WRITTEN QUESTION E-3496/01 by Vincenzo Lavarra (PSE) and Giovanni Pittella (PSE) to the Commission. Large-scale fraud affecting the EU.
Date: 2002-01-08
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, European Anti-fraud Office, European Commission, Italy, exchange of information, fraud against the EU, water management

C 147 E/190

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.6.2002

(2002/C 147 E/197)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3496/01

by Vincenzo Lavarra (PSE) and Giovanni Pittella (PSE) to the Commission

Subject: Large-scale fraud affecting the EU

(8 January 2002)

According to reports published in today’s press, the Taranto Public Prosecutor’s Office has issued three
preventive arrest warrants against the former ASI commissioner in Taranto, the ‘retired’ director of the
Alenia company and a member of the contract award panel under investigation, on charges of fraud
involving improper use of EU funds. The relevant funds (ITL 4,2 billion) had been earmarked for the
purchase of seven stations to monitor the quality of the water in the vicinity of the Taranto’s industrial
zone. According to the charges, the monitoring stations have never been put into operation.

The repeated instances of fraud which are extremely detrimental to the EU’s financial interests make it
essential that the Commission and the European Parliament do their utmost to prevent such criminal
action.

Is the Commission aware of these problems? What action does it intend to take to protect its own financial
interests?

Answer given by Ms Schreyer on behalf of the Commission

(6 February 2002)

The Commission has no specific information about the case cited by the Honourable Members.

The Commission has received no communication from the Italian authorities under Commission
Regulation No 1681/94 of 11 July 1994 concerning irregularities and the recovery of sums wrongly paid
in connection with the financing of the structural policies and the organisation of an information system
in this field (1).

The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) has undertaken to contact the Italian judicial authorities.

The Commission would ask the Honourable Members to pass on any further information they might
receive directly to OLAF.

(1) OJ L 178, 12.7.1994.

(2002/C 147 E/198)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3503/01

by Camilo Nogueira Román (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(8 January 2002)

Subject: Draft organic law on universities (OLU) put forward by the Spanish Government

The Spanish Government has put forward a draft organic law on universities (OLU), currently being
debated in the Senate following an urgent procedure in the Congress of Deputies, which has given rise to
heated controversy throughout the academic community, with demonstrations and protests supported by
the Conference of Rectors of Spanish universities, professors, students and administrative staff from all of
Spain’s state universities.

Given that the drafting of the law revealed a serious lack of dialogue with the academic world and the
autonomous communities, the protests have been aimed at securing the withdrawal or thorough revision
of the government bill. The questions raised by this bill are extremely serious and include the lack of
provisions for improving the funding of universities and grants, restrictions on university autonomy, the