WRITTEN QUESTION P-2064/00 by Luciana Sbarbati (ELDR) to the Commission. Role of consultancy firms and project monitoring in the implementation of the LIFE ‐ Nature programme.
Date: 2000-06-16
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU programme, environmental protection, self-employed person

C 72 E/174

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

6.3.2001

(2001/C 72 E/222)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2061/00

by Per Gahrton (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

Subject: Visa requirements in respect of Romania and Bulgaria

(30 June 2000)

Since the beginning of 2000, the Commission has been working on plans to end visa requirements in
respect of Bulgaria and Romania. Such a move would be an important step towards helping the two
countries develop in a more positive way and in particular indicate that the European Union does not
intend to continue to discriminate against European countries that are not Member States.

What has been the upshot of the Commission(cid:146)s proposal to the Member States that visa requirements in
the Commission continue its efforts to end
respect of Bulgaria and Romania be abolished? Will
discrimination against these two countries?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(27 July 2000)

On 26 January the Commission adopted a proposal for a Council Regulation listing the third countries
whose nationals must be in possession of visas when crossing the external borders and those whose
nationals are exempt from that requirement (1). This proposal includes Bulgaria and Romania in the list of
countries whose nationals are exempt from the visa requirement.

The Commission proposal has been sent to the Council and to the European Parliament for examination in
accordance with the relevant procedures.

(1) COM(2000) 27 final.

(2001/C 72 E/223)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2064/00

by Luciana Sbarbati (ELDR) to the Commission

(16 June 2000)

Subject: Role of consultancy firms and project monitoring in the implementation of the LIFE (cid:129) Nature

programme

According to the standard application form for LIFE (cid:129) Nature projects, the Commission is assisted by
external consultancy groups in monitoring projects and ascertaining the formal and administrative
correctness of proposals. The consultancy firms cannot provide assistance in devising a project or be
involved in the institutional or financial preparation of a projects and must provide guarantees of
transparency and impartiality in order to be able to carry out their work properly.,

Can the Commission specify:

(cid:129) what requirements consultancy firms must meet in order to be declared suitable to draw up a contract

for implementing the LIFE (cid:129) Nature programme;

(cid:129) what role a consultancy firm must play in compliance with the terms of the contract;

(cid:129) whether it is the task of the consultancy firm to express opinions on the strategies and aims of the

measures carried out as part of the projects;

(cid:129) what costs should be considered justified for the purposes of such contracts?

Can the Commission also say whether those in charge of a consultancy firm may have contacts with or
hold strategic positions in companies or bodies benefiting under LIFE (cid:129) Nature projects?

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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Finally, can the Commission say what steps will be taken to ensure compliance with the principles of
equity and transparency vis-(cid:224)-vis all those taking part in the LIFE (cid:129) Nature programme?

Answer given by Mrs Wallstr(cid:246)m on behalf of the Commission

(11 July 2000)

The external LIFE-Nature groups appointed to assist the Commission are selected on the basis of a public
invitation to tender. The qualifications required concern, amongst other things, professional experience,
scientific competence, the composition of the group and its linguistic knowledge, and its independence in
relation to proposers.

According to the contract, the consultant assists the Commission in its contacts with the proposers and the
administrations during the phase of presentation of the requests for financial support. It provides,
if
necessary, complementary technical and scientific information useful for the evaluation of the projects
presented. It follows the implementation of each project (analysis of the measures implemented, technical
advice on each activity report produced by the beneficiary, a biannual detailed follow-up, and at the end of
each project an assessment of the results of the project in comparison with the initial objectives). The
consultant also provides a permanent interface between the Commission, the beneficiaries, the national
administrations and the local communities and advises the beneficiaries on the preparation of
the
documents to submit to the Commission. Finally it encourages the exchange of experience between
projects.

The external consultants deliver their opinions to the Commission, which then has to decide what attitude
to take with regard to the projects concerned (e.g. making payments, requesting additional information or
adjusting project aims). Justified outgoings of the external groups are chiefly staff costs and mission
expenses.

The external groups and their staff are required to maintain strict independence vis-(cid:224)-vis LIFE-Nature
beneficiaries. They may neither accept any payment from them nor hold a position of influence on their
management boards, even in a voluntary capacity.

The Commission does its best to ensure equal treatment for LIFE-Nature project proposers, as far as the
available human resources allow. For example, the LIFE-nature information and training sessions held in
the Member States are open to all, the Commission and the external groups do not respond to any request
for information on the eligibility or the quality of a proposal under consideration and they do not accept
any invitation to the site of a project before the Commission has taken its co-financing decision.

(2001/C 72 E/224)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2065/00

by Vitaliano Gemelli (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(16 June 2000)

Subject: Recognition of qualifications

The recognition of qualifications in the EU by the Member States is an issue of great importance which has
a direct impact on citizens and restricts their right to freedom of movement and establishment for
purposes of work.

Can the Commission therefore say:

(cid:129) whether it is possible to devise a Commission initiative to establish a (cid:145)European professional qualifying
examination(cid:146) based on a single curriculum, with examination subjects laid down for each profession
with the assistance of all the Member States, to be held regularly and simultaneously in all the
countries, for the purposes of defining a (cid:145)legal status for European professionals(cid:146) accepted throughout
the Union?

(cid:129) The qualification could be issued without restriction or could be subject to a periodically determined
set number of successful candidates, if it is considered necessary to make it subject to the demand on
the labour market, on the basis of an analysis.