WRITTEN QUESTION E-3852/03 by Roberto Bigliardo (UEN) to the Commission. Appointments and transparency in the Commission.
Date: 2003-12-16
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Commission, European official, appointment of staff, promotion, transparency in decision-making

3.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 84 E/509

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(9 February 2004)

to point out

including those

raised by various press organs,

The Commission considers that it has already provided full answers through its spokesman to the
questions
cited by the Honourable Member.
The Commission wishes
that cooperation with Italtrend in the area concerned,
i.e. development aid, goes back at least as far as 1992. Silvia Prodi, President Prodi’s niece, has worked
on projects covered by contracts with Italtrend in the nuclear safety field as a nuclear engineer since 1994.
On 31 December 2003, the value of contracts signed with Italtrend since 1 September 1999 amounted to
EUR 7,97 million. Payments made
company from 1 September 1999 amounted to
EUR 39,84 million, of which EUR 35,3 million (equal to 89 %) was paid under contracts signed prior to
1 September 1999 and EUR 4,54 million under contracts signed after 1 September 1999.

to the

(2004/C 84 E/0587)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3852/03

by Roberto Bigliardo (UEN) to the Commission

(16 December 2003)

Subject: Appointments and transparency in the Commission

How many members of the Commissioners’ private offices have been appointed to posts in Commission
departments with functions and/or grades that are senior to those they previously held?

Can the Commission also show that the appointments were based on merit rather than the now traditional
practice of finding important posts for the large number of staff employed in the private offices of the
President and Commissioners at the end of each term of office?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(12 March 2004)

The Commission would inform the Honourable Member that, to date during its period of office, 25 officials
have been assigned to more senior posts (cid:1) in terms of duties and/or grade (cid:1) in other departments after a
period of secondment in a Commissioner’s Cabinet.

Of these 25 officials:

(cid:1) 4 were appointed Director-General or Deputy Director-General;

(cid:1) 7 were appointed Director;

(cid:1) 14 were appointed Head of Unit and, of these:

(cid:1) 6 were appointed Head of Unit at the same grade;

(cid:1) 3 were appointed Head of Unit at a higher grade (A3);

(cid:1) 5, who had already been Heads of Unit in the past, were given a higher grade (A3).

C 84 E/510

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

3.4.2004

Summary table (cid:1) Officials promoted after a period of secondment to a Member’s
private office

Initial grade

Grade in new post

Promotion in terms of
duties

Promotion in terms of
grade

A2

A3

A4

A4

A5

A1

A2

A3

A4

A5

4

7

3

4

2

4

7

(1) 8

0

0

(1)

Three of whom were also given a promotion in terms of duties.

These appointments complied with all the rules in force with regard to promotions. The same standard
procedures for promotion which apply to all other members of staff were scrupulously followed.

(2004/C 84 E/0588)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3884/03

by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission

(16 December 2003)

Subject: Alcatel Italia: suspected infringement of rules on funding granted by the EU

It emerged from a meeting held with the trade union delegations from Alcatel Italia S.p.A. in Brussels in
November 2003 that the company has benefited in the past from favourable terms for funding production
activities in depressed areas of Italy, in accordance with the terms of Italian Law No 488/92, by means of
EU co-financing.

This law obliges the beneficiary company to respect,
increasing jobs, on the basis of the funding received, and abiding by a multiannual investment plan.

‘inter alia’, certain parameters in terms of both

Furthermore, it would seem that Alcatel Italia has carried out an outsourcing plan, without adequately
informing the workers, and contravening the ban on altering the kinds of contracts already in force.

In view of all this, can the Commission say:

1. what kinds of EU funding in particular Alcatel Italia has received?

2. what kind of investment plan Alcatel drew up to step up productivity and increase employment, in

accordance with the provisions of Law No 488/92?

3. whether it considers that the granting of funding to businesses can be made subject to an ethical and

social clause?

Supplementary answer
given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(22 April 2004)

Community funding received by A. Italia is related to:

(cid:1) Direct funding (Fifth Framework Programme):

(cid:1) Moicane project EUR 2 663 000,

(cid:1) Smacks project EUR 204 000;

(cid:1) Indirect funding (through L488, production activities in depressed area of Italy).