WRITTEN QUESTION P-2139/99 by Camilo Nogueira Román (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Possible legal fraud in implementing the running costs of secondary education establishments.
18. 7. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 203 E/143 (2000/C 203 E/181) WRITTEN QUESTION P-2139/99 by Camilo Nogueira RomÆn (Verts/ALE) to the Commission (18 November 1999) Subject: Possible legal fraud in implementing the running costs of secondary education establishments On 14 December 1993, the Commission approved a running programme submitted by the Spanish Ministry of Labour and Social Security. The programme, to be implemented in Galicia, was designed for ávocational training in educationí, átraining of researchersí, áin-service training for employeesí, 6vocational training for employmentí, and áemployment subsidiesí for the period 1994-1999. The total cost of the programme was ECU 238 707 302, 75 % of which was paid by the EC and 25 % by the Galician Government (ESF No 940129ES1). Galician teachers, worried by the Galician Governmentís steady cutting back of the resources available for covering the running costs of public educational establishments, while steadily increasing resources available for private education, have discovered what appears, in principle, to be a fraudulent use of the European funding for the operational programme, particularly in the case of the ávocational training for educationí activities ü which used up most of the funding in question ü in 1998-1999. The fraud consists of the partial or total failure to implement the 25 % supposed to be funded by the Galician Government. The normal running costs of the schools involved in the ávocational training for educationí activities were charged on a disproportionate basis under that heading to the programmes co-funded by the European Social Fund, several times over, to the extent of charging four times as much as the real running costs (heating, electricity, water, etc. ) per pupil. This not only constitutes fraud in terms of the undertakings given to the Commission, but also deprives the educational establishments of a significant part of the funding they require in order properly to discharge their educational tasks. Does the Commission intend to investigate these irregularities and demand that the Galician Government meet all its obligations with regard to the funding of ESF programmes concerning vocational training in education? Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission (9 December 1999) The most recent inspection by the Commission concerning the use of ESF funding in the Autonomous Community of Galicia was carried out in May to June 1996 ü i. e. prior to the period referred to by the Honourable Member (1998-1999) ü and did not reveal any evidence of such fraud. The Commission has not received any communication on this subject from the Spanish authorities on the basis of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1681/94 of 11 July 1994 concerning irregularities and the recovery of sums wrongly paid in connection with the financing of the structural policies and the organization of an information system in this field (1). The Honourable Member should therefore submit the specific evidence in his possession regarding the alleged irregular use of ESF funds in the Autonomous Community concerned. Further inspections could be carried out following an examination of this evidence. (1) OJ L 178, 12. 7. 1994. (2000/C 203 E/182) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2142/99 by Rosa MiguØlez Ramos (PSE) to the Commission (24 November 1999) Subject: The Ariane programme and the Galician language The Commission has made a selection of 291 projects within the framework of the Ariane programme, which is designed to encourage people to read and buy works of contemporary literature by subsidising translations and the book industry