WRITTEN QUESTION E-1531/02 by Robert Goebbels (PSE) to the Commission. The Commission's management of its advisers.
Date: 2002-06-03
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Commission, European official, administration of the Institutions, job description, operation of the Institutions, personnel administration

8.5.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 110 E/19

In February 2001 the Central Highland Provinces of Gia Lai and Dac Lac, experienced serious disturbances.
Thousands of members of ethnic minorities, locally known as ‘montagnards’, were reported to have taken
part in demonstrations, some of which led to violence, with groups of protesters blocking a national
highway and attacking a post office and telephone switchboard and other public buildings. Police and
military forces, including helicopters, were sent to the region to restore order. These events were reported
by the official Vietnam News Agency. However, foreign correspondents were not permitted to visit the two
provinces.

Following these events, some two hundred local citizens took refuge in Cambodia. Some of these people
returned to Vietnam quite quickly. A small number were accepted for resettlement in the United States.
Others remained and were joined by new arrivals. Meanwhile, some 15 persons involved in the February
2001 disturbances were tried and sentenced in Vietnam. By the end of last year, it was reported that there
could be as many as 1 000 ‘montagnards’ in Cambodia. However, agreement was reached in January 2002
between the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Governments of Cambodia
and Vietnam on arrangements for a supervised repatriation of those who wished to return to Vietnam.

This action was launched satisfactorily, but encountered many difficulties. The Commission and the
Member States lent their support to renewed discussions between the UNHCR and the two Governments
in order to ensure the implementation of the agreed repatriation programme. However, following further
incidents of difficulties,
the UNHCR has effectively renounced the tripartite agreement. Following a
subsequent offer from the United States Government, the Cambodian government has authorised the
resettlement in the United States of the ‘montagnards’ remaining in Cambodia who wished to do so. This
resettlement programme is being carried out in co-operation with the UNHCR.

The Commission, together with the diplomatic missions of the Union, has followed these developments
closely, as well as the continuing situation in the Central Provinces, so far as conditions of access allow. It
has not yet been possible to obtain independent confirmation of the individual cases referred to in the
question, although the Commission is aware of interviews conducted in Cambodia with members of the
‘Dega’ Protestant group by an non-governmental organisation (NGO). The Commission’s Delegation in
Hanoi has therefore been requested to make enquiries and to take appropriate follow up action in
conjunction with the Member State missions.

At the meeting between the Commissioner in charge of External Relations and the Vietnamese Foreign
Minister NGUYENDY NIEN on 6 June, the Commission urged him to allow greater access to the area for
diplomats and NGOs. Representatives of the Union Presidency and two of the other Member States have
recently visited the Central Highlands, and reported back on the visit.

(2003/C 110 E/019)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1531/02

by Robert Goebbels (PSE) to the Commission

Subject: The Commission’s management of its ‘advisers’

(3 June 2002)

The internal assessment exercise entitled ‘Designing tomorrow’s Commission’ (Decode), completed in July
1998, aimed to provide an up-to-date analysis of all activities carried out by the Commission, as well as
the resources and working methods used, to enable it to plan its future and begin the process of reforming
its organisation and operation. The Decode exercise also examined the role of advisers who are not part of
the permanent establishment plan. It revealed, inter alia, that the function of these advisers was ill-defined,
that they were used in an inappropriate way and that their role needed to be rethought.

It should be noted that a report drawn up at the request of the Commission by a specific Task Force on
‘advisers’ states in its ‘analytical’ section that the Commission is guilty of dysfunction in this area.
Nevertheless, it makes proposals which, in contradiction to this analysis, mainly penalise the advisers, who
are not responsible for this regrettable state of affairs. The report offers no solution, although it would be
quite possible to devise one, which would solve the problem without incriminating these officials.

C 110 E/20

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

8.5.2003

Could the Commission say:

1. What action has been taken on this report?

2. What practical steps it intends to take in response to it?

3. What progress has been made on this matter and, more particularly, what is the present position of

the advisers in question?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(17 July 2002)

On 28 February 2001the Commission asked the Directorate General for Personnel and Administration and
the Secretariat General to set up a high level Task Force which would make an in-depth analysis of each
Adviser post and identify the real political and/or technical added value for the Commission.

The Task Force was established on 19 July 2001with the remit of presenting a report to the Secretary
General and to the Director General of Personnel and Administration:

(cid:1) evaluating the tasks performed by Advisers and Advisers ad personam within each Directorate

General;

(cid:1) identifying problems(and, inter alia, formulating possible recommendations and proposing transitional

measures which might be necessary);

(cid:1) defining the role of the Advisers within the Commission and presenting recommendations for the

future.

The report of the Task Force was finalised in November 2001 and then sent to all Directors General and
Heads of Services. The Secretary General and the Director General of Personnel and Administration have
asked the Members of the Task Force to meet with the individual Directors General to present the report
and also to discuss its conclusions. Those arrangements are underway.

According to the analysis provided in the report, Advisers tasks are often badly defined and the procedures
for their nomination have not always been very clear. The report concludes that this situation is not
consistent with the orientations of the Commission and it shows that resources are not used in the best
possible way. The Task Force recommends the adoption of measures which give better definition to which
indicate clearly which Advisers posts should be maintained and which should be suppressed, the job
descriptions of Advisers, and which clarify the selection and nomination procedures.

For the above reasons, it is evident that the conclusions of the report do not contradict the analyses made,
and they cannot be regarded to be ‘penalising the Advisers’ (cid:1) particularly since the report focuses more on
structures and procedures rather than on individual persons.

A consultative document on Advisers will be proposed and subjected to a concertation process. When new
guidelines are adopted by the Commission, the measures which they contain will have to be implemented
on a case by case basis, taking into account both the interest of the service and the interest of the
individuals concerned.

(2003/C 110 E/020)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1559/02

by Torben Lund (PSE) to the Commission

(3 June 2002)

Subject: By-catches of porpoise

I have written to the Commission on a previous occasion in relation to this matter but, unfortunately, the
problems associated with the habitats directive do not appear to have been resolved.