Brussels, 08/12/2000 (Agence Europe) - A certain tension has appeared between the European Commission and the Walloon authorities over the "Objective 1" aid to Hainaut (Belgian region). The talks cover a "programming supplement" presented by the Walloon authorities to complement to Programming Document valid between 2000 and 2006. Hainaut has already received a small advance, but the payments could now be blocked if the Walloon authorities do not present a document that suits the Commission, explained Community sources. The first version of the document does not suit the Commission which feels that it is not precise enough and does not sufficiently take into account the remarks made over problems known during the previous programming period. However, this "programming supplement is the true articulation of European regional policy for Hainaut, as it specifies the criteria, the indicators, which will enable to choose the projects that will benefit from European subsidies; these criteria must thus be precise and correspond with Commute objectives" explain the same sources. In reaction to remarks made (in La Libre Belgique) by the President-Minister and the Minister for the Economy of Wallonia, according to which the Commission would be more picky with Belgium than with other countries, the Community circles answer that "the treatment is the same for all, when there are problems, it must be discussed".
The cabinet of the President-Minister of Wallonia underlines that the programming supplement has been approved by the "monitoring committee" responsible for ensuring the proper unfolding of the programme and recalls that the Commission is simply consulted on this document. On the Commission's side, it recognises these two elements, but underline that the Commission is responsible for the granting of payments; it only given the go ahead to payments that are not based on precise and justified criteria.