WRITTEN QUESTION E-3483/97 by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission (31 October 1997)

Subject: Instances of sexual abuse in an EU nursery

According to information from trade unions, which enlisted Parliament's powers of scrutiny to support them, there have been instances of sexual abuse of children aged 2 and 3 in the Clovis interinstitutional nursery housed in the Commission building.

As the Commission is already aware of this situation, is it conducting or will it conduct an inquiry - in tandem with the Belgian police's investigation which has been going on for four months - to establish the exact circumstances under which these events took place and where responsibility lies for what happened in the nursery, which the Commission has contracted to a private firm. Finally, what is the Commission's responsibility for the security of children in a nursery housed in its own building, the parents of whom are all staff of the EU Institutions? What criteria are used in entrusting the children of EU officials to private firms and how are the staff of EU nurseries selected? What measures will the Commission take as a matter of urgency to ensure that children in the nursery are completely secure?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission (8 December 1997)

It is not for the Commission, but for the Belgian authorities, to make enquiries into possible criminal conduct arising from the accusations of paedophile activity at one of the crèches provided for children of European officials. The Commission has tried throughout to act in the interests of the welfare of those directly concerned. To this end, it has done what it can to assist the judicial authorities in their investigations. The Commission's role has of necessity been limited to assisting where requested to do so, taking what preventive measures it could and informing and supporting the parents concerned without prejudicing the delicate judicial enquiries.

There are four crèches for children of European officials in Brussels: Palmerston, Beaulieu, Clovis and Eastman. The last named is the responsibility of the Parliament. The first two are in buildings rented by the Commission, and operated directly by its services. The third, Clovis, is a new crèche, opened in June 1995 in a building owned by the Commission and is operated by Esedra, a company registered in Belgium and established by two Italian companies, Aristea and CIR. These two companies were in 1995 awarded a contract to operate the crèche following a call for tender published at the initiative of the Commission ((OJ C 366, 22.12.1994. )). The operational role of the Commission with regard to Clovis is limited to building maintenance and other works, provision of physical infrastructure and equipment, supervision of health and safety aspects, provision of security guards and provision of medical facilities, including a qualified paediatrician. The Commission administers applications and the allocation of places in the crèche, as well as monitoring and evaluating pedagogical activities.

The tender specifications and the contract between the Commission and the Contractor require the Contractor, among other things, to employ staff satisfying all proper requirements as to experience, qualifications, training, clean police records and medical aptitude. The subcontractor must also undertake to comply with the minimum staffing levels in relation to the number of children cared for and the minimum recruitment requirements set out in the specifications. Throughout the validity of the contracts and its renewals (if any), the Contractor is responsible for damage sustained by persons, including the children, and by premises and equipment supplied by the Commission for the purposes and on the occasion of the performance of his services. Where the subcontractor commits any default or deficiency or of a breach of the obligations imposed by the contract, the Commission may either suspend payment or withdraw from the contract.

At the present stage while the investigation is proceeding, the Commission has assured parents that all requisite measures have been taken to ensure their children's safety and that they will be kept fully informed about developments.