4. Is the Commissionprepared to take action to ensure that through train tickets are once again
obtainable,forexamplebybringingthewholeoftheformerYugoslaviawithinInterrailzoneG(Slovenia-Greece)orensuringthatthroughtrainticketsforGreeceareputbackonsaleinGermany,AustriaandHungary?
AnswergivenbyMrsdePalacioonbehalfoftheCommission
(10July2003)
TheCommissionhastakennoteoftheincreasedpossibilitiesforthetravelpassesissuedbyEuropean
RailwayUndertakings,suchastheInterrail,Scanrail,EuroDominoandEurailcards,notablythepossibility
forpersonsover26yearstousethiscard,aswellasthegroupingofcountriesintodifferentzones.
Validity, scope and conditionsofuse are determined by the European Railway Undertakings and theprovisions of the CIV/CIT, and have to be left to the decisions of the railway undertakings, whosemanagementindependenceshouldbeensuredaccordingtotheprovisionsofCouncilDirective91/440/EECof29July1991onthedevelopmentoftheCommunity’srailways(
1),unlessMemberStateshave
imposedpublic service obligationsunder Council Regulation (EEC) No 1191/69 of26June 1969onaction by Member States concerning the obligations inherent in the concept of a public service intransportbyrail,roadandinlandwaterway(
2),providingforothertermsofuse.
It should be observed though that the Commission can table proposals to determine the framework
conditions under which the market for international rail passengers services can operate, as it hasannouncedinitsworkprogrammefor2003(
3).InlinewiththeopinionoftheParliamentonthesecond
railwaypackage,expressedinitsplenarysessioninJanuary2003,theCommissionwilllookattheextentto which freedom to provide international railway services inside the Union should be completed.Furthermore, in the preparatory works for the proposal for a Regulation on Passengers’ Rights andObligations in International Rail Services, the Commission envisages to include provisions requiringrailway undertakings offering rail passenger services between major railway stations to co-operate inofferingthroughticketsonasingletransportcontracttopassengers.
(1) OJL237,24.8.1991,asamendedbyDirective2001/12/ECoftheParliamentandoftheCouncilof26February
2001,OJL75,15.3.2001.
(2) OJ L 156, 28.6.1969, as amended by Council Regulation (EEC) No 1893/91 of 20June 1991, OJ L 169,
29.6.1991.
(3) TheCommissionwilltableaproposalforaRegulationonPassengers’RightsandObligationsinInternationalrail
servicesaswellasaproposalforaDirectivetograduallyopenthemarketforinternationalpassengerservicesbyrail.
(2004/C58E/105) WRITTENQUESTIONP-1724/03
byFreddyBlak(GUE/NGL)totheCommission
(19May2003)
Subject:Contracts between the Commission and companies owned by Mr Ojo, such as Eurogramme
Limited,EurogrammeLimited(succursale),EurogrammeSarlandCalethonHoldingsSA
Commissionserviceshave,todate,signedmorethan70contractswithdifferentcompaniesbelongingtoa
MrOjo.Thefirstcontractwassignedin1996withEurogrammeLimited(UK),despitethefactthatthecompanygavefalsefinancialinformation(confirmedbyaninternalauditreportandOLAF)Eurostathassubsequentlysignedanother52contractswithEurogrammeLimited.
In1997,MrOjocreatedEurogrammeLimited(succursale)inLuxembourg,ofwhichthelegalbaseparent
companyisregisteredintheUK.Thiscompanywascloseddownin2002.InMay2001,MrOjocreatedanew company in Luxembourg, Eurogramme sarl. However, in 2003, the parent company in the UKtransferreditsstockholdingintheLuxembourgentity(EurogrammeSarl.)toCalethonHoldingsSA(formerMy-FalS.A.).6.3.2004EN C58E/89 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
Against the background of this confusing situation, Eurostat apparently suspended all payments in
February2003toEurogrammeandCalethonandhasundertakennottosignanynewcontractswiththesecompanies.
AreallpaymentsforthecontractsbetweenEurostatandcompaniesownedbyMrOjostillsuspended?If
not,whynot?
HaveotherCommissionDGssuspendedallpaymentstothesecompanies?Ifnot,whynot?
Which contracts does the Commission currently have with any of the companies referred to above
(includingcontractsthatshouldhaveendedbutinrespectofwhichthefinalpaymenthasstillnotbeen
made)?Pleasespecifythecontractnumber,thecontractingcompany(accordingtotheoriginalcontract),andtheamountstilltobepaid.
HowmuchmoneydoestheCommissionstilloweEurogrammeLimited?
DoesnottheCommissionagreethat,sincecontractshavebeenconcludedwithEurogrammeLimited(UK),
paymentsshouldbemadeonlytoEurogrammeLimited(UK)?
AnswergivenbyMrSolbesMiraonbehalfoftheCommission
(18June2003)
ThetermsoftheCommission’sundertakingof28February2003toMrCasacawerethatallpayments
undercurrentcontractstoEurogrammeandCalethonwouldbesuspendedonaprecautionarybasisandthat the Commissionwouldnotengage in future in any contractual relationship with CalethonSàrl/Eurogramme Sàrl unless it is satisfied that it complies in all respects, without exception, with theprovisionslaiddownintheFinancialRegulation.
Asof21May2003,allpaymentsforthecontractsbetweenEurostatandEurogrammeorCalethonare
suspendedonaprecautionarybasis.
ThetwoconditionstobemetbeforethesuspensioncouldbeliftedwerespecifiedintheCommission
undertakingof28February2003:
/dash examinationofthecircumstancesofthetransactionbetweenEurogrammeandCalethonandofthe
financialandoperationalcapacityofCalethon;
/dash analysisoftheamountscontractuallyduecomparedtotheworkcarriedout.
OtherDirectoratesGeneralhavesuspendedallpaymentstothecompaniesconcerned.
Atablelistingthecontractnumbers,contractorsandamountsnotyetpaidissentdirecttotheHonourable
MemberandtoParliament’sSecretariat.
TheCommissionhascontractualobligationstowardsEurogrammeworthEUR292838.
Sincetheendof1996,andpriortothecreationofEurogrammeS.à.r.l.in2001,contractswereconcluded
with Eurogramme Limited (succursale Luxembourg) which in the Memorial (the Official Journal ofLuxembourg)wasreferredtoas‘Sàrl’.Paymentsforthesecontractswerethereforemadetothatentity.
(2004/C58E/106) WRITTENQUESTIONE-1738/03
byJorgeHernándezMollar(PPE-DE)totheCommission
(26May2003)
Subject:EnergyagencyforMalaga
The plan to create a provincial energy agency for Malaga (Spain) is prompted by the objectives of
promoting and developing renewable energy sources, energy savings and efficiency and transformingtraditionalstructures.C58E/90 EN6.3.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion