WRITTEN QUESTION E-1194/01 by Luciana Sbarbati (ELDR) to the Commission. Population ageing and misdirected Community measures.
Date: 2001-04-19
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European official, pension scheme, population ageing, social security

11.12.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 350 E/89

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(29 June 2001)

Concerning the questions relating to the information from Valencia (regional parliament, press), the
Commission does not at this stage possess enough details to express an opinion or take any measures
which might be necessary. It has immediately contacted the Spanish authorities in order to obtain replies
to the questions raised by the press and the regional parliament. As soon as it receives this information, it
will inform the Honourable Member and provide him with its analysis of the situation.

Concerning the question on co-operation between the Commission and the Member States, Article 8 of
Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 (1) provides for application of the (cid:145)principle of subsidiarity(cid:146), under
which the implementation of assistance is the responsibility of the Member States at the appropriate
territorial level.

The same regulation also makes provision for arrangements for Commission participation in the
implementation of assistance, in particular budgetary procedures, arrangements for payments to Member
in operational programme monitoring committees. Similarly,
States, and Commission involvement
Commission regulations have been adopted establishing rules and procedures for the implementation,
management and control of assistance granted (Regulation (EC) No 438/2001 (2)) and an obligation to
report irregularities and fraud to the Commission (Regulation (EC) No 1681/94 (3)).

In the specific case of the Autonomous Community of Valencia, the operational programme for the period
1994-1999 (Programa Operativo de la Comunidad Aut(cid:243)noma Valenciana) has not yet been wound up, as
the Commission has not yet received a request for payment of the balance, the final report or the
certification to be provided by the national managing authorities pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 2064/
97 (4). The deadline given to the Spanish authorities to submit all the necessary documentation to the
Commission is 30 June 2002.

As regards the operational programme for the period 2000-2006 (Programa Operativo Integrado de la
Comunidad Aut(cid:243)noma Valenciana), the first meeting of the monitoring committee will take place in
Valencia during June. At this meeting the Spanish authorities will have to report on implementation of the
assistance. The Commission is also due to receive very soon the first annual report for the current period,
describing the implementation and management of this operational programme.

(1) Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 of 21 June 1999 laying down general provisions on the Structural Funds

(OJ L 161, 26.6.1999).

(2) Commission Regulation (EC) No 438/2001 of 2 March 2001 laying down detailed rules for the implementation of
Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 as regards the management and control systems for assistance granted
under the Structural Funds (OJ L 63, 3.3.2001).

(3) Commission Regulation (EC) No 1681/94 of 11 July 1994 concerning irregularities and the recovery of sums
wrongly paid in connection with the financing of the structural policies and the organisation of an information
system in this field (OJ L 178, 12.7.1994).

(4) Commission Regulation (EC) No 2064/97 of 15 October 1997 establishing detailed arrangements for the
implementation of Council Regulation (EEC) No 4253/88 as regards the financial control by Member States of
operations co-financed by the Structural Funds (OJ L 290, 23.10.1997).

(2001/C 350 E/096)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1194/01

by Luciana Sbarbati (ELDR) to the Commission

(19 April 2001)

Subject: Population ageing and misdirected Community measures

At the Lisbon European Council in 2000 a decision was taken to instruct a high-level working party to
draw up a study on future developments in European social protection from a long-term perspective. One
subject to attract particular interest was the sustainability of pension systems beyond 2020.

C 350 E/90

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

11.12.2001

Statistical projections on the ageing of Europe(cid:146)s population indicate that in 2050, 28 % of the population
will be aged over 65 compared with the present 14 %. This trend, coupled with longer individual life
expectancy, will entail high economic costs for the Member States.

The concept of an active role for older people has been devised in an attempt to cope with this
phenomenon. It has also been proposed to put back the retirement age, since this would enable the
Member States to shelve the problem for a few years and guarantee the stability of social security systems
in the short term until such time as they could lay down a joint strategy.

By contrast, the European institutions are still following the practice of early retirement and do not renew
the contracts of free-lance staff once they have reached age 65. Furthermore, the Commission(cid:146)s reform
proposal speaks of the possibility (but not the need) of changing the retirement age (60) for officials and
Community personnel.

Can the Commission explain the reasons for certain decisions which are casting doubt on the credibility of
the European institutions?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(9 July 2001)

The Commission would first like to point out that it is well aware of the phenomenon of an ageing
population. The success of the Commission(cid:146)s European employment strategy, in particular, is crucial for
the long-term future of social protection and pension systems. The Lisbon European Council set an
ambitious goal: on the basis of a sustainable economic growth of three per cent of their gross domestic
product (GDP), Member States should move towards an average employment rate of 70 per cent of the
total workforce, and over 60 per cent of the female workforce by 2010. Clearly, this cannot be achieved if
the current tendency to retire well before reaching the official retirement age is maintained. Currently, less
than a quarter of people aged 60 to 64 are still in employment.

The structure of the Commission staff is well in line with these general policy objectives. The average
retirement age of Commission staff is at present 62,8, with 47 % of officials aged 60 to 64 still being in
employment.

Concerning the officials and temporary staff of the European institutions, the normal retirement age is
currently fixed at 60 years (with maximum fixed at 65 years). It is essential to regularly evaluate the
balance of the Institutions(cid:146) pension regime. To maintain this balance, the Staff Regulations envisage the
possibility of either adapting the financial contribution to the regime, or adapting the normal retirement
age, i.e. delay it in the event of a deficit in the regime. Within the framework of the Commission reform, it
is proposed to maintain these two possibilities in the Staff Regulations.
It is in this sense that the
possibility of modifying the retirement age must be interpreted. The reform proposes, moreover, the
setting up of a periodic procedure for the monitoring of this balance. Within the framework of this
procedure it will be advisable to consider periodically and under the Staff Regulations the measures to be
taken to maintain the balance of the regime.

Currently early retirement
is provided for in the European institutions from the age of 50 with
a substantially reduced pension. In addition, the official loses entitlement to social security cover from the
employer. In reality, it is therefore rarely sought: on average there are less than 10 retirements per year
before the age of 60 in the Commission. The proposal forwarded by the Commission to the European
Parliament and the Council on 31 January 2001, to which the Honourable Member refers, does not aim to
modify this (cid:145)permanent(cid:146) system of early retirement. It concerns, instead, a specific measure linked to the
on-going reform.

In order to address the issue of early retirement in a more structured way in future and to ease the
integration of staff from new Member States, the Commission will put forward a consultative document on
flexible retirement, as announced in the White Paper (cid:145)Reforming the Commission(cid:146) (1) of 1 March 2000
(Part II, action 34).

11.12.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 350 E/91

Regarding freelance staff, following the adoption of Council Regulation (EC, ECSC, Euratom) No 628/2000
of 20 March 2000 amending regulation (EC, Euratom, ECSC) No 259/68 laying down the Staff Regulations
of Officials of the European Communities and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the
Communities (2), the conference interpreters engaged by the Commission are recruited, like those recruited
by the Parliament, in the capacity of auxiliary staff. This new statute ensures the equal treatment of the
auxiliary conference interpreters engaged by the European institutions, in the matter of, inter alia, the
obligatory retirement age set down in the Staff Regulations of officials of the Communities. Consequently,
neither the Commission, nor the Parliament, as European Institutions, can recruit conference interpreters
of more than 65 years old, owing to Article 74 of the conditions of employment of other servants (RAA),
according to which the engagement of the auxiliary agent legally comes to an end at the end of the month
during which he/she reaches the age of 65.

As regards early retirement, the Commission does not apply these provisions to the conference interpreters
whom it recruits.

(1) COM(2000) 200 final.
(2) OJ L 76, 25.3.2000.

(2001/C 350 E/097)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1204/01

by Lord Inglewood (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(19 April 2001)

Subject: Authorisation of vaccination against foot and mouth disease

When did the UK Government first formally approach the EU Standing Veterinary Committee about the
possible use of vaccination against foot and mouth disease in the United Kingdom?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(19 June 2001)

The United Kingdom raised the issue of the possible use of vaccination against foot and mouth disease in
the meeting of the Standing Veterinary Committee on 27 March 2001.

On the same day, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food sent a fax to the Commission, requesting
the examination of the circumstances under which vaccination of cattle to control foot and mouth disease
might take place in the United Kingdom and the conditions that would be applied, were such vaccination
to proceed.

On 28 March 2001 the Standing Veterinary Committee gave its favourable opinion to a draft Decision on
this issue, which was then adopted by the Commission as Decision 2001/257/EC of 30 March 2001 laying
down the conditions for the control and eradication of foot and mouth disease in the United Kingdom in
application of Article 13 of Directive 85/511/EEC (1).

(1) OJ L 91, 31.3.2001.

(2001/C 350 E/098)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1210/01

by Chris Davies (ELDR) to the Commission

(19 April 2001)

Subject: Killing of birds in Cyprus

The Commission will be aware of claims that up to 20 million birds, more than half being European
migratory song birds, are being caught annually in Cyprus on lime sticks or in nets and killed in a brutal
and inhumane manner.