WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3947/97 by Johannes SWOBODA to the Council. OECD agreement to combat bribery and corruption
C 196/40 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 22. 6. 98 Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission (2 February 1998) Educational policy and organisation are exclusively matters for the Board of Governors, which is the intergovernmental body responsible for the European schools. It will therefore be for the Board to decide, when the time comes, what language sections there are to be in the third European school, which is currently being built in Brussels. This decision will have to be taken in line with the principles on which the teaching system at the European schools is based. As a member of the Board committed to the proper running of the European schools, the Commission will endeavour to ensure that these principles are respected. (98/C 196/56) WRITTEN QUESTION E-3947/97 by Johannes Swoboda (PSE) to the Council (15 December 1997) Subject: OECD agreement to combat bribery and corruption An agreement to combat bribery and corruption has been reached in the OECD. However, it concerns only the bribing of public officials. To what extent does the European Union advocate wider-ranging proscription of and legal action against bribery and corruption? Answer (30 March 1998) The Council has adopted already a number of measures to combat bribery. The following instruments may be mentioned: 1. Convention of 26 May 1997 on the fight against corruption involving officials of the European Communities or officials of the Member States of the European Union (1). 2. Convention of 26 July 1995 on the protection of the European Communitiesí financial interests and its protocol of 27 September 1996 which deals specifically with corruption (2). 3. Common Positions of 6 October and of 13 November 1997, both on the negotiations in the Council of Europe and the OECD on the fight against corruption (3). Moreover, the Luxembourg Presidency of the Council proposed a Joint Action to combat corruption within the private sector. This proposal, on which the European Parliament has given an opinion, is currently being examined by the competent working group of the Council with a view to making good progress during the coming months. The UK Presidency hopes to reach an agreement before the end of the current semester. In this context it should be mentioned that the Action Plan against organized crime, approved by the European Council at Amsterdam in June 1997, contains a specific recommendation (nr 6) aiming at the development of a comprehensive EU policy to fight corruption in order to enhance transparency in public administration and in business and to prevent the use by organised crime of corrupt practices. This is also the objective of the Commissionís communication of 21 May 1997 to the European Parliament and the Council on a Union policy against corruption. The Council will pursue action against fraud and corruption vigorously. (1) OJ C 195/01, 25. 06. 1997. (2) OJ C 316/48, 27. 11. 1995 and C 313/01, 23. 10. 1996. (3) OJ L 279/01, 13. 10. 1997 and L 320/01, 21. 11. 1997