Brussels, 22/06/2001 (Agence Europe) - The Parliament's Budgets Committee organised, on Tuesday, a public hearing dedicated to the improvement of the execution of Community credits especially in the sectors of structural actions and research, to which participated Commissioners Michaele Schreyer, Michel Barnier and Philippe Busquin alongside representatives from national parliaments, regional authorities, the public sector and the business world.
The three representatives from regional or local authorities from Italy, Finland and Germany stigmatised the rigidity and complexity of the procedures. It will require, according to them: - to introduce greater flexibility by allocating a central role to the authorities on the ground; - leave an excessively centralised system for the management of structural aids (too often having as a result significant delays); - an optimal use of acquired experience; - and an emphasis on best practices. Mr Barnier feels that one can appreciate quality only in the light of spending credits and that it requires, in order to be efficient, considering the cohesion policy in all its dimensions. The Commissioner also recalled the value, to ensure a better programming, of the spending codification instrument (which provides precise figures on the efficient use of credits, on a country and regional basis). Mr Barnier recognised the low level of the credit use rate (58% for engagement credits and 78% for payments in 2000), while feeling that this is compensated by a clear improvement in delays, including in the amounts that remains to be liquidated. He also insisted on the Commission's responsibility to alert the Member States over the dangers of cancelling credits in case of under use, as foreseen by the new regulation in terms of structural actions (rule N+2 or "sunset clause", which foresees the cancellation of any unpaid credits two years after engagement).
With regards to the field of research, the representatives from the public and private sector (Philips, Airbus industries, D7S Sistemas) welcomed the recent Commission proposals for the 6th Framework Technological Research and Development Programme (TRD): - more ambitious projects; - lightening of the bureaucratic burden; - simplification of procedures; - shortening of times for approval of contracts; - introduction of greater flexibility in implementation of projects; - multiplying of synergies with research at the Member State level. Mr Busquin recalled the instruments retained to improve this programme. The simplification and improvement of management quality, thus permitting to reduce administrative costs, the sums found to finance projects, he added.
Mrs Schreyer insisted on the improvements brought not only to the programming of the funds, but also to the control of spending. She insisted on the establishments of an assessment procedure in three phases (evaluation ex-ante, mid-way assessment and ex-post control), which should be accompanied by the following imperatives: realistic spending, quantifiable indicators and performance.