WRITTEN QUESTION No. 682/98 by Per STENMARCK to the Council. Alcohol and safety on Europe's roads
Date: 1998-03-16
Institutions: European Parliament, STENMARCK
Subjects: accident prevention, action programme, alcoholism, death, road safety, transport accident, transport safety, transport statistics

C 13/4

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.1.1999

Furthermore, can the Commission take steps to define what is meant by the term (cid:145)public service(cid:146) and hence
ascertain whether the corporation is fulfilling this task or not?

In view of the situation, does the Commission intend to check whether it actually is a State aid and whether it is
considered compatible with the common market withing the meaning of Article 42(3)(c) of the EEC Treaty? If it
is, does the Commission intend to exercise its powers under Article 93 of the Treaty and call upon the Italian State
to discontinue this aid?

Supplementary answer
given by Mr Van Miert on behalf of the Commission

(28 July 1998)

The Commission can confirm that on 19 June 1996 a complaint against RAI (Radiotelevisione Italiana S.p.A.)
concerning breaches of Community law on state aid was lodged with the Commission.

The Commission had already requested the Italian authorities to produce the necessary information for the
assessment of the case. The Italian government provided the requested information, but the Commission needs
additional information in order to have a more complete picture of the matter.

As similar financing schemes in favour of public broadcasters exist in most Member States, the Commission will
adopt a coherent approach to all cases currently under investigation. This will necessarily take into account the
Community competition rules, and in particular Articles 90, 92 and 93 of the EC Treaty, as well as the Treaty of
Amsterdam, and in particular the new Article 7D and the Protocol on public service in broadcasting.

On the basis of the information received, the Commission will proceed to examine the complaint, coherently with
similar cases concerning other Member States.

(1999/C 13/006)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0682/98

by Per Stenmarck (PPE) to the Council

(16 March 1998)

Subject: Alcohol and safety on Europe(cid:146)s roads

The number of fatal accidents on Member States(cid:146) roads is very high, with somewhere in the region of
45 000 people killed every year. Drink driving is a major contributory factor. What steps is the Commission
prepared to take to lower the permitted alcohol limit for drivers?

Reply

(24 September 1998)

The Council shares the Honourable Member(cid:146)s concerns regarding the need to improve road safety in order to
reduce the number of road accident victims, concerns which it expressed in the conclusions adopted at its meeting
on 17 and 18 June 1997 concerning road safety, with particular reference to the Commission communication
entitled (cid:145)Road safety in the European Union › the programme for the years 1997-2001(cid:146).

With particular regard to the problem of drink driving, the Council would draw the Honourable Member(cid:146)s
attention to the signing on 18 June 1998 by representatives of the Fifteen Member States of the Convention on
Driving Disqualifications. Implementation of this Convention will give Union-wide effect to decisions imposing
disqualification from driving taken further to a number of offences, notably driving a vehicle while under the
influence of alcohol or other substances likely to affect or diminish the mental and physical abilities of a driver.