WRITTEN QUESTION E-2018/01 by Chris Davies (ELDR) to the Commission. Experience of officials in External Affairs DG.
Date: 2001-07-13
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU statistics, European official, diplomatic profession, foreign policy, professional experience, third country

20.6.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 147 E/7

(cid:1) The Community has further provided guidance on the safety levels to be respected. On 12 July 1999
the Council adopted a Recommendation to Member States limiting the exposure of the general public
to electromagnetic fields from 0Hz to 300Ghz (1999/519/EEC (3)). The full respect of the basic
restrictions and reference levels included in the Recommendation ensure users a high level of
protection against acute and long-term effects of non-ionising radiation emitted by such devices. The
limits recommended include a safety factor of 50 to cover possible long-term effects in the whole
frequency range. Member States in accordance with the Treaty provide for a higher level of protection
than set out in this recommendation. Furthermore European standards drafted by the European
committee for electrotechnical standardisation (Cenelec) will, as requested by the Commission, ensure
the compliance of devices put on the market with the limits set up in the Council Recommendation.
These standards will be recognised under Directive 1999/5/EC and replace national conflicting
standards.

Having addressed potential health aspects of mobile phone masts, the Commission currently does not plan
to propose a Community-wide procedure for controlling the positioning of mobile phone masts.

(1) Directive 97/33/EC of

the Council of 30 June 1997 on interconnection in tele-
communications with regard to ensuring universal service and interoperability though application of the principles
of Open Network Provision (ONP). The provisions of this Directive are expected to be included in a new framework
Directive, currently under discussion in the Parliament and the Council (cid:1) OJ L 199, 26.7.1997.

the Parliament and of

(2) OJ L 91, 7.4.1999.
(3) OJ L 199, 30.7.1999.

(2002/C 147 E/008)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2016/01

by Chris Davies (ELDR)
and Monica Frassoni (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(13 July 2001)

Subject: Difficulties in progressing bi-communal projects on Cyprus

Will the Commission list by name, nature of scheme, and estimated cost, every bi-communal project
proposed, however tentatively, since an allocation of funding was first agreed, to which the Government of
Cyprus, or any official body associated with it, has raised an objection? Will it summarise the nature of
each objection?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(6 September 2001)

There has never been such a case, since bi-communal projects are most of the time the initiative of the
Government of Cyprus.

(2002/C 147 E/009)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2018/01

by Chris Davies (ELDR) to the Commission

(13 July 2001)

Subject: Experience of officials in External Affairs DG

How many individuals are employed within External Affairs DG with the status of Head of Unit or above?

How many of these individuals have served on EU delegations outside the European Union for continuous
periods of more than one year?

C 147 E/8

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.6.2002

What is the total length of EU service on delegations outside the European Union of each individual?

What plans does the Commission have to ensure that those employed in a senior capacity as Brussels-
based administrators within External Affairs DG have greater practical experience of the work of EU
delegations outside the European Union?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(11 October 2001)

The following staff by service at the level of Head of Unit or above are presently serving within the Relex
family (made up of Directorates General External Relations (RELEX), Enlargement (ELARG), Development
(DEV), TRADE, EuropeAid Co-operation Office (AIDCO), and Directorate Humanitarian Aid Office
(ECHO)).

RELEX: has 58 officials at the level of Head of Unit or above. Of those 16 served in the external
representations of the Commission for more than one year (first the number of officials followed by the
years they were posted abroad): two for 2,5, two for 3, one for 3,5, two for 4, one for 5, one for 7,5, two
for 8, one for 9, two for 11, one for 14, and one for 19 years.

ELARG: has 20 officials at the level of Head of Unit or above. Of those four served in the external
representations of the Commission for more than one year: one for 1, one for 3, one for 5 and one for 6
years.

DEV: has 31 officials at the level of Head of Unit or above. Of those 12 served in the external
representations of the Commission for more than one year: one for 2,5, one for 3, one for 3,5, two for 4,
one for 12, one for 14,5, one for 15, one for 17, one for 20,5, one for 23 and one for 27 years.

TRADE: has 28 officials at the level of Head of Unit or above. Of those six have served in the external
representations of the Commission for more than one year: One for 2,5, two for 4, one for 6, one for 8,
and one for 9,5 years.

AIDCO: has 62 officials at the level of Head of Unit or above. Of those 15 have served in the external
representations of the Commission for more than one year: One for 2, one for 2,5, three for 4, one for
7,5, one for 9, one for 14, one for 16, three for 18 and three for 21 years.

ECHO: has 10 officials at the level of Head of Unit or above. Of those three have served in the external
representations of the Commission: One for 3, one for 8 and one for 10 years

The Commission is aware of the need to ensure that management level staff at Headquarters benefit from
the practical experience of serving outside the Union. By its decision of 25 March 1996 (1) the Commission
approved the broad outlines of the Report on the Longer Term Requirements of the Commission’s External
Service. The Report includes a recommendation that the Commission ‘confirm [the ] principle [of] the
obligation to serve away from headquarters for the staff of departments dealing with non-Community
countries (…)’. In its communication of 8 April 1997 (2) the Commission confirmed that there is an
obligation to serve outside the Union to be applied to all category A personnel in the Relex DGs and laid
down the practical arrangements for giving effect to this requirement.

The obligation to serve outside the Union enables the Commission to meet the staffing requirements of
Delegations, especially those where living conditions are less attractive. In particular it is a way of ensuring
that the experience gained by officials better matches the requirements of the posts and vice versa, that
there is a greater osmosis of the experience gained in the External Service and Headquarters.

(1) SEC(96) 554.
(2) SEC(97) 605.