WRITTEN QUESTION E-1118/03 by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission. Use of funds from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) by the municipality of Ancona.
Date: 2003-04-01
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, European Regional Development Fund, Marches, economic development, industrial conversion, use of aid

C 11 E/160

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

15.1.2004

(2004/C 11 E/182)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1118/03

by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission

(1 April 2003)

Subject: Use of funds from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) by the municipality of

Ancona

In September 2002, the monitoring committee of the Italian Ministry for Economic Affairs issued a report
on the spending of EU funds.

The report reveals the alarming slowness and inefficiency with which EU funds are allocated to projects by
some regional authorities.

The grave concerns about the inadequate use of European funds by local authorities have frequently been
echoed by the Commission.

Bearing in mind that some local authorities, such as the municipality of Ancona, urgently need to use
European funds to regenerate areas in industrial decline and to reduce imbalances in social and economic
development,

can the Commission state:

1. whether the municipality of Ancona has submitted projects for the ERDF?

2. whether the municipality of Ancona has secured funding for these projects?

3. whether this funding has been used?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(16 April 2003)

The municipality of Ancona is partially eligible for assistance from the European Regional Development
Fund (ERDF) under the SPD (single programming document) for Marche for the period 2000-2006.

The SPD for Marche was approved in a Commission Decision (1) and provides for ERDF funding of
EUR 125,3 million towards total public expenditure of EUR 250,6 million.

Since the SPD for Marche relates to a programme with decentralised management, the body responsible
for implementing the assistance measures is the regional authority of Marche, which has laid down the
selection criteria for projects in a programme complement and is responsible for examining applications.
The Honourable Member should therefore contact that authority for precise information on the projects
submitted and funded for the municipality of Ancona.

(1) COM(2001) 2790 final.

(2004/C 11 E/183)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1153/03

by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(1 April 2003)

Subject: The Forest Focus Programme and measures to prevent forest fires

The regulation on the Forest Focus Programme on the monitoring of forests has already been adopted by
the Council. The European Parliament’s report on this regulation which was discussed at its February part-
session stressed the need to continue the measures to prevent forest fires contained in Council Regulation
(EEC) No 2158/92 (1) in the new regulation. These measures which have always been underfunded have
helped combat the scourge of forest fires in various high-risk countries and regions, such as Portugal. It
should be borne in mind that while pollution is more of a problem in northern Europe, forest fires are a
scourge of southern Europe.