(2004/C 78 E/0581)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3433/03

by Mario Borghezio (NI) to the Commission

(18 November 2003)

Subject:   Eurostat scandal — unanswered questions

The main tasks of Eurostat include assessing conformity with the Stability Pact and establishing the Member States' contribution to the EU budget. Does the Commission accept Eurostat's conclusions on the economic conditions of the Member States or does it obtain information elsewhere? To what extent has the quality or reliability of Eurostat's work been affected by the recent revelations? What quality controls have been introduced to check the reliability of the data produced by external agencies concerning such sensitive subjects?

Joint answer

to Written Questions E-3416/03, E-3417/03, E-3418/03, E-3419/03, E-3420/03, E-3421/03, E-3422/03, E-3423/03, E-3424/03, E-3425/03, E-3426/03, E-3427/03, E-3428/03, E-3429/03, E-3430/03, E-3431/03, E-3432/03 and E-3433/03

given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(12 January 2004)

The eighteen questions which the Honourable Member raises are connected with the follow-up to the Eurostat case and concern anti-fraud policy political responsibility individual responsibility the information available to the Commission on Eurostat-related matters, questions concerning cases of whistleblowing, Eurostat controls and the quality of Eurostat's work.

When addressing the Conference of Presidents and the Committee on Budgetary Control (Cocobu) on 25 September, and more recently on 18 November before the Committee on Budgetary Control and then the full House in Strasbourg, the President of the Commission set out the Commission's position on all these questions.

In addition, he also provided written answers to the 18 questions put to him after his appearance on 25 September 2003. These answers address in detail the Honourable Member's questions and will be sent direct to the Honourable Member and to Parliament's Secretariat.