WRITTEN QUESTION E-2890/03 by Anne Jensen (ELDR) to the Commission. Aid to factories in the former GDR.
Date: 2003-09-29
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: German Democratic Republic, State aid, aid system, freshwater, restriction on competition, support policy, terms for aid

20.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 70 E/155

(2004/C 70 E/161)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2888/03

by Joan Vallvé (ELDR) to the Commission

(29 September 2003)

Subject: Island flights (cid:1) declaration of public service

For many European citizens, air transport to the Balearic Islands means a holiday trip. For the inhabitants
of the islands, however, it is a vital necessity, providing access to the mainland.

As laid down in Article 4 of EU Regulation (EEC) No 2408/92 (1), ‘A Member State, following consultations
with the other Member States concerned and after having informed the Commission and air carriers
operating on the route, may impose a public service obligation in respect of scheduled air services to an
airport serving a peripheral or development region in its territory or on a thin route to any regional
airport in its territory, any such route being considered vital for the economic development of the region
in which the airport is located, to the extent necessary to ensure on that route adequate provision of
scheduled air services satisfying fixed standards of continuity, regularity, capacity and pricing, which
standards air carriers would not assume if they were solely considering their commercial interest’.

Does the Commission believe there could be any impediment to the Spanish Government’s agreeing to
declare flights from the airports of Menorca, Eivissa and Palma to the Iberian Peninsula, as being flights of
public interest?

(1) OJ L 240, 24.8.1992, p. 8.

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(11 November 2003)

The expediency of introducing public service obligations (PSOs), in accordance with the criteria laid down
in Article 4 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2408/92 of 23 July 1992 on access for Community air carriers
to intra-Community air routes, is a matter for the Member State concerned. Pursuant to Article 4(3), the
Commission cannot assess whether PSOs which have already been imposed are in conformity with the
Regulation until it has examined the information supplied by the Member State concerned.

(2004/C 70 E/162)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2890/03

by Anne Jensen (ELDR) to the Commission

(29 September 2003)

Subject: Aid to factories in the former GDR

Danish suppliers of spring water are currently complaining that there is distortion of competition on the
European market owing to the fact that factories located in the former GDR (cid:1) including Harboe
Bryggerier A/S (cid:1) are receiving aid from public resources. This aid makes it possible to send goods in over
the nearest borders at very low prices.

What forms of aid schemes were set up for factories in the former GDR in connection with reconstruction
and does the Commission know what aid the firm in question, Harboe Bryggerier A/S, has received?

In the case in point, does the Commission accept the terms on which the aid is provided or are there
problems in relation to current rules on state aid?

C 70 E/156

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

20.3.2004

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(18 November 2003)

The Commission is not aware of the facts referred to by the Honourable Member. It has asked the Member
State concerned for information. Following an assessment of the answer the Commission will deal with
any potential illegal aid.

(2004/C 70 E/163)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2891/03

by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Inadequate measures relating to safely at work in Greece

(29 September 2003)

The recent occupational accident in the meat processing factory ‘Floridi Brothers’ on the boundary between
Agios Ioannis Rendis and Moschato in Attica, which caused the tragic death of two workers, again turned
the spotlight on the problem of inadequate preventive measures in relation to safety at work.

Despite the fall in the number of fatal accidents at work in Greece (153 deaths were recorded in 2002
compared with 181 in 2001, and 62 workers died at work in the first half of 2003), the problem remains
serious.

Can the Commission say where Greece stands by comparison with the other Member States, in
1.
absolute and relative terms (per thousand inhabitants, for example), as regards the number of accidents and
deaths over the period 2000-2002?

2.
Is the Commission satisfied with the transposition and implementation of Community law in Greece
as regards safety and the prevention of accidents at work, and if not, what steps will it take to guarantee its
implementation?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(14 November 2003)

The Commission shares the Honourable Member’s concern regarding the number of fatal accidents at
1.
work. The Commission’s objective, as described in its communication ‘Adapting to change in work and
society: a new Community strategy on health and safety at work 2002-2006’ (1), is a continual reduction in
the number of accidents at work, including fatal accidents. The new strategy is based on consolidating a
culture of risk prevention, on combining a variety of political instruments (cid:1) legislation, social dialogue,
innovative approaches and identifying best practice, corporate social responsibility, economic incentives (cid:1)
and on building partnerships between all players in the field of health and safety.

The Commission has had harmonised figures relating to accidents at work in the Member States since
1994, and would like to draw the Honourable Member’s attention to the fact that Eurostat receives data
the ESAW (2) harmonisation
from the Greek National Statistical
methodology. Since ESAW data on Greece covers only salaried workers, accidents among self-employed
workers are not included in these statistics. Furthermore, in view of the need to harmonise sources from
different countries, the ESAW data cover only accidents that happen at work and not those that occur
during the return journey between home and work.

Institute produced on the basis of

The latest ESAW figures, from 2000, show that there has been an improvement in Greece, both in the
number of accidents in absolute terms and in the standardised incidence rate of fatal accidents at work per
100 000 persons in employment. To be precise, 83 workers died in 1994 and the incidence rate was 4,3,
whereas 57 workers died in 2000 and the incidence rate was 2,7. The situation for accidents at work that
result in more than three days’ absence has also improved in Greece since 1994, both in absolute terms
(39 098 accidents in 2000 compared with 53 829 in 1994) and in terms of the standardised incidence rate
(2 595 in 2000 compared with 3 702 in 2000). However, although the ESAW methodology produces
harmonised statistical data, differences in the proportion of accidents declared in each country mean that it
remains difficult to make comparisons between the Member States.