WRITTEN QUESTION E-0827/02 by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Staffing of Directorate-General for Education and Culture.
Date: 2002-03-26
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Union, European official, administrator, cultural policy, education policy, professional qualifications, self-employed person, servant (EU)

26.9.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 229 E/143

Pursuant to this complaint, the Commission has addressed a letter to the Spanish authorities in order to
request their comments on the facts raised by the complainant and on the application of the following
Council Directives:

(cid:29) 92/43/EEC of 21 may 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora;

(cid:29) 79/409/EEC of 2 april 1979 on the conservation of wild birds;

(cid:29) 85/337/EEC of 27 June 1985 on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on

the environment (1).

In their reply, the Spanish authorities have informed the Commission that the project is to be executed
within an urban area and will not affect any Site of Community Interest or Zone of Special Protection for
Birds.

The Spanish authorities add that an environmental assessment was conducted in compliance with the
current Spanish hydraulic legislation. This study was subject to a public consultation procedure.

The Commission is currently assessing the information provided by the Spanish authorities relating to the
presence of the stripe-necked terrapin (mauremys leprosa) in the area. This species is included in Annexes
II and IV of the Habitats Directive.

Finally, concerning Directive 2000/60/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000
establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy, the Commission considers
that it does not apply in this case.

(1) OJ L 175, 5.7.1985 as modified by Council Directive 97/11/EC of 3 March 1997, OJ L 73, 14.3.1997.

(2002/C 229 E/164)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0827/02

by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(26 March 2002)

Subject: Staffing of Directorate-General for Education and Culture

In my question No. E-2810/01 (1), I requested information concerning the staffing of the Directorate-
General for Education and Culture. In her reply, Commissioner Reding provided some highly interesting
information which did not, however, answer my questions. The distinguished Commissioner, who has had
a very successful term of office to date, informs me that the Commission enlists the assistance of experts in
various disciplines selected on the basis of lists provided by the Member States and that the Commission
regularly consults cultural bodies throughout Europe. My request, however, was for
information
concerning the permanent and other staff (officials, temporary and auxiliary personnel) employed by the
Education and Culture DG.

Will the Commission say how many ethnologists, historians, archaeologists, sociologists, anthropologists
and philologists work in the Education and Culture DG as permanent and auxiliary staff? What is the
proportion of experts in those disciplines in relation to the total number of permanent, temporary and
auxiliary staff working in that DG? Is it a condition of employment in the Education and Culture DG to
have an academic or professional background in the above disciplines?

(1) OJ C 134 E, 6.6.2002, p. 112.

C 229 E/144

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

26.9.2002

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(7 June 2002)

The Directorate-General for Education and Culture basically recruits its category A staff from among
officials who apply for posts internally in response to notices of vacancies or, less often, from lists of
persons who have passed competitive examinations. The job profiles published refer to various criteria and
requirements, including specialisation in a particular discipline and professional experience.

The training and/or professional experience of category A staff in the Directorate-General is above all in
the fields of law, social and political sciences, history, sociology, literature, languages and economics, and
even information technology. However, there are no statistics which allow the percentage of specialists in
a discipline referred to by the Honourable Member to be specified.

The total number of category A officials and temporary staff is 221, some of whom are of course working
in interdisciplinary departments within the Directorate-General and are not concerned with political
dossiers or the implementation of programmes.

Furthermore, the Directorate-General acquires the additional expertise it needs by drawing on the services
of seconded national experts. For example, the Culture Unit is currently making use of the knowledge of a
seconded national expert with a master’s degree in anthropology.

(2002/C 229 E/165)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0832/02

by Jorge Hernández Mollar (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Requirement for solar panels to be fitted to new buildings

(26 March 2002)

In view of the rather passive approach taken in the Spanish region of Andalusia as regards the use of solar-
energy equipment, the Fuengirola local council is considering an amendment to its general town-planning
scheme in order to make it compulsory for solar panels to be fitted to new buildings.

In principle the Andalusian regional government has welcomed the new law, under which it will be
compulsory for solar panels to be fitted to all new buildings in the town, and is likely to give its assent in
the matter.

Does the Commission consider it to be legitimate (cid:29) and even advisable (cid:29) to encourage and promote the
fitting of solar-energy equipment to new buildings as a way of overcoming the reluctance and the
ambivalence demonstrated by the promoters of new buildings vis-à-vis such equipment?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(7 May 2002)

As it is mentioned in the Green Paper for the security of energy supply (1), renewable energy sources of
energy have a considerable potential for increasing security of energy supply. The Commission has set up a
target of doubling the share of renewables in global energy consumption from 6 % in 1997 to 12 % in
2010. The type of solar energy referred to by the Honourable Member is included in this Community
objective.

The new proposal for the Directive on the energy performance of buildings (2) considers the use of
renewable energy sources integrated in buildings. Recognising that supply-side efforts will only succeed if
they are accompanied by policies to rationalise the demand for energy. This Directive is in its final stage of
approval.

The Commission also recognises in the Green Paper for the security of energy supply, that there is a need,
under the umbrella of subsidiarity, to adapt national, regional and local regulations to give priority to
renewable energy sources.