WRITTEN QUESTION P-1689/01 by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Validity of the tendering procedure for the privatisation of Olympic Airways.
Date: 2001-06-06
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Greece, State aid, air transport, competition law, invitation to tender, privatisation, transport company

4.12.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 340 E/243

(2001/C 340 E/279)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1689/01

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(6 June 2001)

Subject: Validity of the tendering procedure for the privatisation of Olympic Airways

Concerning the closing date for the tendering procedure relating to the privatisation of Olympic Airways,
the government-appointed consultant has delayed the
for which the closing date was 14 May,
communication of details regarding the tenders submitted by potential buyers. According to newspaper
reports (Eleftherotypia of 19 May 2001 and Kathimerini of 25 May 2001), the tendering arrangements
were accompanied by secondary negotiations by which the potential buyers sought to secure certain
advantages in exchange for purchasing Olympic Airways, such as contracts to supply the armed forces
(with tanks, helicopters and communications equipment) or the purchase under favourable conditions, of
portions of the former Helleniko airport.

Will the Commission examine these extremely serious allegations which, if they prove to be true, would
constitute an infringement of European Union competition rules?

If this is the case, will it intervene to cancel the tendering procedure and ensure that legal, credible and
sustainable solutions to the question of Olympic Airways are found without delay?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(5 July 2001)

The Commission follows closely the developments in the privatisation process. In this context,
it has
informed the Greek authorities by letter of 26 April 2001 that the tender procedure will have to be
examined in the context of the rules of the EC Treaty concerning State aid. Therefore, once a preferred
bidder has been identified by the Greek State and a transaction agreed, a notification of the privatisation
project should follow without further ado. In accordance with procedural rules on State subsidies, any
transaction will have to obtain the Commission(cid:146)s approval on the basis of a complete notification of the
arrangements of the sale, including the purchase price and all issues of transferal of rights and obligations.

The Honourable Member will have already learned that the Greek Government has decided to regard the
second bidding phase as not successful and has invited all pre-selected parties to submit legally binding and
complete bids by 18 June 2001.

(2001/C 340 E/280)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1763/01

by Albert Maat (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(12 June 2001)

Subject: Ill-treatment of conscientious objector

A conscientious objector, Dimitri Meljnitsenko, was recently seriously ill-treated by the Turkmenistan
secret service for having refused to swear an obligatory personal oath of allegiance to the President due to
his Christian convictions. Following the ill-treatment, Dimitri Meljnitsenko was returned to his unit and
there is great uncertainty as to what is to happen with him now.

Is the European Commission aware of this serious violation of human rights? What does the Commission
think it could do to bring pressure to bear on the Turkmenistan authorities to prevent a repetition of such
events in future?