WRITTEN QUESTION E-0264/00 by Christopher Heaton-Harris (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Light pollution.
28. 12. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 374 E/49 Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission (15 March 2000) Commission Decision 1999/352/EC, ECSC, Euratom, of 28 April 1999 establishing the European Anti- fraud Office (OLAF) (1) provides in Article 6 that the Director of the Office shall exercise, with regard to the staff of the Office, the powers conferred by the Staff Regulations of Officials of the Communities on the appointing authority and by the Conditions of Employment of the Other Servants of the Communities on the authority authorised to conclude contracts of employment. The Director of OLAF is therefore responsible for the recruitment of the staff of the Office. The Staff Regulations and the Conditions of Employment of the other servants apply to OLAF officials. OLAF officials must comply with the obligations under these rules. These require in particular that officials of the Communities shall carry out their duties and conduct themselves solely with the interest of the Communities in mind. The criteria for the recruitment of personnel, laid down in Article 28 of the Staff Regulations, in Article 12 (2) as well as in Article 55 of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants, fix the essential conditions officials or other servants must fulfil to be recruited. Furthermore Article 27 of the Staff Regulations stipulates that recruitment shall be directed to securing the service of officials of the highest standard of ability, efficiency and integrity. In this framework it is for the Office to further reflect on the way to ensure the recruitment of the best profiles having regard to the specificity of the tasks to be performed. in particular in the Staff Regulations obliges the Communities to assist any official Article 24 of proceedings against any person perpetrating threats, insulting or defamatory acts or utterances to which an official is subject by reasons of his position or duty. Furthermore Article 24 provides for compensation for damage the official has suffered in such cases insofar that he/she did not ü intentionally or through grave negligence ü cause the damage and has been unable to obtain compensation from the person who caused it. The assistance under Article 24 may take different forms and it is for the Institution concerned to choose the adequate measures or means, once the facts have been established. These measures or means must be proportional to the facts. In cases where there is evidence of a breach of the obligations under the Staff Regulations by an official or other servant, disciplinary action may be taken. Article 14 of Regulation (EC) No 1073/1999 of the Parliament and of the Council of 25 May 1999 concerning investigations conducted by OLAF1 and Article 14 of Council Regulation (Euratom) No 1074/ 1999 of 25 May 19991 provide that pending the amendment of the Staff Regulations any official or other servant of the Communities may submit to the Director of the Office a complaint against an act adversely affecting him committed by the Office as part of an internal investigation in accordance with the procedures laid down in Article 90 (2) of the Staff Regulations. According to Article 24a of the Staff Regulations officials are entitled to exercise the right of association. They may, in particular, be members of trade unions or staff associations of European officials. Article 24a applies also to other servants covered by the Staff Regulations. Since the Staff Regulations are applicable to the personnel of OLAF its personnel have the same rights as any other officials or servants of the Communities. (1) OJ L 136, 31. 5. 1999. (2000/C 374 E/057) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0264/00 by Christopher Heaton-Harris (PPE-DE) to the Commission (7 February 2000) Subject: Light pollution What is the Commission doing to combat álight pollutioní around large cities, an environmental problem that, as well as presenting a substantial obstacle to the work of astronomers, contributes to global warming due to the carbon dioxide emissions of high powered light bulbs? C 374 E/50 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 28. 12. 2000 Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission (7 March 2000) The Commission is currently not undertaking any work on so-called álight pollutioní around large cities in the Community. Insofar as álight pollutioní is a problem, solutions need to take into account other factors such as safety and security. This could best be done at the local level given differing circumstances in line with the principle of subsidiarity. The Commission is very much aware that the wasteful and inefficient use of energy for lighting, including public lighting, and the associated greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the production and use of this energy from fossil fuels can contribute to global warming. In the framework of the SAVE programme the Commission has taken a number of initiatives to promote more energy efficient lighting technologies and reduced energy use for lighting in buildings. These initiatives range from minimum efficiency standards for ballasts for fluorescent lighting to voluntary programmes such as the Greenlight programme aimed at encouraging public and private companies to install energy efficient lighting technologies. In many of these initiatives the Commission is working closely with national energy agencies which can provide appropriate technical support. Technologies are also being developed by European industry for public lighting that can reduce considerably the amount of energy used by such installations. To stimulate the market for these technologies, the Commission has recently issued a mandate to the European standardisation bodies. (2000/C 374 E/058) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0265/00 by Isidoro SÆnchez García (ELDR) to the Commission (7 February 2000) Subject: Observatory for cross-border, transnational and interregional cooperation In the Commissionís Communication to the European Parliament on guidelines for a Community Initiative concerning trans-European cooperation intended to encourage harmonious and balanced development of the European territory (Interreg), mention is made of an Observatory for cross-border, transnational and interregional cooperation. On the basis of their socio-economic characteristics and their geo-strategic situation as a remote region in the Atlantic, what chances to the Canary Islands have of being selected as the site for the Observatory? Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission (24 March 2000) The Commission has not yet taken a decision regarding the location of the future Observatory for cross- border, transnational and interregional cooperation. However, it ought to be pointed out that this will not be a body of any significant size whose headquarters site would require discussion at all. (2000/C 374 E/059) WRITTEN QUESTION P-0280/00 by Juan Naranjo Escobar (PPE-DE) to the Commission (3 February 2000) Subject: Directive on renewable energy The Commission has repeatedly failed to submit a proposal for a directive on access for producers of renewable energy to the internal market in electricity, since no dialogue has been entered into with the