WRITTEN QUESTION E-3927/03 by Freddy Blak (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Modular road trains on European roads.
Date: 2003-12-18
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: commercial vehicle, common transport policy, intra-EU transport, reduction of gas emissions, road traffic, weight and size

C 78 E/878

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

27.3.2004

(cid:1) the vast majority of desirable rough diamonds are sold by De Beers/DTC to strictly controlled

sightholders for manufacture,

(cid:1) that former sightholders which were pure dealers and independent suppliers of rough diamonds to the

secondary market have been eliminated under the Supplier of Choice selection procedure, and

(cid:1) that De Beers intends to take control of the distribution of rough diamonds to the secondary market

through its subsidiary Diamdel?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(20 January 2004)

On 16 January 2003 the Commission announced that it had authorised the distribution system known as
‘De Beers’s Supplier of Choice’ (SoC) following the changes that De Beers had made to the original system
notified to the Commission and after conducting a detailed market survey to find out the views of actual
and potential clients of De Beers regarding the modified system. On completion of the survey, the
Commission published in November 2002 in the Official
Journal of the European Union a notice
summarising the content of the modified system and formally inviting interested parties to present their
observations. Overall, the reactions of third parties were not negative.

When giving the go-ahead, the Commission undertook to monitor the market closely and reserved the
right to reopen the file if any change in the factual and legal circumstances concerning a key aspect of the
agreements led it to alter its position.

As indicated in its answer to Oral Question H-0637/03 by Mr R. Corbett (1), the Commission confirms that
it intends to abide fully by its commitment. It is, therefore, continuing to monitor closely De Beers’
implementation of the system in order to ascertain whether the Community competition rules are being
complied with.

A number of sightholders have lodged complaints with the Commission regarding the compatibility of the
system with the Community competition rules. These complaints are being vetted in accordance with the
Commission’s normal procedures under Articles 81 and 82 of the EC Treaty.

The Commission cannot as yet indicate to the Honourable Member the measures it might take as it does
not possess all the information needed to decide on the matter in full knowledge of the facts. In particular,
it cannot yet say whether the three events referred to in the Honourable Member’s question have actually
taken place and, even if they have, it cannot give an assessment as to whether they are compatible with
Articles 81 and 82.

It is only after examining the information obtained when vetting the complaints that the Commission will
decide whether implementation of the system gives rise to competition problems.

At the same time, the Commission is pressing ahead with its examination of the agreement between Alrosa
and De Beers with a view to verifying its compatibility with Articles 81 and 82.

(1) Oral answer of 18.11.2003.

(2004/C 78 E/0931)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3927/03

by Freddy Blak (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(18 December 2003)

Subject: Modular road trains on European roads

At present it is only Sweden and Finland which are taking advantage of exemptions to use modular road
trains up to 25,25 m in length.

27.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 78 E/879

Two modular road trains take up less space than three normal lorries, which help reduce the congestion
on the European road network. It also means a reduction in the number of drivers and thus in the risk to
road safety.

The introduction of modular road trains will also mean lower emissions per tonne of transported goods,
with clear benefits to the environment.

What measures does the Commission propose to take to introduce modular road trains into transnational
transport throughout the EU (cid:1) with a view to reducing emissions in the transport sector and congestion
on the European road network?

What is the Commission doing to incorporate the environmental dimension into regulations on weight
and dimensions?

Answer given by Ms de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(9 February 2004)

Although economic considerations could support the argument for increasing the weight and dimensions
of road haulage vehicles, such a measure would very probably have a negative overall impact, in that
instead of encouraging modal transfer from road to rail (as recommended by the Commission in its 2001
White Paper on common transport policy) it would do the opposite. The environmental consequences
would therefore be uncertain and the increase in the number of longer and heavier lorries on the road
could have a negative impact on safety.

The last time the Directive on weights and measures (1) was amended, the Member States and the
Commission took the view that the rules on weight and dimensions should remain stable in the long term.
(The amendment concerned buses and coaches only.)

The Commission is still exchanging views on the subject with the Member States within a group of
experts.

(1) Directive 2002/07/EC of the European Parliament and of the Councill of 18 February 2002 amending Council
Directive 96/53/EC laying down for certain road vehicles circulating within the Community the maximum
authorised dimensions in national and international traffic and the maximum authorised weights in international
traffic, OJ L 67, 9.3.2002.

(2004/C 78 E/0932)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3929/03

by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(19 December 2003)

Subject: Increase in inflation in Greece

Many EU countries (and particularly Greece) have seen substantial price increases since the introduction of
the euro, which have meant a very considerable erosion of consumer income. The Greek press recently
announced that fresh increases in the prices of staple goods such as flour are imminent, and this will
certainly have a knock-on effect in the market. It should be borne in mind that producers in agricultural
regions in Greece, for instance in Thessaly, are complaining that Greece imports wheat from as far afield as
Australia, even though agricultural cooperatives have stocks of thousands of tonnes of unsold first-class
Greek wheat (to cite but one instance, in one village in the Prefecture of Larissa there are 700 tonnes of
wheat which have remained unsold for months).