WRITTEN QUESTION No. 160/98 by Mary BANOTTI to the Council. Gaza European Hospital
Date: 1998-02-03
Institutions: BANOTTI, European Parliament
Subjects: EU investment, European undertaking, Palestine, administrative expenditure (EU), development aid, management, medical institution

C 304/42

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

2. 10. 98

Will the Commission ask the Greek Government to create fair competitive conditions in order to stem the drain
on the resources of Greek SMEs caused by the high level of bank lending rates?

Answer given by Mr Papoutsis on behalf of the Commission

(30 March 1998)

The  structure  of  the  Greek  national  banking  system  ia  a  matter  for  the  Greek  authorities  and  not  for  the
Commission. The Commission expects a lowering of interest rates in due course, in line with what has already
happened in the other Member States, which have already completed such a course of action.

The cost of borrowing also covers the risk, however, and banks normally consider that SMEs represent a higher
risk than large-scale enterprises. The Commission will at an early opportunity raise this point at the Third Round
Table of Banks and SMEs, which will be set up in the near future and whose role will essentially be to develop a
better mutual understanding between the two parties in their professional relations.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has furthermore contributed, by its issuing activities on the (cid:145)Marathon(cid:146)
market (six issues, for a total value of GRD 135 billion since the opening of this (cid:145)compartment(cid:146) of the market by
the EIB in 1994, representing a total of ECU 432.13 million, value as at 23.2.1998) and by its individual and
global loans (ECU 2.770 million in the course of the past five years), with the aim of fostering competition and
modernisation in the Greek banking sector.

In the course of the last five years, the EIB has granted global loans to some ten intermediaries in the Greek
banking sector. The funds channelled in this way have been used to finance 265 projects. The EIB would be
prepared to expand this activity if the intermediaries were able to demonstrate their capacity to relay these funds
efficiently without delay to SMEs.

(98/C 304/57)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0160/98

by Mary Banotti (PPE) to the Council

(3 February 1998)

Subject: Gaza European Hospital

Can the Council inform me of the cost of the total investment by the EU in the Gaza European Hospital?

Can the Council inform me when the International Management team will be arriving in the region?

When will the hospital be fully operational and what is the Council(cid:146)s policy in meeting the recurrent costs of the
large scale infrastructure projects in developing countries?

Answer

(8 June 1998)

As  the  Honourable  Member  of  Parliament  is  well  aware,  the  implementation  of  actions  financed  in  the
framework of the MEDA regulation, as is the case with the one mentioned in this question, is the responsibility of
the Commission.

Therefore, the Honourable Member of Parliament is advised to refer the present question to the Commission.

(98/C 304/58)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0162/98

by Anita Pollack (PSE) to the Commission

(2 February 1998)

Subject: Combined bicycle and rail travel

In the interest of seeking to curb private car use, does the Commission have any plans to require train operators to
offer bicycle access on trains and to abolish extra charges for this?