WRITTEN QUESTION E-2517/03 by Herbert Bösch (PSE) to the Commission. Admissibility of the title Honorary Director of the European Commission.
Date: 2003-07-29
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: appointment of staff, regulations for civil servants, rights of civil servants, white-collar worker

C 51 E/254

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

26.2.2004

Article 95(5) of the EC Treaty provides for the possibility of Member States introducing national measures
that derogate to Community harmonised measures only under specific circumstances. That article provides
that after the adoption of harmonisation measure,
if a Member State deems it necessary to introduce
national provisions based on new scientific evidence relating to the protection of the environment or the
working environment on grounds of a problem specific to that Member State arising after the adoption of
the harmonisation measure, the Member State will notify the Commission of the envisaged provisions as
well as the grounds for introducing them. The Commission will evaluate those measures. For those
reasons, if the Netherlands wishes to introduce measures that go beyond Community rules, it will have to
prove that all the conditions laid down in Article 95(5) are met.

(1) OJ L 225, 10.8.1992.
(2) COM(2003) 311 final.

(2004/C 51 E/275)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2491/03

by Christopher Huhne (ELDR) to the Commission

(25 July 2003)

Subject: Eurostat

Does the Commission believe that
arrangements of Eurostat may extend to the integrity of the statistics?

the question marks concerning the integrity of

the financial

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(11 September 2003)

The Commission does not believe that the current investigations concerning Eurostat affect the integrity of
Community statistics.

Community statistics have always been compiled in accordance with a number of principles, such as
impartiality, reliability, objectivity and scientific independence. This will continue to be the case. These
principles are the mainstay of the existing ethos of cooperation within the European statistical system, and
integrity of the statistics
all participants are particularly vigilant and attentive about ensuring the full
produced.

The Commission is aware of the need to maintain the high level of quality for which Community statistics
are renowned. This is why the Commission attaches the utmost importance to adopting measures to
ensure that Eurostat’s activities continue and is drawing up a contingency plan to this end. The objective is
to ensure the timely production of reliable statistics in support of the Commission’s main policies.

(2004/C 51 E/276)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2517/03

by Herbert Bösch (PSE) to the Commission

(29 July 2003)

Subject: Admissibility of the title ‘Honorary Director of the European Commission’

On the website of a German-language EU advisory agency in Brussels, an advisor is listed under the
heading ‘The team’, with the title ‘Honorary Director of the European Commission’ (‘Direktor h.c. der
Europäischen Kommission’.

26.2.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 51 E/255

As this advisor is thus using a relationship with the Commission for commercial advantage, the following
questions arise:

(cid:1) Is there actually such a title as ‘Honorary Director’ (Direktor h.c.)?

(cid:1) If so are there other, similar titles?

(cid:1) Is there a list of people with these titles and is it publicly available?

(cid:1) Is there any possibility of sanctions against holders of such titles if they act in a way that damages the

Commission?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(18 September 2003)

1.
As the Honourable Member is aware, the title ‘Director h.c.’ indicates a rank conferred honoris causa,
i.e. an honorary rank. Article 54 of the Staff Regulations provides that ‘On termination of service an
official may be given an honorary rank either in his career bracket or in the next higher career bracket, by
decision of the appointing authority. No pecuniary benefits shall attach to such honorary rank.’

2.
In practice, honorary rank has conventionally been assigned to several officials who have occupied
middle or senior management posts at Head of Unit, Director, Deputy Director General and Director-
General level. The decision to grant honorary rank is taken (cid:1) after application by the official or by his or
her Director-General and/or Commissioner (cid:1) by the Commissioner for Personnel and Administration, by
delegation of the College of Commissioners and in explicit agreement with the Commissioner in whose
Directorate-General the retiring official works and with the Secretary-General. The Advisory Committee on
Appointments is also called upon to give its opinion beforehand.

3.
As the Staff Regulations make clear, honorary ranks carry no pecuniary benefit and, consequently,
the Commission does not formally keep a list of the persons holding them since the honorary status
carries no financial implications or other obligations. By way of information, over the last year (July 2002-
July 2003), after the completion of the required procedures, three persons have been awarded the title
Honorary Head of Unit and four persons have been awarded the title Honorary Director or Director-
General.

Officials who have ended their service remain subject

4.
the Staff
Regulations, including Articles 16 and 17, which make the provision that former officials continue to be
bound by the same obligations as current officials. Proven breach of those obligations would, of course,
make a former official liable to the appropriate sanctions.

to the relevant provisions of

(2004/C 51 E/277)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2524/03

by Maurizio Turco (NI) to the Commission

(29 July 2003)

Subject: Violation of religious freedoms in Italy

On 15 July the Italian Chamber of Deputes adopted a law on the legal status of Catholic religious
education teachers in educational establishments of all types and at all levels.

Under the new law Catholic RE teachers are given the same status as teachers of other subjects, will be
employed on open-ended contracts and may be required to teach other subjects in the event of
overstaffing.