WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3683/98 by Graham WATSON Air travel within Europe
Date: 1998-12-07
Institutions: European Parliament, WATSON
Subjects: air transport, competition law, consumer protection, holiday, liberalisation of the market, paid leave, price fluctuation, transport price, transport regulations

C 320/64

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

6.11.1999

(1999/C 320/085)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3663/98

by José García-Margallo y Marfil (PPE) to the Commission

(7 December 1998)

Subject: The millennium bug

It has been established that the ‘millennium bug’, a problem also known as the ‘year 2000 effect’, may affect all
types of programmable electronic systems (PESs), ranging from mainframe computers to microchips.

These systems are employed for all nature of industrial purposes at the various stages of the production
process, in the transport sector, in the public services and so forth. Furthermore, the said systems are date-
dependent and their reaction on the first day of the new millennium will be critical. For those reasons, it would
advisable to pinpoint the risks involved.

What plans has the Commission devised with regard to the course and timetable of action to be followed in
order to ensure that the EU administration is primed to deal with the problem, if and when it arises?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(26 January 1999)

The Commission adopted a communication on the year 2000 computer problem (1) on 25 February 1998,
and a communication on the state of preparations within the Union on 2 December 1998 (2). Chapter 6 of this
document describes the progress made at Community level and with internal projects in adapting computer
systems to the changeover to the new millennium.

Within the Commission itself, the impact on its internal systems is being handled by the Informatics
Directorate as regards the central aspects of the problem, and by the different Directorates-General when it
comes to the information systems under their control. The Directorate-General for Personnel and Adminis-
tration has set up a Year 2000 Monitoring Group. The main thrust of the actions undertaken by such groups
lies in their efforts to raise awareness of the problem amongst decision-makers, draw up a detailed inventory,
monitor the implementation of the adaptation work required, inform the Directorate-General of the progress
made and, where necessary, recommend appropriate measures to ensure that the administrative departments
continue to run smoothly. The monitoring groups are working in tandem with the Informatics Directorate on
preparations for a general test which is due to be carried out at Easter 1999.

(1) COM(98) 102.
(2)

SEC(98) 2100 final.

(1999/C 320/086)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3683/98

by Graham Watson (ELDR) to the Commission

(7 December 1998)

Subject: Air travel within Europe

Is the Commission aware that airfares on some European routes are deliberately increased during peak periods
such as school holidays? Would the Commission please explain why such pricing by airlines is permitted,
when such measures would not be tolerated if other forms of public transport were involved?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(16 February 1999)

The application of different prices at different times and days of travel is a normal trade practice of responding
to consumer demand. Airlines are not the only travel service providers which adjust their fares in response to
demand patterns. For example, passenger tickets for ferries, railways and even motorway charges can vary
depending on the timing of the journey. Such practices serve as an inducement to alleviate travel congestion in
the most popular periods.