WRITTEN QUESTION E-2097/03 by Paul Lannoye (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Kingdom of Belgium — federated bodies — Region of Wallonia — debudgetisation practices.
Date: 2003-06-25
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Belgium, Walloon region (Belgium), airport, application of EU law, public debt, stability pact, stability programme

13.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 65 E/111

Reply

(17 November 2003)

The Council is aware of the incidents mentioned by the Honourable Member. It is also aware of
1.
complaints about an increasing number of violations of Greek airspace by Turkish military aircraft, and of
the sensitive nature of this question in Greece. Such incidents do unfortunately contrast with the general
improvement in neighbourly relations between Greece and Turkey since 1999.

2.
The Council considers that Turkey, as a candidate State, must (cid:1) pursuant to the principle of peaceful
settlement of disputes in accordance with the UN Charter (cid:1) make every effort to prevent tension, in the
spirit of point 4 of the Helsinki conclusions. This is, moreover, made a specific priority in the revised
In line with the Helsinki conclusions, the
version of the Turkey Accession Partnership Agreement.
European Council will have to review the situation in this respect,
including its repercussions on the
accession process, before the end of 2004.

In the framework of political dialogue, the Council regularly encourages Turkey to continue making
3.
efforts to prevent tensions (cid:1) for instance through confidence-building measures in sensitive areas (cid:1) and
to work together with its neighbour towards reaching an understanding on issues where they have
diverging views and interpretations of relevant international law.

(2004/C 65 E/124)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2097/03

by Paul Lannoye (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(25 June 2003)

Subject: Kingdom of Belgium (cid:1) federated bodies (cid:1) Region of Wallonia (cid:1) debudgetisation practices

In a press release of 3 April 2003 the Government of Wallonia announced that it had adopted a new
financial plan for the development of the Wallonian airports. The Government of Wallonia thus agreed to
the twofold financial plan presented at the board meeting of 20 March 2003 of the Société wallonne des
aéroports (Sowaer, s.a.), a public-interest company responsible for the development of Wallonian airport
infrastructure and the implementation and financing of environmental accompanying measures for the
benefit of those living near the airports (purchase of buildings and sound-proofing). The twofold financial
plan shows that the overall cost of Wallonia’s airport policy will amount to EUR 754,7 million by 2024
and that this sum will not be financed from the Region of Wallonia’s budget, but through loans, most of
which will be repaid as of 2009 or 2015. This is evidence of a worrying debudgetisation phenomenon
affecting more than EUR 750 million.

1.

Is the Commission aware of this debudgetisation practice?

2.

Is the practice not likely to distort the method of calculating the Belgian national debt?

Is the practice in keeping with the letter and the spirit of the stability pact enshrined in the European

3.
Council resolution of 17 June 1997 (1), Regulation (EC) 1466/97 (2) and Regulation (EC) 1467/97? (3)

Does it not call into question the Council opinion of 18 February 2003 on the updated stability

4.
programme for Belgium of 2003-2005?

(1) OJ C 236, 2.8.1997, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 209, 2.8.1997, p. 1.
(3) OJ L 209, 2.8.1997, p. 6.

C 65 E/112

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

13.3.2004

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(4 August 2003)

The government deficit and debt that are relevant for the purpose of the Stability and Growth Pact are
defined in the Protocol on the Excessive Deficit Procedure and in Council Regulation (EC) No 3605/93 of
22 November 1993 (1), as amended (2), through cross-references to the European System of National and
Regional Accounts (ESA95). According to the Protocol, the relevant sector is ‘general government, that is
central government, regional or local government and social security funds, to the exclusion of commercial
operations’.

General government is defined on an institutional basis, and not on a functional basis. Thus, only units of
which the principal function is the production of non-market services or the redistribution of resources are
included. Accordingly, the government-owned units dealing with commercial operations, such as public
enterprises, are excluded from general government and classified as financial or non-financial corporations.

In the Belgian national accounts, compiled according to the ESA95 rules, the Société wallonne des
aéroports (Sowaer, SA)
is classified in the sector of non-financial corporations, and not as general
government. Therefore, investment spending by Sowaer does not have any direct impact on the Belgian
general government deficit, and the Sowaer financial
liabilities are not government debt. However,
subsidies, capital transfers and other grants by the Belgian Government to Sowaer, if any, are recorded as
government expenditure, thus increasing the government deficit and debt.

(1) OJ L 332, 31.12.1993.
(2) Council Regulation (EC) No 475/2000 of 28 February 2000 amending Regulation (EC) No 3605/93 on the
application of the Protocol on the excessive deficit procedure annexed to the Treaty establishing the European
Community, OJ L 58, 3.3.2000.

(2004/C 65 E/125)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2126/03

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(25 June 2003)

Subject: Compulsory provision of basic banking services for all EU citizens

In Belgium, the Basic Banking Services Act will enter into force in September 2003. From then onwards,
everyone who so wishes must be able to open an account at the bank of his choice for a maximum of
EUR 12 per annum. In return, the bank must provide a number of minimum services. The Belgian
legislature considered this measure to be necessary partly because banks were refusing to accept many less
affluent people as customers, and such people were consequently unable to engage in payment
transactions which are regarded as a normal part of modern life.

Is the Commission aware of this Belgian initiative, and, in the light of it, is the Commission considering
introducing a similar socially desirable initiative at European level so that all citizens of the Union can
expect minimum services from banks and thus continue to participate in modern payment transactions?
If so, what steps will it take? If not, why will it not introduce such a measure?

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(31 July 2003)

The Commission is aware of the Belgian law, which introduces minimum banking services at a national
level.

While the question of access to minimal banking services is an important question, at present the
Commission does not envisage to propose a legal instrument that would introduce a similar obligation in
the financial services sector throughout the Union. The issue was discussed at a workshop organised by the
Commission back in February 2001. The idea of access to basic banking services was not included either
in the Commission’s Green Book on services of general interest published in May 2003 (1).