WRITTEN QUESTION E-2526/03 by Nicholas Clegg (ELDR) to the Commission. EU egg producers.
Date: 2003-07-29
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: animal welfare, common commercial policy, egg, farmers' income, import (EU), live poultry, tariff negotiations

C 84 E/494

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

3.4.2004

Has the Commission received any such complaints about hire car pricing, in particular the transparency of
pricing and the increasing use of fuel being sold by some hire companies at well above the market rate?

Has the Commission had any contact with car hire companies in the recent past? If so, what matters were
discussed?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(12 September 2003)

A business practice that deceives consumers about the real costs of a service is incompatible with the spirit
of Article 153 of the EC Treaty that stresses, among other things, the right to consumer information which
has always been one of the main concerns for Union consumer protection. However, the problem of
‘all-inclusive’ hire cars has not, so far, been specifically brought to the Commission’s attention.

At present, Council Directive 84/450/EEC of 10 September 1984 (1), as amended by Directive 97/55/EC of
the Parliament and of the Council of 6 October 1997 (2) on misleading and comparative advertisement,
makes it illegal to mislead consumers in relation to the price of a service (Article 3(b)). Moreover, price
increases in contract terms can be unfair according to Council Directive 93/13/EEC of 5 April 1993 on
unfair terms in consumer contracts (3). The indicative and non-exhaustive list in the Annex to the Directive
expressly includes contract clauses providing for price increases without giving the consumer the
corresponding right to cancel the contract if the final price is too high in relation to the price agreed
(No 1 (1)).

Car hire companies have inquired whether Directive 97/7/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of
20 May 1997 on the protection of consumers in respect of distance contracts (4) is fully applicable to their
business. Article 3(2), 2nd indent of the Directive exempts, among other things, contracts for transport
from certain provisions of the Directive. However, no mention is made of car rental contracts. A case has
just been filed (30 July 2003) in the European Court of Justice where it is asked whether car rental
agreements are covered by the Directive [EasyCar (UK) Ltd, C-336/03]. That case is now pending.

recently yielded the Proposal

More generally, the Commission has put great efforts into tackling unfair business practices. These efforts
have most
for a Directive concerning unfair business-to-consumer
commercial practices in the internal market (the unfair commercial practice Directive) (5). This Directive,
when adopted, will outlaw unfair commercial practices that are, for instance, misleading. Article 6(1)(c) of
the proposed Directive expressly names as a misleading practice consumer deception in relation to price
calculation.

(1) OJ L 250, 19.9.1984.
(2) OJ L 290, 23.10.1997.
(3) OJ L 95, 21.4.1993.
(4) OJ L 144, 4.6.1997.
(5) COM(2003) 356 final.

(2004/C 84 E/0572)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2526/03

by Nicholas Clegg (ELDR) to the Commission

(29 July 2003)

Subject: EU egg producers

Is the Commission aware of the acute concerns amongst egg producers in the European Union over the
threat to their livelihoods from a combination of new legislation on the welfare of hens and the potential
increase of egg imports under the terms of the ongoing WTO round?

3.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 84 E/495

What steps are being taken by the European Commission to ensure a level playing field in the international
trade in eggs and in providing adequate compensation to European Union egg producers?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(12 September 2003)

The Commission would refer
Mrs Jackson (1)

(1) OJ C 33 E, 6.2.2004, p. 147.

the Honourable Member

to its answer

to written E-1625/03 by

(2004/C 84 E/0573)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2572/03

by Maurizio Turco (NI) to the Commission

(6 August 2003)

Subject: Attacks on freedom of religion in Georgia affecting members of Pentecostal, Baptist, Catholic and

Orthodox confessions and Jehovah’s Witnesses

Knowing that:

(cid:1) Over the last four years, religious minorities in Georgia have been subjected to unprecedented levels of

violence from ‘vigilantes’.

(cid:1) Members of Pentecostal, Baptist, Catholic, and Orthodox confessions, as well as Jehovah’s Witnesses,

have been attacked by mobs orchestrated by self-styled Orthodox ‘vigilantes’.

(cid:1) Over a hundred attacks on religious minorities have been identified in these four years, and the public
and the police are well aware of who their authors are; despite this, no-one has ever been prosecuted.

(cid:1) The religious violence in Georgia has been condemned by such figures as the Archbishop of

Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, and by Pope John Paul II.

And considering that:

(cid:1) On 15 June 2003, in the village of Akhalsopeli, a Baptist church burnt down. The members of the
Baptist community deny the claim made by the Governor of East Georgia district that they set their
own church on fire. The villagers have threatened to deny the Baptists permission to rebuild their
church and to destroy it again if it is rebuilt.

(cid:1) On 13 July 2003,

in Tbilisi, Orthodox vigilantes prevented a Pentecostal church from holding
meetings for the sixth Sunday running, surrounding the house where the meeting was due to take
place and chanting ‘Russians, go back to Russia and do whatever you want there’. According to Pastor
Kalutsky, the demonstrators identified themselves as Orthodox and said their aim was to stop non-
Orthodox religious services from being held.

In view of the excellent relations of cooperation existing between the EU and Georgia, can the Commission
state whether it is aware of the above facts and indicate what initiatives, in the context of the cooperation
relationship, could constitute an effective and workable means of inducing Georgia to ensure respect for
freedom of religion?