WRITTEN QUESTION E-2123/00 by Camilo Nogueira Román (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Violation of the principles of equality, openness, and non-discrimination in the recruitment of employees to work for the Mondariz (Pontevedra, Galicia) Municipal Rapid Action Task Force, partly financed by the European Social Fund.
Date: 2000-06-30
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Social Fund, Galicia, Spain, application of EU law, competence of the Member States, job access, local employment initiative, sexual discrimination

20.2.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 53 E/201

(2001/C 53 E/262)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2123/00

by Camilo Nogueira RomÆn (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(30 June 2000)

Subject: Violation of the principles of equality, openness, and non-discrimination in the recruitment of
employees to work for the Mondariz (Pontevedra, Galicia) Municipal Rapid Action Task Force,
partly financed by the European Social Fund

Under the regional and local cooperation programmes financed by the European Social Fund, intended to
provide a basis on which to draw up jointly funded job creation programmes at those levels, the Council
for the Promotion of Employment, the Family, Women, and Youth, a body established under the authority
of the Governing Council of Galicia, has endorsed the programme for cooperation with social forces, and,
under that agreement, the municipal rapid action task forces (GMIRs) have come into being.

As part of the above cooperation, and beginning in 1997, the Mondariz (Pontevedra, Galicia) Municipal
Council entered into an agreement with the Governing Council of Galicia with a view to recruiting
12 employees to work for the GMIR. The vacancies as advertised in 1997, 1998, and 1999 did not satisfy
the basic principles of openness and equality, because the recruitment criteria observed were entirely a
matter for the discretion of Mondariz Council and quite different from those laid down by the Governing
Council of the Autonomous Community of Galicia. One cause for particular suspicion was the fact that,
according to their entries in the register of the National Institute for Employment, the 12 employees
recruited were qualified municipal rapid action task force (cid:145)specialists(cid:146), a qualification which,
though
unknown to most of
to the posts concerned. These
the candidates, was required for recruitment
recruitment criteria are contrary to the guidelines laid down at the extraordinary Luxembourg European
Council on employment, held in November 1997, which call for equal opportunities policies to be applied
to every employment sector (and not least in the selection of bodies to receive contributions from
European funds). Furthermore, the recruitment of the employees in question, who to date have all been
men, contravenes the principle of non-discrimination on the grounds of sex.

The Commission should ensure compliance with the requirements laid down when financial support is
granted under the European Social Fund. Will it request the Galician Governing Council to explain the lack
of supervision and the arbitrary nature of the criteria observed in the Mondariz Municipal Council
recruitment procedures?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(27 July 2000)

The question raised by the Honourable Member relates to the management of projects cofinanced by the
European Social Fund (ESF). In the context of Community legislation, and in conformity with the principle
of subsidiarity, the management of projects is a matter for the Member States.

The Commission does not at present have sufficient information to be able to provide an answer. It will
seek the necessary information from the Spanish authorities and, as soon as the informataion has been
received, will forward it to the Honourable Member.

(2001/C 53 E/263)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2126/00

by Roberto Bigliardo (TDI) to the Commission

(30 June 2000)

Subject: Misuse of EU funding in Basilicata (cid:129) Petition 47/96

Dott. Giovanni De Blasis, head of the legislative office of Basilicata Regional Council, submitted a petition
on the misuse of Community funding intended for vocational training, which was entered in the general
register under number 47/96.

On 26 June 1999 the EP(cid:146)s Committee on Petitions deemed the issues raised by Dott. De Blasiis (cid:145)admissible(cid:146)
and started examination of the petition, deciding at the same time to ask the Commission to state its views
on various aspects of the problem.

Can the Commission say what the outcome of its examination was and, if it reached some conclusion,
what steps it has taken?