WRITTEN QUESTION E-1257/02 by Alejandro Cercas (PSE) to the Commission. Minimum wage within the EU.
Date: 2002-05-06
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: competence of the Member States, economic and social cohesion, labour market, marginalisation, minimum pay, poverty, social integration

C 277 E/170

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

14.11.2002

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(14 June 2002)

After the tragic events in the United States on 11 September 2001, the French government has taken air
safety measures resulting in various air access prohibitions and air access restrictions above large cities and
above specific sites.

In this respect, the control of the airspace above the nuclear site of La Hague has been delegated to the
military air defence and this airspace has been organised in two different areas, according to the vicinity to
the site.

In order to help airspace users based on aerodromes located close to the concerned sites, these restrictions
have been alleviated since 13 April 2002 and aeronautical information has been updated accordingly.

For the time being, according to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Convention signed in
Chicago in 1944, airspace and safety management is under the responsibility of the different States which
organise themselves at a national level.

This may lead to some difficulties when measures are taken close to the national borders. That is one of
the reasons why the Commission has presented a package of proposals on air traffic management designed
to create a single European sky by 31 December 2004 in order to move toward a more efficient and safer
airspace that will be managed at the Community level.

Nevertheless,
this regulation will not prevent Member States from adopting or applying measures
warranted by serious internal disturbances affecting the maintenance of law and order, in the event of war,
serious international tension constituting a threat of war, or in order to carry out obligations they have
accepted for the purpose of maintaining peace and international security.

(2002/C 277 E/193)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1257/02

by Alejandro Cercas (PSE) to the Commission

(6 May 2002)

Subject: Minimum wage within the EU

Two of the requirements of the European Social Model and the Lisbon Process are a cohesion framework
and minimum income thresholds to combat poverty and promote social inclusion. However, it is quite
obvious from recent data on minimum wages in various EU countries that some workers are in effect
legally condemned to poverty.

Will the Commission provide up-to-date figures on minimum wages in the EU Member States? Should
there actually be workers on the poverty threshold, is any action to be taken in order to improve their
situation?

Answer given by Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(14 June 2002)

The Commission would inform the Honourable Member that according to the data concerning minimum
wages in the Union collected each year by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities,
among the nine Member States obliged to respect a national statutory minimum wage, the minimum wage
ranged from € 406 to € 1 290 per month in February 2002 (1).

14.11.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 277 E/171

the Commission would draw the
As regards the policy to combat poverty and social exclusion,
Honourable Member’s attention to the fact that, based on the conclusions of the Lisbon European Council
(March 2000), the open method of coordination was introduced during 2000 and 2001. The approach
adopted is based on the principle of subsidiarity and favours extensive decentralisation: the general
guidelines are drawn up jointly for the Union as a whole, but translating these guidelines into concrete
policies remains the responsibility of the authorities at national, regional and local levels.

In this context, an action framework has been set up for increased cooperation between Member States.
It is based on national action plans to be submitted by the Member States every two years and should lead
to improved knowledge all round, the development of exchanges of information and better assessment of
the effectiveness of anti-exclusion policies.

Analysis of the first national plans submitted in June 2001, one of the aims of which is to promote access
for all to sustainable, high-quality jobs, shows that employment remains the best protection against
poverty and exclusion. Despite this, problems persist for those in a precarious situation on the job market
or in poor-quality jobs, as demonstrated by the fact that 6 % of employees were living below the poverty
line in 1997 (compared with 38 % of the unemployed and 25 % of the non-active population).

The Barcelona European Council (March 2002) asked Member States to set targets in their national action
plans for substantially reducing, by the year 2010, the number of persons threatened by poverty and social
exclusion.

In this process, it is not up to the Commission to prescribe concrete measures for achieving these targets.
This is up to the Member States. The Commission will fully assume its role as regards lending support to
exchange and cooperation initiatives undertaken at European level and evaluating progress made in
eradicating poverty and exclusion.

(1) Belgium, Greece, Spain, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and the United Kingdom. For more
‘http://europa.eu.int/comm/eurostat’, under the collection:

details see ‘minimum wages’ at Eurostat’s web site:
Statistics in Focus, theme: Population and Social Conditions.

(2002/C 277 E/194)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1265/02

by Carlos Bautista Ojeda (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

Subject: Date for the Third Road Safety Action Plan

(26 April 2002)

For more than a year now, various transport organisations have been wondering when the start date will
be for the Commission’s Third Road Safety Action Plan, since it appears that, according to some of the
information received from the Commission, it might be launched in May or June 2002.

Can the Commission give a firm date for the publication of this Third Road Safety Action Plan?

Can it say in advance what will be the main points of the plan with a view to improving road safety in
Europe?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(30 May 2002)

The Commission will
Honourable Member refers, during the third quarter of 2002.

issue a communication on the Third Road Safety Action Plan, to which the