WRITTEN QUESTION E-0056/02 by Dana Scallon (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Complaints against solicitors and legal professionals.
Date: 2002-01-24
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: lawyer, legal action, legal profession, professional ethics

4.7.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 160 E/173

(2002/C 160 E/213)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0046/02

by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(24 January 2002)

Subject: Community funds

(Northern Cork Workers’ Union) maintains that,
The ‘Sindicato Operário dos Corticeiros do Norte’
although it has received substantial Community financial support,
‘A Corticeira Amorim, SGPS, SA’,
Portugal’s largest cork producer, based in Santa Maria da Feira, is pressing workers of all ages to agree to
termination of their employment contracts.

Bearing in mind that
Commission say:

the unemployment situation in Portugal

is deteriorating alarmingly, can the

1. what Community financial support has been granted to ‘A Corticeira Amorim, SGPS, SA’, and for

what purposes;

2. what it will do to help preserve jobs in the companies belonging to the above-mentioned group?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(25 March 2002)

In accordance with Article 8(3) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 of 21 June 1999 laying down
general provisions on the Structural Funds (1) for the programming period 2000-2006, in application of
the subsidiarity principle, the implementation of assistance shall be the responsibility of Member States.

Accordingly, the Commission is unable to provide the Honourable Member with information about the
amounts and the terms of the Community funds granted to specific companies and suggests she contact
the appropriate Portuguese authorities. I enclose their details: Instituto de Gestão do Fundo Social Europeu,
Rua Castilho no 5, 7o/8o, 1250-066 Lisboa.

The Commission cannot directly support specific companies in order to preserve jobs. They must go
through the selection procedures for projects cofinanced under the Structural Funds, as laid down by the
national authorities.

(1) OJ L 161, 26.6.1999.

(2002/C 160 E/214)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0056/02

by Dana Scallon (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(24 January 2002)

Subject: Complaints against solicitors and legal professionals

Are there any European guidelines regarding how to handle complaints against solicitors and other legal
professionals?

In the case of misconduct such as solicitors acting in a conflict of interest situation, has the European
Union expressed any view on third party complaints?

C 160 E/174

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

4.7.2002

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(18 March 2002)

There are no specific guidelines regarding the treatment of these kinds of complaints.

At all events, professional conduct of lawyers is a matter falling outside the present scope of Community
law. Council Directive 77/249/EEC of 22 March 1977 to facilitate the effective exercise by lawyers of
freedom to provide services (1) and Directive 98/5/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 16 February
1998 to facilitate practice of the profession of lawyer on a permanent basis in a Member State other than
that in which the qualification was obtained (2), refer to national legislation in this field.

Community law provides no basis on which the Commission could take a position on third party
complaints.

(1) OJ L 78, 26.3.1977.
(2) OJ L 77, 14.3.1998.

(2002/C 160 E/215)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0057/02

by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(24 January 2002)

Subject: Damage to agriculture due to snowfall and frost in regions of Greece

Last week Greece experienced an unprecedented spell of harsh weather bringing heavy snowfall and frost
which destroyed a large proportion of agricultural production (citrus fruits, olives and fruit and vegetables)
in the regions of Crete, Attica, Viotía and Evia.

Will the Commission say whether it intends to take measures through the EAGGF to support the farmers
affected by this bad weather?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(21 February 2002)

The Commission has not yet received official
information from Greece concerning the impact on
agriculture of the adverse weather conditions that affected in particular Crete, Attica, Boeotie and Euboie
the first week of January 2002.

Depending on the importance of these damages, Community solidarity and funding may be proved to be
indispensable to overcome as soon as possible the problems rural areas confronting with and to rebuild
production potential. This applies as well for the production of citrus, olive oil, fruits and vegetables that
may have been more vulnerable to these weather conditions.

It is not up to the Commission to take measures for the compensation of the affected rural areas and
population but up to Greece to submitted relevant requests within the context of the current programmes
and mechanisms of the 3rd Community Support Framework (2000-2008) for Greece.

European Agriculture Guidance and Garantee Fund (EAGGF) contribution should be designated within the
total financial allocation attributed for structural funds intervention to Greece within the programming
period 2000-2006 by redefining of the programme’s priorities approved by the Commission. The current
‘National Operational Programme G Rural Development (2000-2006)’ for Greece with a total financial
allocation of € 1 233,42 million also covers the issue of natural disasters and emergencies with a credit of
€ 14 million. Should this amount not be sufficient, the Greek authorities are entitled to submit a request
for a redefinition of the programming priorities and of the corresponding financial allocations.