WRITTEN QUESTION E-0476/02 by Jorge Hernández Mollar (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Greater powers for local authorities.
Date: 2002-02-22
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU regional policy, municipality, regional and local authorities

6.2.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 28 E/31

the Commission responsible for Competition and representatives of

the German
The Member of
government have subsequently agreed on further details regarding the implementation of the appropriate
measures, in particular on transitional arrangements. This agreement formed the basis of an amendment to
the Commission recommendation, adopted on 27 March 2002.

The Commission is convinced that the solution found provides for a future level playing field between
private sector and public sector banks, including savings banks. The latter will be able to restructure their
existing activities and organisation in view of the changed legal and economic environment.

The solution found does not threaten in any way the existence and commercial operations as such of
savings banks in Germany nor other Member States. If Member States feel the need to attribute certain
services of general economic interest or other public tasks to certain credit institutions like savings banks,
they are free to do so in line with the requirements laid down in the EC Treaty,
in particular in
Article 86(2) EC.

The Commission refers in this context also to the following declaration adopted by the European Council
on public credit institutions in Germany at its meeting in Amsterdam on 18 June 1997, which fully
reflects the Commission’s view, and which Luxembourg and Austria declared in the same document to be
fully applicable to their respective credit institutions:

the Community’s existing
The Conference notes the Commission’s opinion to the effect
competition rules allow services of general economic interest provided by public credit institutions
existing in Germany and the facilities granted to them to compensate for the costs connected with
such services to be taken into account in full. In this context, the way in which Germany enables local
authorities to carry out their task of making available in their regions a comprehensive and efficient
financial infrastructure is a matter for the organisation of that Member State. Such facilities may not
adversely affect the conditions of competition to an extent beyond that required in order to perform
these particular tasks and which is contrary to the interests of the Community.

that

The Commission therefore does not see the need for a further declaration of principle on savings banks
nor the introduction of a single set of rules as a framework for their activities in the Common Market,
which are already sufficiently addressed by the existing EC Treaty rules.

(2003/C 28 E/035)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0476/02

by Jorge Hernández Mollar (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(22 February 2002)

Subject: Greater powers for local authorities

The need for Community local authorities to have greater powers so as to provide better public services
has prompted a number of national, regional and local authorities to propose that an agreement be
concluded at European Union level to review the organisational structure local authorities need to provide
in order to improve the quality of life of European citizens.

However incomprehensible it may seem, there has been prolonged and substantial neglect on the part of
the Member States and the European Union of the efforts required to overcome the crisis affecting local
authorities and which are necessary if citizens are to feel fully involved in all the local, regional national
and Community bodies which govern their lives.

Will the Commission promote a study concerning the current situation of Community local authorities, as
a platform for gearing the organisational structure of these authorities to the new requirements of
European citizens in general?

C 28 E/32

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.2.2003

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(23 April 2002)

The Honourable Member’s question is very pertinent at a time when European citizens throughout the
Union are voicing new expectations of the various institutions which govern their lives at local, regional,
national and Community level.

The European Convention has already decided to take full account of
these expectations in its
the Commission is
deliberations, giving particular attention to the principle of subsidiarity. Whilst
interested in a study on the current situation of the Union’s local authorities and in the comparative
analysis of the methods and means which they deploy to meet such expectations, it cannot commit itself
to putting forward a proposal at Community level, and it does not intend to conduct a study on the
subject.

(2003/C 28 E/036)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0486/02

by Christopher Heaton-Harris (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(22 February 2002)

Subject: Civil society

A number of NGOs, under the umbrella term ‘Civil Society’, will be asked to participate in the forthcoming
Convention on the Future of Europe. Would the Commission please give a list of the organisations
participating in the Convention and indicate which of those organisations receive Community funds and
how much they have received for each of the past three years?

Furthermore, which organisations have money ‘earmarked’ and from which budget line to they derive their
funds?

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(18 April 2002)

The Laeken declaration restricted participation in the Convention to the President and two specially
designated Vice-Presidents, and representatives of national Governments, national Parliaments,
the
European Parliament and the Commission along with observers representing the Economic and Social
Committee and the Committee of the Regions and the Ombudsman. Thus, with the exception of the three
representatives of the social partners who enjoy observer status, no non-governmental organisation (NGO)
will take part in the Convention proper.

The Laeken declaration states that ‘In order for the debate to be broadly based and involve all citizens, a
Forum will be opened for organisations representing civil society (the social partners, the business world,
non-governmental organisations, academia, etc)’.

For reasons of principle no list of NGOs invited to take part in the Forum has been produced, as any
European or national organisation wishing to take part in and make a contribution to the Forum will be
able to do so. As and when NGOs make a contribution and thereby become participants in the Forum,
their names and particulars will be put on a regularly up-dated list on the Forum internet site opened by
the Convention (1).

As it is not known, at this stage, which NGOs will make contributions to the Forum, it cannot be said
which ones receive Community grants.

(1) http://european-convention.eu.int.