether the number of staff allocated to managing the Euro-

Mediterranean partnership has been reduced over the last two years?

14.2.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 40 E/21

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(22 June 2001)

As indicated by the Honourable Member, the disbursement ratio for the Mediterranean Development
Assistance programme (MEDA) over the period 1995-1999 was of only 26 %.

While underlining that the percentage of financial commitments over the same period was of 99,9 %, the
Commission sees three explanations behind this insufficient disbursement ratio:

(cid:129) an inefficient decision making and programming process under MEDA I,

(cid:129) general procedural difficulties within the external assistance mechanisms of the Commission

(cid:129) and absorption problems of the Mediterranean partners.

As regards the first point, the Commission has now put in place a new legal
framework: Council
Regulation (EC) No 2698/2000 of 27 November 2000 amending Regulation (EC) No 1488/96 on financial
and technical measures to accompany (MEDA) the reform of economic and social structures in the
incorporates a much more programmatic and
framework of
strategic approach, with the adoption of annual financing plans, replacing the previous cumbersome
procedures for single projects; as well as enhanced donor co-ordination on the spot and with the European
Investment Bank (EIB).

the Euro-Mediterranean partnership (1)

As regards the second reason, the primary objective of the reform of the external assistance is precisely the
improvement of the quality and consistency of programming.

As a result of the steps which are being taken to correct the operational problems that affected MEDA, it
should be noted that the implementation results for the year 2000 show execution ratios of 95 % and 38 %
for commitments and payments respectively.

The Commission is well aware of the need for an increase in the human resources devoted to MEDA
implementation, both in Brussels and in the Commission(cid:146)s delegations. Provisions are being made in 2001
and 2002 for the Commission to hire the necessary staff resources under Part B of the budget, in liaison
with the ongoing process of deconcentration. Moreover in 2001, EuropeAid Co-operation Office, MEDA
Directorate, will receive – 35 extra posts. And for 2002 a significant increase of posts is foreseen subject
to agreement by the budgetary authority.

The Commission underlines that no comparison could be made with the exchange programme of officials
with Member States which has different objectives from those of the co-operation programmes with third
countries.

The Commission agrees with the Honourable Member that there is a need for simplification of procedures
under MEDA. This is precisely what
through a
programme based approach implemented through annual financing plans, instead of the previous myriad
of projects individually submitted to the MED committee. In this sense, it can be said that the revised
MEDA Regulation will bring a modus operandi fairly close to that of TACIS.

the revised MEDA Regulation will bring. Notably,

The human resources devoted to the management of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership have not
decreased over the last two years. They have been redistributed within the different services of the
Commission mostly concerned (Directorate general for External Relations (DG RELEX) and DG Europe
Aid), while their number has remained constant so far. However, this overall number is about to increase,
in line with the hiring process mentioned above.

(1) OJ L 311, 12.12.2000.