investigationswerehandledbytheCommission’sInvestigationandDisciplinaryOffice(IDOC,partofDG
ADMIN)whichwasbeingsetupatthetime.
ApreliminaryverificationoftheirrespectivepartsofmaterialprovidedbyMrvanBuitenenwascompleted
byOLAFandIDOCinFebruary2002.AswasreportedtoParliamentatthetime,andintheCommission’spressstatementsof26and28February2002,asaresult,4newinvestigationswerelaunchedbyOLAF,furtherverificationwasrequiredin4casesbeforeadecisiononappropriateactioncouldbetaken,andtherewasinformationofpotentialrelevanceto31on-goinginvestigationswhichhadcommencedbefore31August2001.Thisinformationwastransferredtotheappropriatefiles.Underthetermsofthe1999
decisionestablishingOLAF,theCommissionwasneitherinformedaboutthenatureofOLAF’sworkon
Eurostat,norwasitbriefedonwhichallegationsthisconcerned.
FullinvestigationofallthemattersraisedbyMrvanBuitenenandconsideredtogiverisetoconcernshas
inevitablybeenverytimeconsumingduetothevolumeofthematerialsupplied.ReportsonallIDOCenquiriesrelatingtothatmaterialhavehoweverbeensubmittedtotheappointingauthority.Onthisbasis,theAIPN(
1)hasopenedanumberofdisciplinaryproceedingsandhasreviewedtheconductofaformer
Commissionertowhomithassentadraftstatementofobjections.Inalimitednumberofcases,theAIPNisstillreviewingtheIDOCreports.
TheCommissionisinformedthatOLAFhasnotcompletedalltheinvestigationstowhichthematerial
provided by Mr Van Buitenen was considered to be potentially relevant. Until all investigations arecomplete,itisobviouslyimpossibletodeterminewhethercorrectactionwastakeninallcases.
Parliamentwillbeinformedoftheoutcomeofanydisciplinaryproceduresinitiatedonthebasisofthe
enquiryreports.
2. ThefilesubmittedbyMrVanBuitenencontainedachapteronEurostat.Thischapterwasconsidered
tofallwhollywithinOLAF’sremit,inparticularsinceOLAFwasalreadyconductinginvestigationsinto
someoftheissuesraised:thusitwasforOLAFtoinvestigate,andnottoDGADMIN.Further,sincethewholereportcontainedsensitivemattersrelatingtopossibledisciplinaryandcriminalaction,theonlyofficialsconcernedwiththedisciplinaryprocesswhohadaccesstoitwerethose,onaneedtoknowbasis.
5. The Commission has recently taken a formal decision to request Directors General of the
Commission to provide reports to their respective Commissioners which refers to cases of possiblefinancialirregularitydetectedorsuspectedintheirDirectoratesGeneral.Inaddition,inordertoreinforceco-operationandinformationflowbetweentheCommissionandOLAF,thepartieshaveagreedthedraftMemorandumofUnderstanding.Thisdocument,whichwasputforwardtotheCommissionon23July2003,isalreadyappliedprovisionally,pendingconsultationwiththeParliamentandOLAF’sSupervisoryCommittee.
(1) AuthoritéInvestieduPouvoirdeNomination(AppointingAuthority).
(2004/C58E/184) WRITTENQUESTIONP-2462/03
byRosaMiguélezRamos(PSE)totheCommission
(16July2003)
Subject:EuropeanInvestmentBankloansinGalicia
TheEuropeanInvestmentBank,whosetaskistocontributetointegration,balanceddevelopmentand
economicandsocialcohesionintheMemberStates,grantsloansonextremelyfavourabletermsforthispurposetoMemberStategovernments,regionalgovernmentsandlocalcouncils,aswellastoprivateindividuals.6.3.2004EN C58E/171 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
Demandfortheseloansisveryuneven,despitethefactthattheyarevitallynecessaryfortheEUregions
laggingfurthestbehindtofinanceprojectsofallkindsandthusfurthertheirdevelopment.Forexample,thebank’smostrecentannualreport,for2002,revealsthat,eventhoughtheEIBgrantedloansamountingtoEUR5426millioninthatyear,manyofthemforautonomouscommunities,theGalicianGovernmentisnotlistedforanyofthe50projects.
CantheCommissionsaywhatamountsweregrantedtoSpaininEIBloansforeachoftheyears1998,
1999,2000,2001and2002?
CantheCommissionfurtherspecifyforwhichprojectstheGalicianGovernmentappliedtotheEIBfora
loaninthoseyears,whethertheloanwasgrantedandwhatamountwasinvolved?
AnswergivenbyMrSolbesMiraonbehalfoftheCommission
(12August2003)
Galicia is an objective 1 region and as such is an European Investment Bank (EIB) priority. Regular
meetingstakeplacebetweentheEIBandXuntadeGaliciatoidentifywheretheEIBcouldbeofassistance.
SincetheEconomicandMonetaryUnion(EMU),Galiciahasbeensuccessfulinthecapitalmarkets,i.e.
GaliciahasaccesstoborrowingfromsourcesotherthanEIB.Therefore,Galicia’sborrowingfromEIBhasbeenrathermodest.
From1998until2002,thefollowingamountsweregrantedbytheEIBinSpain:
/dash 1998:ECU3127million;/dash 1999:EUR4020million;
/dash 2000:EUR4243million;
/dash 2001:EUR4559million;
/dash 2002:EUR5426million.
AsfarastheEIBisaware,allfinancingapplicationsintroducedbytheGalicianGovernmentwereaccepted
bytheEIBandloansgrantedaccordingly.
Annex1whichissentdirecttotheHonourableMemberandtoParliament’sSecretariatprovidesdetailsof
the direct loansgranted in Galicia during this period. The EIB also granted global loansto financialintermediaries,whichallocatedsub-loanstobeneficiaries(SMEsorsmallpublicinfrastructures)locatedinGalicia.ThoseallocationsaredetailedinAnnex2,alsosentdirecttotheHonourableMemberandtoParliament’sSecretariat.
(2004/C58E/185) WRITTENQUESTIONE-2483/03
byDanielVarelaSuanzes-Carpegna(PPE-DE)totheCommission
(24July2003)
Subject:Preventionagainsttheriskofforestfires:Regulation(EEC)No2158/92
Regulation(EEC)No2158/92(1),whichmadeprovisionforthefundingofmeasurestopreventagainstthe
riskofforestfires,expiredon31December2002.ThefactthatRegulation(EEC)No2158/92actedasanincentiveforregionalandnationalfirepreventionpolicieshasbeenamplydemonstratedoverthepast10years.Duringthatperiod,theaverageareaofforestdamagedbyeachfirefellinthesouthofFrance,SpainandPortugal.Nevertheless,thefreshCommissionproposalforaregulation(ForestFocus)andthenewrural development regulation represent a renationalisation of policy on forest fires which entails thedisappearanceofaCommunityfinancialarrangementforpreventionagainsttherisksofforestfiressuchasthatprovidedforinRegulation(EEC)No2158/92.Atthesametime,thisproposaldoesnotaccordwiththeargumentsbroughtbytheCourtofJusticeoftheEuropeanCommunitiestotheeffectthatpolicyonprotectionagainstforestfiresistobeseenasaCommunitypolicywithintheframeworkofenvironmentpolicywhichistobefinancedbyfundsdrawnfromtheEUbudget.C58E/172 EN6.3.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion