WRITTEN QUESTION E-2245/02 by Caroline Jackson (PPE-DE) to the Commission. System for reimbursement of dental clinics in the United Kingdom.
Date: 2002-07-23
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: United Kingdom, dental medicine, financing, free competition, health policy, medical centre, provision of services

C 161 E/20

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

10.7.2003

(2003/C 161 E/021)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2245/02

by Caroline Jackson (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(23 July 2002)

Subject: System for reimbursement of dental clinics in the United Kingdom

The United Kingdom Government’s policy is to pay state-run dental clinics a defined fee for each item of
treatment provided, in addition to which all capital, staffing and operating costs are also paid. The same
treatment fees provided by independent dentists contracted to provide dental care are paid without
reimbursement of any capital, staffing or operating costs save that of part payment of business rates. Will
the Commission comment on whether this policy constitutes unfair competition and is consistent with EU
fair competition policy?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(20 September 2002)

Health policy is the responsibility of the Member States, which are entitled to set up, run and fund public
health establishments with a public service remit.

The funding of these services complies with competition rules if it does not go beyond what is required to
enable them to fulfil their remit. However, overcompensation for public health services resulting in cross-
subsidisation of competitive activities could infringe competition rules.

It follows from these principles that the policy pursued by the UK Government of paying state-run dental
clinics a defined fee for each item of treatment provided, in addition to all capital, staffing and operating
costs, while independent dentists contracted to provide the same dental care are paid only equivalent fees
but receive no compensation for their capital, staffing and operating costs, is not necessarily a barrier to
free competition.

State-run dental clinics may be subject to obligations stemming from their public service remit (ceilings on
invoices, opening hours, geographical
location or specialist services provided) which do not apply to
independent dental clinics and which have cost-related implications. If the funding provided by the UK
authorities is limited to compensating state-run dental clinics for the costs stemming from their public
service remit, it is not caught by the rules on state aid.

The information available to the Commission is not such as to enable it to say whether the system
described by the Honourable Member is in breach of Community competition rules.

(2003/C 161 E/022)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2284/02

by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE)
and Giorgos Dimitrakopoulos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(25 July 2002)

Subject: Europol data

Savas Xiros was arrested recently in Piraeus in Greece after the explosion of a bomb, and all the evidence
shows that he belongs to the terrorist organisation ‘November 17’, which is, of course, on the European
list of
Investigations have shown that he also had contacts with terrorist
organisations operating in third countries, such as the Muslim Brothers in the Sudan, which reveals the
international co-operation that exists between terrorist organisations.

terrorist organisations.

Does Europol have any data or information about the movements of the person in question and about
other persons connected to terrorist organisations and their movements internationally? If so, how long
has it had this data? Was the Echelon system used to obtain this information and monitor the terrorists?
Was the information passed on to the Greek authorities in good time?