WRITTEN QUESTION E-2043/99 by Jeffrey Titford (EDD) to the Commission. Expenditure on and legality of the Soul for Europe project.
1. 8. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 219 E/75 (2000/C 219 E/089) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2041/99 by Helena Torres Marques (PSE) to the Commission Subject: Flight delays in the European Union (3 November 1999) Air traffic control is said to be the cause of the delays which consistently affect intra-European flights, with serious personal and financial consequences for passengers and users of freight transport. This problem also affects the image of airlines, which also suffer considerably from the increasing number of charges they have to pay for the use of each section of airspace and the heavy costs arising from the amount of time during which aircraft and their crews are unable to fly. Will the Commission state what body should be deemed responsible for these serious disruptions and what measures it can take to remedy or, at least, improve the situation? Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission (16 December 1999) In application of the provisions of the Chicago Convention, the provision of air traffic services is a responsibility of States. In view of the difficulties mentioned by the Honourable Member the Commission has suggested in the past that the Community should act in this field and presented appropriate measures in two communications (1). The ATM community and more generally Member States perceived the proposals of the Commission as unduly interfering with the established regional (Eurocontrol) and national frameworks where similar problems were addressed and, according to them, well in hand. In recent years, however, these organisa- tions have shown their inability to respond adequately to the demand of airspace users in terms of providing increased capacity and flight efficiency. The further deterioration of the situation convinced the Council to put the question on the agenda of its meeting last June 1999 and to invite the Commission to analyse the situation, identify possible new initiatives and report back in December 1999. the Commission has approved on 1 December 1999 a communication to the Council and the Parliament on the current situation of air traffic delays and on new initiatives to be taken to provide the Community with the air traffic management system it needs to remedy the existing chaotic situation. In this context, In parallel, the Commission is negotiating the accession of the Community to Eurocontrol so that the Community may become a full member of this international organisation and develop its initiatives within the institutional framework established at European level. (1) Communication from the Commission to the Council and the Parliament on congestion and crisis in air traffic Freeing Europeís airspaceí (ATM) white paper traffic management (COM(95) 318 final) and the Air (COM(96) 57 final). (2000/C 219 E/090) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2043/99 by Jeffrey Titford (EDD) to the Commission (3 November 1999) Subject: Expenditure on and legality of the Soul for Europeí project I am concerned about the establishment, purpose, legality and financing of the European Unionís Soul for Europeí department. 1. Who ü which person, group of persons or body ü set this unit up? 2. What is its precise purpose? C 219 E/76 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 1. 8. 2000 3. What is the legality of this unit? When was it authorised by either the Council of Ministers, the Commission or the European Parliament? 4. When did its operations commence? 5. To which Commissioner is this unit responsible? 6. What reports have ever been published by the Soul for Europeí department? I am aware that substantial grants have been made by the Soul for Europeí department, or the 7. Forward Studies Unit of which I believe it is part. Can the Commission supply a full list of those organisations that have been grant-aided by the Soul for Europeí department, in each case indicating how much has been paid to those organisations? Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission (6 December 1999) There is no Soul for Europeí department within the Commission. On the other hand there is an initiative taken by President Delors in 1994 and supported by President Santer under the name Soul for Europe. Ethics and Spiritualityí. This initiative aims to stimulate the dialogue with religious or humanist commu- nities and to promote projects which contribute to the recognition and understanding of the ethical and spiritual dimensions of the European unification process and the policies of the Community. In order to involve the partners (religious or humanist communities) in the context of the initiative Soul for Europe. Ethics and Spiritualityí, the Commission invited (in 1994) the partners to establish a screening committee (composed by their representatives) which recommends projects. These projects should explicitly promote the idea and the values of European integration and should promote reflection on the spiritual or ethical dimension of building a new Europe. The screening committee is supported by a co-ordinator who is a staff member of the church and society commission of the conference of European churches (KEK). The meetings of the screening committee (about three a year) and of the work of the co-ordinator (on a half time basis) are subsidised by the Commission. The grants for co-financing the projects recommended by the screening committee and accepted by the Commission are taken from the budget line A 3024. This is justified by the following remark, introduced by the Parliament in 1997: This appropriation is also intended to support activities connected with reflection at European level on the ethical and spiritual foundations of Europe. í The budget line A 3024 is now (since 1999) managed under the responsibility of the member of the Commission in charge of education and culture. The co-ordinator presents (since 1997) every year a report on the evolution of the initiative and the evaluation of the projects which have been realised. A full list of those organisations that have been grant-aided via the Soul for Europeí programme is sent direct to the Honourable Member and to Parliamentís Secretariat. (2000/C 219 E/091) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2045/99 by Jeffrey Titford (EDD) to the Commission (3 November 1999) Subject: Full list of allowances claimable by European Commission staff Can the Commission list, in full, all allowances that are paid to or can be claimed by Commission staff in addition to their salaries?