Brussels, 31/10/2001 (Agence Europe) - With the adoption last week of the report by Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou (EPP-ED, Greece) on implementation of innovative actions under Article 6 of the regulation on the European Social Fund for the programming period 2000-2006, the European Parliament deplores the fact that: 1) the Commission had fixed its thematic priorities for the 2000-2002 period without consulting it. It therefore invites it to redefine these areas for 2002 granting special importance to the questions directly linked to combating unemployment and promoting of social cohesion (worker mobility, continuous training and professional re-training, for example); 2) the innovative measures in the structural funds as a whole for the programming period 2000-2006 so far only exist on paper and have been the subject of major budgetary restrictions. The EP is therefore opposed to any attempt made at further restriction, within the context of the current programming period, of credits foreseen for innovative measures in the future financial periods, or to cancel, where necessary, the funding that has not been earmarked for this by the end of the current year.
European Parliament Plenary Session (continued)