WRITTEN QUESTION E-2683/99 by Luis Berenguer Fuster (PSE) to the Commission. Competition law and the Spanish electricity sector.
Date: 2000-01-12
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Spain, common commercial policy, dominant position, electrical industry, price increase

3.10.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 280 E/101

Europe agreements provide for the application by these countries of the (cid:145)acquis communautaire(cid:146) in the
field of state aid. This means that under these agreements the applicant countries cannot grant unfair aid
packages to a company investing in their country. The Commission is currently investigating public aid
cases concerning car manufacturers
in Poland, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia. An exemplary
co-operation took place this year between the Czech Republic and the Commission in the assessment by
the Czech authorities of an aid offer to Skoda (a subsidiary of the Volkswagen group). The Community
rules were applied and the final aid amount was reduced from from € 130 million to € 22 million.

(2000/C 280 E/104)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2683/99

by Luis Berenguer Fuster (PSE) to the Commission

Subject: Competition law and the Spanish electricity sector

(12 January 2000)

In October the Spanish Government announced that if approval were not granted for aid to cover the
costs of transition to competition (CTCs) for the electricity companies, consumers(cid:146) bills would rise. The
body representing the electricity industry recently reiterated this point, in an attempt to reinforce the idea
that these measures, currently under investigation by the European Commission as state aids, are positive.

Quite apart from the fact that it does not appear to make sense, this announcement demonstrates that
although the liberalisation of the electricity sector has gone through, the companies enjoy a position of
joint dominance which allows them to fix their prices with the government without reference to
competitors, since none in fact exist.

Does the Commission agree that these assertions by the Spanish Government and the electricity companies
prove that competition does not exist within the Spanish electricity industry?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(25 February 2000)

The Spanish government has notified the Commission of its plans to grant the companies in the electricity
sector a financial compensation in order to help their adaptation to competition following the liberal-
isation of the sector under Directive 96/92/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 19 December 1996
concerning common rules for the internal market in electricity (1).

At present, the Commission is closely examining this notification. The Commission has not yet finalised
this examination, and can thus not communicate its results yet.

The Commission has not recently made any other investigation on competition in the electricity sector in
Spain. Therefore, the Commission is currently not in a position to reply to the question of the Honourable
Member.

(1) OJ L 27, 30.1.1997.

(2000/C 280 E/105)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2685/99

by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission

(12 January 2000)

Subject: Damage done to the Pontine coast in Italy by the Lazio regional authorities

Several months ago,
(cid:145)environmental regeneration(cid:146)
operations at Porto Badino, in the commune of Terracina. Gravel was spread along the water(cid:146)s edge and
several kilometres of beach were subsequently ruined and rendered inaccessible as a result of the gravel

the regional authorities of Lazio ordered several