WRITTEN QUESTION E-3378/03 by Marianne Thyssen (PPE-DE) to the Commission. European financial assistance to European contact points.
Date: 2003-11-14
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, administrative expenditure, dissemination of EU information, information centre, information network, information policy, public awareness campaign, support policy

C 78 E/274

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

27.3.2004

certain other temporary exceptions, such as transitional measures granted in the context of accession
negotiations, there are no time limits set on its duration. As the Honourable Member is aware, any changes
in this particular provision would require a modification to the EC Treaty agreed by all Member States,
including Denmark.

As regards Candidate Countries, the Treaty of Accession to the European Union 2003, signed in Athens on
16 April 2003 and currently being ratified by Member States, includes a special permanent arrangement
for Malta for the purchase of secondary residences (Protocol No 6) as well as transitional arrangements for
other candidates.

The Honourable Member may already know that the Commission participates in the group of legal experts
of the Intergovernmental Conference whose task is, among others, to adapt the Treaties’ Protocols to the
new legal environment provided for by the draft Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe. In this
sense, the Commission can confirm that, following the adaptation, the content of the aforementioned
Protocol is substantially the same.

(2004/C 78 E/0275)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3378/03

by Marianne Thyssen (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(14 November 2003)

Subject: European financial assistance to European contact points

On 29 September 2003, the Commission’s Directorate-General for Press and Communication informed the
host institutions of the Info-Points Europe and the Carrefours throughout the European Union of the
decision that, as from 1 January 2004, operating subsidies to these regional European information centres
would cease. In practice this means that each centre will lose some EUR 20 000 per annum in subsidy.

The importance of these European information centres would be hard to overestimate, and in the present
political context it would even be fair to describe them as essential. The forthcoming historic enlargement
of the EU and the June 2004 European elections are just two of the many European developments about
which the public need to be informed in their own region. If the Commission wishes to encourage public
involvement in European affairs, it should also ensure that the requisite information is made available.

Without the European financial support on which they depend, the European contact points cannot
possibly survive, and this will mean that the gulf between the European institutions and the citizens of the
EU will grow yet further.

1. What are the grounds
Communication to cut the operating subsidy to the European contact points?

the unexpected and ill-considered decision by DG Press and

for

2. Will the Commission revoke the decision by DG Press and Communication and investigate how extra
European funding can be provided for the Info-Points and Carrefours, in view of their great importance to
the public in Europe?

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(29 January 2004)

The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its answer to written E-3007/03 by Mr Santini (1)

(1) OJ C 70 E, 20.3.2004, p. 191.