WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3862/97 by Luciano VECCHI to the Commission. Support for measures promoting fair and ethical trading and consumption
17. 7. 98 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 223/27 The conditions for a judicial appeal are the same for all decisions: Article 173 of the EC Treaty gives everyone the right to appeal to the Court of Justice against Commission decisions addressed to them, within two months of that decision. Cases brought by private individuals are heard by the Court of First Instance. In addition, Article 179 of the EC Treaty gives the Court of Justice jurisdiction in any dispute between the Community and its servants within the limits and under the conditions laid down in the Staff Regulations. This provision also applies to candidates taking part in recruitment competitions. Article 92(2) of the Staff Regulations states that the appeal must be lodged within three months (2). (1) See Articles 1, 2 and 11 of the Commission’s Rules of Procedure of 17 February 1993 (OJ L 230, 11. 9. 1993), amended by Commission Decision 95/148 of 8 March 1995 (OJ L 97, 29. 4. 1995). (2) The Court has consistently held that the normal legal remedy against a decision by a selection board is a direct application to the Court, but if the person concerned has made a complaint to the appointing authority, the time-limit for bringing an action runs from the day of the express or implied reply to that complaint (Order of the Court of 8 November 1988, Case 264/88 M. Valle Fernandez v Commission of the European Communities [1988] ECR 6341, para. 11). (98/C 223/28) WRITTEN QUESTION E-3860/97 by Kirsi Piha (PPE) to the Commission (5 December 1997) Subject: Practice with regard to MEPsí travel allowances The European Parliament has fallen into disrepute partly as a result of the abuse of travel, expense and daily subsistence allowances. However, Members who are caught committing such abuses are not subject to any real penalties for their behaviour, being merely required to pay back the amounts unduly paid. Does the Commission have any means of incorporating into EU legislation some penalties for such abuses? Particularly in view of the fact that Article 138(4) of the Treaty of Amsterdam now provides a legal basis for a comprehensive examination of the MEPsí benefits, the Commission must now make some kind of proposal to the Council on this matter. Answer given by Mr Oreja on behalf of the Commission (14 January 1998) Such matters do not fall within the competence of the Commission. They are a matter for the Parliament itself. (98/C 223/29) WRITTEN QUESTION E-3862/97 by Luciano Vecchi (PSE) to the Commission (5 December 1997) Subject: Support for measures promoting fair and ethical trading and consumption The promotion of fair and ethical trading and consumption has in recent years become an important instrument both for educating the European public in development and for supporting independent producers and local authorities in the developing countries. Will the Commission state: 1. how many projects have been supported for this purpose in recent years; 2. whether it intends to boost support for such measures? 3. whether it intends to take measures to promote fair and ethical trading (e. g. with derogations from and the reorganization of import quotas, tax relief, etc. )?