WRITTEN QUESTION P-2228/01 by Patricia McKenna (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Legal units in the European Commission and the EU.
Date: 2001-07-18
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Commission, European Union, European official, complaint to the Commission, infringement procedure (EU), judicial proceedings, legal profession

18.4.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 93 E/81

(2002/C 93 E/099)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2221/01

by Ingo Friedrich (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Agricultural questions in an international context

(24 July 2001)

In New Zealand (cid:30) unlike the United States (cid:30) removal of the antlers of wild deer is allowed. The antlers
are then sold for a high price to Asian countries, leaving the carcass of the deer as a waste product. When
such carcasses are imported into the EU, this inevitably means a lowering of prices for the game trade in
the Member States.

1. What is the Commission doing to enforce EU standards in the case of imports?

2.

Can violations of EU rules be penalised in the context of international trade?

Can dumping prices for game imported from third countries be prohibited if they are clearly based

3.
on standards which do not conform to European legislation?

Answer given by Mr Lamy on behalf of the Commission

(5 September 2001)

1.
Although some Member States have banned the harvesting of antler velvet, this is not the case in
Community law. Since Community trade policy reflects its internal rules, there is no reason why the
Community should impose any restrictions on venison from animals from which antlers have been
harvested for velvet.

2.
In the context of the specific question answered under point 1, since there is no violation of
Community rules, the question does not arise. In more general terms, where there are infringements of
Community meat import legislation, the Member States are responsible for setting and applying the
appropriate penalties.

3.
All meat, including venison, must meet Community animal and public health standards. Countries
are approved individually, on the basis of their animal and public health status, which includes conditions
for humane slaughter. Any meat which meets these standards may be imported, at the best price the
importer is able to obtain.

(2002/C 93 E/100)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2228/01

by Patricia McKenna (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

Subject: Legal units in the European Commission and the EU

(18 July 2001)

What is the average caseload per lawyer in the Internal Market, Agriculture, Regional Affairs, Environment,
Fisheries, Competition and Social Affairs DGs?

How many legal units and lawyers are there in each of the abovementioned DGs to handle complaints and
legal proceedings?

What is the average caseload per lawyer per EU country?

C 93 E/82

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.4.2002

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(29 October 2001)

There are officials who deal, primarily or to some extent, with complaints and legal proceedings in each of
the Directorates General mentioned in the Honourable Member’s question (Internal Market, Agriculture,
Regional Affairs, Environment, Fisheries, Competition, Employment and Social Affairs). However, issues
relating to the correct application of Community law are not restricted to these departments and officials
in several other Directorates General are engaged in such matters continually in the cause of their normal
daily work.

The Directorates General (DGs) for Regional Policy and for Fisheries have clearly identified horizontal units
dealing with legal issues (REGIO.G.2 ‘Legal matters, procedures and relations with the Committees and the
Council’ and FISH.D.3 ‘Legal issues’). There are respectively 4 and 6 staff in these units. DG Employment
and Social Affairs does not have a clearly identified legal unit (cid:30) its legal resources are spread over six units
concerned with Community legislation within its areas of responsibility, where approximatively 13 staff
handle complaints and infringements. Within Directorate D ‘Implementation and Enforcement’ of DG
Environment,
Implementation and Enforcement’) handles infringments and
complaints. Overall about 22 staff
in the DG work on them. Within Directorate B (‘Agricultural
Legislation’) of DG Agriculture, Unit B.1 deals with legal issues in general and legal proceedings before the
Court of Justice in particular whilst Unit B.3 deals with infringement proceedings. In total approximately
19 staff work in these units.

the ENV.D.2 unit

(‘Legal

The nature of the tasks in DG ‘Internal Market’ and DG ‘Competition’ means that legal resources are spread
throughout the Departments.

In providing these figures the Commission has not restricted itself to the term ‘lawyer’ as referred to in the
Honourable Member’s question, as the handling of complaints and legal proceedings typically requires
thorough technical and economic, as well as legal, analysis. The figures therefore relate to staff covering all
of these disciplines.

With respect to the volume of infringements relating to each Member State, the Honourable Member may
wish to consult the Commission’s annual report on monitoring the application of Community law1 (1),
available on the following website address: http://europa.eu.int/comm/secretariat_general/sgb/droit_com/
index_fr.htm#infractions.

1 899 cases were filed during the year 2000 and at the end of 2000 there were approximately 3 379 cases
pending.

Directorate General

Units

No of staff

Secretariat General

Internal Market

Agriculture

Regional Affairs

Environment

Fisheries

Competition

Employment and Social Affairs

(1) COM(2001) 309 final (cid:30) Volume I.

1 (A.2)

18 Units

2

27

2 (B.1, B.3)

12 + 7

1 (G.2)

1 (D.2)

1 (D.3)

25

6

4

17 + 5

6

163

13