WRITTEN QUESTION E-1367/02 by Theresa Villiers (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Costs of pet medicines.
Date: 2002-05-14
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: United Kingdom, domestic animal, monopoly, price increase, restriction on competition, selling price, vaccine, veterinarian, veterinary drug

17.4.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 92 E/49

the competent authorities. Directive 2001/97/EC, which must be implemented by 15 June 2003, widens
considerably the range of criminal activity covered by the Community definition of money laundering.
When the Directive was adopted, Member States also agreed that all crimes linked to the financing of
terrorism constituted serious crimes for the purposes of the Directive.

The (often complex) situation in the individual Member States can be summarised, in necessarily simplified
terms, as follows.

Banking secrecy is laid down by law in Denmark, Greece, France, Luxembourg, Austria, Portugal, Finland
and Sweden.

In Belgium, Germany, Spain, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, the concept of
banking secrecy is not set out in specific legislation but is based primarily on the civil law contractual
agreement between the bank and customer which obliges the bank to maintain customer confidentiality.

(1) OJ L 166, 28.6.1991.
(2) OJ L 344, 28.12.2001.

(2003/C 92 E/051)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1367/02

by Theresa Villiers (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(14 May 2002)

Subject: Costs of pet medicines

The UK’s Competition Commission is currently conducting an inquiry into the costs of drugs to treat pets,
following a number of complaints. It has emerged that the costs of drugs to treat animals in the UK has
risen by about 40 % in the last seven years and is continuing to rise by 11 % per year. It has been
estimated that vaccinations in the UK routinely cost GBP 10 more than elsewhere in Europe. A course of
vaccinations for a puppy costs over GBP 50 in Britain, compared with GBP 26 in Spain. The Commission
will consider why pet owners are obliged to buy medicines from vets rather than pharmacies and whether
there are monopolies in the supply and distribution of treatments.

1.

Has the Commission collected any information on the costs of drugs to treat pets across Europe?

Is the Commission concerned that the significantly higher prices for drugs in the UK may constitute

2.
a distortion of the single market?

Has the Commission conducted any investigations into the prices of such products across Europe and

3.
any possible monopolies in supply and distribution?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(20 June 2002)

The Commission has neither conducted any investigations of the type referred to by the Honourable
Member nor collected any information on the costs of drugs to treat pets. It should be stressed that, during
the last few years, no possible violations of competition rules have been brought to the Commission’s
attention in that particular sector, be it in Europe or in one or more Member States. In particular, the
Commission has not received any complaint relating to this sector on the basis of Article 81 (agreement
between undertakings) and/or Article 82 (abuse of dominant position) of the EC Treaty.

The Commission is confident
the British Competition Commission will conduct a thorough
examination of the market in question and will adopt all measures that may appear to be necessary. The
Commission will of course follow with care the results of the investigation.

that

The Commission has not yet received any information substantiating that the price levels for drugs in the
United Kingdom would constitute an infringement of the Community rules governing the free movement
of goods within the internal market.