WRITTEN QUESTION E-0645/02 by Gabriele Stauner (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Mr Lamy's hearing before the anti-fraud unit.
Date: 2002-03-11
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Anti-fraud Office, European Commissioner, access to EU information, duties of civil servants, interinstitutional relations (EU)

29.8.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 205 E/183

(2002/C 205 E/195)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0645/02

by Gabriele Stauner (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(11 March 2002)

Subject: Mr Lamy’s hearing before the anti-fraud unit

In my written question E-1174/01 (1) I asked the Commission to provide me with a full list of all meetings
at which Mr Lamy met European Commission officials, of whatever rank, during his time as a member of
the board of Crédit Lyonnais, and to name the date, place and purpose of each meeting.

In its answer the Commission first stated that during his time as a member of the board of Crédit
Lyonnais, Mr Lamy met with Commission officials formally only once, between 1 and 3 May 1998 in
Brussels. The purpose of this meeting was to discuss a state aid case concerning Crédit Lyonnais.

In its answer to my written question P-3450/01 (2) the Commission then admitted that in addition to the
meeting it had mentioned there had been further ‘contacts’ with Commission members or services during
the time in question. Instead of apologising for its first answer, which had been incomplete and therefore
misleading, the Commission accused me of taking this answer out of context and misinterpreting it.

Does the Commission agree that from the beginning the question referred not to meetings Mr Lamy
1.
attended in his capacity as a member of the board of Crédit Lyonnais, but to those he attended during his
time as a member of the board of Crédit Lyonnais, and that there is a difference between the two?

Does it agree that its previous answers on the subject were therefore neither complete nor correct,

2.
and that this might suggest that Mr Lamy has something to hide?

Is it now prepared to provide me with a full list of all Mr Lamy’s formal meetings with Commission

3.
representatives during the time in question?

Can it state when and where the meeting with officials of the anti-fraud unit (UCLAF) mentioned in

4.
the answer to written question P-3450/01 took place, and what the meeting was about?

5.

Do minutes of this meeting exist?

(a)

If so, can it provide me with a copy of these minutes:

(b)

If not, why were no minutes taken?

(1) OJ C 318 E, 13.11.2001, p. 219.
(2) OJ C 134 E, 6.6.2002, p. 233.

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(8 May 2002)

It is not for the Commission to interpret the questions put by Members of Parliament; rather, the

1.
Commission has to reply to them, which it endeavours to do as clearly and precisely as possible.

The Commission does not think that the answers given in the past were incomplete or inexact; on

2.
the contrary, they were designed to provide answers to the questions put by the Honourable Member.

3.
The Commission does not have a diary setting out the official meetings that a former chef de cabinet
might have had with representatives of the Commission in connection with his previous functions during
a given period.

C 205 E/184

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

29.8.2002

According to the information supplied by the European Fraud Prevention Office (OLAF), the
4. and 5.
meeting referred to in the answer to written question P-3450/01 from the Honourable Member (1) was
held in Paris on 20 November 1997 and concerned the Groupe 4 contract. OLAF does not have minutes
of this meeting, which was held as part of this investigation, which was conducted at the time by the Unit
for the Coordination of Fraud Prevention (UCLAF).

(1) OJ C 134 E, 6.6.2002, p. 233.

(2002/C 205 E/196)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0647/02

by Christopher Heaton-Harris (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(11 March 2002)

Subject: Television Without Frontiers

Could the Commission please indicate whether or not it is likely that it will issue a new Television Without
Frontiers Directive within the life of this Commission?

What is the expected schedule for the Directive?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(26 April 2002)

The Honourable Member has raised the issue of the review of the Television Without Frontiers Directive
(Council Directive 89/552/EEC of 3 October 1989 on the coordination of certain provisions laid down by
Law, Regulation or Administrative Action in Member States concerning the pursuit of
television
broadcasting activities (1) as amended by Directive 97/36/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of
30 June 1997 (2)). In particular, the Honourable Member would like to know if it is likely that the
Commission will issue a new Directive within the life of this Commission and the expected schedule for
such a proposal.

Pursuant to article 26 of the Television Without Frontiers Directive, not later than 31 December 2000, and
every two years thereafter, the Commission must submit to the Parliament, the Council and the Economic
and Social Committee a report on the application of this Directive as amended and, if necessary, make
further proposals to adapt it to developments in the field of television broadcasting, in particular in the
light of recent technological developments.

In order to prepare the 2002 report (and, if necessary, to make further proposals to adapt the Directive),
the Commission has launched a comprehensive review of the Television Without Frontiers Directive. The
Commission has commissioned three major independent studies in the field covered by the Directive
impact of
(recent technological and market developments in the sector, new advertising techniques,
measures to promote the distribution and the production of European works). These studies, and further
consultations, will constitute an important input to the review.

At this point in time, the Commission cannot prejudice the results of the review. The Commission will
publish in due time i.e. by the end of 2002 the report on the implementation of the Directive.

(1) OJ L 298, 17.10.1989.
(2) OJ L 202, 30.7.1997.