Brussels, 26/09/2003 (Agence Europe) - By adopting by a very large majority (503 votes for, 20 against, 18 abstentions) the report by British Labour member Phillip Whitehead, the European Parliament gave the go-ahead on 24 September in Strasbourg to a new financial framework for Community activities to support consumer policy in the 2004-07 period. A new legal framework and new financial rules were required to carry out the new strategy effectively and was presented in May by the Commission in support of consumer policy, which now functions on a multi-annual basis.
Parliament's agreement, based on a package of compromises from negotiations between the Parliament and Council, will allow for adoption in first reading of the decision establishing a general framework for funding these activities. This will also guarantee the continuity of funding, when the legal framework currently in force expires on 31 December 2003 as a result of the decision 283/199EC).
The new framework will allocate an overall envelope of EUR 72 million to consumer groups over the whole period with EUR 18 million a year and which will have to be confirmed in the context of future financial perspectives.
The main amendments to the initial European Commission proposal introduce the following innovations: in the framework of the procedure for decision making after submission of proposals, the Commission will have to decide on the allocation of funds to projects and consumer organisations three months following their request for funding, an early warning system will enable those making requests to be informed earlier than before if they are not eligible for funding or if their request is incomplete; the level of Community co-finance, which is in principle, 50% can rise to 75% (instead of 70%) for specific Community or national level projects; Community co-funding will be possible to consolidate and develop competencies of organisations and bodies working in the interests of consumers, not only at community level but also national and regional levels.