WRITTEN QUESTION E-2493/01 by Glenys Kinnock (PSE) to the Commission. Corruption.
Date: 2001-09-13
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU police cooperation, approximation of laws, corruption, fight against crime, international relations, judicial cooperation in criminal matters in the EU, money laundering, organised crime

C 115 E/100

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

16.5.2002

As regards the question on safety standards, attention is drawn to the fact that a number of standards have
to be developed, covering various classes of products. The standards for mobile phones are ready.
European Standard (EN) 50360:2001 contains the safety limits, whereas EN 50361:2001 contains
standardised testing methods. Other standards will be completed during the coming year and will cover
other types of radio devices, including the global system for mobile communications (GSM) base stations.

(2002/C 115 E/105)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2493/01

by Glenys Kinnock (PSE) to the Commission

(13 September 2001)

Subject: Corruption

Would the Commission outline what steps it has taken to implement the commitment made at the Africa-
Europe Cairo Summit, in April 2000, to ‘take necessary measures to combat corruption … and to ensure
that illegally acquired public moneys lodged in foreign bank accounts are investigated and returned to the
countries of origin’?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(15 November 2001)

In accordance with Article 29 of the Treaty on the European Union and Recommendation No 7 of the
Millennium Strategy on the prevention and control of organised crime of 27 March 2000 (1),
the
Commission contributes to the Union’s objective to prevent and to combat corruption through closer
police, customs and judicial cooperation and the approximation of criminal law provisions of national
legislation and through the development of a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary and crosspillar Union
policy towards corruption taking into account work being carried out in other international governmental
and non-governmental organisations.

The Commission wishes to assure the Honourable Member of its commitment to use its influence at all
international fora where the Commission is represented to condemn, to combat and to prevent all forms
of corruption.

The promotion of good governance including the fight against corruption are explicitly mentioned as
decisive elements in strategies to reduce poverty in the framework of Community development activities as
commonly defined by the Council and the Commission.

The Cotonou Agreement signed with the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries contains a specific
procedure to deal with serious corruption cases. Good governance is a fundamental element of the
Agreement and serious cases of corruption as defined in article 97 constitute a violation of that element.
Such cases should give rise to consultations between the parties and may lead to the taking of appropriate
measures. The procedure described in Article 97 has been for the first time launched with Liberia in
September 2001 for alleged corruption, through notably import monopolies and licenses granted in the
forestry sector. The Liberian government has been invited for consultations.

As regards the question of illegally acquired public assets transferred abroad and the return to their
countries of origin, the Commission wishes to draw the Honourable Member’s attention to the fact that the
investigation of these cases is often subject of bilateral agreements between countries and that some
Member States might be reluctant to agree on union-wide harmonised procedures. Nevertheless, all
Member States are of course bound by the provisions of the money laundering Directive, Council Directive
91/308/EEC of 10 June 1991 on prevention of the use of the financial system for the purpose of money
laundering (2) and other standards set up by the Council of Europe and the Financial Action Task Force.
Furthermore, the extension of the money-laundering Directive as suggested in the Common Position (EC)
No 5/2001 (3) of
the Council would cover a much broader range of predicate offences including
‘corruption’.

16.5.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 115 E/101

Finally, the Commission contributes to an Union common position and considers asking the Council’s
authorisation to negotiate on behalf of the Community a future United Nations (UN) Convention against
corruption. The ad hoc committee mandated by the General Assembly to negotiate this convention will
consider the issue of transfer of funds of illicit origin derived from acts of corruption,
including the
laundering of funds, and returning such funds.

(1) OJ C 124, 3.5.2000.
(2) OJ L 166, 28.6.1991.
(3) OJ C 36, 2.2.2001.

(2002/C 115 E/106)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2495/01

by Paul Lannoye (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(13 September 2001)

Subject: Electromagnetic fields

Council Recommendation 1999/519/EC (1) of 12 July 1999 on the limitation of exposure of the general
public to electromagnetic fields (0 Hz to 300 GHz), to provide a high level of health protection proposed
that reference levels be respected by which that objective would be achieved. For a frequency of 50 Hz,
used in the transport and distribution of electricity, magnetic flux density should never exceed 100 µT
(100 microteslas).

Many scientists regard this value as far too high, believing that the precautionary principle would require a
maximum level of 0,2 µT. The IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer) recently wound up its
consideration of the problem, on the basis of group analyses of original data from a number of properly
carried out studies, by concluding that there was a statistically significant and coinciding link between
childhood leukaemia and exposure to household ELF magnetic fields higher than 0,4 µT.

In fact the risk to a child constantly exposed to a field of 0,4 µT would be double. This new finding,
coming from a body of uncontested scientific authority, completely invalidates the Council’s recom-
mendation as regards public exposure to a type of pollution which is widely present in our everyday
environment. A speedy review is therefore necessary. What steps does the Commission intend to take to
that effect?

(1) OJ L 199, 30.7.1999, p. 59.

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(17 October 2001)

The Honourable Member is referring to the document published by the World Health Organisation (WHO)
in June 2001 highlighting an increased leukaemia risk to children exposed to low-voltage fields generated
by high-voltage powerlines.

in order to anticipate this issue, the Commission consulted its Scientific Committee
In early 2001,
on Toxicology, Ecotoxicology and the Environment in order to request a new opinion, to be delivered in
October 2001, on the health risks associated with exposure to electromagnetic radiation. The Committee is
currently studying the specific problem of the risks associated with exposure of children to the low
frequencies in question. The Commission will examine the Committee’s opinion and will react to any new
scientific evidence not presently taken into account by Council Recommendation 1999/519/EC of 12 July
1999 on the limitation of exposure of the general public to electromagnetic fields (0 Hz to 300 GHz) (1).

(1) OJ L 199, 30.7.1999.