WRITTEN QUESTION E-1640/01 by Robert Goebbels (PSE) to the Commission. Advance distribution of euros to the general public.
Date: 2001-06-12
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: euro, euro area, supply

11.12.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 350 E/205

(2001/C 350 E/224)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1638/01

by Robert Goebbels (PSE) to the Commission

(12 June 2001)

Subject: Decision of the Ecofin Council in Versailles

The Commission, the Council and the European Central Bank are still using the Ecofin (cid:145)decision(cid:146) banning
the circulation of banknotes before 1 January 2002 as the pretext for their refusal to supply the public
with euros in advance. Since the Ecofin in Versailles was an informal meeting of Economic and Finance
Ministers and the Treaty does not grant any decision-making power to Councils meeting informally, how
lawful is the decision which the Commission, the Council and the ECB are using as the basis for opposing
the advance distribution of a reasonable amount of small denominations to the general public before
1 January 2002?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(20 July 2001)

The declarations published after an Ecofin Council (cid:129) be it formal or informal (cid:129) are political undertakings.
Deciding whether or not to issue banknotes to the public in advance is a political act which requires
consensus in the Council and the agreement of the ECB, which is responsible for putting the notes into
circulation. The informal Ecofin Council is an appropriate forum for such debates since all the authorities
concerned are present. The Versailles decision was taken after a long discussion within that forum.

(2001/C 350 E/225)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1640/01

by Robert Goebbels (PSE) to the Commission

Subject: Advance distribution of euros to the general public

(12 June 2001)

The action group (cid:145)Euro 50 Group(cid:146), chaired by Mr Edmond AlphandØry, former French Minister for
Economic and Financial Affairs, has just met in Berlin to assess how prepared the euro zone is for the
introduction of the common currency on 1 January 2002. It was ascertained that most of the cash
dispensers in the countries concerned have only two drawers for the denominations to be distributed. In
real terms this means that the dispensers will not be able to supply € 5 and € 10 notes as well as € 20 and
€ 50 notes. It is these large denominations which will be distributed to the public. This situation is likely to
lead to a shortage of small denominations at the beginning of 2002, which will make the task of
commerce more difficult when the euro is introduced.

Why is the Commission not willing to allow the general public to acquire in advance, for example between
Christmas 2001 and 1 January 2002, a set of two € 5 banknotes and one € 10 banknote, by analogy with
the set of coins worth a total of € 20 which the general public will be able to obtain in the various
countries before the end of December 2001?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(18 July 2001)

A great majority of cash dispensers have four drawers in eight of the twelve Member States concerned and
will thus be able to dispense small notes without any particular difficulty (five and/or 10 euro notes).
Irrespective of the number of drawers, small notes will be available in most cash dispensers in all the
Member States concerned except Finland, Greece and Luxembourg. Several Member States have also
decided to take extra measures in order to provide the public with small banknotes, such as setting up
specific cash points (L), paying social security amounts in small denominations (IRL), payment in small

C 350 E/206

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

11.12.2001

denominations of pensions and wages by the postman (GR). The agreement concluded by the Commission
and the European banking associations on 19 February 2001 also provides that ordinary withdrawals in
banks will systematically be paid out in small notes.

As regards providing the public with notes in advance, the Finance Ministers and the Central European
Bank decided against it at the informal Ecofin Council meeting held in Versailles in October 2000.

(2001/C 350 E/226)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1660/01

by Minerva Malliori (PSE) to the Commission

(1 June 2001)

Subject: Destruction of the Amazonian rainforests

The programme for the economic development of Brazil (Avan(cid:231)a Brasil) is on a collision course with
initiatives to protect the Amazonian rainforests.

institute for space research, some 19 600 km2 of
According to the annual report of Brazil(cid:146)s national
tropical forests, or 0,56 % of the total area, were destroyed in 2000. This is the heaviest deforestation since
1995. In less than 50 years the Brazilian Amazonian rainforests have shrunk by 551 000 km2. This has not
deterred the Brazilian government from planning a substantive increase in the overall area of tropical
forests where logging is permitted and also insisting on the construction of new electricity generating
plants in forest areas.

Given the principles of sustainability and prevention and the fact that the European Union, together with
the G7 countries, has provided € 359 million for a pilot project to protect and preserve this green lung of
the world, will
the
Amazonian rainforest countries can pursue an environmentally sound policy to manage the tropical
forests? Will it also say whether it intends to help protect the indigenous population which has almost
disappeared owing to the destruction being inflicted on the Amazonian rainforests?

intends to take specific action to ensure that

the Commission say whether it

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(20 June 2001)

The main objective of the Brazilian government(cid:146)s (cid:145)Programa Avan(cid:231)a Brasil(cid:146), is the modernisation of the
country. Environment is a major priority area in Brazilian politics. Commission will follow closely the
developments of this programme in order to ensure that it has no detrimental effects on the environment.

The protection of the environment is also one of the main priority areas in the bilateral co-operation with
Brazil. Environmental protection is a strategy well defined in the Country Strategy Paper for Brazil adopted
by the developing countries (cid:129) Latin America and Asia (PVD-ALA) committee in October 1998. The
Commission has made a preliminary provision for co-operation in the field of the environment in the
guidelines for multiannual co-operation with Brazil between 2000-2006.

Concerning the Amazon rainforest itself, the Commission is playing an important role in the Pilot
Programme for the Conservation of the Brazilian Rainforests (PPG7). This programme represents a unique
experiment made up of a partnership which includes the Brazilian government, the World Bank, the group
of seven most industrialised countries (G7) and the Commission. Of the € 100 million that are presently
being dedicated to Community-Brazil co-operation on environment, the PPG7 is benefiting from € 80
million. The Commission is determined to continue making efforts to improve this programme. Thus the
Commission is participating in the mid-term review of the PPG7 and the Conference of Donors and
Participants.