WRITTEN QUESTION P-0928/04 by Maurizio Turco (NI) to the Commission. Equality of treatment in the written test for competition COM/A/3/02, sector 2.
Date: 2004-03-22
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: admission to examinations, competition (EU), confidentiality, equal treatment, statistics, sustainable development

C 84 E/696

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

3.4.2004

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(1 April 2004)

Under Article 217 of the EC Treaty, as last amended by the Nice Treaty,
‘the responsibilities incumbent
upon the Commission shall be structured and allocated among its Members by its President’. Thus it is for
the person who is appointed President of the next Commission to decide how responsibilities in the
economic and social fields will be allocated and whether, more particularly, wide-ranging coordination
responsibilities in the social field should be allocated to a Member of that Commission.

(2004/C 84 E/0782)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0900/04

by Glenys Kinnock (PSE) to the Commission

(24 March 2004)

Subject: Breastfeeding in public places

Is the Commission aware that many women in a number of Member States experience difficulty when they
attempt to breastfeed in a public place?

Does the Commission consider that this is discriminatory against both mother and baby and that efforts
should be made to change attitudes to what is a perfectly normal and acceptable practice?

Answer given by Mr Dimas on behalf of the Commission

(16 April 2004)

The Community legislation in the area of equal treatment between women and men covers issues relevant
to the field of employment and occupation at this stage. The issue of breastfeeding in public places is not,
therefore, an issue of discrimination within the meaning of existing Community legislation.

As the Honourable Member has said, this is a matter of attitudes to what is considered normal and
acceptable practice in a society. The Community Framework Strategy on gender equality (2001-2005) (1) is
supported by an action programme which aims at raising awareness on gender issues in EU policies,
developing statistics and indicators and transnational networking of actors to promote gender equality.
Among the objectives of the strategy is ‘promoting gender equality in civil life’ and ‘promoting change of
gender roles and stereotypes’ which is about changing behaviour, attitudes, norms and values. This theme
is a priority theme within the gender equality programme for 2004 and 2005.

(1) OJ C 337 E, 28.11.2000.

(2004/C 84 E/0783)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0928/04

by Maurizio Turco (NI) to the Commission

(22 March 2004)

Subject: Equality of treatment in the written test for competition COM/A/3/02, sector 2

With regard to written test (d) for the competition COM/A/3/02 (Sustainable developoment: Environ-
mental, energy and transport sciences and technologies) can the Commission say:

(cid:1) how many candidates chose each of the five topics and what proportion of each group were admitted

to the oral test;

3.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 84 E/697

(cid:1) whether, and by means of what procedures, equality of treatment was ensured,

i.e. whether the

candidates choosing each different topic had an equal chance of reaching the oral stage?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(19 April 2004)

The Competition referred to by the Honourable Member is still ongoing. The workings of the selection
board are governed by the principle of confidentiality. The Commission is therefore not in a position to
supply the data requested at present.

The Commission will, however, readily provide the Honourable Member with further information when
the competition has been completed.

The general principle of equal treatment of candidates is ensured through application of criteria laid down
in the published notice of competition COM/A/3/02 (1). There is no specific procedure to ensure an equal
chance of reaching the oral stage between the candidates choosing each different topic. The Selection
Board in field 2 (sustainable development) decided to offer five options in the written test, and candidates
were freely able to choose one out of the five. Regardless of the option chosen, the candidates with the
195 highest scores were admitted to the oral test within the terms of the notice of competition.

(1) OJ C 177, 25.7.2002.

(2004/C 84 E/0784)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0934/04

by Mogens Camre (UEN) to the Commission

(22 March 2004)

Subject: Breakdown of EU staff by grades A, B, C and D

In 2003, funds were allocated from the EU budget for a total of 31 000 permanent posts and 1 966
temporary posts in the EU’s institutions.

Broken down by institution, the figures are as follows:

Permanent posts

Temporary posts

Commission

Parliament

Council

Court of Justice

Court of Auditors

Economic and Social Committee

Committee of the Regions

Ombudsman

21 849

4 170

2 866

862

509

501

230

13

685

790

53

278

279

24

22

18

Will the Commission provide a breakdown of the total number of staff in each grade (A, B, C and D) by
nationality within the EU?