WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3859/97 by Kirsi PIHA to the Commission. Decentralization of Parliament's activities
Date: 1997-12-05
Institutions: European Parliament, PIHA
Subjects: European Parliament, France, decentralisation, judgment of the Court (EU), parliamentary session, seat of institution

C 187/72

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

16. 6. 98

In the last fifteen years or so, these structures have multiplied throughout the European Union and have now
attained  a  certain  maturity,  although  there  are  considerable  variations  between  regions.  As  the  Honourable
Member rightly points out, the concept is still evolving in response to technological progress, especially in the
information  and  communication  technologies.  For  example,  we  are  currently  witnessing  the  emergence  of
multi-centre or (cid:145)virtual(cid:146) parks.

Technology parks are grouped into national associations which regularly organise forums where the members
can compare notes on development, the structures which have been created and the tools which are available to
the businesses concerned.

Furthermore, the International Association of Science Parks, which brings together a large number of parks in
Europe and other parts of the world, organises useful forums for reflecting on the future of technology parks, and
the Commission maintains a keen interest in their deliberations.

(98/C 187/113)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3857/97

by Carlos Robles Piquer (PPE) to the Commission

(5 December 1997)

Subject: Failure to fill the position of director of the Institute for Prospective Technological Studies in Seville

(IPTS)

At the end of 1996 Mr Herbert J. Allgeier left the position of director of the IPTS which he had held since August
1994. Almost one year later, no new director of the centre has been appointed, a fact that is all the more disturbing
given the newness of this specialized body of the JRC (Joint Research Centre), which was set up in Seville in
September 1994 and given a mandate by Commissioner Edith Cresson one year later following the appointment
of the new Commission. When does the Commission intend to fill this vacancy?

Answer given by Mrs Cresson on behalf of the Commission

(22 January 1998)

During its 1367th meeting, which was held on 16 December 1997, the Commission decided to appoint Mr Cadiou
to the post of Director of the JRC(cid:146)s Institute for Prospective Technological Studies in Seville.

(98/C 187/114)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3859/97

by Kirsi Piha (PPE) to the Commission

(5 December 1997)

Subject: Decentralization of Parliament(cid:146)s activities

The Court of Justice of the European Communities found in France(cid:146)s favour that the European Parliament should
hold  12  part-session  weeks  per  year  in  Strasbourg.  This  decision  was  taken  in  spite  of  Parliament(cid:146)s  known
opposition and is based on an interpretation of the decisions of the Council of Ministers.

The  European  Union  was  originally  founded  as  a  group  of  six  countries  which  decentralized  its  activities  to
different parts of its territory, to Brussels, Luxembourg and Strasbourg. Now, however, the Union has enlarged to
include 15 Member States, and still more members will join in future. Under present-day conditions then, this
decentralization, which is very costly to the taxpayer, is no decentralization at all but › to an even greater degree
› a centralization.

What action does the Commission propose to take with a view to bringing about either a decision in principle that
all MEPs work should be carried on in one place (i.e. Brussels) or a proper decentralization reflecting the EU(cid:146)s
current composition? For example, the Northern dimension might be taken into account by building a debating
chamber for Parliament in Oulu (northern Finland) for a few part-sessions a year, and this alternative would be
just as sensible as the current practice.