<s>[INST] The next text is a question of a member of the European parliament:"SMEs tell us repeatedly that contracts concluded under the THERMIE programme are processed only very slowly. Evidently, contractually guaranteed payments are paid not within two months but often after three to six months - in other words, from 12 to 18 months after the work was carried out. This would indeed be an intolerable burden for SMEs which are as a rule financially weaker than big companies.    Can the Commission provide information without delay on the following questions:      1.  What is the situation as regards the settlement of accounts relating to OPET contracts, which were funded under the THERMIE Regulation that expired on 31December 1994 and on the basis of which the work on accompanying measures was carried out during the relevant period?      2.  What is the Commission's explanation for the delays in the payments it is due to make? Are those delays connected with the inappropriate settlement of accounts on a real-cost basis, criticized by the Court of Auditors in chapter 9, paragraph 9.8 of its draft report for 1995?      3.  What will the Commission do to put an end to this deplorable state of affairs?      4.  Does this Commission have any information about whether the delays in payment have adversely affected participating SMEs, even to the point of insolvency?"
Analyze carefully the text and assign it to the most relevant policy area among those listed below. Do not explain your answer and return only a number.
Policy area numbers: 1 = Macroeconomics
2 = Civil Rights, Minority Issues and Civil Liberties
3 = Health
4 = Agriculture and Fisheries
5 = Labour, employment and pensions
6 = Education
7 = Environment
8 = Energy
9 = Immigration
10 = Transportation
12 = Law and Crime
13 = Social welfare
14 = Regional and Urban issues and Planning
15 = Banking, finance and domestic commerce issues
16 = Defence
17 = Space, science, technology, and communications issues
18 = Foreign trade
19 = International affairs and foreign aid
20 = Governance and government
21 = Public Lands, Water Management and Territorial Issues
23 = Culture and media
[/INST]. Answer = [1]. </s>
SMEs tell us repeatedly that contracts concluded under the THERMIE programme are processed only very slowly. Evidently, contractually guaranteed payments are paid not within two months but often after three to six months - in other words, from 12 to 18 months after the work was carried out. This would indeed be an intolerable burden for SMEs which are as a rule financially weaker than big companies.    Can the Commission provide information without delay on the following questions:      1.  What is the situation as regards the settlement of accounts relating to OPET contracts, which were funded under the THERMIE Regulation that expired on 31December 1994 and on the basis of which the work on accompanying measures was carried out during the relevant period?      2.  What is the Commission's explanation for the delays in the payments it is due to make? Are those delays connected with the inappropriate settlement of accounts on a real-cost basis, criticized by the Court of Auditors in chapter 9, paragraph 9.8 of its draft report for 1995?      3.  What will the Commission do to put an end to this deplorable state of affairs?      4.  Does this Commission have any information about whether the delays in payment have adversely affected participating SMEs, even to the point of insolvency?