WRITTEN QUESTION E-2666/02 by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Shop for EU officials in Brussels.
Date: 2002-09-23
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European official, consumer information, foodstuff, labelling, linguistic discrimination, supermarket

10.7.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 161 E/31

3.

Is it studying proposals such as the one submitted by Italy to issue 1 euro notes? How will it ensure
the stability of the incomes of those affected by price rises of a speculative or other nature?

(1) OJ C 115 E, 16.5.2002, p. 136.

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(22 October 2002)

1.
In the general framework of the assessment of the economic situation in the Member States and
within its macro-economic forecasts exercise, the Commission is regularly monitoring price developments
mainly by means of the harmonised index of consumer prices (HICP), which aims at ensuring a sufficient
degree of comparison among Member States, and also by means of other price indexes produced at
national level. In Greece, in the last months of 2001 and in the first quarter of 2002, an acceleration in the
rate of increase was recorded in both the HICP and the CPI (the national consumer price index). Among
the factors that influenced price developments in that period, the persistence of exceptionally bad weather
conditions caused a spectacular increase in unprocessed food prices and in particular in fresh food and
vegetables prices;
furthermore, according to some national surveys, upward roundings in goods and
services prices, following the effective use of the euro as from 1 January 2002, may have also contributed
to increase consumer prices. However, a deceleration in the increase of most indexes is observed in the
these positive
second quarter of 2002 as a result of some moderation in the underlying indexes;
developments might continue in the remainder of 2002, although uncertainty is stemming from external
developments, in particular oil prices. In general, the changeover to the euro seems to have led to limited
increases in inflation at aggregate level. However, in some Member States, certain categories of consumer
products and services did show a higher level of
inflation than would have been expected. This
phenomenon supported the perception in the public of large inflation increases at an aggregate level.

2.
Eurostat receives each month from the National Statistical Service of Greece a set of price indices for
consumer goods and services based on harmonised definitions and rules. Eurostat provided specific
guidelines on how the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices should be calculated in the euro-zone at the
changeover to the euro. They have been followed by Greece. Eurostat’s own published analyses of inflation
linked to the changeover are based on data for the euro-zone as a whole and not on data for any
individual Member State. Eurostat has not carried out any specific investigations into the causes of recent
price increase in Greece or the other individual euro-zone Member States.

3.
The choice of values for bank notes is the exclusive responsibility of the European Central Bank. The
decision to produce seven denominations ranging from EUR 5 to EUR 500 was taken after four years of
detailed discussions in the working party on printing and issuing a European bank note, set up in 1992 by
the Committee of Governors of the Central Banks. Eurobarometer surveys since the start of the year show
that the notes have been very well received by the public and that there is no desire to alter the range. The
possibility of EUR 1 or EUR 2 notes has no real support anywhere other than in Greece and Italy and
comes up against strong opposition in some countries (e.g. in France 68 % would be against any such
move).

(2003/C 161 E/033)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2666/02

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(23 September 2002)

Subject: Shop for EU officials in Brussels

In his answer to Question E-1412/02 (1), the Commissioner says that Belgian language laws do not apply
in the shop for EU officials in Wetenschapsstraat/rue de la Science in Brussels.

He also says that this shop ‘offers the same range of products that is typically found in a normal
supermarket’.

C 161 E/32

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

10.7.2003

If Belgian legislation does not apply in this EU shop, can the Commission explain why French was
1.
chosen as the working language for this shop? Why was the bilingual option of French and English not
chosen, as might have been supposed from the answer to Question E-0173/02 (2)?

In fact the range of products is not what might be ‘typically found in a normal supermarket’, as can
2.
be seen by the goods on offer, such as mineral water from Portugal and crystallised ginger from Austria. It
may be inferred from the monolingual labels (cid:1) in Portuguese and German respectively (cid:1) that neither
product is intended for ‘a normal supermarket’ in Belgium. Does the Commission agree that this type of
labelling is in any case contrary to Article 16 of Directive 2000/13/EC (3)? What action will it take to
ensure that these products are labelled ‘in a language easily understood by the consumer’?

(1) OJ C 309 E, 12.12.2002, p. 120.
(2) OJ C 205 E, 29.8.2002, p. 87.
(3) OJ L 109, 6.5.2000, p. 29.

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(20 November 2002)

As indicated in the reply to the Honourable Member’s question E-1412/02 (1), given that the shop is not
open to the general public for rational reasons which have repeatedly been listed, information and signs in
the shop are mainly in French. This was the practical option chosen by Delhaize.

The shop does stock what might be called speciality food products from Member States in order to cater
for the demands of its customers who are a mix of nationals from those Member States.

Against this background, the labelling on such products is in accordance with Directive 2000/13 EC of the
Parliament and of the Council of 20 March 2000 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States
relating to the labelling, presentation and advertising of foodstuffs.

(1) OJ C 309 E, 12.12.2002, p. 120.

(2003/C 161 E/034)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2695/02

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(26 September 2002)

Subject: Use of languages in Eurobarometer reports

On its website (http://europar.eu.int/comm/public_opinion/archives/eb/ebs_166_en.htm) the Commission
enables the public to see the results of opinion polls on enlargement. The Commission has the courtesy to
publish the report on the Netherlands, for example, mainly in Dutch, that on Portugal in Portuguese, that
on Italy in Italian, etc.

Is the Commission aware that the most widely spoken language in Belgium is Dutch?

Could the Commission state, therefore, on what grounds it decided to publish the report on Belgium
exclusively in French?

Does the Commission share my view that by acting in this manner it is violating the principles of Council
Directive 2000/43/EC (1) of 29 June 2000 implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons
irrespective of racial or ethnic origin, and will it therefore ensure that the report is also made available in
Dutch?

(1) OJ L 180, 19.7.2000, p. 22.