WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3427/97 by Konstantinos HATZIDAKIS to the Commission. Transfer of appropriations from social programmes under the Greek Community Support Framework to other sectors
30. 4. 98 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 134/163 (98/C 134/221) WRITTEN QUESTION P-3427/97 by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE) to the Commission (21 October 1997) Subject: Transfer of appropriations from social programmes under the Greek Community Support Framework to other sectors The Greek Government has recently requested the Commission for a transfer of appropriations within the Greek Community Support Framework (CSF) away from programmes and measures under the European Social Fund which are far behind schedule to other sectors of the Greek CSF with a better take-up rate. The appropriations concerned were designed for measures such as education, basic and further vocational training, job creation and combating exclusion from the labour market, i. e. sensitive areas of social policy which are also basic priorities of Union policy to promote employment and social conditions in Europe. Will the Commission, therefore, state its position on the Greek Governmentís request? What are the grounds for the transfer of appropriations and what amount ultimately will be cut back? Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission (24 November 1997) The main reason for which the Greek government, in the framework of the Community support framework (CSF) II mid-term review, recently asked for the transfer of European social fund (ESF) credits to other funds was the relatively low absorption rate of the human resources operations. On 10th October 1997, a meeting of the advisory committee for human resources of the CSF 1994-1999 for Greece was held in Athens. During this meeting new proposals, submitted in terms of the mid-term review of the human resources actions, were considered. Assurances were given by the Greek authorities with regard to their determination to improve and accelerate implementation. In this context, a number of important measures taken in the meantime, in particular the creation of a national accreditation structure, should prove helpful. A general consensus was reached that there was no need at this stage to modify the credit allocations of the human resources programmes. It was also agreed that the monitoring arrangements of the implementation of the ESF co-financed actions in Greece will be strengthened, in order to underpin the rapid and effective execution of the ESF allocated appropriations. The CSF monitoring committee, at its meeting on 30th and 31st October 1997, decided that at this stage the credits allocations of the human resources programmes should not be modified. The progress of all CSF operational programmes will be re-examined in the framework of the mid-term review of the CSF for Greece, during the first semester of 1998. (98/C 134/222) WRITTEN QUESTION E-3436/97 by Cristiana Muscardini (NI) to the Commission (31 October 1997) Subject: Measures to combat usury The phenomenon of usury, fuelled by the economic crisis and neediness, is today assuming significant proportions and expanding constantly. In many cases usury has penetrated vital economic sectors such as financial broking and employs complex company forms for its operations. Will the Commission set up a permanent monitoring centre to keep track of usury and economic crime and issue a Directive to prevent usury in order to help firms denied access to traditional credit?