WRITTEN QUESTION E-1111/01 by Brian Crowley (UEN) to the Commission. Dublin Office of the Bureau for Lesser Used Languages.
Date: 2001-04-06
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU aid, administrative expenditure, cultural promotion, eligibility criteria, minority language, non-governmental organisation

18.9.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 261 E/227

The Commission has already opened a complaint on the project and a letter has been sent to the Italian
authorities to request information on the issue. The Commission will take the appropriate steps in order to
ensure the observance of Community law.

(1) OJ L 175, 5.7.1985.
(2) OJ L 73, 14.3.1997.

(2001/C 261 E/258)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1108/01

by Graham Watson (ELDR) to the Commission

(28 March 2001)

Subject: EU-US (cid:145)safe harbour(cid:146) agreement on data protection

In October 2000 the Commission predicted that 100 US companies would sign up for Safe Harbour
during its first month, with up to 1 000 joining within a year.

How many companies have joined to date?

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(3 May 2001)

The (cid:145)Safe harbor(cid:146) arrangement entered into effect on 1 November 2000. Thirty American based companies
have joined so far (30 March 2001). The list of companies is publicly available at http://www.export.gov/
safeharbor/.

The estimates to which the Honorable Member refers in his question are those made by the American
Department of Commerce in October 2000 and subsequently relayed to the Parliament by the Commi-
ssion.

(2001/C 261 E/259)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1111/01

by Brian Crowley (UEN) to the Commission

(6 April 2001)

Subject: Dublin Office of the Bureau for Lesser Used Languages

The Dublin Office of the Bureau for Lesser Used Languages has played a central role in helping to
safeguard and promote the lesser used languages throughout the European Community. Now the expertise
of the Bureau, built up over many years, is being directly and unjustly jeopardised by Commission threats
to close it down in the interests of costs and utterly against the interests of all those who speak lesser used
languages throughout the Community. Does the Commission agree that the EU must show respect for
cultural diversity and will it now do so by committing itself to the retention of the Dublin Bureau for
Lesser Used Languages?

C 261 E/228

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.9.2001

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(18 May 2001)

The European Bureau for Lesser Used Languages (EBLUL), which has offices in Dublin and Brussels, is the
beneficiary of a Community running costs grant, which makes up some 80 % of its budget. A particular
condition of this type of financing is that the organisation(cid:146)s administrative costs must be kept to a strict
minimum. Eligible costs are those necessary to ensure the normal running of the beneficiary organisation
and enable it to pursue its stated objectives. In the case in point, EBLUL(cid:146)s cost structure, as set out in its
initial grant application for the 2001-2002 period, was not consistent with these prescriptions. Adminis-
trative expenditure had risen to nearly 75 % of the budget, and a projection of trends in wages and
overhead costs relative to income demonstrated that, unless there was a significant restructuring, EBLUL
could not continue for very much longer to serve the regional and minority language communities of the
Community in any substantial way.

The Commission therefore requested that, during the course of the forthcoming grant period, EBLUL
should reorganise its activities so as to reduce expenditure on salaries and overheads considerably and
effect a significant and real transfer of resources from administrative expenses to practical action in
support of the regional and minority language communities of Europe.

As an independent non-governmental organisation, EBLUL was alone responsible for deciding what steps
must be taken to meet the Commission(cid:146)s request. In its final grant application for the 2001-2002 period,
the organisation has indicated that it intends to reduce its administrative costs during the course of the
year to approximately one half of the total budget while maintaining a presence in Ireland, though on a
lower cost basis than at present. This measure will enable the organisation to step up considerably its
information, lobbying, networking and promotion activities in favour of regional and minority languages.

The Commission considers that its action in this matter has contributed to ensuring that the European
Bureau for Lesser Used Languages can continue to play a significant role in the Community policies for
safeguarding linguistic and cultural diversity.

(2001/C 261 E/260)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1134/01

by Christopher Huhne (ELDR) to the Commission

(10 April 2001)

Subject: Capital flows between eurozone countries

Will the Commission please examine the scale of capital flows between the eurozone countries since the
launch of the euro compared with the periods before and state whether there has been an increase in the
scale of such flows and, if so, by how much?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(1 June 2001)

The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its answer to his Written Question E-2716/00 (1).

That answer is still valid.

(1) OJ C 113 E, 18.4.2001.