WRITTEN QUESTION E-0678/02 by Gabriele Stauner (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Secondment of Commission officials to other Community institutions.
Date: 2002-03-12
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU body, EU institution, EU office or agency, European official, exchange of information, labour mobility, regulations for civil servants

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?

C 229 E/122

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

26.9.2002

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(13 May 2002)

The Commission can inform the Honourable Member that, as of 21 March 2002 27 Commission officials
are on secondment in the interests of the service to other Community Institutions (Economic and Social
Committee: 1; Council of Ministers: 5; European Court of Justice: 12; Court of Auditors: 2; European
Parliament: 7).

A further 20 officials are seconded in the interests of the service to other organisations, in particular
Agencies and other European and non-European bodies.

The Commission also has an exchange programme between its officials and staff from Member States’
national and regional administrations,
international organisations etc. 30 Commission officials are at
present seconded in that context.

A detailed list according to the individual institutions and organisations will be transmitted directly to the
Honourable Member and to Parliament’s Secretariat.

(2002/C 229 E/139)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0691/02

by Amalia Sartori (PPE-DE) to the Council

(5 March 2002)

Subject: Sex in exchange for humanitarian aid

It
is reported in the international press that staff of non-governmental organisations employed in
distributing and managing humanitarian aid on behalf of the United Nations have been accused of sexual
abuse of refugees. This has emerged from UN inquiries conducted during aid monitoring operations in
crisis areas.

What happens is that food, medicines and other commodities are apparently traded in exchange for sex
with young girls (many of whom are minors). The violence and abuse is further exacerbated by the fact
that no precautions are taken, thus promoting the spread of AIDS, which is already at alarming levels in
the areas concerned.

Situations of this kind appear to have occurred in Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire and East Timor, suggesting that it
may now be an established practice.

In view of the fact that UN humanitarian aid programmes are co-financed by the EU, what measures does
the Council intend to take to investigate these deplorable incidents involving relief workers who, instead of
providing aid to people facing a state of emergency, are humiliating and exploiting the very people they
should be helping?

If these allegations prove to be true, what does the Council intend to do to punish those responsible and
ensure that abuses of this kind do not occur again?

Reply

(26 June 2002)

1.
The Council does not possess any documents formally attesting to the veracity of the reports quoted
by the Honourable Member. However, if the reports turn out to be true, the Council will, to the full extent
of its powers, support any measure aimed at identifying and punishing the persons responsible for the acts
in question as well as any other action to prevent such incidents from happening again.

2.
It may be noted that, under Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/96 of 20 June 1996 concerning
humanitarian aid (1), cooperation between the European Community and the UN’s international humani-