WRITTEN QUESTION E-0926/03 by Peter Skinner (PSE) to the Commission. Relocation of workforce from Eastleigh, United Kingdom to Battipaglia, Southern Italy by Pirelli.
Date: 2003-03-24
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Italy, State aid, United Kingdom, control of State aid, investment aid, offshoring, regional aid, right of establishment, telecommunications equipment

27.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 78 E/707

(2004/C 78 E/0755)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0926/03

by Peter Skinner (PSE) to the Commission

(24 March 2003)

Subject: Relocation of workforce from Eastleigh, United Kingdom to Battipaglia, Southern Italy by Pirelli

I have been informed by a local Eastleigh Labour Councillor, Cllr Bill Luffman, that Pirelli
illegally
transferred 312 jobs from Eastleigh in the south-east of England to Battipaglia in Southern Italy using
GBP 50 million of an Italian Government grant.

I request that you urgently investigate the alleged misuse of these funds on the basis that Italy has attracted
business from another Member State with the help of state funds.

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(8 May 2003)

Community law does not prohibit companies operating in one or several Member States from reorganising
their activities, and locating their investments according to their business interests.

On 2 October 2002, the Commission has approved aid in favour of Fibre Ottiche Sud for an investment
in Battipaglia, southern Italy. This decision was taken on basis of the compliance of the project with the
the Multisectoral Framework on regional aid for large investment projects (1). For further
rules of
information about this subject, the Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its answer to
Written Question E-3777/02 by Mr Huhne (2).

(1) OJ C 107, 7.4.1998.
(2) OJ C 280 E, 21.11.2003, p. 26.

(2004/C 78 E/0756)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1237/03

by Diana Wallis (ELDR) to the Commission

(26 March 2003)

Subject: EEA Agreement on enlargement of the EU

Will the Commission confirm the timetable for consultation with the European Parliament in respect of
the conclusion and ratification of the EEA Agreement with the acceding States on enlargement of the
European Union?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(25 April 2003)

As a consequence of the Union enlargement, the agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA), which
extends the internal market to Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, must also be enlarged. This has to be
negotiated with these three EEA European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries. As the EEA Agreement
is a mixed agreement, the Commission has obtained a mandate, adopted by the 9 December 2002 General
Affairs Council, to negotiate on behalf of the Community and the current Member States. The negotiations
were launched on 9 January 2003.

Much progress has been achieved in the very difficult negotiations over recent weeks, and a set of
extremely finely balanced elements for an agreement is now there, which the Commission believes will
enable to conclude rapidly the negociations. The Commission has had several exchanges of views with the
Parliament on the subject of these negotiations.