WRITTEN QUESTION P-2927/02 by Paulo Casaca (PSE) to the Commission. Conflicts of interest in Community contracts.
Date: 2002-10-10
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Commission, European official, Internet site, access to EU information, award of contract, business ethics, personnel administration, regulations for civil servants

10.7.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 161 E/53

Answer given by Mr Busquin on behalf of the Commission

(13 December 2002)

(EMF),

The Commission is supporting under the 5th Framework Programme, (5FP) (Quality of Life, Key Action 4:
Environment and Health), a mix of studies in different research areas in order to evaluate potential adverse
health effect of electromagnetic fields
including mobile communication technologies. This
programme includes different types of studies in order to investigate distinct aspects of the problem. The
total cost of the projects involved is more than EUR 32 million, with a Community contribution of over
EUR 12 million. Included are four projects dealing with the possible carcinogenic effects of EMF, one
project on terahertz radiation related to medical imaging applications, and further projects on possible
effects on nervous tissue and on possible cognitive effects. None of these projects addresses mobile
telephony systems using non-pulsed radiation (cf. Sub-question 4). In response to sub-questions 1 and 2, a
list of projects and coordinators is sent direct to the Honourable Member and to Parliament’s Secretariat.
More detailed information on these projects can be found from http://dbs.cordis.lu/search/en/simple/
EN_PROJ_simple.html. In addition, the Commission supports the coordination of national research related
to health effects from mobile phones under the COST 281 Action (‘Potential Health Implications from
Mobile Communications Systems’).

So far, only one of the eight projects supported under Quality of Life Programme has been completed:
development of advice to the Commission on risk to health of the general public from the use of security
and similar devices employing pulsed electromagnetic fields (Advice Pulsed Fields). According to this study,
electromagnetic interference (EMI) with implanted medical devices does not pose a public health threat, but
nevertheless needs to be further addressed by medical device and security system industries together.

it

As regards mobile phones,
is a large-scale
epidemiological project involving 13 countries inside and outside Europe. The objective of the study is to
determine whether mobile telephone use increases the risk of cancer and, specifically, whether the radio
frequency (RF) radiation emitted by mobile telephones is carcinogenic. When the project results become
available in 2004-2005, consolidated conclusions can be drawn.

the Interphone project

to notice that

is important

It is true that experiments in vitro on cells have sometimes shown biological effects. Nevertheless, even
though the biological effects of EMF exposure have been under study for the past 30-40 years, no
consensus has been reached with respect to either findings or their interpretation whether or not EMF
constitute a risk to the health of people. As long as the induction of adverse effects in living cells by EMF
at the molecular, sub-cellular and cellular level is not proven, it is questionable whether a causal link
between EMF exposure and any disease exists as suggested by various epidemiological studies.

The Commission is following closely any new scientific results in the domain to react if necessary to any
new scientific evidence not taken to date into consideration. So far it has not been established that
exposure to electromagnetic fields for cordless and mobile telephones is potentially harmful to the nervous
and hormone system. Once finalised (2003-2005), the projects supported by the Community should
provide an important input to our knowledge gap and also contribute to the related activities of the World
Health Organisation (WHO).

(2003/C 161 E/056)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2927/02

by Paulo Casaca (PSE) to the Commission

(10 October 2002)

Subject: Conflicts of interest in Community contracts

According to the ‘European Voice’ on 26 September and 3 October the Commission has concluded a
contract worth EUR 23 million with a Franco-Belgian company called ‘ASCII’ in the IT sphere.

C 161 E/54

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

10.7.2003

According to the same newspaper the company has subcontracted a firm called GPlus for a period of
6 years, the contract being worth a total of EUR 625 000. It would appear that a number of former
Commission officials in the area of communications are working for this firm,
including the former
spokesman for Commissioner Monti, who left the Commission only recently.

The European Voice also claims that the publication of these facts by the newspaper ‘Le Monde’ prompted
the Commission to suspend the contract with GPlus.

in the context of the
Can the Commission confirm these reports? Can it say whether it is possible,
Commission’s process of reform with regard to conflicts of interest, for an official to leave the Commission
to work under contract to the Commission?

Can the Commission forward to the European Parliament, in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1049/
2001 (1), all the relevant documentation relating to this contract, as well as the terms of reference of the
call to tender, its duration, the rival bids and the assessment of the tender?

(1) OJ L 145, 31.5.2001, p. 43.

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(27 November 2002)

On 17 June 2002, the Commission signed a framework contract for various input, management and
promotion services for the European institutions’ website, Europa, for a period not exceeding five years.

The contract was signed on completion of an open invitation to tender procedure carried out strictly in
accordance with Council Directive 92/50/EEC of 18 June 1992 relating to the coordination of procedures
for the award of public service contracts (1). The contract was awarded to the ASCII Company, which
offered the best value for money.

The work to be carried out under the general framework contract is covered by nine specific agreements
representing an annual amount of approximately EUR 4 450 000, all signed with ASCII. One of them, for
drafting and updating documents at an annual cost of EUR 435 000, made provision for sub-contracting
part of the work to GPlus at an annual cost of EUR 165 000, or 3,6 % of the total amount of the work
entrusted to ASCII.

When it learned that, at the time of the invitation to tender, an official on leave on personal grounds was
present in GPlus, the Commission suspended the Europa contract on 27 September last (i.e. before
publication of the article in ‘Le Monde’ to which the Honourable Member refers) in order to clarify the
position in the light of the problem of perception.

On 9 October 2002, GPlus informed the Commission that it had decided to withdraw from the specific
agreement in question, with the result that the contract with ASCII was restored in its entirety.

The Commission has undertaken a study of the rules governing incompatibility and, in particular, relations
between its officials and private-sector companies taking part in Commission invitations to tender.

The request for the documentation relating to the invitation to tender will be dealt with in accordance with
Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2001 regarding
public access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents (2).

(1) OJ L 209, 24.7.1992.
(2) OJ L 145, 31.5.2001.