WRITTEN QUESTION P-2600/03 by Maurizio Turco (NI) to the Commission. Activities of the High-Level Advisory Group on Intercultural Dialogue in the Mediterranean Area and the Reflection Group on the Spiritual and Cultural Dimension of Europe.
Date: 2003-08-06
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU expenditure, European identity, Mediterranean region (EU), budget, cultural cooperation, report, research body

20.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 70 E/117

(ESP 9 990 000). Despite this, the project has never been completed; the municipality took the decision
before any work began on building the ground. A municipal councillor representing the BNG (Galician
Nationalist Bloc) party had earlier asked a notary to draw up an official certification of the state of progress
on the project; one and a half years later, on 21 May 2003, the same councillor reported that work on the
project was still at a rudimentary stage (cid:1) all that had been done was to ‘survey the site and build a dirt
road leading to it’.

In view of the circumstances, it is essential that the Commission’s services should take the necessary action
to ascertain the real state of progress of this project under the Proder programme when it was allocated an
EU grant and to establish its real cost and final financing conditions.

Does the Commission intend to carry out a full investigation into this case? Has it already paid the sum
corresponding to the Community funding agreed for the project to the competent authorities of the
Spanish central government and the Galician regional government? If so, and given that
the sum
concerned has not to date been used to construct the football ground, can the Commission provide
information on what it has in fact been used for?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(24 September 2003)

The Commission has contacted the Spanish authorities,
Galicia, to obtain information about the question put by the Honourable Member.

in particular the Autonomous Community of

It should be pointed out that Article 38 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 of 21 June 1999 laying
down general provisions on the Structural Funds (1) provides that it is the Member States who are
responsible in the first instance for financial control, and therefore it is they that must ensure that the
funds are used in accordance with the principles of sound financial management and certify that the
declarations of expenditure presented to the Commission are accurate.

The work on the ‘municipal sports complex’ and in particular the construction of the football ground in
the municipality of Salceda was funded under the ‘Proder’ measures of the Galician integrated operational
programme and managed by the Local Action Group of the Association of Municipalities of O Condado.

The total investment in this project was EUR 226 029, with the European Regional Development Fund
(ERDF) contributing EUR 63 243. The cost of the football ground was EUR 59 500.

The project was completed and certified by a competent official in October 2001.

Also, there were two inspection visits by the Xunta (regional government) of Galicia in March and October
2002 to verify that the installations were being used.

According to the information received by the Commission, in November 2002 the Local Action Group
received a report from the engineer responsible for the project in which he indicated that the football
ground was in need of repair.

This work is being carried out at the present moment.

The Commission will not fail to inform the Honourable Member of any developments in this case.

(1) OJ L 161, 26.6.1999.

(2004/C 70 E/120)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2600/03

by Maurizio Turco (NI) to the Commission

(6 August 2003)

Subject: Activities of the High-Level Advisory Group on Intercultural Dialogue in the Mediterranean Area

and the Reflection Group on the Spiritual and Cultural Dimension of Europe

With reference to the answer to question P-2200/03 (1) given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission,
the questioner totally agrees that the issue of religious values is an extremely delicate and personal matter
for every citizen and should remain so, and not become an institutional and even less a constitutional

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20.3.2004

question. The questioner had no intention of censuring Mr Prodi’s work and personal beliefs, but was
seeking an assurance that
the
Commission’s position.

the views he expressed constituted his personal opinion and not

The High-Level Advisory Group on Intercultural Dialogue in the Mediterranean Area was set up by
Mr Prodi’s cabinet and by the Group of Policy Advisers (GOPA), and the conclusions of the meetings will
be presented in a report to be distributed at the end of 2003, together with a policy statement intended to
be read in schools and universities. The Reflection Group on the Spiritual and Cultural Dimension of
Europe was convened by Romano Prodi and the results will be collected in a report to be delivered at the
end of 2003.

The members of these groups are not remunerated but the Commission pays the expenses for their
attending meetings.

Can the Commission say:

(cid:1) how much it has so far spent on organising and holding the meetings of the High-Level Advisory
Group on Intercultural Dialogue in the Mediterranean Area, how much it intends to spend on possible
further meetings and on publishing and distributing the report and under what budget heading;

(cid:1) how much it has so far spent on organising and holding the meetings of the Reflection Group on the
Spiritual and Cultural Dimension of Europe, how much it intends to spend on possible further
meetings and on publishing and distributing the report and under what budget heading;

(cid:1) whether the reports will express the personal opinion of Mr Prodi’s advisers or a policy position on

the part of the Commission?

(1) See page 79.

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(30 October 2003)

In the reply given to question P-2200/03 (1), the Commission provided information on the two expert
groups which were referred to, one working on intercultural dialogue in the Mediterranean basin, and the
other on the role of values in European integration. In reply to the Honourable member’s present question,
concerning the cost of the work of these groups, this is specified below:

For the High Level Advisory Group on intercultural Dialogue in the Mediterranean Area, EUR 75 000 have
been spent so far and further EUR 25 000 will be spent until the conclusion of its activities. These figures
include the costs of publication and dissemination of the results. The credits involved are mainly from the
administrative appropriations of the Commission. The work is expected to be finished by December 2003.

As for the Reflection Group on the Spiritual and Cultural Dimension of Europe, EUR 110 000 have been
spent so far and a further amount of about EUR 50 000 will be spent until the conclusion of its activities,
including the possibility of the publication of the report of the group. The credits are from the research
budget, which includes the possibility of funding meetings of experts in support of the activities in the area
of social sciences and humanities.

In the case of the Reflection Group, in addition to the meetings of its own members, the Group has
organised a series of public debates which have attracted renowned intellectuals and journalists and which
have stimulated significant press and media coverage. The final report will be issued around March 2004.

As indicated on the websites to which the Honourable member was referred in the earlier reply
(P-2200/03), the Groups’ publications are intended to contribute to the formulation and development of
policy and they do not represent Commission policy.

(1) See page 79.