8 January 2015
E-000180-15
Question for written answer
to the Commission
Rule 130
Alfred Sant (S&D)

Subject: Follow-up to Written Question E-007575/2014 on the current outsourcing of Commission services

Question(s)
As regards the Commission’s reply to Written Question E-007575/2014 on the ‘current outsourcing of Commission services’:
1. What is the Commission’s established ceiling regarding the length and costs of research that would be required to provide a full reply to a Written Question?
2. What is the legal basis for such a ceiling?

Answer(s)

19 February 2015
E-000180/2015

Answer given by Vice-President Georgieva on behalf of the Commission
As mentioned in the reply to E-007575/2014, the concept of ‘outsourcing’ is not defined; as such, the term is not configured for reporting purposes in the Commission’s central accounting system, meaning that a tailor-made report with the requested specific information cannot be readily produced.

In order to reply to the question the Commission Services would need to individually examine and evaluate the entries from the complete list of open contracts (well over 50 000 of which around 17 000 were signed in 2014 alone), open commitments (around 120 000) and payments (over 420 000 in 2014) recorded in the Commission’s databases. In the experience of the Commission the duration to carry out such an exercise far exceeds the time-limit set for the dispatch of replies to Parliamentary Questions.

It is against such considerations that the Commission, within its own discretion by reference to cost-benefit and proportionality concerns enshrined in the Financial Regulation(1) and in the Code of Good Administrative Behaviour(2), has reached its cited conclusion in the referred reply.

(1) Recitals (15), (16) and Article 30 (2) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 (OJ L 298, 26.10.2012).
(2) OJ L 267, 20.10.2000.

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