WRITTEN QUESTION E-0440/03 by Ulrich Stockmann (PSE) to the Commission. Support to promote town-twinning actions.
Date: 2003-02-18
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Central and Eastern Europe, EU aid, accession to the European Union, project evaluation, terms for aid, twinning

C 161 E/218

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

10.7.2003

Member States are free to define which social security benefits are available and under which conditions
(subject to certain anti-discrimination requirements laid down by Community legislation). The Commission
does not consider that the reduction of the basic state pension in the event of a hospital stay is contrary to
Community law. Moreover, the amount of the reduction in the United Kingdom is comparable in its
amount to daily fees that are charged to patients in various Member States as a contribution to the cost of
a hospital stay.

For details on such charges, the Commission would refer the Honourable Member to the following
website: http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/missoc/2002/index_en.htm (Table II (cid:1) Health Care:
Benefits (cid:1) 2.2. Hospitalisation: Patient’s participation).

(2003/C 161 E/228)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0440/03

by Ulrich Stockmann (PSE) to the Commission

(18 February 2003)

Subject: Support to promote town-twinning actions

On 17 September 2002, the Commission published a Call for Proposals (GD EAC No 50/02) on support
to promote town-twinning actions (1). Amongst other measures,
it increased the minimum grant for
projects to EUR 2 000. At first glance this increase may seem a positive step, but many municipalities find
it difficult even to reach this figure and thereby qualify for financial support. A four-day meeting involving
12 people travelling from Magdeburg to Warsaw, 750 km away, for example, would not be subsidised, as
the costs eligible for financial assistance would only come to EUR 909,84.

A further problem is posed by the requirement that a minimum of ten participants from each municipality
take part, a figure that is rarely reached, particularly in preparatory discussions for international twinning
relations.

In the process of EU enlargement
to the east, these problems may have a negative effect on the
development of town-twinning actions in Central and Eastern European countries. The low correction
coefficients of applicant countries would make it necessary to constitute abnormally large groups or to
undertake unrealistically long visits in order to fulfil the criteria for financial assistance.

Is the Commission aware of
these difficulties in meeting the minimum requirements for financial
assistance? Can the Commission say whether, and in what form, changes in the calculation of financial
assistance are planned for international town-twinning actions? Does the Commission feel it would be
useful to provide financial assistance for a preparatory discussion involving three to four people?

(1) OJ C 220, 17.9.2002, p. 6.

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(14 March 2003)

The Commission attaches the utmost importance to town-twinning and continues to maintain and
improve its support for it.

Two kinds of actions are currently funded under the Community action:

(cid:1) meetings of citizens of twinned towns and municipalities,

(cid:1) conferences on European themes relating to twinning, training and information seminars for town-

twinning officers.

The question of
for which a
simplified grant system is applied since the year 2002. The key element of the new system is the
calculation of grants for organisation and travel expenses on the basis of fixed rates.

the Honourable Member concerns the category ‘meetings of citizens’

10.7.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 161 E/219

In 2002 the minimum grant was EUR 1 000 per project. During that year the Commission received 2 090
applications in the category of citizens meetings. Only 118 applications (5,7 %) concerned projects for
which the calculated grant was lower than EUR 2 000. For the Candidate Countries the respective figures
were 251 applications received and only 20 (7,7 %) projects with a calculated grant under EUR 2 000. In
view of these statistics (cid:1) and taking into account the fact that for meetings of citizens the grant is divided
between the host town and the invited town(s) and paid separately to them (cid:1) the Commission considered
it useful to increase the minimum grant per project to EUR 2 000. This change affects only a small part of
the projects but improves clearly the cost effectiveness ratio of the Community action.

The idea is that meetings of citizens involve directly habitants of twinned towns and municipalities.
Therefore,
involvement of at least 10 participants from each municipality is required (cid:1) for events
involving more than five municipalities this figure is of at least five participants from each municipality.
The high number of eligible applications shows that these requirements are not difficult to meet.

The Commission will continue to have a close dialogue with the interested parties in the town-twinning
area in order to assess and improve the functioning of the system, but does not consider that the
minimum grant or the minimum number of participants would be an actual problem.

(2003/C 161 E/229)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0444/03

by Bill Newton Dunn (ELDR) to the Commission

(19 February 2003)

Subject: Employer liability insurance

In most EU Member States the national government covers employer liability insurance through national
insurance schemes. In the UK it is in the hands of the private insurance companies.

Does the Commission have plans to ensure that a level playing field for employer liability insurance exists
across the EU?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(18 March 2003)

The Commission does not have sufficient details of the matter to be able to investigate the problem raised
and is not therefore in a position to answer the question at the moment. It would ask the Honourable
Member to provide more details.

(2003/C 161 E/230)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0457/03

by Bartho Pronk (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(13 February 2003)

Subject: Assessment of Directive 96/71/EC

The Commission is currently carrying out a assessment of Directive 96/71/EC (1).

1. What problems are included in the assessment?

Is it also looking into the question of whether the provisions in the present text are practicable? If

2.
not, why not?

(1) OJ L 18, 21.1.1997, p. 1.