WRITTEN QUESTION No. 159/98 by Katerina DASKALAKI to the Commission. Bank lending rates and hotel businesses in Greece
2. 10. 98 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 304/41 to any competitors who would also like to offer this service. The Commission has therefore decided to begin proceedings in order to obtain greater transparency regarding the conditions under which Telecomís DECT service is provided. (1) OJ L 20, 26. 1. 1996. (98/C 304/55) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0156/98 by Klaus Lukas (NI) to the Commission (2 February 1998) Subject: Recall of the head of delegation in Bratislava (continued) Further to the answer given to Question 3153/97 (1), I should be grateful for answers to the following questions: It is reported that the Commissionís anti-fraud unit, UCLAF, has already carried out an investigation into the activities of Mr Georgios Zavvos. What were the findings of UCLAFís investigation? When will the EP be informed of the findings of the investigation? How are we then to understand the Commissionís statement that Mr Georgios Zavvos was transferred in the interests of the service? What specific job is Georgios Zavvos currently doing? How can the Commission guarantee that Mr Georgios Zavvos is no longer involved in the activities which, it is reported, resulted in his transfer (in the interests of the service)? (1) OJ C 117, 16. 4. 1998, p. 157. Answer given by Mr Van den Broek on behalf of the Commission (1 April 1998) The former head of the Commissionís delegation in Bratislava has been appointed as an adviser in the Directorate general for external relations: Europe and the new independent States, common foreign and security policy and external missions and is currently working on issues relating to institution building. The Commission unit on coordination of fraud prevention (UCLAF) investigation into Phare management in Slovakia is not yet terminated but has so far not produced evidence of fraud or corruption on the part of the former head of the delegation of the Commission in Bratislava. The Commission will keep the Parliament informed. (98/C 304/56) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0159/98 by Katerina Daskalaki (UPE) to the Commission (2 February 1998) Subject: Bank lending rates and hotel businesses in Greece Within the free market, the Union supports SMEs, which it regards as the mainstay of European economic development, and spends huge amounts on modernizing them. In Greece, SMEs are under threat from the monopolistic structure of the countryís banking system, one feature of which is that the Greek banks charge businesses extremely high interest rates for borrowing (more than four times the rate of inflation). Greek SMEs, in particular hotels, are weighed down with enormous borrowing commitments which accumulate through the inordinate amount of interest charged by the Greek banks, unilaterally and for their own profit, leaving such businesses unable to compete in a free market