WRITTEN QUESTION E-4086/03 by Olle Schmidt (ELDR) to the Commission. Company-specific aid to Eftec in connection with relocation from Hässleholm in Sweden to Wales.
Date: 2004-01-14
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Sweden, Wales, aid to undertakings, competition policy, motor vehicle industry, offshoring, paints and varnishes, support policy

27.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 78 E/911

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(16 February 2004)

The ban on the keeping of ferrets in Portugal does not come under the scope of Regulation (EC) No 998/
2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 May 2003 on the animal health requirements
applicable to the non-commercial movement of pet animals (1), as it is based on considerations other than
health.

Article 2 (third paragraph) of the said Regulation states that ‘provisions based on considerations other than
those relating to animal health requirements, and intended to restrict the movement of certain species or
breeds of pet animals, shall not be affected by this Regulation’.

Therefore, any other issue which might arise in connection with the non-commercial movement of the
animals in question falls under the jurisdiction of the Member States. According to the information
the ban referred to is based on environmental protection
received from the Portuguese authorities,
considerations.

In order to meet its obligations under Regulation (EC) No 998/2003, Portugal has adopted implementing
provisions in the form of Decree No 314/2003 of 17 December 2003. This Decree also imposes an
additional obligation, in the case of ferrets, to obtain a permit from the Environment Ministry, which in
the light of
the above-mentioned provisions of Article 2, cannot be regarded as contravening the
Community Regulation.

(1) OJ L 146, 13.6.2003.

(2004/C 78 E/0963)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4086/03

by Olle Schmidt (ELDR) to the Commission

(14 January 2004)

Subject: Company-specific aid to Eftec in connection with relocation from Hässleholm in Sweden to Wales

The Eftec company in Hässleholm manufactures rust-prevention products for the auto industry. Welsh
authorities have confirmed that the company has received financial support in connection with the
company’s relocation from Hässleholm to Wales. SEK 6 million has been paid in establishment grants and
is being used to expand the new factory at Rhigos, Aberdare. Information indicates that Eftec will probably
receive SEK 6 million a year for six years, which would cover the wind-up costs of up to SEK 30 million.

This information indicates that the EU’s competition policy is moving in the wrong direction. Clearly, the
objective in the EU is to remove all company-specific aid such as that recently paid to Eftec. Instead, the
EU should concentrate on aid of a general nature, such as aid for infrastructure and general training
schemes. Aid to individual companies, as recently granted to Eftec, merely serves to distort the market and
is extremely unfair on the regions concerned. The decision to close down affects 22 employees.

Can the Commission confirm the abovementioned information that Eftec is receiving establishment grants
of SEK 6 million per year over a six-year period? Does the Commission consider that this development is
consistent with the objectives of EU competition policy?

C 78 E/912

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

27.3.2004

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(17 February 2004)

The Commission takes note of the information which the Honourable Member submitted concerning
possible aid in favour of the company Eftec. According to this information, the company is receiving
grants of SEK 30 million over a six-year period for an expansion of its factory in Rhigos, Aberdare.
The Honourable Member indicated that this aid is granted in connection with the company’s relocation
from Hässleholm (Sweden) to Wales.

The Directorate-General for Competition of the Commission will carry out the necessary investigations in
connection with the information that the Honourable Member has provided in order to establish whether
the project in question involves any State aid incompatible with the competition rules of the EC Treaty.
It will inform the Honourable Member of the outcome as soon as possible.

(2004/C 78 E/0964)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4087/03

by Chris Davies (ELDR) to the Commission

(14 January 2004)

Subject: Data Protection Supervisor

When will the Commission appoint a Data Protection Supervisor, when will he/she take office, and when
will the Commission expect this person to provide an independent assessment regarding the release of
information relevant to the dispute between the Commission, the European Ombudsman and Parliament
in the matter of the Bavarian Lager Company?

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(18 February 2004)

In accordance with Article 42 of Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 (1), the Parliament and the Council appoint
by common accord the European Data Protection Supervisor and the Assistant Supervisor. That
appointment took place on 22 December 2003 (2), and as a result, Mr Peter Hustinx and Mr Joaquím
Bayo Delgado have been nominated repectively as European Data Protection Supervisor and Assistant
Supervisor. They have taken office in early February 2004.

According to Article 41 of the above-mentioned Regulation, the European Data Protection Supervisor is a
fully independent supervisory authority. It is, therefore, not for the Commission to determine which
activities that authority should conduct or the timeframe to address them.

(1) Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2000 on the
protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by the Community institutions and bodies
and on the free movement of such data, OJ L 8, 12.1.2001.

(2) Decision 2004/55/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 22 December 2003 appointing the independent
supervisory body provided for in Article 286 of the EC Treaty (European Data Protection Supervisor), OJ L 12,
17.1.2004.

(2004/C 78 E/0965)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0005/04

by Olivier Dupuis (NI) to the Commission

(16 January 2004)

Subject: Persecution of Uighur Organisations based in the European Union

The Government of the People’s Republic of China has just published a wanted list of ethnic Uighur
‘terrorists’ abroad, and has called for their arrest and extradition in a renewed attempt to curb the political
activities of Uighur activists outside China by branding their political activities as ‘terrorism’, thus garnering