WRITTEN QUESTION E-2255/01 by Glyn Ford (PSE) to the Commission. Harmonisation.
Date: 2001-07-31
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Union, administrative cooperation, approximation of laws, judicial cooperation in criminal matters in the EU, matrimonial law, parental responsibility, roadworthiness tests

20.6.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 147 E/13

(2002/C 147 E/013)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2255/01

by Glyn Ford (PSE) to the Commission

(31 July 2001)

Subject: Harmonisation

Although considerable progress has been made in harmonising economic policy within the EU, many non-
economic aspects seems to have been forgotten.

As an example, I quote the following:

+ English birth certificates are not recognised in most other EU countries, and have to be ‘legally’

translated, which is often a costly process;

+ marriage certificates are likewise not recognised abroad;

+ the English MOT for cars is also not recognised in many other Member States, in the same way as the

German MOT (TÜV) is not recognised in the UK.

What measures is the Commission taking to rectify this situation and make life easier for EU citizens when
they travel around, or live elsewhere in, the European Union?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(23 November 2001)

The creation of an area of freedom, security and justice is an essential component of Community action to
support the free movement of persons. These new powers conferred on the Community by the Treaty of
Amsterdam include the adoption of measures on judicial and administrative cooperation.

In accordance with the priorities identified by the Tampere European Council of October 1999, the
development of Community policy in the area of judicial cooperation is based on the mutual recognition
of decisions. Although this is a new policy area, a number of important instruments have already been
adopted which are expected to bring real benefits to Union citizens.

For example, as regards the status or legal capacity of natural persons, which is the subject of the first two
examples quoted by the Honourable Member, Council Regulation (EC) No 1347/2000 (1) provides for the
recognition of decisions on divorce and decisions on parental responsibility taken on the same occasion
concerning the children of both spouses. A further step was taken with the presentation on 6 September
2001 of a Commission proposal for the recognition of all decisions on parental responsibility (2). As the
Honourable Member indicates, there are no Community rules for the recognition of birth and marriage
certificates, and no specific initiatives are planned in this area for the time being.

recognition of decisions, work is also in progress on a number of
In addition to the mutual
complementary measures designed to improve access to justice across the Community. For example, a
Regulation on the service of documents and a Regulation on the taking of evidence have been adopted
with a view to facilitating cross-border proceedings. Furthermore, a European Judicial Network in civil and
commercial matters (3)
is currently being set up for the purpose of reinforcing cooperation among
authorities and making information more accessible to the public.

Directive 96/96/EC of 20 December 1996 relating to roadworthiness tests for motor vehicles (4)
harmonises certain technical aspects of such tests but does not provide for the recognition of certificates
issued by national test centres.

C 147 E/14

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.6.2002

However, there are plans to amend the Directive so as to ensure greater harmonisation. Until such time as
this is done, those concerned can refer to the Commission’s interpretative communication in which it
reiterated (in 1996) the principles of Community law applicable to procedures for the type-approval and
registration of vehicles previously registered in another Member State (5).

(1) Council Regulation (EC) No 1347/2000 of 29 May 2000 on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of
judgments in matrimonial matters and in matters of parental responsibility for children of both spouses (OJ L 160,
30.6.2000).

(2) COM(2001) 505 final.
(3) Council Decision 2001/470/EC of 28 May 2001 establishing a European Judicial Network in civil and commercial

matters (OJ L 174, 27.6.2001).

(4) OJ L 49, 25.2.1999.
(5) OJ C 143, 15.5.1996.

(2002/C 147 E/014)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2265/01

by Ioannis Marínos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(31 July 2001)

Subject: Unutilised Structural Funds appropriations

The Directorate-General for Regional Policy states in ‘Inforegio News’ (No. 86 of May 2001) that:
‘On
3 May last, the Council and the European Parliament approved plans to distribute over the five years from
2002 to 2006 Structural Funds appropriations not committed in 2000 nor carried over to 2001’. It goes
on to state that: ‘The funding in question is worth EUR 6 152 million, of which half from Greek Objective
1 programmes’, and adds that: ‘The financial rules for 2000-2006 permit this type of transfer only for
unused amounts from 2000 + uncommitted funding from subsequent years may not be reallocated within
the budget’.

Can the Commission confirm that this means that those countries which have been unable to use up their
Community funds for 2001 will definitively forfeit these funds? What indications are there concerning the
take-up of Structural Funds appropriations in Greece for 2001? What will happen to funds from the third
Community Support Framework (CSF) which are not used up during the years of implementation?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(15 January 2002)

1.

Loss of commitment appropriations not used in 2001

In view of the deadlines for adopting the new generation of programmes for 2000-2006, the
interinstitutional agreement of 6 May 1999 stipulates that the commitment appropriations for the first
year of the 2000-2006 programming period could be the subject of rebudgeting in 2001 if not used
in 2000. Under the financial appropriations adopted in Berlin and confirmed by Council Regulation
(EC) No 1260/1999 (1) the commitment appropriations allocated for each year from 2001 to 2006
and not utilised by the end of each year will be forfeited without the possibility of re-allocation to the
budget for the following year(s). However, this provision is only a minor problem for Greece because,
apart from the Operational Programme (OP) covering technical assistance which is in the course of
adoption and the amended environmental OP, all the Objective 1 programmes have been adopted and
the commitments for the annual instalments for the following years will be paid automatically.

2.

Forecast Greek take-up of Structural Fund commitment appropriations in 2001

European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)

The allocation of commitment appropriations for Greece under ERDF Objective 1 is EUR 2 122
million for 2001, of which EUR 2 091 million has to date been committed and EUR 31 million has
not yet been used. The Greece/Bulgaria and Greece/Cyprus Interreg programmes should be approved