WRITTEN QUESTION E-2247/03 by Juan Naranjo Escobar (PPE-DE) to the Commission. One-stop shop for European Union aid and subsidies.
Date: 2003-07-07
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU aid, EU national, access to EU information, administrative formalities, administrative transparency, aid system, dissemination of EU information, support policy

6.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 58 E/147

Answer given by Ms de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(9 September 2003)

According to the information available to the Commission, the International Maritime Organisation has
not dealt with the question of the seaman’s book, the competence of the national authorities issuing the
book or the conditions of issue.

However, the subject has to some extent been dealt with by the International Labour Organisation under
Convention No 108 on seafarers’
identity documents, adopted in 1958. This Convention gives the
contracting parties a certain margin for manoeuvre, regarding both the content of the identity document
and the persons eligible to hold it, and has served as the basis for a seaman’s book in several countries.
Apart from the information concerning the holder, it appears that, in practice, the content of the book
varies depending on the applicable national provisions. It may or may not contain details of periods of
service at sea or periods of training on board.

Convention No 108 was recently revised by Convention No 185, adopted by the International Labour
Organisation on 19 June 2003. The new Convention specifies the content and form of the seafarers’
identity document, and minimum requirements concerning the processes and procedures for issuing it. It
introduces a more stringent system for identifying seamen, in order to facilitate their movements and with
a view to preventing acts of terrorism. The Commission will assess to what extent the new Convention will
remove any obstacles to the basic freedoms of the internal market.

As the seaman’s book is not explicitly provided for in any international or Community regulations,
practices and procedures regarding the content and use of the document, and provisions relating to its
issue, may vary from one Member State to another. The Commission does not have any information on
the applicable national rules.

At this stage the Commission is not planning to draw up a legislative proposal on the seaman’s book. It
will consider whether there is a need for Community legislation which incorporates the requirements of
the ILO Convention into Community law.

(2004/C 58 E/162)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2247/03

by Juan Naranjo Escobar (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(7 July 2003)

Subject:

‘One-stop shop’ for European Union aid and subsidies

The possibility of obtaining aid or subsidies from the European Union shimmers like a mirage which many
Europeans, as private individuals or professionals, would like to see converted into reality to give a final
boost to a budding project or a project recently embarked upon.

Very often, for want of the expertise and resolve needed to pinpoint the Community aid or subsidy most
suited to their project needs, they fail to make their application, dumbstruck by a plethora of information.

Could the European Commission therefore indicate whether it would not consider it appropriate to
introduce a Community ‘one-stop shop’, responsible for pointing to the aid or subsidy, the procedure and
the channel best suited to the applicant’s needs, to enable EU citizens (cid:1) be they private individuals,
professionals or enterprises (cid:1) to apply for the aid or subsidy they need.

C 58 E/148

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.3.2004

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(12 August 2003)

The current financial rules on grants establish the principle that, before eligibility can be settled, a call for
proposals must normally be published. This should set out the specific conditions on which grants may be
made and the exact procedure for submitting applications. Applications are submitted to the individual
Directorate-General, which will then have to check that all the conditions for making the grant are met.

Each Directorate-General provides information, on its own site on the Europa server, about the types of
grant administered, grants made in previous years, its grants work programme for the current year, and
open calls for proposals.

Nevertheless, a website containing information on funding implemented by the Union is made available to
the public on the Europa server (1). It is currently being completely reorganised and updated.

The site and its proposed reorganisation are evidence of the Commission’s commitment to transparency
and its desire to provide citizens with clear, complete and practical information about the project funding
possibilities open to them through the Community budget and the conditions that have to be met.

(1) http://europa.eu.int/comm/secretariat_general/sgc/info_subv/index_en.htm

(2004/C 58 E/163)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2253/03

by Enrico Ferri (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Competitions COM/B/2/01 and COM/A/6/01

(8 July 2003)

Regarding the competitions COM/B/2/01, and COM/A/6/01 published in the Official Journal (1) and in the
light of Article 255 of the Treaty establishing the EC, implemented by Regulation 1049/2001 (2) of 30 May
2001 concerning access to Commission documents, could the Commission provide the following
information:

(cid:1) Among the candidates admitted to the oral exam, how many were already or previously under
contract and working for the European Commission (as auxiliaries, temporary staff, officials, etc.)?

(cid:1) Why was the number of successful candidates in the oral exam lower than laid down in the OJ? (Can
the jury explain the reasons for this choice especially in view of the fact that this is one of the last
competitions before the enlargement of the EU)?

(cid:1) Was a list of questions to be put to the candidates during the oral exam drawn up in advance, in order

to guarantee non-discriminatory treatment?

(1) OJ C 167 A, 12.6.2001.
(2) OJ L 145, 31.5.2001, p. 43.

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(29 September 2003)

Concerning competition COM/B/2/01

Among the candidates admitted to the oral exam, 73 were already or previously under contract and
working for the Commission as auxiliaries, temporary staff or officials.