WRITTEN QUESTION E-1449/02 by Samuli Pohjamo (ELDR) to the Commission. Flexibility of the EU support system.
Date: 2002-05-23
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Finland, Structural Funds, economic infrastructure, eligible region, financing, less-favoured region, regional aid, regional policy

C 28 E/106

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.2.2003

Israel participates as an associate partner in the Fifth Framework Programme for scientific and technical
cooperation, but it makes a contribution to the programme budget proportional to its GDP.

As regards the possibility of a moratorium, while the Commission is extremely concerned at the current
situation on the ground, particularly the human rights violations, it considers it important to continue
relations with Israel. At this stage, suspending ties would hardly increase the Israeli authorities’ awareness
of the EU’s concern, and it seems preferable to go on using the machinery available under the Association
Agreement to make its views known to them at all levels.

(2003/C 28 E/118)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1449/02

by Samuli Pohjamo (ELDR) to the Commission

(23 May 2002)

Subject: Flexibility of the EU support system

Before Finland joined the EU, Finnish local authorities received national regional policy support to finance
investments in basic services such as school repairs and sewage treatment plants. The effect of EU
membership has been that national funding is increasingly being accounted for by contributions to the
Objective 1 areas defined for the purposes of EU regional policy, with the result that operations are taking
the form of development projects and investment in basic services is no longer possible.

It is perfectly understandable that the modus operandi of EU regional policy should be project based
because the measures are by nature additional. However, Finland has implemented its policy in the same
way by earmarking national funding for projects. Local authorities have no money of their own to invest
in municipal engineering or social and health services. In the small local administrative areas local taxes
have already been raised to the maximum.

Could not the EU support system be made more flexible so that aid could likewise be granted for basic
services? Should not a local authority be allowed to apply for a grant for, say, a project to renovate a
sewage treatment plant and channel more of its own resources into, for example, the recruitment of
doctors?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(24 July 2002)

Community aid can be given for basic infrastructure work such as renovation of sewage treatment plants
provided the investment is in a region enjoying Structural Fund eligibility and is compatible with the rules
in force. The basic Structural Fund Regulations define a specific field of application for each Fund. The
European Regional Development Fund can part-finance investment in infrastructure that helps increase
economic potential or assists in development, structural adjustment or the creation or maintenance of
sustainable jobs but there is no provision for financing e.g. schools.

Further, the national authorities can restrict the programmes to be part-financed from the Funds to a set
number of strategically chosen fields. Thus the four Objective 1 and 2 programmes for mainland Finland
the budget
offer co-financing possibilities for investments in infrastructure and basic services but
allocations vary from programme to rogramme according to the strategic choices made by the regional
and national authorities. For example in the Eastern Finland Objective 1 programme some 14 % of the
Community funding has been allocated under priority 4 to development of structures geared to everyday
life and a good environment. Total Community funding for this programme is EUR 626,6 million. Under
western Finland Objective 2 some 26 % of the total Community funding is allocated under priority 3 for

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Official Journal of the European Union

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developing structures and the living environment. Total Community funding for the programme is
EUR 284,2 million. The types of project eligible include waste management, developing new service
provision models and developing and experimenting with social welfare services.

Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 of 21 June 1999 laying down general provisions on the Structural
Funds (1) sets ceilings that must be respected where each operation is concerned. In addition in any
programme part-financed by the Funds the average aid rate per measure must be respected.

(1) OJ L 161, 26.6.1999.

(2003/C 28 E/119)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1450/02

by Olivier Dupuis (NI) to the Commission

(23 May 2002)

Subject: Setting-up of a child pornography data bank

In March 2001, Patricia Vandersmissen, a Brussels barrister, asked the Belgian Minister of Justice and the
President of
the European Parliament questions relating to ‘the establishment of a European or
international centre to analyse and identify children and adults visible on CD-ROMS, on the basis of
photographs of children and adults which suggest that they may be involved in such practices’. In his
answer to a parliamentary question from Mr Decroly, the Belgian Minister of Justice stated that a group of
experts has been set up to consider the feasibility of creating an international data bank on victims
appearing in child pornography products, that cooperation between Europol and Eurojust would be
established during the Belgian Presidency and that a framework decision was being prepared at European
level with a view to a harmonised legal qualification.

Are Europol and Eurojust working, as planned, on this project? If so, will the Commission provide detailed
information on the state of progress of this work?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(25 June 2002)

The Commission is pleased to inform the Honourable Member that on 15 November 2001 it decided to
support
‘International Child Exploitation Database Feasibility Study’, under the STOP II
Programme Committee. The fight against on-line child pornography is among the main objectives of the
STOP II Programme. It was one of the priorities in 2001 and it is also a priority this year.

the project

This project, presented by the United Kingdom in collaboration with Italy and Germany, aims to assess the
feasibility of an international database with images of child sexual exploitation, sourced from the Internet
or any other pictorial systems. The feasibility study will examine whether and how the international law
enforcement community could contribute to feed images of children being used or engaged in sexual
activities or description of such images into a central database, in order to assist in both victims and
suspect identification.

Europol is fully associated to the project as well as the other Member States, Interpol and the the group of
eight most industrialised countries. The final report is expected for December 2002.

The Commission is not aware of a possible joint initiative Europol/Eurojust aimed at setting up an
international database of child pornography images.