WRITTEN QUESTION P-0743/02 by Francesco Speroni (NI) to the Commission. Discriminatory fees.
Date: 2002-03-08
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU national, Italy, discrimination on the basis of nationality, discriminatory price, equal treatment, infringement procedure (EU), sporting event

29.8.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 205 E/209

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(29 April 2002)

The Portuguese authorities sent to the Commission in 1999 a request for co-financing by the Cohesion
Fund for the Minho-Lima supply and waste water treatment multi-municipal system, which provided for a
dam in the Mouro river ‘Barragem de Lamas de Mouro’ as part of one of its water supply sub-systems.

Given the fact that some subsystems had not yet been totally defined both in technical and environmental
impact assessment terms, the Commission asked the Portuguese authorities to reformulate their proposal.
As a result, some subsystems were retained in the revised request and granted funding in 2001 but not the
one including the dam. It is nevertheless possible that it may eventually be re-submitted at a later stage.

(2002/C 205 E/228)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0743/02

by Francesco Speroni (NI) to the Commission

(8 March 2002)

Subject: Discriminatory fees

Written Question E-0049/02 (1) asked whether it was fair to charge different fees based on place of
residence for the Padua marathon to be held on 28 April 2002 and mentioned the internet site where the
relevant information could be found.

In reply, Commissioner Bolkestein said that the Commission had been unable to locate the information,
perhaps because his services did not navigate further than the home page of the site in question.

The details concerning registration fees can be found by clicking on ‘Welcome’ and then on ‘Technical info’
or by going directly to the address www.maratonasant-antonio.com/eng/home/htm.

Does the Commission consider the charging of different fees to be fair and will it open infringement
proceedings in this matter given that the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) and the Italian
Athletics Federation (FIDAL) are involved?

(1) OJ C 147 E, 20.6.2002.

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(22 April 2002)

As stated in its answer to Written Question E-0049/02 (1), and in the light of the further information
provided by the Honourable Member, the Commission will
look into the possibility of initiating an
infringement procedures against Italy under the terms ofunder Article 226 of the EC Treaty.

The Commission has, moreover, already brought an action before the Court of Justice against Italy for a
failure to fulfil its obligations in the field of the free movement of services (Article 49 of the EC Treaty) on
account of discriminatory prices (charged for entry to certain museums) which are based not just on
nationality but also, as in the case raised by the Honourable Member, on residence.

A future ruling by the Court of Justice in this case (C-388/01) could also therefore be of importance for
situations such as that mentioned in this Written Question.

The Commission would also point out that, in accordance with Court of Justice case law, Community
nationals can invoke the principle of the free movement of services before the national courts.

(1) OJ C 147 E, 20.6.2002.