Follow-up to Written Question P-004140/2016 on Parliament’s resolution of 4 February 2016 on the special situation of islands

Question for written answer
to the Commission
Rule 130
Alfred Sant (S&D)

E-006300-16

Subject: Follow-up to Written Question P-004140/2016 on Parliament’s resolution of 4 February 2016 on the special situation of islands

With reference to the answer given to Written Question P-004140/2016 on Parliament’s resolution of 4 February 2016 on the special situation of islands, and in addition to the first set of follow-up questions, can the Commission state:
— whether these programmes and strategies are time-framed and costed in each case — giving time frames and costs;
— what data and analyses have been developed to date concerning these islands; and
— whether there are any specific programmes and strategies for less developed islands that do not form part of less developed regions?

Joint answer given by Ms Creţu on behalf of the Commission
Written questions: E-006300/16 , E-006299/16
All NUTS2 level regions(1) consisting solely of island Member States or of islands which form part of Member States receiving Cohesion Fund support, or all outermost regions, benefit from the most flexible thematic concentration requirements under Article 4 (1) of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Regulation No 1301/2013(2) for the 2014-2020 period, in the same way as less developed regions.
The ERDF programmes are public information and can be accessed e.g. via Commission open data platform(3) and the responsible national authorities’ websites, in line with shared management governing cohesion policy. In line with the Common Provisions Regulation for the European Structural and Investment (ESI) Funds(4), managing authorities are responsible for the implementation, monitoring and reporting of programme progress, which contributes to reporting by the Commission on the ESI Funds.
There are only few EU-wide studies and data collections covering islands, due to the sub-regional and sometimes sub-local character of many islands. Insofar that islands correspond to NUTS2 or NUTS3 regions, their characteristics have been analysed(5) together with those of other EU regions in the Cohesion Report, the Regional Yearbooks of Eurostat or studies carried out by ESPON(6).

E-006300-16

Suġġett: Segwitu għall-mistoqsija bil-miktub P-004140/2016 dwar ir-riżoluzzjoni tal-Parlament tal-4 ta’ Frar 2016 dwar is-sitwazzjoni speċjali tal-gżejjer
B’riferiment għat-tweġiba mogħtija lill-mistoqsija bil-miktub P-004140/2016 dwar ir-riżoluzzjoni tal-Parlament tal-4 ta’ Frar 2016 dwar is-sitwazzjoni speċjali tal-gżejjer, u b’żieda mal-ewwel sensiela ta’ mistoqsijiet ta’ segwitu, il-Kummissjoni tista’ tistqarr:
—jekk dawn il-programmi u strateġiji humiex limitati biż-żmien u jekk hemmx stima tal-ispiża f’kull każ, u tforni l-kalendarju u l-ispejjeż relatati;
—liema data u analiżijiet ġew żviluppati sal-lum fir-rigward ta’ dawn il-gżejjer u
—jekk hemmx programmi u strateġiji speċifiċi għall-gżejjer inqas żviluppati li ma jiffurmawx parti minn reġjuni inqas żviluppati?

MT
E-006299/2016
E-006230/2016
Tweġiba konġunta mogħtija mis-Sinjura Crețu
f’isem il-Kummissjoni
(18.10.2016)

Ir-reġjuni kollha tal-livell NUTS 2 [1] li jikkonsistu biss minn Stati Membri gżejjer jew minn gżejjer li jiffurmaw parti minn Stati Membri li jirċievu appoġġ mill-Fond ta’ Koeżjoni, jew ir-reġjuni kollha l-aktar imbiegħda, jibbenefikaw mill-iktar rekwiżiti flessibbli ta’ konċentrazzjoni tematika skont l-Artikolu 4(1) tar-Regolament Nru 1301/2013 dwar il-Fond Ewropew għall-Iżvilupp Reġjonali (FEŻR) [2] għall-perijodu 2014-2020, bl-istess mod bħal reġjuni anqas żviluppati.

Il-programmi tal-FEŻR huma pubbliċi u l-aċċess għalihom jista’ jsir pereżempju permezz ta’ pjattaforma tad-dejta miftuħa tal-Kummissjoni [3] u tal-websajts tal-awtoritajiet nazzjonali responsabbli, skont il-politika ta’ ġestjoni kondiviża li tirregola l-politika ta’ koeżjoni. F’konformità mar-Regolament dwar id-Dispożizzjonijiet Komuni għall-Fondi Ewropej Strutturali u ta’ Investiment (Fondi ESI) [4], l-awtoritajiet ta’ ġestjoni huma responsabbli mill-implimentazzjoni, il-monitoraġġ u r-rappurtar tal-progress tal-programmi, li jikkontribwixxi għal rappurtar mill-Kummissjoni dwar il-Fondi ESI.

Hemm biss ftit studji li jikkonċernaw l-UE kollha u ftit ġabriet ta’ dejta li tkopri l-gżejjer, minħabba l-karattru subreġjonali u xi kultant sublokali ta’ ħafna gżejjer. Safejn il-gżejjer ikunu jikkorrispondu ma’ reġjuni NUTS2 jew NUTS3, il-karatteristiċi tagħhom ġew analizzati [5] flimkien ma’ dawk ta’ reġjuni oħra tal-UE fir-Rapport dwar il-Koeżjoni, fil-pubblikazzjonijiet reġjonali tal-Eurostat jew fl-istudji li jsiru minn ESPON [6].

1. Il-klassifikazzjoni NUTS (Nomenklatura ta’ unitajiet territorjali għall-istatistika) hija sistema ġerarkika biex ikun diviż it-territorju ekonomiku tal-UE.
2. Ir-Regolament (UE) Nru 1301/2013 tal-Parlament Ewropew u tal-Kunsill tas-17 ta’ Diċembru 2013 dwar il-Fond Ewropew għall-Iżvilupp Reġjonali u dwar dispożizzjonijiet speċifiċi li jikkonċernaw l-Investiment li għandu fil-mira t-tkabbir u l-impjiegi u li jirrevoka r-Regolament (KE) Nru 1080/2006, ĠU L 347, 20.12.2013.
3. https://cohesiondata.ec.europa.eu/countries
4. Ir-Regolament (UE) Nru 1303/2013 tal-Parlament Ewropew u tal-Kunsill tas-17 ta’ Diċembru 2013 li jistabbilixxi dispożizzjonijiet komuni dwar il-Fond Ewropew għall-Iżvilupp Reġjonali, il-Fond Soċjali Ewropew, il-Fond ta’ Koeżjoni, il-Fond Agrikolu Ewropew għall-Iżvilupp Rurali u l-Fond Marittimu u tas-Sajd
5. Analiżi interna tar-reġjuni tal-UE bi speċifiċitajiet ġeografiċi inklużi l-gżejjer (Dokument ta’ Ħidma REGIO Nru 02/2009, “Territorji b’karatteristiċi ġeografiċi speċifiċi”, http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/docgener/work/2009_02_geographical.pdf);
6. Proġett ESPON GEOSPECS: https://www.espon.eu/main/Menu_Projects/Menu_ESPON2013Projects/Menu_AppliedResearch/geospecs.html
Proġett ESPON EUROISLANDS: https://www.espon.eu/main/Menu_Projects/Menu_ESPON2013Projects/Menu_TargetedAnalyses/EUROISLANDS.html.