WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2538/98 by Cristiana MUSCARDINI to the Council. Pensions and politicisation of the European civil service
8. 4. 1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 96/111 (1999/C 96/155) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2535/98 by AndrØ Fourçans (PPE) to the Council (1 September 1998) Subject: Operation of European financial markets The advent of the euro will result in the increasing integration of Europeís financial markets. The recent announcement of an alliance between the London and Frankfurt stock exchanges is an early indication of this. Within this new framework which will gradually be established, does the Council consider that a greater harmonization of the rules governing the operation of European financial markets is needed or rather that a European monitoring institution should be set up, modelled on the Security and Exchange Commission in the United States? Reply (3 November 1998) It should be noted that the European Council meeting in Cardiff in June 1998 invited áthe Commission to table a framework for action by the time of the Vienna European Council to improve the single market in financial services, in particular examining the effectiveness of implementation of current legislation and identifying weaknesses which may require amending legislationí. Accordingly, the Commission recently submitted a proposal for a European Parliament and Council Directive on the taking up, the pursuit and the prudential supervision of the business of electronic money institutions. In addition, following its initial Action Plan for the Single Market, the Commission has just submitted two proposals for European Parliament and Council Directives amending Directive 85/611/EEC relating to under- takings for collective investment in transferable securities (UCITS). At present, the Council has no other Commission proposals before it on European harmonisation in the banking and stock exchange sector. (1999/C 96/156) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2538/98 by Cristiana Muscardini (NI) to the Council (1 September 1998) Subject: Pensions and politicisation of the European civil service The independence of the European civil service is a sign of transparency and democracy. The basic provisions governing that civil service are the Staff Regulations of Officials and Other Servants, which are applied by the Council by means of legislative acts. As a result, any decision taken by any institutional authority without the Councilís agreement has no legal force, no legal basis and is, above all, against the spirit of those regulations. Can the Council therefore: 1. provide genuine career planning for officials based on the criteria of transparency and democracy? 2. 3. immediately make appointments to the vacant posts in high grades in the EPís establishment plan and comply with the principle that priority should be given to staff in the institution in which the appointment is being made, putting an end to inter-institutional transfers for which there is at present no justification? arrange for all the expenditure necessary for the proposed purchase of the buildings in Brussels and Strasbourg and undertake as a priority to ensure sufficient funding for the budget items relating to staff?