92003E1172

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1172/03

by Rolf Linkohr (PSE) to the Commission

(25 March 2003)

Subject: EU citizens advice in the Member States

The Commission has set up the Eurojus network (with citizens advice bureaux in each of the Member States) where the public can obtain advice on their rights under European law. This initiative has been very well received. The European Union's information leaflets refer explicitly to these citizens advice centres. Despite this very positive outcome, the offices in some Member States are not staffed or as in Germany have repeatedly been closed for a period of several months because of administrative problems in the Commission. This has already annoyed many members of the public.

1. Can the Commission confirm this state of affairs?

2. If so, how does it explain these internal administrative problems?

3. What steps does it intend to take to ensure that this service, which has, after all, been publicised, is in future available on a permanent basis?

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(23 May 2003)

On the basis of the Commission communication of 27 June 2001 on the new information and communication strategy(1), the Commission has already signed nine contracts relating to Eurojus legal correspondents in the Member States. These contracts are due to terminate in 2007. The notices concerning the tender procedures for the other five Eurojus contracts were published on 24 and 27 December 2002 in the Official Journal. Of these five procedures, those relating to the contracts for the London and Paris Representations have now been completed and the contracts concerned are to be signed shortly.

The contract relating to the Eurojus correspondent in Germany is to be signed very soon, as the legal doubts regarding the application to these contracts of the new Financial Regulation(2) and the Regulation laying down detailed rules for the implementation of the Financial Regulation(3) the result of a public tender procedure dating from before the entry into force of the two regulations have now been dispelled by the Commission departments concerned.

(1) Commission communication to the Council, Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on a new cooperation framework for activities relating to the Union's information and communication policy.

(2) Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 of 25 June 2002 on the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities, OJ L 248, 16.9.2002.

(3) Commission Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2342/2002 of 23 December 2002 laying down detailed rules for the implementation of the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities, OJ L 357, 31.12.2002.