MEPs from Plaid Cymru and the Scottish National Party have expressed their deep concern at the European Commission's failure to suspend a contract with Total Oil in the light of the company's operations in Burma.
They have tabled a parliamentary question calling for the current contract with Total to be reconsidered and for ethical considerations to be built into future public contracts with EU institutions.
At present, Total Oil is the holder of the inter-institutional contract for fuelling all official vehicles of the European institutions.
It also holds the contract for fuelling all official vehicles of the Belgian federal administration. The Belgian secretary of state for sustainable development has asked for the contract to be suspended but is hampered by EU rules on public procurement that are lukewarm on ethical criteria for awarding public contracts.
Total is the largest foreign investor in Burma. Burmese opposition groups have long alleged that the company aids the military government financially and this week France called for French companies to stop investing in Burma.
Plaid Cymru MEP Jill Evans said:
"We have all been shocked at the response by Burma's military rulers to the peaceful pro-democracy protests in the country. The European Parliament has expressed its position in a resolution of 27 September and the EU is set to impose sanctions.
"In current circumstances I find it absolutely incredible that the European Commission and the European Parliament continue doing business with Total Oil, one of the largest foreign investors in Burma and one which is under investigation for alleged involvement in human rights abuses.
"This smacks of dreadful double standards. The European Commission needs to urgently rethink the inter-institutional contract with Total and in future should introduce an ethics element to its tendering process."
SNP MEP Ian Hudghton said:
"There has been growing concern at this lucrative contract being held by a company under investigation for its activities in Burma. In the light of recent events, the situation is becoming untenable and the Commission has got some explaining to do.
"We need to lead by example and the European Commission should not be in the business of awarding contracts to companies who in one way or another help prop up military dictatorships."
Note
The Parliamentary question reads:
Considering the European Parliament's resolution of 27 September 2007 on Burma, the condemnation by the UN Council on Human Rights to the reaction of the military regime to the protests in Burma, TOTAL Oil company's involvement and investment in Burma including a joint venture with the military regime on the Yadana pipeline, and the French President's request for French companies to stop investing in Burma;
- will the Commission reconsider and renegotiate the current inter-institutional contract agreement with TOTAL Oil for fuelling all institutional vehicles?
- will the Commission amend Directive 2004/18/EC to include a reference to ethical considerations in the criteria for awarding public contracts on behalf of the EU institutions?
