WRITTEN QUESTION E-0249/00 by Daniel Hannan (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Pension liabilities.
C 330 E/110 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 21. 11. 2000 Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (9 March 2000) The fixing of guarantee thresholds for tobacco of variety group VII (Katerini) in Italy by Council Regulation (EC) No 660/1999 of 22 March 1999 amending Regulation (EEC) No 2075/92 (1) for the 1999, 2000 and 2001 harvests is justified by one of the basic objectives of the 1998 reform of the common organisation of the market (COM) in tobacco: the need to reorientate production towards the varieties most sought after on the market. Under Article 9(4) of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2075/92 of 30 June 1992 on the common organisation of the market in raw tobacco (2) Member States can ask the Commission for authorisation to transfer part of their guarantee threshold allocations between the various groups of varieties. The Commission examines the requests for transfer and checks that they do not give rise to additional expenditure for the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) and do not result in an increase in each Member Stateís overall guarantee threshold. To date, the Commission has received no request for transfer for Italy concerning group VII (Katerini), but a transfer remains possible until the deadline for concluding cultivation contracts. (1) OJ L 83, 27. 3. 1999. (2) OJ L 215, 30. 7. 1992. (2000/C 330 E/123) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0249/00 by Daniel Hannan (PPE-DE) to the Commission (7 February 2000) Subject: Pension liabilities What are the present liabilities for the European Communities staff? What are the estimates of the same for 2020? What reforms leading to a private-based system are under consideration? Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission (17 March 2000) A recent estimate puts the pension liabilities for the staff of the Communities, including those of the Commission, Parliament and the Council at € 14 100 million at the end of 1997 and € 22 200 million (excluding inflation) at the end of 2020. These estimates result from an actuarial calculation based inter alia, on a real interest rate of 2,5 % for the whole period. The mortality table was developed by the actuary Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler (KPMG) for the purpose of the evaluation. The liabilities have been determined as the ádefined benefit obligationí that would be required to be disclosed in the employerís balance sheet under International accounting standard 19. The Commission is not considering any proposals relating to the pension scheme that would lead to a private-based system