Further,undertheEQUALCommunityinitiative,financialsupportisgrantedtoDevelopmentPartnerships
whichbringtogetherkeyactorscommittedtodevelopingandtestingnewwaysofdeliveringemploymentandsocialinclusionpolicies.MemberStatesareresponsibleforprovidingfundingaccordingtoEuropeanSocialFundrulesandprocedures.Fundingofcapitalequipmentis,exceptionally,eligibleunderEQUAL,provided it is directly linked and necessary for the success of a Development Partnership, and onlyconstitutesaminorpartofthetotalexpenditure.
However,providingfinancialsupportmainlyforupgradingcapitalequipmentandfacilitieswouldnotbe
possibleeitherundertheCommunityActionProgrammetocombatsocialexclusionorunderEQUAL.
Furtherinformationontheoperationofthese,andotherprogrammes,canbefoundonthewebsite
(http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/).
(2004/C58E/192) WRITTENQUESTIONE-2561/03
byMaurizioTurco(NI)totheCommission
(4August2003)
Subject:RefurbishmentoftheBerlaymontbuilding
On28AprilthisyearthejudgePatrickCollignonoftheBrusselspublicprosecutor’sofficestartedan
investigation againstunknownpersonsforfinancialirregularities involvedintherefurbishmentoftheBerlaymontbuilding,whichwastheheadquartersoftheEuropeanCommissionuntil1991.
TheBrusselsjudiciarylaunchedtheinquiryafterreceivingadossierfromOlaf,theEUanti-fraudoffice,
whichhasinturnopenedaninquiryintotwocontractswhichapparentlydidnotcomplywithlegislationgoverningpubliccontracts.Therestructuringofthehistoricbuildinghasgoneonforyears,withsoaringcostsandsubstantialdelaysintheprojectschedule.
CantheCommissionsay:
/dash whetherithasanyinformationabouttheinquirybytheBrusselspublicprosecutor’soffice;
/dash whatstepsitwilltaketosafeguardtheUnion’sfinancialinterests;/dash whetherthecontractswiththecompaniesinvolvedintherefurbishmentenvisagedapenaltyinthe
eventofdelaysindeliveryand,ifso,whowassupposedtoquestionanyinfringementandhowmanyandwhatkindofdisputestherehavebeenandwhattheoutcomewas?
AnswergivenbyMrKinnockonbehalfoftheCommission
(7October2003)
On 13November 2002, after prolonged negotiations, the Commissionsigned an agreement with the
BelgianGovernmentandSABerlaymont2000whichsetoutthemainpointsoftheacquisitionbytheCommunityoftheBerlaymontbuildingandthelandsurroundingit.
Thatagreementhasapriceceilingandspecifiedcompletiondates.Itthereforeincludesthesingleamount,
includingallcosts,whichtheCommunitymustpaytosecurethelong-termleaseofthefullyrenovatedbuildingandthedateswhenthebasicbuildingwillbecomeavailableandforprovisionalacceptanceoftheworksnotincludedtherein.ItalsospecifiesthepenaltieswhichtheCommunitywillapplyiftheBelgianGovernmentandSABerlaymont2000failtomeetthesedeadlines.
TheagreementincludesthespecificguaranteesprovidedbytheBelgianGovernmentandSABerlaymont
2000toprotect the Community’sfinancial interests in the event ofsuspectedfraud in the award ofcontractsforworks,suppliesandservicesorduringtheirimplementation.6.3.2004EN C58E/179 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
TheHonourableMemberwillseefromtheabovethatsignatureoftheagreementof13November2002
means that the Commission has direct contractual links only with the Belgian Government and SABerlaymont2000.Likewise,itisSABerlaymont2000,thepartyresponsiblefortherenovationproject,whichentersintocontractswiththevariouscompaniesdoingthework.
Accordingly,asfarastheHonourableMember’sfirstquestionisconcerned,sincetheCommissionisnotat
this stage a party to the procedure being followedby the judge responsible for this case, it has noinformationaboutthisenquiry,whichisinanycasesubjecttopre-trialconfidentiality.
Asfarasthesecondquestionisconcerned,theCommissionconsidersthatthefixedpriceandthepenalties
forlatedeliverysetoutintheagreementreferredtoabovefullysafeguardtheUnion’sfinancialinterest.Inaddition,asnotedabove,onfraud,Article22oftheagreementincludesacommitmentbytheBelgianGovernmentandSABerlaymonttodoeverythingpossible,inagreementwiththeCommunity,tosecurecompensationforanydamageorharmcausedbyfraudbythirdpartieswithwhichtheCommissionhasnocontractualrelationshipandundertaketopaytheCommissionfiftypercentofanyamountwhichtheyrecoverthroughsuchaction.InthelightoftheinquiryinprogressandinlinewithArticle22oftheagreement, the Commission will take the steps required to protect the financial interests of theCommunity.
TheHonourableMember’sfinalquestionconcerningfailuretocomplywithdeadlinesfordeliveriesandthe
penaltiestobeappliedinsuchcircumstancesiscoveredbyArticles9and9aoftheagreement,whichsetoutthecommitmentsgiventotheCommissionbytheBelgianGovernmentandSABerlaymont2000as
regardsthedateofdeliveryoftherenovatedbuildingandthepenaltiesapplicableifthisisnotrespected.
The clauses on the deadlines and penalties in the contracts between SA Berlaymont 2000 and thecompaniesresponsibleforcarryingouttheworkconcernonlythecontractualrelationshipsbetweenthoseparties.
(2004/C58E/193) WRITTENQUESTIONE-2567/03
byDavidBowe(PSE)totheCommission
(6August2003)
Subject:Methylmethacrylate(MMA):acrylicliquidmonomer
IstheCommissionawarethattheacrylicliquidmonomer,methylmethacrylate(MMA),iscurrentlybeing
usedinthesolutionforacrylicnailsandiscausingnumerousallergicanddamagingreactionstotheusers
ofthisproduct?IstheuseofacrylicMMAbannedintheMemberStatesoftheEUorisitbeingconsidered
forbanning?Ifitisnotbeingconsideredforbanning,whynot?
AnswergivenbyMrLiikanenonbehalfoftheCommission
(12September2003)
Methylmethacrylateisnotlistedintheinventoryusedincosmeticproducts(1)buttheCommissionis
awarethatitmightbeusedinkitstosculpturenailsonnaturalfingernails.MethylmethacrylateisnotregulatedinanAnnextoCouncilDirective76/768/EEC(
2).
However,theDirectivestatesasageneralprinciplethatonlycosmeticproductsthatdonotcausedamage
tohumanhealthcanbeputonthemarket(Article2oftheDirective).Therefore,cosmeticproductscanonlycontainsafeingredients.Regardinganadequatesafetyassessmentofcosmeticproducts,thereisanobligationforthemanufacturertokeepinformationonitscosmeticproductsreadilyaccessibleforthecontrolauthoritiesoftheMemberStates(Article7aoftheDirective).Thisinformationmustcontaintheassessmentofthesafetyforhumanhealthofthefinishedproduct,takingintoconsiderationthegeneraltoxicologicalprofileofitsingredientsanditschemicalstructure.Therefore,thepossibleallergenicityoftheingredientsneedstobetakenintoaccountinthesafetyassessment.C58E/180 EN6.3.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion