WRITTEN QUESTION E-0735/04 by José García-Margallo y Marfil (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Funding of projects designed to transfer water from the Ebro river basin to southern and eastern parts of Spain.
Date: 2004-03-11
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Cohesion Fund, Spain, Structural Funds, hydraulic works

C 84 E/666

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

3.4.2004

This form of premium, referred to in Italy precisely as a ‘reward’ and accompanied by an extra payment by
the Italian Treasury, would appear to have been granted recently to the Lazio Region in recognition of its
outstanding achievements under Docup Objective 2, with EUR 314 million being committed to the region,
of which over EUR 290 million was provided by European funding, and 1 527 projects funded in addition
to investments totalling EUR 403 800 000 and the designation of
five industrial zones and three
production zones as excellent (source: www.tesoro.it).

Can the Commission answer the following:

1.

In view of the above, can the Commission state how much has been paid by the EU to the Lazio
Region pursuant to Article 7(5) of the above Regulation?

2. Which other Italian and European regions have been recognised in this way and how much of the 4 %

set aside have they received?

3.

Is it planned that a general report be published on the payment of the 4 % set aside to the various
European authorities rewarded in this way?

(1) OJ L 161, 26.6.1999, p. 1.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(20 April 2004)

Council Regulation (EC) No1260/1999 of 21 June 1999 laying down general provisions on the Structural
Funds (1) states that the Commission will allocate the performance reserve not later than 31 March 2004
on the basis of proposals from the Member State.

On 23 March 2004, the Commission decided the allocations of the performance reserve (2). The Lazio
region received EUR 16 118 352. All
Italian and most EU regions received allocations from the
performance reserve. In total, over 90 % of Structural Funds programmes received an allocation. The
precise amounts are outlined in the text of the decision.

A report on the operation of the performance reserve is being prepared for discussion with the Member
States in the context of the Committee of the Development and Conversion of the regions. This report will
be available in May 2004.

(1) OJ L 161, 26.6.1999.
(2) C(2004) 883 final.

(2004/C 84 E/0751)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0735/04

by José García-Margallo y Marfil (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(11 March 2004)

Subject: Funding of projects designed to transfer water from the Ebro river basin to southern and eastern

parts of Spain

How many projects relating to the transfer of water from the Ebro river basin to southern and eastern
parts of Spain have been financed by means of the Structural Funds and the Cohesion Fund?

3.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 84 E/667

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(16 April 2004)

Up to the present, the Commission has not taken a decision to support through the Cohesion fund or
through the Structural Funds any project dealing with water transfer from the Ebro river to the East and
South-Spanish zones.

The Spanish authorities have submitted four proposals for co-financing regarding this project that are
currently being evaluated by the services of the Commission.

(2004/C 84 E/0752)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0736/04

by José García-Margallo y Marfil (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(11 March 2004)

Subject: Support for regions which will not be included in Structural Fund Objective 1 on account of the

so-called ‘statistical effect’

What transitional financial arrangements will apply to the regions which cease to qualify for Structural
Fund Objective 1 status on account of the so-called ‘statistical effect’ which is due to the arrival of regions
from the new Member States whose average income levels are well below the current Community average?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(13 April 2004)

The Commission adopted proposals for the future of cohesion policy for the period 2007-2013 in the
Third Report on economic and social cohesion which was adopted on 18 February 2004 and transmitted
to Parliament and to the Council. Among the proposals, the Commission considers that temporary support
should apply to regions where per capita the gross domestic product (GDP) would have been below 75 %
of the Community average in a Union of Fifteen but above 75 % in a Union of Twenty-five (the so-called
statistical effect of enlargement). These are regions where objective circumstances have not changed,
although their GDP per head will be relatively higher in the enlarged Union. In the interest of equity, and
to allow the regions concerned to complete the process of convergence, the Commission proposes that
support would be higher than decided in Berlin in 1999 for the so-called ‘phasing out’ regions of the
current generation (1).

(1) COM(2004) 107: A new partnership for cohesion.

(2004/C 84 E/0753)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0737/04

by José García-Margallo y Marfil (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Student participation in the Erasmus programme

(11 March 2004)

Has the Commission drawn up any precise statistics concerning the number of European university
students who have benefited from the Erasmus programme in the period since it was set up? Has it
produced a breakdown by Member State and by region? If so, what are the figures involved?

Has the Commission any specific data relating to the Valencia region which could enable a comparison to
be made with other regions?