WRITTEN QUESTION E-3179/01 by Herbert Bösch (PSE) to the Commission. Report on State aid granted in the cable-car and ski-lift sector.
Date: 2001-11-20
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: State aid, cable transport, control of State aid, data collection, mountain region, report

C 229 E/6

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

26.9.2002

(2002/C 229 E/004)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3179/01

by Herbert Bösch (PSE) to the Commission

(20 November 2001)

Subject: Report on State aid granted in the cable-car and ski-lift sector

At its meeting of 10 and 11 April 2001 the Committee on Petitions considered Petition No 949/98 by
Mr Giorgio Rigo concerning subsidies for ski-lift operators and environmental hazards.

When it was dealing with the petition in August and September 1999, the Commission referred to a
report on State aid granted in the cable-car and ski-lift sector, which apparently already existed in initial
the
form. When I asked in the Committee on Petitions whether I could obtain this report,
draft
Commission official promised to send it
to me within a few days. Unfortunately, despite repeated
telephone enquiries, I have still not received the report.

1.

Has the report now been completed?

2. What conclusions are to be drawn regarding the State aid granted in the cable-car and ski-lift sector?

Did the research in preparation for the report uncover any questionable uses of aid? If so, to what

3.
ski-lift or cable-car installations do these cases relate, and what amounts of subsidies are involved?

4. Which provinces or regions grant subsidies for the construction and modernisation of ski-lift
installations? What is the view of Mr Monti, the Member of the Commission responsible for competition?

5.

Has the Commission already responded to the findings of the report? If so, what action has it taken?

Given that one of the aims of its internal reform is to increase transparency, could the Commission

6.
send me the report without further delay? If not, why not?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(8 February 2002)

1.
The information provided by the Member States, in reply to the Commission’s inquiry, presented a
scattered and fragmented picture so that no report in a proper sense could be drawn up. The Member of
the Commission in charge, therefore, did not think it opportune to continue this exercise.

2.

Because of the incomplete nature of the data provided no generally valid conclusions can be drawn.

The information provided presented a scattered and fragmented picture which did not allow to

3.
conclude on possible questionable uses of aid.

4.
Ski regions grant subsidies for the construction or modernisation of cable-car and ski-lift installations
but the situation described under point two makes an overall picture impossible. Of course it is in the view
of the Commission that in any granting of subsidies the Competition rules have to be respected.

5.
Because of the situation described under point two the Commission could not respond to any
findings. The actions taken by the Commission address notified cases and complaints filed with the
Commission.

As already said, since the nature of the data is very incomplete no conclusions could be drawn and

6.
no report as such has been made.