91999E2596

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2596/99

by Daniel Hannan (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(11 January 2000)

Subject: Authors of Corpus Juris

Corpus Juris was a Green Paper which did not, ostensibly, reflect the official view of the Commission.

Do any of the document's authors hold official positions in the European Communities?

Do any have an influence on policy development?

Answer given by Mrs Schreyer on behalf of the Commission

(7 February 2000)

The Corpus juris(1) is neither a green paper nor indeed a Commission document. However, it was drawn up at Parliament's request under the aegis of the Commission. The follow-up report on the Corpus Juris of September 1999 has been informally transmitted to Parliament's Committee on Budgetary Control(2).

Drawing up the Corpus juris was entrusted to a committee of eight independent experts, none of whom were performing official duties within the Communities at the time.

On the basis of the ideas formulated in the Corpus juris and the follow-up report, the Commission intends, as does Parliament itself, to push forward the institutions' deliberations on the institutional arrangements which might be proposed, including to the Intergovernmental Conference.

(1) Corpus Juris introducing penal provisions for the purpose of the financial interests of the European Union (Ed. Economica 1997).

(2) Nécessité, légitimité et faisabilité de Corpus juris.