WRITTEN QUESTION E-1659/02 by Emmanouil Bakopoulos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Recruitment to the European Food Safety Authority.
Date: 2002-06-11
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Food Safety Authority, appointment of staff, board of directors, recruitment

6.3.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 52 E/85

(2003/C 52 E/096)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1657/02

by Ioannis Souladakis (PSE) to the Council

(11 June 2002)

Subject: Funding of CARDS infrastructure programmes

The five-year strategic programme, CARDS, does not provide for funding for major infrastructure projects
owing to a shortage of appropriations. Consequently, funding to strengthen and improve infrastructure,
is excluded from the
which is essential
Community framework, raising questions as to how it can be financed.

for the long-term development of south-eastern Europe,

1. What methods of funding major infrastructure projects has the Council provided for south-eastern
Europe?

2. Which European Union services and financial organisations does it intend to involve in the funding
of infrastructure projects?

Reply

(5 November 2002)

1.
Over and above the Community support under the CARDS regulation, investment projects in the
candidate countries in Central and Eastern Europe are in particular furthered by the global guarantee
granted by the Community to the EIB in relation to possible losses under loans for investment projects in
these countries. The ceiling for total guaranteed lending in this region was set in November 2001 at
EUR 9 280 million until 2007.

Furthermore, the EIB has created a pre-accession facility of some EUR 8 500 million applicable

2.
until 2003 for non-guaranteed lending for investment projects in the candidate countries.

(2003/C 52 E/097)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1659/02

by Emmanouil Bakopoulos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

Subject: Recruitment to the European Food Safety Authority

(11 June 2002)

In April 2002, the Commission presented the 30 individuals selected to serve on the Management Board
of the European Food Safety Authority.

Of those 30, five are from consumer organisations and six from industry, agriculture and commerce.
Unfortunately, there are no candidates from the food industry despite the contribution they could make to
the service. Will the Commission say on what criteria the 30 candidates were selected and whether this
omission will be rectified?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(19 July 2002)

Article 25 of Regulation (EEC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 January
2002 laying down the general principles and requirements of food law, establishing the European Food
Safety Authority and laying down procedures in matters of food safety (1) provides that ‘The Management
Board shall be composed of 14 members appointed by the Council in consultation with the European
Parliament from a list drawn up by the Commission which includes a number of candidates substantially
higher than the number of members to be appointed, plus a representative of the Commission’.

C 52 E/86

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.3.2003

The Commission adopted the said list on 5 April 2002 following a selection process based on the criteria
provided for by Regulation (EEC) No 178/2002. The Regulation provides that members should be
appointed in such a way as to secure the highest standards of competence, a broad range of relevant
expertise and, consistent with these criteria, the broadest possible geographical distribution within the
Union. The Regulation also provides that four of the members of the Management Board shall have their
background in organisations representing consumers and other interests in the food chain.

In the list adopted by the Commission, six candidates have backgrounds in organisations representing
consumers and six others in organisations representing other interest groups in the food chain. Of these
latter six, two have backgrounds in organisations representing the food industry, two in organisations
representing farmers and two in organisations representing commerce.

Consequently, the Commission list does indeed include candidates with backgrounds in the food industry.

Finally,
it should be emphasised that the members of the Management Board are not appointed as
representatives for a particular interest group but as individuals, and they must undertake to serve the
public interest and operate in a spirit of independence.

(1) OJ L 31, 1.2.2002.

(2003/C 52 E/098)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1664/02

by Daniel Hannan (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Participants in the European Conventions

(4 June 2002)

Could the Commission please detail which of the organisations and networks of organisations taking part
in the Forum of the European Convention are funded or part-funded, directly or indirectly, by the
Commission or other European Union institution?

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(5 July 2002)

The list of participants in the Forum is being sent direct to the Honourable Member and to Parliament’s
Secretariat.

The answer to the Honourable Member’s question concerning funding will require more detailed research
within the Commission. A supplementary answer will be supplied.

(2003/C 52 E/099)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1665/02

by Nelly Maes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(4 June 2002)

Subject:

‘Smart sanctions’ against Zimbabwe

President Mugabe recently went to New York for a UN conference on child poverty and Augustine
Chihuri, chief of police and President Mugabe’s right-hand man, attended an Interpol conference in Lyon.