WRITTEN QUESTION E-0829/04 by Mario Mauro (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Parmatour: tourism concern owned by the Tanzi family, involved in the Parmalat crisis.
Date: 2004-03-15
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: business administration, corporate social responsibility, tourism, tourism policy

C 84 E/888

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

3.4.2004

Hence, the Commission has not changed its point of view that has been maintained since this Regulation
was adopted by the Council.

Finally, the Honourable Member can be assured that the Commission is in constant dialogue with the
concerned Member States in order to ensure as smooth an application of the new rules as possible.

(1) Council Regulation (EC) No 850/98 of 30 March 1998 for the conservation of fishery resources through technical

measures for the protection of juveniles of marine organisms, OJ L 125, 27.4.1998.

(2004/C 84 E/0981)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0829/04

by Mario Mauro (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(15 March 2004)

Subject: Parmatour: tourism concern owned by the Tanzi family, involved in the Parmalat crisis

It has emerged that Parmatour was used not only for its declared objectives, but also for other purposes.
This led to negative operating results. Repeated attempts were made to remedy this situation by means of
various restructuring measures, the latest of which (cid:1) the dismissal of 60 employees and an industrial
regeneration plan which was to produce positive results over a three-year period (cid:1) had been in place for a
year. Following the declaration of insolvency and Parmalat’s going into extraordinary administration, the
plan was frozen.

Management of tourist activities differs radically from that of industrial activities, in that the latter can
temporarily dissociate the production stage from the sales stage.

It is essentially a service industry, based on the vital need for mutual trust between supplier and customer,
with due respect for minimum market conditions, failing which the company may be unable to remain on
the market and pursue its activity.

The inability to remain on the market, even for short periods, causes the company’s value to collapse, even
in the event of it repositioning itself, which in turn jeopardises the various interests it represents.

In view of the above, will the Commission indicate what measures it intends to take to enable this area of
activity,
in the broadest sense of the term, to have the best possible chance of being promoted and
revitalised, rather than being stifled and virtually wiped out, as is currently happening?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(6 April 2004)

The Commission does not intend to take any position on the activities of Parmatour, which is involved in
the financial crisis at Parmalat being investigated by the Italian judicial authorities.

the objectives of

One of
the Commission’s recent Communication on ‘Basic orientations for the
sustainability of European tourism’ (1) is to define a frame of reference to ensure the viability, continued
growth, competitiveness and commercial success of the tourism sector.
In this Communication, the
Commission emphasises that open governance requires businesses to assume responsibility for conducting
their operations in a manner that entails full implementation of appropriate corporate social responsibility
practices for tourism value chain services and enterprises of any size or type.

(1) COM(2003) 716 final.