WRITTEN QUESTION P-0208/04 by Ioannis Averoff (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Practical problems with town-twinning scheme.
Date: 2004-01-23
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU programme, European citizenship, action programme, implementation of the budget, twinning

C 78 E/942

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

27.3.2004

The Commission is in the process of examining the potential benefits of adopting a binding act
introducing similar minimum requirements at Community level. It will take account of Member States’
experience, drawing on the expertise of the Pensions Forum.

Furthermore, the adoption of Directive 2003/41/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of
3 June 2002 on the activities and supervision of institutions for occupational retirement provision (1) will
allow supplementary pension schemes to be established at the level of European groups of undertakings,
which will facilitate occupational mobility within such groups.

Certain Member States have tax rules which affect pension funds and restrict the freedom to provide
services and freedom of movement for workers. The Commission has started infringement proceedings
against several Member States, for example against Belgium in respect of various issues, including the
specific tax on transfers of capital to foreign pension funds (2).

(1) OJ L 235, 23.9.2003.
(2)

IP/03/1756.

(2004/C 78 E/0996)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0208/04

by Ioannis Averoff (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(23 January 2004)

Subject: Practical problems with town-twinning scheme

In keeping with the spirit of the Commission’s White Paper on Governance, the town-twinning scheme
forms part of the EU’s endeavours to enhance European awareness through dialogue with its citizens with
a view to their active participation in developments in Europe.

However, at a time when there is increasing emphasis on the importance of this process, particularly at
this historic moment ahead of enlargement of the Union when there is a need to heighten the public’s
awareness of the significance of a European identity, the town-twinning scheme is running into problems.
In breach of the procedure for the payment of subsidies in this connection, the programmes which were
approved and carried out
in March 2003 remain unsubsidised without any official notification or
justification on the part of the responsible Commission department. Not only does this state of affairs
negate the very objectives of the scheme, it also puts the local authorities in a very difficult position as
they have borne the financial brunt of organising the scheme and are, obviously, accountable to their
citizens.

Will the Commission state the reasons for the delays in paying the subsidies? What will it do henceforth to
ensure that the twinning scheme operates as it should?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(17 February 2004)

The Commission attaches great importance to the town-twinning scheme and to the need for funding to
be organised in a manner which is acceptable to beneficiaries.

With this in mind, the grant award system has been made as simple as possible. Calculations are based on
flat rates, new simplified forms have been designed, and a user’s guide has been produced for beneficiaries.

However, several factors influence the implementation of the scheme’s funding arrangements.

For example, the new Financial Regulation has significant repercussions in terms of the award and
payment procedures.

27.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 78 E/943

The Commission strictly adheres to the payment procedures contained in the call for proposals and the
new Financial Regulation. The disbursement of grants is therefore dependent on the submission of
documentary evidence by the beneficiary at the end of the activity. Although the volume of documentary
evidence has been reduced, in nearly 25 % of cases beneficiaries have had to be contacted again because
the documentation they submitted was incomplete. This is the reason for most of the payment delays.

Nevertheless, on the whole, the situation has improved considerably.

The Commission would like to reassure the Honourable Member that everything is being done to catch up
on the backlog and pay the sums due as soon as possible.

(2004/C 78 E/0997)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0223/04

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(30 January 2004)

Subject: Unemployment rate in Greece

According to the Greek Statistical Service, the rate of unemployment in Greece is 8,9 %, corresponding to
a total of 392 200 people, whereas figures published by the Greek Manpower Employment Organisation
(OAED) on 19 January give the number of registered unemployed as 585 788 or 13,2 % of
the
economically active population.

Can the Commission, in cooperation with the Greek Government, clarify the discrepancy between the
figures produced by the OAED and those published by the Greek Statistical Service?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(5 March 2004)

The data that Eurostat uses to calculate monthly unemployment rates come from the National Statistical
Service of Greece. The most recent data available from Greece refer to the second quarter 2003 (data until
June 2003) as shown in the Eurostat databases. Data for Greek unemployment rates are identical between
Eurostat and the National Statistical Service of Greece. However, in Greece, the data are published in non-
seasonally adjusted form (Second quarter 2003, 8,9 %) and in Eurostat in seasonally adjusted form (Second
quarter 2003, 9,2 %). Eurostat publishes seasonally adjusted series for all the Member States and Acceding
and Candidate Countries.

Eurostat has no comments on the other national data providers. Eurostat is interested in the harmonised
data or the sources for the harmonised data, which in the unemployment statistics area are provided by
the National Statistical Service of Greece. Data from other national services may be based on different
concepts and rules for which the Commission has neither reason, nor obligation to verify or approve.

(2004/C 78 E/0998)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0224/04

by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission

(2 February 2004)

Subject:

‘Militaria e Dintorni in Europa’ (Militaria Fair)

For a number of years a Militaria Fair has been held in Rome which, because of its specialist nature, has
gained such importance that it is now the only fair of its kind in central/southern Italy. The fair was
designed to attract collectors of military memorabilia from Italy and abroad (items come from France, the
United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Greece, Poland, the United States and Russia) and others interested in
the subject.