WRITTEN QUESTION E-2455/99 by Lousewies van der Laan (ELDR) to the Commission. Mismanagement at the Energy Charter Secretariat.
Date: 1999-12-16
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Energy Charter

C 219 E/168

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

1.8.2000

(2000/C 219 E/214)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2455/99

by Lousewies van der Laan (ELDR) to the Commission

Subject: Mismanagement at the Energy Charter Secretariat

(16 December 1999)

The European Commission was present at the meeting of the Energy Charter Conference on 30 July 1999,
when the Conference Chairman, Mr Christophersen, drew attention to the serious malfunctioning of the
Secretariat, as outlined in the Arthur D. Little report commissioned by his predecessor, Ambassador
Rutten. The European Commission is a signatory to the Energy Charter and, as such, should be concerned
to ensure its effective implementation.
through contributions in kind
(providing meeting and translation facilities).

It has assisted the Secretariat

1. What steps has the Commission undertaken since that meeting to ensure that the situation is
resolved as a matter of urgency?

2. What will the Commission do to ensure that such a situation will not recur?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(17 January 2000)

The Commission would inform the Honourable Member that it is not a signatory to the Energy Charter
Treaty. Signatories or contracting parties to the Energy Charter Treaty are the Communities and their
fifteen Member States.

The Communities are represented in the Energy Charter by the Commission and the Presidency of the
Union.

from the Union,

On a proposal
the Energy Charter Conference supported by its Chairman,
Mr Christophersen, decided on 7 December 1999 by consensus to replace the Secretary General,
Mr Sch(cid:252)tterle (Germany) as of 1 January 2000 by Mrs Kemper (Germany) for four years with an option
for an additional period of two years.

(2000/C 219 E/215)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2460/99

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(16 December 1999)

Subject: The Commission(cid:146)s attitude towards the (cid:145)European Museum(cid:146) project

At the (cid:145)Museum for Europe(cid:146) symposium on 21 and 22 October, which was attended by Commission
President Romano Prodi, a number of politicians promised their support for a museum in the European
Parliament. The cost price is estimated at BEF 1 billion, of which Parliament, the Belgian Federation and
the private sector would each pay one third. The historical starting point of the permanent exhibition is
Charlemagne(cid:146)s empire

Is the Commission aware of

the initiative by vzw Museum van Europa (non-profit making
1.
organisation (cid:145)Museum of Europe(cid:146)) to house a museum on the premises of the European Parliament,
which is what may be concluded from the Commission President(cid:146)s presence at the symposium? If so, when
was the Commission informed of this project, by whom and how?

2.

(a) What objectives has vzw Museum van Europa made known to the Commission concerning the
construction of the museum and what is on display in it?

(b) Who, in the opinion of vzw Museum van Europa, is responsible for the way in which the museum is

managed and organised?