WRITTEN QUESTION P-1132/02 by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Access to information about the STAR 21 talks.
Date: 2002-04-15
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU industrial policy, aerospace industry, arms industry, arms trade, common security and defence policy, dissemination of EU information, non-governmental organisation, political representation, report, transparency in decision-making

29.8.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 205 E/255

The Commission hopes to present the proposal to the Parliament and the Council by September 2002 at
the latest.

Judgment of 8 March 2001, Jauch, C-215/99, ECR I-190.
Judgment of 31 May 2001, Leclere and Deaconescu, C-43/99, ECR I-4265.

(1) OJ C 40 E, 14.2.2002.
(2)
(3)
(4) Regulation (EEC) No 1408/71 of the Council of 14 June 1971 on the application of social security schemes to
employed persons and their families moving within the Community, OJ L 149, 5.7.1971. Regulation amended by
Council Regulation (CE) No 118/97 of 2 December 1996, OJ L 28, 30.1.1997.

(2002/C 205 E/284)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1132/02

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(15 April 2002)

Subject: Access to information about the STAR 21 talks

On 6 July 2001 the new Advisory Group STAR 21 met for the first time. Its purpose is to ascertain
whether the existing political and regulatory framework needs to be amended to enable the aerospace and
defence industries to remain competitive. The Advisory Group originally hoped to adopt recommendations
in around March 2002. Its tasks include reviewing procurement policy and cross-border trade in military
equipment.

STAR 21 includes no fewer than five European Commissioners and seven of the most prominent captains
of industry in the aerospace and defence industries.
It also includes two Members of the European
Parliament (not appointed by the European Parliament) and the High Representative for the Common
Foreign and Security Policy. There are no representatives of the civil sector or NGOs. Yet in many cases it
is left to NGOs to take care of victims of arms exports for which excessively lax controls on arms exports
are to blame. The view taken by the defence industry in this connection is all too clear: it wishes to secure
the elimination of as many barriers to exports as possible. The aerospace and defence industries do not
automatically serve the interests of Europe, but are primarily concerned with increasing the value of their
shares.

The results of the STAR 21 talks between senior representatives of the defence industry and Members of
the Commission will undoubtedly affect the future European security and defence policy. Yet they are
being held in comparative secrecy.

Will the Commission forward the reports of the STAR 21 Advisory Group to the European Parliament?

Can the Commission give a progress report on its work?

Why, when such an important area of policy is under debate, have no representatives of civil society been
invited to sit on the Advisory Group?

How will
procurement policy and cross-border trade in military equipment?

it seek the advice of NGOs on amendments to the political and regulatory framework for

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(6 May 2002)

The Commission has long recognised the importance of competitive aerospace and defence industries in
Europe as a key component in enabling the Union to realise its goals.

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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29.8.2002

the Commission would draw to the attention of

its
In that context
Communication of 24 September 1997 on ‘The European Aerospace Industry @ meeting the global
challenge’ (1) and its action plan on defence ‘Implementing European Union strategy on defence-related
industries’ (2). The need to address defence procurement issues and cross border trade was identified as a
priority in these Communications.

the Honourable Member

In 2001 following a request from the aerospace industry to the President of the Commission, and against
the background of the changes which have taken place in the sector in recent years, an advisory group
whose members sit in an individual capacity, was given the task to analyse the existing political and
to highlight any deficiencies, and to make recom-
regulatory framework for aerospace in Europe,
mendations for improvements.

As regards the representation on the group, the members concerned are considered to be well placed to
address the key economic and political developments in the Union’s policies which are most likely to affect
the competitiveness of the aerospace industry.

The group, which has met twice so far, has looked at five areas where action could help to secure the
future of the industry and consolidate its position in the interests of the Union as a whole @ competing on
world markets, the operating environment for aerospace, European governance of civil aviation, the
developing European defence market and sustaining a European space policy.

The group has not made any interim reports and expects to be in a position to present its final report by
July 2002 to the President of the Commission. The report, which will be published, will be provided to all
the Community Institutions including the Parliament.

If representatives of civil society, including non governmental organisations (NGOs) wish to provide their
views on any aspect dealt with in the report they will be free to do so. It should be pointed out also that
the advisory group’s role is to carry out an analysis and to make recommendations. It has no decision
making function and its deliberations are conducted in the same way as in the case of comparable groups.

As regards defence matters, the Commission draws the attention of the Honourable Member to the reply it
gave to Oral Question 0-90/01 by Mr Brok during question’s time at Parliament’s April 2002 session (3) in
relation to its future intentions as regards the defence related industries. The Commission welcomes also
the initiative of the Parliament to adopt a Resolution (2002-0172) on European defence industries.

(1) COM(97) 466 final.
(2) COM(97) 583 final.
(3) Oral reply, 19.4.2002.

(2002/C 205 E/285)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1145/02

by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(16 April 2002)

Subject: Failure of Commission officials to use their mother tongue

Parliament provides interpreting facilities in all the official languages of the Union for all meetings of its
parliamentary committees. However, some Commission officials (principally Greek and Dutch) who attend
these meetings and are asked for their opinions almost exclusively use English (and French to a lesser
extent) when they could quite easily speak in their mother tongue.

Are the Commission’s departments under instructions which prohibit their officials from using their
mother tongue and compel them to speak only in English and French? What steps will the Commission
take to persuade some of its officials that they may and should use their mother tongue as it is an integral
aspect of multiculturalism in Europe?