WRITTEN QUESTION E-1618/00 by Gianfranco Dell'Alba (TDI) to the Commission. Speculation and Malpensa 2000.
Date: 2000-05-29
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, Italy, air traffic, airport, duties of civil servants

8.5.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 136 E/5

Sanctions for infringements by feed and food operators are dealt with by the Member States. These can
include, apart from legal pursuit, detention for additional testing, possible destruction of batches suspected
of being contaminated or even the closing of food premises.

As explained in the white paper on food safety, the Commission believes that gathering information,
including the results of official controls, is an essential element of any food safety system. It is for that
reason that under action 8 in the annex to the white paper,
it is the intention to propose a global
instrument to allow the Commission to collect and exploit information on inspection results for all feed
and food at all stages of the food chain.

The Commission regrets that it does not have at present systematic, detailed information of the kind
requested on the number of inspections carried out by the Member States and samples taken by them.

(1) COM(1999) 744 final.
(2) COM(1999) 719 final.
(3) OJ L 186, 30.6.1989.
(4) OJ L 125, 23.5.1996.
(5) OJ L 265, 8.11.1995.

(2001/C 136 E/005)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1618/00

by Gianfranco Dell(cid:146)Alba (TDI) to the Commission

(29 May 2000)

Subject: Speculation and Malpensa 2000

The new international airport at Malpensa was deemed by the Essen European Council to be of strategic
importance for the development of European infrastructure and worthy of substantial Community funding.
For over three years now, an interminable struggle has been going on between the Italian Government and
the Commission over issues that are increasingly vague and confused. These continual arguments and the
consequent delays are costing northern Italy dear and jeopardising its development prospects.

Despite the bitter arguments between the company running Milan(cid:146)s airports and British Airways, an
English company has been given the task of drawing up an opinion on the functioning of Malpensa 2000,
as well as the relevant environmental impact study.

In addition, the former head of the private office of Commissioner Neil Kinnock, who was responsible for
transport in the previous Commission, has ill-advisedly moved to a managerial position at British Airways
and it is no coincidence that the latter company is one of the fiercest opponents of Malpensa 2000.

The German airline Lufthansa has stubbornly opposed the full operational functioning of the new hub in
the north of Italy, or what could be called south central Europe, to the point where it has sought to
concentrate all its traffic on the old Milanese airport of Linate.

Does the Commission not think it necessary to clarify once and for all the terms of the agreements entered
into with the Italian state and ensure that they are carried out?

Does it not consider that any further vagueness and uncertainty on the part of Community bodies will
foster a poisonous climate of suspicion concerning the existence of an Anglo-German conspiracy bent on
sabotaging the Malpensa 2000 project, with the ramifications this will have in Brussels?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(28 September 2000)

The Commission would like to remind the Honourable Member that it has contributed to the financing of
the Milan airport of Malpensa. Therefore, the Commission is interested in seeing Malpensa established as
intended and with a proper possibility for further development. The rules laid down by the Italian
authorities in relation to such establishment must however conform with Community law and it was for
this reason that by decision 1998/710/EC of 16 September 1998 (1) the Commission disapproved the

C 136 E/6

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

8.5.2001

initial rules on traffic distribution. The issues at stake were not (cid:145)vague and confused(cid:146) but set out clearly in
the publication in the Official Journal of that decision. Since then, environmental concerns have intervened
and measures were taken by the Italian Government by virtue of Decree of 13 December 1999 of Prime
Minister D(cid:146)Alema. These measures entered formally into force on 26 March 2000 and thereupon into an
experimental phase until 26 June 2000.

The uncertain situation created by these measures combined with new traffic distribution rules between the
two airports of Milan Linate and Malpensa adopted by Decree of 3 March 2000, has led to a series of
complaints lodged by twelve major air carriers with the Commission.

In order for the Commission to examine whether these measures are in conformity with Community law
an in depth analysis by an independent expert of the real capacity of Malpensa at present and in the future
taking into account the constraints resulting from the applicable environmental measures was required.
Such expert, as well as previous external experts who have worked on the Malpensa case, has been chosen
by the Commission following a transparent,
impartial and non-discriminatory tender based selection
procedure at Community level. The results of the study became available in August permitting thus the
Commission thereafter to take a fully informed position on the new Italian rules.

On the issue of Mr Andrew Cahn, former Chief of Staff of Commissioner Kinnock, pursuing his career
outside the Commission, the Commission has already answered to Written Question E-1664/00 put by the
Honourable Member to the Commission, where it stated that after a very thorough consideration of
Mr Cahn(cid:146)s new appointment he was formally authorised to take up his new post. Also, Commissioner
Kinnock presented to the Honourable Members on 3 May 2000, the current arrangements relating to the
appointment of Permanent and Temporary officials outside the Commission and affirmed the consistency
of the new duties of Mr Cahn with the relevant rules.

(1) OJ L 337, 12.12.1998.

(2001/C 136 E/006)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1640/00

by Alejandro Agag Longo (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Competition in the telecommunications sector

(29 May 2000)

The introduction of competition in the telecommunications sector is now an objective pursued, albeit with
varying degrees of intensity, by all the Member States of the EU and backed up by the Commission in the
recommendation contained in the broad economic policy giudelines. It is well known that there are
different ways of issuing licences to the different operators charged with creating competition. Recent press
reports indicated that the British State received some USD 36 000 million (ESP 6,3 trillion) as a result of the
auction of third generation mobile telephony licences.

Without prejudice to the necessary level of subsidiarity of such decisions, does the Commission consider
that the various methods of issuing licences are neutral vis-(cid:224)-vis the process of opening up the sector to
competition? In other words, does the Commission not think that the high prices achieved in such
auctions may constitute a (cid:145)prior(cid:146) distortion of competition since they have an impact on the subsequent
setting of prices and since they encourage the process concentration of businesses based solely on the need
to be able to bid in such auctions?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(11 September 2000)

The number of operators to whom frequencies can be granted for the offer of third-generation mobile
services in particular is limited under the UMTS norm by the frequency spectrum available. A selection
procedure is inevitable. Community directives provide that the criteria be objective, proportionate, open
and non-discriminatory. Compliance with the criteria is indispensable in order not to distort competition