(2004/C58E/132) WRITTENQUESTIONE-1917/03
byMaríaSornosaMartínez(PSE)totheCommission
(12June2003)
Subject:FailuretocomplywithCommunitylawinconnectionwiththesubcontractingofservicestonon-
Communityhelicoptercompanies
ThecompetentauthoritiesinSpainarepursuingapolicyofsubcontractingnon-Communitytofightforest
fireswithhelicoptersnotcertifiedintheEuropeanUnion.Specificmentionmightbemadeofthenon-CommunitycompaniesHelisecoLtd,fromPoland,andSkorpionAir,fromBulgaria, whichhavebeensubcontractedbytheSpanishcontract-holdersHelicsaSAandHelisuresteSA(followingpubliccallsfortenderissuedbytheSpanishEnvironmentMinistry).
Nevertheless, inspections carried out by the Spanish labour authority in 1999 and 2000 revealed
irregularitiesinthetreatmentofworkersinthefirmssubcontracted.
DoestheCommissionnotbelievethat,onthebasisofthefactssetoutabove,Spainisclearlyfailingto
complywithCouncilDirective92/50/EEC(
1)of18June1992relatingtothecoordinationofprocedures
fortheawardofpublicservicecontracts,inviewofthepersistentviolationoftheprovisionsofChapterII
thereof?
DoestheCommissionbelievethatthepracticesdescribedhereandinpreviousquestionscomplywith
Directive96/71/EC(2)onthetransnationalpostingofworkers,whichprovidesthatundertakingsfrom
third-countries must not be given more favourable treatment than those from the Member Statesthemselves?
CouldtheCommissionguaranteethatpracticesofsubcontractingservicestohelicoptersnotapprovedby
theEUdonotviolatetheprovisionsofRegulation(EEC)No3922/91(
3)ontheharmonisationoftechnical
requirementsandadministrativeproceduresinthefieldofcivilaviation?
SeeWrittenQuestionsE-3487/00,E-3488/00andE-3489/00(4).
(1) OJL209,24.7.1992,p.1.
(2) OJL18,21.1.1997,p.1.
(3) OJL373,31.12.1991,p.4.
(4) OJC187E,3.7.2001,p.9.
Jointanswer
toWrittenQuestionsE-1912/03,E-1913/03,
E-1914/03,E-1915/03,E-1916/03andE-1917/03
givenbyMrsdePalacioonbehalfoftheCommission
(9September2003)
ForinformationonthegeneralsituationregardingtheuseofhelicopterstofightforestfiresinSpain,the
CommissionwouldrefertheHonourableMembertoitsanswerstoquestionsE-3487/00toE-3489/00(1).
Todate,theCommunityhasnotyetadoptedcommonrulesapplicable tothe technical operation of
helicopters.Consequently,CouncilRegulation(EC)No3922/91of16December1991ontheharmon-
isationoftechnicalrequirementsandadministrativeproceduresinthefieldofcivilaviation(2)doesnot
applyanditisuptoeachMemberStatetotakeappropriatemeasurestoensurethesafetyofaircraftoperations.
Regarding the purchase of helicopters for forest fire fighting in Italy, the Commission has begun
infringementproceedingsunderex-Article226oftheECTreatyagainsttheItalianRepublicwithrespecttoanorderofthePresidentoftheCouncilofMinisters,dated24July2002,authorisingthepurchasebymutual agreement of the said helicopters outside the procedures provided for in Community publicprocurementlegislation.6.3.2004EN C58E/115 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
Where Spain is concerned, the Commissionhas no knowledge of any such irregularities. As already
indicatedintheCommission’sjointanswerof13FebruarytoWrittenQuestionsE-3487/00,E-3488/00andE-3489/00,allSpanishpublicauthoritiesresponsibleforpreventingandfightingforestfireswereusing,atthattime,around100helicopters.Inordertodoso,theyhadconcludedcontractswithprivatehelicopter operators, applying the public procurement rules governed by the provisions of RoyalDecree2/2000of16June2000,whichtransposestheCommunitypublicprocurementDirectivesintoSpanishlaw.
Accordingtoinformationavailableatthetime,iftherearenotenoughSpanishhelicopters,thecompanies
employed by the public authorities temporarily hire civil helicopters registered in other States.TheCommissionhasnoknowledgeofanyhelicoptersbeinghiredinbreachoftheproceduresapplicableunderCommunitypublicprocurementrules.
Regardingcompliancewiththerulesoncompetition,thefactthattwocompanieshold90%ofthemarket
is not in itself evidence that Community rules have been infringed, and the Commission has noinformationallowingittogiveanopiniononthematter.
UnderCouncilRegulation(EEC)No2158/92of23July1992onprotectionoftheCommunity’sforests
againstfire(
3),CommunityaidtotallingEUR13,3millionwasgrantedtoSpainfrom1996to2002.
However,theRegulationonlycoverspreventivemeasures(informationcampaigns,studiestoidentifythe
causesoffires,thecreationofprotectiveinfrastructuresuchastracks,firebreaksandwatersupplypoints,monitoringandthetrainingofspecialisedpersonnel).ForestfirefightingwithhelicoptersfromoutsidetheCommunityhasthereforeneverbeenfundedwithinthisframework.
RegardingtheapplicationofCouncilDirective2000/79/ECof27November2000ontheorganisationof
workingtimeofmobileworkersincivilaviation(
4),thedeadlinefortranspositionis1December2003.
The Commission will check when the time comes whether the Member States have fulfilled theirobligationsandwilltake,ifnecessary,themeasuresprovidedforintheECTreaty.
IftheinspectionscarriedoutbytheSpanishlabourauthoritiesin1999-2000uncoveredirregularitieswith
respecttothetreatmentofworkersemployedbysubcontractors,itisuptotheSpanishauthoritiestodrawconclusionsfromthis,inparticularregardingcompliancewithCouncilDirective92/50/EECof18June1992relatingtothecoordinationofproceduresfortheawardofpublicservicecontracts(
5).
(1) OJC187E,3.7.2001.
(2) OJL373,31.12.1991.
(3) OJL217,31.7.1992.
(4) OJL302,1.12.2000.
(5) OJL209,24.7.1992.
(2004/C58E/133) WRITTENQUESTIONE-1918/03
byHerbertBösch(PSE)totheCommission
(12June2003)
Subject:Misappropriation of funds by Eurostat and the duty of the officials responsible to provide
compensation
Inautumn1999,anauditproducedbyEurostat’sinternalauditservicerevealedthatrevenueofmorethan
EUR920000 from the sale of statistical data had not been registered in the Community budget asrequired, buthadbeenmisappropriated,ontheinstigationofleadingEurostatofficialsandwiththeirapproval.C58E/116 EN6.3.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion