WRITTEN QUESTION E-1957/99 by Gerhard Hager (NI) to the Commission. Alitalia.
Date: 1999-11-05
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Italy, State aid, rail transport, restriction on competition, transport market

C 219 E/52

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

1.8.2000

In view of this, can the Council answer the following:

1. How much will the EU and/or their Member States invest in the reconstruction of Kosovo and what is

the duration of the aid programmes?

2. What is the effect of these measures likely to be on the future budgets of the EU?

3. Does the Council consider that the plans for financing the Agenda 2000 need to be reviewed?

4.

If not, how does the Council explain the fact that this financial assistance will have no effect on the
plans for financing Agenda 2000?

Reply

(14 February 2000)

1.
The budgetary procedure for the year 2000 been concluded, the amount allocated to the reconstruc-
tion of Kosovo in the EU-budget for the year 2000 shall be up to a maximum of € 360 million. This will
include € 300 million in commitment appropriations. In addition to this, the Member States have pledged
bilateral aid in different forms at the two donors conferences organised by the World Bank and the
Commission.

The European Parliament and the Council, noting that the conditions laid down in paragraph 24 of
2.
the Interinstitutional Agreement had been met, have decided by common agreement to use the flexibility
instrument to finance the balance of the needs created by the reconstruction of Kosovo which cannot be
met by carrying over appropriations from the 1999 budget or by redeployment of appropriations entered
in the draft budget for the financial year 2000.

3.
It is obvious that the reconstruction of Kosovo will take more than one year, but as the estimates for
a longer period have not as yet been established, no exact figures on the amount of reconstruction aid can
be fixed at the moment.

(2000/C 219 E/061)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1957/99

by Gerhard Hager (NI) to the Commission

(5 November 1999)

Subject: Alitalia

The Italian airline Alitalia offers its passengers a free transfer from Milan to Malpensa airport. 53 % of
Alitalia shares are owned by IRI which in turn is owned by the Italian state.

In view of this, can the Commission answer the following questions:

1.

Is the Commission aware of this?

2. Does the Commission consider that the Alitalia offer constitutes an illegal state aid pursuant to Article

87 of the EC Treaty?

3.

4.

If not, how does the Commission justify its interpretation of the provisions?

If so, what legal steps does the Commission intend to take to curtail this practice?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(3 January 2000)

The Commission is aware that Alitalia has entered into an agreement with the Malpensa Express company
to offer its passengers free rail transport between the city of Milan and Malpensa airport. This is a
commercial arrangement designed to offset the inconvenience for Alitalia(cid:146)s customers of the new airport

1.8.2000

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 219 E/53

being located 50 kilometres from Milan. The Italian authorities have said that the other airlines operating
at Malpensa are free to take the same commercial step and enter into a similar arrangement with Malpensa
Express.

The Commission is unable, on the basis of the information currently available to it, to determine whether
the contract includes elements of State aid favouring one or other of the parties.

(2000/C 219 E/062)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1961/99

by Gerhard Hager (NI) to the Council

(9 November 1999)

Subject: General amnesty in Italy (cid:129) Compatibility with the Schengen Agreement

Whenever it is unable to cope with the persistent infringement of its laws, it is the Italian Government(cid:146)s
habit to have recourse the (cid:145)condono(cid:146) or amnesty. This happened again at the beginning of this year when
it used this device to legalise some quarter of a million illegal immigrants. The fact that the Italian State is
clearly unable to police its borders efficiently does however inevitably affect the other Member States of
the EU and the Schengen Agreement.

1.

2.

3.

4.

Is the Council aware of this practice?

Is this course of action by Italy compatible with the Schengen Agreement?

If so, on what grounds is it compatible?

If not, what action does the Council intend to take, or what action has it already undertaken?

Reply

(31 January 2000)

In the context of the exchange of information on migration policy taking place routinely within the
Council, Member States that have introduced programmes to regularise the situation of illegal migrants, or
plan to introduce such programmes in the near future, have informed the Council thereof.

The measures to strengthen the effectiveness of controls by Member States of external borders developed
in the Schengen framework (which, following the entry into force of the Amsterdam Treaty, have been
integrated in the framework of European Union) are without prejudice to the Member States(cid:146) right to
determine the conditions for allowing third-country nationals who have entered or are staying on their
territory without the required documentation and who have been staying there for a fairly long period of
time, to continue to do so.

(2000/C 219 E/063)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1965/99

by Gerhard Hager (NI) to the Council

(9 November 1999)

Subject: EU project (cid:145)Natura 2000(cid:146) (cid:129) Repercussions on the situation of individuals under private law

The Federal State of Lower Austria has registered 31.63 % of its total surface area under the EU project
(cid:145)Natura 2000(cid:146). Under this project, the Member States are obliged to ensure compliance with the directive
on the preservation of bird life and the (cid:145)flora-fauna-habitat directive(cid:146) in the designated areas. In drawing up
the corresponding lists of designated areas, most landowners were neither asked nor informed even though
this entails major restrictions on property rights and use.