WRITTEN QUESTION E-2455/03 by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Eurostat: cash flow audit and value for money study by way of supplementary measures to clarify what happened and prevent any recurrence.
Date: 2003-07-23
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Anti-fraud Office, Eurostat, audit, cash flow, economic offence, fraud against the EU, management audit

C 84 E/24

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

3.4.2004

Reply

(8 March 2004)

The Council is not in a position to provide details of the names, conditions of detention or duration of
detention of Member States’ citizens being held in Guantanamo Bay. As the Council has stated in its reply
to Written Question E-1420/03, the protection of the rights and interests of Member States’ nationals
abroad pursuant to the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations is a matter for the individual Member
States concerned.
It is accordingly for those Member States to take such measures as they consider
necessary to ensure that their citizens’ rights are respected. It is for the government of the USA to ensure
that the detainees are held under conditions which do not violate international law and that any tribunal
established by it complies with internationally accepted standards of a fair trial and with international law.

(2004/C 84 E/0026)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2449/03

by Georges Berthu (NI) to the Commission

(23 July 2003)

Subject: Conservation of hedgerows

Hedgerow conservation appears very often to be in the general
interest because hedgerows safeguard
biodiversity and inhibit run-off and soil erosion, etc. In France, some départements now grant aid for the
replanting of hedgerows.

However, besides planting there is also the question of upkeep, which in a way is currently a free service
provided by the farmer to the local community.

Does the Commission think it would be possible to offset the cost of this service by introducing assistance
for the annual maintenance of hedgerows?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(12 September 2003)

Agri-environmental measures are included in the measures provided for in the national rural development
plan for France. The plan contains a list of measures in this area that can be adapted by each region
wishing to implement them. Planting, improving and maintaining hedgerows are listed as measures eligible
for assistance from Community funds. Therefore, aid for the maintenance of hedgerows already exists.

(2004/C 84 E/0027)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2455/03

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(23 July 2003)

Subject: Eurostat:

‘cash flow audit’ and ‘value for money’ study by way of supplementary measures to

clarify what happened and prevent any recurrence

1.
It has been announced that the Internal Audit Service, under the aegis of the Commission, is to carry
out an investigation into fraud at Eurostat: does this supersede the independent investigation by OLAF, or
will this first investigation be completed as originally planned? What is the difference in status between the
investigations by the Internal Audit Service and OLAF? In what respect might they possibly supplement
each other?

3.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 84 E/25

2. Will the investigation by the Internal Audit Service be subject to restrictions? Will it include a value-
for-money study or not? What may be excluded from the investigation? Will the Commission make
available to the European Parliament all the information obtained by means of this investigation?

3. Would not a cash flow audit, as proposed by the former chief accounting officer, Mrs Andreasen, but
which Director-General Mingasson advised against, have revealed the existence of concealed accounts
much sooner? Is such an audit now being introduced?

Have the individuals who are under investigation regularly visited their offices since their transfer and
4.
could they have shredded or removed documents since their transfer because they have not been denied
access to Eurostat buildings? Why were they allowed free access while the former chief accounting officer
was denied access to Commission buildings? Might it be desirable to take swift action now in order to
avert the possibility that documents may disappear for good? Ought this not to have been done much
sooner, in view of the information which the Commission now possesses?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(30 September 2003)

Both Parliament’s resolution on the fight against fraud and its Decision on the discharge for 2001 call for
the Commission to carry out an audit report on Eurostat. On 11 June 2003 the Commission instructed the
Internal Audit Service (IAS) to examine a sample of up to 400 contracts and grants selected by an agreed
procedure. This examination in no way supplants the independent investigation currently being conducted
by the Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF). As the Commission’s decision states, the abovementioned examination is
to focus on ascertaining whether or not contracts concluded between 1999 and 2002 were legal and
complied with the rules. As such it does not seek to investigate possible fraud, which is the remit of OLAF.
The two investigations are therefore complementary.

The Commission’s decision to instruct IAS to examine a sample of contracts and grants rather than carry
out a full audit of Eurostat’s internal controls was dictated by constraints of time and resources. On enquiry
from the IAS, Vice President Kinnock confirmed that examination of the execution of contracts or grants
was not excluded. If the IAS preliminary analysis were to provide good reasons to examine the execution
of contracts or grants, then the Internal Auditor should decide on that in consultation with the Secretary
General of the Commission in his capacity as co-ordinator of Commission actions relating to the Eurostat
examinations. Given the recognised resource constraints and the need to fulfil the IAS task inside the
essential deadline, an examination of the execution of all sampled contracts/grants would not however be
possible.

In actual fact, as the Conference of Presidents was told in July 2003, IAS’s first internal audit report relates
to both award procedures and contract execution.

A cash-flow audit is not part of the current IAS examination; a cash flow audit on the EC budget funding
would not have discovered the off-budget accounts.

The Commission’s objective has consistently been to ensure the audit material requested by Parliament is
established and delivered on time.

Furthermore, on 8 July 2003 the Commission took steps to secure certain archives at Eurostat’s premises
as a precautionary measure.

The Honourable Member is also advised to refer to the answer given to Written Question E-2204/03 from
Mrs Stauner (1).

(1) OJ C 33 E, 6.2.2004, p. 234.