WRITTEN QUESTION P-3454/02 by Christopher Heaton-Harris (PPE-DE) to the Commission. The establishment of a European Public Prosecutor.
Date: 2002-11-27
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU policy, European official, financial policy, fraud against the EU

9.10.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 242 E/59

The assessment of financial support to professional sports clubs will vary depending on the characteristics.
It might, for example, be considered not to be aid for an economic activity, as in the case of compensation
for the education of young players (2). Under certain strict conditions, financial support for stadiums may
also be considered as funding for infrastructure and not constitute aid.

Accordingly, the Commission cannot state in general terms whether state aid, within the meaning of
Article 87(1) of the EC Treaty, has been granted to Belgian professional sports clubs. It needs to be assessed
on a case by case basis whether forms of public support constitute State aid and whether they are
compatible with the EC Treaty.

(1) Cases C-415/93, Bosman and C-41/90, Höfner.
(2) Commission Decision N 118/2000, France, state aid for professional sports clubs (cid:1) OJ C 333, 28.11.2001.

(2003/C 242 E/059)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3454/02

by Christopher Heaton-Harris (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: The establishment of a European Public Prosecutor

(27 November 2002)

How much money does the Commission estimate establishing a European Public Prosecutor will cost?

Answer given by Mrs Schreyer on behalf of the Commission

(7 January 2003)

The establishment of a European Financial Prosecutor has been recently addressed in the Green Paper on
protection of the financial
law and the establishment of a
European Financial Prosecutor (1). This paper is only a consultative document to be used as a basis for an
open discussion.

interests of the Community by criminal

The Green Paper presents various options for the establishment of a European Financial Prosecutor, which
can be combined in many ways. Each combination of choices would have a different financial impact. As a
consequence and in the absence of a legal basis enshrined in the EC Treaty, full preparatory legislative
work, including a financial impact assessment, is not possible at this stage.

One of the proposals made in the Green Paper is the organisation of the European Financial Prosecutor on
a decentralised basis. In such a case, the European Financial Prosecutor’s own resources would be small.

The Green Paper also proposes that the European Financial Prosecutor have his/her own budget, charged
to the general budget of the Communities. This budget would be managed on a totally independent basis
by the European Financial Prosecutor in accordance with the rules of the EC Treaty and the financial
legislation implementing them.

Finally, the Commission underlines that the creation of the European Financial Prosecutor is in the
interests of the European taxpayer, as the aim is to protect EU finances.

(1) COM(2001) 715 final.

(2003/C 242 E/060)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3479/02

by Philippe Herzog (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(6 December 2002)

Subject: Extension of the Lamfalussy process and financial supervision

In the debate on extension of the Lamfalussy process and financial supervision at the plenary sitting in
Strasbourg on 20 November 2002, the Commissioner responsible for the single market expressed his
intention of replying to each of the speakers. But he made one exception, omitting to answer the author of