WRITTEN QUESTION E-3514/03 by Giovanni Pittella (PSE) to the Commission. Course financed by means of the Structural Funds.
Date: 2003-11-25
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Social Fund, Italy, administrative check, appeal to an administrative authority, co-financing, education grant, financial solvency, project management, unemployed person

3.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 84 E/737

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(7 January 2004)

The Honourable Member expressed his concern regarding the project to build a thermal hospital and a
clinic within the Specially Protected Area (SPA) Es Trenc-Salobrar in Baleares.

According to the information available, the Commission has not received any request from the Spanish
authorities.

Article 6(3) and (4) of the Habitats Directive (1) set out the circumstances within a project where negative
effects on Natura 2000 sites may or may not be allowed.

Therefore, the Spanish authorities have firstly to carry out an environmental assessment and afterwards
apply, if it is necessary, Article 6(3) and (4) of the Habitats Directive.

To summarise, the Commission is not aware of this initiative. The Commission has not received any
information from the Spanish government in relation to any project to build these facilities within the
Natura 2000 site; therefore, the Commission will request the Spanish authorities to provide information in
relation to the aforementioned project.

(1) Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora,

OJ L 206, 22.7.1992.

(2004/C 84 E/0831)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3514/03

by Giovanni Pittella (PSE) to the Commission

(25 November 2003)

Subject: Course financed by means of the Structural Funds

formazione per le imprese culturali
On 11 November 2002 the Naples-based Istituto nazionale di
launched a course entitled ‘Content Specialist & Designer’ within the PON Asse III misura III 6/D-Codice
progetto 5387 discipline. The course is financed by means of the European Social Fund.

The course students (who had to go through a selection procedure) have not received the grant awarded to
them (EUR 10 389,14 per student), since the person in charge of the course (cid:1) a Mr Palladino (cid:1) has been
deemed untrustworthy by the Ministry for State Education, Universities and Scientific Research on account
of his previous record. On 30 April 2003 (20 days before the course was due to end) the Ministry decided
that co-financing would be suspended and that the training project would be abandoned.

On the basis of the above information, does the Commission not think that, irrespective of any judgment
regarding Mr Palladino, the 19 pre-selected women should not be denied their grants or have their course
certificates withheld?

Does the Commission not agree that, in accordance with the rules, some kind of protection should be
offered to the 19 unemployed course students who, having been duly selected, wished to take advantage of
the opportunity afforded to them under the Structural Funds?

C 84 E/738

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

3.4.2004

Supplementary answer
given by Mr Dimas on behalf of the Commission

(22 March 2004)

After receiving the required information from the Managing Authorities of the national Operational
Programme (OP) 1999 IT 161 003, the Commission is now able to report as follows:

(cid:1) The decision on the part of the Ministry for Education, Research and University (MIUR) to suspend the
co-financing of project III 6/D-5387 (‘Content Specialist & designer (cid:1) Specont’) was taken because the
project managers (Mr Palladino and Ms Ruvo) could not provide adequate financial guarantees. Indeed,
from that point of view, Mr Palladino and Ms Ruvo were operating illegally, and in fact, 16 students
had complained already that they had not received the fellowships to which they were entitled.

(cid:1) Mr Palladino and Ms Ruvo have repeatedly appealed the decision of MIUR before the administrative
tribunal (TAR) and the Consiglio di Stato. The latter, pending the final judgement by the TAR, has put
on hold the suspension decided by the MIUR, which would at least allow the MIUR to pay out
advance payments on the fellowships, but the Consiglio di Stato only did so under the condition that
Mr Palladino and Ms Ruvo are able to provide adequate financial guarantees, which as yet has not
happened.

(cid:1) The MIUR, as Managing Authority of the OP in question, can not act in substitution of the project
managers (cid:1) that is, award the advances on the fellowships- unless explicitly authorized to do so by
the TAR (or following the appointment of an ad-hoc administrator), which in either case could only
happen after the final judgement by the TAR itself.

(2004/C 84 E/0832)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3574/03

by Graham Watson (ELDR) to the Commission

(5 December 2003)

Subject: European Agreement on the transmission of applications for Legal Aid

What problems has the Commission uncovered as a result of Monaco not being a signatory to the 1977
Strasbourg Agreement on the transfer of Legal Aid applications? Will the Commission put pressure on
Monaco to sign the Agreement?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(21 January 2004)

Monaco is not a member of the Council of Europe, but has applied to join, and is not indeed a party to
the 1977 Agreement. It is not for the Commission to put pressure on Monaco.

(2004/C 84 E/0833)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3625/03

by Charles Tannock (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Standardisation of national identity documents

(5 December 2003)

Recently, the United Kingdom Home Secretary David Blunkett announced plans for the introduction of
national identity cards with the setting up of a national biometric database which will include unique iris
and fingerprint data, incorporating smartchip technology into the cards. The setting up of this system in
the United Kingdom is expected to take course over the next five years.