WRITTEN QUESTION E-2910/01 by Karl von Wogau (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Price increases by mobile communications company Viag Interkom in conjunction with conversion to euro.
Date: 2001-10-17
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Monetary System, Germany, euro, mobile phone, price increase

C 115 E/192

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

16.5.2002

(2002/C 115 E/202)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2910/01

by Karl von Wogau (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(17 October 2001)

Subject: Price increases by mobile communications company Viag Interkom in conjunction with

conversion to euro

In converting to the euro, the mobile communications company, Viag Interkom AG, is rounding up its
prices to whole cents of a euro. This means that a ten-minute off-peak local call which cost 50 Pfennig
pre-conversion will cost 30 cents (59 Pfennig) post-conversion.

Is the Commission aware of similar cases of price increases as a result of the conversion to the single
currency?

Does the Commission take the view that it is not only appropriate but essential with small amounts to
round off to several decimal places, particularly when companies use amounts with decimals in their
advertising?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(17 December 2001)

The conversion rules set out in Article 5 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1103/97 of 17 June 1997 on
certain provisions relating to the introduction of the euro (1) apply to ‘monetary amounts to be paid or
accounted for’. Since telephone units are not caught by that definition, the increase from 50 pfennigs to
30 cents in Viag Interkom AG’s call units must be regarded as a pure price increase and not as an instance
of the conversion rules being applied. It is for the market to sanction abusive price increases.

With regard to the general problem of converting contracts based on small unitary amounts,
the
Commission shares the Honourable Member’s view and considers that as many decimal places as possible
should be retained after conversion: there is no obligation at European level to round off the result of the
conversion.

(1) OJ L 162, 19.6.1997.

(2002/C 115 E/203)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2915/01

by Pere Esteve (ELDR) to the Commission

(17 October 2001)

Subject: Public service declaration under Regulation (EC) 2408/92

For the inhabitants of the island of Minorca, air transport is not a luxury but a basic necessity.

Over the period 1996-2001 alone, the fare for residents (who qualify for a 33 % discount) for the route
Minorca-Palma has increased by 41,58 % (from ESP 12 000 to ESP 16 990).

EEC Regulation 2408/92 (1) states: ‘A Member State (…) may impose a public service obligation in respect
of scheduled air services to an airport serving a peripheral or development region in its territory or on a
thin route to any regional airport in its territory, any such route being considered vital for the economic
development of the region in which the airport is located’.

Nonetheless, under Article 103 of the 1997 Spanish Law on Administrative Fiscal Measures and Social
Order, it is for the Spanish national government to make public service declarations pursuant to the EEC
regulation cited above.