link to page 2 link to page 2 link to page 2 link to page 2 link to page 2 link to page 2
QUAESTORS' QUARTERLY
Issue 10
QUAESTORS'
Quarterly
Issue 10
CATHERINE BEARDER ELISABETH MORIN-CHARTIER
KAROL KARSKI ANDREY KOVATCHEV VLADIMIR MANKA
Winter 2017
Dear Colleagues,
IN THIS ISSUE
This Newsletter effectively concludes my
last term as Chair of the Quaestors this
The central attendance register and
legislature. It has been both an honour
MEPs’ Financial Calendar 2018
and a pleasure to serve in this capacity
and to work alongside my excellent
EP
RS services to Members
colleagues.
Renovation of the Astrid Lulling
Much has been achieved since 2014 in
Lounge
terms of improvements to our security
and safety, to the services offered in our
It just remains for me to wish you a very
Parliament’s warm water systems
canteens and other food outlets, to our
Happy Christmas and a successful 2018
drivers’ service as well as the
before I pass the baton on to my
EP travel agency - improving the service
modernisation of the handling of
colleague, Vladimir Manka for the next
for MEPs
financial and administrative matters.
six months.
Recently, efforts have been stepped up
to respond to the outcry over allegations
Andrey KOVATCHEV
The central attendance
of sexual harassment in the workplace as
Chair-in-Office of the Quaestors
register and MEPs’ Financial
a spill-over of the #metoo campaign.
The Advisory Committee on
Calendar 2018
Harassment, chaired by my colleague
Elisabeth Morin-Chartier, has been at
As they do every year, the Quaestors
the forefront of raising Parliament’s
have adopted
a Notice (28/2017) to
standards.
present the days and hours when the
central attendance register will be open
Regrettably, Parliament’s sports centre
in 2018 for signing by Members.
remains closed for the time being whilst
the water circuit is redesigned to prevent
The financial calendar for Members is
any possible reoccurrence of the
also available at
the Members’ Portal
Legionella bacteria that affected parts of
front desk.
the system earlier this year.
QUAESTORS' QUARTERLY | Issue 10
2
The 2018 financial calendar (Notice
also available for Members and their
deteriorated condition due to its age and
29/2017) shows the following:
staff on, inter alia, how to access data
has thousands of ‘dead-end pipes’, which
sources on policy issues or how to
cause a permanent health risk linked to
• Opening days of the central
manage archives.
the potential growth of harmful bacteria,
attendance register;
such as Legionella.
As this problem cannot be permanently
• Deadlines for Parliamentary
solved by corrective measures, the
Assistance expenses (local assistants
Quaestors have decided to permanently
and trainees);
close down the large warm-water circuit
linked to the showers in Members’
• Deadline for the submission of
offices and called for compensatory
requests for reimbursement of MEPs’
measures such as kitchenettes on the
travel and subsistence expenses;
floors housing Members’ offices and
showers in central areas.
• Deadline for the submission of
requests for reimbursement of MEPs’
A new EPRS application will be available
expenses in respect of language and
in January 2018 for all users, both inside
EP travel agency - improving
computer courses.
and outside Parliament, allowing quick
the service for MEPs
access to over 4000 publications dating
Accredited assistants are also able to
back to 2014 for consultation via
submit their mission order requests
smartphone or other portable device.
The contract between Parliament and
online through the e-Portal. Should they
the external Travel Agency expires, after
wish, Members can then sign the mission
five years, at the end of 2018. A new
requests electronically by using the
Renovation of the Astrid
inter-institutional tender procedure has
application DiSP (Digital Signature
Lulling Lounge
been launched with a view to providing a
portal). This new procedure will save
higher quality service for Members in the
time for both Members and
Renovation works will begin to the
future that includes more flexible
assistants
.Notice 13/2017.
Astrid Lulling Lounge on the ground
opening hours, and booking procedures
floor of the SPINELLI building in Brussels
offering best available fares (including
EPRS services to Members
that will last approximately six months.
low cost airlines), a monitored complaint
register, an online-booking tool, an
The new lounge area will be divided into
In November, the Quaestors heard from
automated invoicing system as well as a
four distinct areas: a bar area, a library
EPRS Director-General, Anthony
crisis management and a 24/7
resources and reading area with
Teasdale, on the current work of
emergency hotline.
newspapers and magazines, a large
Parliament’s research service which is
lounge area with decorative screens to
widely used. Since its creation in 2014
create more intimate spaces for private
EPRS has responded to over 11 000
meetings and conversations, and a
substantive requests, with 56 % of these
working area with desks and tables.
requests answered within 36 hours.
Whilst the works are going on, a
There are over 100 specialised
temporary Members’ lounge will be
researchers at the disposal of Members
available in the bar area next to the
to answer enquiries or conduct short
Members’ restaurant on the ground floor
research projects which may also
of the ‘G’ zone in the SPINELLI building.
generate broader publications on EU
policy and legislation. EPRS has also
produced over 3 500 content-rich,
Parliament’s warm water
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
accessible publications and tracks EU
systems
legislation, analyses the EU budget, and
This Newsletter is produced by the
produces an overview of plenary
Secretariat of the Bureau and
activities. 250 model answers have also
Due to a higher than normal presence of
Quaestors. For further information
been developed, in response to citizens’
Legionella bacteria in the showers of
on any of the articles in this edition,
enquiries on a wide variety of EU matters
Members’ offices, the warm-water
please contact one of the Quaestors
which can be consulted online.
circuit had been temporarily closed
responsible or the Secretariat at the
down earlier this year. In the meantime,
following address:
The library, which has a collection of
an independent high-level expert on
xxxxxxxxx@xx.xxxxxx.xx
over 100 000 traditional books will be
water safety examined Parliament’s
Link to the website of
the Quaestors
fully digitalised in the future. Training is
warm-water system which is in a