WRITTEN QUESTION E-3885/03 by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission. Alcatel Italia: possible checks on funding granted by the EU.
Date: 2003-12-16
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU Member State, EU financing, aid to undertakings, business ethics, multinational enterprise, offshoring, telecommunications industry

27.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 78 E/331

(2004/C 78 E/0348)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3884/03

by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission

(16 December 2003)

Subject: Alcatel Italia: suspected infringement of rules on funding granted by the EU

It emerged from a meeting held with the trade union delegations from Alcatel Italia S.p.A. in Brussels in
November 2003 that the company has benefited in the past from favourable terms for funding production
activities in depressed areas of Italy, in accordance with the terms of Italian Law No 488/92, by means of
EU co-financing.

This law obliges the beneficiary company to respect,
increasing jobs, on the basis of the funding received, and abiding by a multiannual investment plan.

inter alia, certain parameters in terms of both

Furthermore, it would seem that Alcatel Italia has carried out an outsourcing plan, without adequately
informing the workers, and contravening the ban on altering the kinds of contracts already in force.

In view of all this, can the Commission say:

1. what kinds of EU funding in particular Alcatel Italia has received;

2. what kind of investment plan Alcatel drew up to step up productivity and increase employment, in

accordance with the provisions of Law No 488/92?

3. whether it considers that the granting of funding to businesses can be made subject to an ethical and

social clause?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(29 January 2004)

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

(2004/C 78 E/0349)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3885/03

by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission

(16 December 2003)

Subject: Alcatel Italia: possible checks on funding granted by the EU

The multinational firm Alcatel is, as regards turnover, the territory it covers and its number of employees,
one of the world’s largest producers of public and private telecommunications equipment. In Europe too it
is well-represented, with a branch in nearly every EU country. However, in the last few months Alcatel
Italia has announced that it wants to close the plants in Italy. The company has used structural funding to
step up employment and productivity, but it is not clear whether the funding was used to invest in the EU
or whether it was used for investments in ‘emerging’ countries, such as China or other areas outside the
Community.

In view of all this, can the Commission say:

1.

in how many EU countries Alcatel has obtained funding;

2. what other plants in the EU may be closed down;

3. what instruments can be used to ascertain that the funding granted to Alcatel has actually been used

in EU countries, rather than countries outside the EU?

C 78 E/332

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

27.3.2004

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(29 January 2004)

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

(2004/C 78 E/0350)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3890/03

by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(10 December 2003)

Subject: Recognition in Greece of diplomas of Community universities

Thousands of Greek students study at (state and other recognised) universities in many EU countries. These
students are awarded diplomas which are recognised in Greece only after being submitted to and approved
by the Inter-University Centre for the Recognition of Foreign Qualifications (DI.K.A.T.S.A.). This entails
long delays (owing to bureaucracy and the number of diplomas submitted) and substantial costs for
applicants.

Are Member States obliged under Community legislation to have bodies such as DI.K.A.T.S.A. to which
diplomas from Community universities are submitted? Do such bodies exist in all the other Member States
as a result of this obligation?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(14 January 2004)

There are two types of procedures for recognition of qualifications and they have different objectives: the
academic recognition procedure and the professional recognition procedure.

Academic recognition aims to allow people to pursue their studies in another Member State.

Professional recognition aims to facilitate the free movement of workers within the Union. It concerns the
recognition of qualifications required for access to the professions in different Member States and is
governed by Community law (Directives 89/48/EEC (1) and 92/51/CEE) (2).

At the present stage of development of Community law, the recognition of diplomas for academic
purposes falls within the competence of Member States. There are no Community rules imposing mutual
recognition of diplomas. Each Member State is responsible for the content and organisation of
its
educational system. There are currently no diplomas that are recognised at European level. Universities that
are autonomous institutions are responsible for the content of their curricula and for awarding diplomas
and certificates to students. The authorities of the Member States have the right to require the academic
recognition of qualifications before allowing access to education and they can evaluate whether the content
of the education received by the holder of a diploma corresponds to the level that is required by the
legislation. They are equally free to fix the rules governing this type of procedure. They are
national
obliged, however, not
in
accordance with Article 12 of the EC Treaty.

to apply any direct or indirect discrimination on grounds of nationality,

In most Member States the higher education institutions take their own decisions on the admission of
foreign students. Some Member States have set up bodies responsible for the academic recognition of
diplomas, similar to Dikatsa.

As regards recognition for professional purposes, the different Member States have set up competent
authorities dealing with the professional recognition of diplomas.

In the countries participating in the Socrates programme a network of national information centres for the
recognition of diplomas
recognition
procedures. Most NARICs do not take decisions but offer on request information and advice on foreign
education systems and qualifications.

(NARIC) operates, which provides

information on national