WRITTEN QUESTION E-0748/04 by José García-Margallo y Marfil (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Synergy in EU funding programmes.
Date: 2004-03-11
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, European Commission, European Investment Bank, European Investment Fund, coordination of financing, interinstitutional cooperation (EU)

C 84 E/866

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

3.4.2004

The Commission has already tackled crucial aspects of the COM via the Management Committee, using a
procedure which prevented Parliament from either expressing an opinion or voting on the changes made.
The result was a genuine reform of the rules governing the way in which producer organisations operate.

Would the Commission say which aspects will be dealt with in the next reform?

Is the Commission intending to submit a discussion paper (as it did in the case of the recent CAP reforms,
including the package of ‘Mediterranean’ reforms) which will enable a debate to be held before the
legislative texts are submitted?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(13 April 2004)

Our review of the fruit and vegetable sector has not yet produced final conclusions. Therefore we cannot
yet say what will be contained in any proposals.

We remind the Honourable Member that we presented a communication on the sector in 2001 that
launched a wide democratic debate in which Parliament, the Council (with conclusions by the Spanish
Presidency), the Member States and civil society have been participants. We have been and are working on
the basis of the contributions made.

(2004/C 84 E/0958)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0748/04

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

Subject: Synergy in EU funding programmes

(11 March 2004)

If there is to be greater operational synergy amongst the many EU funding programmes, there must be
considerably better coordination between the European Investment Bank and the Commission.

Hence why has there not hitherto been better coordination between structural
funds, R & D funds,
cohesion funds and EIB/EIF loans? Would it be feasible to set up an independent unit within the
Commission for the purpose of effectively coordinating the management of funds within the various
directorates-general, and also the funding provided by the EIB and the EIF?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(7 April 2004)

The Commission and the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group (1) have established practices to
coordinate the use of their financing instruments by means of inter-institutional cooperation agreements
or joint memoranda of understanding covering in particular the areas of regional development and
research and development.

Furthermore, the Commission and the services of the EIB Group have been examining together, in the
context of a Joint Working Party, practical ways to increase the combined use of the respective financing
tools of the two institutions, in particular through more streamlined procedures and a more systematic and
timely exchange of information on upcoming projects.

3.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 84 E/867

With respect to coordination between EIB and Structural and Cohesion Funds, a number of important
steps have already been taken to facilitate the joint programming of interventions (global commitments by
the European Investment Fund (EIF) in the framework of Community Support Frameworks; appropriate
modulation of intervention rate; advisory role of the EIF in developing financing mechanisms for small and
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) at regional level). As regards collaboration between the Research and
Development Framework Programme and the EIB Group, the above-mentioned cooperation agreement
establishes a framework for joint work. Similar agreements are envisaged for other major policy areas,
notably those where EIB financing can provide a crucial complement to Community budget intervention.

Against that background the Commission does not consider the establishment of a special coordination
unit to be necessary.

(1) The EIB Group includes the EIB itself and the European Investment Fund (EIF).

(2004/C 84 E/0959)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0750/04

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

(11 March 2004)

Subject: Possibility of registering rating agencies in Europe

In the framework of Parliament’s vote on the Katiforis report on rating agencies (A5-0040/2004 (cid:1) P5_TA-
PROV(2004)0080), what kind(s) of European registration scheme is the Commission planning to
investigate?

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(13 April 2004)

With regard to the vote by Parliament on the report on rating agencies presented by Mr Katiforis,
Mr Margallo would like to know what kind(s) of European registration schemes the Commission is
planning to investigate.

The Commission would recall that, at the informal meeting of Economics and Finance Ministers in Oviedo
in April 2002, it gave an undertaking to examine the role and methods of rating agencies as part of a raft
of measures to be carried out in the wake of the Enron scandal.

At the same time, several initiatives were launched on the matter at international level. These include the
work undertaken by the Financial Stability Forum (FSF), the International Organisation of Securities
Commissions (IOSCO) and national regulators such as the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

Mr Katforis’ report makes an important contribution to the matter. In October 2003 the Commission
Directorate-General
for the Internal Market set up four professional expert groups with a view to
examining, among other things, the strategic priorities for the measures to be taken by the Commission in
the coming years. One of these groups will focus in particular on the securities sector. The Commission
will take into account the conclusions of these professional expert groups, which will be published by the
end of April 2004, and open for public consultation from May to July 2004. A high-level conference will
take place on 22/23 June 2004. Only after an analysis of the results of the public consultations and the
conclusions of the high-level conference will the Commission adopt an official position on the subject of
rating agencies in general and on the issue of their registration in Europe in particular.