WRITTEN QUESTION E-3427/01 by Astrid Lulling (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Meetings of the College of Commissioners.
Date: 2001-12-21
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Commission, rules of procedure

C 147 E/176

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.6.2002

Can the Commission provide information on the steps which it has taken after having presented its
mission report to the Migration Policy Group, the publisher of this publication, and after that organisation
had submitted its comments thereon to the Commission (almost three years ago)?

On 7 March 2001, (in accordance with the terms of the contract concerning a subsidy for 2000), the
Migration Policy Group submitted to the Commission a financial report, an activity report and a request
for the transfer of the remainder of the agreed subsidy (VS/2000/0275) for the publication of the
Migration News Sheet in the year 2000. What reasons does the Commission have for not responding to
that request?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(14 February 2002)

In principle, the audit carried out by the Commission covered the subsidies granted to the Migration Policy
Group (MPG) in 1996 and 1997. In view of the irregularities discovered, the department responsible for
the audit decided to extend it to cover the 1994 and 1995 files.

In its conclusions, and in order to be able to determine the amount of unduly paid funding, the auditor
asked the recipient to prepare new financial statements based on actual costs (not including reserves), to
provide more detailed explanations concerning the invoices from the Churches Commission for Migrants
in Europe (CCME), whose 1995 and 1996 accounts were not clearly separated from those of the MPG, and
to submit supporting documents relating to travel expenses.

totally satisfactory, additional
As the new statements and supporting documents received were not
information was requested. Discussions between the Commission and MPG representative took place in
1999 and continued in 2000.

Payment of the subsidy for the 2000 Migration News Sheet was suspended pending the repayment which
had to be requested on the basis of the audit. The resulting debit notes and payment are currently being
processed.

(2002/C 147 E/183)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3427/01

by Astrid Lulling (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(21 December 2001)

Subject: Meetings of the College of Commissioners

Under Article 219 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, ‘a meeting of the Commission shall
be valid only if the number of Members laid down in its Rules of Procedure is present.’ Article 5 of the
Commission’s internal rules states: ‘The Commission shall, as a general rule, meet at least once a week. It
shall hold additional meetings whenever necessary.’ The article also says ‘Members of the Commission shall
be required to attend all meetings’.

Can the Commission say how many times the College of Commissioners has met since the investiture of
the present Commission and how many meetings individual Commissioners have attended?

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(30 January 2002)

In all but exceptional cases, and outside the holiday periods (1), the Commission meets once a week (in
Brussels on a Wednesday, or during the plenary meeting of Parliament in Strasbourg on a Tuesday).

20.6.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 147 E/177

The Commission, chaired by Mr Prodi, was confirmed in office by Parliament on 15 September 1999. It
held its first meeting on Saturday 18 September 1999 (No 1446). The last meeting in 2001 was held on
Thursday 20 December 2001 (No 1549).

The Commission, chaired by Mr Prodi, has met 104 times since its confirmation (up to the end of 2001).

Attendance by Commissioners is as follows:

Member of the Commission

Number
of times attended

Romano Prodi, President

Neil Kinnock, Administrative reform

Loyola de Palacio, Relations with the European Parliament, Transport and Energy

Mario Monti, Competition

Franz Fischler, Agriculture and Fisheries

Erkki Liikanen, Entreprise and the Information Society

Frederik Bolkestein, Internal market

Philippe Busquin, Research

Pedro Solbes, Economic and monetary affairs

Poul Nielson, Development and Humanitarian Aid

Günter Verheugen, Enlargement

Christopher Patten, External relations

Pascal Lamy, Trade

David Byrne, Health and Consumer protection

Michel Barnier, Regional policy and, ad personam, Intergovernmental Conference

Viviane Reding, Education and Culture

Michaele Schreyer, Budget

Margot Wallström, Environment

António Vitorino, Justice and Home affairs

Anna Diamantopoulou, Employment and Social Affairs

(1) Last week of December and August.

100

101

97

97

86

98

103

99

103

77

94

72

88

92

101

95

101

88

93

100

(2002/C 147 E/184)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3428/01

by Giacomo Santini (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(21 December 2001)

Subject: Excessive checks on heavy goods vehicles in Austria

The closure of the Gotthard tunnel on 15 October this year has diverted a large proportion of southbound
heavy and light traffic destined for Austria and Italy. In view of the ongoing environmental and traffic
emergency on the Brenner motorway, the increase in traffic is causing serious concern to the inhabitants
and authorities in the areas through which it passes. This does not justify the obstructive attitude adopted
by the Austrian Government and the Tyrolean police in particular, who are hampering the circulation of
(foreign) heavy goods vehicles at both the entrance to and exit from the Brenner pass. The checks consist