WRITTEN QUESTION E-1628/00 by Jonathan Evans (PPE-DE) to the Council. HRP Refrigerants Ltd ‐ imminent adoption of new Regulation to replace Regulation 3093/94 on substances that deplete the ozone layer ‐ HCFC import quota.
Date: 2000-06-09
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: chemical product, import policy, import restriction, job cuts, refrigeration industry, stratospheric pollution

C 81 E/62

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

13.3.2001

(2001/C 81 E/073)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1624/00

by Paul R(cid:252)big (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(29 May 2000)

Subject: Austrians at the European Commission

Austria has been a member of the European Union for the last five years. A few Austrians have moved to
the Commission in that period. However it appears that Austria, which accounts for 2,15 % of the EU(cid:146)s
total population and makes a disproportionately high contribution to the EU budget (2,65 % of the total),
provides only 1,93 % of the top officials at the Commission. This 1,93 % figure amounts to 127 posts,
which suggests that Austria is under-represented on the Commission staff.

Is the Commission aware of this state of affairs, and if so, are any other countries in addition to Austria
similarly under-represented in relation to the size of their population and their contribution to the EC
budget?

What does the Commission intend to do in future to make up this shortfall or to ensure that similar
situations do not arise in future?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(19 July 2000)

According to the most recent official figures (28 April 2000), there are 200 officials of Austrian nationality
in the A grades of the Commission, i.e. 2,3 % of all A officials. Among these, 2 were A1(cid:146)s (out of a total of
54, i.e. 3,7 %) and 6 were A2(cid:146)s (out of a total of 195, i.e. 3,08 %).

Of the 15 Member States 5 have a proportion of A grade officials that is lower than their share of the total
Community population. Germany has 12,4 % of A officials and 21,8 % of Community population; Spain
has 9,5 % of A officials and 10,5 % of Community population; France has 13 % of A officials and 15,8 % of
Community population; UK has 11 % of A officials and 15,8 % of Community population; Italy has 12 %
of A officials and 15,3 % of total Community population.

The Commission is bound by Article 27 of the Staff Regulations to recruit (cid:145)officials of the highest standard
of ability, efficiency and integrity on the broadest possible geographical basis from among nationals of
Member States of the Communities.(cid:146) Promotion takes place after consideration of the comparative merits
of officials who are eligible (Article 45 of the Staff Regulations). The Commission will continue to respect
these provisions fully.

(2001/C 81 E/074)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1628/00

by Jonathan Evans (PPE-DE) to the Council

(9 June 2000)

Subject: HRP Refrigerants Ltd (cid:129) imminent adoption of new Regulation to replace Regulation 3093/94 on

substances that deplete the ozone layer (cid:129) HCFC import quota

The Council and the European Parliament are soon to adopt a new regulation to replace Regulation 3093/
94 (1) on substances that deplete the ozone layer. The new regulation will bring about a change in the way
in which HCFC import quotas will be allocated. From 1 January 2001 the total available import quota will
be shared out between individual
importers in the same proportions as their market shares in 1996
(Article 4(3)(i)(h)). As a result, with effect from the end of this year, those companies which started
importing HCFCs after 1996 will be arbitrarily deprived of their quota. This could result in job losses
across the EU. It will result in unnecessary interference in the HCFC market and may be a breach of EC
law. Reliance on 1996 as the reference year will put jobs needlessly at risk and could result in claims

13.3.2001

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 81 E/63

against the European Community for damages. The reference year should be the most recent year for
which market figures are available. Using 1999 as the reference year instead of 1996 would not result in
any diminution in the level of environmental protection afforded by the regulation.

I have been informed that, in 1999, 32 companies from almost every Member State of the European
Union were allocated import quotas by the European Commission. Only five of those companies imported
HCFCs in 1996. HRP Regrigerants Ltd. (HRPR), an SMU based in South Wales, distributed EU-produced
HCFCs in 1996 but did not import any HCFCs that year. HRPR was allocated an import quota by the
European Commission in 1998, 1999 and 2000. As the new regulation is currently worded, HRPR is one
of some 27 companies which will be deprived of its HCFC import quota from the end of 2000.

What is the Council doing to resolve this problem as a matter of urgency and to ensure that European
Community legislation enables the Commission to allocate HCFC import quotas in the future without
infringing the rights of EU-based businesses?

(1) OJ L 333, 22.12.1994, p. 1.

Reply

(10 October 2000)

The Commission has announced that it will soon submit a proposal which will address a number of these
issues. This proposal will be examined by the Council and the European Parliament.

(2001/C 81 E/075)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1630/00

by Avril Doyle (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(29 May 2000)

Subject: Need for a bank guarantee in order to receive certain EU funding

The Mid-South Roscommon Rural Development Co. has run two successful Leader-funded pilot projects in
the past four years, one of which was the Roscommon Home Services cooperative. The Roscommon
Home Services cooperative was awarded further funding under the (cid:145)Innovative Actions for Women in
Agriculture and Rural Areas(cid:146) (one of 30 from about 400 aplicants) in December 1999 (1). This funding is
being withheld as they cannot provide a bank guarantee. Since the cooperative is a not-for-profit
organisation that does not own any assets, banks in Ireland are unwilling to provide such a guarantee.

Would the Commission reconsider its refusal to release the funding, bearing in mind that:

(cid:129) the group in question is proven, innovative and successful project team with a history of reliable
financial control (having been approved for financial assistance on a number of occasions by the
European Commission)

(cid:129) many people in the surrounding rural area are becoming increasingly dependent on their services

(cid:129) the group is unable to obtain a guarantee as a result essentially of its legal definition and not of its

financial management capacity.

(1) Project No Arinco No 99 IE 06002 (cid:129) (Roscommon Home Services).