WRITTEN QUESTION E-0051/04 by Camilo Nogueira Román (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Consequences of the letter to the Commission from six Member States following the failure of the Brussels IGC.
Date: 2004-01-20
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Austria, Community budget, European Union membership, France, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, United Kingdom, budget policy, intergovernmental conference (EU)

C 84 E/302

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

3.4.2004

Joint answer
to Written Questions E-0046/04 and E-0086/04
given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(5 March 2004)

The Commission has explained its position on the legal evaluation of this issue in its replies to numerous
Written Questions E-4100/00 by Mr Staes (1); E-0779/01 by Mr Staes (2);E-1356/01 by Mr Gemelli (3);
E-1681/01 and E-1682/01 by Mr Staes (4); P-2331/01 by Mrs Ferrer (4); E-2900/01 by Mr Staes (5); E-2901/
01 and E-2944/01 by Mr Staes (5); P-3189/01 by Mr Rothly (5); E-3572/01 by Mr Staes (6); E-0941/02 by
Mr Staes (7); E-2764/02 by Mr Staes (8); E-1733/03 by Mr Leinen (9); E-2018/03 by Mr Staes (10); E-2226/03
by Mr Rübig (10). The Commission would like to add that it considers also the terms ‘native speaker level’
and ‘First language (+ mentioning a specific EU language)’ as a violation of the rules on free movement of
workers.

In its replies to the written questions listed above, the Commission has described the measures it has taken
and which it continues to take to fight against discrimination, which is caused by a native speaker criterion
contained in job advertisements. The Commission is currently evaluating whether any additional measure
can be taken.

(1) OJ C 174 E, 19.6.2001.
(2) OJ C 235 E, 21.8.2001.
(3) OJ C 350 E, 11.12.2001.
(4) OJ C 93 E, 18.4.2002.
(5) OJ C 134 E, 6.6.2002.
(6) OJ C 160 E, 4.7.2002.
(7) OJ C 229 E, 26.9.2002.
(8) OJ C 92 E, 17.4.2003.
(9) OJ C 11 E, 15.1.2004.
(10) OJ C 33 E, 6.2.2004.

(2004/C 84 E/0350)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0051/04

by Camilo Nogueira Román (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(20 January 2004)

Subject: Consequences of the letter to the Commission from six Member States following the failure of the

Brussels IGC

In view of the letter sent addressed to the Commission by six Member States (Germany, the UK, France,
Holland, Sweden and Austria) following the failure of the Brussels IGC and calling for the EU’s budgets for
the next six years not to exceed 1 % of the Union’s GDP, can the Commission state how it intends to
respond to this perplexing and unfortunate request?

Answer given by Mrs Schreyer on behalf of the Commission

(9 March 2004)

The Commission has presented its proposal for the new financial framework, covering the period 2007-
2013, on 10 February 2004 (1).

In this Communication, more specifically on pp. 27-29, the Commission addresses in detail the legacy of
existing commitments and concludes that ‘a ceiling around 1 % of GNI, would fail to meet the European
Council commitments on agricultural payments, would undermine the phasing-in of cohesion policy in the
10 new Member States, and would jeopardise the existing levels in other policies, let alone to implement
the new policies.’

(1) COM(2004) 101.