WRITTEN QUESTION P-0798/03 by Christopher Heaton-Harris (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Airinc.
Date: 2003-03-10
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Eurostat, award of contract, decision-making body (EU), outsourcing, private sector, provision of services, shareholder

C 242 E/178

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

9.10.2003

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(28 April 2003)

The Commission would like to inform the Honourable Member that the running costs of religious
organisations are not funded by the EU.

Only the Church & Society Commission, an organisation based in Brussels which provides the secretariat
for ‘Soul for Europe’ and covers the main religious persuasions (Christian, Muslim and Jewish) and also the
humanists, was awarded a grant for activities related to the coordination and representation of religious
organisations at European level during the period 2000-2002. This grant is set aside by Parliament under
budget
line A-3021. The sums allocated for 2000, 2001 and 2002 were respectively EUR 44 000,
EUR 41 000 and EUR 39 780.

The EU also awards grants on an annual basis to associations and federations of European interest,
including religious ones, for European activities and projects carried out by these organisations, such as
reflection on the ethical and spiritual values and sources of European integration.

Until 1998 these grants were awarded under heading A-3030 of the EU’s general budget, and since 1998
they have been awarded under heading A-3024.

While organisations receiving grants must be legally constituted and registered in one of the fifteen
Member States, activities may nevertheless be carried out in partnership with organisations from the
accession countries.

With regard to Orthodox organisations and institutions, one body received a grant for the period 2000-
2002. This was the Orthodox Academy of Crete, which received EUR 22 473,50 in 2000 and EUR 25 000
in 2002 for two different projects.

The grants must be submitted annually to the budgetary authority (Parliament and Council) and are due by
30 May 2003.

The Honourable Member can therefore access all
information on grants awarded since 1995 in
Parliament’s library, in the Reports on Beneficiaries of Part A Commission Grants. These reports have
also been published on Europa since 1998 and may be consulted at the following address: http://
europa.eu.int/comm/secretariat_general/sgc/info_subv/beneficiaries_en.htm.

(2003/C 242 E/185)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0798/03

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

(10 March 2003)

Subject: Airinc

Eurocost has been replaced with Airinc. Would the Commission give details of how much Airinc is
receiving annually?

What were the grounds on which Airinc was awarded the contract to replace Eurocost?

Who are the principal directors of Airinc? Do any of the directors or owners of the company have links
with either Eurocost or the European Commission?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(28 March 2003)

Airinc received a contract for the value of EUR 766 500 in 2000, EUR 781 500 in 2001 and EUR 796 500
in 2002.

Consistent with the general policy at that time of making outsourced work available to the widest number
of interested entities, Eurostat decided to stop the grant agreements with Eurocost for financing the
production of the correction coefficients and to launch open calls for tender. Consequently, in 1999 an

9.10.2003

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Official Journal of the European Union

C 242 E/179

open call for tenders was launched for the production of the correction coefficients required under the
Staff Regulations. The bid of Airinc was judged to be the best value for money by the evaluation
committee, and the first contract was signed with Airinc in 2000.

According to information available, the directors of Airinc are:

(cid:1) Arthur Nelson, Weston MA, United States;

(cid:1) Carl Nelson, Weston MA, United States;

(cid:1) James Reid, Concord MA, United States.

According to information available, the shareholders of Airinc are:

(cid:1) Arthur H. Nelson, Weston MA;

(cid:1) Carl F. Nelson, Weston MA;

(cid:1) Francis N. McSherry, MA;

(cid:1) Pamela B. Nelson, MA;

(cid:1) Geoff Rowley, Cambridge, MA;

(cid:1) Richard Downey, Cambridge, MA.

According to information currently available, the Commission is not aware of any links between the above
persons and either Eurocost or the Commission.

(2003/C 242 E/186)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0808/03

by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(17 March 2003)

Subject: Violations of Community legislation in the field of public health and consumer protection

Could the Commission give a figure for the number of presumed violations of Community legislation in
the field of public health and consumer protection in Greece and say which areas are affected? In how
many cases (if any) is it preparing to refer Greece to the European Court of Justice? What are these cases?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(10 April 2003)

A list of the infringement proceedings pursuant to Article 226 of the EC Treaty, which have been instituted
against Greece in the area of health and consumer protection and have not yet been concluded, will be
forwarded directly to the Honourable Member and to Parliament’s Secretariat.

Details of the nature of the infringement and the current status of the proceedings are included in this list.