WRITTEN QUESTION E-0895/02 by Herbert Bösch (PSE) to the Commission. Staffing at customs authorities in the European Union.
Date: 2002-04-04
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Austria, EU customs procedure, customs duties, customs profession, customs territory (EU), financing of the EU budget, own resources, statistics

14.11.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 277 E/101

Can the Commission:

(cid:12) verify the actions of the Italian authorities and their compliance with the judgment requiring the
immediate removal of all minors from care facilities run by Il Forteto and for Il Forteto to be struck
off the list of centres used by the Child Protection Agency?

(cid:12) set up a committee of inquiry to ascertain the real reasons for opposition to enforcement of the

judgment?

(cid:12) sponsor an EU inquiry into the 14 000 Italian children in care placed in communities financed with

public funds, the cost of which may exceed € 600 a day in Italy?

(cid:12) introduce appropriate measures to make legal recognition of care facilities for minors conditional
upon irrefutable evidence that they satisfy the necessary moral standards and standards of probity?

Reply given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(3 June 2002)

The Commission thanks the Honorable Member for her question but draws her attention to the fact that as
regards her first two requests, concerning Italy’s compliance with the judgment of the European Court of
Human Rights of 13 July 2000 (Scozzari and Giunta against Italy), the Commission has no power to act in
the matter. The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe is the body responsible for supervising
the execution of judgments given by the European Court of Human Rights in accordance with Article 46
of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.

Similarly, the Commission does not believe that, on the basis of the Treaties, it has the power to conduct
an investigation such as that wished for by the Honorable Member.

(2002/C 277 E/114)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0895/02

by Herbert Bösch (PSE) to the Commission

(4 April 2002)

Subject: Staffing at customs authorities in the European Union

Customs is of particular interest to the European Union: a large proportion of customs receipts benefits the
European Union budget. In some Member States, however, customs officers complain time and time again
about customs authorities’ staff shortages.

Are there EU standards for the number of control bodies necessary for controlling a particular section of a
border?

How many customs officers are currently employed in Austria, and how many would be necessary for the
best possible supervision of the EU’s external borders in Austria?

What is the customs staffing situation in other EU Member States? Which member States have too few
customs staff, and how many staff are needed in relation to the number of customs officers actually
employed in the individual Member States?

How high would the Commission put the European Union’s customs revenue losses resulting from
customs authorities’ staff shortages?

C 277 E/102

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

14.11.2002

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(12 June 2002)

Under Article 280 of the EC Treaty Member States are required to take steps to protect the financial
interests of the Community. It is up to them to set up the customs services that they deem necessary to
collect own resources efficiently. There are therefore no rules at Community level specifying the number of
customs officials or control bodies necessary for surveillance of the borders.

According to information from the Austrian customs authorities,
officials responsible for controls on goods and collection of customs duties.

in 2001 Austria had 4 200 customs

In the customs administrations of other Member States manpower stands at about 91 000, to which
should be added the staff belonging to other bodies or institutions also working in the customs field. The
number of staff varies according to local circumstances and tasks carried out under Part 3, Title I of the EC
Treaty, and Title VI of the Treaty on European Union. What the Member States need to do, with the help
of the Commission through the Customs 2002 Programme, is to provide staff with adequate computerised
infrastructure, better training and modern control techniques, in particular risk analysis.

The Commission, as the authorising body for revenue, carries out controls,
including on-the-spot
inspections. It reports to the budgetary authority at regular intervals on the functioning of the inspection
arrangements for traditional own resources under Article 18(3) of the Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No
the
1150/2000 of 22 May 2000 implementing Decision 94/728/EC, Euratom on the system of
Communities’ own resources (1).

The Commission is not in a position to evaluate any possible injury to the EU as a result of customs
staffing levels.

(1) OJ L 130, 31.5.2000.

(2002/C 277 E/115)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0898/02

by Baroness Sarah Ludford (ELDR) to the Commission

Subject: Export of live cattle to third countries

(4 April 2002)

Three hundred thousand live cattle are exported each year from EU countries to the Middle East and North
Africa. This cruel trade is subsidised by the EU through export refunds to traders. These refunds cost
European taxpayers € 60 to 100 million per year.

Given that the European Parliament has twice (October and November 2001) voted for an end to the
payment of these subsidies, can the Commission give any information about what action it has taken
towards dismantling this system?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(21 May 2002)

The Community is a traditional exporter of breeding cattle to a significant number of third countries.
Those animals are destined in particular for improving or maintaining the milk production in those
countries.

The vast majority of complaints the Commission receives deal with the export of slaughter cattle. Most of
the cases that were reported highlight the handling of animals, in particular at places of transhipment, or
at arrival in the country of destination and at slaughter.