WRITTEN QUESTION E-0305/03 by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Price increases resulting from the introduction of the euro.
Date: 2003-02-10
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU statistics, consumer protection, economic statistics, euro, price increase, price index

C 280 E/48

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

21.11.2003

(2003/C 280 E/048)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0305/03

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(10 February 2003)

Subject: Price increases resulting from the introduction of the euro

In his answer to Written Question E-0928/02 (1), Commissioner Solbes Mira said that ‘the changeover to
the euro had not resulted in across-the-board price rises: the impact of the changeover on monthly
inflation is estimated at between 0 % and 0,16 %.’

In late December 2002, the President of the European Central Bank, Wim Duisenberg, painted an entirely
different picture when he ‘was forced to admit that the changeover had resulted in price increases to some
extent’.

Can the Commission indicate whether the data on which it based its original answer dated 5 June 2002 is
still valid? If so, how does it account for the remarks made by Mr Duisenberg? If not, can it provide me
with a fresh and, this time, detailed overview of price increases, one which is based on up-to-date figures
from Eurostat?

(1) OJ C 301 E, 5.12.2002, p. 69.

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(14 March 2003)

The basis for the reply of the Commission to Written Question E-0928/02 by the Honourable Member
were figures published by Eurostat on 28 February and 16 May 2002, which estimated the likely impact of
the euro cash changeover on overall euro area harmonised indices of consumer prices (HICP) inflation
between December 2001 and January 2002 to be within a range of 0,0 and 0,16 %.

On 17 July 2002, using data for the first six months of the year compared to the last six months of 2001,
Eurostat released figures showing a likely range of 0,0 and 0,2 %. This latest study therefore again showed
a limited impact from the changeover on overall HICP inflation.

It should be noted that the three Eurostat studies mentioned above contained a detailed account of price
increases in the sectors covered by the HICP basket. In the coming weeks, Eurostat intends to publish
further analysis using data for the whole of 2002.

(2003/C 280 E/049)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0313/03

by Proinsias De Rossa (PSE) to the Commission

(10 February 2003)

Subject: Compliance with EU legislation

Could the Commission identify, specifying individual complaints, the relevant EU legislation, the type of
action, and the date initiated, how many legal actions (i.e. letters of formal notice, reasoned opinions,
referrals to the European Court of Justice) it has initiated against Ireland under Article 10 of the EC Treaty
concerning Ireland’s failure to respond to Commission queries regarding its investigation into complaints
since this Article entered into force?

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(13 March 2003)

The Honourable Member is referred to the annual report on the monitoring of the application of
Community law for 2001, which the Commission drafted for Parliament (1).