WRITTEN QUESTION E-1753/99 by Marcello Dell'Utri (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Use of the structures for informing the general public.
Date: 1999-10-01
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: access to EU information, dissemination of EU information, information centre, information policy, management, management accounting, mass media, sample survey

C 170 E/94

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.6.2000

Further, since daily newspapers are at issue here rather than specialised publications, which, being
particularly authoritative in the area they cover, might more easily enjoy a very powerful position on the
market, no abuse of a dominant position can apparently be inferred. In general, a daily newspaper sold
with a supplement at a higher price is in competition in each Member State with other daily newspapers
which may or may not charge for the weekly supplement and is not therefore in what could be considered
to be a dominant market position, and this condition has to be met before Article 82 can be applied.

Accordingly, the practice described by the Honourable Member regarding the sale of daily newspapers
does not fall within the scope of Community competition law.

(2000/C 170 E/108)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1753/99

by Marcello Dell(cid:146)Utri (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Use of the structures for informing the general public

(1 October 1999)

According to data published by Eurobarometer (51.0 March-April 1999, fig. 2.8) only 3 % of European
citizens who need information on the European Union use the EU(cid:146)s information offices, the Euro info-
centres, the Euro info-points and the Euro-libraries.

In view of this, can the Commission say whether these figures can be considered satisfactory with reference
to the targets set, and whether the structures can be considered cost-effective?

If not, what does the Commission intend to do to improve the management of these structures so as to
make them more efficient and more responsive to citizens(cid:146) needs?

In view of the fact that the problem is partly due to the fact that few people even know that these
structures exist, can the Commission say what steps it intends to take to publicise them more?

Answer given by Ms Reding on behalf of the Commission

(10 November 1999)

The figures to which the Honourable Member refers represent the average of the replies recorded in a
survey of the general public based on a representative sample of the entire population of each Member
State. A survey of this kind is better for measuring opinions and attitudes than specific patterns of
behaviour. The average recorded, 3 % of the population of the Member States, represents more than
12 million citizens. Although this figure is small compared to the total population of the Member States, it
still represents a not insignificant number of citizens who claim to search for information of their own
volition and who are aware of the existence of the information structures in place. Moreover, if you look
at the results for individual Member States, it is clear that, in certain cases, notably the Nordic countries
where there is a tradition of an active approach to information, the percentage of the population
approaching the Commission representations,
information offices and the
information relays is between 7 and 9 % of those surveyed, a significant result.

the European Parliament

It should be noted that not all types of information relay were explicitly listed in the question (cid:129) what
about, for instance, rural information and promotion (cid:145)carrefours(cid:146), documentation centres in universities or
urban forums? (cid:129) so how could the persons approached possibly have mentioned them?

It does not seem possible to make a direct connection between the number of citizens who are aware that
representations,
information centres and relays exist and the cost of these structures. Although the
Community representations, centres and relays do indeed exist to provide information to private citizens,
they often do this via intermediaries, such as television, the written press, political organisations and the
media, who, in turn, disseminate this information to the general public, who are generally unaware of the
source.

20.6.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 170 E/95

The Commission accepts the urgent need to reinforce local information structures so that they can fully
play their role as neighbourhood centres and serve the general public as efficiently as possible. It is also
aware of the need to better publicise the existence of these structures and to ensure that their activities are
better publicised. Although steps have been taken in this direction, more remains to be done. A site
presenting the information relays is now available on the Europa server (cid:129) under the heading (cid:145)The
European Union near you(cid:146), it gives the addresses of local information relays. Links with sites developed
by the relays themselves are planned. The (cid:145)Europe Direct(cid:146) service, which gathers together requests for
information from citizens of all the Member States, systematically informs correspondents in every reply of
the existence of the nearest information centre. The Commission representations do the same. Other
approaches could be explored, such as publicity campaigns in local media. However, these would require a
considerable investment in terms of funding and human resources.

(2000/C 170 E/109)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1761/99

by Luis Berenguer Fuster (PSE) to the Commission

(11 October 1999)

Subject: Proceedings opened in relation to state aid in the Spanish electricity sector

DG IV has opened state aid proceedings in relation to the fact that the cost of transition to competition
(CTC) for Spanish electricity companies has been set at PTA 1 300 000 million. According to press reports
in Spain, the Vice-President, Mrs Loyola de Palacio, is seeking to be granted competence with regard to
state aid in the energy sector, a development which is being viewed with some concern given that
Mrs de Palacio was a member of the government which approved the state aid in question. Will the
Commission continue the above state aid proceedings under the responsibility of the Commissioner for
competition, or will the case be transferred to the Vice-President responsible for energy?

(2000/C 170 E/110)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1889/99

by Luis Berenguer Fuster (PSE) to the Commission

(14 October 1999)

Subject: Possible conflict of interests in proceedings in relation to state aid

Spanish press coverage of the proceedings in relation to the state aid granted to Spanish electricity
companies to cover the costs of transition to competition have highlighted the fact that the services
working for Commissioners Monti and de Palacio are collaborating on setting the amount of these costs. It
has even been reported that the Spanish Commissioner(cid:146)s position on the granting the subsidies (cid:145)to alleviate
costs arising from liberalisation(cid:146) is favourable.

The fact that Mrs de Palacio was a member of the government which approved the state aid in question
(which put up Spanish consumers(cid:146) electricity bills by 4,5 %) does not appear to constitute any obstacle to
her passing judgement, in her new role, on decisions which she took in her former role.

Does the Commission believe that Commissioner de Palacio should refrain from involvement in proceed-
ings investigating the compatibility with the Treaty of state aid which she had been involved in granting?

Joint answer
to Written Questions E-1761/99 and P-1889/99
given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(17 November 1999)

Regarding price developments in the electricity sector in Spain, the data sent to the Commission by Spain(cid:146)s
national electricity commission show that the amount billed to Spanish consumers of electricity fell, in
terms of the real percentage paid by households, by 3,1 % in 1996, 2,9 % in 1997 and 4,4 % in 1998, and
is set to fall by 5,6 % in 1999.