WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3223/97 by Marjo MATIKAINEN-KALLSTRÖM to the Commission. French postal charges
Date: 1997-10-16
Institutions: European Parliament, MATIKAINEN-KALLSTROEM
Subjects: Finland, France, Sweden, equal treatment, postal charges, postal service

30. 4. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 134/117

However, Article 1.3 of Directive 91/439/EEC stipulates that:

(cid:145) Where the holder of a valid national driving licence takes up normal residence in a Member State other than that
which issued the licence, the host Member State may apply to the holder of the licences its national rules on the
period  of  validity  of  the  licences,  medical  checks  and  tax  arrangements  and  may  enter  on  the  licence  any
information indispensable for administration (cid:145).

Holders of licences who take up normal residence in a Member State other than the one in which a licence was
issued, therefore have to comply with the national rules of that Member State as they are applied to the nationals
of that Member State.

(1)  OJ L 237, 24.8.1991.
(2)  OJ L 375, 31.12.1985.

(98/C 134/153)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3223/97

by Marjo Matikainen-Kallstro¤m (PPE) to the Commission

(16 October 1997)

Subject: French postal charges

The French Post Office(cid:146)s charges for items of mail of the same size and weight vary according to the EU Member
State to which they are addressed. It costs more to send mail to Finland and Sweden, for example, than elsewhere.
Harmonization of postal charges is a principle which has been endorsed throughout the territory of the Union by
means of international agreements and general practice, and the French Post Office(cid:146)s discriminatory charges
constitute a gross violation of it.

Does  the  Commission  consider  France(cid:146)s  discriminatory  policy  acceptable,  and  does  it  accord  with  European
Union legislation? What will the Commission do to put an end to the discrimination practised by France?

Answer given by Mr Bangemann on behalf of the Commission

(24 November 1997)

The French Post Office does indeed charge different rates for sending items of mail to Finland and Sweden than
to the other Member States. It would appear that France has not redefined its postal tariff zones since 1995 and
the accession of those Member States.

On  the  other  hand,  no  international  agreement  obliges  postal  operators  to  charge  the  same  rates  for  all  the
Member  States  of  the  Community.  The  Council  Resolution  of  7  February  1994  on  the  development  of
Community postal services (1) and the common position of 29 April 1997 with a view to adopting the Directive of
the European Parliament and of the Council on common rules for the development of the internal market of
Community postal services and the improvement of quality of service (2) indicate that tariff principles must be
cost-related.

If the difference in charges is justified by higher costs the Commission cannot consider this to be a case of unfair
discrimination.

(1)  OJ C 48, 16.12.1994.
(2)  OJ C 188, 19.6.1997.

(98/C 134/154)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3225/97

by Ba·rbara Du¤ hrkop Du¤hrkop (PSE) to the Commission

(9 October 1997)

Subject: Fisheries agreement with Morocco and surveillance

In its answer to Written Question P-2712/97 the Commission forgot to state its views on the monitoring and
detection system used by Moroccan surveillance vessels, and to say whether it offers technical guarantees and
conforms to approved international standards. What can the Commission say on the subject?