WRITTEN QUESTION E-1776/99 by Christoph Konrad (PPE-DE) to the Council. The CentrO Affair and EU Special Co-ordinator Bodo Hombach.
C 219 E/16 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 1. 8. 2000 Before Hombachís appointment, did the President of the European Council, a member of the Council 2. or a Council representative consult about the accusations concerning the building of Hombachís private house? If so, what was the outcome? Is the Council aware that on 13 August 1999, as anticipated, the 12th criminal division of Bochum 3. Regional Court (Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany) convicted Hombachís former building project manager of perjury? Is the Council aware that the conviction was based on the fact that the project manager had initially denied under oath having illegally charged to VEBA AG payments for Hombachís house in Mülheim an der Ruhr, but subsequently admitted that VEBA had paid a ásix-figure sumí towards Hombachís construction costs? 4. In the light of this judgment and of the new code of honour for EU Commissioners, which is applicable mutatis mutandis, does the Council consider that Hombach can continue to perform his duties as EU coordinator for the Balkans and remain in office? (2000/C 219 E/021) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1694/99 by Michl Ebner (PPE-DE) to the Council (30 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 Council to Mr Hombach that he should resign from his highly responsible post as EU intend to suggest 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 Council do so? (2000/C 219 E/022) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1776/99 by Christoph Konrad (PPE-DE) to the Council (12 October 1999) Subject: The CentrO Affairí and EU Special Co-ordinator Bodo Hombach 1. Does the Council know that Mr Bodo Hombach has been accused of neglecting to verify the allocation of EU monies when he chaired a committee of inquiry in the North Rhine-Westphalia Land Parliament? 2. Does the Council also know that, according to a European Court of Auditors audit report, there have been irregularities in accounting for European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) monies in connection with the CentrO shopping and leisure centre in Oberhausen (unlawful settling of DEM 60 million in EU assistance monies) and that this has been examined by the committee of inquiry referred to above? 1. 8. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 219 E/17 3. What action does the Council propose to take if the accusation by the European Court of Auditors is substantiated in a statement to be delivered to the Court by the North Rhine-Westphalia Minister for Economic Affairs, Peer Steinbrück, by 15 October 1999? Does the Council take the view that Bodo Hombach can continue to occupy the office of EU Special 4. Co-ordinator for the Stability Pact for South-East Europe in spite of the debate on the private financial áaffairsí with which he has been linked and that his term of office, which ends on 31 December 1999, should be extended? Joint answer to Written Questions E-1693/99, E-1694/99 and E-1776/99 (14 February 2000) The Council is aware of the allegations made in the German press on the activities undertaken by Mr Hombach prior to his appointment as EU Special Representative and Special Coordinator of the Stability Pact. In light of the clarifications given by Mr Hombach to the Presidency on the questions concerning him and in the absence of any conviction by a court of law, the Presidency and the Council continue to support him in performing the role entrusted to him. (2000/C 219 E/023) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1705/99 by Raffaele Costa (PPE-DE) to the Commission (29 September 1999) Subject: 1998 budget ü expenditure for annual events The draft budget of the European Communities for the financial year 2000 has earmarked EUR 6 500 000 (approximately ITL 13 billion) for annual events. Can the Commission provide details of how the sum appropriated for 1998 ü ECU 10 000 000, equivalent to ITL 19 360 000 000 ü was spent? Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission (2 December 1999) The budget heading B3-309 ü Annual eventsí was introduced in the 1999 budget. It amounts to € 10 million and has served to finance mainly Expo Hanover 2000 and the European campaign to raise awareness on violence against women. The planned spending on Expo Hanover 2000 amounts to € 7,5 million. The costs concern the preparation of the Union Pavilion at EXPO 2000 in Hanover, which will take place from 1 June 2000 to 30 October 2000. Calls for tenders have been launched and contracts signed to cover the initial work as indicated in the financial statement of the Commission communication (1). Planned spending on the European campaign to raise awareness on violence against women amounts to € 2,5 million, including conferences (€ 180 000), the definition of conception, publications and spot TV (€ 320 000) and support to projects by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) (€ 2 million). Concerning this latter, a call for tender was published in the Official journal (2) inviting NGOs to present projects and become involved in the campaign. (1) COM(1999) 131. (2) OJ C 180, 25. 6. 1999