WRITTEN QUESTION E-1333/00 by Daniel Hannan (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Commissioners' cabinets.
Date: 2000-05-04
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Commissioner, European civil service, pay, tax

13.3.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 81 E/27

The new Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 May 2000 offers all Community
manufacturers the option of adding 5 % vegetable fats other than cocoa-butter, but it limits this option to
the following fats: illipe butter, palm oil, sal butter, Shea butter, kakum grugi and mango nut. These
vegetable fats are also commonly used in the manufacture of many other food products.

It must be stressed that the traders themselves are primarily responsible for food safety. They must ensure
that the product they place on the market poses no risk to consumer health. The competent authorities for
their part are responsible for vetting how the manufacturers comply with their responsibilities, through the
operation of national monitoring and inspection systems.

Up to now the Commission has not been informed of any such health concerns; if the Commission were
to be informed of evidence of a risk to human health from vegetal fat used in food products (which would
probably not be limited to chocolate products) it could consult the Scientific Committee.

(1) OJ L 228, 16.8.1973.

(2001/C 81 E/030)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1333/00

by Daniel Hannan (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(4 May 2000)

Subject: Commissioners(cid:146) cabinets

Further to its reply to Written Question E-0254/00 (1), will the Commission indicate the individual salaries
of members of each cabinet and the tax rates paid?

(1) OJ C 374 E, 28.12.2000, p. 46.

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(30 June 2000)

A table indicating, by grades, the distribution of staff (officials and temporary agents) in the current
Commission(cid:146)s cabinets is being sent directly to the Honourable Member and to Parliament(cid:146)s Secretariat.
As the Honourable Member will understand, for reasons of data protection it is legally not possible to
publish the exact amount of salary in connection with the name of specific officials.

All Cabinet staff are paid in accordance with the salary scale of the Staff Regulations (officials or other
servants). Full details of remuneration (including allowances, taxes and pensions) were provided in the the
Commission(cid:146)s answer to Written Question E-2360/99 from Mr. Casaca (1) in January of this year. That
answer includes a reference to a list of examples sent directly to the Honourable Member and to
Parliament(cid:146)s Secretariat. Further information on the different allowances can be obtained from the
Commission(cid:146)s answer in December last to Written Question E-2045/99 from Mr Titford (2).

As in the case of all officials and other servants of the European Institutions, the basic salary of the
members of the cabinets is subject to a progressive tax. The maximum marginal tax rate is 45 %, and a
temporary contribution of 5,83 % of a part of the salary is also levied.

The social security contributions which personnel are obliged to pay under the Staff Regulations are for
pension: 8,25 % of the basic salary, illness: 1,7 % of the basic salary, accident: 0,1 % of the basic salary, and
unemployment (for the temporary personnel): 0,4 % of the basic salary.

(1) OJ C 303 E, 24.10.2000, p. 53.
(2) OJ C 219 E, 1.8.2000, p. 76.