WRITTEN QUESTION E-1294/02 by Marjo Matikainen-Kallström (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Translation of European EN standards.
Date: 2002-05-08
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Cenelec, EC Directive, ETSI, European Committee for Standardisation, European standard, competence of the Member States, standardisation, translation

C 229 E/202

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

26.9.2002

(2002/C 229 E/232)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1283/02

by Gabriele Stauner (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(8 May 2002)

Subject: Service contracts awarded by Eurostat

Can the Commission provide a list of all partners with whom Eurostat concluded contracts for the

1.
provision of services in 2000, 2001 and 2002?

2.

Can it state how much the various partners were paid in 2000 and 2001?

Can it indicate the cases where contracts were awarded to employees or former employees of

3.
Eurostat, either directly or indirectly (e.g. to firms in which they hold shares)?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(21 June 2002)

The list of contractors with whom Eurostat concluded contracts for the provision of services in

1.
2000, 2001 and 2002 is sent direct to the Honourable Member and to Parliament’s Secretariat.

The amounts paid to the individual contractors in 2000 and 2001 are sent direct to the Honourable

2.
Member and to Parliament’s Secretariat.

3.
No contracts were awarded to officials currently working in Eurostat. Two study contracts for the
purpose of writing the 50-year history of Eurostat were awarded to two retired officials of Eurostat but no
remuneration was provided for, merely reimbursement of variable costs payable only on production of
supporting documents. Eurostat maintains no register of shareholdings of its current or former officials.

(2002/C 229 E/233)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1294/02

by Marjo Matikainen-Kallström (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Translation of European EN standards

(8 May 2002)

European EN standards are published in three languages: English, German and French. Since 1987, they
have also been translated into the other official languages of the European Union.

Yet the Commission has announced that after 2003 it will no longer pay the cost of translating standards
relating to the relevant directives. This is a clear-cut case of discrimination against small countries, as they
will be compelled to have the standards translated at national expense. Soon, for example, various
standards relating to building products will be completed which will be needed, for instance, by small and
medium-sized enterprises and which even consumers may need to use.

Since the Commission pays the cost of translating directives into all languages, it is logical that it should
also refund the costs of translating standards which are fundamentally connected with the directives. What
will the Commission do to remedy this situation?

26.9.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 229 E/203

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(10 June 2002)

Standardisation is a voluntary process in which the parties involved agree on European standards within
independent bodies; CEN, Cenelec and ETSI. CEN and Cenelec have decided to produce these standards in
their three working languages (English, French and German). Some standards (called harmonised standards)
are the preferred, but not exclusive, means of complying with Community directives.

It should be noted that the costs of translating standards into these three languages are borne by the
national standardisation bodies concerned (Afnor, DIN, BSI) and that the Commission makes no financial
contribution whatsoever to these translations.

Since 1986, the Commission decided to partly finance translations into other Community languages in
order to speed up the process of having these standards transposed by the national standardisation bodies
and, ultimately, to facilitate the implementation of the directives concerned. There is thus clearly an
advantage given to the ‘small countries’ through the creation of the single market, including in the field of
construction given as an example by the Honourable Member.

Given that the budget for standardisation has been substantially reduced in recent years, the Commission
intends to focus its financial support on priority actions, in accordance with the Parliament and Council
resolutions of 1999. Since it also has to take into account, or indeed anticipate, the effects of enlargement
on the budget for standardisation in view of the probable accession of more than ten new Member States,
the Commission proposed that funding for these translations should end in 2003.

Finally, the translation of European standards cannot be compared to the translation of directives, since the
former are still applied on a voluntary basis, whereas the latter are compulsory.

The Commission has nevertheless stated that it is prepared to study any solution which CEN and Cenelec
might propose for future years within the limits of the budgetary resources currently available. In order to
curb expenditure, one solution would be to allocate, as of 2003, an annual financial package as the
framework within which the national standardisation organisations would set their priorities in terms of
translating European standards.

(2002/C 229 E/234)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1321/02

by Kathleen Van Brempt (PSE) to the Commission

(29 April 2002)

Subject: European funding for cultural projects

In the context of the cultural promotion of the city of Antwerp, local interest groups are considering
launching a mobile maritime-cultural project. The project involves a cargo ship, which is to be converted
and used as a backdrop for cultural events, with particular emphasis on the performing arts.

The plan is to give the project a European dimension by taking the ship to municipal cultural events in
Europe’s leading ports.

I would like to know whether a project such as this can be considered for co-financing under the Culture
2000 action programme. In view of its important socio-economic impact and cross-border character, I
would also like to know if this project could also be considered for co-funding under other Community
programmes, such as, for example, Interreg.

Answer given by Ms Reding on behalf of the Commission

(28 May 2002)

A Community subsidy for cultural projects can be granted under the Culture 2000 programme, whose
aims include enhancing the common cultural area as well as ensuring respect for, and promoting, cultural