WRITTEN QUESTION P-0675/02 by Eija-Riitta Korhola (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Procedure for selecting a director for the European Food Safety Authority.
Date: 2002-03-01
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Food Safety Authority, appointment of staff, seat of institution

26.9.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 229 E/121

(2002/C 229 E/137)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0675/02

by Eija-Riitta Korhola (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(1 March 2002)

Subject: Procedure for selecting a director for the European Food Safety Authority

On Wednesday, 27 February 2002, the Commission set in motion the procedure to select a director for
the new European Food Safety Authority. It is intended that the director should start work in the summer
or early autumn at the Authority’s temporary base in Brussels.

In the selection process in general, and particularly when assessing applicants, is account to be taken of the
fact that the director’s ultimate place of work may , and probably will , be in an EU Member State other
than Belgium?

Can the Commission guarantee that advantage will not be taken of the delay in the Council’s decision to
nudge the final outcome in the direction of Brussels, with the aid of the recruitment process?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(3 April 2002)

The post of the Executive Director of the European Food Safety Authority was published in the Official
Journal (1). This is in compliance with Article 26 of the Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the Parliament
and of the Council of 28 February 2002 laying down the general principles and requirements of food law
establishing the European Food Safety Authority, and laying down procedures in matters of food safety (2).
On page 1 of this publication, it is explicitly mentioned that the seat in Brussels is provisional leaving no
doubts for the candidates that a final decision on the seat of the Authority has yet to be taken.

Given that the European Council in Laeken of December 2001 could not agree on a final seat for the
Authority the Commission had to publish the post now on the basis of the decision on the provisional
seat in order not to delay the recruitment procedure.

The recruitment of the Executive Director is the key element for rendering the Authority operational
irrespective of the decision on the location. It is also essential in order to respect the political will of the
Parliament and the Heads of State, who set and reiterated the tight timetable during several European
Councils (Nice, Stockholm, Laeken).

The Commission confirms that the procedure for the recruitment of the Executive Director and the
procedure for deciding on the seat are two independent, non related procedures.

(1) OJ C 52, 27.2.2002.
(2) OJ L 31, 1.2.2002.

(2002/C 229 E/138)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0678/02

by Gabriele Stauner (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(12 March 2002)

Subject: Secondment of Commission officials to other Community institutions

Under Article 37 of the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union, Commission officials can be
temporarily seconded in the interests of the service to other Community institutions or to persons holding
an office in these institutions.

Can the Commission state how many of its officials, listed according to the individual institutions, are
currently on secondment in the interests of the service?