WRITTEN QUESTION E-2235/99 by Christopher Huhne (ELDR) to the Commission. Emoluments of Commissioners.
3. 10. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 280 E/19 (2000/C 280 E/017) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2235/99 by Christopher Huhne (ELDR) to the Commission (1 December 1999) Subject: Emoluments of Commissioners Please detail each annual salary, allowance, benefit in kind (chauffeur, entertainment, etc. ) and expense accounts available to Members of the Commission showing amounts both gross and net of tax; please estimate the net amounts if the Belgian tax regime were applied in each case. Please specify the rules for the use of a Commission car and chauffeur and any other benefits in kind. Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission (5 January 2000) Council Regulation (EC, ECSC, Euratom) No 2778/98 of 17 December 1998 amending Regulation No 422/67/EEC, No 5/67/Euratom determines the emoluments of the President and Members of the Commission, of the President, Judges, Advocates-General and Registrar of the Court of Justice, and of the President, Members and Registrar of the Court of First Instance (1). Under the terms of that legislation, the remuneration of the Commissioners, the President and Vice- Presidents may comprise, in addition to a basic salary, family allowances and other allowances. Family allowances are granted after deduction of any sums of the same nature that the Commissioner would receive from other sources. The basic salary to which Commissioners, the President and Vice-President are entitled monthly (twelve times a year) for the Commissioners, € 17 339 (calculated as 125 % of the basic salary of a grade A1/6 official) for the Vice- Presidents and € 19 142 (calculated as 138 % of the basic salary of a grade A1/6 official) for the President. is € 15 605 (calculated as 112,5 % of the basic salary of a grade A1/6) The family allowances to which Commissioners, the President and the Vice-Presidents are entitled monthly consist of a household allowance of 5 % of basic salary (if there is a dependent spouse), a childrensí allowance of € 213,62 per dependent child, and education allowances which vary according to the childís age and stage of academic development (36 %, 50 % or 100 % of € 190,90 respectively for primary, secondary and university education). A residence allowance is paid, equal to 15 % of the basic salary. There is a representation allowance, currently € 607,71 for Commissioners, € 911 for Vice-Presidents, and € 1 418 for the President. Expenditure incurred for reasons of representation is reimbursed after presentation of the invoice. Reimbursement is limited annually to € 11 347 for most Members of the Commission. For the Vice-Presidents and Members with external relations responsibility, the ceiling is € 17 023 and for the President it is € 22 694. When first taking up duty, a Member of the Commission (unless he or she is Belgian) is entitled to an to two months basic gross salary allowance to cover his or her installation expenses, equivalent (i. e. currently € 31 209 for a Commissioner), reimbursement for travel expenses for himself or herself and dependent family, and reimbursement of the cost of moving personal effects (insurance included). The remuneration is subject to the Community tax (there are 14 tax marginal rates ranging from 8 % to 45 % applied to consecutive salary bands (2)), the temporary contribution (5,83 % rate on the taxable income over € 1 889,52) and sickness and accident insurance (1,8 % of basic salary). As for application of Belgian tax, the tax regime applicable to income derived from Community employ- ment is a Community regime, which replaces national tax (and only in relation to such income) and is laid down by Regulation (EEC, Euratom, ECSC) No 260/68 of the Council of 29 February 1968 laying down the conditions and procedure for applying the tax for the benefit of the European Communities (3). It applies to members of the Commission (and of certain other institutions and organs) as well as to Community officials. The question concerning the application of the Belgian tax regimes is therefore hypothetical and it is, consequently, not the Commissionís practice to reply to such questions. C 280 E/20 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 3. 10. 2000 Finally, concerning the use of a Commission car, according to the ápractical arrangements for implement- ing the Commission decision of 29 July 1996 on the operation of the Commissionís car fleetí áthe Members of the Commission are provided with an official car and driver (two in the Presidentís case). An official car is available at all times but the drivers must not be asked to provide services for private purposes (where this creates overtime or involves the drivers in mission expenses). Members of the Commission may drive their official car themselves, particularly on non-working daysí. (1) OJ L 347, 23. 12. 1998. (2) In 1999, the minimum marginal rate of 8 % is applicable to the part of the monthly taxable income ranging between € 82,94 and € 1 463,98. The maximum marginal rate of 45 % is applicable to the part of the monthly taxable income over € 5 238,80. (3) OJ L 56, 4. 3. 1968. (2000/C 280 E/018) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2257/99 by Robert Evans (PSE) to the Commission (13 December 1999) Subject: Transport of donkeys Would the Commission indicate the steps that they are taking to guarantee the humane transport of donkeys and other equine creatures both within the EU and between the Member Sates and third countries? Evidence passed on to me by my constituents suggests that the conditions of transport continue to be unacceptable, with animals dying and suffering in cramped and inappropriate transport vehicles. Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission (10 January 2000) The Commission shares the view that unnecessary suffering of animals should be avoided. For this reason European legislation is under continuous revision taking into account the latest available scientific evidence on animal welfare. Council Directive 91/628/EEC, amended by Council Directive 95/29/EC of 29 June 1995 on the protection of animals during transport (1), laid down the requirements concerning transport duration, resting periods and feeding and watering of animals during transport. The Member States are responsible for the day-to-day implementation of the rules on the protection of legislation implementing the directives. Appropriate animal welfare in accordance with their national controls and inspections to ensure correct respect of the rules should also be carried out by the authorities of the Member States. The Commissionís food and veterinary office (FVO) undertakes specific control and inspection missions to check that the Member States apply the Community legislation in an effective and uniform manner. As for the future activities of the Commission in this field, a working group of the standing veterinary committee has recently been established to consider particular problems of the enforcement of the Directive in respect of long-distance transport operations. The Commission may consider amending current Community legislation on the basis of the conclusions of this working group. The Commission is aware, following reports of the veterinary inspectorate of the food and veterinary office and from the complaints of various organisations, that enforcement of the Directive is inadequate in several Member States. Infringement proceedings are in the course of preparation. (1) OJ L 148, 30. 6. 1995