WRITTEN QUESTION E-2366/02 by Ioannis Souladakis (PSE) to the Commission. Decline in newspaper circulation figures.
Date: 2002-08-02
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: distributive trades, economic recession, intra-EU trade, newspaper, restriction on competition, sale

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.

6.2.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 28 E/229

Publishers interviewed considered that the relatively low levels of cross-border circulation are the results of
poor economics of cross-border sales, rather than the effect of trade barriers. In particular, there are
additional transport and handling costs, which can represent an additional cost of 5-15 %. There are also
higher levels of unsold copies in the case of cross-border sales, which further adds to the poor economics
of cross-border sales. Although publishers are keen on cross-border circulation as a means of raising the
image of the publication, both with readers and advertisers, cross-border sales are generally not very
profitable for the reasons indicated above.

(2003/C 28 E/259)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2389/02

by Kathleen Van Brempt (PSE) to the Commission

(2 August 2002)

Subject: CT scans on children

Belgian hospitals make a great deal of use of ‘nuclear’ diagnostics. Ionising radiation is used in medicine
both for diagnosis and therapy. Radiology, which makes use of x-rays, and nuclear medicine, in which the
patient takes a radioactive preparation, are still the most powerful diagnostic tools. In a recent report the
UN predicts that the use of ionising radiation in diagnostics and therapy will increase still further in years
to come.

The problem, however, is that children who undergo a CT (computer tomography) scan often receive a
higher dose of radiation than necessary, partly because most scanners are ‘set’ for adults and not adjusted.
Doctors are not always aware of this. This is a problem, because children are more sensitive to ionising
radiation than adults. They run between twice and 10 times the risk of contracting cancer and may suffer
development problems.

Should Europe not drastically reduce this kind of therapy?

What measures does the Commission propose to take to this end?

What measures are being taken to protect children better against excessive doses of radiation?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(24 September 2002)

The introduction of computer tomography (CT) has brought undoubted benefits for diagnosis and health
care in general. Nonetheless, the procedure may involve significant individual doses, which need to be
minimised consistently with obtaining the required diagnostic information. A fundamental requirement of
radiation protection is to ensure that any practice (such as a CT scan) is justified (ie, the benefits of the
procedure must outweigh any detriment) and optimised (ie, the radiation doses must be reduced to as low
as reasonably achievable). The newly revised Council Directive 97/43/Euratom of 30 June 1997 on health
protection of individuals against the dangers of ionizing radiation in relation to medical exposure, and
repealing Directive 84/466/Euratom (1), includes specific requirements on quality assurance and patient
dose assessment in CT and special practices involving children ensuring that the use of CT scans on infants
is carefully justified and optimised.

Justification implies avoiding unnecessary exposures and considering other imaging modalities such as
ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging. In deciding whether to use a CT scan or other imaging tools
on a child, the judgement of the physician is paramount.