WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2962/97 by Leonie van BLADEL to the Commission. Supermarket delivery of groceries to elderly people in the EU living on their own who suffer from mobility problems
Date: 1997-09-17
Institutions: European Parliament, VAN BLADEL
Subjects: delivery, elderly person, facilities for people with disabilities, foodstuff, population ageing, social policy, supermarket

3. 4. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 102/155

(98/C 102/231)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2962/97

by Leonie van Bladel (UPE) to the Commission

(17 September 1997)

Subject: Supermarket  delivery  of  groceries  to  elderly  people  in  the  EU  living  on  their  own  who  suffer  from

mobility problems

Does the Commission think that, in the EU, where demographic statistics show that the population is ageing
1.
and that some old people are suffering from mobility problems, attempts must be made to find within the free
market sector ways of guaranteeing that elderly people may remain independent?

Can the Commission give some idea of how many supermarkets in the urban areas of the fifteen Member
2.
States have made arrangements for elderly people who suffer from mobility problems to have their groceries
delivered to their door for a small consideration?

3. What measures will the Commission take to encourage the provision of such services in urban areas where
nothing has yet been done to meet this requirement?

Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission

(17 October 1997)

Independent  living  for  older  people  with  mobility  problems  is  certainly  a  priority  in  the  Commission(cid:146)s
1.
support for European projects in the field of older people, and has been so since the European year for older
people and solidarity between the generations in 1993.

2.

The Commission does not possess detailed information on this issue.

3.
The kind of problem raised by the Honourable Member does not fall within the area of responsibility of the
Community.  The  Commission  will  however  continue  to  support  trans-European  projects  that  contribute  to
independent living for older people with mobility problems, to the extent that the budget permits.

(98/C 102/232)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2963/97

by Leoluca Orlando (V) to the Commission

(10 September 1997)

Subject: The take-over of Sicilcassa by the Banco di Sicilia

The plan for the take-over of Sicilcassa by the Banco di Sicilia has reached an advanced stage.  This operation
means that around 500 bank branches in one region, Sicily, will be in public hands. They represent one third of all
the bank branches in Sicily (1 500).  The project is being carried out without the involvement of any private
capital and the Italian Government has announced that it intends to complete the operation by the end of this
week.

Can the Commission say whether the Italian Government informed the Community authorities about the project
beforehand and whether it received the approval required?

If no notification and approval were given, does the Commission intend to take urgent steps vis-a‘-vis the Italian
Government in order to assess whether this operation is compatible with safeguarding free competition?