WRITTEN QUESTION E-2628/99 by Francesco Speroni (TDI), Umberto Bossi (TDI) and Gian Gobbo (TDI) to the Commission. Participation of the President of the Commission, Romano Prodi, in the Italian election campaign.
Date: 2000-01-12
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Italy, President of the Commission, election campaign, freedom of expression, freedom of opinion, political figure, political morality

C 225 E/138

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

8.8.2000

(2000/C 225 E/148)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2459/99

by Antonio Tajani (PPE-DE), Giorgio Lisi (PPE-DE), Raffaele Costa (PPE-DE),
Mario Mauro (PPE-DE), Stefano Zappal(cid:224) (PPE-DE), Raffaele Fitto (PPE-DE),
Renato Brunetta (PPE-DE), Enrico Ferri (PPE-DE) and Amalia Sartori (PPE-DE)
to the Commission

(16 December 1999)

Subject: Incompatibility between the role of President of

the Commission and election campaigning

activities

On 15 November 1999 the Italian newspaper (cid:145)Il Messaggero(cid:146) published an article stating that the President
of the Commission, Romano Prodi, had personally taken part in the election campaign to support a certain
Mr Parisi, who is standing in the parliamentary elections for the 12th constituency (Bologna), which are set
to take place on 28 November.

Should this information be confirmed, does the President of the Commission not consider that this kind of
behaviour is in breach of the Treaty on European Union, and in particular of Article 213(2) (ex Article
157), according to which:
the
Community, be completely independent in the performance of their duties. In the performance of these
duties, they shall neither seek nor take instructions from any government or from any other body. They
shall refrain from any action incompatible with their duties. Each Member State undertakes to respect this
principle and not to seek to influence the Members of the Commission in the performance of their tasks(cid:146)?

the Commission shall,

(cid:145)the Members of

in the general

interest of

(2000/C 225 E/149)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2600/99

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(11 January 2000)

Subject: Participation by Commissioners in direct political action by the parties or electoral coalitions to

which they belong

In the past, Commissioners such as Neil Kinnock, Jacques Delors and Emma Bonino have played an active
role, while in office, in election campaigns and other political activities organised by the political parties to
which they belonged. On 26 November 1999 Romano Prodi, president of the Commission, took part in
the closing rally of Arturo Parisi(cid:146)s election campaign in Bologna, appearing on the dais and in effect
declaring his support for the candidate, as reported by the Italian press agencies Ansa, And Kronos, Dire
and Agi and on 27 November 1999 by various newspapers, starting with Resto del Carlino, which is
published in Bologna and distributed throughout the Emilia and Romagna regions.

Could the Commission state whether it considers that Commissioners should refrain, while in office, from
taking part in direct political action and electoral campaigns organised by their own parties or electoral
coalitions? Does it also agree that, by refraining from participating in direct political action organised by
the parties to which they belong, Members of the Commission would uphold their role as representatives
of all the citizens of the European Union?

(2000/C 225 E/150)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2628/99

by Francesco Speroni (TDI), Umberto Bossi (TDI) and Gian Gobbo (TDI)
to the Commission

(12 January 2000)

Subject: Participation of the President of the Commission, Romano Prodi, in the Italian election campaign

On Friday, 26 November 1999, the President of the Commission, Romano Prodi, participated in the final
meeting of the election campaign of the Olive Tree (centre-left) candidate for the Chamber of Deputies by-
election.

8.8.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 225 E/139

Other well-known members of the Italian coalition government, such as the Secretary of the Democratic
Left, Walter Veltroni, also took part in what was a political event forming part of an election campaign
during which Mr Prodi made statements supporting the Olive Tree candidate, Mr Parisi.

Does the Commission not believe that the participation of its members (and particularly its President,
1.
Mr Prodi) in events which are clearly part of an election campaign, as in the above case, is inappropriate?

2.
Does it not consider this conduct to be in breach of the letter and the spirit of Article 213(2) of the
Amsterdam Treaty, which stipulates that (cid:145)the Members of the Commission shall, in the general interest of
the Community, be completely independent in the performance of their duties(cid:146)?

Does Mr Prodi plan to participate in future election meetings of this kind in Italy, maybe of the other

3.
two coalitions?

Joint answer
to Written Questions E-2459/99, E-2600/99 and E-2628/99
given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(7 February 2000)

As the Commission has had frequent occasion to recall in reply to written and oral questions by Members
of Parliament (1), the Members of the Commission are politicians carrying out a political function, who,
while honouring the obligations imposed by this function, remain free to express their personal opinions
quite independently and on their own responsibility.

(1)

The Honourable Members are referred in particular to the answer by Mr Rey to Oral Question No 10/68 by
Mr Habib-Deloncle, and Commission answers to Written Questions No 44/83 by Mr Gendebien (cid:129) OJ C 197,
25.7.1983, No 1682/85 by Mr Vandemeulebroucke (cid:129) OJ C 55, 10.3.1986, E-1404/97 by Mr Pasty (cid:129) OJ C 391,
23.12.1997 and E-2617/98 by Mr Wibe (cid:129) OJ C 96, 8.4.1999.

(2000/C 225 E/151)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2468/99

by Daniela Raschhofer (NI) to the Commission

(16 December 1999)

Subject: Transposition of Directive 91/174/EEC

In 1997, the Austrian commercial beekeepers(cid:146) association lodged a complaint with the Commission
regarding failure to transpose Directive 91/174/EEC (1).

(cid:129) Has the Commission instituted inquiries in this connection?

(cid:129) Has Austria given an opinion on the matter?

(cid:129) Has the Commission completed its inquiries?

(cid:129) What is the outcome of the inquiries?

(1) OJ L 85, 5.4.1991, p. 37.

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(9 February 2000)

The Commission has in fact received a complaint from the (cid:214)sterreichischer Imkerbund denouncing the
fact that the regional authorities of Lower Austria, Carinthia and Styria have banned the keeping of
Buckfast bees and challenging the compatibility of these measures with Council Directive 91/174/EEC of
25 March 1991 laying down zootechnical and pedigree requirements for the marketing of pure-bred
animals and amending Directive 77/504/EEC and 90/245/EEC.