WRITTEN QUESTION E-3409/01 by Hans-Peter Martin (PSE) to the Council. Next intergovernmental conference.
Date: 2001-12-13
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Constitution, European Council, European convention, European election, intergovernmental conference (EU)

C 147 E/170

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.6.2002

(2002/C 147 E/177)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3409/01

by Hans-Peter Martin (PSE) to the Council

(13 December 2001)

Subject: Next intergovernmental conference

According to an article entitled ‘Constitution postponed’ on p.19 of the German magazine ‘Der Spiegel’ of
29 October 2001, the Council intends to ‘let the dust settle’ on documents produced by the convention
planned in preparation for the next intergovernmental conference. This conference would therefore not
take place until after the European elections in summer 2004. Is this correct?

Reply

(18 March 2002)

The Council does not usually comment on the content of press articles.

However, the Council would inform the Honourable Member that the European Council meeting in
Laeken on 14 and 15 December 2001 adopted a declaration on the future of the European Union, in
which it entrusted a Convention composed of the main parties involved in the debate on the future of the
Union with the task of paving the way for the next Intergovernmental Conferences as broadly and openly
as possible. The European Council proposed that the inaugural meeting be held on 1 March 2002 and that
its proceedings take one year, in time to present its outcome to the European Council.

(2002/C 147 E/178)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3410/01

by Hans-Peter Martin (PSE) to the Commission

(21 December 2001)

Subject: EU civil service reform

According to the German magazine ‘Der Spiegel’ of 29 October 2001, the Commission President Romano
Prodi has ‘in essence contributed nothing to civil service reform.’

Is this correct? Does the Commission President have any observations to make on the many assertions
made in the detailed article, in particular those on the subject of purchasing power parity for retired EU
civil servants?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(24 January 2002)

The 29 October article in ‘Der Spiegel’ to which the Honourable Member refers is : to say the least : an
exercise in selective reporting. The Commission is grateful for the opportunity provided by the Honourable
Member’s question to rebut the claims of the article in full.

The article neglects the very real progress made by the Commission under the leadership of President
Romano Prodi, and focuses instead on a number of outdated aspects of the personnel policy of the
Institution which the Commission is addressing as part of the fundamental overhaul of policy and practice
in this area. The design of the changes was, as the Honourable Member will know, set out as long ago as
March 1st 2000 when the Reform Strategy White Paper was adopted. Since then, as the Honourable
Member will also know, Parliament has made intensive examinations of the Reform proposals and
responded very positively to the principles and detail of Commission policy. This thorough and objective
Parliamentary activity contrasts strongly with the approach manifested in a ‘Der Spiegel’ article which
included a mixture of rumour, gossip and innuendo about the Commission President and did not
constitute serious reporting or intelligent analysis.