WRITTEN QUESTION E-1838/02 by Martin Schulz (PSE) to the Commission. Compatibility of the action taken by the Italian Government with the Growth and Stability Pact.
Date: 2002-06-27
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Italy, application of EU law, architectural heritage, budget policy, financial solvency, public debt, public finance, stability pact

12.6.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 137 E/31

(2003/C 137 E/034)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1838/02

by Martin Schulz (PSE) to the Commission

(27 June 2002)

Subject: Compatibility of the action taken by the Italian Government with the Growth and Stability Pact

What does the Commission think of the financial operation which has been announced by the Italian
Government and which involves the setting up of a company legally entitled to take over Italy’s state-
owned portfolio of buildings, monuments and land, and the setting up of a second company to which part
of that portfolio could be ceded in order to provide guarantees (in the form of mortgages) for loans taken
out by the Italian Government for the purpose of financing public works, and which might possibly put
such items up for sale?

In view of the risks involved in selling much of that portfolio, the unusual procedures which would be
called for and the constraints which would have to be observed should insolvency require certain
monuments of historical importance to be sold, it may legitimately be feared that such ‘creative financing’
would in practice lead to an increase in public debt in a country which is already one of the most indebted
of the EU Member States. Hence it should be determined in good time whether or not the proposed action
is compatible with adherence to the Growth and Stability Pact.

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(26 July 2002)

Under the Stability and Growth Pact, all Member States are committed ‘to adhere to the medium-term
objective of budgetary positions close to balance or in surplus’.

The budgetary position is defined in terms of general government deficit,
in accordance with Council
Regulation (EC) No 2223/96 of 25 June 1996 on the European system of national and regional accounts
in the Community (1) (the European System of Accounts, also known as ESA 95) and Council Regulation
(EC) No 3605/93 of 22 November 1993 on the application of the Protocol on the excessive deficit
procedure annexed to the Treaty establishing the European Community (2) (as amended by Commission
Regulation (EC) No 351/2002 of 25 February 2002 (3)) on the excessive deficit procedure.

The question refers to legislation recently adopted by the Italian parliament, setting up two institutions,
‘Patrimonio SpA’ and of ‘Infrastrutture SpA’. Eurostat is currently scrutinising the nature of the operations
to be carried out by these institutions and will pass judgement on their treatment in the government
accounts once the institutions start operating.

(1) OJ L 310, 30.11.1996.
(2) OJ L 332, 31.12.1993.
(3) OJ L 55, 26.2.2002.

(2003/C 137 E/035)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1839/02

by Herbert Bösch (PSE) to the Commission

(24 June 2002)

Subject: Closure of the 2001 Community budget

Under Article 20 of the measures for the implementation of the financial regulation, it is the task of the
Commission’s accounting officer to draw up a balance sheet for the past financial year and a consolidated
revenue and expenditure account. The accounting officer vouches for the correctness and authenticity of
the figures and is responsible for any losses that may occur.

The balance sheet for the 2001 financial year was submitted to the Commission and the European
Parliament on 30 April 2002.