WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2053/97 by Luis CAMPOY ZUECO to the Commission. Cohesion Fund activities in Navarre
11. 3. 98 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 76/71 (98/C 76/157) WRITTEN QUESTION P-2053/97 by Luis Campoy Zueco (PPE) to the Commission (9 June 1997) Subject: Cohesion Fund activities in Navarre Can the Commission specify what co-financing investments were made by the Cohesion Fund in the Community of Navarre in 1995 and 1996? Answer given by Mrs Wulf- Mathies on behalf of the Commission (4 July 1997) The Commission does not have any specifically regional data regarding the Cohesion Fund. It draws the attention of the Honourable Member to the fact that the annual report on the activities of the Fund in 1995 (1) contains in Annex I the main points of the environmental and transport projects part-financed in Spain, including those part-financed in Navarre. With regard to 1996, the Commission is sending directly to the Honourable Member and to Parliamentís Secretariat the main points of the projects adopted. (1) Doc. COM(96) 388. (98/C 76/158) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2059/97 by Marjo Matikainen-Kallstro¤m (PPE) to the Commission (16 June 1997) Subject: SMEs and the 5th Framework Programme Small and medium-sized enterprises account for 66% of employment in the EU. They have a very important role to play particularly in terms of innovation and research. In the European Parliamentís Committee on Research, Technological Development and Energy we have discussed the position of SMEs particularly in connection with the EUís 5th framework programme on research, technological development and demonstration. Because the term ásmall and medium-sized enterprisesí has not been sufficiently clearly defined, it also remains unclear in what capacity they can participate in the 5th Framework Programme. I should like to ask the Commission how it defines SMEs and how it intends to take account of these firms in the implementation of the 5th Framework Programme. Answer given by Mr Papoutsis on behalf of the Commission (31 July 1997) On 3 April 1996, the Commission adopted a Recommendation concerning the definition of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) (1). Thanks to this Recommendation, clear and precise rules now exist for defining SMEs, small enterprises and micro-enterprises in both Community programmes and instruments and those of Member States. In adopting this definition, the Commission sought in particular to introduce greater clarity, coherence and visibility into Community programmes which previously had often used different definitions of SMEs. In order to qualify as an SME, an enterprise must, under this Recommendation, meet a workforce-size criterion (fewer than 250 employees), a financial criterion (turnover less than ECU 40 million or an annual balance-sheet total of less than ECU 27 million) and an independence criterion (i. e. the enterprises must not be owned as to 25 % or more of the capital or the voting rights by one or several enterprises which are not SMEs themselves. Lower thresholds apply in the definitions of small enterprises and of micro-enterprises