WRITTEN QUESTION No. 42/99 by Kirsi PIHA Suspension of Commission official
Date: 1999-01-22
Institutions: European Parliament, PIHA
Subjects: Community budget, European Commission, European official, administrative transparency, budgetary control, dismissal, duties of civil servants, fraud

3.12.1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 348/13

Will the Commission say:

1. Why has funding for the programme been delayed?

2. What measures will be taken to ensure that the sums due are paid forthwith?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(10 March 1999)

Project 96/T/18 ‘Management of
tobacco using ecologically compatible
technologies’ is one of a number of tobacco research projects. The delay in payments for these projects is
due to a lack of staff in the departments concerned. The Commission is trying to find a solution to this problem
so that payments can be made as quickly as possible and will keep the Honourable Member informed of
progress made.

insect pests and viruses of

(1999/C 348/015)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0030/99

by Nikitas Kaklamanis (UPE) to the Commission

(20 January 1999)

Subject: Suspension of Commission official

Mr Paul van Buitenen, an official in the Commission’s Financial Control section, has been suspended on the
grounds that he passed on to the European Parliament a report revealing financial irregularities by some
Commission services in the management of European taxpayers’ money; this led incidentally to Parliament’s
refusal to grant discharge to the Commission for the 1996 financial year.

This Dutch official has been refused access to his office, and the Commission spokesman has confirmed the
imposition of this disciplinary measure.

Will the Commission say how it was decided to impose this draconian punishment on Mr van Buitenen,
whether this decision is in keeping with the objective of transparency which is supposed to govern the actions
of all Community institutions and what measures will be taken to ensure that European taxpayers’ money is
properly managed?

(1999/C 348/016)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0042/99

by Kirsi Piha (PPE) to the Commission

(22 January 1999)

Subject: Suspension of Commission official

According to news reports, the Commission has suspended the official who passed on to the European
Parliament information about irregularities in the Commission’s accounts, including the misuse of funds
granted via ECHO.

How does the Commission justify its decision to punish an official for sending to the European Parliament, the
Union’s highest budgetary authority, crucial information concerning the monitoring of the budget? Does the
Commission consider that the decision to suspend the official is compatible with the principles of cooperation
between the EU institutions, and in particular with the task of monitoring so as to prevent the abuse of the EU
budget?

Joint answer
to Written Questions E-0030/99 and E-0042/99
given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(19 March 1999)

The disciplinary measures applicable to officials or temporary staff are laid down in Articles 86 et seq. of the
Staff Regulations of officials of the European Communities and in Annex IX thereto, applicable by analogy to