WRITTEN QUESTION E-2356/99 by Riitta Myller (PSE) to the Commission. Environmental impact of enlargement.
Date: 1999-12-13
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Cyprus, Czechia, EU environmental policy, Estonia, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia

C 303 E/52

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

24.10.2000

Where the specifications authorise the contractor to take on independent, external experts, the cost of the
experts are charged on a flat-rate basis per actual day(cid:146)s work. The Contractor is required to ensure that the
experts fulfil the same obligations as those applicable to his staff and he sends the Commission a copy of
the agreements signed with his staff, while ensuring that the time declared as worked had actually being
worked.

From an internal inspection carried out in 1997 on the basis of a sample of the technical assistance offices,
it emerged that, on average, payment of these intermediary bodies accounted for almost 30 % of the funds
which they helped manage and 3,8 % of the total budget for the programmes in question. However, these
estimate need to be qualified in order to place the percentages in the proper context. Data relating to the
payment of these intermediary bodies is based on commitment rather than on payment appropriations
with the result that the real cost may have been overestimated. In addition, appropriations, committed in
respect of contracts with these bodies often cover periods exceeding 12 months and are thus used to pay
for services relating to the management of appropriations during the following years. Accordingly, the
proportion of payments from appropriations for a given year can be overstated.

Some of the technical assistance offices covered by the inspection did not have as their main task the
management of Community grants, but rather provided services in support of programme implementation,
such as checking and monitoring the programme, organising conferences and seminars, disseminating
information relating to the programme or gathering and processing data, with the result
the
proportion of costs of payments from the funds managed by the intermediary bodies can seem relatively
high.

that

No specific distinction is made for funds which finance Community grants.

(2000/C 303 E/046)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2356/99

by Riitta Myller (PSE) to the Commission

(13 December 1999)

Subject: Environmental impact of enlargement

The enlargement of the European Union will become a reality in the next few years. Negotiations are
currently being held with six countries, and after the Helsinki summit these negotiations will be expanded
to include all 12 candidate countries.

During the negotiation process the future members will have to adapt their administration and legislation
to comply with EU rules. One major and economically important challenge will be to make progress in
improving the state of the environment and adopting an environmental policy in accordance with
sustainable development.

What does the Commission propose to do to ensure that the environment is included as a priority in the
negotiations, and what attitude does the Commission propose to take to the granting of transitional
periods on environmental issues?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

The Commission shares the opinion of
environment
environmental acquis is a great challenge.

in the applicant states and the alignment of

the legislation of

improving the state of

the
these states with the

(18 February 2000)

the Honourable Member that

Environment is a priority in the accession process. The negotiation position of the Union at the opening of
the negotiations with Hungary, Cyprus, Poland, Slovenia, Estonia and the Czech Republic explicitly refers
to the objective of a high level of nuclear safety and environmental protection.

24.10.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 303 E/53

The manifold activities of the Commission ensure that environment is duly taken into account. They
include financial assistance (in particular the Instrument for structural policies for pre-accession (ISPA)) and
the definition of environmental approximation as a priority under the accession partnerships. More than
that, the Commission publishes practical guides for approximation with and implementation of the
environmental acquis.

As regards transitional periods, the Commission took the following position in its composite paper
accompanying the reports of progress towards accession by each of the candidate countries, as adopted
on 13 October 1999 (1): (cid:145)For the areas linked to the extension of the single market regulatory measures
should be implemented quickly. Any transition periods should therefore be few and short. For those areas
of the acquis where considerable adaptations are necessary and which require substantial effort, including
important financial outlays (in areas such as environment, energy, infrastructure), transition arrangements
could be spread over a definite period of time, provided candidates can demonstrate that alignment is
underway and that they are committed to detailed and realistic plans for alignment, including the necessary
investments(cid:146).

(1) COM(1999) 500 final.

(2000/C 303 E/047)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2360/99

by Paulo Casaca (PSE) to the Commission

(13 December 1999)

Subject: Salary, allowance, retirement and tax arrangements in the EU institutions

At the beginning of its term of office the Commission announced that it intended to carry out a thorough
reform of the EU institutions in order to increase the efficiency and the transparency thereof.

In so far as they lay down salary and other conditions, the Staff Regulations play an essential role in the
functioning of the EU institutions, for which reason I believe they should be made available to the public.

In order to provide more concise and intelligible information, data relating to officials at one or other end
of their career should be given: a new-recruited graduate official, a senior judge at the Court of Justice and
a Commissioner.

Would the Commission therefore supply the following information as applicable to the above categories of
official:

1.

2.

3.

Salary scheme;

Expatriation allowance;

Financial assistance in respect of official travel;

4. Conditions for retirement, including retirement on health grounds;

5. Tax arrangements.

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(18 January 2000)

The Commission is sending direct to the Honourable Member and to Parliament(cid:146)s Secretariat examples of
remuneration (including allowances, taxes and charges) and daily travel allowances for a newly recruited
graduate official (A8-1) and a member of the Commission, the conditions for retirement and invalidity of
officials and the conditions for retirement of Commission Members.

In addition the Commission draws the attention of the Honourable Member to Council Regulation
No 422/67/EEC, 5/67/Euratom of the Council of 25 July 1967 determining the emoluments of the
President and members of the Commission and of the President, Judges, Advocates-General and Registrar