WRITTEN QUESTION E-3891/02 by Giovanni Pittella (PSE) to the Commission. ROP (Regional Operational Programme) for Calabria.
Date: 2003-01-13
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Calabria, Structural Funds, dissemination of EU information, operational programme, project management, public awareness campaign

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Thessaloniki where it is situated, will the Commission consider the possibility of merging it with the ETF,
while keeping it in Greece’s second city? Is the Commission satisfied with Cedefop’s performance?

How could the centre be made more productive so as to contribute to improving vocational training
standards in the European Union and in the host country, Greece (which suffers from high unemployment
particularly among young people and women), with constant support being assured?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(25 February 2003)

In November 2000, the Commission launched an external evaluation of the European Centre for the
Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop) which provides a comprehensive view of the performance
of the Centre since the last evaluation in 1995. The findings and conclusions of the evaluation concerning
the Centre’s services and products represent
the views of 550 external stakeholders (including the
Parliament, Commission, civil servants and social partners representatives). Overall, the evaluation report
assessed positively the effectiveness and impact of the work of the Centre since 1995 and underlined that
Cedefop does important work in the promotion and development of vocational education and training in
the European context.

Cedefop is very active in Greece and the rest of Europe in providing information on developments in
vocational education and training to support policy-makers, researchers and practitioners. Cedefop’s
information is provided through its two websites, the European Training Village (ETV) www.trainingvil-
lage.gr and the Cedefop corporate website www.cedefop.eu.int, (also in Greek) as well as periodical and
non-periodical publications. On the basis of information provided by the Centre, the ETV currently has
about 30 000 registered users (over 2 100 from Greece, the fourth highest) and has an average of 38 000
hits and 930 user sessions per day. In 2002, Cedefop distributed over 12 500 copies of its publications in
response to specific requests and many others at conferences and exhibitions. Cedefop also fosters
exchanges and contacts through conferences, seminars and networks bringing over a 1 000 visitors from
all over Europe, to Thessaloniki, every year. Cedefop welcomes visitors from Greece, and has hosted visits
from a wide range of backgrounds (cid:1) from Ministers to students. Currently the Centre is also working with
a number of Ministries on events to be held during the Greek Union Presidency, three of which will be
staged at Cedefop’s premises in Thessaloniki.

Cedefop and the ETF actively co-operate and in 2001, agreed a framework of cooperation between them
to facilitate the transition of Candidate Countries into the Union. For the possibility of merging the two
Agencies and on their respective mission and tasks, the Commission would refer the Honourable Member
to its previous answer to written question P-0623/01 by Mr Xarchakos (1).

(1) OJ L 261 E, 18.9.2001.

(2003/C 161 E/168)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3891/02

by Giovanni Pittella (PSE) to the Commission

(13 January 2003)

Subject: ROP (Regional Operational Programme) for Calabria

Knowing that:

(cid:1) On the basis of paragraphs 2 and 3 of Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 (1) (on information and publicity
measures concerning Structural Fund assistance carried out by the Member States) the managing
authority carrying out Community structural measures is responsible for ensuring compliance with
information publicity obligations and hence responsible for guaranteeing that publicity is given to the

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package and particularly for informing potential final beneficiaries, trade and professional bodies, the
economic and social partners and the general public about the role played by the Community in the
assistance concerned and the results achieved.

(cid:1) With reference to the practicalities of carrying out information and publicity measures concerning
assistance from the Structural Funds, Regulation (EC) No 1159/2000 (2) states that for the purposes of
ensuring transparency for potential and final beneficiaries the managing authority should ensure:

(cid:1) publication of the content of the package,

including an indication of the involvement of the
Structural Funds concerned, circulation of these documents and their availability to those who
request them,

(cid:1) the establishment of appropriate reporting on the progress of the assistance throughout the

programming period,

(cid:1) the implementation of

information measures relating to the management, monitoring and

evaluation of assistance from the Structural Funds.

(cid:1) Despite receiving EUR 500 million each year, Calabria does not manage to carry out the necessary

investments within the due time limits.

(cid:1) According to the Calabrian Regional Committee of CGIL, the Calabrian regional government is failing
to meet the obligation laid down in the Regulation, which evidently leads to delays in the planning
and execution of investments envisaged in the ROP, causing resources to be wasted at the cost of the
quality of investments and completing nullifying the functionality of the concertation instruments
created for monitoring and implementing the ROP.

How does the Commission intend to reassert the terms of Regulation (EC) No 1159/2000 and combat the
inertia of local authorities?

(1) OJ L 161, 26.6.1999, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 130, 31.5.2000, p. 30.

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(24 February 2003)

The Commission is carefully watching the progress of the Calabria Operational Programme 2000-2006.

In view of the delays in implementation the monitoring committee for the Italian Objective 1 Community
support framework, when it met on 18 July 2002, decided to carry out a special exercise on the
programme to determine why the measures concerned were being delayed.

With the aim of accelerating execution procedures for the programme officials of the Directorates-General
for Regional Policy and Agriculture went to Calabria several times in the second half of 2002 to meet all
the officials in charge of measures financed from the ERDF and EAGGF. They were able to identify all the
causes of procedural and administrative blockages holding up activity and work out the best ways of
relaunching the implementation process.

On respecting Regulation (EC) No 1159/2000 (1), the Commission shares the Honourable Member’s
opinion on the importance of information and publicity about Structural Fund assistance.

Article 34 of Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 makes the managing authority responsible for compliance
with the information and publicity obligations and under Article 46 it falls to that authority to inform
potential recipients of the assistance possible and inform the general public of the Community’s role in
providing it.

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The information and publicity measures for the Calabria 2000-2006 OP are annexed to the programme
complement. The information provided by the Region on implementation of the information and publicity
plan were examined by the monitoring committee for the OP when it met on 18 January 2002. On that
occasion the trade union mentioned by the Honourable Member did not enter any reservation.

Nonetheless, to check that the provisions of Regulation (EC) No 1159/2000 are being fully respected by
the Region,
the Commission has asked the programme managing authority to discuss progress in
implementing the communication action plan at the monitoring committee’s first meeting in 2003.

At its second 2003 meeting the monitoring committee will examine the annual execution report for 2002,
which should contain a chapter on information and publicity action. This report is due to reach the
Commission before 30 June 2003.

(1) Commission Regulation (EC) No 1159/2000 of 30 May 2000 on information and publicity measures to be carried

out by the Member States concerning assistance from the Structural Funds, OJ L 130, 31.5.2000.

(2003/C 161 E/169)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3922/02

by Anna Terrón i Cusí (PSE) to the Commission

(9 January 2003)

Subject: Applicability of the European Union Solidarity Fund for tackling disasters

Under the terms of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 7 November 2002 the creation of a European
Union Solidarity Fund was recently approved (Council Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002 of 11 November
2002 (1)), in order to enable the Community to respond rapidly, efficiently and flexibly to emergency
situations. According to the third paragraph of Article 2(2) of the Regulation, 7,5 % of the annual amount
available to the Fund may be allocated to a region affected by an extraordinary disaster, mainly a natural
one, affecting the major part of its population, with serious and lasting repercussions on living conditions
and the economic stability of the region.

Apart from compliance with the terms of the Regulation and provided that the budgetary authority has
adopted the relevant decision, are there any other conditions determining whether the envisaged funding
may be used to assist those affected and to rehabilitate an area hit by a disaster?

Might the creation of a committee of inquiry (cid:1) set up in accordance with Rule 151 of the European
Parliament’s Rules of Procedure (cid:1) to investigate a disaster in any way hinder the implementation of
assistance once Parliament and the Council have formally approved the use of the Solidarity Fund?

(1) OJ L 311, 14.11.2002, p. 3.

Answer given by Mr Barnier au nom de la Commission

(5 February 2003)

The principal aim of the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) is to give immediate financial assistance
in the event of a major disaster to help people, regions and countries concerned to return to living
conditions that are as normal as possible.

The EUSF Regulation (1) sets out the modalities for the operation of the Solidarity Fund, which must be
respected by the Commission in its implementation.