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
AccordingtoArticle28oftheFinancialRegulationtheninforce,however,allmeasuresorsituations
whichmayhavegivenrisetoormodifiedadebtduetotheCommunitieshadtobeprecededbyaforwardestimateoftheamountdue,whichhadtobepresentedtothefinancialcontrolleroftheinstitutionforhisapprovalandtotheaccountingofficerforregistration.
Isittruethat,inthecasessetoutintheaboveaudit,thisdidnottakeplace?
Ifso,doestheCommissionagreethat,accordingtoArticle73oftheFinancialRegulation,theofficials
concerned are liable to disciplinary action and to payment of compensation? What steps has theCommissiontakentoinitiatetherelevantproceedings?
TheaboveauditwasforwardedtotheCommission’sFinancialControlDirectorate-GeneralbyEurostat.
AccordingtoArticle29oftheFinancialRegulation,thefinancialcontrollerwasobligedtoinformtheCommissionthat,inthiscase,thecompetentauthorisingofficershadnotadheredtotheproceduresetoutintheFinancialRegulationonthecollectionofrevenueduetotheCommunity.
HasthefinancialcontrollerinfactinformedtheCommissionand/orthefinancialcontrolCommissioner,
asrequiredbytheRegulation?
Ifso,cantheCommissionstatewhenthistookplace?CantheCommissionprovidemewithacopyofthe
relevantcommunication?
AnswergivenbyMrsSchreyeronbehalfoftheCommission
(4September2003)
ThosequestionswerealreadydiscussedduringtheParliament’sCommitteeonBudgetaryControl(Cocobu)
meetingon17June2003,buttheCommissionneverthelesswishestogiveapreciseanswertoallthequestionsraisedbytheHonourableMember.
OLAFinvestigationsarestillongoinginthiscaseandtheCommissionthereforewouldnotliketodraw
conclusionsorinterferewiththoseinquiries.
TheCommissionhasopenedadisciplinaryproceedingagainstthreeofficials.
As a follow-uptothe internal audit report ofEurostat, the Director General ofEurostat, by noteof
24September 1999, approved the recommendations of the Internal Audit report and instructed theDirectorresponsibletoimplementthem.
Anactionplanwasestablished,themainfeaturesofwhicharethefollowing:
/dash Terminationoftheagreementsinquestion;
/dash Recoveryoftheamountsremaininginthebankaccounts.
Thethreeconventionswiththecontractorswereterminatedby31December1999.
Atotalamountof413KEURhasbeenrecoveredbytheendof2000inaccordancewiththefinancial
proceduresinplace.
Ingeneralterms,chapter4ofthenewFinancialRegulationof25June2002,applicablefrom1January
2003,containsdetailedrulesofliabilityincaseofmisconductcommittedbyafinancialactor(Articles64to68oftheFinancialRegulation).AccordingtoArticle73oftheoldFinancialRegulationandArticle65(1)ofthenewFinancialRegulation,possiblemeasuresincaseofmisconductincludedisciplinaryactionaswell as the payment of compensation as provided for in the Staff Regulations, and in particular inArticle22thereof.6.3.2004EN C58E/117 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
TherearenorecordsindicatingthateithertheCommissionortheCommissionerresponsibleforFinancial
Controlwere informedbytheFinancial Controlleraboutthefindingsoftheauditreport,which wasfinalizedinJune2000.
ThedraftreportwassenttoOLAFon17March2000.
(2004/C58E/134) WRITTENQUESTIONP-1935/03
byEllyPlooij-vanGorsel(ELDR)totheCommission
(5June2003)
Subject:ImplementationoftheTelecomsPackage
TheTelecomsPackageconsistsofthefiveDirectivesonelectroniccommunications.TheTelecomsPackage
mustbeimplementedby24July2003atthelatest.AnumberofMemberStatesoftheEuropeanUnionwillnotbeabletomeetthatdeadline.TheNetherlands,whereimplementationwillbesecuredontheadoptionofanewTelecommunicationsAct,isoneoftheMemberStatestowhichthatcaveatcertainlyapplies.
1. CantheCommissionindicatethelegalconsequencesformarketplayersifMemberStatesfailto
implementthenewregulatoryframeworkforelectroniccommunicationsnetworksandservicesbytheduedate?
2. IntheCommission’sview,doesthenewregulatoryframeworkincludeprovisionsonthebasisof
whichmarketplayersmaytakedirectlegalactionifimplementationisdelayed?
AnswergivenbyMrLiikanenonbehalfoftheCommission
(10July2003)
InitscontactswiththeMemberStates,theCommissionhasconsistentlystressedtheimportanceofa
timelyandeffectivetranspositionofthenewregulatoryframeworkforelectroniccommunications.Onapointofdetail,itshouldbenotedthatwhilethedeadlinefortranspositionoffouroftheDirectivesinthenewpackageis24July2003,MemberStateshaveuntil31October2003totransposeDirective2002/58/ECoftheParliamentandoftheCouncilof12July2002concerningtheprocessingofpersonaldataandtheprotectionofprivacyintheelectroniccommunicationssector(Directiveonprivacyandelectroniccommunications)(
1).AsfarasthesituationintheNetherlandsisconcerned,theCommissionhasnotbeen
informedbytheNetherlandsauthoritiesthatthedeadlinesfortranspositionwillnotbemet.Consequently,itisatthisstagehypotheticaltospeculateonthelegalconsequencesofafailuretomeetthedeadlinefortranspositioninthatcountry.
Inanyevent,thelegalconsequencesformarketplayersinaMemberStatewhichfailstotransposethenew
regulatory framework for electronic communications on time will depend on the legal frameworkapplicableatnationalleveltothosepartiesattherelevanttime.TheCommissionisnotinapositionatthispointusefullytocommentonwhatthoseconsequencesmaybeonahypotheticalorgeneralisedbasis.
TheCommissionwouldrecallthatitisforthecourts,andultimatelytheEuropeanCourtofJustice,to
decideonthecircumstancesinwhichaparticularprovisioninadirectivecanberelieduponbythirdparties against the state, in the event of a failure to transpose. The Commission would refer theHonourableMembertothecaselawonthissubject,notablythatflowingfromthejudgmentoftheCourtofJusticeintheVanGendenLooscase(
2).
(1) OJL201,31.7.2002.
(2) Case26/62VanGendenLoos[1963]ECR1;seealsoCase148/78Ratti[1979]ECR1629andJoinedCasesC-6/
90andC-9/90FrancovichandOthersvItaly[1991]ECRI-5357.C58E/118 EN6.3.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion