Structural Fund. 5th annual 1993 Report

In adopting the report by Mrs Manuela FRUTOS GAMA on the Commission's fifth annual report on the activities of the Structural Funds in 1993, the European Parliament restated its firm belief that planning quality was a key to the effectiveness of structural policies. It emphasized that this quality depended on the extent to which local and regional political, social and economic operators were involved in the planning. The role of the monitoring committees should be strengthened and the administration of the Funds simplified. Furthermore, the Commission should provide more information on the projects adopted and the appropriations authorized and act with greater transparency. The European Parliament considered the budget implementation for the 1988-1993 period to be satisfactory but is concerned at the imbalances noted in the implementation in certain areas and the delay in Objective 2. It saw a need to strengthen and increase in-situ monitoring and hoped that the new possibilities which would enable the EIB to finance programmes would have a positive effect on the coordination of appropriations and subsidies. It also called for total consistency between the structural policy objectives and the principles of sustainable development. The European Parliament called on the Commission, when assessing the progress achieved with structural measures, to use new indices which measured not only economic growth but also the degree of environmental quality and the stability of long-term jobs. The report took the view that the national structural effort should be analysed, and noted with disappointment that the application of the additionality principle had not yet been satisfactorily checked by the Commission. �