WRITTEN QUESTION E-2400/00 by Mauro Nobilia (UEN) to the Commission. Telecom Italia SpA.
Date: 2000-07-18
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Regional Development Fund, European Social Fund, Italy, application of EU law, competition law, dismissal, regional policy, telecommunications industry, vocational training

C 113 E/90

Official Journal of the European Communities

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18.4.2001

Can the Council explain the reasons for this serious and culpable delay?

Will it say what obstacles are preventing the appointment from being made official?

Will it say when Mr Florio is likely to be able to take up his duties at the Committee?

Reply

(16 November 2000)

Under Article 263 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, the members of the Committee of
the Regions are appointed by the Council, acting on a proposal from the Member State concerned. The
General Secretariat received Italy(cid:146)s proposal to appoint Mr Florio in place of Mr Ciaurro by letter dated
2 June 2000. On 26 June 2000 the Council appointed Mr Florio a member of the Committee of the
Regions (1). By letter dated 27 June 2000 the General Secretariat of the Council informed the Chairman of
the Committee of the Regions of Mr Florio(cid:146)s appointment.

(1) Council Decision published in OJ L 164, 5.7.2000, p. 17.

(2001/C 113 E/089)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2400/00

by Mauro Nobilia (UEN) to the Commission

(18 July 2000)

Subject: Telecom Italia SpA

Considering that:

(cid:129) in March 2000 the company Telecom Italia SpA opened the procedure for using the income support

fund ((cid:145)cassa integrazione(cid:146)) to lay off and redeploy 7500 of its employees;

(cid:129) these social support payments are made by a public welfare body, and thus by the state;

(cid:129) Telecom Italia SpA is a private company in which the Italian state has a major shareholding;

(cid:129) until recently the company has benefited from funding from the ERDF (European Regional Develop-
ment Fund) which has been used for the preparation and construction of numerous infrastructures
including network modernisation and cabling;

(cid:129) it has also received funding from the ESF (European Social Fund) to set up various vocational training

centres.

Will the Commission say:

(cid:129) whether the above information is true?

(cid:129) will it ascertain whether the opening of this procedure, which is shortly to be implemented, is in
breach of the rules and principles governing the use of Community structural funds in that the latter
are designed to create jobs or at least maintain employment?

(cid:129) will it take steps, if necessary, to ensure that when considering future requests for Community funds
from Telecom Italia SpA, due account is taken of the fact that the company seems to have paid no
heed whatsoever to the goals of increasing and maintaining employment.

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(9 October 2000)

On a general level, the Commission regrets that the restructuring of Telecom Italia S.p.A. has resulted in
such a large number of workers being laid off, affecting not just the 7 500 workers themselves, but also

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 113 E/91

their families. While we have to accept that labour mobility is now a permanent feature of our economy,
we still have to know how to manage it, in order to limit the damage to workers. It also has to be
remembered that individual cases of businesses undergoing restructuring can only be dealt with at national
level.

The Commission confirms that there is a (cid:145)Telecommunications(cid:146) operational programme under Objective 1
(Mezzogiorno) for the period 1994-1999, receiving funding from the European Regional Development
Fund (ERDF) of € 376 million of a total investment of € 1 154 million. It should be remembered that the
Community aid mentioned was intended for the regional development of the Mezzogiorno, which had
fallen a long way behind in terms of telecommunications infrastructure.

According to the information received from the Member State, Telecom received approximately € 0,4
million from the European Social Fund for its activities in the Mezzogiorno.

The awarding of this aid was wholly in compliance with the existing rules.

As regards the new programming period (2000-2006), the Community support framework (CSF) for the
Mezzogiorno region, approved by the Commission on 1 August 2000, does not provide for direct
financing for Telecom Italia nor to any other telecommunications companies.

Furthermore, the CSF will no longer finance basic networks or investments in mobile and fixed telephone
infrastructure. However,
in telecommunications infrastructure and networks may be co-
financed in accordance with the conditions set out in the Commission(cid:146)s technical document (cid:145)Information
society and regional development. ERDF Interventions 2000-2006. Criteria for programme assessment(cid:146), a
copy of which has been forwarded to the Honourable Member and the Secretariat-General of
the
Parliament.

investment

In any event, Community and national legislation in the field of competition must be respected.

(2001/C 113 E/090)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2403/00

by Jens-Peter Bonde (EDD) to the Commission

(7 July 2000)

Subject: Subsidies to a Danish firm

What amounts were paid in 1997, 1998 and 1999 to the Danish Danisco group and its subsidiaries in the
form of export refunds and other EU subsidies?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(9 October 2000)

The Commission understands the request of the Honourable Member as dealing only with the financial
transfers from the European Agriculture Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) to (cid:145)Danisco(cid:146)
in the
framework of the common agricultural policy.

Information like this is collected only at the national level as Member States(cid:146) paying agencies are primarily
responsible for handling the EAGGF expenditure.

According to the relevant provisions of Community law (1), information forwarded to the Commission in
the context of the clearance of accounts must be kept confidential and secure.

(1) Regulation (EC) No 2390/1999 of 25 October 1999 laying down detailed rules of the application of Regulation
(EC) No 1663/95 as regards the form and content of the accounting information that the Member States must hold
at the disposal of the Commission for the purposes of the clearance of the EAGGF Guarantee Section accounts
(OJ L 295, 16.11.1999).