WRITTEN QUESTION No. 159/98 by Katerina DASKALAKI to the Commission. Bank lending rates and hotel businesses in Greece
Date: 1998-02-02
Institutions: DASKALAKI, European Parliament
Subjects: EIB loan, European Investment Bank, Greece, borrowing, central bank, competence of the Member States, hotel industry, investment aid, restriction on competition, small and medium-sized enterprises

2. 10. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 304/41

to any competitors who would also like to offer this service. The Commission has therefore decided to begin
proceedings  in  order  to  obtain  greater  transparency  regarding  the  conditions  under  which  Telecom(cid:146)s  DECT
service is provided.

(1)  OJ L 20, 26.1.1996.

(98/C 304/55)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0156/98

by Klaus Lukas (NI) to the Commission

(2 February 1998)

Subject: Recall of the head of delegation in Bratislava (continued)

Further to the answer given to Question 3153/97 (1), I should be grateful for answers to the following questions:

It is reported that the Commission(cid:146)s anti-fraud unit, UCLAF, has already carried out an investigation into the
activities of Mr Georgios Zavvos. What were the findings of UCLAF(cid:146)s investigation?

When will the EP be informed of the findings of the investigation?

How are we then to understand the Commission(cid:146)s statement that Mr Georgios Zavvos was transferred in the
interests of the service?

What specific job is Georgios Zavvos currently doing?

How can the Commission guarantee that Mr Georgios Zavvos is no longer involved in the activities which, it is
reported, resulted in his transfer (in the interests of the service)?

(1)  OJ C 117, 16.4.1998, p. 157.

Answer given by Mr Van den Broek on behalf of the Commission

(1 April 1998)

The  former  head  of  the  Commission(cid:146)s  delegation  in  Bratislava  has  been  appointed  as  an  adviser  in  the
Directorate general for external relations: Europe and the new independent States, common foreign and security
policy and external missions and is currently working on issues relating to institution building.

The Commission unit on coordination of fraud prevention (UCLAF) investigation into Phare management in
Slovakia is not yet terminated but has so far not produced evidence of fraud or corruption on the part of the
former head of the delegation of the Commission in Bratislava.

The Commission will keep the Parliament informed.

(98/C 304/56)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0159/98

by Katerina Daskalaki (UPE) to the Commission

(2 February 1998)

Subject: Bank lending rates and hotel businesses in Greece

Within  the  free  market,  the  Union  supports  SMEs,  which  it  regards  as  the  mainstay  of  European  economic
development,  and  spends  huge  amounts  on  modernizing  them.  In  Greece,  SMEs  are  under  threat  from  the
monopolistic structure of the country(cid:146)s banking system, one feature of which is that the Greek banks charge
businesses extremely high interest rates for borrowing (more than four times the rate of inflation). Greek SMEs,
in particular hotels, are weighed down with enormous borrowing commitments which accumulate through the
inordinate amount of interest charged by the Greek banks, unilaterally and for their own profit, leaving such
businesses unable to compete in a free market.