AnswergivenbyMrKinnockonbehalfoftheCommission
(22September2003)
AstheHonourableMemberwillbeaware,theEuropeanPersonnelSelectionOffice(EPSO)wasformally
created,aspartoftheReformprocessandbytheagreementofallInstitutions,on26July2002.EPSOisan inter-institutional body whose remit is to select officials and other servants of the EuropeanCommunitiesonbehalfofallEuropeaninstitutions.AsthemattersraisedbytheHonourableMemberfallwithinEPSO’sareaofresponsibility,thefollowinginformationreflectstheadviceprovidedbyEPSO.
TheofficialEPSOwebsitewaslaunchedon20November2002andisausefulsourceofinformationfor
potentialcandidatesforUnioncompetitions.Whilethepre-cursortothecurrentwebsitewaspresentedintwolanguages,thecoveringpagesofthenewsitearepresentedinEnglish,FrenchandGerman.Itisa‘quickreference’facilitywhichmakesthelatestinformationavailabletothewidestpossibleaudiencewithminimumdelay.Itwouldbetechnicallyimpossibletopreservethisspeedandspontaneityinthecurrent11(or the future 20)official languages ofthe EU languages. However, moststandardinformationisprovidedthroughlinkstoofficialdocumentsandpublications,suchastheUnionStaffRegulationsandtheOfficial Journal, and to other websites, including the main websites ofthe European institutions andbodies.ThewebversionoftheEPSOrecruitmentbrochurewasavailableonthesitein11languages.Thisdocumenthasbeentemporarilywithdrawnforupdatingbutwillbere-instated,assoonaspossible,in
20languages.
ThereisnoevidencetosuggestthattheEPSOwebsiteisinaccessibletolargegroupsofUnioncitizens.
Onthecontrary,thesitereceived some2000000hitsinitsfirst10days.Notwithstandingtheveryconsiderablenumberofvisitorstothesiteeachday,duringthe10-monthperiodthatthesitehasbeenoperationalEPSOhasreceivedfew,ifany,complaintsregardingthelanguagecoverage.Furthermore,therehasbeennoobservedshiftinthebalancebetweenapplicationsfromdifferentMemberStates.
Itshouldbenotedthatthe website represents onlyonestrandofthe EPSOcommunicationstrategy.
CompetitionscontinuetobeadvertisedinthenationalpressofMemberStatesinthelanguageofthecountryconcerned,andnoticesofcompetitiontargetingallMemberStatesarepublishedintheOfficialJournalin11languagesbothinhardcopyandontheweb.Publicityisgearedtowardsidentifyingthemostablecandidates,capableofintegratingeffectivelyintoamulti-cultural,multi-lingualenvironmentwhereEnglish,FrenchandGermanarethelanguagesinmostfrequentuse.
TheCommissionhastakennoteoftheHonourableMember’sconcernandEPSOwillcontinuetomonitor
competitionstatisticsandfeedbackfromwebvisitors,toidentifyanyproblemsarisingoutofthecurrentpolicy.
(2004/C58E/189) WRITTENQUESTIONE-2513/03
byKoenraadDillen(NI)totheCommission
(29July2003)
Subject:VATratesinthehotel,restaurantandcateringsector
Accordingtoanumberofreportsinthemedia,theEuropeanCommission,followingapprovalbythe
financeministers,ispreparedtoauthoriseFrancetoapplyaVATrateof5,5%inthehotel,restaurantandcatering sector. Jacques Chirac made a pledge to introduce such a measure during his presidentialcampaign in 2002. However, when the Raffarin government moved to implement the proposal, theEuropeanCommissioncalledittoorder.
Isitthecasethat,onanexceptionalbasis,theCommissionintendstoauthoriseaVATrateof5,5%for
thehotel,restaurantandcateringsectorinFrance?
WhyhastheCommissionchangeditsmindonthismatter?WillotherMemberStateswhichmakesucharequestalsobeauthorisedtointroducespecialVATrates?C58E/176 EN6.3.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
AnswergivenbyMrBolkesteinonbehalfoftheCommission
(4September2003)
On23JulytheCommissionadoptedaproposalforaDirectiveonreducedrates(1).Themainaimofthe
proposalistoimprovetheinternalmarket,inparticularbypursuingthesimplification,andmoreuniformapplication,ofvalueaddedtax(VAT).
In order to make substantial progress in that direction, the Commission has opted to focus on the
inconsistenciesintheexistingsystemofrates.ThepointistoensurethatallMemberStates,includingthenewaccedingcountries,aretreatedmoreequallyandtoendthedistortionscreatedbythefactthatsomecountriesareallowedtoapplyreducedratestocertainsectorswhileothersareforbiddentodoso.
Underatransitionalderogation,restaurantservicesaresubjecttoareducedrateineightMemberStates
whereas current Community legislation prevents the other seven from introducing such rates. ThissituationhasledthissectorandcertaingovernmentstoapproachtheCommissioninordertosecurethisoptionforallMemberStates.ThereducedrateforrestaurantswasalsothesubjectofarduousnegotiationsundertheenlargementprocessculminatinginauthorisationforCyprus,Hungary,PolandandSloveniatoapplyreducedratesforrestaurantsuntil31December2007.
Therationaleforsuchsituationsisbecomingincreasinglytenuous,andthereisnorealjustificationfor
perpetuating this state of affairs. There would seem to be two options open: either abolish suchderogationsandapplythestandardrateinallMemberStatesorextendtheoptiontoapplyreducedratestoallMemberStates.There havebeennocomplaintsprovidinganyevidence ofseriousdistortionofcompetition necessitating the abolition of the optional application of reduced rates in these sectors.Consequently, the Commissionhasopted toinclude restaurant services in the new listofgoodsandservicestowhichreducedratesmaybeapplied.
ItisnowfortheCounciltodecide,unanimously,onthefuturescopeofthereducedratesofVAT.
(1) COM(2003)397final.
(2004/C58E/190) WRITTENQUESTIONE-2522/03
byDoretteCorbey(PSE)
andMargrietusvandenBerg(PSE)totheCommission
(29July2003)
Subject:MusselbedsintheGermanpartoftheWaddenSea
InitsanswertoourWrittenQuestionE-1755/01(1)theCommissionstatedthatithad‘alreadylaunched
aninvestigationinordertoassessthecompatibilityoftheshellfishindustriesintheWaddenSeaandin
the wide mouth of the river Ems with Council Directive 92/43/EEC(2) of 21May 1992 on the
conservationofnaturalhabitatsandofwildfaunaandflora.ThegrantingofalicencetoharvestmusselsclosetoDelfzijlintheNetherlandsisoneofthesubjectsofthatinvestigation’.
CantheCommissionstatewhethertheinvestigationhasnowbeencompletedand,ifso,whatitsfindings
are?
CantheCommissionstatewhatactionitintendstotakeonthebasisofthosefindings,andwhen?
Iftheinvestigationhasnotyetbeencompleted,cantheCommissionstatewhenthefindingswillbe
available?
(1) OJC364E,20.12.2001,p.197.
(2) OJL206,22.7.1992,p.7.6.3.2004EN C58E/177 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion