WRITTEN QUESTION E-3199/03 by Marianne Thyssen (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Belgian Government takeover of the pension fund of telecommunications operator Belgacom.
Date: 2003-10-30
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Belgium, European accounting system, Eurostat, financial year, supplementary pension, telecommunications

20.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 70 E/235

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(2 December 2003)

The Commission made no financial contribution to the Swedish referendum on the euro, whether

1.
directly or indirectly.

The Commission supplied no publicity material to the Swedish Government or to any other body in
2.
connection with the Swedish referendum on the euro.
insignificant amounts of
information material designed to inform citizens about the introduction of euro notes and coins in the
Euro Area in 2002, was still in circulation in 2003.

is possible that

It

3.

The Commission had no involvement in the Swedish referendum on the euro.

4. Within the last 24 months, the Commission has neither prepared nor distributed publicity material
on the question of whether Denmark, Sweden or the United Kingdom should adopt the euro.

The Commission has no plans whatsoever to be involved in a possible referendum in the United

5.
Kingdom on adopting the euro.

(2004/C 70 E/252)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3199/03

by Marianne Thyssen (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(30 October 2003)

Subject: Belgian Government takeover of the pension fund of telecommunications operator Belgacom

As the Commission knows, the Belgian Government has decided to take over the Belgacom pension fund.
In return for accepting the fund’s liabilities, the Government will receive EUR 5 billion in December 2003.
The Government has announced that it will regard that amount as revenue for balance-of-payments
calculations. Furthermore, the Belgian Government is planning to spread the EUR 5 billion payable and to
be paid in 2003 over two financial years, i.e. the year in which the revenue is actually received plus the
following year.

On the basis that ESA standards are an instrument for compliance with the Stability Pact and that,
accordingly, strict application thereof is a prerequisite for Member State accounts to be transparent and
accurate, and given that lax interpretation or application of ESA standards is tantamount to surreptitious
weakening of the Stability Pact and stability programme commitments, can the Commission say:

1. whether or not it will allow the EUR 5 billion to be booked in the budget as net revenue minus the

associated liabilities taken over, and why?

2. how it views the Belgian Government’s plan to window-dress not one, but two budgets by spreading

the ‘revenue’ over two financial years?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(8 December 2003)

Eurostat has been informed that the Belgian Government will take over the pension obligations incurred
by Belgacom for its own staff.

Eurostat is considering the issue closely and will give its opinion as regards the treatment of the operation
in national accounts, and notably the impact on government deficit and debt.

Eurostat has also been informed that the Belgian Government intends to record the effect of the transfer
both for 2003 and 2004 fiscal years. This also requires a specific examination as regards the compliance
with the European System of national and regional Accounts (ESA95) provisions relating to the ‘accrual’
principle on the time of recording of transactions.