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Document 91999E002628
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2628/99 by Francesco Speroni (TDI), Umberto Bossi (TDI) and Gian Gobbo (TDI) to the Commission. Participation of the President of the Commission, Romano Prodi, in the Italian election campaign.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2628/99 by Francesco Speroni (TDI), Umberto Bossi (TDI) and Gian Gobbo (TDI) to the Commission. Participation of the President of the Commission, Romano Prodi, in the Italian election campaign.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2628/99 by Francesco Speroni (TDI), Umberto Bossi (TDI) and Gian Gobbo (TDI) to the Commission. Participation of the President of the Commission, Romano Prodi, in the Italian election campaign.
OJ C 225E, 8.8.2000, p. 138–139
(ES, DA, DE, EL, EN, FR, IT, NL, PT, FI, SV)
91999E2628
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2628/99 by Francesco Speroni (TDI), Umberto Bossi (TDI) and Gian Gobbo (TDI) to the Commission. Participation of the President of the Commission, Romano Prodi, in the Italian election campaign.
Official Journal 225 E , 08/08/2000 P. 0138 - 0139
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2628/99 by Francesco Speroni (TDI), Umberto Bossi (TDI) and Gian Gobbo (TDI) to the Commission (12 January 2000) Subject: Participation of the President of the Commission, Romano Prodi, in the Italian election campaign On Friday, 26 November 1999, the President of the Commission, Romano Prodi, participated in the final meeting of the election campaign of the Olive Tree (centre-left) candidate for the Chamber of Deputies by-election. Other well-known members of the Italian coalition government, such as the Secretary of the Democratic Left, Walter Veltroni, also took part in what was a political event forming part of an election campaign during which Mr Prodi made statements supporting the Olive Tree candidate, Mr Parisi. 1. Does the Commission not believe that the participation of its members (and particularly its President, Mr Prodi) in events which are clearly part of an election campaign, as in the above case, is inappropriate? 2. Does it not consider this conduct to be in breach of the letter and the spirit of Article 213(2) of the Amsterdam Treaty, which stipulates that the Members of the Commission shall, in the general interest of the Community, be completely independent in the performance of their duties? 3. Does Mr Prodi plan to participate in future election meetings of this kind in Italy, maybe of the other two coalitions? Joint answer to Written Questions E-2459/99, E-2600/99 and E-2628/99 given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission (7 February 2000) As the Commission has had frequent occasion to recall in reply to written and oral questions by Members of Parliament(1), the Members of the Commission are politicians carrying out a political function, who, while honouring the obligations imposed by this function, remain free to express their personal opinions quite independently and on their own responsibility. (1) The Honourable Members are referred in particular to the answer by Mr Rey to Oral Question No 10/68 by Mr Habib-Deloncle, and Commission answers to Written Questions No 44/83 by Mr Gendebien OJ C 197, 25.7.1983, No 1682/85 by Mr Vandemeulebroucke OJ C 55, 10.3.1986, E-1404/97 by Mr Pasty OJ C 391, 23.12.1997 and E-2617/98 by Mr Wibe OJ C 96, 8.4.1999.