WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3167/97 by Anne McINTOSH to the Commission. EU Stabex Funding Vanuatu
Date: 1997-10-09
Institutions: European Parliament, MCINTOSH
Subjects: EU control, European Commission, Stabex, Vanuatu, agricultural product, export, fraud against the EU

25. 5. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 158/47

(98/C 158/58)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3167/97

by Anne McIntosh (PPE) to the Commission

(9 October 1997)

Subject: EU Stabex Funding Vanuatu

Is the Commission aware that there is increasing concern over apparent fraud at a local level in the administration
of European Union Stabex funding in Vanuatu?

If  this  is  the  case,  what  action  does  the  Commission  intend  to  take  to  prevent  such  fraudulent  activities  in
Vanuatu and what redress is there for those companies operating in the country that have suffered as a result?

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro on behalf of the Commission

(3 December 1997)

The  Commission  is  aware  of  recent  allegations  by  overseas  buyers  and  local  exporters  against  the  Vanuatu
commodities  marketing  board  (VCMB),  the  organisation  responsible  for  the  purchase  and  export  of  certain
agricultural commodities in Vanuatu. The allegations do not concern the management of Stabex funds, but rather
relate to difficulties for local exporters in obtaining export licences.

Stabex funds have been allocated to VCMB in the past, most recently under the Framework of mutual obligations
(FMO) signed in 1993 governing the use of 1988-1991 Stabex transfers (4.9 MECU in all, of which 1 MECU was
allocated to the VCMB). This amount was to be payable in instalments, on three conditions (the publication of
the results of a government-commissioned judicial enquiry; the publication of the annual financial audits of the
VCMB  and  the  holding  of  an  European  development  fund  (EDF)  financed  review  into  the  accounting  and
management practices of the VCMB). These conditions were laid down as a result of the Commission(cid:146)s concerns
over the quality of the management of the VCMB and, in particular, over possible excessive political interference
in its commercial decision-making. The final instalment of the 1988-1991 FMO (ECU 250 000) was paid to the
VCMB in December 1996 on fulfilment of the final condition of the FMO. At no time has the Commission found
any  evidence  of  illegal  use  of  Stabex  funds.  Nevertheless,  the  Commission  continues  to  have  reservations
regarding  the  management  of  the  VCMB.  As  a  result,  no  further  Stabex  funds  have  been  allocated  to  the
organisation since the 1988-1991 transfer, and none is envisaged.

Companies  which  consider  that  they  have  suffered  as  a  result  of  actions  by  VCMB  are  free  to  seek  redress
through the Vanuatu courts.

(98/C 158/59)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3168/97

by Graham Mather (PPE) to the Commission

(13 October 1997)

Subject: Voting rights of non-national EU citizens in Member States

Under the Treaty on European Union, every citizen has the right to vote in municipal elections in the EU Member
State where he or she is resident under the same conditions as nationals of that country. Directive 94/80 (1) laid
down the detailed arrangements for the exercise of those rights and was to have been transposed into national law
by 1 January 1996.

One of my constituents has been told by a French department office that she is not eligible to vote in the relevant
local elections because she has not been continually resident there for not less than six months.