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QUAESTORS' QUARTERLY
Issue 1
QUAESTORS'
Quarterly
Issue 1
September 2015
"
Welcome to this first newsletter from the
Meet the Quaestors
In addition, the office of the Quaestors is
Quaestors, whose meetings I currently have
responsible for communications to Members
the honour to chair until the end of this year.
on matters of common interest / concern
This newsletter, which we aim to publish four
There are five Quaestors elected by
which are usually sent via a formal
times per year (every three months), has the
Parliament at its Constituent meeting and
notification. A full list of all Quaestors'
modest ambition of shedding some light into
half way through each legislature. Like the
communications is available online on the
the work that goes on behind the scenes to
Vice-Presidents, the Quaestors serve a two-
Quaestors' section of the Parliament's
deal with all manner of practical and logistical
and-a-half year term of office. They are
intranet site.
issues raised by Members in the course of their
chaired on a rotating basis every six months
mandates. Some matters will remain
according to the order in which they were
The Quaestors are assisted by a secretariat,
necessarily confidential, whilst others may be
elected and meet every part session in
under the authority of the Secretary General,
of only minor interest. Other matters, on the
Strasbourg. They serve in an advisory
in addition to each having a dedicated
other hand, will affect you all, whether you are
capacity to the Bureau which they attend in
assistant to help with their duties.
organising an exhibition, receiving a group of
an ex-officio capacity.
visitors or using one of the canteens /
restaurants. For important decisions or
According to Rule 28 of Parliament's Rules of
changes to rules, all the preparatory work
Procedure, the Quaestors "
shall be
undertaken by the Quaestors must be
responsible for administrative and financial
confirmed by Parliament's Bureau.
matters directly concerning Members".
I hope you will find time to read this newsletter
Apart from dealing with Members' financial
Meet the Quaestors
and discover more about what we do.
matters, the Quaestors oversee a wide
Needless to say, if you have any questions,
variety of issues including visitors' groups,
Roles and responsibilities
don't hesitate to contact myself or one of my
exhibitions and events, transport facilities for
Quaestor colleagues."
Members, artistic donations, Parliaments'
New rules on events and exhibitions
bars and restaurants, Christmas cards, rules
Catherine Bearder MEP, Chair-in-Office
on smoking, mail and document distribution,
The meaning of plenary bells
medical certificates for absence,
management of office space and equipment,
Christmas card selection
Parliament's sports Centre, relations with the
Charity sales
Ombudsman, conciliation on harassment
cases, relations with the former Members
New caterers take over
Association, the travel office, language and
computer training, liaison with the European
schools and crèches etc.
QUAESTORS' QUARTERLY | Issue 1
2
Roles and responsibilities
Elisabeth MORIN-CHARTIER
Bogusław LIBERADZKI
Catherine BEARDER
EPP, FR
S&D, PL
ALDE, UK
Individual requests to payments of
Security issues in Parliament's premises
Cultural and artistic events sponsored
parliamentary allowances and
relating to individual Members -
by Members
reimbursement of expenses
implementation measures (including
Artistic Committee
Members’ restaurants and bars
the implementation of the Bureau rules
Chair of Artistic Committee
Members' facilities in EP information
governing smoking ban)
Contacts with Former Members'
offices (with Mr. Liberadzki)
Sports centres situated on Parliament’s
Association
Relations with national and local
premises in Brussels and Strasbourg
Use by Members of Parliament's library
authorities in Parliament's three places
Members' facilities in EP information
and document management
of work
offices (with Ms Morin-Chartier)
Member of High-level Group on Gender
Member of the Bureau Working Group
Relations with Political Groups and
Equality and Diversity
on Buildings, Transport and Green
Non-Attached Members - rules
Member of the Bureau Working Group
Parliament
concerning Intergroups and use of
on ICT Innovation Strategy
Member of the Advisory Committee
Parliament's premises
Member of the Advisory Committee
dealing with Harassment Complaints
Relations with the Ombudsman and the
dealing with Harassment Complaints
between Accredited Parliamentary
ECJ in cases relating to Quaestors
between Accredited Parliamentary
Assistants and Members of the European
responsibilities
Assistants and Members of the European
Parliament (appointed by the President)
Mobility
Parliament (appointed by the President).
Conciliator pursuant to Article 23 of the
External services in Parliament’s
Implementing Measures for the Statute
premises (shops, banks and postal
of Accredited Parliamentary Assistants.
services)
Karol KARSKI
Member of the Bureau Contact Group
for the House of European History (with
ECR, PL
Mr. Karski)
Andrey KOVATCHEV
Member of the Advisory Committee
EPP , BG
dealing with Harassment Complaints
between Accredited Parliamentary
Assistants and Members of the European
Parliament (appointed by the President)
Services for Members (Medical Service,
crèche facilities for the Members'
children, European Schools)
Office Equipment for Members
Members’ transport facilities, including
Use by Members of Parliament's audio
car service, the Travel Agency, and
visual facilities
facilities at Strasbourg and Brussels
Central register and lists of attendance
airports
in the Chamber and in the committee
Reception facilities for visitors´ groups
and groups rooms
Telecommunication and information
Technical aspects of register of
technology (including television
lobbyists, long-term visitors' access to
facilities)
restricted areas
Members’ language and computer
Mail department and print shop
QUAESTORS' COMPOSITION
courses
Member of the Bureau Contact Group
Contacts with the Former Members'
for the House of European History (with
Association
For a full description of the Quaestors'
Mr. Liberadzki)
Member of the Bureau Working Group
duties and responsibilities, please refer to
on Information and Communication
the officia
l webpage.
Policy
QUAESTORS' QUARTERLY | Issue 1
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New rules on events &
exhibitions
CAN YOU HEAR THE BELLS?
On several occasions, the President and
If you have difficulty hearing the bells
Members of the Bureau have expressed
from your office or indeed from a public
concerns about the proliferation of social
area, you should contact the relevant
events and cocktails held on Parliament's
services at the following address:
premises. The Quaestors were invited to
xxxx.xxxxxxxxxxx@xx.xxxxxx.xx
consider measures to reduce the number of
such events and to relocate catered events to
CHECK YOUR BOOKING
more suitable locations in order to preserve the
dignity and public image of the Institution and
These new provisions entered into force
to respond to increased security and safety
on 1st September 2015. Any Members
concerns.
who have booked an event, prior to the
entry into force of the new rules, should
Consequently, the Quaestors asked the various
check with the relevant services and may
services involved to carry out a review of
have to re-book if the chosen location is
existing practices and rules. The result of the
no longer in use for exhibitions or events.
review was submitted to the Quaestors, and
Christmas card selection 2015
finally to the Bureau, for approval.
For full details of the new rules in force
With the help of DG ITEC, a list of twelve
and a list of the approved areas for
The main changes concern:
greetings cards was presented to the
exhibitions, see th
e Annex to the Rules
Quaestors at their July meeting. The cards fall
governing use of Parliament's premises.
Maintaining the principle of two
into four thematic categories, namely:
events/exhibitions per mandate for each
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xx.xxxxxx.xx
Member, with a possible derogation for a
Religious (Christmas);
third event to be decided by the College of
New Year 2016;
Quaestors; the organisation of more than
three events per legislative term is no
The Bells: what do they mean?
Institutional (EP);
longer permitted;
EU Year of Development
Have you ever wondered what the different bell
Revising and reducing the number of areas
sounds mean during a plenary session?
All twelve cards will be made available as e-
available for holding exhibitions and
The plenary bell is situated on the desk of the
cards for the use of Members and staff at the
cultural events, in particular the ground
President in the Chamber and is rung to signal
end of the year whilst six out of the twelve
floor area opposite the shop and banks in
the commencement of a plenary sitting or a
listed cards were also selected for printing for
the Spinelli (ASP) building will no longer be
vote. Following some recent confusion when the
the use of Members only. Each Member can
available for use for safety and security
bells sounded for a vote in the middle of the
order 200 cards free of charge. The e-cards will
reasons;
afternoon, Parliament's Services have proposed
be available on the EP Intranet from 7
to simplify the ring tones to better distinguish
December 2015 to 31 January 2016.
Reducing considerably the areas available
between the beginning and end of a sitting and
for receptions/catering to certain
the commencement of votes:
designated areas, essentially limiting full
catering options to the restaurants, the
one minute continuous ringing indicates the
Yehudi Menuhin Area and the JAN Q3 Area
beginning of a session; the bell is rung 10
in Brussels. Catering services in Strasbourg
minutes and again 2 minutes before a
will also essentially be restricted to the
plenary sitting starts;
restaurant and bar areas or private salons;
two shorter rings of about 3 seconds each
Enhancing Members' responsibility vis-à-
indicate the start of a voting session; this is
vis the Parliament for all aspects regarding
done 10 minutes before votes begin and
the sponsoring of the exhibition/event and
repeated several times. It usually rings at
for the reception/catering, rather than
lunchtime on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and
ORDERING YOUR CARDS
handing over responsibility to external
Thursdays but can ring at any time of the day
organisations; this includes the sending of
if a vote is called;
invitations and the registration and
Members can already order their printed
distribution of access cards.
one ring of 15 seconds indicates the end of a
Christmas cards directly via
the Services
sitting.
for Members section of the Parliament's
These new rules will be reviewed after six
intranet site before 20 November 2015.
months to evaluate their implementation
So basically, a single, continuous ring tone
and impact. Your feedback is welcome.
denotes the start or end of a sitting whilst a
discontinuous tone of several rings denotes
that a vote is about to take place.
QUAESTORS' QUARTERLY | Issue 1
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Charity Sales
New caterers take over
restaurant services
The end-of year charity sales have a long-
standing tradition in Parliament and
After more than 30 years (since 1979) of
constitute an exception to the Rules
catering services provided by Sodexo,
governing cultural events and exhibitions on
Parliament is to change service provider,
Parliament’s premises by allowing charitable
following a recent call for tender. The new
organisations to set up stands and sell their
caterers will take over the running of
merchandise on the premises of Parliament.
Parliament's canteens, bars and restaurants
Parliament provides them, free of charge,
on Monday 28 September. Sodexo's contract
with the space and furniture necessary to set
expires on Friday 25 September, so expect a
up the stands (tables, chairs and exhibition
somewhat limited service for a short while
panels) during two days, but other costs
during the transition period. The change in
must be borne by the organisations
service provider is accompanied by a
themselves.
significant change in contract type too
whereby the service provider accepts full
In July 2014 the Quaestors had requested
financial responsibility for the catering
Parliament's services to open up the
operation. Apart from the physical
procedure to allow for a greater variety of
infrastructure, Parliament will no longer be
charitable organisations to participate. A
subsidising meals, so we can expect to see a
revised set of rules was approved by the
slight increase in prices - and hopefully in
Quaestors on 8th September 2015.
quality too.
Every MEP now has the right to propose, if
Local service providers will also soon manage
they wish, the name of one charitable
the sandwich bar in the Spinelli building and
organisation of his/her choice to take part in
two additional food outlets focusing on fair
Parliament's charitable sales in one of the
trade, organic food products and a
three places of work. The Quaestor
Mediterranean style pasta bar. Vending
responsible for cultural and artistic events,
machines will be run by a new company too -
with the assistance of Parliament's services,
so expect to see existing ones replaced with
will then assess the nominations to ensure
new machines (including the Nespresso coffee
compliance with the criteria and recommend
towers) and the whole catering policy will be
a draft list of charitable organisations for the
monitored by an external quality audit to
final approval of the College of Quaestors.
ensure a high standard.
The list will reflect a balanced representation
of charitable organisations proposed by
Under Belgian Law, a change of major service
Members from the various political groups.
provider must not imperil the locally employed
Organisations admitted to take part in the
staff. So although the management will
charitable sales must be non-profit
change, the same familiar faces will continue
organisations based in a Member State and
to serve us coffee and food as before.
active in the field of social and humanitarian
actions.
The new catering contract, which will last until
the end of the legislature, also places a greater
Parliament will continue to host a maximum
emphasis on nutritional foods, sustainable
of 56 organisations over a two week period in
sourcing of products and reducing food waste,
the three working places - in Brussels and
measures which have already started to be
Luxembourg the week before the December
introduced in recent months.
plenary session and in Strasbourg during that
plenary session.
Bon appétit !
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
This Newsletter is produced by the Secretariat
IN CASE OF ANY PROBLEMS ...
of the Bureau and Quaestors. For further
information on any of the articles in this
In case of any problems you encounter with the
TIMETABLE FOR NOMINATIONS
edition, please contact one of the Quaestors
new service, or if you simply wish for further
responsible or the secretariat at the following
information, please contact the Catering Unit
address:
Nominations by Members should be sent to:
directly:
xxxx.xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxx.xxxxxx.xx
xxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxx.xxxxxx.xx
xxxx.xxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxx.xxxxxx.xx
by 5 October
2015