WRITTEN QUESTION E-2355/02 by Ieke van den Burg (PSE) to the Commission. Exclusion from health insurance in Belgium — resident system.
Date: 2002-07-31
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Belgium, EU national, Netherlands, compulsory insurance, health care, health insurance, insurance law, private insurance, residence

6.2.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 28 E/227

Consequently, it appears that important progress has been achieved so far. The Commission will be able to
draw a meaningful conclusion as to the compatibility of the overall proposal with the nature conservation
value of the site and to judge if the proposal is satisfactory, after the examination of the recently submitted
information. This does not exclude the possibility that the Commission might raise some supplementary
issues with the Greek authorities, especially those concerning the establishment, operation and funding of
the Management Body of the National Park Schinias-Marathon.

(1) Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora

(OJ L 206, 22.7.1992, p. 7).

(2003/C 28 E/257)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2355/02

by Ieke van den Burg (PSE) to the Commission

(31 July 2002)

Subject: Exclusion from health insurance in Belgium (cid:1) ‘resident system’

Is the Commission aware that Dutch pensioners living in Belgium are denied access to the Belgian
1.
medical insurance scheme as ‘persons entered in the national register of natural persons’ (hereafter referred
to as the ‘resident system’) if they are or may be entitled to health care under a foreign scheme?

Is the Commission aware that the exclusion from the Belgian resident system also applies if the
2.
persons concerned can opt for admission to a voluntary insurance scheme, such as the voluntary insurance
cover provided for by the Exceptional Medical Expenses Act (AWZB) in the Netherlands?

Does the Commission not consider it unacceptable that because the AWZB in the Netherlands
3.
provides only partial cover for medical expenses and the health insurance system in the country of
residence, Belgium, does not provide for a complementary package, which firstly makes joining the AWZB
voluntary scheme virtually compulsory and secondly means that the persons concerned are denied the
possibility of insuring themselves in their country of residence exclusively against the risk of medical
expenses not covered by the AWZB voluntary scheme, those concerned have to insure themselves twice,
or (cid:1) if they are unable to obtain cover on the private health insurance market (cid:1) are denied adequate
protection against the risks of medical expenses? How should application of the Belgian regulations be
seen in relation to Article 13, paragraph 2, point (f) of Regulation (EEC) No 1408/71?

4.
If the Belgian resident system is to be classified as voluntary or optional continued insurance, how
does application of the relevant legislation by Belgium accord with Article 15, paragraph 2, of Regulation
(EEC) No 1408/71, under which the persons concerned are free to opt for the scheme of their choice if
application of the legislations of two or more Member States entails overlapping of two or more systems
of voluntary or optional continued insurance?

Response given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(7 October 2002)

In accordance with Belgian legislation regarding compulsory health insurance, different categories of
In the main these people are in employment or in receipt of a
people are entitled to healthcare.
replacement income. Furthermore,
in order to include all persons resident in Belgium, those on the
national register are also entitled to cover. However, any person who is or may be entitled to healthcare
under another Belgian or foreign scheme does not qualify for this option.

This would appear to be the case with Dutch pensioners who can voluntarily join the Dutch insurance
scheme established under the Exceptional Medical Expenses Act. As a result they are excluded from the
Belgian scheme for persons on the national register because they may be entitled to healthcare under a
foreign health insurance scheme.

C 28 E/228

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.2.2003

Therefore, under Article 15(2) of Regulation (EEC) No 1408/71 (1), where application of legislations of two
Member States entails overlapping insurance:

(cid:1) under a compulsory insurance scheme and one or more voluntary or optional continued insurance
schemes, the person concerned shall be subject exclusively to the compulsory insurance schemes;

(cid:1) under two or more voluntary or optional continued insurance schemes, the person concerned may

join only the voluntary or optional continued insurance scheme for which he has opted.

As a result, if the Belgian scheme for persons on the national register is a compulsory insurance scheme,
the retired Dutch national in the situation referred to by the honourable Member of Parliament should be
subject exclusively to the compulsory Belgian scheme, under the terms of Article 15(2).

If the Belgian scheme is voluntary, under the terms of the above-mentioned Article 15(2), the pensioner
should be able to choose between the Belgian voluntary insurance scheme and the Dutch voluntary
insurance scheme.

The Commission will ask the Belgian authorities for further details regarding the voluntary or compulsory
nature of the scheme provided for persons on the national register as well as their opinion as regards the
Commission’s analysis. The honourable Member of Parliament will be informed of the results of the
Commission’s investigation into this matter.

(1) Regulation (EEC) No 1408/71 of the Council of 14 June 1971 on the application of social security schemes to
employed and self-employed persons and their families moving within the Community, OJ L 149, 5.7.1971.

(2003/C 28 E/258)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2366/02

by Ioannis Souladakis (PSE) to the Commission

(2 August 2002)

Subject: Decline in newspaper circulation figures

During the five years from 1997 to 2001 circulation figures for European daily newspapers fell by 11,4 %,
and the viability of many dailies is thus threatened.

1.

2.

Has the Commission examined the present state of the European daily press?

Does it intend to take measures to reverse this negative trend?

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(23 September 2002)

It may be that between 1997 and 2001 some newspapers in Europe have suffered from a decline in sales
as indicated by the Honourable Member. However, without more precise information it is not possible to
say whether this decline concerns cross-border sales and, if so, whether the decline is the result of trade
barriers or of worsened economics of sales. Only in case of a decline in cross-border sales resulting from
trade barriers the Commission is empowered to act.

In 1997 the Commission commissioned a study on ‘Newspaper distribution and pricing structure of cross-
border printed press’.

The main findings of this study show that 50 news and general interest titles account for 80 % of total
cross-border press trade within Europe. However, cross-border trade of these titles seldom exceeds 4 % of a
title’s circulation and, overall, represents less than 1 % of total Union press circulation.