WRITTEN QUESTION E-0340/01 by Giovanni Pittella (PSE) to the Commission. Security of energy supply.
Date: 2001-02-13
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Italy, cessation of trading, competence of the Member States, energy supply, petroleum exploration, security of supply

21.8.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 235 E/181

Agreement was also reached on reviving the European monitoring centre for children, setting up an
emergency phone number for children suffering abuse and drawing up a European code of ethics
concerning the quality of audio-visual programmes.

Looking ahead to the world summit for children to be held in New York in September 2001, what steps
does the Commission intend to take to put into effect the decisions reached at the ministers(cid:146) meeting of
20 November 2000, in order that Europe can be seen to be leading the way with regard to policies to
protect children and promote the family?

Anwer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(8 May 2001)

On 20 November 2000 in Paris EU Ministers responsible for children(cid:146)s matters agreed on a common
action plan including undertakings for children(cid:146)s rights, and notably the establishment of tools for the
operational
follow-up. Taken the inter-governmental context of the agreed results of the ministerial
meeting, the Commission will not undertake any specific initiative.

In spite of a very large number of interventions of relevance for children there is currently no explicit or
formalised EC policy focus on childrens(cid:146) issues. Especially in the field of humanitarian aid the issue of
children in conflicts is given special attention. The Commission will however participate in co-ordination
with the Member States in the preparatory process and Special Session for Children and will submit to the
Special Session a factual document providing an overview of its activities in support of children, including
in the field of development co-operation.

(2001/C 235 E/213)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0340/01

by Giovanni Pittella (PSE) to the Commission

(13 February 2001)

Subject: Security of energy supply

The Commission(cid:146)s recent report (of 29 November 2000) opens up a new and searching debate on the
(cid:145)security of energy supply(cid:146), stressing the negative prospects for the energy dependency of EU countries in
the next 30 years, not least in view of the forthcoming enlargement to include countries which do not
have significant natural and/or energy resources. The Commission forecasts that in the next 20 or 30 years
energy imports will increase by 20 % (from 50 % at present to 70 %). In 1999 they amounted to € 240
billion (ITL 500 000 billion), equivalent to 6 % of total imports. At present 45 % of oil imports come from
the Middle East and 40 % of gas imports from Russia. A substantial fall in the demand for hydrocarbons
from 41 % at present to 38 % by 2030 is forecast.

Against this background Abruzzo (where the first oil well in Italy was drilled at Tocco a Casauria in 1863
(cid:129) the third in the whole world after the US and Romania) has an underestimated oil-producing potential.
The recent promising discovery of petroleum deposits in C. da Lazzaretto (between Francavilla and
Ortona), currently at the experimental stage, confirms that oil exploration in the whole area is of interest
and it is not clear how ENI can maintain a large proportion of the prospecting licences without investing
in exploration activities, in effect paralysing a situation which could produce positive results.

AGIP(cid:146)s Ortona oilfield is important not only for jobs, but above all for the industries dependent on oil.
There are almost 500 people working there and in the last thirty years a whole production and economic
system has grown up, including hotels, which revolves around it.

C 235 E/182

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

21.8.2001

ENI has announced that the oilfield is being dismantled (the employees have been informed unofficially
and the process of cancelling supply contracts with a number of firms has been launched). A few days ago,
a meeting was held on the initiative of the Italian Ministry for Industry during which the company
announced that the plan was currently being suspended, pending definitive information concerning the oil
deposit found near Ortona. It is supposed to be of substantial size, and oil has been found at a depth of
4 500 metres rather than 5 000 metres as envisaged when drilling started.

In the light of the above can the Commission and on its behalf the President, Romano Prodi, say what
measures it intends to take to ensure that the aims set out in its recent report are not compromised by
decisions such as that announced by ENI, currently suspended, with regard to the Ortona oilfield?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(4 April 2001)

Directive 94/22/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 1994 on the conditions for
granting and using authorisations for the prospection, exploration and production of hydrocarbons (1),
which covers the upstream area of
is intended solely to ensure non-
the oil and gas industries,
discriminatory access for all companies (regardless of their nationality or public or private nature) to
hydrocarbon prospecting, exploring and extracting activities without diminishing the Member States(cid:146) rights
to decide which area should be opened up to exploration/production, what level of taxation to apply, etc.

This being the case the Commission cannot intervene on the matter raised in respect of the Ortona oil
field.

(1) OJ L 164, 30.6.1994.

(2001/C 235 E/214)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0343/01

by Antonio Di Pietro (ELDR) to the Commission

(6 February 2001)

Subject: Charging of compound interest

The Commission has an ambivalent attitude to the question of banking activities in Italy. On the one hand,
in its communication of 30 November 2000 it dismisses the justification for Petition No234/2000 by
Mr Gianni Colangelo on behalf of ADUSBEF on the practice followed by Italian banks of charging
compound interest on loans, by making a series of erroneous statements.

The first concerns Article 1283 of the Italian civil code which, it maintains, regulates the question of
compound interest in Italy. In fact, Article 1283 of the civil code does not regulate, but prohibits the
charging of compound interest in normal lending activities. According to Decision No 87/103/EEC (1) of
12 December 1986 and Bank of Italy provision No 12 of 3 December 1994, the charging of compound
interest is a product of a bank cartel agreement.

The second error concerns the reference to Article 25 of legislative decree No 342/99 of 4 August 1999,
legitimising compound interest which, being prohibited by article 1283 of the civil code contrary to what
the Commission maintains, benefits only banks, as is self-evident from a reading of the text of the
provision.

On the other hand, the Commission considers admissible the complaint against law No 108/96 laying
down provisions prohibiting usury,
lodged with the Commission on 15 December 2000 as protocol
15860 by the ABI and AIBE, although it is clear that not only does this law not run counter to the
provisions of the Treaty and Directives 89/646/EEC (2) and 89/647/EEC (3), but, being intended to protect
consumers, is being infringed by the banks by means of a cartel agreement which prevents borrowers from
paying off early or renegotiating fixed-rate loans.