WRITTEN QUESTION E-0118/99

by Cristiana Muscardini (NI) to the Commission

(2 February 1999)

Subject: Stakes study on elderly women in Europe

It has been alleged in Belgian press reports that Mrs Hanna-Liisa Liikanen is the director of Stakes (a Finnish welfare and health research and development centre) and, in that capacity, was in overall charge of a study on elderly women in Europe, carried out for Commission DG V.

Have other contracts financed by the Commission been awarded to Mrs Liikanen?

If so, could the Commission supply a full list of the contracts in question, specifying:

1. the names and addresses of the institutes which carried out the research;

2. the activities financed;

3. the total sums obtained; and

4. the expenses reimbursed to Mrs Liikanen?

Answer given by Mrs Gradin on behalf of the Commission

(5 February 1999)

1. In the Commission's reply to the Honourable Member's Written Question E-3829/98 full details are given of Mrs Hanna-Liisa Liikanen's employment status with the Finnish National research and development centre for welfare and health (STAKES) of Siltasaarenkatu 18, PO Box 220, Finland.

Mrs Liikanen has not been a director, or a main responsible for STAKES. In relation to Community projects, her role as a civil servant employed by STAKES has been that of project leader on the "Situation of elderly women" (SEW) project and one of the contact people on a project concerning best practice day care for the elderly.

No funding has been given under the latter project because of the suspension of the budget line.

Finally, Mrs Liikanen acted as the local representative of STAKES in Brussels from 1 September 1996 until today. Her work for STAKES started on 1 August 1994 in Helsinki.

2. Within the framework of the programme "Equal opportunities between men and women" the Commission granted a subsidy in 1995 to the organisation "Women 96 Network" (SOC 95/102814, budget line B3-4012). The network gathered Finnish women active in the "Women for Europe" association, which has subsequently developed into the Finnish Women's Section of the National Finnish European Movement.

This network was set up in june 1995 and officially registered on 11 October 1996. Mrs Liikanen presided over this network from its creation until 31 October 1996. The network's address is Naiset 96, PO Box 1164, Helsinki.

The project covered an information campaign and training with the object of promoting the equal opportunities dimension in the Finnish debate on European questions (Inter Governmental Conference 1996, Community policy on equal opportunities for men and women). The duration of the projects was 13 months from 1 September 1995-1 October 1996.

The total budget for the measure was 8 850 euro of which 6,000 euro were requested from the Commission. This was to cover seminar expenses meetings, publications and travel. The Commission granted "Women 96 Network" a subsidy not exceeding 6 000 euro under a contract of 11 December 1995. This contract (No 950804) was signed by Mrs Liikanen on behalf of "Women 96 Network". After reception of the final declaration of expenditure for the project, 7,342 euro, the effective amount of subsidy payable was reduced to 4,978 euro.

No element of remuneration was paid to Mrs Liikanen under the terms of this project.

3. It seems appropriate also to mention two specific payments linked to attendance at an expert meeting and to giving a speech:

- a payment of BF 2,600 was made by DG IX.Lux on 26 November 1997, representing a rail journey for Mrs Hanna Liikanen on 11 November 1997 to attend a two-day meeting of the "Telematics programme committee" organised by DG XIII;

- a payment of BF 6,000 was made by IX.B.4 on 23 April 1998, covering a guest speaker's fee on 19 January 1998 at a conference organised by DG X, on behalf of the "Finnish Food Writers Association".