WRITTEN QUESTION P-1411/01 by Cecilia Malmström (ELDR) to the Commission. State for European political youth organisations.
Date: 2001-05-03
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, European party, legal basis, party financing, youth movement

C 350 E/146

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

11.12.2001

I.e.:

(cid:129) they must be applied in a non-discriminatory manner;

(cid:129) they must be justified by imperative requirements in the general interest;

(cid:129) they must be suitable for securing the attainment of the objective which they pursue;

(cid:129) they must not go beyond what is necessary in order to attain it.

The interpretation and practical application of the new legislation by the Italian authorities will make it
possible to obtain a reasonable picture of its actual scope as far as the requirements of need and
proportionality laid down by the EC Treaty are concerned.

It will also be possible to make an analysis in connection with the new Internal Market Strategy for
Services, recently launched by the Commission (3).

As for the State aids which the Honourable Member mentions, the Commission has no knowledge of any
new aid facility for certain publishers.

(1) Directive 2000/31/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 June 2000 on certain legal aspects of
information society services, in particular electronic commerce, in the Internal Market (OJ L 178, 17.7.2000).

(2) See judgement of 9.3.1999 in case C-212/97.
(3) COM(2000) 888 final.

(2001/C 350 E/158)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1411/01

by Cecilia Malmstr(cid:246)m (ELDR) to the Commission

Subject: State for European political youth organisations

(3 May 2001)

The Commission has recently tabled a proposal for a Council Regulation on statutes for and financing of
European political parties, COM(2000) 898, based on article 191 of the Treaty. The proposal, which deals
with the concrete way in which party administration and activities are to be financed, also calls for
a Statute on European political parties.

Article 191 TEU refers to political parties at European level as an important factor for integration within
the Union, as well as contributing to forming a European awareness and to expressing the political will of
the citizens of the Union.

In its proposal, the Commission refers to the lack of legal base for the current funding of parties, and also
mentions the important role that will be played by European parties with a view to the upcoming
enlargement and the next European elections. It should not be forgotten that political youth organisations
are often even further ahead than their mother parties in creating contacts with young people involved in
political life in the candidate countries. A lot of important work, in particular related to forming new ideas
on European integration and the future of the European project, is done by political youth organisations at
European level. The major party federations connected to the political groups in the European Parliament
have had youth movements for many years already, of which ECOSY (PSE), YEPP (PPE) and LYMEC (ELDR)
may be the most well-known.

The European political youth organisations are currently entitled to apply for funding from budget line A-
3029 in the general budget of the European Commission. The same budget line applies to all other, non-
political, youth organisations that are members of the European Youth Forum. As do the European
political parties, several political youth organisations also receive funds directly out of the budgets of the
parliamentary groups, and thus from the European Parliament. Considering the criticism expressed by the
Court of Auditors in relation to the political parties,
legal base for
parliamentary groups to provide youth organisations with funds for overheads and projects.

there may also be a lack of

11.12.2001

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 350 E/147

As mentioned by the Commission, transparency in the financing of political parties is of great importance.
However, in a situation where political parties would be entitled to funding out of the general EU budget,
it may well be that parties would devote parts of their budgets to youth movements, most of which are
independent legal persons. This would not contribute to increased transparency. The most effective and
transparent solution in this respect may be to set up a statute for, as well as a system for direct financing
of, political youth organisations at European level.

Considering this, would the Commission be ready to put forward a proposal concerning a statute and
funding for European youth organisations?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(29 June 2001)

The Commission is aware of the importance of the activities of political youth organisations in

1.
connection with European integration.

2.
As mentioned by the Honourable Member, these organisations are eligible for financial assistance
under budget line A-3029 (1) of the Commission(cid:146)s general budget provided that, in the same way as other
types of organisation, they meet the conditions and criteria set out in the annual call for proposals
published in the Official Journal (2).

The funding provided in this connection relates to the organisations(cid:146) operating expenses and may not
exceed 50 % of
the
organisations concerned must be in receipt of at least 20 % cofinancing from sources other than the
Commission(cid:146)s budget.

In addition, as stated in the comments on Article A-302,

this expenditure.

The financing arrangements are transparent. The organisations are obliged to declare the Community
financial support they receive, and also in future any Community funding they may receive via the
financing of political parties.

The proposal for a Council Regulation on the statute and funding of European political partie is
3.
currently being discussed in the Council. Given the transparency of
the
Commission does not at this stage see any need to submit a proposal of the same kind concerning
European political youth organisations.

the current arrangements,

(1) The appropriation under budget line A-3029 is intended to cover the provision of funding to international non-

governmental youth organisations working in a European context.

(2) OJ C 11, 13.1.2001, for the 2001 financial year.

(2001/C 350 E/159)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1414/01

by Theresa Villiers (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(14 May 2001)

Subject: Fiscal State aids

In a statement on 23 February 2000 (IP/00/182) Commissioner Mario Monti said that he had instructed
the Commission(cid:146)s Competition Department (cid:145)to examine all the relevant cases of fiscal State aids in business
taxation, so as to allow the Commission to comply fully and promptly with its own institutional
obligations, also on the basis of the Commission notice on the application of the State aid rules to
measures relating to direct business taxation of 11 November 1998(cid:146).

Could the Commission please explain what action it has taken so far to examine relevant cases of

1.
fiscal State aids in business taxation?

Has the Commission identified any cases where fiscal State aids have been put into effect in breach of

2.
the State aid rules of the Community and, if so, what action has the Commission taken?