WRITTEN QUESTION P-3998/03 by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Use of CSF funds to finance an advertising campaign in Greece.
Date: 2003-12-19
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Community support framework, Greece, Structural Funds, advertising, impact of advertising, medical institution, political propaganda

C 78 E/680

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

27.3.2004

While the peace process continues to make progress, difficult living conditions for people could lead to an
increase in banditry in the future. The large quantities of small arms and light weapons constitute a
problem in this context, which, while not considered as a threat to stabilization, is still serious and needs
to be addressed. The Government seems to consider the disarmament of civilians a growing priority and
has conducted a number of
(isolated) operations in this sense. The United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) is prepared to support the Government with a specific programme.

(2004/C 78 E/0724)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3998/03

by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(19 December 2003)

Subject: Use of CSF funds to finance an advertising campaign in Greece

In Greece the government is unfortunately continuing to use Community Support Framework funds to
promote its position through television and press advertising. The main purpose of this publicity is
supposed to be to promote the CSF operational programmes, but in fact it forms part of the governing
party’s advertising campaign.

The advertisements by the Ministry of Health are a case in point: under the slogan ‘A New Era for Health’,
the Ministry publicises the construction of new hospitals and the upgrading of certain services in the
health sector. However,
it presents these as government achievements, hardly mentioning the EU’s
contribution. At the end of the TV spot a tiny flag of the European Union appears next to the Greek flag
for a fraction of a second, but no other reference or allusion is made to this. It should be pointed out that
no mention is made either of the Operational Programme ‘Health and Welfare’ with whose funds these
projects have been realised, or even of the CSF. Of course, this whole publicity campaign is being financed
with CSF information campaign funds.

1.
How does the Commission intend to intervene with the Greek authorities to prevail upon them to
change the configuration of this and other similar advertising campaigns (for Public Works, Employment,
etc.) which blatantly violate the spirit of the structural fund regulation and do nothing to promote the CSF?

2.
Given that Greece has de facto entered the pre-election period, when does the Commission intend to
intervene with the Greek authorities (cid:1) as has occurred in the past (cid:1) to suspend this type of publicity
campaign which may serve to promote the government party in view of the forthcoming elections?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(30 January 2004)

The Commission is attentive to the issues raised by the Honourable Member:

(a) As concerns publicity regarding the constructing of new hospitals, this was discussed in the margin of
the Monitoring Committee meeting of the Greek Community Support Framework (CSF) III on the
17 December 2003.
It was agreed that although the publicity campaign in question is funded
exclusively through national sources, the Greek authorities will change the TV spot in order to
mention the contribution of the EU to the construction of new hospitals.

(b) With regard to the period before the national elections, the Commission is informed that the national
authorities issued instructions concerning Information and Publicity on the 8 January 2004. These are
addressed to all ministries and other bodies involved in the management of Structural Funds. They
reflect the agreement in Chapter 4.8, 3rd paragraph, of the CSF.