WRITTEN QUESTION E-3844/00 by Charles Tannock (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Filmmaking in the EU.
Date: 2000-12-07
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Denmark, EU programme, film industry, intra-EU trade, restriction on competition

C 174 E/164

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

19.6.2001

(2001/C 174 E/171)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3843/00

by Glenys Kinnock (PSE) to the Commission

(7 December 2000)

Subject: Iron foundry coke dumping by the People(cid:146)s Republic of China

Decision 1238/2000/ECSC (1) provisionally established PRC dumping of coke 80+ with a dumping margin
in excess of 60 %, with price undercutting of 29,5 % resulting directly in a 9,9 % loss of Community
Industry market share. This Decision, if made definitive, would a) only result in an insignificant increase in
cost of production for Community users of coke 80+, while b) partially remedying the injury suffered by
the Community Industry.

Can the Commission confirm that if the provisional findings are confirmed at the definitive stage it intends
to impose definitive anti-dumping measures?

Is the Commission aware that failure to adopt definitive measures will
likely result in the permanent
closure of some or all of the five SME private coke 80+ producers, all established in areas of high
unemployment, and consequentially put at risk up to 1 600 direct jobs across the European Union,
including Wales?

Does the Commission regard the PRC(cid:146)s use of child labour and its failure to apply environmental
protection standards in any way approaching those of the EU in the production of coke 80+ as an unfair
economic advantage in international trade?

(1) OJ L 141, 15.6.2000, p. 9.

Answer given by Mr Lamy on behalf of the Commission

(8 February 2001)

The Honourable Member is referred to the answer which the Commission gave to oral question H-868/00
asked by Mrs Riis-Jłrgensen at question time during the December 2000 session (1).

In the light of the incontrovertible results of the inquiry into the existence of such dumping and the injury
to the Community industry, and of the conclusions drawn, namely, that the impact of the anti-dumping
measures on end-users would be limited, the Commission decided on 14 December 2000 to impose
definitive anti-dumping measures.

(1) Debates of the European Parliament (December 2000).

(2001/C 174 E/172)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3844/00

by Charles Tannock (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(7 December 2000)

Subject: Filmmaking in the EU

Does the Commission believe that the recent success of Danish cinema holds any lessons either for the
MEDIA programme or for European filmmaking in general, and would EU subsidies be best directed at
films with a broad appeal such as Babette(cid:146)s Feast, The Bear, Belle Epoque and Name of The Rose, rather
than at abstruse arthouse products with very limited appeal? Could the Commission also say whether it
believes that the practice of distributors requiring cinema owners to show a slate of studio-produced films
if they wish to be offered the opportunity to show big Hollywood blockbusters is common within the EU,
and, if so, is it consistent with current competition policy?

19.6.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 174 E/165

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(7 February 2001)

The Commission would like to draw the Honourable Member(cid:146)s attention to the long and distinguished
record of the MEDIA and MEDIA II Programmes and to the MEDIA Plus Programme, which has started on
1 January 2001. These programmes, with a mixture of subsidies and loans, are very firmly targeted at
companies, filmmakers and films which are produced for the widest possible European and international
market. The programme(cid:146)s efforts are particularly aimed at achieving the widest possible circulation for
European films outside of their countries of origin.

Recently the MEDIA II Programme supported some 287 of the 457 European films in exhibition in 1999.
The success of the selection and targeting of the programme is reflected in the fact that while these 287
films represented 62 % of the total number of European films shown in Europe in 1999, they achieved
more than 90 % of the total admissions in the period.

the Media and the Media II programmes shows the widely divergent national
The experience of
characteristics of European film production. Both Babette(cid:146)s Feast (Babettes g(cid:230)stebud, 1987) and Belle
Epoque (1992) were recognised international successes following their winning of an Oscar award. Despite
this, both films were only modest box office successes while a more recent winner, La Vita e Bella, has
dwarfed all four films cited by the Honourable Member at the international Box Office. Other recent
successes such as Todo Sobre Mi Madre, Asterix & Obelix, Festen, Breaking the Waves, Secrets & Lies, and
the Fifth Element have all enjoyed strong support from the MEDIA Programme.

fall within the scope of the
Agreements between distributors and cinema owners can,
competition rules where they have a restrictive impact on competition. The practice described by the
Honourable Member is capable of falling within this category but the Commission does not dispose of
sufficient factual information to draw any conclusion as to whether or not it actually does. In particular,
the Commission is unaware of how widespread the practice is and has received no complaints.

in principle,

(2001/C 174 E/173)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3851/00

by Paulo Casaca (PSE) to the Council

(20 December 2000)

Subject: Early retirement

It has been reported in the press that, at the Ecofin meeting of 8 November, the conclusions of an interim
report drawn up by the Economic Policy Committee ((cid:146)EPC progress report on the impact of ageing
populations on public pensions systems(cid:146), Ecofin 303, 12791/00) were noted and endorsed. One of those
conclusions is that, throughout the European Union, the retirement age will have to be raised and early-
retirement schemes will have to be restricted if pensions schemes are to be sustainable.

This statement had enormous public impact, especially since most of the European (and in particular the
Portuguese) press described it as coming from the (cid:145)European Union(cid:146).

On 22 November I received a Communication Communication (SEC(2000) 2025 final) which contains a
proposal for a Council regulation on early-retirement schemes within the Commission.

To my horror, the purpose of the proposal is not to restrict Commission officials(cid:146) existing access to early-
retirement schemes but, rather, to promote an early-retirement scheme for 600 officials.