WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2871/97 by Kenneth COATES to the Commission. Freedom of movement
3. 4. 98 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 102/141 (98/C 102/211) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2871/97 by Kenneth Coates (GUE/NGL) to the Commission (11 September 1997) Subject: Freedom of movement What progress has been registered with respect to the European Social Fundís aim áto render the employment of workers easier and to increase their geographical and occupational mobility within the Community. í, especially with respect to long-term unemployed people, and facilitating the integration into working life of young people and of persons exposed to exclusion from the labour market? Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission (15 October 1997) The broad aims of the European social fund (ESF) set out in Article 123 of the EC Treaty and quoted by the Honourable Member have been defined by the Council in Regulation (EEC) No 2084/93 amending Regulation (EEC) No 4255/88 (áthe ESF Regulationí) (1). This Regulation sets out in Article 1 the operations which the ESF áshall supportí, including as regards objective 3, facilitating the occupational integration of the long-term unemployed and of young people, promoting the integration of those exposed to exclusion from the labour market, promoting equal opportunities for men and women on the labour market, and as regards objective 4 facilitating the adaptation of workers, especially those threatened with unemployment, to industrial change and to changes in production systems. Progress in achieving the above aims is recorded annually in the reports on the structural funds, of which the 7th annual report on the structural funds in 1995 (2) was published in September 1996. Further details about the operations of the ESF, and as to the integration of its operations with the generality of structural fund operations, may be found in the first report on Economic and social cohesion (3). (1) OJ L 193, 31. 7. 1993. (2) COM(96) 502 final. (3) COM(96) 542. (98/C 102/212) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2872/97 by Kenneth Coates (GUE/NGL) to the Commission (11 September 1997) Subject: Freedom of movement According to Commissioner Flynnís reply to Written Questions E-0062/97 and E-0063/97 (1), the number of persons authorized to export their unemployment benefit from the United Kingdom whilst seeking work in another Member State, was falling by 44 per cent between 1993 and 1995. But the number of cases of people exporting benefits to the United Kingdom increased by 43 per cent between 1992 and 1993. Has the Commission been able to explain these divergent trends? Has more recent data given grounds to revise them? Does the Commission have further data on the export of benefits? (1) OJ C 186, 18. 6. 1997, p. 218. Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission (3 October 1997) Further to its reply to the Honourable Memberís written questions E-62/97 and E-63/97, the Commission would inform the Honourable Member that Member States have not supplied any more information under Recommendation No 17 of the Administrative commission on social security for migrant workers, on the export of unemployment benefits, nor did they supply any explanation of the trends to which he refers. The Commission will again ask the Member States to supply the information in line with this recommendation