WRITTEN QUESTION P-2698/03 by Ingo Schmitt (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Policy on disabled persons — allocation of funding.
Date: 2003-09-03
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, EU programme, European cultural event, Germany, anti-discriminatory measure, disabled person, fund (EU), integration of people with disabilities, social life, working life

C 58 E/196

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.3.2004

(cid:1) Finally, regarding the third question, the greatest source of new job creation has been the services
sector, as is the case for all Member States. According to LFS, the employment growth in the service
sector was 5,4 % in 1998, 0,5 % in 1999, 1,1 % in 2000, 0,5 % in 2001 and 1 % in 2002, explaining
the increase of the share of employment from 57,7 % in 1998 to 60 % in 2002.

(cid:1) A more detailed examination of sectoral employment developments, shows that

the current
employment gains are fuelled by a revival of agricultural employment, by strong gains in construction
activity (associated with the preparation of the infrastructure of the 2004 Olympic Games) and by
rapid growth in business services and real estate sector.

(2004/C 58 E/210)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2686/03

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(10 September 2003)

Subject: Collection of statistical data

It has been established that the Greek administration does not forward on time to the European Statistical
Service (Eurostat) the statistical data which it is obliged to send under several directives, for example those
relating to tourism, the environment and employment. Can the Commission provide a list of the directives
requiring specific data to be sent to the competent European Union departments for which Greece either
does not send the data, does so after the deadline or does so using data collection methods which
incompatible with the collection methods laid down by the European Union?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(24 October 2003)

It should be stated that Greece meets the vast majority of its Community statistical obligations, and fails to
comply with only a few provisions from among over 260 legal instruments.

It is nevertheless true that progress still has to be made in certain areas, particularly when it comes to
meeting transmission deadlines. A summary table of areas in which the level of conformity with
Community statistical obligations may be open to criticism has been sent directly to the Honourable
Member and Parliament’s Secretariat. The Commission is considering what action should be taken to
remedy this situation in accordance with the established procedures, and is in contact with the Greek
authorities.

(2004/C 58 E/211)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2698/03

by Ingo Schmitt (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(3 September 2003)

Subject: Policy on disabled persons (cid:1) allocation of funding

1. What type and what amount of funding are available overall for the general area of policy on
disabled persons?

2. What type and what amount of funding are available overall for the area of policy on disabled
persons in connection with the European Year of People with Disabilities?

3. What amount of the funding provided under paragraphs 1 and 2 was available and/or is still
available for the Federal Republic of Germany and/or its federal states, and subject to what conditions?

6.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 58 E/197

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(29 September 2003)

The shift in disability policies in recent years from a compensation based approach to equal
1.
participation at all levels of society has led to a reorientation of the funding strategy from vertical, special
programmes for specific target groups to a mainstreaming approach, a horizontal consideration of
disability issues if possible in all Community-Programmes.

This means that people with disabilities and their needs are taken into account in many Community
Programmes in almost all thematic fields for example education, research, information and communication
technologies, public health, culture, sports, transport, telecommunications, the fight against discrimination,
labour market and social policies etc. Therefore the total amount of funding available for the area of
policies on disabled persons is difficult to identify.

In the framework of the Programme to combat discrimination, about EUR 1 million is allocated on a
yearly basis for specific actions to combat discrimination against people with disabilities. Moreover the
Commission funds part of the administrative costs of different disability non-governmental organisations
(NGOs) at Union level to allow for a better presentation of the interests of people with disabilities.

As a part of the FP6 (Six Framework Research Programme) Directorate General (DG) Information Society is
promoting research on assistive technology. The objective is to include also people with disabilities in the
research domain will be about
information society,
EUR 36 million.

‘eInclusion’. The budget

for 2003 in this

Grants from the European Social Fund are directly managed by the Member States in accordance with their
is a priority for the Commission to
programming documents approved by the Commission. As it
incorporate disability issues in every aspect of its employment and social policy, projects especially
targeting people with disabilities have been included in all type of measures (training, re-conversion, elderly
workers …) so that it is not possible, at Community level to identify the amount spent for this specific
target group.

2.
For the European Year of People with Disabilities a total amount of EUR 13 million has been
allocated. This amount includes EUR 272 640 for a voluntary participation of European Free Trade
Association (EFTA) States and an amount of EUR 780 000 which was additionally allocated by the
European Parliament at a later stage.

3.
As a general rule the participation in Commission Programmes has to be via calls for tender or calls
for proposals for each thematic field. According to the specifications for each call for tender/proposals,
organisations, NGOs or public institutions in all Member States have the possibility to apply. In relation to
the Social Fund see reply to point 1 above.

For the European Year of People with Disabilities the Federal Republic of Germany has received a total
amount of EUR 850 000 which was spent in line with national priorities via a national call for tender
within a consistent European framework. Additionally EUR 90 000 was allocated for the national opening
ceremony which took place in February 2003 in Magdeburg. All
this funding has been taken up
completely by the Federal Republic of Germany.

(2004/C 58 E/212)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2704/03

by Luigi Vinci (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(11 September 2003)

Subject: Transposal of Directive 2000/78/EC of 27 November 2000 into Italian law

On 3 July 2003 the Italian Government adopted a draft legislative decree to meet the obligation to
transpose into national law the provisions of Directive 2000/78/EC, which lays down criteria for equal