WRITTEN QUESTION E-0932/01 by Jonas Sjöstedt (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Commission sponsoring of Generation Europe.
Date: 2001-03-28
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, newspaper, promotion of the European idea

C 340 E/128

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

4.12.2001

With regard to the second question, it is sufficient to state that the Council remains firm about the EU-
reduction targets set in Kyoto. As has been repeatedly stated by the Council, the reduction will be brought
about by policies and measures both at the Community- and the national levels, and in accordance with
the EU(cid:146)s burdensharing agreement, matters which are currently discussed within the Council, with
particular regard to the ongoing discussions within the framework of the IPCCC.

(2001/C 340 E/145)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0929/01

by Jonas Sj(cid:246)stedt (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(28 March 2001)

Subject: Transfer of Brix Knudsen

Brix Knudsen, a Commission official, was Director of UCLAF. He was personally attacked by certain
commissioners during the debate on fraud in the ECHO projects in Bosnia. Brix Knudsen is no longer
director of UCLAF but is now a director with non-active status. Was he moved because of the criticisms of
him by certain commissioners during the discussion of the ECHO scandal?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(27 June 2001)

Mr Brix Knudsen was appointed a Director in the Anti-Fraud Coordination Unit (UCLAF) in October 1993.
OLAF (the European Anti Fraud Office) was established by Regulation in 1999 and became operational on
1 June. Mr Knudsen continued to serve as a Director in the new body until the end of May 2000, thus
ensuring a smooth hand over of responsibilities to the Director General of OLAF, who had been appointed
on 1 March of the same year.

In June 2000, at his own request, Mr Knudsen was appointed as a Principal Advisor (cid:145)Ad Personam(cid:146) to the
Director General of Administration (DG ADMIN). He subsequently applied for, and was appointed to, the
post of Director in the Directorate General for EuropeAid Co-operation Office (AIDCO) in January 2001.

The Commission(cid:146)s appointment of Mr Knudsen as Director in DG AIDCO was solely based on the
requirements of the vacant post and the qualifications of the successful applicant. The term (cid:145)non-active
status(cid:146) used by the Honourable Member is clearly not relevant or accurate.

(2001/C 340 E/146)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0932/01

by Jonas Sj(cid:246)stedt (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

Subject: Commission sponsoring of Generation Europe

(28 March 2001)

How much was spent, and under what budget headings, in sponsoring Generation Europe in 1998, 1999
and 2000, and what will be the size of the sponsorship contribution for 2001?

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(16 May 2001)

(cid:145)Generation Europe(cid:146) is an organisation which has received subsidies from the Commission for producing
a school diary.

4.12.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 340 E/129

The subsidies awarded by the Commission by way of sponsorship for this diary have been as follows:

(cid:129) 1998/1999 academic year: € 32 000 (budget heading B3300; commitment introduced in 1998 by the
Directorate-General for Information, Communication, Culture and Audiovisual Media, formerly DG X);

(cid:129) 1999/2000 academic year: € 38 000 (budget heading B3306; commitment introduced in 1999 by the

Directorate-General for Education and Culture);

(cid:129) 2000/2001 academic year: as no call

for proposals was issued as part of the activities of the
Directorate-General for Press and Communication, no subsidy was awarded from the 2000 budget,
nor will any be awarded by that Directorate-General from the 2001 budget.

(2001/C 340 E/147)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0937/01

by Jonas Sj(cid:246)stedt (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

Subject: Publication of the Lowe report on the ECHO fraud

(28 March 2001)

It is in the general
interest that the report drawn up by Philip Lowe, a senior Commission official,
concerning the irregularities at ECHO in respect of the three projects involving contracts with Messrs.
Perry Lux, in which large sums of money disappeared, be published.

When will the Commission be publishing this report and why has it not yet been published?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(11 June 2001)

The report by Mr Lowe was drawn up for the purposes of an administrative investigation that was initiated
in order to clarify all the possible responsibilities for certain alleged actions and,
the
regularity of specific contracts signed by the Commission for financing humanitarian actions.

in particular,

The Commission grants very broad access to information to Parliament in order to ensure transparency
and openness. However, as already pointed out in the framework of the 1998 discharge procedure (1) two
exceptions to this access require and justify confidentiality. The first concerns sensitive reports on
administrative investigations which may lead to other procedures, and the second concerns detailed
minutes of the disciplinary board.

Mr Lowe(cid:146)s report necessarily contained references that have direct implications for individual rights. It
must, therefore, remain confidential and cannot be published.

(1) Statement by the Member of the Commission responsible for the budget in the plenary debates on 11 April 2000.

(2001/C 340 E/148)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0948/01

by Christopher Huhne (ELDR) to the Commission

(28 March 2001)

Subject: Use of alkyphenols

1. Will the Commission indicate the current position on restrictions on the use of alkyphenols in EU
legislation and in the national laws of the Member States?

Is the Commission aware that alkyphenols are used in industrial detergents, spermicidal lubricants

2.
and pesticide sprays and are known hormone disrupters?