WRITTEN QUESTION E-3340/03 by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission. Request for verification of information concerning President Prodi.
Date: 2003-11-12
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Commission, President of the Commission, administration of the Institutions, appointment of staff, image, political morality, transparency in decision-making

C 78 E/524

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

27.3.2004

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(22 December 2003)

The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to the answer it gave to Written Question
P-3334/03 by Ms Muscardini (1).

(1) See page 263.

(2004/C 78 E/0545)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3340/03

by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission

(12 November 2003)

Subject: Request for verification of information concerning President Prodi

The Italian press has reported that, at least a year before the end of his term of office, the President of the
Commission Romano Prodi is taking steps to have his close associates appointed to prestige posts, giving
them all roles to ensure that their careers continue and that their high status is maintained even after the
current administration comes to an end.

For example, Riccardo Franco Levi, the President’s former spokesman, would become head of the EU’s
policy services; Michel Petite, former Head of Cabinet, is supposed to have been appointed head of the
Community’s Legal Service; Fabio Colasanti, the President’s deputy, would become Director-General of the
Enterprise department.

Even people directly or indirectly linked to the regrettable Eurostat case are to occupy illustrious positions:
David O’Sullivan was removed from the office of deputy Director-General of the Statistical Office, but is
now the Secretary-General of the Commission.

The press also claims that Commissioner Pedro Solbes is to be given a post in a Spanish public
corporation.

Can the Commission say whether these reports are true?

the fact

In view of
that on previous occasions the allocation of EU posts to persons close to
Commissioners caused the Santer administration the crisis which led to the resignations, does the
Commission not consider that similar behaviour on the part of President Prodi, if that is the case, should
be avoided, in order not to arouse pointless suspicions and so as to safeguard the transparency of the
institutions?

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(12 January 2004)

The Honourable Member refers to appointments that, according to her information, were made at least
one year before the end of Mr Prodi’s term of office and asks whether her information is correct.

The Commission wishes to point out that some of that information is incorrect, that most of the
appointments referred to were made some time ago and that all the appointments complied with the
procedures for appointing senior Commission officials.

Mr Riccardo Franco Levi was appointed Director of the Group of Policy Advisers (GOPA) on 16 May
2001; Mr Michel Petite was appointed Director-General of the Legal Service on 1 June 2001; Mr Fabio
Colasanti was appointed Director in the Enterprise DG on 1 January 2000 and was appointed to his
current post of Director-General of the Information Society DG on 1 July 2002; Mr David O’Sullivan has
never been deputy Director-General of the Statistical Office but was Director-General of the Education and
Culture DG before becoming Chef de Cabinet to Mr Prodi and was appointed Secretary-General of the
Commission on 1 June 2000. Of these four posts, two were filled by transfer in the interest of the service
(Article 7 of the Staff Regulations) while two were filled as a result of publication of a vacancy notice
(Article 29(1) of the Staff Regulations).

27.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 78 E/525

The Commission has no knowledge of any offers of employment that may have been made to any
Commissioner. In accordance with the Code of Conduct adopted by the Commissioners at the beginning
of their term of office, whenever they intend to engage in an occupation during the year after they have
ceased to hold office, they must inform the Commission, which will examine the nature of the planned
occupation and its relation to their portfolio in order to decide, after seeking the opinion of an ethical
committee, whether the planned occupation is compatible with the last paragraph of Article 213(2) of the
EC Treaty.

The appointments referred to by the Honourable Member were made within the framework of the
applicable procedures and with the sole aim of appointing the best-qualified persons to the posts to be
filled, in accordance with the general policy on staff and in the interests of the institution as a whole.

(2004/C 78 E/0546)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3341/03

by Adriana Poli Bortone (UEN) to the Commission

(12 November 2003)

Subject: Albania

Can the Commission say whether the observers at the recent elections in Albania pointed to any
significant anomalies, in particular whether:

(cid:1) the new electoral lists were corrected, following numerous complaints, in time to ensure transparent

elections with full participation by the population;

(cid:1) the procedure for the reorganisation of the central electoral committee was followed correctly;

(cid:1) the rights of the opposition were respected?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(23 December 2003)

Significant shortcomings have been identified during the last local elections in Albania, most notably
during the post-election period and the issuing of the results. The re-run of elections in the Himara region
on 16 November demonstrated that Albania still needs to make considerable efforts in order to guarantee
full compliance with electoral standards. In early December, the Albanian Electoral Court requested the
re-run of the elections in 118 voting centres in Tirana (over 30 % of the voting centres of the capital). The
re-runs will take place on 28 December.

A major issue identified during the elections has been that of the voters’ lists. On request of the opposition
parties, the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) made last minute amendments to these lists. However,
these amendments were not sufficient to guarantee satisfactory accuracy of the lists. In addition, changes
were made too late, and voters were not properly informed. This led to a certain degree of confusion on
the Election Day.

The reorganisation of the CEC in the run-up to the elections was controversial. Although the CEC seemed
to have taken generally balanced positions during the elections, the recent decision of the Electoral Court
as regards the elections in Tirana casts a shadow on the CEC’s performance.

There have been efforts to respect the rights of the opposition, and the appeal procedures have been used.
The request for re-runs in Tirana and the CEC’s decision to change results in Himara due to serious
manipulations are good examples. However, it is clear that all political actors in Albania need to be more
willing, more determined and more committed to guaranteeing the successful conduct of democratic
elections in the country.