WRITTEN QUESTION E-3677/03 by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission. Update on use of funding from the Ecos-Ouverture II programme by the municipality of Prato.
Date: 2003-12-09
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU programme, Tuscany, eligibility criteria, fund (EU), local authority, project evaluation, regional and local authorities, regional cooperation

3.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 84 E/81

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(12 February 2004)

The Commission would like to inform the Honourable Member that the firm Gerry Weber received
1.
funding from the Community support framework (CSF II) (1994-1999), for the vocational training and
employment programme (1), notably EUR 226 525,26 from the European Social Fund (ESF).

The Commission would also like to point out that funding from the ESF is not subject to conditions linked
to undertakings’ continued existence but to compliance with the access and eligibility criteria laid down in
the regulations in force at that time for the allocation of ESF assistance.

The firm also received EUR 809 823,86 in cofinancing from the European Regional Development Fund
for two projects approved under the 1988 PNICIAP (2) programme (CSF I) and the 1994
(ERDF)
programme for modernisation of the economic fabric (CSF II).

The guidelines which require the assets financed to be maintained in the establishment for at least five
years from the date of the investment for which aid was granted were not adopted by the Commission
until after 10 March 1998.

2.
The Commission would like to point out that several Community Directives lay down procedures for
informing and consulting workers’ representatives that may be applicable when enterprises are closed
down, especially Council Directive 98/59/EC of 20 July 1998 on the approximation of the laws of the
Member States relating to collective redundancies (3), Council Directive 94/45/EC of 22 September 1994
on the establishment of a European Works Council or a procedure in Community-scale undertakings for
informing and consulting employees (4) and Directive 2002/14/EC of the European
the purposes of
Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2002 establishing a general framework for informing and
consulting employees in the European Community (5). The first two have been transposed in the Member
States. It is up to the competent national authorities, including the judges, to assess whether they are
properly implemented in each case. The last Directive mentioned is to be transposed in the Member States
by no later than 23 March 2005.

(1) Decision No C (1994) 379, 25 February 1994.
(2) Programa Nacional de Interesse Comunitário de Incentivo a Actividade Produtiva (National programme of

Community interest in support of productive activity).

(3) OJ L 225, 12.8.1998.
(4) OJ L 254, 30.9.1994.
(5) OJ L 80, 23.3.2002.

(2004/C 84 E/0086)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3677/03

by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission

(9 December 2003)

Subject: Update on use of funding from the Ecos-Ouverture II programme by the municipality of Prato

In its answer to question E-1114/03 (1), which asked whether the municipality of Prato had submitted
projects and secured funding under the Ecos-Ouverture programme, the Commission stated that the city
had applied but had not been been selected for funding.

Can the Commission say why the projects were not considered suitable?

Has the Commission completed its examination of the final reports mentioned in its answers and, if so,
can it supply any information on the outcome?

(1) OJ C 11 E, 15.1.2004, p. 139.