WRITTEN QUESTION No. 577/98 by Ernesto CACCAVALE to the Commission. State aid for RAI - the Italian broadcasting corporation
Date: 1998-03-04
Institutions: CACCAVALE, European Parliament
Subjects: Italy, State aid, advertising, distribution business, public service, quasi-fiscal charge, restriction on competition, television

C 310/94

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

9. 10. 98

The Commission would also draw the Honourable Member(cid:146)s attention to the provisions of Directive 89/655/EEC
on  the  use  of  work  equipment  by  workers  at  work (3),  as  amended  by  Directive  95/63/EC (4).  Point  3.2.4  of
Annex 1 to the Directive includes several minimum requirements to be met by 5 December 2002 at the latest in
all workplaces and which will ensure that lifts and goods lifts used by workers are sufficiently safe.

(1)  OJ L 213, 7.9.1995.
(2)  OJ L 134, 20.6.1995.
(3)  OJ L 393, 30.12.1989.
(4)  OJ L 335, 30.12.1995.

(98/C 310/125)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0574/98

by Edouard des Places (I-EDN) to the Commission

(4 March 1998)

Subject: Agricultural guidance law

In France the draft agricultural guidance law, which has been submitted by the Minister of Agriculture to the
farming associations, provides, in title I, for the introduction of (cid:145)Territorial Farming Contracts(cid:146) (CTE).

These  contracts  would  be  signed  with  the  administrative  authority,  cover  all  farming  activity,  comprise  a
programme of measures taking into account production targets for goods and services, area management and
environmental protection and would be consistent with national and regional guidelines.

The explanatory statement for Article 3 on the establishment of a fund to finance the CTE clearly specifies that
this fund will initially be financed by national appropriations and subsequently by appropriations generated by
adjustment of CAP aids resulting from the reform.

With  regard  to  the  budgetary  process,  does  the  Commission  consider  that  it  will  be  possible  to  transfer  the
portion of funding resulting from the adjustment of a COM to other forms of agricultural production, whether or
not they come under another COM?

Will not the very principle of these Territorial Farming Contracts lead to a certain degree of renationalization of
the CAP and destroy the agricultural policy logic inherent in all the COMs?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(2 April 1998)

The Honourable Member is referred to the Commission(cid:146)s answer to his written question P-514/98 (1).

The  Commission  endeavours  to  ensure  consistency  between  its  policy  on  State  aid  to  agriculture  and  the
objectives of the common agricultural policy, in particular by ensuring that national aid does not interfere with
the mechanisms of the common organisations of the market.

(1)  See page 77.

(98/C 310/126)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0577/98

by Ernesto Caccavale (UPE) to the Commission

(4 March 1998)

Subject: State aid for RAI › the Italian broadcasting corporation

Under the present arrangements governing Italian broadcasting RAI benefits not only from a compulsory fee
paid annually by viewers, but also from money from the State budget.

These subsidies are justified by RAI(cid:146)s alleged (cid:145)public service(cid:146) mission.