WRITTEN QUESTION P-2249/01 by Gianfranco Dell'Alba (TDI) to the Council. Europol.
Date: 2001-07-20
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Europol, financial control, fraud against the EU, interinstitutional relations (EU), supervisory power

C 81 E/142

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

4.4.2002

general provisions for sludge as well, as the provision for registration or authorisation of the disposal of
sludge before 31 December 1998 (Article 14.2) and the prohibition of the disposal of sludge in surface
waters before 31 December 1998 (Article 14.3).

The Greek authorities have provided the Commission with their regulations on sludge required by the
issues, the Greek authorities informed the
Directive 91/271/EEC in the year 2000. Besides the legal
Commission, that the main part of the sludge produced, is disposed in landfills and a minor amount is
reused. For the year 2000 it was forecasted to dispose about 94 % in landfills and to reuse about 6 % in
agriculture and others.

The Commission will nevertheless follow the Greek authorities(cid:146) progress on the implementation of the
above Directive.

If the Honourable Member or other person has any evidence to the effect that specific Community
obligations have been infringed in any particular instance, it is open to them to bring the relevant facts to
the attention of
the Commission which would take all necessary steps to ensure that Community
environment law is fully complied with.

(1) OJ L 194, 25.7.1975, as amended by Council Directive 91/156/EEC (OJ L 78, 26.3.1991) and Commission

Decision 96/350/EC (OJ L 135, 6.6.1996).

(2) OJ L 182, 16.7.1999.
(3) OJ L 377, 31.12.1991.
(4) As amended by Council Directive 1998/15/EC (OJ L 67, 7.3.1998).

(2002/C 81 E/167)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2249/01

by Gianfranco Dell(cid:146)Alba (TDI) to the Council

(20 July 2001)

Subject: Europol

On 2 June 2001, Europol(cid:146)s offices were searched and one of its officers was questioned by the Dutch
police at some length on suspicion of fraud.

In view of the status of Europol (cid:129) which polices other police forces (cid:129) neither the Commission nor
Parliament can consider instituting an inquiry.

As a branch of the budgetary authority, it is not acceptable that Parliament should be unable to ascertain
the full facts about a case which tarnishes the image of the whole European Union and its institutions, and
that it should have to make do with gleaning information from the press.

Does not the Council agree that this anomaly ought to be corrected and that the Court of Auditors and the
European Parliament,
in their respective roles, ought to be assigned powers of supervision over such
bodies as Europol?

Has the Council instituted inquiries to ascertain whether fraud has been committed against the Community
budget?

Reply

(27 November 2001)

1.
The Honourable Member of the European Parliament is informed that Europol presently is financed
by the Member States and thus not financed from the Community budget. Therefore direct fraud against
the Community budget is excluded. In as far as it has been alleged that fraud was committed in the
framework of Community programmes, it is the task of the Commission bodies (for instance OLAF) to
further investigate the issue.

2.
The system of Member State financing is laid down in the Europol Convention. Any amendment of
this system would require the Convention to be amended which in turn requires a ratification procedure in
all Member States.

4.4.2002

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 81 E/143

The Europol Convention lays down a thorough system of financial controls, which include an
3.
independent financial controller and a joint audit committee, composed of members of the Court of
Auditors. So although the Court of Auditors is not directly competent to supervise Europol, Europol has in
place effective financial controls.

4.
It should be noted that the alleged irregularities referred to in the question of the Honourable
Member of the European Parliament have been discovered by the financial controller. On the basis of his
report the Europol Management Board set up a committee which has further investigated the issue. The
financial controls in the Europol framework have therefore proved to be effective.

The Members of the Council are informed, through their national representatives in the Management

5.
Board of Europol of the findings of this committee.

Given that Europol (cid:129) on the basis of the information that came to light (cid:129) informed the competent
6.
Dutch public prosecutor of the alleged irregularities and that the public prosecutor thereupon has started
criminal investigations against one official of the Staff of Europol, the Council considers it inappropriate to
take any action which might interfere with these investigations.

(2002/C 81 E/168)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2253/01

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

Subject: Research into scholastic failure in the European Union

(26 July 2001)

The education and training of young people are of paramount importance as they help them acquire the
ability to develop their personality and potential in full, to play a full and positive role in the development
of the European society. It follows that scholastic failure has tangible personal and social consequences
which far transcend the fields of education and training.

The Research and Technology Development Programme allows funding for studies and proposals relating
to scholastic failure in the Member States of the European Union.

Is the Commission aware of any proposals by research establishments or universities relating to scholastic
failure? Has it initiated the procedure for a comparative assessment of any such proposals? If so, what were
the results?

Answer given by Mr Busquin on behalf of the Commission

(12 October 2001)

The Targeted Socio-Economic Research (TSER) Programme of the Fourth Framework Programme for
research and technological development (RTD) of the Community and the Key Action Improving the
Socio-Economic Knowledge Base of
the Fifth Framework Programme for RTD support European
researchers in the social sciences and humanities and include some research in relation to education and
training issues. Within these activities, there are no projects dedicated specifically to the issue of scholastic
failure. Therefore, there is no possibility to provide a comparative assessment of proposals on this topic
outside the normal procedures of independent evaluation of proposals across the whole Key Action.
However, some projects consider the issue of scholastic failure in relation, for example, to the transition
from education to work, immigration, social exclusion, educational change, education governance, etc.

The most relevant research project in relation to scholastic failure in the Community is entitled A
Comparative Analysis of Transitions from Education to Work in Europe and has been completed recently.
The final report as well as a number of research papers and other publications from this project can be
found at the project(cid:146)s web-site: http://www.mzes.uni-mannheim.de/projekte/catewe/publ/publ_e.html.