WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3361/98 by Nikitas KAKLAMANIS to the Commission. Recruitment to the European Training Foundation in Turin
C 182/70 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 28. 6. 1999 practitioner, veterinary surgeon, midwife, architect, pharmacist and doctor refers to diplomas, certificates and other evidence of formal qualifications in medicine awarded to persons who commenced their medical training between 28 January 1980 and 31 December 1984. (1) OJ C 28, 6. 1. 1998. (1999/C 182/090) WRITTEN QUESTION E-3361/98 by Nikitas Kaklamanis (UPE) to the Commission (16 November 1998) Subject: Recruitment to the European Training Foundation in Turin The European Training Foundation (ETF) is a decentralised EU agency. The criteria used for the recruitment of its staff are, justifiably, giving cause for concern. The list of temporary agents at 30 June 1998, for example, shows that the ETF employs 123 people, including 20 Italians, 17 Belgians, 8 Irish and 9 Dutch but only 3 Greeks, 1 Portuguese and 3 Spaniards. This extraordinary breakdown by nationality of ETF staff raises obvious questions since countries with populations similar to that of Greece have nearly six times the number of staff (17 Belgians as opposed to only 3 Greeks), while the Netherlands’ representation is exceptionally high in relation to the Spanish, for example, a country with a much bigger population than that of the Netherlands. Is the Commission aware of this unacceptable situation and what action will it take to correct immediately the obvious imbalance in the breakdown of nationalities among ETF staff, given that all Community citizens are contributing to the running costs of the Foundation through the Union budget? Answer given by Mrs Cresson on behalf of the Commission (5 January 1999) The Commission draws the Honourable Member’s attention to the Foundation’s autonomy as regards staff policy. Article 7 of Regulation (EEC) 1360/90 establishing a European Training Foundation, as amended by Regulation (EC) 1572/98 of 17 July 1998 (1), states that the director is responsible for all staff matters. Regarding staff status, Article 14 of the Regulation establishing the Foundation states that the staff of the Foundation are governed by the rules and regulations applicable to the officials and other servants of the European Communities. The Foundation exercises over its staff the powers devolved to the appointing authority. The governing board, in agreement with the Commission, adopts the appropriate implementing rules. It is clear from these two articles that the Commission is not involved in the procedure for appointing Foundation staff, apart from providing the Foundation with administrative assistance to help it bring its practices as regards application of the Staff Regulations and the Rules applicable to other servants into line with those of the institutions. It ensues from the above that there are no national quotas which might oblige the Foundation to recruit its staff on the basis of nationality. Appointments are therefore made exclusively by considering the required qualifications and skills, while attempting, as far as possible, to ensure a reasonable geographical breakdown. The Commission considers that staff recruitment by the Foundation is fully consistent with the relevant rules. (1) OJ L 206, 23. 7. 1998