WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2936/97 by Nikitas KAKLAMANIS to the Commission. Illegal freight pick-ups by Turkish lorries in Greece
Date: 1997-09-17
Institutions: European Parliament, KAKLAMANIS
Subjects: Greece, Türkiye, carriage of goods, carrier, restriction on competition, road transport, transport authorisation, transport licence

C 117/106

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

16. 4. 98

(98/C 117/135)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2936/97

by Nikitas Kaklamanis (UPE) to the Commission

(17 September 1997)

Subject: Illegal freight pick-ups by Turkish lorries in Greece

There have recently been a growing number of complaints by Greek transport companies concerning the illegal
practice involving Turkish lorries picking up freight in Greece on their return from Italy to Turkey, a practice
which also undermines fair competition.

More specifically, Turkish international transport vehicles are picking up freight in Greece on their return from
Italy and continuing towards Turkey using their transit licences instead of the paper licence form specified in the
bilateral agreement between Greece and Turkey. As a result, business is › illegally › being taken away from
transport companies in a Member State, namely Greece, which has, furthermore, issued 3 500 (fully exempt)
bilateral  or  transit  licences  to  Turkish  transport  companies,  a  measure  which  has  not  been  reciprocated  by
Turkey. Can the Commission intervene and what measures can it take to persuade the Turkish authorities to
ensure compliance with the rules by Turkish transport companies, whose current illegal practices are seriously
undermining the interests of hundreds of Community transport companies?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(31 October 1997)

The Commission has not been informed of complaints by Greek transport companies concerning Turkish lorries
picking up freight in Greece without the proper authorization on their return from Italy to Turkey.

Article 1.2 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 881/92 relates to access to the market in the carriage of goods by
road within the Community to or from the territory of a member State or passing across the territory of one or
more Member States (1). Pursuant to that measure the Commission made a recommendation to open negotiations
with a number of third countries, including Turkey, on road transport market access. To date the Council has not
agreed with the proposal relating to Turkey.

In  the  absence  of  a  specific  agreement  between  the  Community  and  Turkey  in  road  freight  transport,  the
regulation  of  traffic  between  Greece  and  Turkey  is  a  matter  for  the  two  countries  concerned,  subject  to
compliance with the relevant international rules.

(1)  OJ L 95, 9.4.1992.

(98/C 117/136)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2938/97

by Nikitas Kaklamanis (UPE) to the Commission

(17 September 1997)

Subject: Commission initiatives for the development of Internet

US President Clinton has recently promised aid of $100 million to the American data processing industry in order
to improve the efficiency of Internet services in the United States.

This  initiative  is  known  as  NGII  ((cid:145)Nxt  Generation  Internet  Initiative(cid:146)),  and  is  accompanied  by  many  others,
including a second Internet initiative ((cid:145)Internet II Initiative(cid:146)).

These developments reflect intensive efforts on the other side of the Atlantic to take the lead in a sector which has
decisively influenced developments in the field of communications this decade and will probably continue to do
so early in the next century.