WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3895/97 by Gerardo FERNÁNDEZ-ALBOR to the Commission. Payrolls in Euros
Date: 1997-12-11
Institutions: European Parliament, FERNANDEZ ALBOR
Subjects: European symbol, currency convertibility, euro, issuing of currency, pay, public awareness campaign

C 174/152

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

8. 6. 98

28  June  1997 ...,  an  examining  magistrate  wishes  investigators  to  visit  the  building ...  and  a  photo  file  to  be
established ...,  the  Commission  had  agreed  to  the  performance  of  all  relevant  judicial  tasks ...,  the  inquiry  is
based on statements by the parents ..., the case is being investigated ..., some parents have expressly requested
the examining judge to exercise discretion in this inquiry for their children(cid:146)s sake(cid:146).

The  Security  Office  reports  to  the  President  of  the  Commission.  The  unit  responsible  for  monitoring
management by the sub-contractor is the Welfare Policy Unit in DG IX, which comes under the Member of the
Commission responsible for personnel and administration.

(98/C 174/226)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3895/97

by Gerardo Ferna·ndez-Albor (PPE) to the Commission

(11 December 1997)

Subject: Payrolls in Euros

Many  institutions,  bodies  and  undertakings  have  already  adopted  the  practice  of  printing  their  employees(cid:146)
payrolls both in Euros and their national currency, with a view to gradually accustoming them to a currency
which will change the habits of Europeans.

Measures of this type, alongside others such as paying local government taxes in Euros, will help all European
citizens to get to grips with the Euro.

Is the Commission encouraging the extension of such practices with a view to helping citizens to come to terms
with mentally converting into Euros in preparation for the arrival of a new monetary system which will greatly
reinforce the European Union citizens(cid:146) sense of unity?

Answer given by Mr de Silguy on behalf of the Commission

(15 January 1998)

The Commission fully shares the views expressed by the Honourable Member. It welcomes the commitment on
the part of its partners in both the public and the private sector to ensuring that the euro is introduced as smoothly
as possible.

The manner in which the communication challenges posed by the euro are addressed by the Commission is set
out in a recent communication entitled (cid:145)Practical aspects of introducing the euro (1).(cid:146)

The  Commission  has  set  up  various  expert  consultative  working  groups  to  examine  specific  aspects  of  the
communication challenges in greater detail. They are due to present their reports soon, and the Commission will
then rapidly draw appropriate policy conclusions. A first group is examining the technical and cost implications
of dual display, i.e. the display of prices and values in both national currency and the euro. A second group is
examining how to help citizens understand prices and values denominated in euros.

The Commission acknowledges that public administrations have a central role to play in the changeover to the
euro, and it has requested national authorities to present changeover plans by the end of 1997. Virtually all the
Member States have already presented their plans, which in most cases provide for the submission of tax returns
in  euros  during  the  transitional  period.  In  many  cases,  the  right  to  submit  a  tax  return  in  euros  during  the
transitional  period  also  covers  personal  income  tax  returns.  The  details  of  the  changeover  of  public
administrations are a matter for the national authorities. The Commission will report on the changeover plans of
all Member States in the near future.

(1)  COM(97) 491 final.