WRITTEN QUESTION E-2043/99 by Jeffrey Titford (EDD) to the Commission. Expenditure on and legality of the Soul for Europe project.
Date: 1999-11-03
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: budgetary expenditure, promotion of the European idea, religious institution

1.8.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 219 E/75

(2000/C 219 E/089)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2041/99

by Helena Torres Marques (PSE) to the Commission

Subject: Flight delays in the European Union

(3 November 1999)

Air traffic control is said to be the cause of the delays which consistently affect intra-European flights, with
serious personal and financial consequences for passengers and users of freight transport. This problem
also affects the image of airlines, which also suffer considerably from the increasing number of charges
they have to pay for the use of each section of airspace and the heavy costs arising from the amount of
time during which aircraft and their crews are unable to fly.

Will the Commission state what body should be deemed responsible for these serious disruptions and what
measures it can take to remedy or, at least, improve the situation?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(16 December 1999)

In application of the provisions of the Chicago Convention, the provision of air traffic services is a
responsibility of States. In view of the difficulties mentioned by the Honourable Member the Commission
has suggested in the past that the Community should act in this field and presented appropriate measures
in two communications (1).

The ATM community and more generally Member States perceived the proposals of the Commission as
unduly interfering with the established regional
(Eurocontrol) and national frameworks where similar
problems were addressed and, according to them, well in hand. In recent years, however, these organisa-
tions have shown their inability to respond adequately to the demand of airspace users in terms of
providing increased capacity and flight efficiency.

The further deterioration of the situation convinced the Council to put the question on the agenda of its
meeting last June 1999 and to invite the Commission to analyse the situation,
identify possible new
initiatives and report back in December 1999.
the Commission has approved on
1 December 1999 a communication to the Council and the Parliament on the current situation of air
traffic delays and on new initiatives to be taken to provide the Community with the air traffic management
system it needs to remedy the existing chaotic situation.

In this context,

In parallel, the Commission is negotiating the accession of the Community to Eurocontrol so that the
Community may become a full member of this international organisation and develop its initiatives within
the institutional framework established at European level.

(1) Communication from the Commission to the Council and the Parliament on congestion and crisis in air traffic
(cid:145)Freeing Europe(cid:146)s airspace(cid:146)

(ATM) white paper

traffic management

(COM(95) 318 final) and the Air
(COM(96) 57 final).

(2000/C 219 E/090)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2043/99

by Jeffrey Titford (EDD) to the Commission

(3 November 1999)

Subject: Expenditure on and legality of the (cid:145)Soul for Europe(cid:146) project

I am concerned about the establishment, purpose, legality and financing of the European Union(cid:146)s (cid:145)Soul for
Europe(cid:146) department.

1. Who (cid:129) which person, group of persons or body (cid:129) set this unit up?

2. What is its precise purpose?

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Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

1.8.2000

3. What is the legality of this unit? When was it authorised by either the Council of Ministers, the
Commission or the European Parliament?

4. When did its operations commence?

5.

To which Commissioner is this unit responsible?

6. What reports have ever been published by the (cid:145)Soul for Europe(cid:146) department?

I am aware that substantial grants have been made by the (cid:145)Soul for Europe(cid:146) department, or the
7.
Forward Studies Unit of which I believe it is part. Can the Commission supply a full
list of those
organisations that have been grant-aided by the (cid:145)Soul for Europe(cid:146) department, in each case indicating how
much has been paid to those organisations?

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(6 December 1999)

There is no (cid:145)Soul for Europe(cid:146) department within the Commission. On the other hand there is an initiative
taken by President Delors in 1994 and supported by President Santer under the name (cid:145)Soul for Europe.
Ethics and Spirituality(cid:146). This initiative aims to stimulate the dialogue with religious or humanist commu-
nities and to promote projects which contribute to the recognition and understanding of the ethical and
spiritual dimensions of the European unification process and the policies of the Community.

In order to involve the partners (religious or humanist communities) in the context of the initiative (cid:145)Soul
for Europe. Ethics and Spirituality(cid:146), the Commission invited (in 1994) the partners to establish a screening
committee (composed by their representatives) which recommends projects. These projects should
explicitly promote the idea and the values of European integration and should promote reflection on the
spiritual or ethical dimension of building a new Europe.

The screening committee is supported by a co-ordinator who is a staff member of the church and society
commission of the conference of European churches (KEK). The meetings of the screening committee
(about three a year) and of the work of the co-ordinator (on a half time basis) are subsidised by the
Commission.

The grants for co-financing the projects recommended by the screening committee and accepted by the
Commission are taken from the budget line A 3024. This is justified by the following remark, introduced
by the Parliament in 1997: (cid:145)This appropriation (cid:133) is also intended to support activities connected with
reflection at European level on the ethical and spiritual foundations of Europe.(cid:146) The budget line A 3024 is
now (since 1999) managed under the responsibility of the member of the Commission in charge of
education and culture.

The co-ordinator presents (since 1997) every year a report on the evolution of the initiative and the
evaluation of the projects which have been realised.

A full list of those organisations that have been grant-aided via the (cid:145)Soul for Europe(cid:146) programme is sent
direct to the Honourable Member and to Parliament(cid:146)s Secretariat.

(2000/C 219 E/091)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2045/99

by Jeffrey Titford (EDD) to the Commission

(3 November 1999)

Subject: Full list of allowances claimable by European Commission staff

Can the Commission list, in full, all allowances that are paid to or can be claimed by Commission staff in
addition to their salaries?