WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2909/97 by Elly PLOOIJ-VAN GORSEL to the Commission. Acceptance of Eurocheques in France
Date: 1997-09-17
Institutions: European Parliament, PLOOIJ-VAN GORSEL
Subjects: EU national, France, bank, cheque, electronic money, euro, free movement of persons, restriction on competition

C 117/100

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

16. 4. 98

On the basis of the above all UK operators may procure products that have had the Community logo affixed to
them by their manufacturers (or the manufacturer’s representatives) in accordance with the relevant provisions of
the  Directives  concerned.  These  are  listed  above  and  are  to  be  implemented  in  the  same  manner  by  all
manufacturers, whatever their location.

These  harmonised  technical  regulations  transfer  responsibility  for  the  marketing  of  products  within  the
Community to their manufacturers (or manufacturer’s representatives) via the affixing of the CE mark, and in no
case to any notified bodies that may be involved in the assessment procedure. This is why products cannot be
(cid:145)approved(cid:146) by those bodies.

(1)  OJ L 220, 30.8.1993.
(2)  OJ 126, 12.5.1992.
(3)  OJ 290, 24.11.1993.

(98/C 117/127)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2909/97

by Elly Plooij-van Gorsel (ELDR) to the Commission

(17 September 1997)

Subject: Acceptance of Eurocheques in France

1.

Is the Commission aware that no bank in France is any longer prepared to cash Eurocheques?

Does the Commission agree that the Eurocheque is a lawful means of payment in Europe on the basis of

2.
agreements between banks?

Does  the  Commission  take  the  view  that  French  banks  are  unilaterally  infringing  European  banking

3.
agreements?

4.

Can the Commission confirm that this action is distorting competition in banking transactions in Europe?

5.
Does the Commission take the view that this action restricts the free movement of persons and regularly
causes financial embarrassment to European citizens by preventing them from withdrawing cash or paying bills?

6. What action will the Commission take?

Answer given by Mr Van Miert on behalf of the Commission

(15 October 1997)

The  legal  arrangements  governing  the  acceptance  of  international  Eurocheques  by  French  banks  are  purely
contractual  in  nature.  They  are  laid  down  in  the  Package-Deal  Agreement  on  commissions,  value  dates,  the
centralised clearing of uniform Eurocheques drawn in local currency and the opening-up of the non-banking
sector, which was notified to the Commission under Article 4 of Council Regulation No 17 of 6 February 1962,
the First Regulation implementing Articles 85 and 86 of the Treaty (1). The agreement does not require all the
branches of a bank belonging to the international Eurocheque system to accept Eurocheques drawn by a bearer
resident in a third country.

According to the information at the Commission’s disposal, certain banks refuse to cash Eurocheques, but this is
not  true  of  all  banks  operating  in  France.  The  banks  which  refuse  to  cash  Eurocheques  appear  to  be  acting
unilaterally and not on the basis of an agreement or concerted practice, which are the only cases covered by
Article 85 of the EC Treaty. Finally, it should be pointed out that paper Eurocheques are always accompanied by
a cheque guarantee card, which also enables the holder to make cash withdrawals from cash dispensers. Almost
all the cash dispensers in France accept Eurocheque cards.

(1)  OJ 13, 21.2.1962.