WRITTEN QUESTION P-1197/02 by Esko Seppänen (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Commissioners' salaries.
Date: 2002-04-22
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Community tax, European Commissioner, European official, pay, remuneration of work, tax

C 301 E/102

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

5.12.2002

The current measures contravene the rules issued by the Commission on 20 September 2001 following
the bid by Benetton-Pirelli to take over Telecom Italia, which provided for the identification of a suitable
purchaser for the company, capable of maintaining its position and role on the market.

In view of the break-up plan put forward by TIM, it would seem that the possible purchasers who had
taken part in negotiations until July 2001 with a view to taking over the company as a whole have now
disappeared. The relevant institutions and shareholders would also seem to be ignoring the need to identify
other purchasers who have already expressed an interest (E-Do, Anthill).

What measures has the Commission taken, or does it intend to take, to guarantee competition and
transparency mechanisms on the mobile telephony market, with due regard for the difficult employment
situation which the current situation is creating?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(31 May 2002)

On 20 September 2001, the Commission adopted a decision authorising the acquisition by Pirelli SpA.
and Edizione Holding S.p.A. of Telecom Italia SpA, subject to certain commitments offered by Edizione
with regard to its participation into Blu SpA.

The purpose of such commitments was to remove the serious competition concerns that would arise in
the Italian market for mobile telephony given that, after the above acquisition, Edizione Holding would
have controlled both TIM and BLU.

Therefore it is clear that a transaction that included (directly or indirectly) the sale to TIM of Edizione’s
participation into Blu, followed or not by a break-up of Blu, would be against the spirit of the decision
adopted by the Commission on 20 September 2001, and would not be compatible with the commitments
given by Edizione.

The foregoing condition remains in place and can only be altered upon request supported by valid reasons.

(2002/C 301 E/106)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1197/02

by Esko Seppänen (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(22 April 2002)

Subject: Commissioners’ salaries

There has been much talk about MEPs’ possible future Rules of Procedure and salaries. Less has been said
about the Commissioners’ salaries and their social privileges.

What institution decides about the Commissioners’ salaries, social advantages and taxation,
in what
documents are these decisions taken and what is a Commissioner’s current salary (in euros)? What is the
level of the residence allowance, and is it tax-free or taxable? What is the average percentage of the
Commissioner’s income payable in EU tax and the Commissioner’s severance allowance at the end of his
or her term of office?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(4 June 2002)

The Rules of Procedure and salaries of Member of the Parliament’s are, of course, not matters for the
Commission.

5.12.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 301 E/103

The terms, conditions and rewards of employment for Commissioners are a matter of public record and all
details have been given in answers to previous Parliamentary questions (i.e. written questions E-2046/99
by Mr Titford (1), E-2235/99 by Mr Huhne (2), and others) and elsewhere.

The legal basis for Commissioner’s salaries is set down in Council Regulation (EC, ECSC, Euratom) No 422/
67/EEC, No 5/67/Euratom (3) and it determines the emoluments of the President, Vice-presidents and
Members of the Commission; the President, Judges, Advocates-General and Registrar of the Court of Justice
and of the President, Members and Registrar of the Court of First Instance (4).

(1) OJ C 221, 3.8.2000.
(2) OJ C 280, 3.10.2000.
(3) OJ L 187, 8.8.1967.
(4) As last amended by Council Regulation (EC, ECSC, Euratom) No 2778/98 of 17 December 1998, OJ L 347,

23.12.1998.

(2002/C 301 E/107)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1202/02

by Nirj Deva (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(26 April 2002)

Subject: Administration

On 4 February 2000, Mr Horst Reichenbach, Director General Administration DG, was quoted by the
Commission en Direct as saying that all senior managers would be trained by 2002. What percentage of
DGs and Heads of Unit in the Commission have, in fact, been through the training programme?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(10 June 2002)

The Honourable Member should note (cid:1) as essential background to the answer to his question (cid:1) that,
historically, the Commission has given relatively little attention to management training or to vocational
training in general. The result of
total
employment costs were accounted for by expenditure on training. Improvements on that have since been
made but, although the Reform commitment is to double training efforts over the next four years, that will
still leave investment in training in the Commission proportionally at around half of the level of the
average in Member State administrations.

in 1999 for instance, only around 0,05 % of

is that,

that

Since 2000 the Commission has substantially increased its investment in training for managers, including
managers at the most senior levels in the Institution. A range of training and developmental initiatives has
accordingly been put in place. The main Commission-wide initiatives (cid:1) together with approximate take-up
numbers in the period 2000-2002 for the levels of Director-General, Deputy Director-General, Director
and Unit Head (cid:1) are shown below.

Management training which has been organised and financed at the level of individual Directorates-General
(DGs) is not included in this list because there are fewer activities at that level. Management training given
to staff below the level of Unit Head comprises several thousand participant days per annum but it is not
included in the figures below.

Reform-Related Training for Management

Training is now underway to support implementation of central aspects of the Reform programme,
especially the new policies in work planning, human resources management and financial management.
These training initiatives involve all managers at Unit Head level and above in the Commission (around
1 200 personnel), without exception. Most of the eligible personnel required to attend several different
modules, depending on their particular responsibilities.