WRITTEN QUESTION E-1478/00 by Karin Riis-Jørgensen (ELDR) to the Commission. Registration of company cars.
Date: 2000-05-11
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Denmark, fringe benefit, frontier worker, infringement of EU law, motor car, vehicle registration, vehicle tax

C 53 E/152

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.2.2001

(2001/C 53 E/194)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1478/00

by Karin Riis-Jłrgensen (ELDR) to the Commission

(11 May 2000)

Subject: Registration of company cars

According to its press release of 31 March 1998, the Commission has instituted infringement proceedings
against Denmark relating interalia to the Danish policy towards the use by employees resident in Denmark
of company cars registered in another Member State.

Can the Commission state what action it has taken since publication of the press release and what action it
intends to take against Denmark since Denmark is clearly still practising a policy in breach of the Court(cid:146)s
judgment in the Ledoux case C-127/86 (see most recently the second Ryborg case which was drawn to the
Commission(cid:146)s attention in November 1999, cf. Commission file No D(99) EMPL/D/4-45329)?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(5 July 2000)

The Commission can inform the Honourable Member that, following its reasoned opinion of 18 May 1998,
the Danish authorities modified the relevant national regulations. Indeed, the Vehicle Registration Tax Act
was amended by Act No 385 of 2 May 1999. The Ministry of Transport Order on registration and
inspection of vehicles was also amended.

Although the new regulations allow for the use of company cars in Denmark by cross-border workers in
the
certain circumstances where it was not possible under the preceding regulations and practices,
Commission considers that
in
is an incompatibility with the applicable Community law,
particular Articles 39 and 49 (ex Articles 48 and 59) of the EC Treaty in conjunction with Article 10
(ex Article 5) of the EC Treaty. Thus, it still pursues the infringement proceedings against Denmark.

there still

(2001/C 53 E/195)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1482/00

by Paul R(cid:252)big (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(11 May 2000)

Subject: Obligation of loyalty in the European Union

One consequence of the so-called (cid:145)bilateral measures(cid:146)
introduced by Austria(cid:146)s 14 EU partner states in
reaction to the accession to power of the Austrian (cid:214)VP/FP(cid:214) (Austrian People(cid:146)s Party/Freedom Party of
Austria) Federal Government has been a succession of actions discriminating against Austria and its official
representatives in the matter of EU information policy. The Austrian Ambassador in Paris, for example,
was the only representative of an EU Member State not to have been invited to an information meeting
devoted to the French Presidency(cid:146)s programme held in the French National Assembly. Such a policy can of
course only be expected to disrupt
the work of the multilateral meetings organised by EU or EC
Institutions.

How does the Commission assess this situation, having regard to the need to uphold the loyalty and
solidarity that constitute a crucial pillar of an operationally viable Union or Community and that commit
not only the Member States in their relations with the Union or Community and its Institutions, but also
the Member States in their dealings with each other, to reciprocal and loyal cooperation on a basis of
solidarity?