WRITTEN QUESTION E-1744/01 by Joachim Wuermeling (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Public holidays.
Date: 2001-06-15
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European civil service, public holiday, regulations for civil servants

14.2.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 40 E/97

(2002/C 40 E/097)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1739/01

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Council

(15 June 2001)

Subject: Common foreign and security policy and the NMD initiative

The fifteen EU Member States have not yet adopted a common position on the US proposal to build an
anti-missile shield (National Missile Defense). This is stated in the reply to question E-0049/01. The anti-
missile shield has been discussed a number of times between Javier Solana, the High Representative for the
Common Foreign and Security Policy, and his US counterparts. On those occasions Solana conveyed the
views of a number of Member States concerning the importance of global stability based on an agreed
security framework. At the conference to review the Non-Proliferation Treaty in New York last year, the
European Union reaffirmed the importance of the ABM Treaty concluded between the USA and the Soviet
Union in 1972 as one of the pillars of strategic stability.

1.
Has the Council now adopted a position on the National Missile Defense anti-missile shield? If not,
when will the Council do so, bearing in mind the importance of this issue for the common foreign and
security policy?

2.
Does NMD accord with the ABM Treaty of 1972, which the Council again stated at the Non-
Proliferation Treaty review conference in New York last year to be one of the pillars of strategic stability? If
so, on what grounds does the Council conclude that NMD accords with the ABM Treaty of 1972 and will
promote strategic stability?

3. Which EU Member States(cid:146) views has the Secretary-General/High Representative for the Common
Foreign and Security Policy conveyed to his US counterparts regarding the importance of preserving global
stability by means of an agreed security framework? What were the views of these Member States
regarding the anti-missile shield?

Reply

(8 October 2001)

The Council has not adopted a position on US plans for Missile Defence (MD) nor has any Member

1.
State raised the issue in the Council.

Since there has been no Council discussion, there is no Council interpretation on the implications of

2.
MD for the ABM Treaty of 1972 which is a bilateral Treaty between the US and the then Soviet Union.

3.
The High Representative, in his contacts with third countries, speaks for the EU and not for one or
more individual Member States. In the absence of an agreed EU position on MD, discussions between the
High Representative and his US counterparts on this issue have been of a general nature, with an emphasis
on the need for consultation and agreement between the US and its allies and other third countries on the
way ahead.

(2002/C 40 E/098)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1744/01

by Joachim Wuermeling (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(15 June 2001)

Subject: Public holidays

According to the German magazine Focus (21/2001), a European Commission table shows that EU
officials do not work on 20 days in the year because of public holidays. This would mean they were at the
top of the European table. Greece comes next, with 16 holidays, followed by Austria, with 15. The United
Kingdom is at the bottom of the list, with 9 public holidays.

C 40 E/98

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

14.2.2002

1.

2.

Is this true?

If so, how is it justified?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(3 September 2001)

According to Article 61 of the Staff Regulations, a list of public holidays is drawn up annually by
agreement between the Institutions, after consulting the Interinstitutional Staff Regulations Committee and
in accordance with the Regulations and Rules applicable to officials and other servants of the European
Communities (Article 1 thereof, see below) the text of which is annexed to the Staff Regulations.

The total number of public holidays for staff of the Institutions is generally 17 days, although this may
occasionally be 18 or 19, as in 2001. These variations arise from the fact that the Institutions employing
EU civil servants generally adopt the official public holidays of their host countries, but when such public
holidays fall on a weekend, the days lost are not compensated for by an additional day of leave.

Article 1

1. The following shall be public holidays:

(cid:129) New Year(cid:146)s Day: 1 January,

(cid:129) Easter Monday,

(cid:129) Labour Day: 1 May,

(cid:129) The anniversary of the declaration made by President Robert Schuman in 1950: 9 May,

(cid:129) Ascension,

(cid:129) Whit Monday (Pentecost),

(cid:129) Assumption: 15 August,

(cid:129) All Saints(cid:146) Day: 1 November,

(cid:129) All Souls(cid:146) Day: 2 November,

(cid:129) Christmas Day: 25 December,

(cid:129) and the national holidays of the countries in which officials are employed.

2. The following may be public holidays:

(cid:129) Good Friday,

(cid:129) Easter Saturday,

(cid:129) Christmas Eve: 24 December,

(cid:129) Boxing Day: 26 December,

(cid:129) The afternoon of New Year(cid:146)s Eve: 31 December.

3. By special decision the institution may derogate from the rules laid down in paragraphs 1 and 2.

(2002/C 40 E/099)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1753/01

by Paul Lannoye (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(15 June 2001)

Subject: Depleted uranium

Depleted uranium is the by-product of a basic practice in the nuclear industry, uranium enrichment.
Consequently, it must be treated as a radioactive substance (or radioactive waste) pursuant to Directive 96/
29/Euratom (1), and in particular Article 5 thereof.