WRITTEN QUESTION P-3661/01 by Michiel van Hulten (PSE) to the Council. Derogatory comments made at the Laeken European Council.
Date: 2002-01-09
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Council, public conduct of debates

C 147 E/216

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.6.2002

It should be stressed that the Commission has asked the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) to
compile a draft harmonised standard which will cover paving bricks. The adoption of this standard is
scheduled for the beginning of 2003. As of the entry into force of this harmonised European standard
under Council Directive 89/106/EEC of 21 December 1988 on the approximation of laws, regulations and
administrative provisions of the Member States relating to construction products (1), national regulations
will not be able to demand of a paving brick which conforms with the harmonised standard that it also
bear the national conformity mark. The EC conformity mark, which covers all the necessary procedures for
assessing conformity, will then, for a paving brick of this type, be the only mark which proves conformity
with the applicable regulations, and this will apply for all Member States.

(1) OJ L 40, 11.2.1989.

(2002/C 147 E/228)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3661/01

by Michiel van Hulten (PSE) to the Council

(9 January 2002)

Subject: Derogatory comments made at the Laeken European Council

According to Reuters, the following exchange took place at the Laeken European Council:

Berlusconi: Parma is synonymous with good cuisine. The Finns don’t even know what prosciutto is. I
cannot accept this.

Schüssel: I am not satisfied. We got nothing.

Persson: This is no easy task. We had the problem during the Swedish presidency at Gothenburg. But
it’s strange that the IT agency should go to Spain.

Verhofstadt: The gastronomic attraction of a region is no argument for the allocation of an EU agency.

Chirac: How would it be if Sweden got an agency for training models, since you have such pretty
women?

Berlusconi: I already accepted the (European arrest) warrant. My final word is (shouts) No!

Schröder: I love Parma, but you’ll never get it if you argue like that.

Chirac: Lille is also a candidate. It lies in the heart of the (EU) political landscape.

Schüssel: The (EU) observatory on racism (in Vienna) has only 19 civil servants. Others have
thousands.

Verhofstadt: That’s it. (Closes summit).

Can the Council confirm that this exchange took place?

According to the Laeken Declaration, ‘the European project also derives its legitimacy from democratic,
transparent and efficient institutions.’ In the light of events at Laeken, does the Council consider the
European Council to be such an institution?

Will the Council recommend to the European Council that it should apologise to Europe’s citizens for its
conduct?

20.6.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 147 E/217

Reply

(18 March 2002)

The Honourable Member will be aware that it is not for the Council to comment on the discussions
during, or the outcome of, meetings of the European Council. A fortiori it is not its custom to comment
on media reports purporting to give an account of the positions taken by Heads of State or Government
on any particular issue under discussion. The Council would finally make the general point that the
transparency of the outcome of the European Council’s deliberations is ensured through the publication of
the Presidency’s conclusions from the meeting.

(2002/C 147 E/229)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3664/01

by Proinsias De Rossa (PSE) to the Commission

Subject: Funding for European food safety policy campaign

(15 January 2002)

Will funding be provided to the European Federation of Trade Unions of Food, Agriculture and Tourism
for the implementation of the trade unions’ information campaign, which aims to inform their members
on the main food undertakings and objectives of European food safety policy?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(18 February 2002)

The Commission launched an invitation to tender in all the Member States for the organisation of a
consumer information campaign on food safety.

Following examination of the dossiers submitted by the applicants, one organisation was chosen in each
Member State for the implementation of this campaign on the basis of the criteria set out in the invitation
to tender.

The European Federation of Trade Unions of Food, Agriculture and Tourism did not submit an application
dossier for this consumer information campaign. Consequently, its activities in the area of the provision of
information on food will not be financed.

(2002/C 147 E/230)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3675/01

by Ioannis Marínos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(17 January 2002)

Subject: Lack of procedural transparency at Cedefop

The highly regarded newspaper, European Voice, reported (6 December 2001) that the Court of Auditors
had severely criticised the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (known as
Cedefop) over its system of recruiting and managing human resources. In their assessment of the Centre,
the Court’s inspectors stress that it had done little to achieve compliance with the current rules, while in
examining the cases of 36 of its officials, they found that 28 of the appointments made were ‘insufficiently
justified’. The entire situation tarnishes the image of this decentralised agency, the EU itself as well as
Greece which hosts it and assists it in every way and is in no way responsible for its alleged lack of
transparency.