WRITTEN QUESTION E-0595/01

by Theresa Villiers (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(1 March 2001)

Subject: Ethnic minorities

1. What percentage of the workforce of the European Commission comes from ethnic minorities?

2. What percentage of employees in the top 3 grades of seniority comes from ethnic minorities?

3. What ethnic monitoring does the Commission carry out? How long has the Commission had an ethnic monitoring policy?

4. Are there any policies or rules, written or unwritten, which exclude members of ethnic minorities from particular positions or levels of seniority?

5. What is the function, chain of command and funding source for the EU Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia in Vienna? What is the staffing structure in this organisation? How many of its employees are from ethnic minorities?

6. What steps has the Commission taken to inform members of ethnic minorities of

- the work and functions of the EU

- employment opportunities with the EU institutions?

7. What steps are being taken to ensure the participation of ethnic minorities in the election of MEPs?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(16 May 2001)

1., 2. and 3. The Commission does not collect or maintain any data on the basis of ethnic origin in relation to its staff. The Commission is not in a position, therefore, to indicate what percentage of its workforce comes from ethnic minorities, or what percentage in the top three grades of seniority comes from these groups.

4. There are no rules, written or otherwise, which exclude members of ethnic minorities from any position or level of seniority. Staff Regulations expressly provide that officials are entitled to equal treatment without reference, direct or indirect, to their racial origins.

5. The Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia in Vienna was established by Council Regulation No 1035/97 of 2 June 1997(1). Its primary objective is to provide the Community and its Member States with objective, reliable and comparable data on the phenomena of racism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism, in order to help Governments when they take action or determine measures within their respective spheres of competence.

The Centre is an independent body ruled by a Management Board composed of independent persons appointed by each Member State, by the European Parliament and by the Council of Europe. A Commission representative also sits on the Board. A Director appointed by the Management Board for a renewable period of four years heads the Centre.

The Centre's revenue is provided by a subsidy from the Community, entered under a specific heading in the general budget of the European Communities (Commission's section); for 2001 the budget line in question is B5-809 and the budget is 5,3 Million.

As is the case for the Commission, the Centre does not collect or maintain any data on the basis of ethnic origin in relation to its staff. The staff of the Centre is subject to the Staff Regulations mentioned above.

6. In the context of Reform, the Commission intends to give greater profile to the recruitment of members of ethnic minorities to its staff(2). As Member States are the principal source of candidates, the Commission proposes, with the aid of the Member States, to determine how to increase ethnic diversity at recruitment stage. Access to future competitions by minority communities will also be improved by publicity focused at regional and local newspapers, increased contact with minority groups and recruitment sources in the Member States.

7. In relation to elections for the European Parliament, the Honourable Member is invited to refer to the Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on the application of Directive 93/109/EC(3), and the Communication from the Commission on the application of the Directive for the European Parliament elections of June 1999(4), where the principles governing participation are enunciated. Clearly, political parties which select candidates for Parliamentary elections have the relevant decision making powers on issues such as the character, qualifications, gender, age and ethnic origin of candidates.

(1) OJ L 151, 10.6.1997.

(2) See Consultative Document on Equal Opportunities (SEC/(2000) 2085/4, adopted by the Commission on 29 November 2000.

(3) COM(97) 731 final of 07.01.1998.

(4) COM(2000) 843 final of 18.12.2000.