WRITTEN QUESTION E-3886/03 by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission. Alcatel Italia and the seat of the European Satellite Agency.
Date: 2003-12-16
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Union Satellite Centre, Latium, cessation of trading, job preservation, satellite navigation, seat of institution, telecommunications industry

27.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 78 E/871

In the south of Sweden there is a small-scale eel fishery which is of great importance for local traditions.
That being so, what can the Commission do to adapt the new rules on eel fishing so that the responsibility
and burden is shared by the whole of Europe?

(1) COM(2003) 573.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(26 January 2004)

The Commission agrees that eel fisheries should be managed in an equitable way across Europe, for the
benefit of all parties concerned, and with contributions to conservation to be made in a fair and balanced
manner.

Sustainable eel stocks can best be maintained by ensuring that sufficient glass eel recruit from the estuaries
to populate the river basins, sufficient yellow eel survive the riverine fisheries, and finally that sufficient
silver eel survive the downstream migrations to join the stock of spawning fish. Either environmental
measures or fisheries-related measures (or both), should be used, and even then only in a consistent and
fair way. Member States should retain responsibility for implementing measures at a local level to reach
these objectives. In the longer term, the Commission is committed to proposing a Community-wide system
for eel management that is equitable in respect of management action taken in different areas and in
different life stages.

However, given the immediate scientific concerns about the state of the eel stock, short-term and
emergency measures are also needed. The measures that will have the largest immediate contribution to
the spawning stock of adult eel are to ensure the highest possible survival of silver eel during their
downstream migration. The Commission will therefore focus on this topic as a matter of urgency when
developing its proposals, and will consider ways to reduce the mortality of silver eel due to both fishing
and to environmental modifications.

(2004/C 78 E/0924)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3886/03

by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission

(16 December 2003)

Subject: Alcatel Italia and the seat of the European Satellite Agency

In June 2003 the management of Alcatel presented its financial plans, which including cutting about 1 300
jobs, most of them in Italy (at Cittaducale in the province of Rieti and Battipaglia in the province of
Salerno). It should be remembered that Alcatel, as well as producing telecommunications equipment, is
Europe’s biggest supplier of satellite technology. Its employees are therefore what are commonly known as
‘highly-specialised’ workers. Although the closure of these plants will lead to an employment crisis which
would hit specialised workers, many of whom are women and young people, there is also a possibility that
the European Satellite Agency may be set up in Lazio. For this possibility to become a reality, the
competent Italian authorities and the entities involved are trying to plead the casue of the Lazio region as
the ideal location. In the light of the employment problems which closure of the Alcatel plants would
cause, the choice of Rome (or another municipality in Lazio) as the headquarters takes on even greater
importance.

In view of the above, can the Commission say:

1. whether the threatened crisis involving Alcatel may influence the decision concerning the seat of the

Satellite Agency;

2. whether it intends to back Rome’s application to become the seat of the Satellite Agency, in view of
the possibility of finding new jobs for specialised workers who would otherwise be threatened with
unemployment?

C 78 E/872

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

27.3.2004

Answer given by Ms de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(4 February 2004)

To date, as specified in the Commission’s proposal for a Regulation on the future structures for the
1.
management of the Galileo satellite radionavigation programme (1), it has been proposed only to set up a
‘Supervisory Authority’ responsible for representing and defending public interests during the deployment
and operational phases of the programme. Its staff will be limited in number (less than 50 people), so
unfortunately this will not solve the problem of the 1 300 jobs lost in Cittaducale. Moreover, the duties
performed by this public authority will be very different from the work of a private company.

2. Work on this proposal for a Regulation has only just begun in the Council and the question of the
Supervisory Authority’s headquarters has not yet been discussed.

(1) COM(2003) 471 final.

(2004/C 78 E/0925)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3888/03

by Jan Mulder (ELDR) to the Commission

(16 December 2003)

Subject: Winding-up of contracts in the Eurostat affair

As a result of the irregularities uncovered earlier this year at Eurostat, on 23 July 2003 the European
Commission terminated its contracts with the company CESD-Communautaire. A number of firms worked
as subcontractors to CESD-Communautaire. These bona fide subcontractors are in danger of being the
victims of the situation that has arisen as a result of claims on CESD-Communautaire not being paid.

1.
As the Internal Audit Department completed its screening of all Eurostat contracts on 27 October
2003, can the Commission explain how it intends to deal with claims from bona fide subcontractors of
firms whose contracts have been cancelled by the European Commission as a result of the Eurostat affair?

In its answer will the Commission cover claims on CESD-Communautaire in general, and sub-project

2.
RU51NL in particular?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(20 February 2004)

On 23 July 2003 the Commission instructed its departments to terminate its existing contractual
relationships with four bodies in accordance with the terms laid down in the contract. However, the
termination of the contracts in question did not release the Commission from the obligation to pay the
remuneration for the parts of the contracts that had been performed. The bodies were accordingly paid for
the services they had rendered where there was no dispute regarding the assessment of the work.

In the case of the subcontractors, as a rule, the relationships between the Community’s contractors and any
subcontractors they use are governed exclusively by agreements concluded between these parties, and the
Community is not bound by such agreements. This is the case with the claims held by the subcontractors
of CESD-Communautaire (1) in respect of the project referred to by the Honourable Member. However, in
so far as the Commission has paid CESD-Communautaire for the services rendered, there is to the
Commission’s knowledge nothing to stop CESD-Communautaire paying off any money it owes its
subcontractors.

(1)

‘Centre européen de formation des statisticiens économistes des pays en voie de développement.’