Explanatory Memorandum to COM(1976)710 - - Main contents
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This page contains a limited version of this dossier in the EU Monitor.
| dossier | COM(1976)710 - . |
|---|---|
| source | COM(1976)710  |
| date | 23-12-1976 |
COLLECTION RELIEE DES DOCUMENTS 'COM'
Contents
Disclaimer
Conformement au reglement (CEE, Euratom) n° 354/83 du Conseil du ler fevrier 1983 concernant I’ouverture au public des archives historiques de la Communaute economique europeenne et de la Communaute europeenne de I’energie atomique (JO L 43 du 15.2.1983, p.
1), tel que modifie par le reglement (CE, Euratom) n° 1700/2003 du 22 septembre 2003 (JO L 243 du 27.9.2003, p.
1), ce dossier est ouvert au public. Le cas echeant, les documents classifies presents dans ce dossier ont ete declassifies conformement a I’article 5 dudit reglement.
In accordance with Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No 354/83 of 1 February 1983 concerning the opening to the public of the historical archives of the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community (OJ L 43, 15.2.1983, p.
1), as amended by Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1700/2003 of 22 September 2003 (OJ L 243, 27.9.2003, p.
1), this file is open to the public. Where necessary, classified documents in this file have been declassified in conformity with Article 5 of the aforementioned regulation.
In Obereinstimmung mit der Verordnung (EWG, Euratom) Nr. 354/83 des Rates vom 1. Februar 1983 uber die Freigabe der historischen Archive der Europaischen Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft und der Europaischen Atomgemeinschaft (ABI. L 43 vom 15.2.1983, S.
1), geandert durch die Verordnung (EG, Euratom) Nr. 1700/2003 vom 22. September 2003 (ABI. L 243 vom 27.9.2003, S.
1), ist diese Datei der Offentlichkeit zuganglich. Soweit erforderlich, wurden die Verschlusssachen in dieser Datei in Obereinstimmung mit Artikel 5 der genannten Verordnung freigegeben.
COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
COM(76) 710 final. > Brussels, 10 January 1977.
COMMISSION REPORT TO THE COUNCIL ON THE LOCATION OP COMMUNITY DEPARTMENTS IN BRUSSELS AND LUXEMBOURG
Situation at the end of the third quarter of 1976
COM(76) 710 final
Artidle 10 of .the Deoision of tho Representatives of tho Governments of the Member States on the Provisional Location of Certain Institutions and Departments of the Communities (Merger Treaty) states that "the Governments of the Member States are willing to locate in Luxembourg, or to transfer thereto, other Community bodies and departments, particularly those concerned with finanoe, provided that their proper functioning can be ensured* To this end, they request the Commission to present to them annually a report on the current situation concerning the location of Community bodies and departments and on the possibility of taking new steps to give effeot to this provision, account being taken: of the need to ensure the- proper functioning of the Communities"*
Each year sinoe 1968 the Commission has presented a report to the Counoil^ in compliance with these provisions.
This report, the ninth, describes the situation at the end of September 1976*
I. STAFF EMPLOYED IN BRUSSELS
1, At the end of September 1976, a total of 6 495 officials and local staff (admihistrative and research expenditure) were permanently assigned to the various Commission departments in Brussels* This total was made up as follows:
| Category A | 1 | 706 |
| Language Servioe | 885 | |
| Category B | 1 | 148 |
| Category C | 2 | 154 |
| Category D | 310 | |
| Local staff | 292 | |
| 6 | 495 |
^Refi Doc. SEC(68}3350 final of 25 October 1968.
Doc* SECi69)4897 final of 17 December 1969* Doc. SEC(70)368l final of 27 October 1970. Doo. SEC(71 M684 final of 20 December 1971* Doc. SEC(72]4493 final of 4 January 1973* Doc. SEC(73,14390 final of 3 December 1973-Doc. S£C(74,I4771 final of 9 December 1974* Doc. SEC(75(I4070 final of 3 December 1975*
2. A number of departments located in Luxembourg have assigned some of their staff to Brussels for the purpose of maintaining contacts.with departments in Brussels* .
The officials involved number 47* from the following departmentst
SOEC ■ ' * 29
Computer Centre 9
- Directorate-General for Scientific and
Technical Information and •Information- Management .
II. STAFF EMPLOYED IN LUXEMBOUBG
At the end of September 1976, * total of 1 735 offioials and looal staff (administrative and research expenditure) w^re permanently assigned to the various Commission departments in Luxembourg*
This total was-'made up as follows:
| Category A | 283 |
| Language Servioe | 262 |
| Category B | 404 |
| Category C | 584 |
| Category D | 68 |
| Local staff | 130 |
XXX. COMMISSION DEPARTMENTS LOCATED Iff LUXEMBOURG ; '
7 ■ • '
1 . .
The staff of the Directorates—General and departments of the Commission looated in Luxembotirg was broken down as follows:
I* Statistical Office: 240 offioials ($2 A, 79 B and 69 c)}
(1975* 235 offioials); (Note: a further 28 official# — 13 A# 9 B and 6 C - core assighed. to the Brussels branoh office).
2. The Health and Safety Directorate (Directorate V-F) of the Directorate-General for Social Affairs: 67 officials (28 A, 16 B And 23 C); (1975* 7^ officials). By the Commission Decision of Jl March 1976, the two former Health Protection and Industrial Safety and Medicine Directorate were merged, maintaining the same Responsibilities in one single Health and Safety Directorate.
.3. The Directorate-General for Scientific and Technical Information and Information Management: 123 officials (44 A, 23 B and ^6 C)j (1975* 125 officials). - .
4* The Direotorate^General for Credit ui Investments* 78 officials (29 Ar 24 Bt 21 C afcd 4 D)I (1975* 72 officials).
The Directorate for Euratom Safeguardst 114 officials (29 Ay 56 B and 29 C)j (1975* 113 officials).
*6. Comaission/European Investment Bank Liaison Offioe, attached to the Directorate-General for Econoaio and Financial Affaires 3officials (3 A); (1975* 3 officials)* .
7* Information Office, Luxembourg (Directorate-General for Information)* 3 officials (l Af 1 B and 1 C); (1975* 4 officials).
8* Administrative departments attached to the Directorate-General for Personnel and Administration: 832 officials and looal staff (41 A, 262 LA, 99 B, 289 C, 56 D and 85 looal staff (apart from the staff paid, out of the sooial service appropriations); (1975* 815 officials and looal staff).
It should he noted that*
(a) The Computer Centre, except for the branch offioe at the Brussels Terminal (l B and 7 C)v serves the departments located in Luxembourg and those located in Brussels;
(b) The Medium- and long-term Translation Servioe, attached to the Offioial Publications Office under the provisions of Artiole 8 of the Decision of 8 April 19^5 of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States on the Provisional Looatioq of Certain Institutions and Departments of the
■' Communities,' was set up on the basis of an agreement between ; the • Commission and the Office defining the translation
capaoity needed to handle all translation work requested by the Office on its own behalf or on behalf of the Community institutions. .
The number of translators to be mads available to the Office ■ is therefore determined on the basis Of this agreement whioh means that the staff of the Comission*s Medium- and long-term Translation Service in Luxembourg is kept under constant review. At the time of the merger the translation service in Luxembourg consisted of 68 Language Servioe staff; its staff has gradually increased since then to 262 today.
9* A number of departments located in Brussels have assigned some -of their staff to Luxembourg to improve contacts with the departments located there or to take up duties with bodies based there. A total of 27 officials are posted on this basis* r
One official from DG II and two seconded from DG Till.
*■ 4 -
7
3
4 3
7
2
1
Secretariat—Genoral Legal Service Security Offioe ; .
Directorate—General for Budgets Directorate—General for Financial Control
Directorate—General for Development and Cooperation v Directorate—General for Industrial Technological Affaire
IV. FUBLICATIQBS OFFICE
An ^Official Publications Offioe of the Euro poor Communities" was established pursuant to Artiole 8 of the Deoision of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States. Under a Deoision taken by the European'institutions and bodies on 16 January 19b9' "the Publications Office is direoted by a Management Committee consisting of representatives of the five institutions and bodies.
* ' ' . t • :
The Offioe was given 8 additional posts for the finanoisl year 1976 (8 C).
This means that ltd staff (offioials and loom! staff) is now as follows!
13
100
85
8
Category A Category ^ Category Q Category D Looal staff
V. OFFICE AND OTHER ACCOMMODATION JH LUXEMBOURG
During 1976 Commission departments gradually transferred to the new administrative building at the Kirchberg. The building was progressively occupied as the various sections were handed over by the owner upon completion. ......• _ , •
fi
Gradual transfer allowed the moves to he coordinated . olosely with the eipiry of the previous leases, so that double rent payments could be confined to the period absolutely neoeseary to restore the property to its original oondition under the contract*
The substantial effort needed in planning and coordination made it possible to oarry 'through the vast removal operation with the utmost economy*
After these transfers, by the end of 1976, 11 out of the 14 offioe buildings used by the Commission had been vacated, and 1 216 members of staff out of 1 4^4 had been accommodated in the Jean Monnet building on the Kirohberg*
The conference complex, comprising five rooms seating 80, and one room seating 200, also oame ipto operation at the end of 197<>*
The only offides now rented outside the new administrative complex
- the Computer Centre with a staff ef 152 persons, also situated * on the Kirohberg; .
offioes kept near the meeting-plaoes of the European Parliament and the Counoil, for use by the Members of the Commission;
a small building near the Jean Monnet building housing a Directorate of the Statistical Office of the European Communities .(46 persons); ,
several floors at the end of the aooess road to the Kirohberg, for use by, the French translation team and their typing staff*
A small number of offioes are still available in the Jean Monnet building. They are scattered and cannot be used to house a major administrative unit. For this reason they have been set aside for members of the branch of the Statistical Office of the European Communities now in Brussels returning to Luxembourg, and also for new staff at the Computer Centre, whioh is now completely full*
By 1977* no further office space will be available in the administrative building.
' H l ‘ '
Moreover, the Court of Justice of the European Communities, situated alongside the Jean Monnet building and the Computer Centre, will shortly require additional accommodation. This cannot be provided by extending the existing building, and the Court of Justice will . therefore also either have to build or take over an outlying building.
The question thus arises of starting work On the third seotion of the Jean Monnet building, or part of it. The Commission intends to
examine witlPtEi Court of Justice whether a joint projeot, pouaibly involving an exchange of apace, could "bo drawn up to solve both "institutes* problems in one fell swoop* .
At the end of 197^1 the European Parliament was able to take over almost all the offices previously occupied by the Commission to the south of the Kirchberg motorway.
In September construction work started on the new building for the European Investment Bank. This will also be looated on the Kirchberg to the north of the motorway* The work should take two and half -years, during whioh time the Bank will vacate the former building in the centre of the city which housed the ECSC High Authority in 1952*
Sinoe 1973t iEo Official Publications Office of the European Communities has had a building dear the Luxembourg station, whioh meets its current needs and those of the foreseeable future* .
VI. OFFICE AHD’ OTHEtfr ACCOMMODATION DT BRUSSfilS
fEe most recent building rented by the Commission in 1974 made good the offioe shortage at that time and met the requirements arising from departmental expansion in 1973 and 197&* The situation regarding buildings in Brussels this year therefore remains unchanged, as oompured with 1975*
However, since most buildings now have more occupants than is desirable, renting additional premises will probably have to be considered in 1977*
Should such renting plans materialize, the Commission intends to follow the short-and medium-term programme it prepared and submitted to the Council of Ministers* • .
This provides for a regrouping of all Commission departments near the Bond-Point Schvman, in accordance with the following scheme:
(1) Berlaymont would be the Commission^ representative building, housing only the Commission itself and the departments directly attached to it or those more specifically concerned with the European activities of which Berlaymont has become the symbol*
(2) The Joyeuse Entrde/Cortenberg/Loi oomplex would house all the financial and administrative departments (Direotorates-General for Personnel aha Administration, Budgets and Financial Control)*
(3) A number of buildings, located as near as possible to the rue
da la Lol, would house all„ the so-called operational departments*
This grouping would allow many 'buildings to b® vacated, whose surface areaf looation and/or seourity hardly meet the standards required for Commission activities. - -
It is regrettable however that since no deoision has been taken 6n an official schehe for locating the Europoan Institutions, the fcommisaion is unablb to outline any long—term plans for its offioe kooommodation in Brussels* " ■
!tn addition to offibe requirements, the Commission is seeking a Satisfactory solution to the problem of organizing conferences*
An internal working party has studied the report of an international group of independent experts on the looation and speoifioations of a Conference Centre and selected the eoheme considered best* This provided for the construction of a centre in the Paro du Cinquantonairs, and the Commission gave its agreement to this choice, subjeot to the Belgian authorities giving thei^ agreement* Since the latter refused, and the various other sohemes hiave lost their relevanoe, the Commission is once again obliged to" explore ways of solving the problem*
VII. RESULTS AND PROSPECTS *
1* Mention should fee made of the European Monetary Cooperation FVmd (EMCF) located in Luxembourg. In acoordanoe with the Deoision of 24 July 1973 by the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States, >•
(Official Journal of the European Communities No L 207, P* 46, 28 July 1973)i the Luxembourg Government made available to the EMCP the offices required by it at the outset. Failing effective implementation of the EMCF, no assessment can be made with a view to completing the necessary administrative infrastructure. '
2. As regards the EIB Liaison Offioe, the Commission intends to take
all necessary measures to enable it to fulfil its tasks in optimum Conditions. i
i) , . I
3. The Commission also intends to reduce the number of offioials
In the SOEG br&noh office in Brussels to those required to carry out 'essential liaison duties with departments in Brussels, by restoring borne of its departments there to the Statistical Offioe in Luxembourg*
4' The Commission has just submitted a proposal to the Council and the European Parliament on the setting up of the European Court of Audit, established by the Treaty of 22 July 1975* It proposes in particular that the seat of the Court of Audit should be in Luxembourg.
+ + •* • ■
111 ©onclueion, a.tt'm4ion should also Ixs dima to the year*® major fdaturs for Community institutions and departments in Luxembourg.
A large-scale regrouping of Commission departments in the Xirchberg afsa took plane. At the same time all the buildings and offices occupied by these departments, and scattered throughout the city of Luxembourg, were v&chted. This was achieved through the aotive sdpport of the Luxembourg authorities, and has proved of considerable benefit in terns of communications and therefore of efficiency.