WRITTEN QUESTION E-0042/03 by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Relocation and restructuring measures and the safeguarding of jobs.
Date: 2003-01-21
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU aid, European Social Fund, Japan, Portugal, cessation of trading, economic consequence, electric cable, foreign enterprise, social impact, transfer of businesses

14.8.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 192 E/149

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(24 February 2003)

The Greek Ministry of Development, by a letter dated 4 December 2002, has informed the

1.
Commission that:

(a) On 15 April 2002, the Public Power Corporation (PPC) SA submitted to the Greek Regulatory

Authority (RAE) unbundled financial accounts for its various activities in 2001.

(b) On 24 October 2002, the Greek Energy Regulator instructed PPC to resubmit the accounts with
certain clarifications and modifications. The deadline for the submission of the revised unbundled
accounts was 16 December 2002.

The Commission has requested confirmation of the delivery of these revised accounts, as well as the
reaction of the Greek Energy Regulator to the revised accounts.

The Commission is not able to provide reasons for any financial difficulties facing the consortia of
2.
independent private companies, as such information is company confidential and not available to the
Commission. However, in general it is correct that banks and financial institutions are reluctant to finance
new generation capacity unless both legal and economic stability and predictability exist, including with
respect to the price of fuel.

It is correct to state that Greece may face a shortage of electricity supply over thecoming years,

3.
unless new generating plants are in place.

In this context, the Commission has recently sought further information with respect to the progress on
the issuing of a new Law, amending the current Law 2773/1999, which will facilitate the entrance of new
independent electricity generators in the Greek energy market.

(2003/C 192 E/185)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0042/03

by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(21 January 2003)

Subject: Relocation and restructuring measures and the safeguarding of jobs

The Portuguese media reported recently (Expresso on 19 October 2002) that the Japanese group Yazaki
Saltano is seriously considering closing down its cable factories in Gaia and Ovar, which between them
employ nearly 6 000 workers, most of them young people.

According to the trade union representing electricity workers in northern Portugal, the management of the
Portuguese firms denied the report, but confirmed that staff numbers were being reduced, without
specifying an exact figure.

Unemployment in Portugal is rising every day and needs to be curbed.

Can the Commission say:

1. whether financial support has been given to the Japanese group Yazaki Saltano in Portugal or any

other European Union country;

2. what steps the Commission intends to take to safeguard employment,

in view of the countless
relocation and restructuring measures on the part of multinationals and the job losses they are causing
in countries such as Portugal?

C 192 E/150

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

14.8.2003

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(7 March 2003)

The Commission would like to inform the Honourable Member that Yasaki Saltano SA has received the
following support from the European Social Fund in Portugal:

(cid:1) Old Funds

DAFSE (‘Departamento para os Assuntos do Fundo Social Europeu’): in 1988 the company received
received
PTE 108 907 495 under dossiers 881079 P1 and 881086 P1, and in 1989 it
PTE 171 483 668 under dossiers 890617 P1 and 890694 P1;

(cid:1) Community Support Framework I

In 1990 the company received support from the ‘Insituto do Emprego e Formação Profissional’ (IEFP):
project No 2/90 (cid:1) PTE 1097064. In 1993 it received support from the ‘Programa Especifico para o
Desenvolvimento Industrial Português’ (PEDIP): project No 6431/90 (cid:1) PTE 7616008;

(cid:1) Community Support Framework II

The company has received the following ESF assistance via the Aveiro Employment Centre (IEFP):

(cid:1) in 1994, EUR 24 409 under the vocational training and employment OP (Pessoa) for employment
and vocational training programmes as part of the ‘job start and initial qualifications’ measure,

(cid:1) in 1999, EUR 5 504 under the health and social integration OP’s sub-programme for economic
and social integration for disadvantaged groups (Integrar) for rehabilitation projects as part of the
‘socio-economic integration of people with disabilities’ measure.

The Commission has contacted the other Member States to ask whether Yasaki Saltano SA has also
received Community aid there. It will forward any information received to the Honourable Member.

As regards the Honourable Member’s second question, it should be pointed out that Council Directive 98/
59/EC (1) concerning collective redundancies provides for information and consultation with the workers’
representatives in cases where the employer is contemplating such redundancies. These consultations
should be carried out in good time with a view to reaching agreement and cover, at least, ways and means
of avoiding collective redundancies or reducing the number of workers affected as well as of mitigating the
consequences by recourse to accompanying social measures. These measures aim inter alia at aid for
redeploying or retraining workers made redundant.

As regards relocation of enterprises, the Commission advocates the idea that, when taking decisions,
enterprises should always take into account the effects that those decisions could have on their employees
as well as on the social and regional context. This has recently been underlined in the Commission
responsibility: A business contribution to sustainable
Communication concerning corporate social
development (2).

Furthermore, the Commission has invited the European social partners to engage in a dialogue on
anticipating and managing change with a view to apply a dynamic approach to the social aspects

(1) Directive 98/59/EC of 20 July 1998 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to collective

redundancies (cid:1) OJ L 225, 12.8.1998.

(2) COM(2002) 347 final.

(2003/C 192 E/186)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0051/03

by Struan Stevenson (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(22 January 2003)

Subject: Prescribed drug abuse

In moving to stop over-the-counter sales of certain food supplements and herbal products, what research
has the Commission conducted to prove any detrimental effect from such products, and are there copies of
the information on which the decision was made, available for examination?