WRITTEN QUESTION E-1427/99 by Gerhard Hager (NI) to the Commission. Interreg assistance for Carinthia and Slovenia.
C 170 E/10 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 20. 6. 2000 Until now co-operation on energy issues between the Community and Turkey has remained fairly limited due mainly to the lack of appropriate financial aid for Turkey. Nevertheless, the European Strategy for Turkey, which the Commission adopted in March 1998 (1) at the request of the Luxembourg European Council with the aim of preparing Turkey for membership of the EU provides for intensification of such co-operation. Nuclear energy issues including those involving security and the environment could be discussed within this framework. The Commission made two proposals in October 1998 (2) for financial support for the European Strategy. Their adoption by the budgetary authority should finally give some substance to co-operation on energy issues. (1) COM(98) 124 final. (2) OJ C 408, 29. 12. 1998. (2000/C 170 E/010) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1427/99 by Gerhard Hager (NI) to the Commission (1 September 1999) Subject: Interreg assistance for Carinthia and Slovenia The whole of the Austrian Land of Carinthia constitutes an area eligible for Interreg assistance. As a state directly adjacent to the EU, Slovenia qualifies in the same way for such assistance. Slovenia has received funds from the aid programme in question for the expansion of Llubljana airport. According to my information, this has meant that assistance has not been given for a number of projects in Carinthia. Can the Commission answer the following: 1. What amount of Interreg funds has been provided to Slovenia? 2. For what planned, current or completed projects in Slovenia have Interreg funds to date been granted? 3. What amount of Interreg funds has been provided to Carinthia (during the period corresponding to that for which funds have been provided to Slovenia)? 4. What projects in Carinthia in connection with which an application has been made for Interreg funds have been rejected, and on what grounds? 5. Is the Commission aware of a direct or indirect link between the projects in Carinthia which have not been supported and the simultaneous assistance for projects in Slovenia? Answer given by M. Barnier on behalf of the Commission (11 October 1999) The Interreg IIA programme Austria-Slovenia applies to the regions of Unterkärnten and Klagenfurt-Villach in Kärnten and Südweststeiermark and Oststeiermark in Steiermark. The programme focuses on the border regions Wolfsberg, Völkermarkt, Villach-Stadt, Villach-Land, Klagenfurt-Stadt and Klagenfurt-Land in Kärnten and Deutschlandsberg, Leibnitz and Radkersburg in Steiermark. Slovenia is not part of the eligible region for the Interreg IIA programme Austria-Slovenia and does therefore not receive financial support from this programme. Interreg IIA can only support projects that are located within the Community. These projects need to have a clear cross border character and should be aimed at co-operation with the neighbouring regions. Matching projects on the Slovenian side of the border can be financed from the PHARE CBC (cross border co-operation) programme. For the period 1995-1999, Slovenia has an indicative budget of € 14 million from PHARE CBC for cross-border co-operation with Austria. 20. 6. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 170 E/11 The total available budget from the Community for the Interreg IIA programme Austria-Slovenia for the period 1995-1999 is € 8 911 657. Kärnten is entitled to € 4 078 318 of this budget and Steiermark to € 4 833 339 The Commission paid until now € 4 879 800 to Austria. A total amount of Austrian Schilling 25 217 184 (€ 1 832 600) was forwarded by the federal government to the Land Kärnten. 150 projects are supported by the Interreg IIA programme, of which 54 have been finished. Since the selection of projects is decentralised to the Member States and regions, the Commission does not have in its possession the list of projects which have been submitted, but rejected. All projects have to meet general selection and priority criteria at programme level and specific selection and priority criteria at measure level mentioned in the programme. The selection and priority criteria are agreed between the Member State and the Commission. The Commission has no information suggesting that there is a connection between the approval of projects in Slovenia and the rejection of projects in Kärnten. It should be noted that Interreg and PHARE CBC are in budgetary terms two separat and distinct financial instruments. Slovenian border projects can only be supported by the PHARE CBC programme, whereas border projects in Kärnten are supported by the Interreg programme. (2000/C 170 E/011) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1431/99 by Gary Titley (PSE) to the Commission (1 September 1999) Subject: Contracts awarded by the Commission to external consultants Would the Commission indicate the nature and effectiveness of the internal control procedures it uses to verify that tenders for studies are awarded in an entirely objective manner, particularly when a restricted tender procedure is used? Would the Commission comment on the appropriateness of using a restricted tender process for awarding studies whose conclusions are likely to influence significantly new legislative proposals? Answer given by Ms Schreyer on behalf of the Commission (28 October 1999) When awarding public contracts for studies in particular, the Commission applies the general principles of equal treatment and transparency set out in the EC Treaty, irrespective of the award procedure or contract size. It must also abide by the Community Directives on public procurement (Council Directive 93/0036/ EEC of 14 June 1993 coordinating procedures for the award of public supply contracts (1), Council Directive 93/0037/EEC of 14 June 1993 concerning the coordination of procedures for the award of public works contracts (2) and Council Directive 92/0050/EEC of 18 June 1992 relating to the coordination of procedures for the award of public service contracts (3)), by the agreements on public procurement concluded in the context of the World Trade Organisation and the European Economic Area and by the rules applying in individual sectors, as laid down in various legislative instruments. These various principles and rules are also incorporated in detail in the Financial Regulation (4). One important aspect of compliance with the principles of equal treatment and transparency concerns the publicity given to contracts. The public procurement Directives provide for contracts over a certain threshold to be publicised via a single medium (the Official Journal of the European Communities), but the Commission is also encouraged to publish contract notices elsewhere, in particular on the Internet. These different legal rules set a number of thresholds which must be observed. Contracts with an estimated value of less than € 13 200 may be concluded by private treaty. If the value is between € 13 200 and