WRITTEN QUESTION P-0134/00 by Joost Lagendijk (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Influencing of staff of DG XX (Financial Control) during inquiries by the European Court of Auditors.
Date: 2000-01-20
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU control, European Commission, European official, budgetary control, confidentiality, freedom of expression

3.10.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 280 E/181

Neither the conclusions of the European Council in Cologne nor the conclusions of the European Council
in Helsinki
include the implementation of a European Employment Policy within the mandate of the
conference of representatives of the governments of the Member States which shall be called to amend the
Treaties.

(2000/C 280 E/208)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0125/00

by Neil MacCormick (Verts/ALE) to the Council

(31 January 2000)

Subject: Arms exports

Is the Council aware that restraints on arms exports to countries such as Sudan are being evaded through
licensing of arms manufacture to third country producers?

What steps will the Council take about this?

Reply

(16 March 2000)

The problem referred to by the Honourable Member has not been placed before the Council. However, the
subject of arms brokering is currently being examined within the Council(cid:146)s subordinate bodies.

(2000/C 280 E/209)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0134/00

by Joost Lagendijk (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(20 January 2000)

Subject: Influencing of staff of DG XX (Financial Control) during inquiries by the European Court of

Auditors

The web page of (cid:145)Renouveau & Democratie(cid:146) includes the following questions to the Commission:

(cid:129) Is it true that prior to checks by the European Court of Auditors on the DG for Financial Control the

management of the DG distributes a list of possible questions and suggested answers?

(cid:129) Is it true that staff are asked to report to management on the substance of the talks they have with the

Court of Auditors?

If the answers are in the affirmative can the Commission answer these questions:

(cid:129) what were the (cid:145)standard questions and suggested answers(cid:146)?

(cid:129) does the Commission agree that this procedure is an impediment to proper checks by the Court of

Auditors since it is impossible for staff to answer entirely freely?

(cid:129) what action does the Commission intend to take in response to this procedure, and when?

Answer given by Mrs Schreyer on behalf of the Commission

(7 March 2000)

The list of questions which was distributed was not (cid:145)possible questions(cid:146) but, at the request of the Court of
Auditors, a questionnaire prepared by the audit team of the Court of Auditors. Also, what was put on the
Intranet of DG Financial Control (cid:129) to be used as a basis for obtaining information (cid:129) were not (cid:145)suggested
answers(cid:146) but the answers to the same questionnaire by a unit of DG Financial Control.

C 280 E/182

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

3.10.2000

Yes, the staff is required to report to management the substance of the talks they have with the Court of
Auditors.

The Commission must preserve the confidentiality of the work of the Court of Auditors.

No, because the staff had and has both the duty to answer fully the requests or questions presented by the
Court of Auditors and the freedom to express their opinion to the Court of Auditors in writing or orally.

No action is required.

(2000/C 280 E/210)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0135/00

by Gerhard Hager (NI) to the Council

(31 January 2000)

Subject: Progress in setting-up the European Police College

At the Tampere summit, the European Council decided to establish a European Police College, in the form
of a network of existing national training institutes.

1.

How far have the actual plans for establishing this European Police College progressed?

2. Within what timeframe is setting up of the college being planned and when is it to start work?

3. What will be the precise scope of the College(cid:146)s activities, and what tasks is it to undertake beyond
coordinating the national training systems?

4.

How large a staff will be required in the Council(cid:146)s view?

5. What expenditure will be involved?

Reply

(28 March 2000)

On 14 December 1999 the Committee referred to in Article 36 of the TEU decided to commission a
preliminary study on the future network of European Police Colleges. The General Secretariat of the
Council of the European Union is currently carrying out that study. It will be examined by the Article 36
Committee on 28 and 29 February 2000.

Once the preliminary study has been examined, the next step will be to determine how the network design
that is generally supported by the Member States is to be implemented in detail. The Finnish Presidency set
1 January 2001 as the target for the network to start operating.

A detailed description of the network(cid:146)s activities will be provided at a later stage. The tasks assigned to the
network are currently expected to go beyond those now covered by the Association of European Police
Colleges (AEPC).

No precise information regarding staff requirements will be available until the preliminary study, or even
the second study, has been completed.

Precise information about the network(cid:146)s financial requirements is not yet available.