WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1660/97 by Alexandros ALAVANOS to the Commission. Concentration of ownership of media organizations in Europe and pluralism
Date: 1997-05-14
Institutions: ALAVANOS, European Parliament
Subjects: approximation of laws, audiovisual communications policy, commercial media, economic concentration, free movement of programmes, freedom to provide services, pluralism in the media, restriction on competition

C 45/72

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

10. 2. 98

5.
The suitability of tenderers is evaluated with the aid of award criteria that must be included in the contract
notice  and  the  tender  specifications.  There  is  no  provision  in  the  Regulation  for  precise  rules  covering
organisational  aspects  of  the  evaluation,  which  in  practice  is  carried  out  by  a  committee  of  officials.  The
involvement  of  several  units  or  services  is  recommended  (see  Vade-mecum  of  the  Commission’s  Advisory
Committee on Procurement and Contracts).

The award criteria are assessed on a yes/no basis (yes = the tenderer satisfies the criterion or no = the tenderer
does not satisfy the criterion).

These two questions are redundant, since Community institutions do not make payment in kind for
6. and 7.
contracts under Title IV of the Financial Regulation of 21 December 1977 applicable to the general budget of the
European Communities (contracts other than external aid).

(1)  OJ L 356, 31.12.1977.
(2)  OJ L 315, 16.12.1993.
(3)  OJ L 209, 24.7.1992.
(4)  OJ L 199, 9.8.1993.

(98/C 45/86)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1653/97

by Ulf Holm (V) to the Commission

(5 May 1997)

Subject: Monopoly on sales of medicine

There is a long-standing monopoly on all sales of medicines in Sweden. The wholly state-owned dispensing
chemist also has a monopoly on sales of OTC medicines, although vitamins, minerals, natural preparations and
health foods are not covered by the monopoly. A chain of food-retail shops is now planning to sell products such
as headache tablets, pointing out that internal market rules do not permit restrictions on the sale of such products.

Does the Commission consider that Sweden has a right to maintain the monopoly on sales of medicines?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(26 June 1997)

The  Commission  has  not  received  any  official  complaints  concerning  the  Swedish  monopoly  on  sales  of
medicines. Nevertheless the compatibility of a state monopoly based on legislation with the principle of free
movement  of  goods  is  currently  under  examination  by  the  Court  of  justice  and  by  the  Commission.  The
Commission wishes to draw the attention of the Honourable Member to the fact that concerning the Swedish
retail monopoly (cid:145)Systembolaget(cid:146) there is a preliminary ruling pending before the Court of justice (Case C-189/95
Franze·n).

(98/C 45/87)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1660/97

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(14 May 1997)

Subject: Concentration of ownership of media organizations in Europe and pluralism

Commission proposal COM(90) 78 of 21.12.1990 highlights the importance of pluralism in the functioning of the
democracy in the European Union. However, in practice the existence on the market of multiple channels in no
way  guarantees  the  provision  of  different  types  of  information  from  different  sources  (pluralism);  on  the
contrary, the existing situation exclusively favours entrepreneurs and owners of media organizations.