WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1093/98 by Susan WADDINGTON to the Commission. Mainstreaming and the internal market for electricity and gas
Date: 1998-04-07
Institutions: European Parliament, WADDINGTON
Subjects: domestic market, economic consequence, electrical energy, female work, gas, job cuts

C 386/80

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

11.12.98

Answer given by Mrs Bonino on behalf of the Commission

(3 June 1998)

The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its answer to written question P-229/98 by
Mrs Breyer (1).

(1) OJ C 304, 2.10.1998, p. 57.

(98/C 386/106)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1093/98

by Susan Waddington (PSE) to the Commission

(7 April 1998)

Subject: Mainstreaming and the internal market for electricity and gas

The Council of Ministers has adopted the Directive on the Internal Market for Electricity and a common position
on the draft Directive on the Internal Market for Gas. There is concern that the Internal Market will have negative
implications for employment in these sectors.

Data from Eurostat and the Commission(cid:146)s report on Employment in Europe 1997, the Public Services
Privatisation Research Unit (UK) and the European Federation of Public Services Unions all show that there
was, on average, a fall in employment of 3-4 % per year in these sectors between 1990-1996. Cambridge
Econometrics predicts a loss of 250 000 jobs in the medium to long-term. Against this background of falling
employment, women are hit harder. The number of women employed in the sector fell from 19.6 % in 1993 to
18.6 % in 1995. (Eurostat)

Has the Commission explored how the Internal Market for Electricity and Gas will affect employment, of
especially women, in the sectors concerned; has it judged the implications of this Internal Market on the basis of
its own policy as laid down in (cid:145)Incorporating equal opportunities for women and men into all Community policies
and activities(cid:146) (Com (96) 67 fin, 21.2.1996); and how does the Commission intend to address these negative
consequences for women and will it consult with the appropriate social partners on this?

Answer given by Mr Papoutsis on behalf of the Commission

(5 June 1998)

The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its answer to written question No 341/98 by
Mrs van Dijk (1).

(1)

See page 10.

(98/C 386/107)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1094/98

by Claudio Azzolini (PPE) and Antonio Tajani (PPE) to the Commission

(7 April 1998)

Subject: Infringement of the preamble to, and Article F of, the Treaty on European Union (Preamble to, and

Article 6 of, the Treaty of Amsterdam)

Several months ago, RAI S.p.A., which is licensed to provide the Italian public radio and television service, took a
disciplinary measure in the form of a (cid:145)written warning(cid:146) against Dr Ermanno Corsi, editor-in-chief of the Naples
office of RAI and Chairman of the Journalists(cid:146) Association of Campania. This measure, which was heavy-handed
both in form and in substance, was intended to penalize Dr Corsi for his occasional unpaid contributions to the
front page of the daily newspaper (cid:145)Roma(cid:146) where his (cid:145)views(cid:146) were published in a special column devoted to the
exchange of ideas and free expression of opinions. RAI has clearly confused the performance of professional
duties, for which explicit prior authorization from the company is required, and freedom of opinion, which is