91999E1056

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1056/99

by Daniela Raschhofer (NI) to the Commission

(20 April 1999)

Subject: Award of contracts

The city of Vienna is the owner of some 220 000 homes. For decades these have been insured by the same insurance company, even though there has never been any call for tenders.

1. Should there be an invitation to tender, in accordance with relevant EU directives, for individual service and building contracts above the threshold value for homes owned directly or indirectly by the city of Vienna? If not, why not?

2. If so, what action will the Commission take to put an end to this state of affairs which is in violation of the Treaties?

Answer by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(6 May 1999)

1. The service contracts and the works contracts which reach the thresholds laid down in the directives(1) and which are awarded by the City of Vienna for housing which it owns directly or indirectly must be awarded in accordance with one of the procedures and according to the rules stipulated in these directives.

2. The Commission would need to have more precise information about the type of insurance services in order to decide whether Council Directive 92/50/EEC of 18 June 1992 relating to the coordination of procedures for the award of public service contracts and Council Directive 93/37/EEC of 14 June 1993 concerning the coordination of procedures for the award of public works contracts(2) were applicable in this instance.

The Commission has therefore contacted the Austrian authorities to ask for information on the type of insurance services and the items covered and on existing insurance contracts.

(1) OJ L 209, 24.7.1992.

(2) OJ L 199, 9.8.1993.