WRITTEN QUESTION E-1819/99 by Raffaele Costa (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Europe against Cancer programme.
C 225 E/24 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 8. 8. 2000 Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission (18 November 1999) As provided in Article 4 of the Council Regulation (EC) 1260/1999 of 21 June 1999 laying down general provisions on the structural funds, the Commission decides the list of regions eligible for objective 2 on the basis of a proposal from the Member State. The Commission examines the proposal for conformity with the regulation. In particular, it ensures that the population ceiling fixed for the Member State is respected and that the regions proposed fulfil the criteria set out in paragraphs 5 to 9 of Article 4. These criteria cover the different categories of area eligible for support under objective 2, viz. areas undergoing socio-economic change in the industry and service sectors, declining rural areas, urban areas in difficulty and fisheries-dependent areas with serious problems. The Commission also verifies that where it is objectively possible at least 50 % of the population covered by objective 2 is situated in areas covered by the criteria in paragraphs 5 and 6 of Article 4, concerning socio-economic change in the industry and services sectors and declining rural areas. In the case of Finland, the Commission has decided the list of eligible areas, in principle, at its meeting of 26 October 1999. Some 27 % of the objective 2 list for Finland, in terms of population, were formally proposed by the national authorities under rural criteria, with 11 % and 62 % for the urban and industrial areas, respectively. In reality, the industrial areas also contain a significant rural territory which would allow the national authorities to finance measures under the objective 2 programmes concerned in favour of rural development. The Commission is satisfied that list of areas eligible under objective 2 in Finland meet the criteria in the regulation and that they therefore have genuine needs in accordance with aims of this objective. (2000/C 225 E/025) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1819/99 by Raffaele Costa (PPE-DE) to the Commission (12 October 1999) Subject: Europe against Cancerí programme Can the Commission state to what extent funding or subsidies have been awarded (with payments already disbursed, or not), and to what bodies (public or private), institutions, undertakings, cooperatives or individuals, in connection with the European against Cancerí programme ü Action plans 1987-1989, 1990-1994 and 1996-2000? Have the actual deployment of the funds and the successful outcome of the initiatives been verified? Supplementary answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission (21 January 2000) The Honourable Member is referred to the evaluation and implementation reports on the three action plans against cancer, details of which are being sent direct to the Honourable Member and to Parliamentís secretariat. Controls on the correct use of Community funds in the context of these action plans are carried out by means of evaluation of the scientific and budgetary reports provided by contractors, and by audits carried out in particular cases by the Commission