WRITTEN QUESTION P-4107/00 by Luigi Cesaro (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Petty crime in the north of Naples.
Date: 2000-12-20
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Campania, EU financing, administrative cooperation, competence of the Member States, crime, fight against crime, urban area

C 187 E/136

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

3.7.2001

3. Does the Memorandum constitute a firm and final commitment by the Commission to bear the cost

of renovation?

4. What arrangements has the Commission made to monitor the work and the related costs?

5. Can you explain the 2,5 billion BEF difference between the 1997 estimate and the current estimate?

6. According to the Memorandum, the Commission(cid:146)s sole interlocutor is the Belgian Government; what
is the nature of the relationship between the Commission and the (cid:145)RØgie des B(cid:226)timents(cid:146) and SA
Berlaymont 2000?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(20 February 2001)

The Commission would like to stipulate that:

1.

Following the referring of relevant documents to the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), the Office
opened an investigation on 5 December 2000. The Office is independent and, whilst the Commission
is confident of the thoroughness of the work of the Office, the Commission is not in a position to
forecast when the results of OLAF inquiries will be made known.

2. On the initiative of the Commission, negotiations are being held on a follow-up to the terms of the
Memorandum of Understanding with the Belgian government and Berlaymont 2000. Agreement at
the earliest possible time is desirable but clearly all parties would have to be satisfied with the
conclusions and it is therefore not possible to specify a date for that at this juncture.

3. The Memorandum of Understanding constitutes an agreement between parties. The failure to fulfil the
agreement by one of the parties can, under certain conditions, be invoked by the other contracting
party as justification for the suspension or abrogation of its own obligations. The Memorandum does
not oblige the Commission to take over the Berlaymont at any cost. It confirms the Commission(cid:146)s
intention to reoccupy the building if the works are brought to a satisfactory conclusion.

4. According to the Memorandum, SA Berlaymont 2000 is the sole body responsible for bringing the
project to a proper completion. The Commission has, in addition to charging its internal adminis-
trative structures with the technical follow-up of the works and the related costs, concluded external
quantity surveying and technical assistance contracts with two firms, Ernst & Young/MDA and with
Coalpa.

5. The Commission is currently examining all elements relating to the cost of the renovation including
an external audit of all contracts signed. Consequently the Commission cannot yet make a final
comprehensive assessment of the cost estimate made by SA Berlaymont. However, it is already clear
that a major reason for delays and subsequent additional costs is the contractual problem SA
Berlaymont 2000 has with the (cid:145)4D(cid:146) consortium which was to have provided the installation of
heating, ventilation and air conditioning.

6. The relations which the Commission maintains with the (cid:145)RØgie des b(cid:226)timents(cid:146) and especially with SA
Berlaymont 2000 are limited to the technical and financial monitoring of the renovation. All matters
of political relevance are currently being discussed with Mr Rik DAEMS, the Belgian Minister for
Telecommunications, Public Works and Public Participations.

(2001/C 187 E/145)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-4107/00

by Luigi Cesaro (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(20 December 2000)

Subject: Petty crime in the north of Naples

In view of the recent rise in petty urban crime in the north of Naples, which has seen an alarming increase
in the need for (cid:145)D-I-Y(cid:146) justice (three robbers beaten to death in self-defence within the space of a few days
in Villaricca, Grumo Nevano and Villa Literno),

3.7.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 187 E/137

can the Commission say:

1. whether it is aware of this escalation in violence and killings in the area mentioned?

2. whether it is aware of the fact that most of the local communities in the Neapolitan hinterland (cid:129)
in a highly built-up area (cid:129) still have neither
communities each with over 30 000 residents,
a carabinieri (military police) barracks or a police station, whereas in fact technologically advanced
special security measures should be adopted in order to ensure a greater level of control over the area?

3. whether, at this stage, it still considers that the strategies to combat petty urban crime adopted to date

at both Community and national levels are working?

4. whether it therefore considers it useful to support and propose a system for exchanging experience

and good practice in the field of prevention?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(20 February 2001)

The events referred to in the Honourable Member(cid:146)s question have not been brought to the Commission(cid:146)s
attention, although it is aware that the situation in some parts of the Naples conurbation continues to give
cause for concern in spite of the efforts of the local and national authorities. At the recent Forum for
Security and Democracy, held in Naples on 7, 8 and 9 December 2000, the Italian State Secretary for
Security, the President of the Campania region and the Mayor of Naples referred to the difficulties
encountered in combating crime in all its forms in that part of Italy.

Nor is the Commission familiar with the detailed organisational arrangements for policing the areas
referred to by the Honourable Member. These arrangements do not fall within the Commission(cid:146)s remit but
are a matter for the Italian authorities.

But strategies to combat urban petty crime now form a major part of the Union(cid:146)s justice and home affairs
policy. As the Honourable Member is aware, the prevention priorities laid down by the 1999 Tampere
juvenile and drug-related crime. It was also decided at Tampere to
European Council included urban,
encourage networking and exchanges of good practice between crime prevention bodies. Several initiatives
have been launched since then with a view to putting this into practice.
In December 2000 the
Commission presented a communication on crime prevention (1) and a proposal for a decision establishing
a programme of incentives and exchanges known as (cid:145)Hippocrates(cid:146) (1). At the same time, France and Sweden
presented a proposal for a decision establishing a European crime prevention network, which is currently
being examined by the Council. Parliament will be consulted on these texts pursuant to Article 39 TEU.

(1) COM(2000) 786 final.

(2001/C 187 E/146)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4109/00

by Ilka Schr(cid:246)der (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(11 January 2001)

Subject: Annual report of the EMCDDA (cid:129) (cid:145)pill testing(cid:146)

The annual report of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction refers on page 9 to
(cid:145)pill testing(cid:146). The procedure is also known as (cid:145)drug checking(cid:146). It is used in Austria, the Netherlands and
Germany, for instance. The Centre says that the implementation of these preventive measures is becoming
more professional.