ddrg/super_eurlex huggingface dataset:
WRITTEN QUESTION P-0900/01

by Dirk Sterckx (ELDR) to the Commission

(19 March 2001)

Subject: Progress in the case against Deutsche Post

On 20 July 1999, in response to a complaint lodged in 1994, the Commission started an investigation into the activities of Deutsche Post, particularly to ascertain whether Deutsche Post was subsidising its commercial activities with revenue from its monopoly on the delivery of letters. At the same time, the Commission is investigating whether Deutsche Post has used monopoly revenue to finance take-overs. On 9 November 2000 a hearing was held at which it was apparent that the Commission already had all the requisite information concerning the case.

Now that nearly twenty months have elapsed since the opening of the procedure, what is preventing the Commission from taking a decision on this case? Is the Commission taking account of the fact that, since the complaint was lodged, Deutsche Post has acquired other businesses and that other postal operators are following this example, with the result that by the time the deadline arrives for complete liberalisation of postal services, there will no longer be any market to be liberalised?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(21 May 2001)

As stated by the Honourable Member the Commission adopted on 20 July 1999 the decision to open a formal State aid procedure under Article 88 (2) (ex Article 93) of the EC Treaty regarding Deutsche Post AG(1). The procedure covers the whole range of State aid allegations concerning Deutsche Post AG: use of revenues of the monopoly letter service to cover losses of parcel activities, use of such revenues for acquisitions, use of transferred real estate to finance acquisitions, existence of state guarantee for debts and the coverage of pension obligations by the state.

Since the State aid examination is still pending no indication about the likely result can be given. Of course, the Commission will fulfil its duty under the competition rules of the EC Treaty to ensure fair competition on a level playing field in this important sector of the economy while at the same time not challenging the provision of universal postal services.

As regards acquisitions by Deutsche Post AG, such transactions fall under the jurisdiction of the Commission according to the Merger Regulation, Council Regulation (EEC) no 4064/89 of 21 December 1989 on the control of concentrations between undertakings(2). These transactions are examined and decided by the Commission in the same way as other transactions when applying the requirements of the Merger Regulation.

It should also be remarked that the oral hearing mentioned in the question was part of an anti-trust investigation concerning Deutsche Post AG, which has to be seen independent of the State aid procedure. The Commission

now has concluded its antitrust investigation into Deutsche Post AG with a decision finding that the German postal operator has abused its dominant position by granting fidelity rebates and engaging in predatory pricing in the market for business parcel services.

(1) OJ C 306, 23.10.1999.

(2) OJ L 395, 30.12.1989, republished in OJ L 257, 21.9.1990.
WRITTEN QUESTION P-0586/01

by Sebastiano Musumeci (UEN) to the Commission

(21 February 2001)

Subject: Birth defects in Sicily

The paediatrics department of the Muscatello hospital in Augusta has published data for the year 2000 concerning birth defects in Sicily. The situation in the industrial triangle of Augusta-Melilli-Priolo is deeply disturbing, since the rate of birth defects is around 6 %, whereas the World Health Organisation (WHO) considers that rates of 2 % and above should be seen as a danger signal.

Are there any provisions for Community rules and/or measures to protect the health of those living in highly industrialised areas? Are there any Community measures for the prevention and treatment of birth defects?

Will the Commission take steps to remedy the serious situation described above?

Supplementary answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(15 May 2001)

The Commission contributes to the protection of human health in relation to birth defects in various areas, such as:

- environmental legislation, in particular in relation to the control of chemical and physical agents which are potential teratogens;

- legislation in the field of health and safety at work;

- actions in the field of public health, in particular in relation to prevention (health promotion, actions on alcohol, tobacco, etc.) and surveillance of birth defects. The Commission is currently supporting the Eurocat project-Epidemiological Surveillance of Congenital Anomalies in Europe. This project has been awarded a Community grant within the framework of the Community action programme on rare diseases 1999-2003. The Sicilian Registry of Congenital Malformations is partner in this project. As regards treatment of birth defects, article 152 (ex Article 129) of the EC Treaty stipulates that Community action in the field of public health shall fully respect the responsibilities of the Member States for the organization and delivery of health services and medical care;

- the Community is active also in the area of research in order to improve scientific knowledge about birth defects. In particular, under the Fourth framework programme for Research and Development a concerted action on the Evaluation of prenatal diagnosis of congenital anomalies by fetal ultrasonographic examination was financed by the Commission. Two Italian centres from Florence and Padua are participating in this project and it is coordinated by the University of Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg, France.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1626/01

by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(12 June 2001)

Subject: Standardisation and promotion of olive oil

Can the Commission say what use Greece has made of Community aid for the standardisation of olive oil to date and what percentage this amounts to by comparison with other olive-oil producing countries?

Can the Commission also provide estimates relating to the use of Community funds for the standardisation and promotion of olive oil under the regional operational programmes 2000-2006 in Greece?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(19 July 2001)

The Commission has not part-financed any action to standardise olive oil in connection with the structural measures. Under the new programming for 2000-06, however, proposals involving investments in the standardisation of olive oil cannot be ruled out. At this stage in programming, it is still too early for precise details or figures concerning the financing of such investments. That information will only be available once the calls for proposals are published and potential investors' proposals are received and approved by the body responsible for managing the rural development operational programme covering the processing and marketing of agricultural products.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1806/01

by Wolfgang Ilgenfritz (NI) to the Commission

(19 June 2001)

Subject: Europe-wide invitations to tender

I am frequently approached by interested firms for details about current invitations to tender. Hitherto I have subscribed to the Europa Kontakt series in which many invitations to tender are published. However, the promotional briefing is distributed only once a month and many of the invitations tender are therefore no longer up-to-date.

I also consult the TED home page for details but searches are extremely time-consuming. Can the Commission give other sources from which information on the latest invitations to tender or supply contracts can be obtained cheaply and in good time? Is it possible to receive automatic notification of new invitations to tender by e-mail?

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(23 July 2001)

The efficient dissemination of public procurement opportunities, their easy access and user-friendliness are objectives on which the Commission is constantly working.

In accordance with Community legislation in force all Europe-wide calls for tender covered by the relevant Community directives are published in the Supplement to the Official Journal of the European Communities (OJ S series). The OJ S series is currently available either on CD-ROM (against payment) or online via the internet in the Tenders Electronic Daily (TED) information service (free of charge).

The CD-ROM OJ S is published as a daily (five times/week) or as a twice-weekly subscription (appearing on Wednesdays and Saturdays).

Furthermore, official sales agents of the Office for Official Publications of the European Communities and worldwide intermediaries who are TED licence-holders can offer their clients cost-efficient services tailored to specific needs, i.e. automatic notification of new calls for tender according to specific profiles.

The Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, which is responsible for the operation and management of this service, intends to introduce an improved version early next year.

The Office for Official Publications may be contacted for further information(1).

(1) http://eur-op.eu.int/general/en/index.htm.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0745/01

by Michel Hansenne (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(13 March 2001)

Subject: The information society

The Forum for the Information Society recently published a report entitled A European Way for the Information Society. That report highlights all the economic, societal, cultural and citizenship challenges arising from the emergence of the information society and its associated technologies.

Is the Commission planning to publish a communication on the basis of that report?

What action does it intend to take, within the limits of its powers and responsibilities, on the recommendations set out in the report?

What is the agenda of the Forum for the Information Society in 2001?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(19 June 2001)

The Commission welcomed the latest report of the Information Society Forum (ISF) A European Way for the Information Society in a press conference held in Brussels on 23 March 2000, attended by the member of the Commission responsible for Enterprises and Information Society and the ISF President. The report was also discussed in the dedicated conference on Information Society, Globalisation and Sustainable Development: The Promise of the European Way, held in context of the Hanover EXPO on 6 October 2000.

About 7 500 copies of the report have been distributed to professional and trade federations, as well as to some institutions of national and local government, libraries, schools, and universities.

A number of the recommendations, which are part of the latest ISF report, have been taken up and turned into concrete actions in the context of the eEurope initiative, and in particular those concerning cheaper access to electronic networks, life-long learning, government on-line and European digital content.

For the time being the Commission is not planning a specific Communication on the basis of such a report but it is studying alternative ways of implementing its main recommendations.

The Commission is currently examining the ways to raise the profile of the Information Society Forum in the context of diminished human and financial resources at its disposal for the support of the Forum.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1192/01

by Robert Goebbels (PSE) to the Commission

(19 April 2001)

Subject: French tax law restricting Community insurers' freedom to provide services

In its answer of 12 February 2001 to Question E-3819/00(1), the Commission stated that, on 30 October 2000, it sent a letter to the French authorities (requesting a reply within two months) concerning French tax law affecting financial businesses and insurers established outside France.

Five months after the letter was sent, has the Commission received a reply?

If so, could it say what observations have been submitted by the French authorities? What steps does the Commission intend to take in this connection?

(1) See p. 11.

Reply given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(7 June 2001)

The French authorities have submitted their observations in reply to the letter sent by the Commission. In their reply, the French authorities stated that they would be prepared to adapt the tax rules governing final withholding tax on the income referred to in Articles 125 A and 125-0 A of the General Tax Code, but they added that this issue must be studied in tandem with the appointment of tax representatives for life insurance contract products.

The French authorities' reply is presently being studied, and the results of this study will be submitted to the Commission, so that we may decide how they should be followed up.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0668/01

by Philip Bushill-Matthews (PPE-DE) to the Council

(8 March 2001)

Subject: Lisbon European Council and pensions sustainability

The 2000 Lisbon European Council invited the Council to mandate the High Level Working Party on Social Protection to support [social policy] cooperation and, as its first priority, to prepare, on the basis of a Commission communication, a study on the future evolution of social protection from a long-term point of view, giving particular attention to the sustainability of pensions systems in different time frameworks up to 2020 and beyond, where necessary. Was such a progress report available by December 2000 and what timetable has been established for future work by the High Level Working Party?

Reply

(13 July 2001)

The High-Level Working Party on Social Protection presented a progress report on the future evolution of social protection (pensions) to the Council (Employment and Social Policy) in November 2000, which submitted it to the Nice European Council in December 2000.

This Working Party has subsequently been replaced by the Social Protection Committee, which continues to deal with the sustainability of pensions as a main topic on its agenda.

A second progress report, a preliminary study on the long-term viability of pensions, based on contributions from the Member States, was presented to the Council (Employment and Social Policy) on 6 March 2001 and submitted to the Stockholm European Council on 23/24 March 2001.

For the Gothenburg European Council in June, the Social Protection Committee is currently preparing a more comprehensive report on the sustainability of pensions. A further report to the Council, based on a Communication from the Commission, is envisaged for September 2001.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1394/01

by Christopher Huhne (ELDR) to the Commission

(10 May 2001)

Subject: Corporation tax

What is the revenue raised by public authorities from corporation or other profits taxes on companies in each year in each Member State, expressed as a proportion of GDP in each case? What conclusions does the Commission draw from these figures concerning the debate over whether we need certain minimum corporation tax rates to stop a so-called chase to the bottom?

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(4 July 2001)

A table presenting taxes on corporate income as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) for the Member States for the period 1980-2001 is sent direct to the Honourable Member and to Parliament's Secretariat.

The Commission is not of the view that there is empirical evidence to suggest the existence of a so-called race to the bottom.

The Commission has in its recent Communication on tax policy concluded that the setting of tax rates in this field is a matter for the Member States.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0690/01

by Nelly Maes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(8 March 2001)

Subject: Regional autonomy in Romania

The supreme court of Romania has ruled that Pro-Transilvania is an illegal organisation. The Romanian government's case is that organisations seeking autonomy are a threat to the integrity of the state.

It is clearly not within the sphere of competence of the Commission to contest this judicial interpretation of the Romanian constitution.

The fact is, however, that Romania - as a member of the Council of Europe - signed the European Charter of Regional Autonomy in 1994 and ratified it in 1998 (with the law entering into force on 1 May 1998).

What is the Commission's interpretation of the fact that an international charter of regional autonomy, signed by a particular country, constitutes a legal argument in that country for persecution on the grounds that it is a threat to national integrity?

In the context of Romania's accession to the Union, will the Commission demand an explanation of this obvious legal contradiction from Romania?

If not, will the Commission give other Member States a free hand to limit freedoms laid down in their constitutions (whether or not on grounds of a threat to national and territorial integrity)?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(3 May 2001)

The Commission notes that the Charter to which the Honourable Member refers concerns local self-government and not regional self-government. As stated in the answer to her Written Question E-3957/00(1), the Commission's understanding is that it is the call for regional autonomy that formed the basis of the Romanian Court of Appeal's decision that Pro-Transylvania's articles of establishment are unconstitutional. The principle of local autonomy is enshrined in the Romanian Constitution (Article 119).

Article 4 of the Council of Europe Charter on Local Self-Government sets out the scope of local self-government (as defined by the Charter) and in its first paragraph notes that the basic powers and responsibilities of local authorities shall be prescribed by the Constitution or by Statute. While the Council of Europe remains the appropriate institution to interpret the provisions of this charter, the Commission's understanding is that this provision confirms that it is appropriate for the Romanian Constitution to determine the competences of local government.

The Commission also notes that this Charter is not covered by the acquis communautaire and that it has not been ratified by all Member States. The Charter has, therefore, no relation to the accession negotiations.

(1) See page 7.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0814/01

by Gian Gobbo (TDI) to the Commission

(19 March 2001)

Subject: Support for the Alemagna road link

The establishment of an effective integrated Europe-wide transport network is essential to the European Union's economic and cultural development.

By a decision of the Interministerial Economic Planning Committee (CIPE) of 2 November 2000 (published in the Italian Official Gazette of 20 December 2000), Italy incorporated the Alemagna road link (Venice-Dobbiaco and the Fortezza-San Candido section of the E66) into the TEN-T amendments.

- Given that the historic Alemagna route is the natural link between Venice and Central Europe,

- given that the upgrading of this route would make it possible to link up a whole network of connections to a corridor going from the northern Adriatic and its ports to the Brenner pass,

- given the trans-European dimension of this project,

will the Commission state what technical and financial assistance measures it is prepared to envisage for the construction of the Alemagna road link?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(7 May 2001)

The Alemagna road link incorporating the Venice-Dobbiaco and the Fortezza-San Candido section of the E66 is not one of the trans-European transport network's links specified by Decision No 1692/96/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 23 July 1996 on Community guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network(1). According to this Decision, this development project cannot therefore be considered to be a project of common interest.

The Commission is currently examining the changes which will have to be made to the Decision in order to adapt the trans-European transport network guidelines to economic and technological developments in the transport sector, particularly in rail transport. This review is being made taking common transport policy priorities into account, particularly modal rebalance in favour of more environmentally friendly modes of transport. The results will be presented during the next few weeks in a more general White Paper on transport policy as a whole. The Commission already intends the publication of this document to be accompanied by a proposal to modify the above Decision.

Without prejudging its final decision on the contents of the proposal, the Commission would like to draw the Honourable Member's attention to the fact that it has already proposed that the Community sign the Alpine Convention protocol on transport, the implementation of which will limit the development of new rural motorways for trans-Alpine traffic.

Financial support for the trans-European transport network is reserved, according to Council Regulation (EC) No 2236/95 of 18 September 1995 laying down general rules for the granting

of Community financial aid in the field of trans-European networks(2), for projects of common interest identified in accordance with the above guidelines. The Commission is accordingly unable to provide financial support for the construction of the Alemagna link.

(1) OJ L 228, 9.9.1996.

(2) OJ L 228, 23.9.1995.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0128/01

by Christopher Huhne (ELDR) to the Commission

(31 January 2001)

Subject: Timeliness of economic statistics

1. Further to the Commission's answer to Written Question E-3426/00(1) on 22 December 2000, will the Commission please provide information concerning earnings data, as requested in that question?

2. Will the Commission also state what undertakings, if any, it has received from Greece, Ireland and Luxembourg that they will improve the regularity and frequency of their GDP, employment and productivity figures?

(1) OJ C 151 E, 22.5.2001, p. 166.

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(15 May 2001)

With regard to compensation of employees, the requests to the Member States in connection with the action plan concerning the statistics required for EMU (European Commission Eurostat in close collaboration with the European Central Bank) are the same as for the data on gross domestic product (GDP) and employment (and productivity), as already stated in the answer to the honourable Member's question E-3426/00(1) on these aggregates.

The Commission action plan to improve the quality and especially the timeliness of national accounts data (GDP, GNP and its sub-aggregates) was adopted by the Council in September 2000. The Commission must now implement this action plan (see also answers to the honourable Member's questions E-3426/00 and E-0138/01(2)).

In response to the Council action plan, the Member States devised national action plans outlining the arrangements and schedule for carrying out the Council plan. In general, a lot of progress has been made in providing GDP data for most of the Member States (see also the Council's third progress report of 19 January 2001), although some countries are still encountering some problems.

As for the situation regarding Greece, Luxembourg and Ireland, the Commission does not yet have any accurate information about when these Member States will be in a position to comply with the action plan with regard to GDP data as well as for data on employment (and thus also producitivity).

This will be defined as part of a proposal for a Council regulation on the matter, which is due to be submitted shortly by the Commission and which will replace the existing Council Regulation (EC) No 2223/96 of 25 June 1996 on the European system of national and regional accounts in the Community(3), in which there is provision for these Member States to be granted derogations.

(1) OJ C 151 E, 22.5.2001, p. 166.

(2) OJ C 187 E, 3.7.2001, p. 193.

(3) OJ L 310, 30.11.1996.