92001E0508

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0508/01

by Charles Tannock (PPE-DE), Philip Bushill-Matthews (PPE-DE), Den Dover (PPE-DE), Jacqueline Foster (PPE-DE), Christopher Heaton-Harris (PPE-DE), Roger Helmer (PPE-DE), Bashir Khanbhai (PPE-DE), Neil Parish (PPE-DE), Robert Sturdy (PPE-DE) and Theresa Villiers (PPE-DE) to the Council

(23 February 2001)

Subject: The role of the Economic and Social Committee and the prioritising of expenditures within the European Union

Can the Council state what role it sees the Economic and Social Committee (ECOSOC) as having now that the European Parliament is directly elected, and whether it believes that the continued expenditure of hundreds of millions of euros of taxpayers' money on the Committee is justified and likely to command the support of the European taxpayer if knowledge of these levels of expenditure was better publicised?

In particular, in view of Commission President Prodi's statement last year to the effect that the European Commission needed more funds to carry out its core tasks and the Commission's refusal at the end of last year to take on certain new tasks until it had received additional funds, does the Council feel that if the Commission cannot find additional funds through elimination of wasteful expenditure within the Commission itself that the Member States should agree to wind down the Economic and Social Committee and use part of the savings (including, where appropriate, the transfer of staff from ECOSOC) to pay for the additional tasks which the Commission may in the future be asked to carry out?

Reply

(30 May 2001)

It is not for the Council of the European Union to give an opinion on the role of a Community body provided for by the Treaty. However, the attention of the Honourable Members is drawn to the relevant provisions of the Treaty (Articles 257 to 262) defining the role and function of the Economic and Social Committee. These provisions were basically confirmed by the Treaty signed in Nice on 16 February 2001, which extends the composition of the Committee by referring to organised civil society and by specifically mentioning consumers. This Treaty is currently subject to ratification by the Member States.

With respect to the second part of the question, the Honourable Members are invited to consult the European Commission.