WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2168/98 by Astrid THORS to the Commission. Transparency and access to documents
Date: 1998-07-13
Institutions: European Parliament, THORS
Subjects: European treaties, access to EU information, administrative transparency

22.2.1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 50/131

organisation of education systems and their cultural and linguistic diversity(cid:146). Community action must also be
aimed at (cid:145)developing the European dimension in education, particularly through the teaching and dissemination
of the languages of the Member States(cid:146). In effect the Commission(cid:146)s action in support of regional and minority
languages is based on this article.

The European Bureau for Lesser Used Languages (EBLUL) was financed under Budget line B3-1006 in the
framework of the action (cid:145)Promoting and safeguarding regional and minority languages(cid:146).

2.
The European Bureau for Lesser Used Languages received Community funding in the amount ECU 742 900
for the period October 1997 to September 1998. For the period beginning in October 1998 the Commission has
already received the EBLUL(cid:146)s draft plan of work and budget. Approval will depend on an examination of the
situation of the general problem of budget lines without a legal basis.

3.
The action (cid:145)Promotion and safeguarding regional and minority languages and cultures(cid:146) now being
implemented by the Commission makes a very useful contribution to the language communities. The future
enlargement of the Community to the central and eastern European countries will lead to a substantial increase in
the number of minority and regional language communities. To this end, work to promote and safeguard the
numerous minority languages spoken in these countries will help avoid potential conflicts that are always liable
to flare up between the different language communities and will also help European citizens to become more
active and responsible.

In the framework of the action (cid:145)Promoting and safeguarding regional and minority languages and cultures(cid:146)
4.
the Commission has launched the so-called Euromosa(cid:239)c study to inventory the regional and minority language
groups in the Community. It is planned to extend this study to the central and eastern European countries.

(1999/C 50/189)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2168/98

by Astrid Thors (ELDR) to the Commission

(13 July 1998)

Subject: Transparency and access to documents

Parliament(cid:146)s resolution on the legislative programme for 1999 called for the necessary measures to be taken
before the Amsterdam Treaty enters into force in regard to the rules on transparency and access to documents.
According to an announcement in the House and statements to the committees, an interinstitutional working party
is dealing with this matter.

Does the working party now have a clear idea of how the register of documents of the institutions concerned,
particularly the Commission(cid:146)s, should be organized and how does the Commission intend to draw the line
between executive and legislative activities?

Answer given by Mr Santer on behalf of the Commission

(31 July 1998)

The Working Party referred to by the Honourable Member was set up to pave the way for the implementation of
the new Article 255 introduced by the Amsterdam Treaty.

The task of the Working Party, consisting of officials from the Commission, Parliament and the Council, is to
review the various questions raised in connection with the presentation by the Commission of a legislative
proposal of the kind provided for by Article 255. The three institutions are not bound by preparatory work done
by this purely informal Working Party, which has not made an in-depth study of the two problems referred to by
the Honourable Member with a view to laying down guidelines.