Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2011-09-26-Speech-1-234-000"
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"en.20110926.25.1-234-000"2
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".
Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, at a late hour this evening, we are debating a subject that is of absolutely crucial importance for us. In any case, 37% of the EU budget goes on cohesion policy. Let us take a closer look – today, in the middle of the period, in 2011 – at how much in the way of resources has actually been taken from the Structural and Cohesion Funds so far. We can see that, unfortunately, in many Member States, the absorption rate and absorption capacity are well below what should actually have been paid out already by this stage.
We have new Members States, such as Bulgaria and Romania, which have a poor absorption rate, but it is not only the new Member States; there are also Member States that have been in the Union for a long time, with regions such as Calabria and Sicily in the founder State of Italy, that with a rate of 7% – if we are to believe the budgetary controllers in the Committee on Budgetary Control – are well behind. This raises the question: why are these regions unable to spend the financial resources that we make available?
There is Greece, too. Here in Parliament we have been highlighting where action is needed for months and have been pointing out that a country like Greece is not absorbing these resources, and we are pleased that the Commission, which to start with did not attach the necessary importance to this matter, has now given it high priority. With regard to Greece in particular, President Barroso has pointed out that, out of 20 billion, 15 billion has not been spent, and Commissioner Hahn has also just been there. We have considered what we can do to help these regions. The first thing to consider, as always, is the subject of cofinancing. The fact is that the regions are finding it difficult, in this global economic crisis, to finance their own share and Member States like Greece, which appear to be on the brink of insolvency, are also finding it difficult to finance their own share. There is no question that help must be provided here. However, it is clearly not just a matter of cofinancing, because there are also regions in Greece that really do not want an increase in European Union subsidies, are happy with the current rate of 80% and would rather implement more projects. Thus, it is not just a question of cofinancing; there are many different reasons. The procedures are too complex and need to be simplified as a matter of urgency.
There is also the problem that, in many Member States, the central administrations of the governments in the capital cities take too long and the regions and regional authorities at local level have insufficient decision-making options in order to use the resources. Take Romania, for example, where the local authorities take 20 to 30 days to process applications, the regional authorities take around 60 days, but the central government takes 260 days. All of this provides an argument for delegating responsibility from the top down and introducing a strong local self-administration.
Where are the Council, the Council Presidency and Mr van Rompuy this evening, in fact? He has taken the floor with regard to other matters. We are talking about 37% of the EU budget here. The EU is putting off payment obligations of EUR 250 billion. How are they to be fulfilled? The President-in-Office of the Council from Poland could have attempted to answer this, as Poland, of course, has shown how the absorption rate can be increased. There are also examples of good governance. Poland has managed it – its absorption capacities have increased – but so has Estonia.
As Parliament, we are of the opinion that the Member States are now called on to ensure, as a matter of urgency, that the resources that we as Parliament have made available for the citizens in the regions are actually spent, also in the interests of increasing competitiveness and stabilisation of jobs and employment. In this regard, we expect the Commission to push forward with the method adopted and to very strongly urge the Member States to bring this matter to a positive conclusion."@en1
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