WRITTEN QUESTION P-2505/00 by Luigi Cocilovo (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Liberalisation before the event.
Date: 2000-07-24
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Italy, competition law, consumer protection, infringement procedure (EU), liberalisation of the market, postal service, provision of services, universal service

13.3.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 81 E/207

Are the Member States and competent regional offices implementing the microcredit policy in such a way
as to ensure that women benefit from it, or are those benefits diluted and brought under the general co-
financing terms laid down, with the result that they are lost?

(1) Question answered in writing on 5.7.2000.

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(19 September 2000)

The Commission does not have any data available, either overall or from each Member State, on the
number of women in Europe having received microfinance. Such microfinance programmes are usually
run by the Member States themselves in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity.

Nevertheless, it should be pointed out that from 1987 to 1995 the Commission supported the Programme
on Local Employment Initiatives for Women (LEI). 1 619 projects were assessed to analyse the progress of
women assisted under this programme. The NOW initiative was launched on the basis of the experience
gained from the LEI programme to support projects for businesses set up by women. A CD-ROM
produced on entrepreneurship among women contains a detailed description of the NOW projects.
A copy of this study on CD-ROM has been sent directly to the Honourable Member and to the General
Secretariat of the Parliament. Other assessments have been carried out on the support provided by the
Structural Funds. However, these assessments provide aggregated information on business start-up aid
without specifying whether or not this is microfinance.

(2001/C 81 E/265)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2505/00

by Luigi Cocilovo (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(24 July 2000)

Subject: Liberalisation before the event

The Directorate-General for Competition has instituted infringement proceedings against Italy concerning
the legislative decree transposing the 1997 Postal Services Directive, with particular reference to certain
categories of postal services regarded as (cid:145)distinct and separate(cid:146) from the traditional services.

The infringement proceedings hinge on a concept of (cid:145)distinct and separate services(cid:146) that departs from the
criteria, including for example price, set out in the Postal Services Directive now in force but in some
respects anticipates the future rules governing postal services, as laid down in the proposal for a second
postal services directive, submitted to Parliament on 22 June 2000.

Does the Commission not consider that the proceedings in question are seeking at this juncture, and only
where Italy is concerned, to pursue a still more thoroughgoing measure of liberalisation than could be
pursued in the other Member States under the new directive, and even in that event not before 2003?
Does it not believe that this situation discriminates against Italy and might serve to create a further
disparity in terms of competition on a market now integrated to a high degree?

(2001/C 81 E/266)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2506/00

by Giovanni Procacci (ELDR) to the Commission

(24 July 2000)

Subject: Universal scope of the postal service

The Directorate-General for Competition has instituted infringement proceedings against Italy concerning
the legislative decree transposing the 1997 Postal Services Directive, with particular reference to certain
categories of postal services regarded as (cid:145)distinct and separate(cid:146) from the traditional services.