WRITTEN QUESTION E-0473/02 by Salvador Garriga Polledo (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Community-related aspects of savings banks.
Date: 2002-02-22
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Commission, Germany, State aid, competition law, control of State aid, national implementing measure, private bank, restriction on competition, savings bank

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Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.2.2003

President of the Federation of Pilots and Aircraft Owners has said, ‘Closing Ellinikon Airport will not only
cause problems for pilot training, it will destroy it completely …’.

What is the Commission’s view about the closure of Ellinikon Airport? Did the Greek authorities consult it
before closing this airport? Is it aware of any other instances in other EU countries in which the opening
of a new airport has led to the closing of an existing one? Which EU capitals have more than one airport?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(4 April 2002)

Decisions on the construction and development of airport infrastructure as well as the allocation of public
funds among airports of a Member State, fall under the responsibility of the authorities of that Member
State. Similarly, decisions on the closure of an airport are also the responsibility of the national authorities
concerned. The Commission is therefore not in a position to comment on the closing down of Hellinikon
airport.

The Commission was not consulted by the Greek authorities before they took the decision to close
Hellinikon airport. There was no obligation or need for the Greek authorities to do so.

The old ‘Riem’ airport of Munich, Germany, was closed down in 1992 when the new ‘Erding’ airport was
opened.

The capitals within the Union which are served by more than one airport are Berlin (Schoenefeld, Tegel,
Tempelhof), Paris (Charles de Gaulle, Orly), Rome (Fiumicino, Ciampino, Urbe), Stockholm (Arlanda,
Bromma, Skavsta) and London (City, Gatwick, Heathrow, Stansted).

(2003/C 28 E/034)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0473/02

by Salvador Garriga Polledo (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Community-related aspects of savings banks

(22 February 2002)

Savings banks are a highly important financial
economic aspects of their activities tiesus of debate.

instrument in the European Union and the social and

The recent complaint made to the European Union by a German private bank concerning the public aid
given to savings banks and the way in which this can distort competition has highlighted the need to
identify the public or private role to be played by savings banks and determine their position within the
Union’s financial framework.

Will the Commission say whether there has been a Community declaration of principle on savings banks
in the various Member States, under what circumstances a savings bank is deemed to be public for
European purposes and whether it feels the time is right to promote the introduction of a single set of
rules as a framework for savings banks to pursue their business without interfering in the activities of
private banking institutions?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(18 April 2002)

The European Banking Federation filed on 21 December 1999 a complaint with the Commission against
the State guarantees Anstaltslast and Gewährträgerhaftung in favour of German public banks, amongst
which German savings banks. On 8 May 2001,
the Commission adopted a recommendation of
appropriate measures in order to adapt this existing aid scheme to comply with the State aid rules of the
EC Treaty, which the German government accepted on 18.7.2001.

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Official Journal of the European Union

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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?