A3-0262/94

Resolution on the draft notice from the Commission to the Member States laying down guidelines for operational programmes or global grants which they are invited to establish in the framework of a Community initiative concerning the economic conversion of coal-mining areas (RECHAR II) (COM(94)0046 - C3-0130/94)

The European Parliament,

-having regard to the Commission's draft notice to Member States (COM(94)0046 - C3-0130/94),

- having regard to the amended regulations of 20 July 1993 governing the Structural Funds, in particular Article 11 of Council Regulation (EEC), No. 2082/93 and Article 3(2) of Regulation (EEC) No. 2083/93,

-having regard to its resolution of 28 October 1993 on the future of Community initiatives under the Structural Funds,

- having regard to the code of conduct on the implementation of structural policies by the Commission, in particular paragraph 2 which states that the Commission will take Parliament's requests into consideration whenever possible in order to take them into account when deciding on each initiative,

-having regard to the Interinstitutional Agreement of 29 October 1993 on budgetary discipline and improvement of the budgetary procedure and the financial perspective annexed thereto,

-having regard to its resolution of 28 October 1993 on the draft general budget of the European Communities for the 1994 financial year: section III -Commission, in particular paragraph 8 thereof,

-having regard to the general budget for the European Union for the financial year 1994, in particular Article B2-140 and Chapter B0-40,

- having regard to the report of the Committee on Regional Policy, Regional Planning and Relations with Regional and Local Authorities and the opinions of the Committee on Budgets, the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs and Industrial Policy, the Committee on Social Affairs, Employment and the Working Environment and the Committee on Women's Rights (A3-0262/94),

A.whereas in the past it has supported Community initiatives as efficient instruments with clear aims and objectives as they are targeted at specific economic sectors undergoing structural change or suffering from the negative consequences of such change,

B.whereas RECHAR was considered an important Community initiative under the reform of the Structural Funds for the period 1989-93, and was allocated ECU 300 million (of a total ECU 5.8 billion for initiatives),

C.whereas the Commission has proposed a continuation of the RECHAR initiative and a proposed budget of ECU 400 million for the period 1994 - 1997, of which only ECU 100 million have been earmarked for the Objective No. 1 regions,

1.Recalls that initiatives were conceived to alleviate regional problems stemming from structural and economic change by co-financing programmes and innovative projects consisting primarily of reconversion measures which should be of significant European interest;

2.Insists that these objectives must remain the basis of the initiatives: otherwise rebates in national budget contributions would be simpler;

3.Recalls the additionality criteria; experience gained on application of that principle clearly demonstrates that verification should also occur at local or regional level and not only at the national level; urges the Commission and Member States to demonstrate that the additionality criteria is met;

4.Proposes that the budgetary allocation be increased by ECU 100 million;

5.Insists, moreover, that the eligibility criteria should be applied correctly and that funding should be decided not only on the basis of the number of jobs lost but should take into account the whole social and economic fabric of the coal-mining area under consideration, the quality and innovative content of the programmes proposed, the knowledge likely to be gained and the possibility of disseminating the results obtained;

6.Approves the continuation of RECHAR II funding in existing Objective 1, 2 and 5b eligible areas, but believes that there should be limited flexibility where justified; a case could be made for the small number of coal-mining areas excluded from the first RECHAR programme and especially those which will lose eligibility for RECHAR because they have lost Objective 1, 2 or 5b status, despite losing a large number of mining jobs;

7.Requests that such flexibility should also be extended to the areas covered by Objectives 1, 2 and 5b which, although they have not reached the threshold of 1000 lost jobs, have an especially high rate of unemployment, are excessively dependent on mining and are geographically isolated from key development areas and other industrial centres;

8.Demands that priorities be made for women's programmes under this initiative and calls upon the Commission to earmark resources for programmes, proposals and actions targeting women and to report regularly to the European Parliament in this regard;

9.Supports the principle of concentration of funds given the resources available, but feels that a limited flexibility for RECHAR would only involve a small number of cases with restricted geographical coverage and is preferable to an over-rigid approach which would exclude bona fide coalfield areas;

10.Is surprised that RECHAR II has not been allocated a higher level of funding, and that the programme is proposed for four years only rather than for the whole of the next financing period and that an arbitrary initial division has been made between the Objective 1 regions which have been allocated a smaller amount and the needs of the European mining areas as a whole;

11.Supports the inclusion of the lignite areas but, in view of the scale of the restructuring in this sector, insists that if their inclusion is to be acceptable, it must be accompanied by additional funds;

12.Requests that, in connection with the criterion for jobs lost or threatened, it should always be ascertained that the jobs concerned were directly connected with mining;

13.Requests that access to funding under the ECSC budget should be allowed only to firms which have contributed to its financing or, if appropriate, the countries which after their accession have directly contributed to financing this budget;

14.Requests that RECHAR II should also include other non-energy mining areas which are undergoing similar development problems following reconversion and that additional funds be provided for their financing;

15.Stresses that in deciding eligibility criteria a clear distinction must be made between the consequences of general economic decline and those of industrial decline and the need to adapt to fundamental and lasting new market situations; the greatest possible account should be taken of the relative ability of each of the regions to absorb job losses;

16.Insists that, in determining the eligible areas consideration should be given not only to jobs lost or threatened but also to other factors such as the rate of unemployment, economic dependence on the industry concerned and whether the region is geographically isolated or peripheral;

17.Calls on the Commission to insert a new paragraph to permit assistance for cross-border cooperation between former coal-mining areas;

18.Considers it essential for the respective contributions of the ERDF and the ESF to be indicated separately;

19.Calls on the Commission to indicate to what extent it intends to make the ECSC operating budget contribute to the RECHAR initiative given the phasing-in context and in particular as regards the vocational training referred to in paragraph 7(j) of its notice;

20.Calls on the Commission to create a separate budget line equivalent to 10% of the resources earmarked specifically for the promotion of women's interests, to reflect the EU principles relating to equality of opportunity;

21.Points out that the coal-mining industry is a particularly prominent case of a basic traditional industry having experienced dramatic production and employment losses;

22.Notes that coal-mining districts are often areas dependent on the output of that industry alone and offering few alternative non-agricultural employment possibilities, the agricultural sector itself under severe constraint;

23.Regrets that the Community's overall energy policy only admits a diminishing role for coal in its policy of a diversified, safe and competitive energy supply;

24.Is convinced that for many mining areas, coal continues to be the main source of economic activity, but believes that efforts in coal-mining areas should be directed towards establishing other forms of economic activity so as to reduce the industrial dependency of these regions and facilitate their industrial development;

25.Urges, however, that alternative uses of coal and lignite, which remain a valuable and abundant primary energy source, be seriously considered;

26.Recalls that the Community's coal production fell from about 500 million tonnes per year in the late 1950s, and about 235 million tonnes by 1985 down to 193 million tonnes in 1991; recalls further that coal consumption in the Community is destined firstly for electricity production and then for the steel industry and heating, the gap between production and consumption being filled by imports from non-Community countries;

27.Stresses that the coal industry in 1955 employed 1.86 million workers, a workforce reduced to 260 000 in 1991, with particularly serious regional and social consequences and that, although in the case of Spain and Portugal job losses have not been so spectacular, a situation of dependency on the industry does exist, coupled with a socio-economic situation characterized by extremely high rates of unemployment; that despite spectacular increases in productivity with prices in some countries such as the UK converging towards world market prices, failure to adopt a coherent energy policy means that further mine closures and job losses seem almost inevitable;

28.Shares the view expressed in the Commission draft notice that support should be given to immaterial investment in order to facilitate SMEs' integration in their economic environment;

29.Asks for a detailed assessment of the results of this initiative in each coal-mining area concerned;

30.Affirms the need for a strategic industrial approach in the coal-mining industry as well as in other sectors;

31.Stresses the need for a rapid "phasing-in" of ECSC social activities in the Community, as well as for a constant use of all different instruments available in order to improve the training of workers;

32.Stresses the importance of maintaining local involvement in the development and implementation of the RECHAR initiative through local programme committees on which the social partners sit alongside local and regional authorities, not just for statutory obligations, but because of their intimate knowledge and expertise of their areas; the application of single national programmes managed by the governments of the Member States would be a serious retrograde step;

33.Recalls that Community initiatives can draw on more than one instrument under the Structural Funds and that projects within the coal and lignite sector can also draw on other Community resources; requests therefore carefully coordinated integrated programmes with a view to maximum use of available means;

34.Calls on the Commission to keep Parliament regularly informed about the implementation of this initiative, including a breakdown of the amounts allocated to each objective;

35.Approves the Commission's proposal for RECHAR II together with the amendments suggested in this resolution;

36.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission and Council.