WRITTEN QUESTION P-0134/04 by Mario Borghezio (NI) to the Commission. Collapse of Parmalat and insufficient checks by Bankitalia.
Date: 2004-01-20
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Italy, access to information, auditing, bankruptcy, central bank, competence of the institution, protection of shareholders, shareholder, supervisory body

C 84 E/312

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

3.4.2004

(2004/C 84 E/0359)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0133/04

by Rosa Miguélez Ramos (PSE) to the Commission

(20 January 2004)

Subject: Fishery control agency in Vigo

On 13 December 2003 the European Council decided to set up a fishery control agency, with its
headquarters in Vigo.

Is the Commission already working on a proposal for a regulation which will provide the requisite legal
basis for this Agency? What powers and resources will the Agency have?

Has the Commission already begun to draw up the economic study for the way the Agency will operate?

When, approximately, does the Commission believe the Agency will begin operations in Vigo?

How many Community officials and temporary agents, and of what categories, will be working for it? How
many local agents, in addition to the statutory staff, does the Commission calculate it will employ?

Has the Commission begun to look for a building in Vigo to accommodate the Agency? Have the Spanish
authorities made the Commission any offer in this connection? If so, what are the details?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(12 February 2004)

The Commission welcomes the conclusion reached by the Member States at the Heads of State and
Government meeting on 13 December 2003 in Brussels regarding the establishment of a European
fisheries control agency, whose headquarters will be in Spain.

According to the information at the Commission’s disposal, it would seem that the Spanish Government
wishes the agency to be located in the city of Vigo in Galicia.

In March 2004 the Commission will present a proposal to the Council and to Parliament for a Regulation
setting up the Community fisheries control agency. The proposal will include the agency’s budget, with
detailed information on its staff numbers and their grades.

A study which the Commission asked to be undertaken in 2003 will evaluate the agency’s operating
procedures.

Once established, the agency will progressively assume its functions. The agency’s location will in any case
be the subject of an agreement between it and the Spanish authorities, to be concluded after the agency’s
management board has been set up and its director appointed.

(2004/C 84 E/0360)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0134/04

by Mario Borghezio (NI) to the Commission

(20 January 2004)

Subject: Collapse of Parmalat and insufficient checks by Bankitalia

The financial collapse of the Italian Parmalat group highlighted a serious lack of checks by Bankitalia
regarding the Parmalat group’s relations with the Italian banking system. The stock market watchdog,
Consob, expressed its disappointment at being denied access by the Italian central bank to data held by
Bankitalia’s risks bureau on Parmalat’s position.

3.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 84 E/313

Will the Commission adopt a clear position regarding the tasks that still need to be carried out, uniformly,
by the central banks of Member States?

Does not the Commission feel that there is a need to set up truly independent authorities in each Member
State to guarantee and protect the rights of savers?

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(4 March 2004)

The Commission notes that a criminal investigation by the Italian Courts to assess responsibilities in the
failure of the Parmalat group is still ongoing. Moreover, the discussions in Italy on whether, and to what
extent, the activity of Banca d’Italia had an impact on the efficiency of the controls are still continuing.
Therefore, the Commission considers it premature and inappropriate to express a view on this specific
case.

On a broader perspective, it is the responsibility of Member States to decide how the supervision of banks,
other financial institutions and listed companies should be organised to achieve the objective of efficient
prudent supervision, market integrity and transparency, necessary to ensure the protection of savers,
investors and the stability of financial system, on the basis of the principles and provisions laid down in
the EU Banking Directives (1) and the EU securities, accounting and audit directives and regulations. These
principles include provisions on co-operation and exchange of information between supervisory authorities
as well as the obligation of professional secrecy in supervision.

(1) Directive 2000/12/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 20 March 2000 relating to the taking up and pursuit

of the business of credit institutions, OJ L 126, 26.5.2000.

(2004/C 84 E/0361)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0135/04

by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission

(20 January 2004)

Subject: Rome central dairy: safeguarding jobs and protecting farmers

Since 1996, a series of questions have been submitted condemning alleged irregularities in the privatisation
procedure of the Rome central dairy (see Written Questions P-1747/96 (1), P-1071/97 (2), E-3408/97 (3),
E-0547/98 (4), E-1511/98 (5), E-2486/98 (6), E-0567/99 (7) and P-2069/99 (8));
in particular, doubts were
expressed over the legitimacy of the procedure restructuring the company’s debt using state aid and over
the manner of its subsequent sale to Cirio in 1999 for LIT 26 500 million and of its sale to the Parmalat
group for LIT 334 800 million.

Today, the events of the financial collapse of the multinational Parmalat run the risk of drawing in the
company Eurolat S.p.A., which owns 75 % of the Rome central dairy and which is controlled by the
Parmalat group.

Nevertheless, thanks to the acquisition of the remaining 16 % by Finlatte S.p.A., on which 250 farmers
depend, the Rome central dairy has enjoyed a financial recovery over recent years and has shown a profit.

Today, however, there is a real risk that the other 500 holdings that make up the ancillary industry of the
central dairy may be closed, with serious repercussions in terms of
jobs for the entire dairy and
zootechnical sector in Lazio and the subsequent dismantling of an industrial cluster that is robust both
financially and in terms of production.

In order to prevent the closure of the Rome central dairy, Finlatte S.p.A., which has technical resources
and managerial capacity available, could manage the holding directly, paying rent to the said holding,
money which could be used for a re-entry plan. It could also form a new Newco involving farmers and