WRITTEN QUESTION E-3798/02 by Christos Folias (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Progress in implementation of the third CSF.
Date: 2003-01-07
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Community support framework, European Commission, European Social Fund, Greece, competition, exchange of information, fishing industry, information society, operational programme, rail transport

C 242 E/74

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

9.10.2003

Qualitative (contextual) studies are sometimes used. They are often based on participatory techniques, that
capture experiences, perceptions, livelihood issues, social conditions, political issues, etc.

Often used by non-governmental organisations, these studies provide rich, detailed and contextual findings.
But they are slow to implement, to summarise in indicators and not always representative of the whole
population.

Several efforts have been made to build bridges between these different approaches and to arrive at a
combined method of assessing poverty. However, this has raised methodological problems for which there
is still no consensual solution.

Meanwhile, the Commission in its development policy will continue to favour the simultaneous use of the
results from these complementary methods whenever possible, and depending on the availability of reliable
data.

At the international level, the use of these complementary methods is reflected by the agreement to use a
set of five indicators to track progress toward the 1st Millennium Development Goal (eradication of
extreme poverty), which are: proportion of the population below USD 1 a day; poverty gap ratio; share of
poorest quintile in national consumption; prevalence of underweight children (under-five years of age) and
proportion of the population below the minimum level of dietary energy consumption.

Despite the disadvantages mentioned above, and rightly pointed out by the Honourable Member, monetary
measures of poverty are bound to remain an important element of any discussion on the consequences of
economic policies and reforms on the poor, as they provide such a useful tool for policy makers, both in
developing countries and among donors. In addition, the information provided through this methodology
is more readily comparable across countries. This explains, therefore, why such measures are favoured
when trying to capture poverty on a global basis.

(1) A key advantage of the median is that it is not influenced by extreme values, i.e. extremely low or high incomes.
(2) This amount can be determined on the basis of a basket of goods and services considered as minimal.

(2003/C 242 E/078)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3798/02

by Christos Folias (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(7 January 2003)

Subject: Progress in implementation of the third CSF

The third year of implementation of the third CSF for Greece has already finished.

What is Greece’s take-up to date in the CSF national operational programmes and in the regional
programmes, by region?

More specifically, what is the take-up for the programmes concerning competitiveness, the information
society, fisheries, the programme for the modernisation of the Greek railways and the European Social
Fund (national section)?

Is the Commission satisfied with progress to date in the implementation of the third CSF by the Greek
public administration? In the Commission’s view, how far should the Greek Government go and what sort
of action should it take to improve the implementation of the CSF?

9.10.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 242 E/75

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(12 February 2003)

The Honourable Member is asked to refer to the table being sent directly to him and also to Parliament’s
Secretariat. This gives precise information on the state of advance of the national and regional operational
programmes of the 3rd Greek CSF.

The level of the Commission’s satisfaction over progress in implementing the CSF and any proposals for
improving implementation will depend on the findings of the mid-term evaluation to be made (Article 42
of the Regulation laying down general provisions on the Structural Funds (1)) before the end of 2003.

(1) Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 of 21 June 1999.

(2003/C 242 E/079)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3805/02

by Michl Ebner (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(7 January 2003)

Subject: Alpine transit

The International Year of Mountains means that particularly frequent reference is being made to the
desirability of conserving the mountain landscape. However, an ever increasing number of private cars and
lorries are traversing the Alps and polluting the environment to an ever increasing extent.

Does the Commission not believe that it would make sense to shift road transport to rail by means of an
intensified information campaign?

If so, will it then make a special effort to achieve rapid implementation of the Brenner base-level tunnel
which is included in the list of
trans-European networks and which would considerably alleviate
congestion on a section of the transit route? If so, what exactly does it intend to do?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(27 February 2003)

The European Transport policy encourages in the White Paper for Transport (1) the modal shift in favour
of railways especially in the Alps. Therefore,
the Alpine region receives a special attention in the
framework of Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) policy. Two of the 14 Essen priority projects,
Lyon-Turin and Verona-Munich (Brenner axis) were selected with the aim to transfer part of the alpine
road traffic to rail. Also, the Commission has presented a proposal to increase up to 20 % of the maximum
co-finance from the TEN-T budget for railways projects in areas with natural barriers like Alps and
Pyreneans, for which it has obtained the support of the Parliament in first reading.

The rapid preparation and construction of the Brenner base tunnel remains one of the highest priorities of
the trans-European transport network. This is reflected in the Community Guidelines for the development
of the trans-European transport network.

The responsibility for implementing these priorities falls on the Member States concerned. For its part, the
Commission has been closely involved in the preparatory activities for the Brenner base tunnel project: the
Commission co-signed several Memoranda of Understanding, confirming the priority status of the project
and calling upon the parties
financing and
construction. Commission representatives also participate actively in the work of an intergovernmental

involved to accelerate and facilitate its preparation,