WRITTEN QUESTION P-0921/02 by Nuala Ahern (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Former Director-General of the DG for the Environment joining BNFL Board.
Date: 2002-03-26
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European official, board of directors, confidentiality, conscience clause, early retirement, environmental policy, private sector, regulations for civil servants

14.11.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 277 E/107

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(6 May 2002)

In the table below are listed the quantities (expressed in carcass weight equivalent) of live cattle and beef
exported by the Community to the Middle East and North Africa in the three most recent calendar years.

Middle East
Live cattle
Meat

North Africa
Live cattle
Meat

Community exports in carcass weight eq.

1999

2000

2001

(tonnes)

56 912
89 347

51 387
67 240

Total

146 259

118 627

22 066
220 050

Total

242 116

21 918
182 805

204 723

40 794
3 625

44 419

334
9 268

9 602

Source: Eurostat / Comext 9.4.2002.

(2002/C 277 E/120)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0921/02

by Nuala Ahern (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(26 March 2002)

Subject: Former Director-General of the DG for the Environment joining BNFL Board

Jim Currie, the former Director-General of the European Commission’s DG for the Environment, who has
knowledge and extremely privileged information about Commission nuclear policy, has recently been
appointed to the Board of British Nuclear Fuels plc (BNFL) in the UK.

Articles 16 and 17 of the Staff Regulations state that officials have a duty to act with integrity and
discretion with regard to the acceptance of posts after leaving the Commission. What action can be taken
by the Commission to ensure that privileged information and confidential inside knowledge held by former
Commission employees who take up outside posts directly relevant to their Commission employment is
not improperly passed on to other bodies?

What financial benefits is Mr Currie required to make public after taking early retirement in October 2001
in addition to the reputed GBP 20 000 that he will be paid yearly by BNFL?

Have any other former employees of the DG for the Environment taken up employment with BNFL?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(6 May 2002)

Former permanent officials and other servants who have left the service are required to comply with
Articles 16 and 17 of the Staff Regulations.

Article 16 in particular provides that, after termination of service with the Institution, the official must
respect obligations of integrity and discretion in relation to the acceptance of certain duties or functions.

C 277 E/108

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

14.11.2002

Article 17 relates to the necessary discretion with regard to the information acquired during the course of
the official’s (former) duties.

Before officials and other servants leave the service, the Commission reminds them of their duty to comply
with the statutory obligations set down in Articles 16 and 17. The Commission expects its officials to
refrain from accepting employment if this could lead to a conflict of interest with their former post in the
Commission. Such a conflict may arise if the new activity is related to a dossier for which the official was
responsible in the Commission and involves him/her intervening against the position of the Commission
in matters covered by that dossier. The same situation occurs where the official might profit from
confidential information gained during his/her previous functions. Where the Commission suspects that a
violation of its professional rules may occur it acts immediately to check the matter, to remind the former
official of his/her obligations, and, if necessary, to take measures to penalise such a violation.

In its proposal for modification of the Staff Regulations in the context of Administrative Reform, the
Commission proposes to further strengthen Article 16 by placing an obligation on a former official to
notify the Institution if he or she proposes to take up a professional activity within two years of
termination of service. Similarly, Article 17 will be strengthened in respect of the divulging of information
not yet in the public domain.

Mr. James Currie is not required to make public his income arising from his professional activities after
termination of service. However, like all other former officials, he has a statutory obligation to declare his
income to the Commission so that,
income from new activities, cumulated with the
Commission payment, exceeds his last salary while in Commission employment, the necessary reduction
would be made.

if his total

To the knowledge of
Environment has taken up employment with BNFL.

the Commission, no other former employee of

its Directorate General

for

The process of examining the compatibility in the case of Mr. Curie (in the event of his joining the board
of directors of BNFL United Kingdom after leaving the Commission) with the rules in the Staff Regulations
is under way and should be finalised soon.

(2002/C 277 E/121)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0924/02

by Gabriele Stauner (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: A Commission Deputy Director-General in Miami

(5 April 2002)

The following information about a Commission Deputy Director-General appeared in the October 2001
issue of the University of Miami magazine ‘Euroforum’:

The North-South Center is the recipient of a major recognition bestowed by the European Union. This
is an official program sponsored and fully funded by the European Commission that places EU high-
level officers in U.S. universities. The original list of universities (limited to eight centers) has been
exceptionally expanded by an application to host Santiago Gómez-Reino, Deputy Director of External
Relations, for a two-year period (an expansion of the basic one-year program). Mr. Gómez-Reino will
reside at the North-South Center and be available for the European Union Center and the Jean Monnet
chair of the School of International Studies. Among the experiences of Mr. Gómez-Reino are: founder
and first director of the Humanitarian Office of the European Community (ECHO) and Director of all
operations in Latin America and the Caribbean.

1.
Can the Commission confirm that this is a special measure for the benefit of a Deputy Director-
General which departs from the customary rules (limited to eight universities plus no more than a one-
year secondment)?

2.

If so, what is the justification for these exemptions?