WRITTEN QUESTION E-0938/01 by Jonas Sjöstedt (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Faster payment of its bills by the Commission.
Date: 2001-03-28
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Commission, deadline for payment, invoicing

20.12.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 364 E/27

worldwide. In assessing progress toward the Habitat Agenda commitments and strategies, all Member
States of the United Nations were invited to prepare a report on national and local implementation of the
Habitat Agenda, reflecting the views of the government and of its partners. Therefore, it is not a matter of
renegotiating the Habitat Agenda but of complying with its paragraph 240 which states:

All partners of the Habitat Agenda, including local authorities, the private sector and communities,
should regularly monitor and evaluate their own performance in the implementation of the Habitat
Agenda through comparable human settlements and shelter indicators and documented best practices
(cid:133)

The Commission on Human Settlements acting as the preparatory committee for the special session of the
General Assembly for an overall review and appraisal of the implementation of the outcome of the United
Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) has decided to transmit the text of a draft
declaration on cities and other human settlements in the new millennium to the General Assembly at its
twenty-fifth special session for further consideration.

The European Union has contributed to this text during the last Prep Com (Nairobi 19-23 February 2001).
In particular, paragraph 30 of such draft declaration which specifically refers to paragraph 31 of the
Habitat Agenda on the role of the family states:

We reaffirm that the family is the basic unit of society and as such should be strengthened. It is
entitled to receive comprehensive protection and support. In different cultural, political and social
systems, various forms of the family exist. Marriage must be entered into with the free consent of the
intending spouses, and husband and wife should be equal partners. The rights, capabilities and
responsibilities of family members must be respected. Human settlements planning should take into
account the constructive role of the family in the design, development and management of such
settlements. Society should facilitate, as appropriate, all necessary conditions for its integration,
reunification, preservation, improvement, and protection within adequate shelter, and with access to
basic services and a sustainable livelihood.

This language has been agreed by all Member States, nevertheless negotiations are still ongoing, as the
Prepcom II decided to hold a two days of intersessional negotiations on 4 and 5 June in New York,
immediately before the Ungass which will start on 6 June 2001.

(2001/C 364 E/032)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0938/01

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

(28 March 2001)

Subject: Faster payment of its bills by the Commission

One topic considered in (cid:145)The Eurocrats(cid:146), a Danish TV programme broadcast on Swedish television
on11 February 2001, was the length of time the Commission takes to pay its bills for various projects.
According to the report, not even four out of 10 invoices are paid on time, one example being an invoice
submitted to the Commission for an environmental project in Ireland. It took eight Commission staff to
scrutinise the invoice and sixty days to pay it.

Many small undertakings have bills unpaid by the Commission and are forced to wait far too long for
payment. Part of the problem is that so many Commission staff have to verify each bill submitted.

What does the Commission intend to do to establish routines to speed up the payment of invoices and to
reduce the manpower used to scrutinise them?

C 364 E/28

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.12.2001

Answer given by Mrs Schreyer on behalf of the Commission

(3 July 2001)

The Commission set a target in 1991 that payments should be made within 60 days of the receipt of
a valid request for payment. Since 1997 it has paid interest on late payments.

In 2000, 74 % of payments were made within the 60 day limit. The Commission(cid:146)s aim, as stated in
Action 10 in Part II of the White Paper (cid:145)Reforming the Commission(cid:146) (1) adopted on 1 March 2000, is to
make 95 % of its payments within this limit by 2002.

The Commission has addressed the question of payment times on a number of occasions, most recently in
July 2000. On this occasion it decided on a number of measures aimed at speeding up the payment of
invoices. Neither the Commission nor outside consultants identified, however, excessive number of staff to
scrutinise invoices as a cause of late payment.

Some of the Commission(cid:146)s measures will have the effect, nevertheless, of improving routines and reducing
the number of staff involved in scrutinising invoices.

These include:

(cid:129) the clarification of the terms of the contracts; this includes laying down the particulars that must be
included in contracts and ensuring that technical annexes setting out what the contractor is to deliver
to the Commission at each stage of a project are drawn up with precision and can be verified by both
parties;

(cid:129) the simplification of

financial and procedural provisions

the
simplification of financial clauses and reduction of the number of supporting documents to be
produced for payment requests under contracts which are based wholly or partly on procedures for
the reimbursement of costs, by setting standard amounts for certain categories of expenditure such as
travel expenses;

in the contracts;

includes

this

(cid:129) the improvement of Information technology (IT) tools and procedures; this includes the provision of
a common system for recording invoices received and monitoring their processing for payment.

(1) COM(2000) 200 final.

(2001/C 364 E/033)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0943/01

by Daniela Raschhofer (NI) to the Commission

(28 March 2001)

Subject: Aid under the Regional Fund for quality controls of Styrian kernel oil pursuant to Regulation (EEC)

No 2081/1992

Member States are obliged, pursuant to Article 10 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2081/1992 (1) of 14 July
1992 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and
foodstuffs, to create inspection structures to ensure that agricultural products and foodstuffs bearing
a protected name meet the requirements laid down in the specifications. According to Article 10(3) the
inspection authority can use the services of third parties. The costs of these inspections are borne by the
producers using the protected name. Styrian kernel oil is a name protected under this Regulation.

Which bodies have been notified to the Commission by the Republic of Austria as bodies for the
inspection of Styrian kernel oil?

Has money been made available under EU Regional Fund for the inspection of Styrian kernel oil and what
amount?