WRITTEN QUESTION E-2413/99 by Ewa Hedkvist Petersen (PSE) to the Commission. Competitive disadvantage and regional aid in Sweden.
Date: 1999-12-16
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: State aid, Sweden, aid system, aid to undertakings, carriage of goods, regional aid, restriction on competition, social-security contribution, transport price, underpopulation

8.8.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 225 E/129

The breakdown of aid by measure is as follows:

Aid for the financing of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)

Aid (Research and development) (R&D)

Internationalisation of the products of the region

Studies on adding value to the products of the region

Improvement of the competitiveness of enterprises

Local promotion associations

Number of
enterprises

2 192

136

1 172

136

77

1

A detailed list of the recipients of this aid is being sent to the Honourable Member and to Parliament(cid:146)s
Secretariat.

(2000/C 225 E/139)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2413/99

by Ewa Hedkvist Petersen (PSE) to the Commission

Subject: Competitive disadvantage and regional aid in Sweden

(16 December 1999)

The population density is low in northern Sweden and Finland, about 3,4 per square kilometre in the
former. Undertakings operating in these sparsely populated regions for export markets have to transport
their products for much greater distances than do those located close to major centres of population and
urban markets. Regional aid such as reduced social contributions and transport subsidies is an important
factor in making such undertakings less uncompetitive.

Sweden and the Commission are at present negotiating the conditions for regional aid in Sweden. Why is
the Commission unwilling to help Sweden grant such aid so that these undertakings can compete on equal
terms?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(20 January 2000)

The Commission recognises that sparsely populated regions, such as North Sweden have special problems.
It agrees that companies in these regions face particular handicaps due to the long distances to their
markets. This is why the Commission decided in 1994, in anticipation of the accession of Sweden and
Finland, to adopt special provisions favouring low population density regions (1). These special provisions
were consolidated and further extended in the (cid:145)Guidelines on national regional aid(cid:146) (2).

The guidelines contain a number of provisions to ensure that Member States can include their low
population regions in the assisted area maps under Article 87(3)(c), if they so desire. They also enable the
Commission to authorise higher aid intensity ceilings for large firms in low population density regions.
transport aid to compensate for the
Finally,
additional transport costs incurred by companies located in low population density regions. At the same
time, though, the guidelines also specify that transport aid may serve only to compensate for the additional
cost of transport of goods and that there should never be over-compensation of the additional transport
costs.

the guidelines provide that Member States may grant

On 26 October 1999, the Commission authorised a transport aid scheme for the North of Sweden, under
which Sweden will provide direct compensation for the additional cost of transport of goods incurred by
companies located in that region. This should enable companies in North Sweden to compete on equal
terms.

C 225 E/130

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

8.8.2000

On 22 October 1999, Sweden notified the reduced social contributions aid scheme for North Sweden. This
scheme reduces the employers(cid:146) social contributions in North Sweden. Sweden justifies the reduction in the
social contributions as a compensation for the additional
the companies
concerned.

(cid:145)distance related costs(cid:146) of

The Commission is now examining whether this second transport aid scheme is justified. In this context it
has asked Sweden to demonstrate that the reduction of the employers(cid:146) social contributions does not over-
compensate the additional transport costs incurred by the companies concerned. The Commission is
awaiting a reply to this question from the Swedish authorities.

(1) Commission notice concerning an amendment to Part II of the communication on the method for the application

of Article 92(3)(a) and (c) to regional aid, OJ C 364, 20.12.1994.

(2) OJ C 74, 10.3.1998.

(2000/C 225 E/140)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2417/99

by Jorge HernÆndez Mollar (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(16 December 1999)

Subject: EU sponsorship for digitalising mediaeval manuscripts and incunabula

The University of Granada (Spain) has just published a CD ROM of the interactive multimedia digitalised
version of the priceless Codex Granatensis, written by a Belgian monk in the 13th century and beautifully
copied and illustrated by a German master c. 1425.

The beauties of this fragile volume, hitherto known only to a tiny number of specialists, are now accessible
to anyone willing to part with 1 500 pesetas.

In view of the success of this experiment, would the Commission be prepared to sponsor a programme for
making the treasures contained in mediaeval codices and incunabula available to the public in interactive
multimedia form?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(28 January 2000)

The Honourable Member requested information about whether the Commission would be prepared to
sponsor a programme for making mediaeval codices and incunabula available to the public in interactive
multimedia form.

The Commission can only sponsor cultural initiatives as part of and in accordance with the criteria of its
existing programmes. In this context, the Commission would like to draw the Honourable Member(cid:146)s
attention to the fact that a call for proposals relating to the (cid:145)Culture 2000(cid:146) first framework programme will
be launched at the beginning of this year. Once it has been officially adopted, it will be published in the
Official Journal and on the Internet. The Commission remains at the Honourable Member(cid:146)s disposal,
framework
should he require further information. An explanatory document on the (cid:145)Culture 2000(cid:146)
programme has been sent directly to the Honourable Member and to the Parliament(cid:146)s Secretariat.

In addition to the (cid:145)Culture 2000(cid:146) programme, access to Europe(cid:146)s cultural heritage in multimedia form is
also included in the IST (Information Society Technologies) programme of the European Union(cid:146)s Fifth RTD
Framework Programme. In the Key Action (cid:145)Multimedia Content and Tools(cid:146), the work programme for 2000
provides for support for research projects aiming to improve access to scientific and cultural collections.
Detailed information on the IST programme and the relevant calls for proposals can be found on the
Cordis website (www.cordis.lu/ist/).