WRITTEN QUESTION E-2881/03 by Jan Dhaene (PSE) to the Commission. Bicycle theft.
Date: 2003-09-29
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: cycle and motorcycle industry, statistics, theft, two-wheeled vehicle

13.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 65 E/237

A particular concern in this area are the dietary habits of children. Concretely, the Community has been
providing funding on a continuous basis for the European Network of Health Promoting Schools (ENHPS),
a common initiative of
the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the
Commission. One of the objectives of this project is to promote healthy dietary habits in schools
throughout Europe. More information on this project can be found at the following Internet:
site: http://www.who.dk/eprise/main/WHO/Progs/ENHPS/Home

the Council of Europe,

An important new project in this area, which the Commission is currently considering for funding, is the
initiative on ‘Children, obesity and associated avoidable chronic diseases’, which is co-ordinated by the
European Heart Network. This large-scale pan-European project will examine all ‘obesogenic’ factors in the
environment of children, including the school environment.

Both these projects clearly address the Declaration of the Winning Hearts conference of 2000, which
stated that every child born in the new millennium has the right to live until the age of at least 65 without
suffering from avoidable cardiovascular disease (CVD). In this context, the Commission would also like to
underline that the main priority of the incoming Irish Presidency in the Public Health area is CVD
prevention.

As far as the composition of school meals is concerned, the Community has no mandate for adopting
binding legislation in this area. However, the initiatives outlined above, and the dissemination of their
results, will contribute to raise awareness on children’s diets.

(2004/C 65 E/253)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2881/03

by Jan Dhaene (PSE) to the Commission

(29 September 2003)

Subject: Bicycle theft

Every year, enormous numbers of bicycles are stolen. Many are stolen for individual use, but large
numbers of bicycles are also fed into stolen-goods circuits, some of which operate on an international
scale.

Belgian research shows that bicycle theft is the ‘daily bread’ of criminals who are involved in more serious
crime. Bicycle theft is the most widespread form of crime in Europe.

Plans which the bicycle industry wanted to develop in response to requests from consumer associations
and the European Cyclists’ Federation, which involved the standardisation of serial numbers, identity chips
and obligatory U-locks, have come to nought.

The Commission:

(cid:1) does it have any accurate information about the number of bicycles stolen in the various Member

States and about where such stolen goods finish up;

(cid:1) does it acknowledge the impact of mass bicycle theft on the attractiveness of the bicycle as a

sustainable mode of transport and on an individual’s feeling of insecurity;

(cid:1) is it, together with the bicycle industry, planning to take measures to prevent bicycle theft?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(29 October 2003)

The Commission would like to answer the Honourable Member as follows.

Information on the theft of bicycles is available only for eight Member States. Of those eight, Belgium,
Denmark, The Netherlands and Sweden show the largest number of stolen bicycles per capita.

C 65 E/238

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

13.3.2004

Although there does not exist hard evidence about where the stolen bicycles wind up, there are clear
indications that most stolen bicycles are sold to private citizens, either directly or on so-called ‘fencing’
markets.

There do not seem to be indications that the attractiveness of the bicycle as a sustainable mode of
transport is negatively influenced by the occurrence of bicycle theft. Victim surveys show, however, that
personal experience of criminal victimisation (cid:1) amongst which bicycle theft (cid:1) contributes to increasing
the feelings of insecurity amongst the population. Feelings of insecurity have been increasing slowly but
steadily across the Union between 1996 and 2002.

The theft of bicycles is largely a local, regional or national phenomenon. Effective solutions can and must
therefore be taken at those levels in the Member States. What could in addition be usefully done at Union
level, however, is to examine within the Union Crime Prevention Network if there are Member States with
effective measures to prevent bicycle theft which could be applied in other Member States.

(2004/C 65 E/254)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2882/03

by Antonios Trakatellis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(22 September 2003)

Subject: Implementation of Directive 2000/35/EC in the EU and late payment to hospitals by state and

public-sector organisations in Greece

Article 3 of Directive 2000/35/EC (1) on combating late payment in commercial transactions provides that
the Member States shall ensure that interest shall become payable from the day following the date or the
end of the period for payment fixed in the contract and sets out other provisions for combating late
payment on the internal market. Three of the fifteen Member States have not incorporated the directive
into national law and in Greece, reportedly, many hospitals are now in dire financial straits because they
are owed huge amounts for patients’ treatment by the (mainly state-run) insurance agencies. For example,
the Polygiros hospital at Halkidiki alone is owed EUR 2,5 million, EUR 1,5 million of which is owed by
the Farmers’ Security Organisation, a public-sector body. Moreover, according to recent information, the
public hospitals in Greece owe their suppliers more than EUR 1 174 billion, only two years since their
previous debts were written off, which has resulted in disruption of the market, the emergence of
oligopolies, with distortion of competition and shortages of goods.

Which countries have not incorporated the above directive into national law and what measures will the
Commission take, as guardian of the Treaties, against those Member States which are in breach of
Community law in order to bring about full compliance with the relevant legislation and the smooth
operation of the internal market?

Given that the debts owed the hospitals by the state, the insurance agencies and other public- sector bodies
and enterprises (e.g. banks etc.) constitute payments within the meaning of the above directive, what
measures will the Commission take to implement in Greece the agreements concluded after 8 August
2002 (the date on which the directive on debts became effective)?

How can it ensure the smooth operation of the single market and combat late payment in the interests of
citizens, businesses and the self-employed when public-sector bodies or a state are operating within the
Union in an insolvent condition?

(1) OJ L 200, 8.8.2000, p. 35.

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(10 October 2003)

The Greek Government has communicated to the Commission the information that it has transposed
Directive 2000/35/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 29 June 2000 on combating late payment
in commercial transactions, by means of Presidential Decree No 166/2003 published in the Government
Gazette No 138 of 5 June 2003.