91998E3366

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3366/98

by Nikitas Kaklamanis (UPE) to the Commission

(16 November 1998)

Subject: Electoral leave for Greek officials of the Community institutions

Greek EU officials wishing to exercise their electoral rights in their country of origin are confronted with an increasing number of problems. In particular, the provisions governing special leave for elections (and the way these provisions are interpreted by DG IX) mean that Greek EU officials wishing to vote in the two rounds of local and prefectural elections (they are required to do so under Greek law) are obliged to buy two return tickets to Greece; if, on the other hand, they take leave during the week between the two rounds of voting, they forfeit their travel leave.

Moreover, they are obliged to report in person (in the time between the two rounds of voting) to DG IX (the Commission DG responsible for personnel); this is a very onerous obligation, since they are also faced with the exhausting return air journeys between Brussels or Luxembourg and Greece which lies over 2 000 km from the above-mentioned working places of the Community institutions.

Will the Commission say whether it is aware of the difficulties facing its Greek officials and the Greeks working in the other Community institutions who travel to Greece in order to vote and what steps it intends to take to make it easier for them to exercise their electoral rights?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(9 December 1998)

The rules in force on special leave and travelling time for elections are applied uniformly to all staff. They provide for both special leave and travelling time. They are based on the principle that officials are granted the time they actually need, depending on the means of transport chosen, to go and perform their electoral duty on the date of the election and to return.

One day's special leave is therefore granted only if the election takes place on a working day. Likewise, travelling time is granted on certain conditions. For distances of over 2 000 kilometres, the time actually needed is set at 3 days (1,5 for the outward journey and 1,5 for the return journey) if the member of staff travels by car, train or boat. If the member of staff travels by plane, the travelling time allowed is 2 days (1 day for the outward journey and 1 for the return). In order to allocate the appropriate travelling time, the Commission requests copies of tickets and other supporting documents. The same conditions apply when there are two rounds of voting.

The Commission considers that the measures in place are adequate to allow all staff to exercise their electoral rights and duties.