WRITTEN QUESTION E-0089/01 by Rainer Wieland (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Reverse discrimination against German participants in frequent flyer programmes.
Date: 2001-01-29
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Germany, air freight rate, air transport, free circulation, transport company

C 261 E/38

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.9.2001

(2001/C 261 E/038)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0087/01

by Camilo Nogueira RomÆn (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(29 January 2001)

Subject: Fisheries agreements between Morocco and Japan, Russia, Korea and Norway

At a time when the Community fleet (notably vessels from Galicia, Andalusia and the Canaries)
is
immobilised in port, unable to fish in the Canaries/Saharan waters thanks to the non-renewal of the
fisheries agreement with the Kingdom of Morocco, Morocco itself appears to have entered into new
agreements with Japan, Russia, Korea and Norway. How does the Commission interpret this development,
given the arguments on overfishing of its resources advanced by Morocco to justify not signing a new
fisheries agreement with the EU within the next few years?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(28 February 2001)

To the Commission(cid:146)s knowledge, Morocco has only concluded two other State-to-State fisheries agree-
ments.

Firstly, with Russia, there was an agreement involving access for Russian vessels to fish pelagic resources
such as mackerel, horse mackerel, and sardinella. This agreement expired on 30 November 1999 and has
not been renewed.

Secondly, with Japan, there is an agreement involving 15 longline vessels to fish blue-fin tuna for those
three months of the year when the tuna migrates through Moroccan waters. This agreement expires in
September 2001.

Therefore, it is clear that these two Agreements do not interfere with the Community(cid:146)s past and future
interests and that the one with Japan is the only agreement currently in force.

Moreover, it should be underlined that the fleets involved do not target the same sensitive species with
which Morocco claims to have conservation problems.

(2001/C 261 E/039)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0089/01

by Rainer Wieland (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(29 January 2001)

Subject: Reverse discrimination against German participants in frequent flyer programmes

Is the Commission aware that frequent flyer programmes such as the Star Alliance programme

1.
confer a particular status?

Is the Commission also aware that a distinction is made between participants resident in Germany

2.
and other participants?

Does the Commission take the view that this constitutes reverse discrimination against the German

3.
participants in contrast to citizens of the other Member States of the European Union?

4. What steps, if any, is the Commission planning to take?

18.9.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 261 E/39

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(5 April 2001)

The commercial practice of airlines offering different advantages to loyalty scheme participants depending
on their place of residence does not appear to infringe the provisions of the (cid:145)third air package(cid:146), since
pursuant to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2409/92 of 23 July 1992 on fares and rates for air services (1)
Community air carriers may set passenger air fares freely, and the advantages granted to passengers under
loyalty schemes are an element of such fares.

The Commission has never found that frequent
in breach of
Community competition law. However, in its examination of alliances between airlines the Commission
has identified the combining of the frequent flyer programmes operated by the parties to the alliance as a
factor making it more difficult for third parties to compete with the parties to the alliance and has
proposed remedies to alleviate this effect (2).

flyer programmes are,

in themselves,

(1) OJ L 240, 24.8.1992.
(2) See, for example, Commission notice concerning the alliance between Lufthansa, SAS and United Airlines, OJ C

239, 30.7.1998.

(2001/C 261 E/040)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0101/01

by Brice Hortefeux (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(29 January 2001)

Subject: Changeover to the euro for SMUs and SMIs

The changeover to the single currency presents a real challenge for SMUs, SMIs and extremely small
enterprises, particularly cottage industries. According to a survey by Cap Gemini Ernst & Young, only 25 %
of European firms are currently basing their accounts on the euro. Several studies indicate that many firms,
particularly SMUs, SMIs and cottage industries are not ready for the changeover to the euro. Several ill-
informed firms are even considering waiting until 2002 to start doing their accounting in euro. The
switchover to the euro will, however, be rapid, given that national currencies must be withdrawn from
circulation during the first two weeks of January 2002.

Can the Commission sum up the specific measures it recommends in order to facilitate the

1.
changeover to the euro for SMUs, SMIs and cottage industries?

Is the Commission not concerned that the business sector appears to be lagging behind in its

2.
preparations for the changeover to the euro?

3.
Does the Commission not consider that it should target a practical information campaign at SMUs,
SMIs and the cottage industries to supplement the campaigns which are to be conducted by each Member
State?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(4 April 2001)

1.
The euro impacts on most aspects of a company. As in the case of most companies, small and
medium-sized undertakings and small and medium-sized businesses (SMUs and SMIs) will therefore have to
adapt their computer and accounting systems, for example, consider the consequences for their business
and marketing policy (e.g. new psychological prices), check that their cash registers are compatible (e.g.
whether they can deal with payments involving a mixture of euros and the national currency or whether
they comply with the round-off rules) and inform their staff about the details of the changeover to the
euro (e.g. raise awareness of the new pay slip).