Question for written answer
to the Commission
Rule 130
Alfred Sant (S&D)

Subject: The application of Commission’s code of conduct and Oettinger’s visit to PM Orban

According to news reports, Commissioner Oettinger flew to Budapest in May 2016 to meet Hungarian Prime Minister Orban on German businessman Klaus Mangold’s private plane.

Mr Mangold is a consultant for the PAKS II nuclear project, and on 17 November 2016 the Commission ended its state aid investigation into this nuclear power complex that Hungary is building with Russian contractors.

The Commissioner’s visit to Mr Orban was scheduled well in advance, and had already been disclosed to the public by the Commission the week before. The Commission has justified the decision to fly by private jet on the grounds of there being no commercial flights that would have arrived in time for the meeting with Mr Orban.

Can the Commission please provide the following information?

1. What criteria have been used by the Commission to assess the claim that if the Commissioner had not travelled in a private jet offered by a private businessman the meeting would not have been held due to a lack of scheduled connections?

2. Can these criteria be published?

EN
P-008697/2016
Answer given by Mr Oettinger
on behalf of the Commission
(19.1.2017)

The mission mentioned in the question respects Annex 2 to the Code of Conduct for Commissioners [1], stating that Commissioners may use any means of transport appropriate for the purposes of the mission based on its cost-effectiveness and taking into account the needs of the Institution.

[1] http://ec.europa.eu/transparency/ethics-for-commissioners/pdf/3-2011-2904-mt-f1-1.pdf.

Maltese Version

Mistoqsija għal tweġiba bil-miktub P-008697/2016/rev.1
lill-Kummissjoni
Artikolu 130 tar-Regoli ta’ Proċedura
Alfred Sant (S&D)
Suġġett: L-applikazzjoni tal-kodiċi ta’ kondotta tal-Kummissjoni u ż-żjara tal-Kummissarju Oettinger lill-Prim Ministru Orbán
Skont rapporti tal-istampa, il-Kummissarju Oettinger mar fuq titjira lejn Budapest f’Mejju 2016 biex jiltaqa’ mal-Prim Ministru Ungeriż Orbán bl-ajruplan privat tan-negozjant Ġermaniż Klaus Mangold.
Is-Sur Mangold huwa konsulent għall-proġett nukleari PAKS II, u fis-17 ta’ Novembru 2016, il-Kummissjoni temmet l-investigazzjoni tal-għajnuna tal-Istat fir-rigward ta’ dan il-kumpless tal-enerġija nukleari li l-Ungerija qed tibni ma’ kuntratturi Russi.
Iż-żjara tal-Kummissarju lis-Sur Orbán kienet ilha sew skedata minn qabel, u kienet diġà ġiet żvelata lill-pubbliku mill-Kummissjoni l-ġimgħa ta’ qabel. Il-Kummissjoni ġġustifikat id-deċiżjoni li t-titjira ssir b’ġett privat għar-raġuni li ma kienx hemm titjiriet kummerċjali li kienu se jaslu fil-ħin għal-laqgħa mas-Sur Orbán.
Tista’ l-Kummissjoni, jekk jogħġobha, tipprovdi l-informazzjoni li ġejja:
1. Liema kriterji ntużaw mill-Kummissjoni biex tivvaluta l-affermazzjoni li li kieku l-Kummissarju ma kienx ivvjaġġa b’ġett privat offrut minn negozjant privat il-laqgħa ma kenitx issir minħabba nuqqas ta’ konnessjonijiet skedati?
2. Jistgħu dawn il-kriterji jiġu ppubblikati?

MT
P-008697/2016
Tweġiba tas-Sur Oettinger
f’isem il-Kummissjoni
(19.1.2017)

Il-missjoni msemmija fil-mistoqsija tirrispetta l-Anness 2 tal-Kodiċi ta’ Kondotta għall-Kummissarji[2], fejn hu ddikjarat li l-Kummissarji jistgħu jużaw kull mezz ta’ trasport xieraq għall-finijiet tal-missjoni fuq il-bażi tal-kost-effettività tiegħu u b’kont meħud tal-ħtiġijiet tal-istituzzjoni.

[2] http://ec.europa.eu/transparency/ethics-for-commissioners/pdf/3-2011-2904-mt-f1-1.pdf.

Facebook Comments

Post a comment