Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-01-16-Speech-2-015"
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"en.20010116.2.2-015"2
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".
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Mrs van der Laan, the Commission welcomes your report. You have ascertained that in most areas that were central to the 1997 budgetary discharge procedure the measures taken by the Commission merit approval because we are heading in the right direction. I might therefore venture, at the start of this new year, to take pleasure in the fact that Parliament has commended the Commission. But I want to do more than just give pats on the back, and instead go on to look at the areas where you continue to voice criticism or rather, demand that further measures be taken, namely in the fields of staffing policy and external aid.
As far as staffing policy is concerned, in your report you specifically focused on the issue of the legal basis for the early retirement scheme. I would again draw attention to the fact that, before Christmas, the Commission adopted a proposal that is now undergoing the consultation procedure between the institutions and will be forwarded to Parliament in February. The key figures are as follows: it should be possible for 600 people to participate in the early retirement scheme. However, owing to budgetary neutrality there are to be only 248 new appointments.
Who will qualify for the scheme? It is conditional on the official being at least 50 years of age and having been in service for at least ten years. The scheme also makes provision, according to a person’s age and service affiliation, for 60-70% of their salary to be counted as early retirement money. It is a voluntary scheme. Nor is there any legal entitlement, instead, the Commission, using objective criteria, will select who is able to take up early retirement, thereby ensuring that the object of the exercise, i.e. an overall increase in efficiency on the staffing front, is actually achieved.
The second aspect relating to staffing policy concerns the disciplinary procedure. In its January report, Parliament proposed that an external chamber for budgetary discipline should be set up within the European Court of Justice or Court of Auditors. You have also mentioned this proposal again today. I think I should just run through the reasons again – which my colleague Neil Kinnock has outlined in great detail – as to why the Commission has distanced itself from this proposal. The European Treaties assign specific tasks to the Court of Auditors and to the European Court of Justice respectively. The Court of Auditors is responsible for the external control of finances and it is the role of the Court of Justice to oversee the disciplinary procedures pursued by the Commission should the need arise. As the Commission sees it, it would lead to conflicts of interest if the Courts were to be directly involved in the Commission’s internal procedures. The Commission would also point out that, in all international organisations, it is the institutions themselves that are responsible for disciplining their staff. The Commission is convinced that the same should apply here.
Naturally, there is a need for action. That much is obvious having viewed the matter objectively. We adopted the proposals that are now undergoing the consultation procedure, and which Mr Bösch mentioned, even before the end of the year. Firstly, we are talking in terms of steps that can be taken directly, without changing the statute, and secondly, there are steps that will require amendment of the personnel statute, and will therefore take a little longer to implement. As far as the first steps are concerned, it is absolutely vital to set up an investigative and disciplinary bureau within the Directorate-General for Personnel and Administration.
In response to your query, I can tell you that the question is constantly raised as to whether OLAF is already involved in the procedure or intending to become involved before this bureau starts work. Only if OLAF answers this in the negative will this bureau take action. The scenarios can vary a great deal. I would like to cite an example: sexual harassment in the workplace. Since OLAF may well not be called in to deal with such cases, it would, of course, be necessary to invoke an administrative investigation or a disciplinary procedure. So various areas come to mind. I think it is an excellent idea to take a complementary approach. We are not about to strip OLAF of its tasks, as it were, or undermine its remit, which was determined by Parliament and the Council, because OLAF investigations take precedence here, and that is a fact.
Secondly, it is very important for the disciplinary council to be chaired by an external expert. This would demonstrate that the Commission is keen to implement fair and objective disciplinary procedures.
I have just a few more words to say about your critical comments on foreign policy. Mrs Theato mentioned the need to reduce outstanding commitments. We submitted a report on this as part of the 2001 budgetary procedure and made it clear that, of course, these abnormal commitments, which have long been known as dormant commitments, must be reduced as soon as possible. Indeed, the field of external aid is already showing the first positive signs in this respect.
Turning now to the matter of the hospital in Gaza, which plays a significant part in the report by Mrs van der Laan. There were certainly a great many infuriating delays. Indeed, there were repeated and emphatic demands from within this House for progress to be made and for something to be done about all the problems. Yes, it is most gratifying that the hospital is now fully up and running and that it has been treating patients since the summer. One thing I would say though, is that developments on the political front, i.e. the violent clashes, have thrown up barriers again. It is even the case sometimes that, owing to the blockades in the Gaza Strip, supplies cannot be delivered and patients cannot get there. Many members of staff are unable to reach the hospital at the moment. We really must – also within the scope of this debate – make repeated calls for the violence to end. The European tax payer was willing to deliver aid to the people of Gaza. It is high time the people were able to make use of it."@en1
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