WRITTEN QUESTION E-2500/00 by Antonio Tajani (PPE-DE) and Francesco Fiori (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Liberalisation of the electricity and gas markets.
Date: 2000-08-02
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Italy, application of EU law, electrical industry, gas industry, price of energy, single market

C 89 E/202

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.3.2001

The Commission is active in the field of language teaching and learning, in particular through the Lingua
activities launched in 1989 which focussed on this area and were subsequently incorporated into the
Socrates and Leonardo education and training programmes.

The Commission(cid:146)s White Paper of November 1995 on education and training: (cid:145)Teaching and Learning (cid:129)
Towards the Learning Society(cid:146) (1) includes among its objectives proficiency in three Community languages.

(1) COM(95) 590 final.

(2001/C 89 E/229)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2500/00

by Antonio Tajani (PPE-DE) and Francesco Fiori (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Liberalisation of the electricity and gas markets

(2 August 2000)

Recent data from Eurostat show that the average Italian family and SMU pay the highest electricity charges
in the whole of the EU.

1.
Can the Commission provide specific information with regard to Italy(cid:146)s implementation of the
directives on the liberalisation of the markets in electricity (Directive 96/92/EC) and gas (Directive 98/
30/EC)?

Is the liberalisation process initiated by the Italian Government sufficient

2.
directives to be properly implemented?

for the Community

3. What does the Commission intend to do to ensure that, in the wake of liberalisation, Italy applies
charges which fall within the European average?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(11 September 2000)

The Italian implementation of Directive 96/92/EC of

1.
the Council of
19 December 1996 concerning common rules for the internal market in electricity (1) has been assured
through legislative decree of 16 March 1999 (Gazetta Ufficiale Nr. 75 of 30 March 1999). Some additional
measures, notably regarding the market operator are still pending.

the Parliament and of

Implementation of Directive 98/30/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 22 June 1998 concerning
common rules for the internal market in natural gas (2) has been done through Legislative Decree 164 of
23 May 2000 (Gazetta Ufficiale, Nr. 142 of 20 June 2000).

For more detailed information on the implementation by Italy of the two Directives, the Honourable
Members may wish to consult the following internet addresses:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/energy/en/elec_single_market/implementation/index_en.html, and

http://europa.eu.int/en/comm/dg17/gas98_30.pdf

2.
The Commission is examining whether the implementation of the directives by the Italian govern-
ment is fully compatible with the provisions of the directives. Among the positive elements of the Italian
implementation process are the independent regulator, the access to the network on the basis of published
prices, and the large market opening in the gas sector. Although the percentage of market opening in
electricity is not among the highest in the Community, it is in line with the electricity directive as it stands.

3.
The principal objective of the electricity and gas directives is the introduction of competition on an
Community wide basis. The implementation of the directives in Italy should lead to a movement of Italian
prices towards those in the remainder of the Community. This will be accelerated by the structural changes
in the energy sector in Italy that have been announced.

20.3.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 89 E/203

The Commission is taking a number of measures to accelerate the integration of markets. For example, a
preliminary system of cross border transmission tarification will enter into force by October 2000, and
discussions are now advanced on adopting compatible approaches throughout
the Community to
congestion management mechanisms. Finally, at the end of this year the Commission intends to adopt a
report on the measures that are necessary to meet the demand of the Lisbon European Council to
accelerate the completion of the internal gas and electricity market. The communication will address the
issue of interconnection capacity, and the measures that need to be taken at Community and national level
to solve bottlenecks in the system, for example the interconnection between Italy and Switzerland.

These issues are the most important in creating the internal market for gas and electricity, which is
essential if consumers across the Community are to benefit from the internal market in terms of the prices
that they pay.

(1) OJ L 27, 30.1.1997.
(2) OJ L 204, 21.7.1998.

(2001/C 89 E/230)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2501/00

by JosØ Ribeiro e Castro (UEN) to the Commission

(2 August 2000)

Subject: Recognition of the specific characteristics of sport in the Treaties

The special nature of sport and its due recognition in the protocol annexed to the Treaties has recently
been put back on the agenda.

The conclusions of the recent Feira Summit, the last under the Portuguese Presidency, state: (cid:145)the European
Council requests the Commission and the Council to take account of the specific characteristics of sport in
Europe and its social function in managing common policies(cid:146).

Jacques Delors also addressed this subject in a recent interview (1):
(cid:145)(cid:133) taking a decision on the free
movement of footballers by analogy with the free movement of workers is a step which will have far-
reaching consequences for the future of sport at educational and grass-roots level. ((cid:133)) I have drawn
Jacques Chirac(cid:146)s and Lionel Jospin(cid:146)s attention to the need to draw up a protocol on the special status of
sport in Europe (cid:129) in the same way as there is a special status for culture (cid:129) so as to give sport a moral
dimension, stressing the educational aspect. ((cid:133)) It would also be sensible to require every professional club
competing in championships in the Member States of the European Union to use at least six players of the
nationality of the country concerned. ((cid:133)) It is its (the French Presidency(cid:146)s) responsibility to incorporate the
protocol which I am advocating in the future Treaty of Nice in December 2000(cid:146).

When presenting the chief components of the programme of the French Presidency to the European
Parliament (Strasbourg, 4 July 2000), President Jacques Chirac also gave an assurance that (cid:145)we must ensure
that the European Union takes greater account of the special nature of sport and its social function. This is
a real problem which needs to be studied and resolved. The French Presidency will endeavour to do so(cid:146).

Has the Commission paid due attention to the above conclusion of the Feira Summit and to the objective
in question, which was emphatically reaffirmed by the French Presidency? What action is the Commission
taking with a view to the forthcoming adoption of a protocol annexed to the Treaties in which due
recognition will be given to the special characteristics of sport and which will provide an adequate and
balanced response to the various problems which have been debated in detail and at length, bearing in
mind the social, public and educational value of sport, including professional sport?

(1)

(cid:145)Le Figaro(cid:146), 4 July 2000, first section, p. 13.