WRITTEN QUESTION No. 122/98 by Gerardo FERNÁNDEZ-ALBOR to the Commission. European articles of association
Date: 1998-01-30
Institutions: European Parliament, FERNANDEZ ALBOR
Subjects: European legal status, European organisation, administrative cooperation, young person

C 310/26

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

9. 10. 98

In a declaration marking the start of the year of the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights adopted in Luxembourg on 12 and 13 December, the European Council welcomed the implementation of
academic programmes by the European Commission for the fiftieth anniversary and said that the Member States
would be launching national initiatives to commemorate that anniversary.

The  Commission  will  consider  the  possibility  of  other  commemorative  schemes,  in  line  with  the  wishes
expressed by Parliament in its commentary on the 1998 budget.

(98/C 310/28)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0122/98

by Gerardo Ferna·ndez-Albor (PPE) to the Commission

(30 January 1998)

Subject: European articles of association

The  recent  call  by  the  Commission  for  proposals  to  promote  the  development  of  international  youth
organizations  has  once  again  highlighted  the  need  for  a  set  of  European  articles  of  association  to  govern
associations extending beyond the territory of a Member State.

The  growing  interdependence  of  organizations  which  maintain  multiple  cooperative  links  beyond  the  purely
commercial sector in different Member States, calls for a legal framework in the European Union in order that
such organizations may develop their activities safe in the knowledge that precise regulations exist.

Can the Commission say whether it considers it necessary for such European articles of association to be adopted
at  a  European  level  in  order  to  facilitate  cooperation  between  individuals,  organizations  and  bodies  from
different Member States and to provide the necessary regulatory framework for their activities?

Answer given by Mr Papoutsis on behalf of the Commission

(6 March 1998)

The  Commission  would  inform  the  Honourable  Member  that  in  order  to  facilitate  cooperation  between
organisations that wish to operate at European level through a non-profit body, it has already submitted to the
Council a draft regulation on the statute for a European association (1).

The draft, which was proposed in 1992, was amended in 1993 (2) following the opinions of the Parliament and the
Economic and social committee, but has not so far been adopted by the Council.

(1)  OJ  C 99, 21.4.1992.
(2)  OJ C 236, 31.8.1993.

(98/C 310/29)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0145/98

by Kenneth Coates (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(2 February 1998)

Subject: Anti-poverty programmes

In 1996, the United Kingdom brought before the European Court of Justice a legal action concerning funding for
the Commission(cid:146)s anti-poverty and other social programmes to help excluded groups.

What  effect  is  this  having  on  the  Commission(cid:146)s  work  in  the  social  sphere  and  on  the  non-governmental
organizations which engage in it? How are programmes for the elderly and the disabled affected?