WRITTEN QUESTION E-3516/01 by Christos Folias (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Fragmentation of the single internal market and the responsibilities of the Member States.
Date: 2002-01-08
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EC Directive, Greece, application of EU law, domestic market, national implementing measure

6.6.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 134 E/241

Access will be provided free of charge, or, when a fee is charged, it shall not exceed the minimal cost
involved. Contracting Parties and legal and natural persons under their jurisdiction can be recipients,
including private undertakings. However, access will only be provided for research, breeding and training
for food and agriculture, and recipients can not claim any intellectual property or other rights that limit
the facilitated access. Benefits arising from the use of resources accessed under the multilateral system shall
be shared through exchange of information, access to and transfer of technology, and capacity building.
Moreover, each recipient who commercialises a product that is a plant genetic resource for food and
agriculture and that incorporates material accessed from the multilateral system, shall pay an equitable
share of the benefits arising to a financial mechanism, except where such a product is available without
restriction to others for further research and breeding; in that latter case he shall be encouraged to make
such a payment.

(2002/C 134 E/255)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3516/01

by Christos Folias (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(8 January 2002)

Subject: Fragmentation of the single internal market and the responsibilities of the Member States

According to a report drawn up by the Commission, Greece is lagging furthest behind in the process of
harmonising the internal market and has the biggest backlog of Community legislation to be implemented
with a total of 114 directives yet to be incorporated into national law.

How will the Commission respond to the failure to create the internal market as yet, and to the problems
ensuing therefrom?

How will it deal with the countries which are responsible for the high level of fragmentation of the
internal market that currently exists?

What is the cost to European citizens of the failure to establish the single internal market in due time?

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(8 February 2002)

According to the latest Internal Market Scoreboard (November 2001), Greece has a transposition deficit of
3 %, which corresponds to 44 directives which have not yet been implemented. Even if Greece, although
not alone, still runs the highest deficit of all Member States, its deficit has been considerably reduced
recently. In May 2001, the Greek deficit stood at 4,8 % (or 71 late directives).

The Commission agrees with the Honourable Member that late transposition fragments the Internal Market
and undercuts its ability to create growth and jobs. The Commission systematically launches infringement
proceedings according to Articles 226-228 (ex Articles 169-171) of the EC Treaty once the transposition
deadline has passed. In addition, the ‘naming and shaming’ approach, adopted in the Internal Market
Scoreboard, has been largely effective in that the average transposition deficit has diminished from 6,3 % in
November 1997, when the first Scoreboard was published, to 2 % today. Furthermore, it is expected that a
majority of Member States will meet the target of 98,5 % of directives transposed by March 2002
(Barcelona European Council), as agreed by the Stockholm European Council, on 23 and 24 March 2001.
The Commission would be in favour of the Barcelona European Council fixing an even more ambitious
target for the near future to keep up the pressure on Member States to implement on time.

C 134 E/242

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

6.6.2002

The legal uncertainty created by late transposition carries significant costs to citizens and businesses. The
Commission has no statistics to quantify the overall costs of late transposition. However, it is estimated, for
example, that a correct application of the mutual recognition principle could increase trade by up to 1,8 %
of the Union’s gross domestic product (GDP). It is also estimated that timely transposition and better
application of the Community procurement directives could result in savings in excess of € 50 billion.
While these are only partial estimates, which have to be handled with care, they make it clear that the
effective cost of the current situation is quite substantial for the European economy.

(2002/C 134 E/256)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3531/01

by Ioannis Marínos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(8 January 2002)

Subject: Unemployment statistics

Among the information that ‘Eurostat’ sends by e-mail to the Members on Parliament’s Committee on
Economic and Monetary Affairs are details of the unemployment rates in the Member States. It is with
astonishment, however, that the readers of these statistics note the habitual absence of figures for Greece,
although Greek Ministers often announce the rate of unemployment when taking part in public events.
Why has the EU’s statistical service not reported any figures for the levels of employment in Greece for at
least two years? Do the Greek authorities forward such figures? If so, why are they not published, as I am
informed is the case?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(12 February 2002)

Two sources are used to calculate the seasonally-adjusted monthly unemployment figures disseminated by
Eurostat:

(a)

the labour force survey results (normally quarterly) transmitted by the Member States in accordance
with Council Regulation (EC) No 577/98 of 9 March 1998 on the organisation of a labour force
sample survey in the Community (1);

(b) a monthly indicator (generally the monthly number of people enrolled in the public employment

services).

In the case of Greece, the quarterly labour force survey results are currently available for the period from
the first quarter of 1998 to the second quarter of 2000. Because of the number of quarters surveyed (fewer
than 13), seasonal adjustments are not possible.

Enrolment in public employment services does not seem to be a suitable indicator of unemployment
trends in Greece, and no other monthly indicator is available.

The unemployment rate in Greece (quarterly only) will be disseminated by Eurostat as soon as the labour
force survey results are available for the last quarters of 2000 and the first quarter of 2001.

(1) OJ L 77, 14.3.1998.