1. DoestheCommissionagreewiththeconclusiondrawninthatarticlethatasetofeurocoinswhich
didnotincludeoneandtwocentcoinswouldbemuchmoreefficientforcashpaymenttransactionsthanthecurrentsetofcoins?Ifnot,whatargumentscanitusetodefenditsposition,preferablybymeansofaneconometricmodelaswell?
2. InitsanswertoWrittenQuestionE-2574/02(
2),theCommissionstatesthat‘theroleoftheoneand
twocentcoinswillessentiallybedeterminedbythebehaviouroftheEuropeancitizens’.HowdoestheCommissionmeasurethatbehaviour?Haveanyfindingsbeenpublished,inFinlandorinothercountriesintheeurozone?Whenassessmentsarebeingmade,isaccounttakenofscientificconclusionssuchasthosedrawninthearticlereferredtoabove?
(1) EconomischeStatistischeBerichten,30May2003,No4404,p.248.
(2) OJC161E,10.7.2003,p.27.
AnswergivenbyMrSolbesMiraonbehalfoftheCommission
(25July2003)
ThedenominationsoftheeurocoinswerelaiddownbyMemberStatesinCouncilRegulation(EC)No975/
98of3May1998ondenominationsandtechnicalspecificationsofeurocoinsintendedforcirculation(1)
andnecessarilyrepresentacompromisebetweenthemixofdenominationsusedpreviously.
ThearticlethattheHonourableMemberreferstoarguesonthebasisofthe‘least-effort-principle’meaning
thatasetofdenominationsisthemoreefficientthelessbanknotesandcoinshavetobeusedforacashpayment.Thestudytakesboththeoriginalpaymentandthechangerenderedintoaccount.
Theauthorsofthearticlethemselvesrightlyraisethequestionwhethertheadvantageofabolishingthe1
and2-centcoinsoutweighstheriskofpriceincreasesthroughtheroundingofprices.Alternatively,iftheamounttobepaidwereroundedtothenearest5cents,asisthecaseinFinland,theefficiencygainofthepaymentoperationhastobecomparedwiththeneedtocarryoutanadditionalroundingoperationbeforethepaymentissettled.
While articles such as the one mentioned above provide useful insights, the results are inevitably
conditionedbythedefinitionsandunderlyingassumptionsbeingusedandnotablythewayinwhich‘efficiency’isbeingmeasured.Inaddition,accountshouldbetakenofbehaviouralelements.Forexampleshopkeeperscoulddecideontheirowninitiativetoadjusttheirpricestothenearest5centinordertoavoidpaymentsincludingeurocents,ifboththeircustomersandthemselvesbelievetogainfromthis.
Ascoinissuanceisademand-drivenprocess,theevolutionofthe1and2-centcoinsincirculationgives
anindicationofthepopulation’sneedforthesecoins.Theyearonyeargrowthrateofthe1and2-centcoinsamountedto42%and32%respectivelyinMay2003,whiletheaveragegrowthrateacrossallcoindenominations comes to 23,5%. The relative significance of the 1 and 2- cent coins is, therefore,apparentlyincreasing.
(1) OJL139,11.5.1998.
(2004/C58E/144) WRITTENQUESTIONE-2062/03
byMihailPapayannakis(GUE/NGL)totheCommission
(20June2003)
Subject:LeakageofclophenattheMinistryofEconomicAffairs
FurthertomyWrittenQuestionQE-2025/03(1),Ishouldliketoinformyouthataletter,dated13August
1996,senttotheDirector-GeneraloftheMinistryofEconomicAffairsbythecompanychargedwiththemaintenanceoftransformersstatedthat‘aleakageofoilwasfoundinbothtransformersfromvariouspoints,anditislikelythattheseleakageswillincreaseatsomepoint’.6.3.2004EN C58E/127 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
ThisissueacquiresincreasedimportanceinthelightofthestudybytheUniversityofCretewhichshows
clearlythatpollutionlevelsinthebuildinginquestion,especiallyinthebasement,havereachedveryhighlevels.
GiventhatinGreecethenecessaryhaematologicalexaminationsmayonlytakeplaceinaspecialresearch
centreandonlyafterreferral,istheCommissionexaminingthepossibilityofsettingupandsendinga
specialscientificteamtoexaminepollutionlevelsintheroomsofthebuilding(atmosphereandobjects)
and the effect on officials? Does the Commissionintend to accelerate the procedures so that GreececompliesimmediatelywithDirective78/319/EEC(
2)ontoxicanddangerouswasteandDirective96/59/
EC(3)?
(1) OJC51E,26.2.2004,p.182.
(2) OJL84,31.3.1978,p.43.
(3) OJL243,24.9.1996,p.31.
AnswergivenbyMrsWallströmonbehalfoftheCommission
(25July2003)
Withintheframeworkofenvironmentallaw,theCommissionhasnogeneral competencetoconduct
inspections.TheCommissioncanonlymakeuseoftheinspectionprocedureinspecificinfringementcaseswhichrelatetocompliancewithjudgementsoftheEuropeanCourtofJustice.Consequently,aspecialscientificteamwillnotbesent.
Regarding compliance with Council Directive 96/59/EC of 16September 1996 on the disposal of
polychlorinatedbiphenylsandpolychlorinatedterphenyls(PCB/PCT)(
1),theCourtrecentlydeclaredthat
GreecehadfailedtofulfilitsobligationsunderArticles4(1)and11oftheDirective(2).Theinfringement
concernsthefailuretodrawupsummariesofinventoriesofequipmentwithPCBvolumesofmorethan
fivecubicdecimeter(dm3),plansforthedecontaminationand/ordisposalofinventoriedequipmentand
thePCBscontainedtherein,andoutlinesforthecollectionandsubsequentdisposalofequipmentwhichisnotsubjecttoinventory.
Council Directive 78/319/EEC of 20March 1978, on toxic and dangerous waste(
3), was repealed by
CouncilDirective91/689/EECof12December1991onhazardouswaste(4).Concerningtheimplemen-
tationofDirective91/689/EEC,theCourtdeclaredthat,byfailingtosendtotheCommissionalltheinformationrequiredunderArticle8(3),GreecehadnotfulfilleditsobligationsundertheDirective(
5).
IfGreecedoesnottakethenecessarymeasurestocomplywiththeCourt’sjudgements,theCommission
willnothesitatetoopeninfringementproceduresunderArticle228oftheECTreaty.
Inaddition,itmustbestressedthatGreecehasbeenreferredtotheCourtofJustice(caseC-163/03)over
itsfailuretoputinplaceanadequateplanforthemanagementofhazardouswasteintheregionofThriassio Pedio (prefecture of Attiki). The referral also relates to its failure to avoid the pollution ofgroundwaterbyhazardouswaste.
(1) OJL243,24.9.1996.
(2) ECJjudgementof5June2003,caseC-83/02,notyetpublished.
(3) OJL84,31.3.1978.
(4) OJL377,31.12.1991.
(5) ECJjudgementof13June2002,caseC-33/01,EuropeanCourtreports2002,p.5447.
(2004/C58E/145) WRITTENQUESTIONE-2074/03
byRobertEvans(PSE)totheCommission
(24June2003)
Subject:TraffickinginhumanbeingsandEUpolicy
IstheCommissionawareofAnti-SlaveryInternational’scampaignwhichurgesgovernmentstoputthe
protectionofthetraffickedpersonatthecentreofcountertraffickingpolicies,forwhichover11000peoplehavepledgedtheirsupport?C58E/128 EN6.3.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion