EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 88/91

(2004/C 88 E/0098)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2531/03

by Gabriele Stauner (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(29 July 2003)

Subject: Carpetbaggers and thieves in Kosovo

In an article entitled ‘Profiteure und Räuber im Kosovo’ (Carpetbaggers and thieves in Kosovo) published in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung on 14 July 2003, Agron Bajrami criticises UN press policy in that country. Mr Bajrami is the deputy editor-in-chief of ‘Koha Ditoure’, the biggest newspaper in Kosovo. He argues that the UN administration is, to a quite inappropriate extent, supporting ‘Radio Television Kosovo’ so as to ‘buy’ positive press coverage. One of the accusations made by Mr Bajrami is that the salaries of managers of ‘Radio Television Kosovo’ are several times higher than ministers' salaries.

Can the Commission confirm these accusations?

Can it say to what extent support for Radio Television Kosovo is being paid for with Community budget resources?

‘Die Zeit’ of 10 July 2003 carries a report about scandalous conditions at power plants of the Kosovo Energy Company (KEK). Over EUR 400 million have apparently been spent on these run-down power plants since 1999. It is claimed that reconstruction companies, including a German one, have performed substandard work and used old and useless spare parts. They are supposed to have paid for whole shipments of oil from Macedonia, even when the tankers arrived half empty.

Can the Commission say to what extent the Kosovo Energy company (KEK) is funded by Community budget resources?

Can it say what steps it is taking to put an end to the abuses in question?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(2 October 2003)

There are three Kosovo-wide television stations, one public (RTK) and two private (KTV and TV21). ‘Koha Ditore’, whose owners own also KTV, have shown a keen interest in the debate relating to the status of RTK as a public and independent broadcaster.

The Organisation on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)-led pillar III of United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), set up Radio Television Kosovo (RTK) as an independent public broadcaster for the development and promotion of democracy. RTK has received awards for its independent coverage, which seem to be confirmed by RTK's high audience rates — which are estimated at 60-70 % of viewers in Kosovo and almost 100 % in the Diaspora.

As far as the comparison of salaries is concerned, UNMIK has drawn the attention of the Commission to the following facts. Senior managers of RTK are not bound by legislation and salary ceilings applying to Kosovo civil servants. The status of RTK's senior managers is outlined in the Regulation establishing RTK (Regulation 2001/13 — 15 June 2001 on the Establishment of Radio Television Kosovo). The salaries paid to RTK's managers are supposed to reflect market conditions, professional requirements and responsibilities. They are also deemed appropriate to safeguard RTK's editorial independence, which is so important in Kosovo's post-conflict situation. In any case, salary costs are not covered by Community assistance.

A number of Member States and international donors, including the Commission through the European Agency for Reconstruction, have supported the setting up of the RTK, in order to set itself up as a public, independent and professional broadcaster. RTK is the only TV station broadcasting dedicated minority programmes.

In the 2002 CARDS annual programme for Kosovo, EUR 1,5 million were allocated to RTK for advisory support, production of programmes, training, audience research, direct operational non-salary costs, purchase of equipment and independent financial auditing.

The Commission can confirm that the situation that the international community found in Kosovo at the end of the 1999 conflict, which followed over a decade of negligence and under-investment, was extremely critical, as the public electricity utility KEK and its power plants were close to collapse.

The Kosovo A and Β power stations are very old (about 40 and 20 years old respectively) and in 1999 were essentially out of operation. The coal mines were seriously neglected and severely overexploited. Transmission and distribution networks were hampered by bottlenecks as upgrading of the grid had not kept pace with industrial and population developments. District heating systems were in a poor state of repair and operating at a low capacity.

Despite the heavy investment of the Commission and the international community involved in the electricity sector and KEK, the situation of the Kosovar electricity utility is today still critical, as the challenges to overcome are still substantial.

The Commission's support to KEK is implemented through the European Agency for Reconstruction and amounts to date to about EUR 350 million. From these funds, about EUR 80 million were used for electricity imports, EUR 35 million were spent for necessary technical assistance, EUR 20-30 million were used to repair the damage caused by NATO bombing during the conflict (particularly on the transmission system) and EUR 40 million had to be spent on Kosovo Β for the damages caused by the lighting strike accident and fire in July 2002.

Given the importance of the Community financial support in the electricity sector, the Commission is following up closely the implementation of the assistance, in close co-operation with the European Agency for Reconstruction and the Union-led Pillar of the UN Mission in Kosovo.

The Commission is unaware of any substandard work or material of the rehabilitation undertaken by the European Agency for Reconstruction. The European Agency for Reconstruction has confirmed that all works are closely supervised by independent technical experts in accordance with international standards and only new materials are employed. They have also indicated that they are not aware of any evidence which substantiates allegations about short diesel supply.