WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1338/97 by André FOURÇANS to the Commission. Non-discrimination rule
22. 1. 98 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 21/45 1997 scheduled for the end of September 1997 (action preparing for implementation of the support programme for books and reading, including through the Ariane translation). The administrative costs are included in Volume IV of the above report in summary tables comparing expenditure and administrative costs. Volume II of the report sets out administrative costs in detail and by budget heading. Exchanges of young people Under the Youth for Europe programme, the Commission finances exchange projects and other activities by youth associations. Information collected from promoters of projects indicates that projects involving several organizations from twinned towns are relatively frequent. The Commission does not have precise data regarding the number of projects and amounts involved. (98/C 21/121) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1338/97 by Andre· Fourçans (PPE) to the Commission (21 April 1997) Subject: Non-discrimination rule It has recently been reported in the press that the Commission intends to abolish the non-discrimination rule which currently applies to cash-card payment systems. The purpose of this rule is to prevent shopkeepers who accept payment by cash card from passing on the commission which they pay to their bank to their customers and thus to avoid discrimination between various means of payment. With respect to withdrawals from cash dispensers, its purpose is to prevent the bank supplying the cash from charging commission from card holders withdrawing cash from their dispensers. Is taxation of payment by cash card, which the Commission intends to promote even though cash payment does not permit shopkeepers to make any charges, not likely to lead consumers to use cash instead of cash cards? Does the abolition of the non-discrimination rule not therefore pose the risk of a decline in electronic means of payment? Will the Commission take steps to ensure that the development of electronic means of payment is not hindered? (98/C 21/122) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1339/97 by Andre· Fourçans (PPE) to the Commission (21 April 1997) Subject: Non-discrimination rule The Commission appears to take the view that the non-discrimination rule does not guarantee competition between the various means of payment. Does the Commission have any data showing that such competition is not exercised sufficiently at present by the possibility for consumers to choose to obtain one means of payment rather than another from their bank depending on the services offered and their cost, and by the choice available to shopkeepers to join one payment system rather than another, depending on the advantages and cost of the various systems? (98/C 21/123) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1340/97 by Andre· Fourçans (PPE) to the Commission (21 April 1997) Subject: Non-discrimination rule On what analysis does the Commission base its view that competition between various means of payment would be more intense if the non-discrimination rule was abolished?