WRITTEN QUESTION E-1175/00 by Richard Corbett (PSE) to the Commission. Use of hired cars from third countries.
Date: 2000-04-12
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: common commercial policy, motor car, third country, transport authorisation, vehicle rental

20.2.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 53 E/91

One example is the Lisbon-Brussels route:

(cid:129) the route is now operated exclusively by the Qualiflyer group (TAP and Sabena),

(cid:129) night flights are being ended from the start of the summer period,

(cid:129) fares have risen steeply and conditions for bookings and advance payments have been tightened,

(cid:129) only one counter is available (Qualiflyer), leading to a substantial increase in congestion and a lack of

personal service.

In this light, will the Commission monitor developments in relation to the consequences of liberalisation in
detail, and will it intervene in cases such as that described above to preserve the principles on which the
liberalisation of air transport in the EU was based?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(3 May 2000)

The Commission is continuously monitoring the air transport sector to ensure that the liberalisation
in force since 1 January 1993, are properly
measures constituting the third and final
In its
implemented and that the competition rules provided for in the EC Treaty are fully applied.
communication of 20 May 1999 entitled (cid:145)The European airline industry: from single market to world-
wide challenges(cid:146) (1), it presented the results of ten years of liberalisation of civil aviation. While these may
appear to be positive overall, the communication mentions the disappointing fare increases and stresses
that there are still large differences in fares per kilometre across the Community.

(cid:145)air package(cid:146),

With regard to the Lisbon-Brussels route, the Commission shares the Honourable Member(cid:146)s concern that
the route is now operated exclusively by the Qualiflyer group.
It is taking a detailed look at the
compatibility of the Qualiflyer group agreements with the provisions of Article 81 (ex Article 85) of the
EC Treaty.

(1) COM(1999) 182 final.

(2001/C 53 E/121)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1175/00

by Richard Corbett (PSE) to the Commission

(12 April 2000)

Subject: Use of hired cars from third countries

In its reply to question H-1190/98 (1) the Commission stated its intention (cid:145)to settle this matter during the
first half of this year(cid:146) (i.e. 1999).

Was it successful?

(1) Debates of the European Parliament No 4-531 (January 1999).

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(19 June 2000)

The Commission is pleased to inform the Honourable Member that Article 1(2) of Commission Regulation
(EC) No 1662/1999 of 28 July 1999 amending Regulation (EEC) No 2454/93 laying down provisions for
the implementation of the Community Customs Code (1) which came into force on 5 August 1999,
provided a solution to the problem raised by Question H-1190/98 during the January 1999 part-session
question time (2).

C 53 E/92

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.2.2001

In line with the new provision, the customs authorities may authorise natural persons established in the
customs territory of the Community to use in that territory a vehicle hired under a written contract
outside it. This authorisation is subject to the condition that countries where the vehicles are hired and
registered authorise temporary importation under comparable circumstances for vehicles hired and
registered in the customs territory of the Community. The vehicle shall be re-exported or returned to a
car-hire company established in the customs territory of the Community for subsequent re-exportation
within eight days of the entry into force of the contract.

(1) OJ L 197, 29.7.1999.
(2) Debates of the European Parliament No 4-531 (January 1999.).

(2001/C 53 E/122)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1179/00

by Gorka Kn(cid:246)rr Borr(cid:224)s (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(12 April 2000)

Subject: The Basque language in Navarre

The legal regime governing the use of Basque in Navarre is at present laid down by regional
law
No 18/1986 of 15 December 1986 (on the Basque language). This law divides the territory of Navarre
in which Basque and Spanish have joint
into three language zones, namely: a Basque-speaking zone,
official status; a (cid:145)mixed(cid:146) zone(cid:146); and a non-Basque-speaking zone (in the latter two, the sole official language
is Spanish). According to data supplied by the regional government of Navarre, Basque is spoken by 70 %
of the population in the Basque-speaking zone, 21 % in the mixed zone and 7 % in the non-Basque-
speaking zone.

In the Basque-speaking zone, given the co-official status of Basque, education and administration are
conducted on a bilingual basis. In the mixed zone, Basque is not official and its use is voluntary. In the
non-Basque-speaking zone, language rights do not exist as such: Basque exists only as a school subject, and
Basque-medium education is not offered, even though there is certainly demand. The administration in this
zone is under no obligation to deal with the public in Basque, nor does it have the resources to do so.
Furthermore, Basque-medium education is not offered in the sole state university of the region of Navarre,
as Basque has recently been given a status similar to that of (cid:145)foreign(cid:146) languages such as English or French.

Given that the regional law No 18/1986 on the Basque language defines Basque as a specifically Navarran
language, and in view of the numerous resolutions adopted by the European Parliament such as that of
30 October 1987 in which it is recommended that Member States should give an official dimension to the
teaching of regional and minority languages and give such teaching the same status as that accorded to the
teaching of national languages, and, similarly, the resolutions of 9 February 1994, 17 December 1998 and
16 March 2000, is the Commission aware of this situation?

Does the Commission not believe that the present state of affairs in the non-Basque-speaking zone runs
counter to the principles of those resolutions? On the eve of the European Year of Languages, does the
Commission not believe that cases such as that of Basque in Navarre need to be closely monitored? Does
the Commission intend to draw up a progress report on respect for the cultural diversity of the Member
States, in line with the principles arising from Article 151 of the Treaty?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(14 June 2000)

Respect for linguistic and cultural diversity is one of the foundation stones of the Union. The Commission
takes note of the information provided by the Honourable Member on the situation of the Basque
language in the Communidad Foral de Navarra.

Tit should be pointed out that a Parliamentary resolution is not legally binding on the Member States. For
its part, he Commission has taken action within its field of competence e.g. by drafting a report on the
situation of regional and minority languages in the Union (the (cid:145)Euromosaic(cid:146) study) and providing financial
of the said resolutions support for safeguarding and promoting regional and minority languages, as well as
supporting the European Bureau for Lesser-Used Languages and the Mercator information network. The
Commission has alsoopening up Community programmes, where applicable, financed initiatives involving
regional and minority languages within other Community programmes.