92000E3417

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3417/00

by Jonas Sjöstedt (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(7 November 2000)

Subject: Recruitment of staff for the Commission IT Directorate

According to Svenska Dagbladet of 18 November 1999 there is a clear link between the nationality of the head and key senior staff in the Commission's IT directorate.

Under its French Director-General Verrue, in November 1999 more than one in five senior posts in DG XIII were occupied by French nationals. It also turns out that staff of other nationalities have not moved up the hierarchy as fast as the French have.

There are fears that with French occupants in senior posts in the IT Directorate, French undertakings such as Alcatel, Bell and France Telecom will have a greater voice in IT, telecommunications and communications matters.

Does the Commission share these fears, and what is it doing to ensure the more even distribution among the Member States of senior posts in DG XII?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(20 December 2000)

The Commission acts solely in the interest of the service and without regard to nationality when appointing officials. This principle is guaranteed under the staff regulations. Furthermore, the Commission thinks that the highest premium should be given to merit and that balanced representation of all nationalities of the Union at all levels of the institution's staff hierarchy is essential in order to reflect the cultural richness and the cohesion of the multinational public service of the Union.

Officials of the Commission are undertaking their professional duties in full respect of staff regulation which states an official shall carry out his duties and conduct himself solely with the interests of the Communities in mind; he shall neither seek nor take instructions from any government, authority, organization or person outside his institution.

The Commission would furthermore like to draw the attention of the Honourable Member, to the newly published Code of good administrative behaviour for staff of the European Commission in their relations with the public which states that:

Staff shall always act objectively and impartially, in the Community interest and for the public good. They shall act independently within the framework of the policy fixed by the Commission and their conduct shall never be guided by personal or national interest or political pressure.