WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2755/97 by Hilde HAWLICEK to the Commission. Follow-up to European Year Against Racism
Date: 1997-09-01
Institutions: European Parliament, HAWLICEK
Subjects: EU aid, EU financing, anti-racist movement, broadcasting, mass media, press, racism, television

17. 3. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 82/137

The Commission requires candidates in category A competitions to hold a degree or equivalent diploma, i.e. a
qualification  giving  access  to  doctoral  studies.  Moreover,  notices  of  competitions  contain  a  (cid:145)guide  for
candidates(cid:146)  which,  in  the  section  dealing  with  education,  states  that  the  level  of  studies  completed  by  the
candidate is checked and assessed by the selection board and, where necessary, by specialists in the education
system of the candidate’s country.

The Spanish diploma of (cid:145)technical engineer(cid:146), the subject of the Honourable Member’s question, is a diploma
obtained on completion of a short university course which does not give access to doctoral studies and for that
reason, candidates holding such a diploma are not admitted to Commission category A competitions. This rule
applies to candidates from all the Member States holding equivalent diplomas, who are thus treated in the same
way with regard to participation in Commission category A competitions.

While fully aware that the Community public service and the Member States’ civil services are quite separate and
independent, the Commission would draw the Honourable Member’s attention to the fact that the diploma in
question  does  not  give  access  to  category  A  in  the  Spanish  civil  service,  for  which  a  degree  (licenciatura  o
equivalente) is required.

(98/C 82/221)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2755/97

by Hilde Hawlicek (PSE) to the Commission

(1 September 1997)

Subject: Follow-up to European Year Against Racism

With  reference  to  the  final  declaration  of  the  European  Federation  of  Journalists  (EFJ/IFJ),  the  European
Newspaper Publishers Association and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) that they would work together
to  combat  racism,  what  are  the  Commission’s  present  thoughts  on  how  to  follow  up  European  Year  Against
Racism in order to strengthen joint campaigns in the media and other areas?

Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission

(27 September 1997)

As  with  other  areas,  the  Commission  intends  to  continue  its  work  with  the  media  on  anti-racism  issues  well
beyond 1997.

The  Commission  welcomes  the  declaration  made  by  the  International  federation  of  journalists  (IFJ),  the
European newspaper publishers association (ENPA) and the European broadcasting union (EBU), all of which
are playing an active part in the year against racism. The IFJ in particular is running several projects supported by
the Commission, notably the international prize for young journalists and the conferences on (cid:145)prime time for
tolerance(cid:146) and (cid:145)media and the challenge of intolerance(cid:146). The Commission is also supporting a project entitled
(cid:145)saga  cities(cid:146),  which  is  an  exchange  of  television  programmes  on  the  subject  of  ethnic  minorities  in  cities
throughout Europe, and involves members of the European broadcasting union(cid:146)s multicultural exchange group.

For  the  European  year,  the  Commission  is  working  with  key  media  such  as  MTV,  TV  5  and  Eurosport  and
discussions will be held with them concerning future projects.

Several other pan-European media projects are being supported under the European year against racism budget,
but a great deal of the funding for media actions comes from budget lines B3-4110 and B3-4114 which may
continue after the European year.

The experts group for the European year against racism, of which the chairman of the IFJ is a member, will be
consulted on future action. A representative of the Commission is a member of the board of the IMRAX group, a
Europe-wide coalition of journalists, editors, publishers, broadcasters and media experts dedicated to promoting
high standards of journalism concerned with reporting on matters of race, tolerance and multiculturalism.