WRITTEN QUESTION No. 162/98 by Anita POLLACK to the Commission. Combined bicycle and rail travel
C 304/42 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 2. 10. 98 Will the Commission ask the Greek Government to create fair competitive conditions in order to stem the drain on the resources of Greek SMEs caused by the high level of bank lending rates? Answer given by Mr Papoutsis on behalf of the Commission (30 March 1998) The structure of the Greek national banking system ia a matter for the Greek authorities and not for the Commission. The Commission expects a lowering of interest rates in due course, in line with what has already happened in the other Member States, which have already completed such a course of action. The cost of borrowing also covers the risk, however, and banks normally consider that SMEs represent a higher risk than large-scale enterprises. The Commission will at an early opportunity raise this point at the Third Round Table of Banks and SMEs, which will be set up in the near future and whose role will essentially be to develop a better mutual understanding between the two parties in their professional relations. The European Investment Bank (EIB) has furthermore contributed, by its issuing activities on the Marathoní market (six issues, for a total value of GRD 135 billion since the opening of this ácompartmentí of the market by the EIB in 1994, representing a total of ECU 432. 13 million, value as at 23. 2. 1998) and by its individual and global loans (ECU 2. 770 million in the course of the past five years), with the aim of fostering competition and modernisation in the Greek banking sector. In the course of the last five years, the EIB has granted global loans to some ten intermediaries in the Greek banking sector. The funds channelled in this way have been used to finance 265 projects. The EIB would be prepared to expand this activity if the intermediaries were able to demonstrate their capacity to relay these funds efficiently without delay to SMEs. (98/C 304/57) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0160/98 by Mary Banotti (PPE) to the Council (3 February 1998) Subject: Gaza European Hospital Can the Council inform me of the cost of the total investment by the EU in the Gaza European Hospital? Can the Council inform me when the International Management team will be arriving in the region? When will the hospital be fully operational and what is the Councilís policy in meeting the recurrent costs of the large scale infrastructure projects in developing countries? Answer (8 June 1998) As the Honourable Member of Parliament is well aware, the implementation of actions financed in the framework of the MEDA regulation, as is the case with the one mentioned in this question, is the responsibility of the Commission. Therefore, the Honourable Member of Parliament is advised to refer the present question to the Commission. (98/C 304/58) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0162/98 by Anita Pollack (PSE) to the Commission (2 February 1998) Subject: Combined bicycle and rail travel In the interest of seeking to curb private car use, does the Commission have any plans to require train operators to offer bicycle access on trains and to abolish extra charges for this?