WRITTEN QUESTION E-1020/02 by Joan Colom i Naval (PSE) to the Commission. Execution of budget items B2-1411 and B5-3003.
Date: 2002-04-12
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Community budget, EU initiative, accession to the European Union, frontier region, implementation of the budget

5.12.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 301 E/77

(2002/C 301 E/083)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1020/02

by Joan Colom i Naval (PSE) to the Commission

Subject: Execution of budget items B2-1411 and B5-3003

(12 April 2002)

The Community budget for 2002 includes the following items: B2-1411 (Support for regions bordering
candidate countries) and B5-3003 (Pilot project on the impact of enlargement for the regions bordering
the candidate countries).

Can the Commission state what measures have been funded and what actions it has undertaken or intends
to undertake, and specify the percentage rate of execution for these items for both commitment and
payment appropriations?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(6 June 2002)

line B2-1411)

The Commission intends to allocate EUR 30 million for support for regions bordering candidate countries
to the fourteen existing Interreg III Community initiative programmes with
(budget
candidate countries by adding a new priority. According to the objectives laid down in the different actions
proposed by the Commission’s Communication on the impact of enlargement on regions bordering
candidate countries (1), this priority could cover projects in the following fields: strengthening of transport
systems, supporting small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) particularly affected by enlargement, as
well as supporting training and inter-cultural co-operation actions including those favouring the
integration of different language and cultural groups. Special attention should be given to projects in the
transport and SME sectors directly linked to the improvement of the environment.

The Commission intends to amend the above mentioned programmes by a single Commission decision.
The budgetary commitment will therefore be made following the Commission decision, and payments will
be made afterwards within the existing rules for Interreg III programmes.

As regards the pilot project on the impact of enlargement for the regions bordering the candidate
countries (budget line B5-3003), the Commission intends to allocate EUR 2 million to finance measures in
favour of young people in border regions according to the criteria and modalities applied in the YOUTH
programme. An amount of EUR 18 million shall be used to launch measures to support SMEs in order to
improve their capacity to react to the opportunities and challenges resulting from the enlargement process;
employment, social and cultural actions focusing on information and awareness raising, employment
promotion and cross border socio-cultural activities; assistance to local or regional bodies to prepare for
the administrative and economic effects of increased migration and facilitate the development of contacts
and networks between the representatives of these bodies across the border.

The Commission is currently preparing calls for proposals which will be published soon. In terms of
financial support to the three above mentioned topics priority will be given to SME support.

(1) COM(2001) 437 final.

(2002/C 301 E/084)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1027/02

by Helmuth Markov (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(15 April 2002)

Subject: Repayment of subsidies

Pursuant to its Decision (C42/98) of 21 June 2000 relating to subsidies paid by Germany to CDA Compact
Disc Albrechts GmbH, Thuringia, the European Commission required the Federal Republic of Germany to