WRITTEN QUESTION E-3418/01 by Ioannis Marínos (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Respect for linguistic diversity in Europe.
Date: 2001-12-21
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Union, European cultural event, Greece, competence of the Member States, language teaching, linguistic group, multilingualism

20.6.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 147 E/173

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(26 February 2002)

The Commission thanks the Honourable Member for his update on the Greek legal situation in Greece
concerning sales below cost. The Commission was aware of the new ban on sales below cost that was
introduced in that Member State as of 1 October 2001.

The Honourable Member refers to the Commission’s proposal for a regulation on sales promotions in the
Internal Market (1) which proposes to lift general bans on sales below cost and replace them with strict
information requirements.

The Commission recognises that, under certain circumstances, sales below cost can be used to prevent
entry or incite exit in a market. Such predatory pricing is illegal under competition law in all Member
States. However, sales below cost campaigns can also be pro-competitive. Product or service suppliers
seeking to enter a foreign market where their brand is not known will resort to temporary loss-leading
campaigns to establish a foothold. Likewise, innovative products or services competing with existing lines,
often have to resort to such loss-leading campaigns to get clients or customers to try the new improved
product or service.

The Commission therefore considers that such bans should be liberalised subject to strict information and
transparency requirements. It wishes to ensure that loss-leading campaigns can continue to be used to
stimulate competition by breaking into non-domestic existing markets or developing new product or
service markets. It has therefore proposed that sales below costs should be allowed but that these should
be made subject to strict information and transparency requirements that would help for more effective
application of anti-trust law in this area.

The Honourable Member questions why the Commission feels obliged to harmonise this area instead of
In response the Commission wishes to point out that before
applying the principle of subsidiarity.
proposing this Regulation,
regulatory issues on sales
the Commission discussed these and other
promotions within the Expert Group on commercial communications made up of experts nominated by
the Member States. That Expert Group recognised and made public its opinion that differing national
regulations in this field would give rise to Internal Market barriers. It is the Commission’s view that these
differences in national laws limiting the value of discounts not only prevent companies from undertaking
cross-border sales promotion campaigns but also reduce cross-border price transparency following the
introduction of the Euro.

This undermines consumer confidence in cross-border trade which prevents the internal market working
to the full benefit of both businesses and consumers. For these reasons the Commission believes that it is
justified in proposing this harmonisation to achieve the Internal Market in this field of sales promotions.

(1) COM(2001) 546 final.

(2002/C 147 E/180)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3418/01

by Ioannis Marínos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(21 December 2001)

Subject: Respect for linguistic diversity in Europe

2001 was designated the ‘European Year of Languages’. Since its inception, the Union has shown a keen
interest in maintaining linguistic diversity in Europe and a large part of its budget is spent on translation
and interpretation to facilitate the use of the 11 official languages of the Union.

It is well known that tens of thousands of Pomaks live in Greece. The majority are Muslims who speak
their own language which has survived the passage of
is a language used for everyday
communication with an alphabet, grammatical rules and spelling rules. Educational books have also been
published in Pomak for the use of primary school children. However, no provision is made within the
official Greek education system to teach Pomak, which is condemning the language to extinction.

time.

It

C 147 E/174

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.6.2002

Does the Commission have any information as to the total number of Pomaks living in Europe? What is
the Commission’s view of the possibility of teaching the Pomak language in schools in the areas in which
Pomaks live? What is the Commission’s view of the fact that the Greek Ministry for Education requires
Pomak children to be taught Turkish, in addition to the official language, Greek, although they are neither
of Turkish origin nor do many wish to learn the language or be considered Turkish, as Turkish
propaganda would have it?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(5 February 2002)

Respect for cultural and linguistic diversity is one of the cornerstones of the Union, now enshrined in
Article 21 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights. In the Commission’s opinion, the rights of persons
belonging to minorities are part of the principles common to the Member States,
listed in the first
paragraph of Article 6 of the Treaty on European Union.

The Commission does not have any definite figures on the number of Pomak speakers in Europe. A study
of minority language communities in Spain, Portugal and Greece conducted on behalf of the Commission
in 1988 by Miquel Siguan of the University of Barcelona (1) indicated that an estimated 27 000 Pomak
speakers lived in Greece in 1971, and this would appear to tally with other estimates, which range from
20 000 to 30 000.

Any language can be taught in schools. However, article 149 of the EC Treaty provides that that action by
the Community in the field of education must fully respect ‘the responsibility of the Member States for the
content of teaching and the organisation of education systems and their cultural and linguistic diversity’.

In its own sphere of competence, the Union has taken action to promote linguistic diversity. One of the
principal objectives of the European Year of Languages 2001, a joint initiative of the Union and the
Council of Europe, was to raise awareness of linguistic diversity and the importance of language learning.
In addition to a Europe-wide information campaign, the Union has also financed a wide variety of projects
promoting the aims of the year, many of which involve regional and minority languages. The Union also
cofinances the European Bureau for Lesser Used Languages and the Mercator information network whose
purpose is to disseminate information on and raise awareness of the regional and minority languages of
Europe.

(1) Linguistic Minorities in the European Union: Spain, Portugal and Greece, OPOCE, Luxembourg, 1990, ISBN 92-

826-0375-X.

(2002/C 147 E/181)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3422/01

by Gerard Collins (UEN) to the Council

(13 December 2001)

Subject: The Belgian Presidency and actions for SMUs and micro-undertakings

Will the Council indicate the measures it has taken under the Belgian Presidency aimed at promoting the
development of small and medium-sized undertakings and micro-undertakings during the last six months,
in particular those of advantage to less-developed and island regions, and will it state what initiatives in
this area will need to be further considered during the Spanish Presidency?

Reply

(18 March 2002)

1.
In line with the conclusions of the Lisbon European Council, the Belgian Presidency made SMEs, in
particular small enterprises and start-ups, a central concern. Under the Belgian Presidency numerous events