WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1959/98 by Jean-Yves LE GALLOU to the Council. Compliance with the subsidiarity principle
Date: 1998-06-30
Institutions: European Parliament, LE GALLOU
Subjects: Treaty on European Union, discrimination on the basis of nationality, foreign national, large family, principle of subsidiarity, rail transport, right of establishment, transport price

18.1.1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 13/125

for letters, for example, are higher to Finland than to other EU Member States. The reason for this is that the
authorities do not have up-to-date information in their own official sources about Finland(cid:146)s membership of the
European Union.

1. What is the Commission doing to ensure that official circles in the EU Member States have access to up-to-
date information about the other EU Member States?

2. What is the Commission doing to ensure that postal service charges are the same to Finland and Sweden as
to other EU Member States, in the interests of complying with the common pricing system?

Answer given by Mr Bangemann on behalf of the Commission

(29 July 1998)

The Commission believes it is essential to disseminate up-to-date information about the Community and any
changes that take place within it. For this purpose, all of the Commission departments continually provide the
national authorities and Community citizens with information, in particular through their dealings with the
Member States. A variety of publications about the composition of the Community are continually made
available and widely distributed, in particular by the Commission(cid:146)s representations in the Member States. The
national authorities pass on this information in a national context. The only limit to this activity is the budget
which can reasonably be allocated for this purpose.

With regard to postal charges, the Community is in favour of prices being (cid:145)geared to costs(cid:146), as called for in
European Parliament and Council Directive 97/67/EC of 15 December 1997 on common rules for the
development of the internal market of Community postal services and the improvement of quality of service (1).
ding on the destination in the Community.

(1) OJ L 15, 21.1.1998.

(1999/C 13/177)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1959/98

by Jean-Yves Le Gallou (NI) to the Council

(30 June 1998)

Subject: Compliance with the subsidiarity principle

The Commission takes the view that the system of reduced fares for families with several children practised by
SNCF, the French rail operator, constitutes discrimination on the basis of nationality and is an obstacle to the
freedom of establishment of nationals of other Member States.

Could the Council state its position on the subject?

Does the Council agree that the Commission(cid:146)s attitude is contrary to the principle of subsidiarity enshrined in the
Treaty on European Union?

Does the Council regard this anti-family measure as appropriate in view of Europe(cid:146)s declining population?

What does the Council intend to do to counter the Commission(cid:146)s demand?

Reply

(28 /29 September 1998)

In view of the division of powers between Institutions laid down by the Treaty establishing the European
Community, the Council can only inform the Honourable Member that it is for the Commission to monitor
compliance with the provisions of the Treaty.

Moreover, it is not for the Council to comment on a procedure initiated under Article 169 of the EC Treaty.