WRITTEN QUESTION P-2341/03 by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Letters to the Greek authorities on the proper use of Community Regional Policy funds.
Date: 2003-07-11
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Commission, Greece, administration of the Institutions, administrative cooperation, regional policy

3.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 84 E/487

The Commission is well aware that it is a matter of urgency for the complainants that the problems
encountered be solved. They will be informed of the outcome of this investigation as soon as it is available.

(1) These petitions were closed on 21 March 2003.
(2) ECR p. I-6623.
(3) Not yet published in the ECR.

(2004/C 84 E/0564)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2341/03

by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(11 July 2003)

Subject: Letters to the Greek authorities on the proper use of Community Regional Policy funds

In his answer to my Written Question E-1830/03 (1), Commissioner Barnier made general remarks about
the procedure for sending letters, but avoided answering my question. I shall therefore repeat the question:
Can the Commission say how many letters it has sent to the Greek authorities since 1994 and from whom
(Commissioners, directors-general or heads of division) concerning the proper use of Community funds
and the transposition and proper implementation of Community regional policy legislation?

(1) See page 478.

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(1 September 2003)

The Commission would impress on the Honourable Member the very great difficulty of determining the
exact number of letters sent to the Greek authorities over the last ten years on the topic of proper use of
Community funds and correct application of Structural Fund rules. One reason is the multiplicity of
Commission departments involved.

The volume of these letters is certainly very large since they concern more than 100 programmes and have
been sent from different levels of the Community administration to the national authorities at central,
regional and local level. Dispatch of such letters is a routine matter given the Member States’ accountability
for utilisation of Community funds in line with the rules drawn up at Community level. By way of
example,
in May this year the Regional Policy Directorate-General’s unit for Greece sent the Greek
authorities a total of eighteen letters.

(2004/C 84 E/0565)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2350/03

by Elspeth Attwooll (ELDR) to the Commission

(11 July 2003)

Subject: Protection of the Darwin Mounds

Further to its reply to Written Question P-0213/03 (1) concerning the protection of the Darwin Mounds,
will the Commission confirm whether it has been contacted by the UK Government with a request or with
justification for the use of emergency powers by the Commission as provided by Article 7 of Council
Regulation (EC) No 2371/2002 (2) in respect of this area? If so, will the Commission also confirm the date
on which this approach was first made by the UK Government, given the implication that this had not
occurred at the time of the Commission’s response to Question P-0213/03?

(1) OJ C 161 E, 10.7.2003, p. 195.
(2) OJ L 358, 31.12.2002, p. 59.