WRITTEN QUESTION P-2648/03 by Dirk Sterckx (ELDR) to the Commission. Lower natural gas prices for glasshouse growers.
Date: 2003-08-28
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: State aid, aid to agriculture, control of State aid, glasshouse cultivation, horticulture, liberalisation of the market, natural gas, reduced price

13.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 65 E/185

These criteria may include professional qualifications of the personnel carrying out the service and respect
of maritime safety, or the safety of the port or access to it, its installations, equipment and persons.

(1) See page 183.
(2) Council Directive 89/391/EEC of 12 June 1989 on the introduction of measures to encourage improvements in the

safety and health of workers at work, OJ L 183, 29.6.1989.

(3) Council Directive 89/655/EEC of 30 November 1989 concerning the minimum safety and health requirement for

the use of work equipment by workers at work, OJ L 393, 30.12.1989.

(4) Council Directive 89/656/EEC of 30 November 1989 concerning the minimum safety and health requirements for

the use by workers of personal protective equipment at the workplace, OJ L 393, 30.12.1989.

(5) Council Directive 90/269/EEC of 29 May 1990 on the minimum safety and health requirements for the manual

handling of loads where there is a risk particularly of back injury to workers, OJ L 156, 21.6.1990.

(2004/C 65 E/202)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2648/03

by Dirk Sterckx (ELDR) to the Commission

(28 August 2003)

Subject: Lower natural gas prices for glasshouse growers

Until 2002, on the basis of a gentlemen’s agreement, glasshouse growers in Belgium were granted lower
natural gas prices, a measure introduced with a view to persuading the very energy-intensive glasshouse
crops sector to switch to gas, a more environmentally friendly energy source. Roughly one-fifth of firms in
Belgium’s glasshouse crops sector have since switched to natural gas, and are now suddenly facing very
high bills. The lower price was reportedly withdrawn in order to bring Belgium into line with the rules
governing the internal market in natural gas. One of the objectives of the Flemish Government, as set out
in its action plan entitled ‘Towards a more sustainable glasshouse crops sector in Flanders’, is to take steps
to ensure that within 10 years 75 % of glasshouse growers in Flanders use natural gas.

On the basis of the European directive liberalising the natural gas market, subject to what conditions

1.
can a Member State offer lower prices to particular sectors or groups?

Can the promotion of environmentally friendly energy sources be used as a criterion to justify the

2.
granting of price reductions?

Does the European liberalisation directive rule out the granting of lower natural gas prices to the

3.
glasshouse crops sector in a Member State?

4.

Do any Member States currently grant natural gas price reductions to the glasshouse crops sector?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(29 September 2003)

The European Directives introducing competition to the European natural gas sector enable eligible
customers to freely choose their suppliers by opening up the networks to third parties and unbundling of
vertically integrated companies. The natural gas prices paid by the consumer do not fall under the scope of
the Directives, which stipulates that transportation tariffs for natural gas must be non-discriminatory and
transparent. The regulatory authorities of Member States will be responsible for effective competition and
the efficient functioning of the market. As a consequence, consumers of natural gas should also benefit
from competition by lower consumer prices.

C 65 E/186

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

13.3.2004

From the Commission’s point of view, natural gas prices to consumers are dependent on the market.
However, according to Article 3 of Directive 2003/55/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 26 June
2003 concerning common rules for the internal market in natural gas and repealing Directive 98/30/EC (1),
a Member State may consider it appropriate to impose on undertakings operating in the gas sector, in the
general economic interest, public service obligations which may relate, inter-alia, to the price of natural gas
transparent, non-discriminatory and
supplies. Such obligations, however, must be clearly defined,
verifiable.

The Commission does not a priori exclude that the promotion of environmentally friendly energy sources
might justify the granting of price reductions. Cases in which advantages are given to enterprises have to
be notified to and examined by the Commission under Articles 87-88 of the EC Treaty.

In that respect
Community Guidelines for State aid in the agricultural sector, might be relevant (3).

the Community guidelines on State aid for environmental protection (2), and the

Both Directive 98/30/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 22 June 1998 concerning common rules
for the internal market in natural gas (4) and Directive 2003/55/EC do not deal with natural gas prices paid
by the consumers of natural gas. Natural gas prices are considered a matter of the market and are not
subject to regulation, unless regulating or controlling gas prices to natural gas consumers is thought to be
a matter of consumer protection. Directive 2003/55/EC allows imposing public service obligations to
natural gas undertakings, if these public service obligations relate to security, including security of supply,
regularity, quality and price of supplies, and environmental protection, including energy efficiency and
climate protection and if the public service obligations are clearly defined, transparent, non-discriminatory
and verifiable.

The Commission is currently examining tax reductions for glasshouse growers in Germany and Italy.

It should also be noted that in the Netherlands a preferential pricing system for natural gas to the
glasshouse horticulture sector applied till the end of 1998 (State aid N 464/94). The relevant agreement
was renewed covering the period 1998-2002. In this case the Commission concluded that the tariff as
notified by the Dutch authorities did not give an economic advantage to glasshouse horticulture vis-à-vis
other sectors of the Dutch economy which could obtain the same tariff, if they used the same quantities of
gas. Therefore, it was concluded that this scheme did not constitute aid within the meaning of Article 87 of
the EC Treaty.

the Commission notes that

Finally,
in the Council political
compromise of March 2003, in consultation in the Parliament by now) provides that Member States may
apply a level of taxation down to zero to energy products and electricity used for agricultural, horticultural
or piscicultural works, and in forestry.

the future energy tax Directive (as set

(1) OJ L 176, 15.7.2003.
(2) OJ C 37, 3.2.2001.
(3) OJ C 232, 12.8.2000.
(4) OJ L 204, 21.7.1998.

(2004/C 65 E/203)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2658/03

by Manuel Pérez Álvarez (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(10 September 2003)

Subject: Allseas Group

While the European Parliament was debating the new directive on minimum training levels for workers at
sea, there appeared virtually simultaneous press reports that the Swiss oil tanker company Allseas Group
wanted to replace its Galician crews with Filipinos; 50 of the 600 employees have already been notified of
their dismissal. The reason, according to the media, is the low cost of employing Filipino manpower.