WRITTEN QUESTION E-3077/02 by Michael Cashman (PSE) to the Commission. Organisations that find funding.
Date: 2002-10-28
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, eligibility criteria, financial occupation, fraud against the EU, voluntary organisation

10.7.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 161 E/61

Reply given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(11 December 2002)

One of the priorities of the 2002-2004 Indicative National Programme for Morocco, signed with the
is the issue of migration. This section makes provision for a
Moroccan authorities in January 2002,
programme for the management of border controls, for which the indicative sum of EUR 40 million is
earmarked. This special programme aims to build institutional capacity, develop the regulatory framework,
modernise infrastructure and equipment, train people and develop cooperation between the services
concerned in Morocco and the Member States. In this context, and with a view to assessing the situation as
regards the management of border controls, experts from the Member States and the Commission made an
official visit to Morocco in July 2002.

This action is part of the dialogue on migration provided for by the association agreement between the
Community and Morocco.

In the course of this mission the experts visited the main border posts and the border regions most
affected by illegal
immigration, particularly involving people from sub-Saharan Africa (Casablanca,
Tangiers, Tetouan, Kenitra, Nador, Oujda and Laayoune).

The Moroccan authorities have stressed their government’s determination to combat illegal emigration
effectively and to cooperate with the Union on the issue of border controls. In this context, specific
information was made available in July and September 2002 on the regulatory framework, putting that
framework into practice, and relevant statistics.

The experts will finalise their report over the coming weeks, on the basis of the results obtained during the
visit and after examining the information provided. An activity programme will then be drawn up.

(2003/C 161 E/064)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3077/02

by Michael Cashman (PSE) to the Commission

(28 October 2002)

Subject: Organisations that find funding

Is the Commission aware that there are companies offering to find European funding opportunities for
charities in return for a percentage of the funding received? Such companies may collect all information,
write all documents and reports needed for the funding and collecting all the data: they essentially
formulate the application. What are the Commission’s views on this practice and is there anything that can
be done under current EU rules to detect it or prevent it? Can the Commission provide information as to
whether there are any plans to address this issue in the future?

Answer given by Mrs Schreyer on behalf of the Commission

(20 December 2002)

The Honourable Member’s question to the Commission relates to certain intermediation practices of
companies offering their services, at a charge, to potential candidates in order to help them obtain
Community funding.

In contractual terms, whatever the nature of the intermediation service proposed (search for external
funding, whether or not from the Community,
in connection with the co-financing of the action,
administrative assistance in preparing and presenting the funding application), the cost of such services
would not satisfy the general eligibility criteria for the costs of an action under the standard grant
agreement for an action, in that such costs would not be directly linked to the object of the agreement nor
would they derive from requirements imposed directly by the agreement.

Financial intermediation practices of this type could not therefore be financed from Community funds.