WRITTEN QUESTION E-3867/03 by Richard Corbett (PSE) to the Commission. Timeshare and holiday club study.
Date: 2003-12-16
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: acquisition of property, consumer protection, time-sharing

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(2004/C 78 E/0345)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3838/03

by Emmanouil Bakopoulos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(12 December 2003)

Subject: Stray animals in Greece

The press has reported the promulgation in Greece of a law (No 3170/03) laying down government policy
for dealing with strays in view of the Olympic Games. It provides, inter alia, that stray animals shall be
rounded up by the municipalities, which shall receive EUR 1 million for the construction of animal
shelters. Sick animals shall be put to sleep. However, the above procedure arbitrarily allows all stray
animals to be put down without distinction.

A more viable solution would be to set up clinics for pets providing veterinary services under the
supervision of specialists, which could operate to control the population of strays. Will the Commission
say whether, given such a scenario, it would help protect stray animals in Greece by releasing funds for
such clinics to be set up?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(27 January 2004)

The welfare of stray dogs and cats is a matter which falls entirely within the responsibility of the Greek
authorities and the Commission has no legal basis for intervention with the authorities of this Member
State about the matter. As a consequence no specific Community aids can be envisaged.

As was indicated in its reply to the Honourable Member’s Written Question E-3503/03 (1),
the
Commission’s Food and Veterinary Office did learn on the margins of a mission to Greece in September
2003 that considerable efforts were being put into finding a solution to this problem which respected the
welfare needs of the animals concerned. The Commission would hope that all decisions concerning the
future of these animals will be made after competent veterinary opinion has been obtained.

(1) See page 294.

(2004/C 78 E/0346)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3867/03

by Richard Corbett (PSE) to the Commission

(16 December 2003)

Subject: Timeshare and holiday club study

Is the Commission aware of the UK Citizens’ Advice Bureau’s study entitled ‘Paradise Lost’ on citizens’
experiences of timeshare and holiday clubs?

Is the Commission willing to review the Timeshare Directive with a view to including purchases of holiday
club scheme membership and timeshare in boats, removing the 36-month minimum contract criteria,
increasing the minimum cooling-off period to 14 days and requiring all companies engaged in the
timeshare market or resale of timeshares to register in the Member States in which they operate?

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Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(15 January 2004)

The United Kingdom Citizens’ Advice Bureau was kind enough to send the Commission a number of
copies of the study ‘Paradise Lost’. The study, in fact, is based on the report ‘The Problems of Products
Resembling Timeshare in Europe; the experience of European Consumer Centres’, which was made public
in November 2002 by the European Consumer Centres.

The Commission is aware that despite the adoption of Directive 94/47/EC of the Parliament and of the
Council of 26 October 1994 on the protection of purchasers in respect of certain aspects of contracts
relating to the purchase of the right to use immovable property on a timeshare basis (1) and its subsequent
transposition by Member States, consumer complaints still arise. Complaints have been sent to the
Commission directly by the complainants, via the Parliament, by the European Consumer Centres (2) or the
European Extra Judicial Network (3).

A Commission Report (4)
It drew
conclusions on possible adaptations or amendments to the Directive. A Parliament Resolution (5) and
Council Conclusions (6) were adopted pursuant to this report.

identifying a number of these problems was published in 1999.

The Member of the Commission responsible for Health and Consumer protection outlined a broad strategy
to tackle outstanding problems in the timeshare sector in the debate in the Parliament in July 2002 on the
adoption of the Resolution.

In order to address the most urgent problems, links between leading consumer associations and members
of the Timeshare Industry have been established to make self-regulation more effective. The Industry is
currently developing a Code of Conduct which will be used to raise standards and to address those unfair
and opaque practices not caught by the Directive. Negotiations are currently under way so that consumers’
views are taken into account in the development of this code.

In addition to this, the Commission has drawn on the experience of the European Consumer Centres and
has worked with the newly established Clearing Houses of the European Extra-judicial Network, as well as
with the International Consumer Protection Enforcement Network (7)
to address current
outstanding problems and to encourage a more systematic co-operation between the industry and the
relevant contact points in the Member States.

(ICPEN)

Furthermore,
adopted by the Commission.

two legislative proposals aiming at protecting consumers’

interests have recently been

for a framework Directive concerning unfair business-to-consumer commercial
First, a proposal
practices (8) was adopted by the Commission in June 2003. Certain unfair marketing practices which are
commonly used by rogue traders operating in the timeshare industry (e.g. practices involving the use of
coercion), are included in the proposal.

A second proposal for a Regulation on cooperation between national authorities responsible for the
enforcement of consumer protection laws (9) was adopted by the Commission in July 2003. This proposal
aims to establish effective and rapid cooperation between national authorities responsible for the
enforcement of consumer protection laws.

Furthermore in accordance with the Consumer Policy Strategy 2002-2006, the Commission is reviewing
existing Community legislation relating to consumer protection. This review will cover a number of

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directives, including Directive 94/47/EC on timeshare. The Commission plans to present the strategy for
the review of the consumer protection ‘acquis’ in the 2nd quarter of 2004.

(1) OJ L 280, 29.10.1994.
(2) The role of the ECC Network (or ‘Euroguichets’) is to help European consumers understand better how to make the

Internal Market work for them and to provide advice if they encounter a problem.

(3) The role of the EEJ-Net, a network of contact points or ‘Clearing Houses’, is to provide consumers with information
on available Alternative Dispute Resolution schemes, as well as practical help in pursuing a complaint by this
means.

(4) SEC(1999) 1795 final.
(5) European Parliament Resolution on the monitoring of Community policy on the protection of purchasers of
the right to use immovable properties on a timeshare basis (Rapport Medina Ortega), adopted on 4 July 2002
(Doc PE 298 410).

(6) 2255th Council meeting of 13.4.2000 (point 9.2).
(7) The International Consumer Protection Enforcement Network is a worldwide network of national authorities with
the aim of strengthening and improving the enforcement of consumer protection legislation. (except product safety
and the prudential regulation of financial
institutions). It meets to discuss these enforcement issues, exchange
information and improve international cooperation between the countries involved. A sub-group ‘Europe’ has been
set up by the Commission to improve European co-operation and prepare for the global meetings.

(8) COM(2003) 356 final.
(9) COM(2003) 443 final.

(2004/C 78 E/0347)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3883/03

by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission

(16 December 2003)

Subject: Alcatel Italia: Community funding for telecommunications

From a restructuring plan presented by the management of Alcatel Italia S.p.A. it emerges that two Italian
plants will be closed down, although they are both at the forefront of telecom technology. However, there
are a number of Community programmes to support technological
innovation, such as the @-Europe
programme, which provides for the possibility of subsidising investments for broad-band facilities in
depressed areas by means of the ESF. Furthermore, in the context of measures to promote the development
of broad band, investments of EUR 1 680 million over five years are envisaged, to be financed partly by
European funds and partly by means of project-financing.

In view of all this, can the Commission say:

1.

to what extent Alcatel Italia may benefit from such funding;

2.

to what extent it may benefit
Framework Programme for Research;

from funding provided under the Galileo project and the Sixth

3. what other future financial instruments are envisaged for telecoms?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(30 January 2004)

The Commission is collecting the information it needs to answer the question. It will communicate its
findings as soon as possible.