WRITTEN QUESTION No. 853/98 by Graham MATHER to the Commission. World Cup ticket allocation (France 98)
Date: 1998-03-11
Institutions: European Parliament, MATHER
Subjects: France, distributive trades, dominant position, foreign national, restriction on competition, sporting event, sports body, travel agency

C 310/138

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

9. 10. 98

(98/C 310/187)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0849/98

by Marco Cellai (NI) to the Commission

(26 March 1998)

Subject: Appeal to the Court of Justice by the Commission

According to press reports in December last year the Commission has decided to appeal to the Court of Justice
with a view to bringing infringement proceedings against the Italian Government for the alleged absence in Law
236/95  of  transitional  arrangements  to  safeguard  the  acquired  rights  of  language  assistants  ((cid:145)collaboratori
linguistici(cid:146), formerly known as (cid:145)lettori(cid:146)) already working in Italian universities in accordance with Presidential
Decree 382/80. This move essentially ignored the meaning of the judgment passed by that Court (Section V) of
20 November 1997. The present request to bring proceedings is clearly based on confusion between the terms
(cid:145)lecturer(cid:146) and (cid:145)lettore(cid:146). The Commission in no way indicated how the Italian Government has failed to respect the
(cid:145)acquired rights(cid:146), since the rules introduced in Law 236/95 guarantee the safeguarding of the rights acquired by
the parties concerned under the previous legal framework and improve their treatment overall.

In view of the above, can the Commission say:

whether and to what extent the Commission(cid:146)s decision was influenced by articles in the press or views

1.
expressed by European members of parliament;

2.

what the legal bases for the appeal are?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(5 June 1998)

The Commission is conducting a detailed investigation of the problem raised by the Honourable Member and
will inform him of the outcome as soon as possible.

(98/C 310/188)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0853/98

by Graham Mather (PPE) to the Commission

(11 March 1998)

Subject: World Cup ticket allocation (France 98)

Repeated allegations have been made in the media and by Members of the European Parliament that the method
used to allocate tickets for matches at the World Cup in France this summer is in breach of EU competition rules.

The Commission has stated (PE 264.470) that it has contacted five tour operators and the French organizing
committee on this matter and will decide whether EU competition rules have been breached as soon as it receives
their replies.

Given the considerable public interest in this matter, and given that any possible action by the Commission will
have  to  be  taken  in  the  near  future  in  order  to  be  of  any  benefit  to  EU  citizens,  what  timescale  does  the
Commission envisage for these procedures, and will a formal public statement be made?

Answer given by Mr Van Miert on behalf of the Commission

(23 April 1998)

Following the response from the French organising committee (CFO) to the Commission(cid:146)s request for further
information in February 1998, the Commission has taken the preliminary view that certain aspects of the CFO(cid:146)s
ticket distribution arrangements discriminated against supporters living outside France, and that as such the CFO
had abused its dominant position under Article 86 of the EC Treaty.