92003E0826

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0826/03

by Nicholas Clegg (ELDR) to the Commission

(18 March 2003)

Subject: European Commission's Business Environment Simplification Taskforce

Can the Commission indicate the expenses and salaries received by the members of its Business Environment Simplification Taskforce, which operated from October 1997 to April 1998?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(5 May 2003)

The members of the Business Environment Simplification Task Force (BEST), operating between October 1997 and April 1998, did not receive a salary, but were reimbursed for their travel expenses and were entitled to a daily allowance of maximum ECU 221,84(1). In addition, the entrepreneur/non-governmental members were entitled to a fixed amount of ECU 400 per day, compensating for a maximum of two days per meeting (including time for preparation of the meeting where applicable)(2).

In total, the payments made amounted to ECU 118 575,83.

In September 1998, the members of the task force were invited to an additional meeting, where they were given the opportunity to give their views on the draft Action Plan that the Commission had prepared following the report by the task force. For this meeting, the members were reimbursed for their travel expenses and were entitled to a daily allowance of a maximum of ECU 221,84.

In total, the payments made amounted to ECU 6 308,36.

(1) This maximum daily allowance, which was double the usual rate, was authorised by the Director-General responsible, applying the conditions of Article 6, Paragraph 1 of the Rules concerning the reimbursement of travel and subsistence expenses of experts from outside the Commission. In order to take account of the very tight time schedule under which the members of the taskforce were obliged to work.

(2) On the basis of contracts established between the Commission and the members.