WRITTEN QUESTION E-0509/01 by Charles Tannock (PPE-DE), Philip Bushill-Matthews (PPE-DE), Den Dover (PPE-DE), Jacqueline Foster (PPE-DE), Christopher Heaton-Harris (PPE-DE), Roger Helmer (PPE-DE), Bashir Khanbhai (PPE-DE), Neil Parish (PPE-DE), Robert Sturdy (PPE-DE) and Theresa Villiers (PPE-DE) to the Commission. The role of the Economic and Social Committee and the prioritising of expenditures within the European Union.
Date: 2001-02-22
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Economic and Social Committee, financing, operation of the Institutions

C 340 E/40

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

4.12.2001

and reports on the state of discussions in the Council or in one of its preparatory bodies ((cid:145)outcomes of
proceedings(cid:146)), excluding Legal Service opinions and contributions.

It should be noted that under this Decision a Member State may request the General Secretariat not to
make available to the public a document emanating from that Member State.

This decision by the Council will prejudge neither the application of Council Decision 93/731/EC nor the
content of the act concerning the general principles and limits governing the right of access to documents
which has to be adopted pursuant to Article 255(2) of the Treaty establishing the European Community.

(2001/C 340 E/045)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0509/01

by Charles Tannock (PPE-DE), Philip Bushill-Matthews (PPE-DE),
Den Dover (PPE-DE), Jacqueline Foster (PPE-DE), Christopher Heaton-Harris (PPE-DE),
Roger Helmer (PPE-DE), Bashir Khanbhai (PPE-DE), Neil Parish (PPE-DE),
Robert Sturdy (PPE-DE) and Theresa Villiers (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(22 February 2001)

Subject: The role of the Economic and Social Committee and the prioritising of expenditures within the

European Union

Can the Commission state what role it sees the Economic and Social Committee (Ecosoc) as having now
that the European Parliament is directly elected, and whether it believes that the continued expenditure of
hundreds of millions of euros of taxpayers(cid:146) money on the Committee is justified and likely to command
the support of the European taxpayer if knowledge of these levels of expenditure was better publicised?

In particular, in view of Commission President Prodi(cid:146)s statement last year to the effect that the European
Commission needed more funds to carry out its core tasks and the Commission(cid:146)s refusal at the end of last
year to take on certain new tasks until it had received additional funds, does the Commission feel that if it
cannot find funds through elimination of wasteful expenditure within the Commission that it should
suggest to the Member States that they agree to wind down the Economic and Social Committee and use
part of the savings (including, where appropriate, the transfer of staff from Ecosoc) to pay for the
additional tasks which the Commission may in the future be asked to carry out?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(10 April 2001)

The Commission takes the view that, pursuant to the Treaty of Rome and its successive amendments, the
Economic and Social Committee (ESC) is an institutional body with advisory status whose role has not
changed as a result of direct elections to Parliament. Furthermore, under the Treaty of Nice, the Committee
is defined as a body consisting of representatives of the various economic and social components of
organised civil society.

Its operational costs are justified by virtue of its consultation role, which is compulsory where the Treaty
so provides; the Committee may also be consulted by Parliament. The relevant expenditure forms part of
the Community budget, which is in the public domain.

The Commission is in the process of reorganising its expenditure priorities in the light of the strategic
objectives contained in its programme. It has no intention of financing its new tasks from any savings
made through cutbacks to the activities of the other institutions or institutional bodies, including the ESC.