WRITTEN QUESTION E-2388/03 by Raffaele Costa (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Implementation of the Sapard programme.
Date: 2003-07-18
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Baltic States, Central and Eastern European countries, EU financing, Slovenia, accession to the European Union, action programme, management audit

13.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 65 E/139

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(12 September 2003)

The Commission would like to refer the Honourable Member to the relevant paragraphs in the
1.
Commission Decision 2003/433/EC of 21 January 2003 on the aid scheme ‘Stamp duty exemption for
non-residential properties in disadvantaged areas’ notified by the United Kingdom (1), in particular points
38 to 41 (under the heading ‘Compatibility with Regional Aid Guidelines’) and points 42 to 45 (under the
heading ‘Compatibility with the Deprived Urban Area Guidelines’).

in the paragraphs following the heading ‘Compatibility with Regional Aid Guidelines’,

Firstly,
the
Commission acknowledges that the regional aid map for the United Kingdom is not based on NUTS III
areas but on the concept of job opportunity zones each of which has a population in excess of 100 000. It
follows that, in contrast, the areas targeted by the Stamp Duty Exemption are isolated, micro-spatial areas.
Paragraph 41 ends the heading by providing that:
the
Guidelines on national regional aid do not apply to the Stamp Duty Exemption even though many of the
selected disadvantaged wards do form part of the regional aid map.’

‘the United Kingdom authorities agree that

following the paragraphs under

Secondly,
the heading ‘Compatibility with Deprived Urban Area
Guidelines’, the Commission notice on the expiry of the guidelines on State aid for undertakings in
deprived urban areas constitutes the initial legal basis for its assessment. Following this notice ‘failure to
extend the guidelines (the guidelines on State aid for undertakings in deprived urban areas had expired in
the course of the procedure), does not imply that State aid for deprived areas is no longer possible and
depending on the specific circumstances of the proposed aid in question, it may be approved directly upon
the basis of Article 87(3)(c) of the Treaty. Accordingly, the Commission will examine such cases in the
light of Community objectives.’ Thus, the Commission analysed the scheme both in the light of the
Community’s objectives and its effect on competition and trade.

The Commission would like to refer the Honourable Member to point 10 of the above-mentioned
2.
Commission Decision under the heading ‘description of
the
geographical units covered in England are electoral wards or divisions selected on the basis of the indices
of deprivation used by the United Kingdom. In the same way as pockets of deprivation may exist in
prosperous regions not included in the regional aid map, one may find attractive spots in the most
deprived wards of the United Kingdom.

the aid.’ Following these paragraphs,

Point 10 of the Commission Decision also refers to the commitment of the United Kingdom of keeping
qualifying areas under review. In addition, the submission of detailed reports in order to evaluate the
implementation of the scheme is one of the conditions imposed by the Commission in its Decision of
21 January 2003. Article 3 provides as follows: ‘The United Kingdom shall submit annual reports on the
operation of the scheme to the Commission. The degree of detail of the reports shall be such as to allow
an evaluation of the effect of the scheme on the physical regeneration areas that benefit from it.’

(1) OJ L 149, 17.6.2003.

(2004/C 65 E/154)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2388/03

by Raffaele Costa (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(18 July 2003)

Subject: Implementation of the Sapard programme

The Community’s Sapard programme was set up on 1 January 2000 with the objective of establishing
management and monitoring systems in a number of applicant countries (excluding Cyprus, Malta and
Turkey). Its total funding in 2001 was in excess of EUR 1 billion.

The Commission has asked the applicant countries to take responsibility for the management of this
programme and for the decisions concerning project selection, tender procedures and award of contracts.

C 65 E/140

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

13.3.2004

Can the Commission provide a breakdown of appropriations by country? Can it also state what specific
actions have been financed and what monitoring arrangements are in place to ensure the proper operation
of the programme?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(17 September 2003)

The indicative allocation by beneficiary country of the maximum amount of the annual Community
contribution was set out in annex to the Commission Decision 1999/595/EC of 20 July 1999 (1). The
information concerning the breakdown of appropriations by country is available in the Sapard annual
report 2000 from the Commission to the Parliament, the Council, the Economic and Social Committee
and the Committee of the Regions. For each year from 2000 to 2003 the breakdown by country has been
made in accordance with the regulation described in Section 3.1 of that report, and annual financing
agreements concluded each year with every country set out
the maximum Community financial
commitment. For the year 2003, EUR 560 millions is allocated to the beneficiary countries.

As mentioned by the Honourable Member, the Sapard programme, contrary to the other pre-accession
instruments, is implemented on a decentralised basis, and so the Commission, is not involved in the choice
of the projects receiving support. The projects must however be consistent with the measures (‘actions’) in
the programme approved by the Commission which, as is the case with Member States, has the right to
obtain all relevant information in particular for purposes of control.

Concerning the monitoring system (Monitoring Committee, evaluations, monitoring indicators),
is
described in Section 5 of the Sapard report for 2001. The report 2002 is due to be transmitted to the
Parliament shortly.

it

Indicative allocation by beneficiary country of the maximum annual amount in 1999 prices:

Country

Hungary

Latvia

Slovenia

Bulgaria

Czech Republic

Lithuania

Slovakia

Poland

Estonia

Romania

(euro)

Amount

38 054 000

21 848 000

6 337 000

52 124 000

22 063 000

29 829 000

18 289 000

168 683 000

12 137 000

150 636 000

(1) OJ L 226, 27.8.1999.

Total

520 000 000

(2004/C 65 E/155)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2390/03

by Mogens Camre (UEN) to the Commission

(21 July 2003)

Subject: Government aid to German workers taking up jobs in Denmark

On 20 March I put a question to the Commission (E-1225/03 (1)) concerning German government aid to
workers taking up jobs in other Member States. The Commission promised to investigate whether the
German subsidies contravened State aid rules.