WRITTEN QUESTION E-1453/99 by Christa Klaß (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Commission supply contracts in the area of internal logistics.
C 219 E/2 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 1. 8. 2000 Furthermore, also in the framework of the Phare programme, more than € 1 million have been allocated to support the nuclear security authority in Slovenia, notably to transfer methodologies and procedures from Community nuclear safety regulators. A technical support to the Slovenian nuclear safety authority to review the results of the seismic analysis of the Krsko plant is also foreseen. (1) COM(98) 134 final. (2000/C 219 E/002) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1451/99 by Herbert Bösch (PSE) to the Commission (1 September 1999) Subject: Financing of projects in Ischia (Italy) Three projects on Ischia ü two in the port of Ischia and one to do with the untapped medicinal spring of Nitrodi outside the town of Ischia ü are to be supported by the European Union. Construction has not yet started. 1. In what form are these projects being supported by the European Union? 2. How is the overfall financing being planned and what system will be used for the breakdown of funding between the EU and the region? 3. What is the timescale envisaged for completion of these projects? Supplementary answer by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission (21 December 1999) According to information from the Italian authorities, these projects are being part-financed by the European Regional Development Fund under the operational programme Development of sustainable tourism in the Objective 1 regionsí for the current programming period 1994-1999. Implementation of the programme is the responsibility of the department of Tourism, which reports to the Prime Ministerís Office. The Community is contributing 50 % of the total cost of the works for each project, the final date for the commitment of resources is 31 December 1999 and the final date for payments is 31 December 2001. Part-financing for the four projects concerning the port of Ischia totals EUR 2,5 million (ITL 4 882 million) and that for development of the spa at Nitrodi totals EUR 691 000 (ITL 1 337 million). Work on these projects should be complete by December 2000. (2000/C 219 E/003) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1453/99 by Christa Klaß (PPE-DE) to the Commission (1 September 1999) Subject: Commission supply contracts in the area of internal logistics The Commission is making efforts to cut costs for the provision of materials in the internal sector, essentially through the centralised selection of a number of large suppliers and by concluding long-term contracts. Is the Commission aware that this results in small, and medium-sized enterprises being excluded from the award of contents and new firms having little prospect of being considered for future contracts. 1. 8. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 219 E/3 What criteria does the Commission use for the award of contracts for the internal provision of materials, and how does this guarantee free competition? What mechanisms in the award procedure guarantee that small and medium-sized forms ü which make the greatest contribution to the creation of jobs ü are not at a disadvantage compared with large suppliers? What action is the Commission taking to ensure that other firms will also be considered if materials are subsequently required? Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission (8 December 1999) Under Article 56 of the Financial Regulation (1), the Commission has to comply with the directives on public contracts when concluding contracts for which the amount involved is equal to or greater than the threshold provided for by those directives. Contracts below those thresholds have to be concluded by the Commission áafter an invitation to tender has been issuedí (Article 58(1) of the Financial Regulation), applying áselection and award criteria laid down by analogy with those provided for in the directivesí (Article 58(3)). Below certain thresholds or under certain circumstances contracts may be made by áprivate treatyí or áagainst invoiceí (Articles 59 and 60). Application of these provisions and the principle of non-discrimination between tenderers (as set out in Article 62) is checked by the Advisory Committee on Procurements and Contracts (in the case of contracts exceeding the amount specified in the implementing measures for the Financial Regulation, currently EUR 46 000) and by the Commissionís financial controller. The provisions of the above-mentioned directives include rules on combination, designed to prevent an artificial fragmentation of contracts. The Commission does not set out to conclude contracts with tenderers of a particular size, but it is required to apply the selection criteria (assessment of the financial and technical capacity of applicants) laid down in the public contract directives to ensure security of supplies to the Commission. Applicants are thus all treated equally and have to supply the requisite documents even if they are large well-known companies or are already or have in the past been Commission contractors. The criterion for the award of Commission contracts is in the majority of cases that of the ámost economically advantageous bidí within the meaning of the directives, assessed by reference to price and quality. The weighting of the various factors on which quality is assessed is also indicated in the notice of invitation to tender or in the contract specifications. Notices are published in the S series of the Official Journal for all contracts worth EUR 50 000 or more (notice of invitation to tender or call for expressions of interest) to ensure better competition. To that end notices may also be published in the specialist press. To encourage the widest possible participation in its contracts, particularly by small and medium-sized enterprises, the Commission may encourage consortia and authorise subcontracting. Furthermore, contract specifications are supplied free of charge in the language requested by the applicant or that of the country of establishment, so applicants have no need to incur translation costs. Tenders can, of course, be drawn up in any of the eleven official Community languages. Finally, the Commission endeavours to divide contracts into the smallest lots compatible with sound management and cost-benefit principles. (1) OJ L 356, 31. 12. 1977. (2000/C 219 E/004) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1455/99 by David Bowe (PSE) to the Commission (1 September 1999) Subject: Functional foods Does the Commission envisage proposing new regulations on the labelling of what are known as áfunctional foodsí such as the new cholesterol-lowering margarine which Unilever is currently trying to launch on to the market?