WRITTEN QUESTION E-1695/99 by Michl Ebner (PPE-DE) to the Commission. EU coordinator Hombach.
C 170 E/78 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 20. 6. 2000 non-governmental organisations and associations formed by the socially excluded and the elderly), in the form of preparatory measures for Community action on the basis of Article 137 of the EC-Treaty (ex Article 118) regarding combating social exclusion. A first call for proposals for preparatory actions was issued in October 1998, under which 40 projects were funded. In the 1999 budget, budget line B3-4104 was incorporated into budget line B3-4112 (preparatory measures combating and preventing social exclusion). Further calls were issued in June 1999 under this line addressing exclusion of older people as well as all other types of exclusion, and the Commission is currently evaluating the proposals received. (2000/C 170 E/088) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1695/99 by Michl Ebner (PPE-DE) to the Commission (29 September 1999) Subject: EU coordinator Hombach For weeks, the EUís international coordinator for reconstruction of the Balkans, Bodo Hombach, has been publicly suspected of involvement in bribery cases with considerable ramifications (relating to his private house in Mülheim and his luxury home in Canada). On 27 August 1999, in response to these serious allegations, he decided of his own volition to resign from his party posts. In view of this situation, which still remains very unclear, as well as the utterly incomprehensible plan to locate his office in Brussels rather than in the immediate vicinity of the region to which his duties pertain, which will hardly be conducive to efficiency, the following question is surely inescapable: does the Commission intend to suggest to Mr Hombach that he should resign from his highly responsible post as EU representative for the democratic and economic reconstruction of the Balkan region? Under the circumstances, it would moreover be desirable, in the interests of transparency, to announce publicly what remuneration was promised to Mr Hombach when he took up the post. Will the Commission do so? Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission (9 November 1999) According to the Treaty on European Union (Article 18 ex Article J8), the appointment of special representatives is the responsibility of the Council. The requested elements relating to the remuneration of the special representative are established in a áfinancial statementí which, in accordance with Article M of the inter-institutional agreement regarding financing of the Common foreign and security policy of 16 July 1997, is communicated by the Council to the Parliament. (2000/C 170 E/089) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1699/99 by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission (29 September 1999) Subject: Discrimination against immigrants in Luxembourg as regards entitlement to social aid Immigrant workers from other Member States living in Luxembourg suffer discrimination when they apply for social aid. In order to be eligible for aid, they have to submit a declaration of capital assets held in their country of origin, and the decision to grant the aid depends on the content of that declaration