WRITTEN QUESTION E-0957/01

by Lousewies van der Laan (ELDR) to the Commission

(30 March 2001)

Subject: Decision on setting up an Enterprise Policy Group (EPG)

Article 257 of the EC Treaty provides for the creation of an Economic and Social Committee (ESC) which has been advising the Commission since 1957. Nevertheless, on 8 November 2000 the Commission adopted a decision to set up an advisory committee, called the Enterprise Policy Group, whose task is to advise the Commission on business policy. In some cases experts will receive a fixed allowance of up to 500 a day for their advice.

Can the Commission explain why this Group's tasks cannot be performed by the ESC? By setting up a separate Enterprise Policy Group is the Commission expressing doubts as to the added value of the advice of the ESC? How can the Commission justify incurring costs for obtaining advice which is available elsewhere free of charge? Did members of the ESC respond to the invitation, and have they been included in the Enterprise Policy Group?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(9 July 2001)

The Economic and Social Committee is a consultative body of the European Community made up of representatives of the various economic and social groups. Its membership must take account of the need to ensure adequate representation for those groups. The EC Treaty lays down the instances in which the Committee must be consulted, and the Commission recognises and fully respects its powers. In particular, the Committee gives its opinion on the legislative proposals made by the Commission in the cases laid down by the Treaty. However, before this happens, the Commission must draft its proposals and in this it has the power of initiative. In order to ensure that its initiatives are consistent, coherent, realistic and applicable, the Commission surrounds itself with the technical expertise it considers necessary. For this, a specific structure for consultation is required, and it is within this structure that the Enterprise Policy Group to which the Honourable Member refers was set up by Commission Decision 2000/690/EC of 8 November 2000(1), with the task of advising the Commission on enterprise policy issues.

Current and former members of the Economic and Social Committee are being considered for membership of the Group. The functions of Group member are not remunerated. The daily allowance of 500 to which the Honourable Member refers was provided for by the Decision setting up the Group. It is intended to facilitate the participation of owners or employees of small and medium-sized enterprises, since it is in particular those working full-time in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) whose opinion interests the Commission.

The Commission finds that the advantages of thoroughly preparing its proposals and other initiatives in areas contributing towards the economic wealth of our society are ample justification for the costs incurred. It should be remembered that the Group was set up in order to rationalise the Commission's work, as indicated in the second recital of Decision 2000/690/EC, and that it replaces several committees or groups which existed previously under the auspices of the Commission in the area of enterprise policy.

(1) OJ L 285, 10.11.2000.