WRITTEN QUESTION E-2361/01 by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission. Increase in Italian payment card charges and the euro.
Date: 2001-08-06
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Italy, additional duty, bank, competition law, electronic money, euro

16.5.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 115 E/65

Joint answer
to Written Questions E-2359/01 and E-2362/01
given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(29 October 2001)

The Commission is currently not able, on the basis of the elements at this stage in its possession, to take a
position as to the compatibility of the system referred to with Community law. It has however very
recently received a complaint in this regard, which it is examining.

In assessing compliance with the Community rules,
framework on the one hand and the activities of companies within this framework on the other hand.

it is useful to distinguish between the legislative

The Member States have a duty to put in place legislation that is compatible with Community law. As a
general principle, the Commission seeks to ensure that the internal market and competition function
properly while fully respecting the legislative goal of high levels of environmental protection.

The decisions in the DSD case and in the Eco-Emballages case concerned the agreements set up by and the
activities of companies running a recycling system for used sales packaging. The Commission has sought
to ensure that
In the markets examined the
Commission found that the existing operators should neither practice unjustified exclusivity clauses nor
impose other unjustified constraints which hinder the market entry of competitors.

the existing operators do not prevent competition.

In order to better understand the circumstances referred to by the Honourable Members, the Commission
will contact the Italian authorities (including the Italian competition authority) to inform them of the
queries raised by the Honourable Members and obtain their preliminary reaction in this regard.

(2002/C 115 E/069)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2361/01

by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission

(6 August 2001)

Subject: Increase in Italian payment card charges and the euro

In the run-up to entry into force of the single currency, various professional organisations in the business
world in Italy are accusing banks of anti-competitive behaviour and protesting at the indifference of the
Italian central bank regarding the legitimacy or otherwise of the higher charges, 0,53 % as opposed to the
previous 0,2 %, levied on purchases made with a payment card (‘Bancomat’) or credit card. It has been
calculated that the additional cost to firms resulting from this increase will amount to some Lit 600 billion
a year, a figure which could easily rise, given that once the euro has been introduced, payment cards will
be used more widely because it will be more convenient to do so.

The Commission:

1. Can it say whether payment card charges have also increased in the other Member States?

2. Can it supply a comparative table of charges on payment card purchases in the euro area countries?

3.

4.

Is there a difference between the situation in the euro area countries and the situation in countries
outside the area?

Is it not the case that, by increasing the charges at the same time and by the same rate, the banks are
acting in the manner of a cartel and hence in an anti-competitive fashion?

C 115 E/66

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

16.5.2002

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(17 October 2001)

It should be noted that the fact of charging traders a commission on payment card purchases does not in
itself constitute a restriction of competition.

The charges levied on traders are negotiated with the payment-card operators (banks or credit card
companies) with reference to the existing business climate. The Commission does not have access to such
data or any related information.

The situation referred to by the Honourable Member is currently being examined from a competition law
perspective by the body responsible for competition in the banking sector, namely the Bank of Italy.

(2002/C 115 E/070)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2373/01

by Olivier Dupuis (TDI) to the Commission

(8 August 2001)

Subject: Extraordinary operation to receive Chechen refugees living in inhuman conditions in both

Chechnya and Ingushetia

In the wake of a recent decision by the German authorities on Chechen refugees requesting political
asylum in Germany, all refugees who have been refused asylum-seeker status are to be deported to their
country of origin. That decision follows a statement by the German Minister for the Interior considering
fears of reprisals by Russian military and paramilitary forces against deportees to be unfounded.
Consequently, the repatriation of people seeking political asylum is no longer to be deemed an anti-
humanitarian act.

Nevertheless, numerous reports from Chechnya point to an extremely worrying humanitarian situation
with a growing shortage of supplies and drugs, a lack of hospitals and outbreaks of epidemics. Even more
seriously, a number of reports by the media and by NGOs speak of systematic and extremely severe acts of
violence committed by Russian occupation forces, both military and paramilitary, and in particular the
constant harassment of civilians living in the area, a large number of summary executions, widespread use
of torture and abduction of civilians, including for purposes of extortion.

Can the Commission provide information on the number of Chechens granted refugee status in each of
the 15 EU member countries? Does the Commission not believe that,
the tragic
humanitarian situation in Chechnya, the Union should launch an extraordinary operation ? along the
lines of the action taken for Bosnia ? to receive all Chechen refugees living in inhuman conditions in both
Chechnya and Ingushetia, who would be distributed fairly among the 15 Member States?

in the face of

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(22 October 2001)

The asylum statistics made available to the Commission indicate only nationality without specifying ethnic
origin.

Russians were not listed among the top 10 nationalities requesting asylum in EU Member States in 1999,
whilst in 2000 they were ranked eighth. Neither in 1999 nor 2000 were they among the top 10
nationalities to receive a favourable response to their applications for international protection. In the first
quarter of 2001,
incomplete data showed that Russians were the seventh largest national group of
applicants for asylum in the European Union.