WRITTEN QUESTION P-1370/03 by Patricia McKenna (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Commissioners' links to the Bilderberg Group.
Date: 2003-04-04
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Commissioner, President of the Commission, Universalism, duties of civil servants, political morality, rights of civil servants, secret society

C 268 E/192

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

7.11.2003

the case of movable property. There is at present no evidence that the problems for buyers caused by the
bankruptcy of construction companies have a material impact on the internal market. Protecting private
purchasers in case of the bankruptcy of a construction company, as the Honourable Member suggests, is
therefore not covered by European law.

As a consequence, exceptions in the area of immovable property have expressly been provided for EC
legislation related to consumer protection. Article 3(2)(a) of the Doorstep Selling Directive 85/577/EEC,
Article 2(1)(a) of the Consumer Credit Directive 87/102/EEC as amended, recital 4 of the Timeshare
Directive 94/47/EC, and Article 3(1)(4th indent) of the Distance Selling Directive 97/7/EC state essentially
that contracts related to property rights in land or existing or projected building are not covered by their
respective field of application.

Moreover, the European Commission is precluded from obliging any particular Member State to modify its
national law. Should it however be established that the acquisition and financing of immovable property
poses problems for the internal market, harmonisation measures for the whole of the Community could be
envisaged as far as the Treaty permits the Community to act. But it is, under the present circumstances, the
task of national governments to ensure an adequate level of protection in their respective housing markets.

(2003/C 268 E/215)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1370/03

by Patricia McKenna (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

Subject: Commissioners’ links to the Bilderberg Group

(4 April 2003)

Commissioners Mario Monti, Erikki Liikanen, Pedro Solbes Mira, Gunther Verheugen, Antonio Vitorino
and Frederik Bolkestein have in the past attended Bilderberg meetings and are thus de facto members, since
they are kept apprised of its activities. Commission President Romano Prodi was a Steering Committee
Member of Bilderberg in the 80s, at the time when ECB President Wim Duisenberg was Treasurer. Three
Commissioners are or have been members of the Trilateral Commission, Mario Monti, Chris Patten and
Pedro Solbes Mira.

Will the Commission say which Commissioners will be attending the forthcoming Bilderberg and Trilateral
meetings, whether they will be attending on behalf of the Commission or in an apparent private capacity,
and whether they will be granted daily allowances or other expenses in connection with those meetings?
Will the Commission ensure that these memberships are mentioned in the Commissioners’ individual
declarations of interest?

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(15 May 2003)

Several Members of the Commission have been invited to and have participated in meetings of the
Bilderberg group during their term of office, while others have been invited and have participated before
becoming Members of the Commission and have not then participated during their term of office. It
should be pointed out that in the group’s rules there is no such category as ‘member of the group’. The
only category that exists is ‘member of the Steering Committee’.

No Member of the Commission is a member of the Steering Committee. Personalities who do not belong
to the Steering Committee of the Bilderberg group may be invited to the meetings.

Occasional participation at a meeting does not need to be mentioned in the declaration of interests
provided for by the Code of Conduct for Commissioners, since the act of participating occasionally at one
or another conference, or of receiving information on the activities of a group, does not necessarily mean
that the person concerned is a member of or belongs to a group.

7.11.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 268 E/193

As regards participation at the next meeting of the Bilderberg group, which is due to take place from 16 to
18 May 2003 in Versailles, three Commissioners have accepted the invitation that has been extended to
them on account of their functions, although they will not be participating on behalf of the Commission.
The three in question are Mr Monti, Mr Bolkestein and Mr Lamy. Their trip will be governed by the rules
generally applicable in this matter.

As regards the Trilateral Commission, its rules preclude the participation of any member who holds public
office. No Commissioner is therefore a member of the Trilateral, and no Commissioner has as yet voiced
any intention of participating in a future meeting of the Trilateral Commission.

(2003/C 268 E/216)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1371/03

by Ursula Schleicher (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(15 April 2003)

Subject: Introduction of the European health insurance card from 1 July 2004

Some Member States have had the negative experience of the misuse of cards of this type. I know this to
be the case at least in Germany, where it is estimated that illegal electronic chip cards have been used to
defraud health insurance funds of around EUR 1 000 million (Bayernkurier, 13 March 2003).

What precautions has the Commission taken to protect the European health insurance card from forgery
and to prevent its abuse when used in another Member State?

Answer given by Ms Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(3 June 2003)

On 20 March 2003 the Brussels European Council asked for the European card to be introduced by the
summer of 2004. Initially, this card will replace the E111 form (certificate of rights to health care during a
tourist visit to another Member State). Given the diversity of national situations concerning the use of
health insurance cards, a single model will be used whose format will make it possible to read with the
naked eye the essential data for the provision of care and for reimbursement between institutions.

This standardisation should help to avoid the common errors with the current forms and to make it
possible for the authorities of the states issuing the card and of the states of temporary residence to
prevent improper, unlawful or fraudulent use of the card. In particular, the logical number mentioned on
the card will make it possible to check that the information on the card and the information in the
possession of the competent health care institution for the same number tallies. Above all, these measures
will make it possible to prepare the final phase, namely the transition to an electronic European card,
which will provide greater protection against fraud. Effective cooperation between Member States, and
especially between the competent institutions, should thus make it possible to reduce the risk of fraud or
unlawful use.

(2003/C 268 E/217)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1373/03

by James Provan (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(15 April 2003)

Subject: Movement of animals for zoological gardens

EU-Member States (and candidate Member States) require different tests when receiving animals for
zoological gardens from another country. If the UK is involved the requirements even differ depending on
whether the animals travel by sea or air.