WRITTEN QUESTION E-2706/00 by Christopher Huhne (ELDR) to the Commission. Consumer price data.
Date: 2000-09-01
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU Member State, consumer price, price index, regional statistics

C 89 E/216

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.3.2001

Both stopping distance and deceleration are regulated in Annex II of the above mentioned Directive, as
well as many other safety aspects of brakes, for example downhill behaviour and hot performance.
Working party 29, on the construction of vehicles, of the United Nations(cid:146) economic commission for
Europe, also regulates deceleration and stopping distance. It is important that vehicles have stable and
predictable behaviour during braking. A requirement only regulating vehicle stopping distance could
increase the risk of spinning.

(1) OJ L 202, 6.9.1971.
(2) OJ L 81, 18.3.1998.

(2001/C 89 E/244)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2679/00

by Glyn Ford (PSE) to the Commission

(1 September 2000)

Subject: European procurement

Does the Commission believe that there is an obligation on Member States with regard to public
procurement to extend its scope from those products and services conforming with EU standards to
cover those that may be (cid:145)equivalent(cid:146) to these standards?

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(28 September 2000)

The purpose of the rules on the use of technical specifications in public procurement is to ensure
transparency and non-discrimination in the award of contracts. Contracting entities cannot reject bids
conforming to or equivalent to European standards, or if these do not exist other relevant standards, for
reasons of non-compliance with technical requirements.

(2001/C 89 E/245)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2706/00

by Christopher Huhne (ELDR) to the Commission

(1 September 2000)

Subject: Consumer price data

Will the Commission please state which Member States collect consumer price data on a regional basis,
allowing a real comparison of incomes in each region?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(6 October 2000)

Germany:

Spain:

Italy:

Regional prices are collected but not such as to permit regional
income comparisons.
Consumer price indices (CPIs) are however published for the former German democratic
republic and the former German Federal republic.

Regional CPIs at NUTS-3 level are published.

The Italian statistical office, ISTAT, publishes CPIs for the main city in each of 20 regions.
In addition, about 80 municipalities publish their own CPIs.

20.3.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 89 E/217

Austria:

CPIs at the NUTS-2 level are not published but are available on request (a charge is made).

Portugal:

Regional CPIs are published at Nomenclature of territorial statistical units (NUTS)-2 level.

Finland:

Regional CPIs at NUTS-2 level are published.

Belgium, Denmark, Greece, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom
do not publish regional CPIs.

(2001/C 89 E/246)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2707/00

by Christopher Huhne (ELDR) to the Commission

(1 September 2000)

Subject: Security features in euro notes

Will the Commission state whether any modern security features that might have been incorporated into
the design of euro notes have been sacrificed because not all of the proposed printing plants were
technically capable of producing them?

If so, which security features have been dropped?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(29 September 2000)

The European Central Bank bears sole responsibility for deciding on the security features of euro
banknotes and overseeing their production. The Commission is therefore unable to answer questions on
the subject.

(2001/C 89 E/247)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2720/00

by Christopher Huhne (ELDR) to the Commission

(1 September 2000)

Subject: State aid in extraction industries

What is the Commission(cid:146)s estimate of the amount of state aid per employee in the extraction industries
(mining, etc.) in each of the Member States each year for the last five years for which figures are available?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(29 September 2000)

Whilst data are not available for all extraction industries, according to the eighth survey on state aid in the
Community (1) published in April 2000 and reporting on the period from 1994 to 1998, the amounts of
state aid destined to current production per employee in the following coal producing Member States are
given below. It should be noted that 1997 and 1998 aid has been notified by the French Government but
is still being examined by the Commission.