(2004/C58E/198) WRITTENQUESTIONE-2582/03
byErikMeijer(GUE/NGL)totheCommission
(6August2003)
Subject:CourseofeventsinvolvingthewhistleblowerattheEuropeanCourtofAuditors2:complications
forassessmentarisingfromsimultaneousneedtoinvestigatesuperiors
1. DoestheCommissionregarditasarelevantorirrelevantfactthat,accordingtohisowntestimony
andtotherecommendationofadisciplinarycommittee,aconscientiouswhistlebloweractedingoodfaithandintheinterestsofaEuropeaninstitution?
2. CantheCommissionindicatethenumberofoccasionsonwhichalegallyempoweredauthorityofa
European institution has, on its own responsibility, ignored the recommendation of the disciplinarycommittee? Does the Commission deem the disregarding by the competent authority of a (repeated)recommendationofthedisciplinarycommitteetoconstitutecontemptofthatcommittee?
3. HastheCommissionsubsequentlyaskedtheSecretary-Generalwhether,whentakinghisdecisionto
dismisstheofficial,hetookaccountofthecomplaintslodgedbythewhistlebloweragainsttheformerMemberoftheCourtofAuditors,MrsNikolaou,whichtheEuropeanAnti-FraudOffice(OLAF)andthe
legalauthoritieshavealreadyinvestigatedorarestillinvestigating?
4. HastheCommissionaskedOLAFwhy,inthatinstitution’sPressReleaseNo18,nodetailsweregiven
of the services rendered by the whistleblower as the person whose information had resulted in theinitiation of a legal investigation into the conduct of the former Member of the Court of Auditors,MrsNikolaou?
5. Giventherecommendationofthedisciplinarycommittee,doestheCommissionconcludethatan
honestwhistleblowerisrequiredtoinfringetheprovisionsofthefirstparagraphofArticle21oftheStaffRegulationsofOfficials,pursuanttowhichhemustassisthissuperiors,ininstanceswherethecontestedillegalactsappeartohavebecommittedbypersonswhoareactuallyamongstthosesuperiors?
6. DoestheCommissionfeelthatitisresponsibleforthefutureofofficialsemployedbyEUinstitutions
whohavehonestlytriedtoterminatewhattheyregardaswrongdoingbydrawingattentionthereto?Howdoesitinterpretitsresponsibility?
Jointanswer
toWrittenQuestionsE-2581/03andE-2582/03
givenbyMrKinnockonbehalfoftheCommission
(30September2003)
Each InstitutionoftheEuropean Unionisanemployerinitsownright andeach oftheInstitutions
therefore manages disciplinary matters relating to its own staff, under the provisions of the StaffRegulationsandsubjecttothejudgementsoftheEuropeanCourtofJustice.AsthecasereferredtobytheHonourableMemberconcernsapersonwhowasemployedbytheCourtofAuditors,theCommissionisnotabletoanswerquestionsaboutthisspecificcase.TheHonourableMembermaywishtoaddresshisquestionstotheCourtofAuditors.
(2004/C58E/199) WRITTENQUESTIONE-2605/03
byElizabethLynne(ELDR)totheCommission
(28August2003)
Subject:Recognitionofqualificationsforlanguageteachers
IstheCommissionawarethataBritishteacherofEnglishhavingalladequatequalificationsandteaching
experienceintheUnitedKingdomisrequiredtopasstheCAPESexam(Certificatd’aptitudepédagogiqueàl’enseignementduseconddegré,averydifficultexam,particularlyforaforeigner)inordertobeabletohaveafull-timeteacherpositionintheFrencheducationsystem?6.3.2004EN C58E/185 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
WouldthisnotbeincontraventionofCouncilDirective89/48/EEC(1)of21December1988onageneral
systemfortherecognitionofhighereducationdiplomasawardedoncompletionofprofessionaleducationandtraining?
IstheproposedDirectiveonrecognitionofprofessionalqualifications(
2)goingtoeliminatethisanomaly,
particularlysinceFrenchteachersareabletoteachintheUnitedKingdomwithoutsuchanadditionalexamination?
(1) OJL19,24.1.1989,p.16.
(2) COM(2002)119final.
AnswergivenbyMrBolkesteinonbehalfoftheCommission
(10October2003)
TheCourtofJusticehasjustdeliveredajudgmentinacaseconcerningapreliminaryruling(CaseC-285/
01‘Burbaud’),whichmayprovidesomeclarificationofCommunityrulesgoverningtheissueraisedbytheHonourable Member. The Commission is currently examining the judgment and will provide theHonourableMemberwithananswerassoonasthisanalysishasbeencompleted.
(2004/C58E/200) WRITTENQUESTIONE-2607/03
byOlivierDupuis(NI)totheCommission
(25August2003)
Subject:ThichTriLuc,amonkkidnappedinPhnomPenhandrediscoveredinaVietnameseprison
ExactlyayearagoInotifiedtheCommissionofthedisappearanceoftheBuddhistmonkThichTriLuc,a
member of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV), a banned organisation, who had beenkidnappedinPhnomPenhafterseekingasyluminCambodia.Aged49,ThichTriLuc(secularnamePhamVanTuong)hadfledfromVietnamtoescapereligiouspersecution.Thetenyearsthatfollowedhisfirstarrestin1992wereaseriesofharassments,imprisonmentandhousearrestforsupportingtheUBCV.Thestatusofrefugee,grantedbythePhnomPenhofficeoftheUNHighCommissionerforRefugeesinJune2002,didnotpreventhiskidnappinginthenightof25Julybyunidentifiedindividuals.BothVietnamandCambodiahaddeniedhavinganyinformationonhisabductionanddisappearanceandtheHCRwasunabletoobtainanyinformationastohisplight.ThichTriLuchasnowresurfaced,notasafreepersonprotected by the United Nations, but as a prisoner awaiting trial behind bars in a Vietnamese jail.AccordingtotheVietnameseHumanRightsCommittee,‘afterayearwithoutnewshisfamilyhasreceivedashortmessagefromthePeople’sCourtinHoChiMinhCityinvitingthemtoattendthetrialofPhamVanTuong’.Scheduledfor1August,thetrialhasbeenpostponedwithoutsettingadate.Hisfamilydoesnotknowwhereheisbeingheld,orthechargesagainsthim,andhasnotbeenallowedtovisithim.Duringthisillegalandsecretimprisonment,whichhaslasted12months,ThichTriLuchasbeensubjected
notonlytoseriouspsychologicalandphysicalpressurebuthasalsobeendeniedtherighttoafairtrial,as
hehasbeenunabletocontactalawyerandpreparehisdefence.AsheisbothaprisonerofconscienceandamemberofaChurchthatisstillbannedheislikelytoreceiveaverylongprisonsentence.
DoestheCommissionknowthatThichTriLucwaskidnappedandforciblyrepatriatedinspiteofhis
refugeestatus,andthathehasbeendetainedinsecretinVietnamforoverayear?IsitawareofthechargesagainstThichTriLuc,andhasitaskedforitsrepresentativeinHanoitobeallowedtovisithiminprisonandattendhistrial?WhatrepresentationswilltheCommissionbemakingtopreventthecontinualviolation by the Cambodian and Vietnamese authorities of international laws governing the status ofrefugees,particularlytheprincipleof‘non-refoulement’ofpersonswhosefreedomisatthreatintheirowncountrybecauseoftheirreligion,raceorpoliticalopinions?ShouldnottheseviolationsbytheHanoiandPhnomPenhauthoritiesinducetheCommissiontoadoptsanctionsunderthehumanrightsclauseintheEU’sCooperationAgreementswithVietnamandCambodia?C58E/186 EN6.3.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion