WRITTEN QUESTION E-0136/00 by Gerhard Hager (NI) to the Council. Setting up of Eurojust.
21. 11. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 330 E/89 (2000/C 330 E/098) WRITTEN QUESTION P-0132/00 by Francesco Speroni (TDI) to the Commission (18 January 2000) Subject: Road signs in Italy Italian motorways are full of fifty kph speed-limit signs underneath which is attached another sign indicating that this limit applies only in case of fog. Since this stipulation appears in Italian only, drivers unfamiliar with that language are likely to be confused by the signs. Would the Commission not agree that, in the interests of road safety, action should be taken t make those signs readily understandable to all? Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission (2 March 2000) Road safety is a key issue within the European transport policy and the Commission fully understands the Honourable Memberís concerns about road signs. Their characteristics, for example their size, shape and colour, are governed by an international agreement administered by the United Nations economic commission for Europe and these signs usually take the form of a pictogram to avoid difficulties of understanding as mentioned by the Honourable Member. However, where it is not the case, it is up to the individual Member State which is a signatory to the Convention to propose a modification to replace text messages with pictograms. (2000/C 330 E/099) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0136/00 by Gerhard Hager (NI) to the Council (31 January 2000) Subject: Setting up of Eurojust At the Tampere Summit, the European Council decided to set up an agency to provide a more vigorous response to the most serious forms of organised crime (Eurojust). The Council was asked to adopt the necessary legislation by the end of the year 2001. 1. What progress has been made concerning specific plans to set up Eurojust? 2. In so far as it is possible to say at present, how will the agency be structured in organisational terms? 3. What are the Councilís estimates concerning the future staffing levels of Eurojust? 4. What are the Councilís estimates regarding costs? Reply (2 May 2000) The Portuguese Presidency submitted to the Council a discussion paper examining all the possible options regarding setting up Eurojust. A first discussion of this document has already been held within the competent Council bodies. The Presidency also submitted the question of setting up Eurojust to the Justice and Home Affairs ministers at the informal meeting in Lisbon at the beginning of March 2000. C 330 E/90 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 21. 11. 2000 It is not yet possible to provide any information on the future organisation of Eurojust or estimates of its future resources. As soon as the Council has been presented with an initiative regarding a legal instrument, the European Parliament will be duly consulted, in accordance with the Treaty on European Union. (2000/C 330 E/100) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0142/00 by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission (31 January 2000) Subject: Clarification of tender award procedures for road reconstruction in Addis Abeba financed by the European Development Fund Salini Costruttori SpA, an Italian construction firm which operates in Ethiopia for the World Bank and the European Development Fund (EDF), building major road links and dams, took part in the tender procedure for the repair of the Addis Abeba-Dessie Woldiya road link, a project financed by the EDF (ET/7020/000- ABA-Tender 4342) and on 6 November 1998 submitted bids for lots 1 and 2. The bid by Salini Costruttori SpA was the lowest received (EUR 6 822 572 lower than the next lowest), The firm provided full information under the assessment procedure for the bid on how it would carry out the work and what materials would be used, in line with the tender specifications. This infomration was forwarded to the Commission services (DG VIII) responsible for deciding on the award of the tender. However, on 22 November 1999, Mr Karl Harbo, the Commission delegate, informed the services of the Ethiopian Government that the only bid which fully met the tender requirements was the second one on the list and this was awarded the contract for the works covered by lot 2, while lot 1 was left pending. The note also stipulated that the companies undertaking the work should not use inert material from rivers and warned the offices of the client and the international consultant paid by the Commission not to request clarification from the companies, since this would breach provisions actually running counter to what was claimed in the note, which in addition set short deadlines for concluding the contract, leaving little time available for Salini Costruttori SpA to challenge the award procedure. In the light of the above: 1. Why did the Commission not award the tender to the lowest bidder? 2. Why were the specifications changed after the completion of the tender procedure, with the second- placed bidder being required to restrict its use of inert matter from rivers, when this request was never previously made to Salini Costruttori SpA, despite the willingness the company had expressed to meet any technical requirements? 3. Why was the tender awarded only for lot 2, with the result that the Commission did not derive the benefits to be obtained from awarding lots jointly? 4. What action will it take to check that the tender procedure was carried out in accordance with the rules? Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission (10 March 2000) Under Articles 36 and 37 of Decision No 3/90 of the ACP-EEC Council of Ministers of 29 March 1990 adopting the general regulations, general conditions and procedural rules on conciliation and arbitration for works, supply and service contracts financed by the European Development Fund (EDF) and concerning