WRITTEN QUESTION No. 569/99 by Nelly MAES ACP-EU Centre for the Development of Industry
Date: 1999-03-12
Institutions: European Parliament, MAES
Subjects: ACP countries, Belgium, European Commission, European Development Fund, Lomé Convention, industrial development, information network, international organisation, type of business

C 341/130

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

29.11.1999

(1999/C 341/183)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0558/99

by Maria Berger (PSE) to the Commission

(3 March 1999)

Subject: Commission decision on aid for the Sniace S.A. based in Torreavega in Cantabria (Spain)

In its decision on aid for Sniace S.A. (Doc. IV/1466/98/DE, Article 1, last sentence) the Commission states that
it will reach a decision on the deferred question of environmental levies which were not raised in 1987-1995
‘at an opportune moment’.

When does the Commission intend to take this decision? On the basis of which criteria will it establish when
the ‘opportune moment’ has arrived?

Answer given by Mr Van Miert on behalf of the Commission

(22 March 1999)

The Commission will take a decision on the question of any aid contained in the non-enforcement of
environmental levies against Sniace S.A. as soon as possible, that is to say when the Commission judges it has
the necessary elements at its disposal to assess the compatibility of any such aid with the common market. The
Commission cannot indicate at this stage when and what the outcome of its investigation will be.

(1999/C 341/184)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0569/99

by Nelly Maes (ARE) to the Commission

(12 March 1999)

Subject: ACP-EU Centre for the Development of Industry

The Centre for the Development of Industry (CDI) in Brussels is involved in a legal case before the Brussels
Court of First Instance.

Can the Commission confirm the following facts in this case:

1. A parallel structure has been set up under the name Centre for the Development of Enterprise (CDE) thus
creating considerable uncertainty as the to continued validity of agreements entered into by the CDI.

2. A new establishment plan was published on the Commission web site before any decision was taken to

close down the CDI,

3. The director of CDE was appointed without any selection procedure and without the vacancy being

published.

4. The temporary director of the CDI, Mr Mbayi, was turned out into the street with his family (four children,

two of whom are of Belgian nationality) and was not paid for three years.

Is there any truth in the allegation that in March 1998 Commissioner Pinheiro was given a warning by the
SFIE, the Union of International and European Civil Servants, on the last of these matters and is the
Commission as a whole aware of this?

What steps has the Commission taken or will it take to prevent any possibility of the European institutions
being discredited in the case before the Brussels Court of First Instance?

Finally, can the Commission say how much the ACP-EU CDE has received in grants from the European
Development Fund since 1995?

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro on behalf of the Commission

(8 April 1999)

The Commission has not been notified of the ruling to which the Honourable Member refers, which
apparently relates to a dispute between the Centre for the Development of Industry (CDI) and a former