As was indicated in a former article, the 7th YFDJ Conference was held in Oslo and was financed by the EU’s Youth in Action (YIA) program in Norway and many of us were outraged. As a European citizen, I wrote a complaint to the EU’s Commissioner for Culture and Education, Mrs. Androulla Vassiliou, in May and this is their response which was copied to several units, and which I have the permission to publish. The e-mail addresses are withheld. I think it is important that every letter of protest we write, every petition counts, at least in the western world.
Dr. Mohamed Kheir
____________________________________________________________________-
Date: 19.08.2011 09:31
Subject: REP to Youth in Action Program money misused
Brussels, 19/08/2011
DG EAC/E2/AB/AD/md
2011/JEUNE ACTION ADEC/023
Dear Sir,
I thank you for your e-mail addressed to Mrs Vassiliou. In my capacity of
Head of Unit for the Youth in Action programme I have been asked to reply
to it. Please accept my apologies for the delay in our reply.
The Norwegian National Agency for the Youth in Action programme has
informed us that it has indeed selected the project you referred to
(NO-51-9-2010-R3-YPFDJ Oslo) on the basis of the information put at its
disposal within the project application. Nonetheless, it seems that there
are quite important differences between the application and the actual
activities undertaken within the project. This creates serious doubts
concerning the project eligibility to EU support. For your information, the
EU YiA Programme guide clearly indicates that neither political gatherings
nor statutory meetings of organisations are eligible to EU funding within
this programme.
As you stated yourself in your e-mail the YIA Norwegian NA is aware of the
situation. The necessary follow up will be given by the National Agency
upon reception of the project final report and its subsequent analysis: the
NA will take the necessary steps to recover any unduly received funds and
ensure adequate information of my services.
Last, please be sure that we pay the greatest attention to the respect of
democracy and the promotion of tolerance in the Youth in Action programme's
implementation and that we will continue to do so in the interest of the
European Youth.
Yours sincerely
Signed p.o. A. Brey
Pascal Lejeune
Head of Unit
_____________________________________________
Pascal Lejeune
Commission européenne - Direction générale de l'éducation et de la culture
Direction E - Jeunesse, Sport et Citoyenneté
Unité E.2 - Jeunesse en Action
( +32-2-295.08.83 (direct phone)
Ê +32-2-299.41.58 (fax)
ü http://europa.eu.int/comm/dgs/education_culture/index_fr.htm