WRITTEN QUESTION P-0266/02 by Sir Robert Atkins (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Preparation for the European Council meeting Barcelona.
Date: 2002-02-01
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Council, Internet, access to information, communications policy, telephone charges

18.7.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 172 E/169

(2002/C 172 E/177)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0265/02

by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(1 February 2002)

Subject: Corrections imposed on each Member State in the context of the EAGGF, Guarantee Section

What was the amount of the corrections imposed on each Member State per year, from 1997 to 2000, in
the context of the EAGGF, Guarantee Section?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(18 March 2002)

The table below shows the corrections made by the EAGGF Guarantee Section to expenditure declared by
Member States. As requested the breakdown is by Member State and year.

Belgium

Germany

Denmark

Spain

France

Greece

Ireland

Italy

Luxembourg

Netherlands

Portugal

Finland

Sweden

United Kingdom

Austria

Summary of corrections by Member State:

Financial year

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

10,2

26,1

0,1

152,8

81,0

58,2

2,9

265,0

0,0

7,7

4,6

0,0

0,0

41,2

0,0

10,2

21,8

4,6

9,7

78,5

14,7

4,5

99,3

0,3

9,0

5,1

0,0

0,0

50,0

0,0

Total

649,8

307,7

0,9

33,7

2,0

233,6

107,3

104,7

7,8

115,2

0,0

18,9

27,9

0,0

0,3

105,5

0,0

757,8

3,2

41,1

30,2

18,3

231,6

98,6

21,3

98,1

1,3

3,0

29,5

4,3

0,5

42,6

0,8

624,4

2,2

24,9

0,0

355,0

40,2

107,4

1,5

22,3

0,0

0,0

2,2

0,0

0,3

- 13,2

0,0

542,8

Total expenditure declared

32 579,2

31 838,1

34 311,2

36 259,2

39 528,7

Correction percentage

1,99

0,97

2,21

1,72

1,37

(2002/C 172 E/178)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0266/02

by Sir Robert Atkins (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Preparation for the European Council meeting Barcelona

(1 February 2002)

The 2000 Lisbon European Council called on ‘the Member States, together with the Commission, to work
towards introducing greater competition in local access networks before the end of 2000 and unbundling

C 172 E/170

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.7.2002

the local loop in order to help bring about a substantial reduction in the costs of using the Internet’. What
cost reductions for Internet use have been achieved in the EU since the Lisbon Summit?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(6 March 2002)

A list of Internet access prices in Member States in March 2000, at the time of the Lisbon European
Council (23 and 24 March 2000), and in August 2001, which are the latest data currently available is sent
directly to the Honourable Member and to Parliament’s Secretariat. These data show that prices across the
Community have dropped by between 19 % and 37 %, depending on how intensively the Internet is used.
It is usually considered that among the four sets of data the 20h off-peak use and the 40h peak use are the
most relevant figures, the former corresponding to a ‘typical’ private household and the latter to a ‘typical’
business user.

The Honourable Member should be aware, however, that due to the large number of tariff schemes
available both for access calls and subscriptions to Internet service providers (ISPs), a comprehensive
analysis of prices for Internet access is not feasible. The data in the above-mentioned list relate to the
lowest prices applied by the largest
in
accordance with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) methodology. The
prices applied by alternative telecommunications operators and ISPs may differ from those indicated, and
in particular may well be lower.

telecommunications operator for each usage profile chosen,

It should also be borne in mind that Regulation (EC) No 2887/2000 of the Parliament and of the Council
of 18 December 2000 on unbundled access to the local loo (1) came into force only at the beginning of
2001. Given the time necessary for competitors to invest in equipment and roll out their infrastructure,
the main impact of local loop unbundling on prices will not be felt immediately. The Commission has also
pointed out in its Seventh Implementation Repor (2) that the take-up of unbundled local loops has sofar
been disappointing across the Community. It should in this context be noted that other regulatory or
market action, such as the introduction of flat rate interconnection offerings, is likely to have an impact on
the price of access. The Commission is following these developments with great attention, in particular in
the light of its intention to promote broadband.

(1) OJ L 336, 30.12.2000.
(2) COM(2001) 706 final.

(2002/C 172 E/179)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0267/02

by Christopher Beazley (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(1 February 2002)

Subject: Preparation for the European Council meeting in Barcelona

The 2000 Lisbon European Council called on ‘the Member States to ensure that all schools in the Union
have access to the Internet and multimedia resources by the end of 2001’. Was this target achieved, and
how is the Commission monitoring progress?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(11 March 2002)

Most of the targets set by the Lisbon European Council (23 and 24 March 2000) were embedded in the
eEurope 2002 Action Plan which was endorsed by the Feira European Council (19 and 20 June 2000).