WRITTEN QUESTION P-1270/02 by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Substandard work on projects jointly funded under the CSF and measures by the Greek authorities to tackle the problem.
Date: 2002-04-26
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Community support framework, Greece, Structural Funds, co-financing, fraud, product quality, public works

C 28 E/92

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.2.2003

(2003/C 28 E/101)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1269/02

by Concepció Ferrer (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(26 April 2002)

Subject: Studying the impact of applying Growth on Growth to China

Within the framework of the ATC and in view of the agreements reached in Doha concerning the
to WTO member countries, and China in particular, does the
application of
Commission possess, or intend to carry out, a study of the additional quota margins which would apply to
China in terms of EU imports of Chinese textile and clothing products?

‘Growth on Growth’

Answer given by Mr Lamy on behalf of the Commission

(31 May 2002)

The examination by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Council for Trade in Goods of the proposals for
a recalculation of the ‘growth-on-growth’ rates applied to textiles quotas advanced to 1 January 2000
instead of 1 January 2002 has just started, and it is still quite uncertain whether such proposals may be
agreed. It has to be noted that since the WTO Ministerial conference in Doha, China has become a
Member, and therefore should such concession be made it would apply also to China.

The Commission has made two sets of estimates to calculate the value of such a concession, in terms of
likely increases of Community imports of textile and clothing products over the years 2002-2004:

(a) assuming that all the quotas from all the countries were used fully, the concession would be worth a
potential additional EUR 2 200 million in imports. This amount results from multiplying the increases
of all the quotas regardless of their rates of utilisation by the average prices of imports. Of this
amount, China would account for some EUR 740 million; however, this is a hypothetical value as only
around a tenth of all the textile quotas of the Community are highly utilised;

(b) according to a more likely scenario, taking into account the utilisation rates of the quotas, the value of
the concession would be around EUR 1 250 million for all WTO countries, of which some EUR 720
million would be accounted for by China. This amount results from multiplying the increases of
quotas for those product categories for which the quotas are highly utilised (90 % or more) by the
average prices of imports.

(2003/C 28 E/102)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1270/02

by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(26 April 2002)

Subject: Substandard work on projects jointly funded under the CSF and measures by the Greek authorities

to tackle the problem

In its answer to my questions E-3197/01 and P-2890/01 (1), the Commission informed me that it had no
fresh information on substandard work on jointly funded projects in Greece. The Commission also pointed
out that the Greek Government had not replied to either of its letters sent on 29 January 2001 and 2 July
2001 and that it would, therefore, send another letter to the Greek authorities.

Does the Commission have any more recent information regarding the number of instances of substandard
work since April 2000?

Has the Commission received information about the practical action taken in the cases falling within
categories 2 and 3 as described in Question E-3197/01?

6.2.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 28 E/93

Have the Greek authorities forwarded in reply to the European Anti-Fraud Office any communication
(apart from that referred to in the answer to Written Question E-1894/01 (2)) on the basis of Commission
Regulation (EC) No 1681/94 (3) of 11 July 1994 concerning irregularities and the recovery of sums
wrongly paid in connection with the financing of the structural policies and the organisation of an
information system in this field? If not, what will be the consequences and what measures does the
Commission intend to take?

(1) OJ C 309 E, 12.12.2002, p. 2.
(2) OJ C 134 E, 6.6.2002, p. 5.
(3) OJ L 178, 12.7.1994, p. 43.

Supplementary answer
by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(7 August 2002)

At the last meeting of the Monitoring Committee,
in Athens on 25 and 26 April 2002, the Greek
authorities informed the Commission that up to July 2001 the company ESPEL had carried out a total of
2 726 inspections covering 1 816 public works contracts.

Of these inspections, 64,5 % rated the projects in category 1, defined as projects that are running smoothly
or which have shortcomings of a secondary nature that need to be addressed by the contractors in
question. A total of 33,6 % of the inspections rated the projects in category 2 (cid:1) projects with major
defects that, although they do not compromise the integrity of the project, are likely to lead to higher
running costs (which must be deducted from the payments to the contractors concerned). Finally, 1,9 % of
the inspections were rated category 3 (cid:1) projects with serious defects that cannot be remedied. Projects in
this category have to be either wholly or partially restarted by the contractors, at their own expense.

in the situation since December 1999, when the respective
These figures show an improvement
percentages for the three categories were 48,6 %, 47,9 % et 3,5 %. So far, the Commission has received
no information from the Greek authorities on the outcome of the steps taken to remedy the defects on
category-2 and 3 projects. It has, however, recently reminded them of the need to apprise it of these
results as soon as possible so it can draw up the closing files on the various programmes under the
1994-1999 Community Support Framework.

For its part, the European Anti-Fraud Office has not received any information pursuant to Commission
Regulation (EC) No 1681/94 (1) other than that contained in the reply to written question 1894/01 by the
Honourable Member (2).

(1) Commission Regulation (EC) No 1681/94 of 11 July 1994 concerning irregularities and the recovery of sums
wrongly paid in connection with the financing of the structural policies and the organisation of an information
system in this field.
(2) OJ C 134 E, 6.6.2002.

(2003/C 28 E/103)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1272/02

by Anna Karamanou (PSE) to the Commission

(6 May 2002)

Subject: Call for rescission of the Bush Administration’s Military Order

According to Amnesty International, the operating guidelines for the special military commissions recently
issued by the US Defense Secretary have highlighted the serious defects of the Military Order signed by
President Bush on 13 November 2001, as a result of which any trial before these commissions would
violate the USA’s international obligations.