WRITTEN QUESTION P-3390/00 by Phillip Whitehead (PSE) to the Commission. State aids in the manufacturing industry.
Date: 2000-10-25
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: France, control of State aid, intra-EU trade, processing industry, water

C 151 E/156

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

22.5.2001

the
In the specific case, not being aware of
Commission will take the appropriate steps in order to gather detailed information about it and to ensure
the observance of Community law.

the situation described by the Honourable Member,

(1) OJ L 175, 5.7.1985.
(2) OJ L 73, 14.3.1997.

(2001/C 151 E/176)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3388/00

by Laura GonzÆlez `lvarez (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

Subject: New aid scheme for coal with effect from 2002

(25 October 2000)

At the (cid:145)coal(cid:146) seminar held on 17 October in Brussels and organised by the ECSC Advisory Committee, the
Commissioner responsible for energy and transport stated that, once the ECSC Treaty expires, much of
Community production will be unable to compete with imported coal, for which reason a new aid scheme
is to be proposed with effect from 2002, when the ECSC Treaty expires.

When is the Commission Green Paper on security of supply in respect of the various energy sources due
to be published and what role is it likely to allocate to Community coal?

What are to be the features of the new post-2002 aid scheme?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(22 November 2000)

The Commission is intending to publish a Green Paper on security of supply before the end of the year
2000. It is planned that this document will present its reflections on the position of coal as part of
Community energy supply after the expiry of the ECSC Treaty.

The Commission will not however be able to define the features of any proposal for a coal aid scheme
until it has drawn conclusions from the discussion which the Green Paper ought to incite.

(2001/C 151 E/177)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3390/00

by Phillip Whitehead (PSE) to the Commission

(25 October 2000)

Subject: State aids in the manufacturing industry

Will the Commission enumerate how many investigations into the provision of State aid to French
manufacturing companies have taken place in the years 1995-2000? Could the Commission also set out
the names of the companies or holding companies concerned and the extent to which they are connected
to the water industries and manufacturing linked to them?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(24 November 2000)

Between 1 January 1995 and 25 October 2000 the Commission closed 272 investigations into the
provision of state aid to French companies in sectors other than agriculture, fisheries, transport and the

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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coal industry. The great majority of these investigations concern aid schemes for which the names of the
benefiting companies are not known to the Commission. As for direct investigations into companies,
reference is made to the Commission(cid:146)s annual reports on competition policy. It is not possible for the
Commission to indicate the extent to which the undertakings concerned are connected to the water
industries and manufacturing linked to them.

(2001/C 151 E/178)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3392/00

by Helena Torres Marques (PSE) to the Commission

(25 October 2000)

Subject: Taxation of Community aid to farmers

Is it the case that the income support made available to farmers from Community funds may be taxed in
the country of residence and hence be partially (cid:145)clawed back(cid:146) by the Member State concerned?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(21 November 2000)

The Commission is of the opinion that income support made available to farmers from Community funds
may be subjected to national duties, taxes and charges, although not to taxes specifically levied on income
support. The taxation in the Member State of residence and hence a possible (cid:145)claw back(cid:146) by the Member
State concerned is determined by the relevant national tax laws and, in cross-border situations, by the
bilateral tax agreements between the Member States. Member States(cid:146) taxation systems vary considerably
both in scope and in levels of taxation. In cross-border situations, the bilateral tax agreements apply a
range of different rules to prevent double taxation between the two Member States involved in the case of
income arising in one Member State and paid to a resident of another.

(2001/C 151 E/179)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3400/00

by Luciano Caveri (ELDR) to the Commission

(7 November 2000)

Subject: CD-ROM published by the Commission

In the CD-ROM (cid:145)Hello Europe (cid:129) A youth guide to Europe and the European Union(cid:146) published by the
Commission, Directorate-General for (cid:145)Information, Communication, Culture and Audiovisual(cid:146), (cid:145)Publications(cid:146)
Unit, and distributed by the Official Publications Office of the European Communities, there is a difference
in the way that minority languages in the Member States are treated.

One need only go to the description of Spain and Italy and click on (cid:145)If you want to know more(cid:146) and then
on (cid:145)Listen to the language(cid:146) to see this difference:

(cid:129) Spain:

(cid:145)The official

language is Castilian, often simply called (cid:147)Spanish(cid:148). In some regions Catalan,

Basque and Galician are also official languages(cid:146);

(cid:129) Italian: (cid:145)Our language is Italian and the capital is Rome(cid:146).

Why does the CD-ROM not describe the linguistic diversity of Italy, exemplified by the use of French in
Valle D(cid:146)Aosta and German in South Tyrol?