Mr President, this time the subject at the close of the sitting is not fisheries, but competition policy. We have discussed this subject in great depth. It has not been too controversial, so it is also possible to discuss it at the end of such a sitting. Since I am often here on Fridays anyway, I personally do not find this at all difficult. The subject is exemption regulations, which are in force for the European insurance industry. You all know that competition law has been one of the most important objectives of the European Union – and therefore of the European Commission – since the founding Treaties came into existence. The general aim of competition law is to ensure that there is competition in the European Internal Market. This serves consumers, promotes technical progress, and prevents monopolies and agreements. Therefore, the rules on this are strict. The Commission can and must take action in accordance with the rules, which have three different spheres of application: agreements or cartel agreements which are generally prohibited, abuse of a dominant market position, and public subsidies. Over the past few years, the Commission, on all these issues, has repeatedly shown that it takes the provisions of the Treaties very seriously. We will deal with the first of these areas today. The general prohibition of cartel agreements is lifted under certain conditions; these are the exemption regulations. Price fixing, restrictions on, or control of, production, dividing up markets, application of different prerequisites for the same services and the extra provisions of the Treaties, which often vary tremendously in Europe and exclude different services, are incompatible with the laws, even in the areas where exemption regulations apply. Under Article 81(3), exemption regulations only apply – please listen carefully – when consumers receive an appropriate share of the benefit generated and no unnecessary restrictions ruling out competition are imposed. A regulation of this kind has existed in the field of insurance since 1992, and expires in 2003. The Commission is required to submit a situation report every six years. The present report is available. The Block Exemption Regulation for the insurance industry lays down and permits common rules governing agreement on the calculation of premiums, the stipulation of policy conditions, joint coverage of certain types of risk, and safety precautions. To date, agreements on claims settlement and registers of aggravated risks have not been included. I hope that when the Rothley report on the harmonisation of civil liability insurance in respect of the use of motor vehicles is adopted after the third reading on Monday, the Commission can, and will, also incorporate – on account of the harmonised legal basis – the settlement of claims into this future exemption regulation. It will then be much easier for European Union citizens, in future, to be able to settle claims abroad, including in EU Member States, with their own insurers, safe in the knowledge that these agreements are also then guaranteed by the Commission within the framework of the exemption regulation. Parliament has made unanimous demands on the Commission in its proposal. These should be taken into consideration by the Commission when examining the proposal. This concerns, firstly, the definition of market share in a globalised market, followed by detailed questions about the lead insurer, for whom this might not apply. When there is one large and 20 small insurers, then the large one may not have more than 10 per cent of the market share for the exemption agreement to be accepted. Whether this is correct or not is doubtful. This concerns matters which are connected with the possibility of termination. We want the notice period for an insurance company to be 6 months and not 12, and we want to bring about a harmonised basis for European standards in the settlement of claims. All in all, I can say that Parliament is satisfied with this interim report and that it expects the Commission to make continuous progress on this matter and achieve an end result for the insurance industry within the framework of the exemption regulations in force, all of which expire in 2002 and 2003, including for other areas. With this in mind, I would urge you to give your assent. Thank you very much.

Political group: PPE-DE