WRITTEN QUESTION P-1658/01 by Jan Andersson (PSE) to the Commission. Corporate social responsibility.
Date: 2001-05-28
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Commission, European social policy, business policy

20.12.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 364 E/169

In only 17 years, the fiscal deficit of the Balearic Islands vis-(cid:224)-vis the Spanish state has increased from
PTE 7 500 million in 1981 to PTE 304 374 in 1998.

The region also contributes an annual average of PTE 32 081 million to the EU budget. It is in fact the
Spanish region which contributes most per inhabitant to the EU, although it gets only PTE 10 167 million
back in EU aid. This amounts to a negative balance of PTE 21 940 million per inhabitant.

The Balearic Islands thus suffer from a double fiscal deficit vis-(cid:224)-vis both Madrid and Brussels.

In view of these circumstances, what is the Commission(cid:146)s position on the double fiscal deficit affecting this
region? Does the Commission believe that this deficit could be properly remedied by an appropriate
distribution of EU funds? Does it intend to take any kind of measures to ensure that further fiscal
imbalances are not generated in the present case?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(31 July 2001)

Regarding the supposed (cid:145)fiscal deficit(cid:146) of the Balearic Islands (one of the Comunidades Aut(cid:243)nomas) vis-(cid:224)-vis
the Spanish State, in principle this is an internal issue of Spain and only the Spanish authorities can deal
with it.

The financial relationships between territorial governments (Comunidades Aut(cid:243)nomas) and the State are
based on the Constitution and the LOFCA ((cid:145)Ley OrgÆnica de Financiaci(cid:243)n de las Comunidades
Aut(cid:243)nomas(cid:146)). Within the legal framework of the LOFCA, an official body is responsible for negotiating
agreements between the State and regional governments (Fiscal and Financial Policy Council). These
agreements are revised each five years. The current system covers the period 1997-2001.

Regarding the supposed (cid:145)fiscal deficit(cid:146) in relation to the Community two remarks should be made:

(cid:129) On the one hand, the most important Community spending items are agricultural expenditure and
structural and cohesion funds. Their main goals are maintaining farmers(cid:146)
increasing the
internal cohesion among Community regions and reaching real convergence among Member States. In
accordance with these targets, a high percentage of total Community expenditure is addressed to those
regions with lowest per capita income. The Commission considers this strategy, on which the current
expenditure of these items is based, as appropriate.

income,

(cid:129) On the other hand, the financing of the Community budget is determined by the VAT resource, the
these
gross national product
Community resources appear only as expenditure in the Central State budget. The financial links are
established thus only between the Community and the Member State.

(GNP) resource and the so-called own traditional resources. All

The Commission therefore cannot comment on calculations of fiscal balances such as those proposed
by the Honourable Member.

(2001/C 364 E/187)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1658/01

by Jan Andersson (PSE) to the Commission

(28 May 2001)

Subject: Corporate social responsibility

In the conclusions to the European Council Summit meeting in Stockholm, the Council welcomes (cid:145)the
initiatives taken by businesses to promote corporate social responsibility(cid:146) (paragraph 31). It also emerges
from the conclusions that the Commission intends to present a green paper in June this year on corporate
social responsibility (CSR). CSR comprises a number of areas which were and could continue to be covered
by agreements reached through collective bargaining or by Community legislation.

C 364 E/170

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.12.2001

Can the Commission explain how it sees its role in the development of CSR? What areas does it consider
should be dealt with by agreements reached through collective bargaining or by Community legislation,
and what areas should be covered by voluntary commitments as an aspect of CSR?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(16 July 2001)

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental
concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basis.
They are thus expected to contribute to the strategic goal decided during the extraordinary European
(cid:145)to become the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-
Council at Lisbon, 23 and 24 March 2000:
based economy in the world, capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and
greater social cohesion(cid:146).

Being socially responsible means not
compliance by investing (cid:145)more(cid:146) into human capital, the environment and relations with stakeholders.

fully meeting legal expectations, but also going beyond

just

The main contribution of a European approach to CSR would be to add value to and complement existing
activities by providing an overall European framework on CSR practices, and by supporting best practice
approaches to evaluation and verification of CSR practices.

The Commission hopes that the Green Paper on corporate social responsibility which it intends to present
in July 2001 will further stimulate the debate at European and national level among all the actors involved.
the Commission in the development of corporate social
The concrete formulation of
responsibility will have to take account of the outcome of this debate.

the role of

(2001/C 364 E/188)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1659/01

by Fran(cid:231)oise GrossetŒte (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(29 May 2001)

Subject: Community rules concerning protection of the confidentiality of company lawyers(cid:146) opinions

While Belgium has recently recognised protection of the confidentiality of opinions given by company
lawyers, there are as yet no Community rules governing that subject.

Following Belgium(cid:146)s decision, therefore,
company lawyers were covered by common rules in this respect.

it would seem to be in the general

interest if all European

Does the Commission plan to draw up a Community text which could be applied to this profession and to
the protection of opinions given by company lawyers?

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(13 July 2001)

In accordance with Articles 40 and 47 (ex Articles 49 and 57) of the EC Treaty, Community directives in
the area of professional
the
harmonisation as such of the rules for exercising professions. Article 8 of Directive 98/5/EC of the
European Parliament and the Council of 16 February 1998 to facilitate practice of the profession of lawyer
on a permanent basis in a Member State other than that in which the qualification was obtained (1)
provides that a lawyer registered under his home-country professional title may practise as a salaried

facilitating the free movement of persons and not

law are aimed at