WRITTEN QUESTION E-1172/02 by Esko Seppänen (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Working time and leave of Commission officials.
Date: 2002-04-24
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Commission, European official, administrative expenditure (EU), civil servants’ union, collective agreement, labour relations, overtime, personnel administration, regulations for civil servants, union representative, working time

C 309 E/92

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

12.12.2002

known that arms companies can easily convert civil applications into military ones. In this case, the EU is
funding research to ascertain whether there are potential civil applications in addition to the military ones.

Bearing in mind the European Parliament’s resolution of 10 April 2002, will the Commission halt this
military cooperation between the EU and Israel and stop imports of the UAVs concerned? If so, with effect
from when? If not, how can the Commission explain its refusal?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(22 May 2002)

UAV research is a minor activity of the 5th Framework programme’s key action ‘Aeronautics’ under the
Competitive and sustainable growth programme. The work carried out in this field is strictly confined to
the development of civil applications of UAVs. Community contribution to Israel Aircraft Industries in
these research activities amounts to less than EUR 1,5 million.

Cooperation with Israelian entities is undertaken under the umbrella of the scientific and technological
agreement existing between the Union and Israel for the 5th Framework programme, which specifically
excludes any type of military research. Therefore, no aspect of military cooperation between the Union and
Israel exist in the UAV projects concerned.

The research work focuses on advances of civil/commercial application of UAVs, in particular in areas
such as environmental monitoring, communication relays and Earth observation, as well as the safe
integration of civil UAV into Air Traffic management.

(2002/C 309 E/106)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1172/02

by Esko Seppänen (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

Subject: Working time and leave of Commission officials

(24 April 2002)

The Commission has apparently concluded collective agreements with many trade unions. Have those
agreements laid down standard working time and leave for all officials and common rules governing
overtime, or are these matters regulated separately, depending on the individual agreements? With how
many trade unions does the Commission have agreements and in how many cases does it pay the salaries
of union staff?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(10 July 2002)

The rules on standard working time, leave and overtime as applicable to officials are not determined by
collective agreements. They are established by the Staff Regulations, which are part of the body of
Community Law, and by their implementing provisions.

Since 1 October 1986 working time for full time officials has been formally established as 37,5 hours per
week. While efforts are made to adhere to this provision, the necessities of various tasks and the interests
of the Services mean that, in practice, large numbers of Commission staff work hours that are substantially
in excess of that figure.

Officials are entitled to annual leave of twenty-four working days per calendar year (1), plus one to six extra
days of leave (2) depending on their age and grade, and a maximum of 6 travelling days (3). An official may
also be granted special leave in particular circumstances

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 309 E/93

For officials in category C or D, overtime can be compensated with time off or by remuneration (4). Some
Services use their own practical arrangements for the compensation of overtime, but within the framework
of these provisions.

Commission decisions affecting staff are taken only after consultation with the representative staff unions
or, where appropriate,
for example, the Commission decision on
flexitime was adopted only after consultation with the staff unions (5).

the Staff Committee. Accordingly,

On 4 April 2001 (6), after negotiations with staff unions, the Commission concluded a new agreement on
resources available for the staff representation. This agreement has been signed by six representative
unions. It provides, inter alia, for reduction in the maximum number of posts made available to the staff
unions from 21 to 12 posts. Support
for elected representation in the Staff Committee has been
strengthened. The arrangements are now similar to those used in several Member State administrations.

is currently being negotiated with seven unions in order

Following the Commission decision of 5 December 2001 another general agreement, known as the
Framework Agreement,
to update the
arrangements for the Commission’s relations with the staff unions which have been largely based on an
agreement made nearly 30 years ago in 1974. In the same decision, the Commission formally adopted
general provisions concerning the ‘concertation’ procedures (‘operational rules’) and provisions concerning
industrial action which had been concluded after negotiations with the representative staff unions at an
earlier stage. Those improvements are already in operation.

The Commission does not pay salaries of staff employed directly by unions (OSPs). According to the
information at the disposal of the Commission, only one representative OSP employs external staff ‘extra
muros’ and that employment is financed by membership fees.

On the basis of the agreement on resources between the Commission and the staff unions, unions that are
parties to the agreement have at their disposal a maximum of 12 seconded Commission officials as well as
specified and limited financial resources that can, inter alia, cover contracts for auxiliary staff employed by
the Commission. Under the terms of that agreement, at present, 12 officials are formally seconded to, and
4 auxiliary agents are working for, staff unions. The agreement also allows for the release of officials from
service duties for clearly determined periods and tasks and currently, five officials are formally released
from service duties (one of them on a part-time basis) awaiting either reintegration or the finalisation of
decisions concerning their secondments to the Staff Committee.

Finally, in some working locations of the Commission with a small number of personnel, staff unions are
still offered (cid:1) on an ad hoc basis decided by local managers (cid:1) support in the exercise of their activities.
This is no longer compatible with the general agreement and will be phased out.

(1) Staff Regulations, Article 57.
(2) Commission Decision 13 January 1967.
(3) Staff Regulations, annex V.
(4) Staff Regulations, Article 56 and annex VI.
(5) Administrative Information No 672, 25 April 1991.
(6) Commission Decision 15 June 2001.

(2002/C 309 E/107)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1184/02

by James Nicholson (PPE-DE) to the Council

(25 April 2002)

Subject: Persecution of Christians in China, Indonesia, Laos, Vietnam and Burma

It would appear that
persecution and human rights violations continue to occur.

in spite of earlier assurances given by the respective governments religious

Would the Council indicate what representations have been made to the respective governments and what
meaningful assurances have been received regarding protection of the religious freedoms of Christians in
China, Indonesia, Laos, Vietnam and Burma?