AnswergivenbyMrsWallströmonbehalfoftheCommission
(13August2003)
TheDirectiveestablishingaschemeforgreenhousegasemissionallowancetradingwithintheCommunity
andamendingCouncilDirective96/61/EC,enablestransfersofallowanceswithintheinternalmarket,anda transfer of production capacities can, therefore, be accompanied by a corresponding transfer ofallowancesbothwithinandacrossMemberStatebordersduringatradingperiod.Itisalsorelevantinthiscontextthattheannualallocationofallowanceswithrespecttoaninstallationcanonlybemadetoa
holderofagreenhousegasemissionspermitrelatingtothatinstallation.
TheDirectivemakestheoperatorofaninstallationaccountableonlyfordirectemissionsreleasedon-site.
ActivitiesofoperatorstoindirectlyreducegreenhousegasemissionsdonotfallunderthescopeoftheDirective.Therefore,ifironandsteelgroupsrecoverblast-furnacegasesinordertosellthemtooperatorsofcombustioninstallations,thegasesarenotemittedintotheatmosphereatthesiteofthoseironandsteelcompanies.Ifthegaseslatergiverisetoemissionsfrominstallationsbelongingtotheelectricitysector,theywillhavetobetakenintoaccountthere.
Emissionsallowancetradingisaninstrumentusedtocontributetotheimplementationofthetargets
acceptedbytheCommunityanditsMemberStatesundertheKyotoProtocol.TheCommunityandtheMemberStatesratifiedtheKyotoProtocolintheknowledgethataddressingclimatechangeinthiswaywouldinvolvecertaincostsatleastintheshortterm.ItistruethattheUnitedStatesasanimportanttrading partner has decided not to ratify the Kyoto Protocol,and that developing countries have noemissionlimitationcommitmentsundertheProtocol.Atthesametime,otherimportanttradingpartnersoftheUnionhaveundertakenemissionlimitationobligationsundertheKyotoprotocol,includingforexamplealltheAccessionCountries,Canada,JapanandSwitzerland.ThesecountrieswillhenceequallyincurcostsformeetingtheirKyototargets.
TheCommunityemissionstradingschemeisexpectedtoreducethecostsfortheUnioneconomyof
implementingtheobligationsundertheKyotoProtocolbyensuringthatemissionreductionsareachievedwheretheyarecheapest.On23July,theCommissionpresentedtotheCouncilandtheParliamentaproposaltoallowcreditsfromtheprojectmechanismsundertheKyotoProtocol(JointImplementation,
CleanDevelopmentMechanisms)tobeconvertedintoallowancesundertheCommunityschemewhich
willleadtofurthersignificantcostsavings.ThisproposalagainunderlinestheCommission’scommitmenttothemostcost-effectiveimplementationoftheKyotoProtocol.
(2004/C58E/139) WRITTENQUESTIONE-2023/03
byHerbertBösch(PSE)totheCommission
(17June2003)
Subject:CommercialrelationsbetweentheCommissionandGIM
Inher Written QuestionE-4099/97(1),MrsWinifredEwing askedtheCommissioninearly 1998for
informationaboutitscommercialrelationswithGeographicInformationManagement(GIM),acompanywithofficesinBelgiumandLuxembourg.InthatQuestion,MrsEwingdrewtheCommission’sattentiontothefactthat99%ofGIMBelgium’sshareswere ownedbyGIMLuxembourg andthat75%ofGIMLuxembourg’sshareswereownedbyacompanynamedKivalConsultants,locatedintheBahamas.
UnderBahamianlaw,itisimpossibletoverifytheshareholdershipofthecompanyandidentifythemajor
shareholders.
Nevertheless,itisclearthattheCommissionhasmaintaineditscommercialrelationswithGIM.CantheCommissionindicatehowmanycontractsithasawardedtoGIMsince1998,thetotalvalueof
thosecontractsandtheproceduresinaccordancewithwhichthecontractswereawarded?C58E/122 EN6.3.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
CanitindicatewhetherGIMhascarriedoutworkonbehalfofEurostat?
CanitindicatewhetheritnowknowsthenamesoftheownershidingbehindKivalConsultants?
DoestheCommissionstillmaintain,asitdidwhenMrLiikanenansweredMrsEwing’sQuestionin1988,
thatcompanieswhichconcealdetailsofownershipmaynotbeexcludedfromtheawardofcontracts,sinceapplicationofthatcriterionwouldbedeemedtoconstitutediscrimination?
(1) OJC196,22.6.1998,p.77.
AnswergivenbyMrSolbesMiraonbehalfoftheCommission
(1October2003)
TwelvepubliccontractshavebeenawardedtoGeographicInformationManagement(GIM)since1998for
commitmentstotallingEUR1028693,40.Tenoutofthetwelvewereawardedbyinvitationtotenderusinganopenprocedure;twowereawardedusingarestrictedprocedureinvolvingacallforexpressionsofinterest.WorkwascarriedoutonbehalfofEurostatunderelevenofthesetwelvecontracts.
The EnvironmentDGhasalsoconcludedanadditionalcontract,awarded byrestricted procedure, for
EUR35000andhaspaidEUR199,08underacontractwithanexpertconnectedtoGIM.
Since1997,theRegionalPolicyDGhasconcludedfourcontractswithGIMforatotalofEUR507410.
Thesecontracts/dashforservicesinthefieldoftransportstatistics/dashwereawardedfollowinganinvitationtotenderusinganopenprocedure.Allthesecontractshaveexpired.Since2002,Eurostathastakenchargeoftheentiremanagementofthecontracts(commitmentsandpayments)viaasub-delegationassignedtoitbytheRegionalPolicyDGinDecember2001.ThelasttwopaymentsonthelastofthefourcontractswerethereforemadebyEurostat.
TheInformationSocietyDGhasalsoconcludedeighteencontractswiththecompanyinquestionsince
1998foratotalofEUR219877,47.Fifteenofthesewere‘TaskContractLetters’/dashinotherwords,smallservicecontractswithavalueoflessthanEUR5000forassistanceandexpertiseinconnectionwithevaluatingproposalsorreviewingprojects.Thesecontractsinvolvedjustafewdays’work.Companiesareenteredonalistofpotentialcontractorsfollowingacallforexpressionsofinterestandprojectleaderschooseexpertsfromcompaniesonthelistonthebasisoftheircompetenceandtechnicalknow-how.Theotherthreecontractsareforprojects/dashtwofortheeContentprogrammeanditspredecessorINFO2000andonefortheInformationSocietyTechnologiesprogrammeunderthefifthframeworkprogrammeforresearchandtechnologicaldevelopment.GIMwasoneoftheprojectpartnersinthesethreecases.TheprojectswereselectedfollowingacallforproposalspublishedintheOfficialJournal.SelectionwasbyaCommissiondecision,afterconsultationofexternalevaluatorsandtheprogrammecommittee.
TheCommissiondoesnotknowthenamesoftheownersofKivalConsultants.Companiesthatdonot
supplydetailsofownershipmaynotbeexcludedfromtheawardofcontractsforthatreasonalone.PursuanttoArticle94a)ofthenewFinancialRegulation,whichenteredintoforceon1January2003,thereshouldbeevidenceofaconflictofinterestsbeforeexclusioncanbeconsidered.Asfromthatdate,Eurostathasrequiredbidders,aspartofthetenderdocumentation,tosignadeclarationtotheeffectthattheyarenotinasituationofconflictofinterests.
OLAFhasopenedaninvestigationregardingGIM,whichisstillunderway.6.3.2004EN C58E/123 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion