WRITTEN QUESTION E-1814/02 by Christopher Huhne (ELDR) to the Commission. Infringements.
Date: 2002-06-25
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU Member State, EU control, European Ombudsman, action for failure to fulfil an obligation, confidentiality, infringement of EU law, infringement procedure (EU)

C 277 E/248

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

14.11.2002

(2002/C 277 E/273)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1793/02

by Gianfranco Dell’Alba (NI) to the Commission

(24 June 2002)

Subject: Nominating heads of delegations in third countries during the period 1999-2002

Can the Commission provide information on:

! the names and nationalities of the heads of delegation in third countries, except for ACP and Central

and Eastern European countries, at 1 September 1999;

! the names and nationalities of the heads of delegation in the same countries at 1 June 2002;

! the number and nationality of heads of delegations who have taken old-age or other forms of
retirement, and the number and nationality of heads of delegation who now work in the central
administration of the Commission?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(1 August 2002)

Because of the length of the answer, which includes a number of tables, the Commission is sending it
direct to the Honourable Member and to Parliament’s Secretariat.

(2002/C 277 E/274)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1814/02

by Christopher Huhne (ELDR) to the Commission

(25 June 2002)

Subject: Infringements

the Commission describe the circumstances in which it

1. Will
is prepared to investigate an
infringement of the treaties or of EU legislation by a Member State, with particular regard to competitive
tendering and state aids and equivalent measures?

Is it prepared to afford complainants,

2.
protect them from the perceived or real threat of regulatory retaliation?

including companies, the right of anonymity in order to

3.

Has it done so in the past?

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(29 July 2002)

The Commission would like to point out to the honourable Member that every year it deals with several
hundred complaints about infringements by the Member States of Community legislation concerning the
free movement of goods and public contracts.

These complaints are dealt with in accordance with the procedure for failure to fulfil an obligation under
Article 226 of the EC Treaty, and in the event of disagreement with the Member State in question the
matter may be referred to the Court of Justice.

The internal rules of procedure adopted by the Commission require observance of the confidentiality of
complaints. This principle was recently reiterated in the Commission Communication of 20 March 2002
to the European Parliament and the European ombudsman on relations with the complainant in respect of
infringements of Community law (1).

14.11.2002

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 277 E/249

Confidentiality may not be waived except with the explicit consent of the complainant. Waiving is
routinely requested when it is necessary for further consideration of the case by the Commission and with
a view to obtaining, in agreement with the Member State in question, a solution that is favourable to the
complainant.

As for state aids which are dealt with in accordance with the procedures laid down in Articles 87-89 of the
EC Treaty, the Commission when requested also observes the principle of the confidentiality of complaints.

(1) OJ C 166, 12.7.2002.

(2002/C 277 E/275)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1815/02

by Christopher Huhne (ELDR) to the Commission

(25 June 2002)

Subject: Economic integration

Will the Commission give figures for the most recent available year, for the previous five years and for the
previous ten years, relating to the stock of quoted equities held by non-residents in each Member State of
the European Union as a percentage of that Member State’s GDP, and will it also break down that figure
into non-resident holdings of equities held by residents of other EU Member States and by non-EU
residents?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(1 August 2002)

The Commission (Eurostat) regrets to inform the Honourable Member that it is not in the position to
provide the requested data.

The most likely source of information would be Financial Accounts by Institutional Sector. However, the
data collection on Financial Accounts data is established in the transmission program in the ESA95
Regulation, Council Regulation (EC) No 2223/96 of 25 June 1996 on the European system of national and
regional accounts in the Community (1), and it does not require the split of the financial instrument ‘shares
and other equity’ in ‘quoted shares’ and other items. Similarly, the split of the non-resident sector into
Union and extra-Union is not foreseen.

(1) OJ L 310, 30.11.1996.

(2002/C 277 E/276)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1885/02

by Eluned Morgan (PSE) to the Commission

(24 June 2002)

Subject: State aid to the coal industry

Is it true that Germany is continuing to give state aid to its coal industry? If so, how much state aid per
tonne does Germany pay its domestic coal industry, and for how long will this be allowed to continue?

How does the Commission intend to ensure a level playing field between Member States as regards the
coal industry?