WRITTEN QUESTION No. 154/98 by John IVERSEN to the Commission. Tobacco production in Andorra
9. 10. 98 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 310/29 (98/C 310/32) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0149/98 by Graham Mather (PPE) to the Commission (2 February 1998) Subject: Telecoms liberalization (infringement proceedings) On 6 November 1997, the Commission announced that it had initiated infringement proceedings against certain Member States, having identified over 20 cases where Member States had failed to implement elements of European directives which are essential for a truly liberalized market in telecoms. It was the Commissionís stated intention at the time to speed up the transposition of relevant directives into national law before the deadline of 1 January 1998 for the establishment of a fully-liberalized telecoms market in the EU. Is the Commission confident that these measures will lead to early remedial action, and what evidence is there to support this? As of 1 January 1998, in how many cases has the necessary legislation not been adopted by Member States; which Member States and which pieces of legislation are involved? What timescale does the Commission currently envisage for the completion of transposition into national law of all the requisite measures? What measures does the Commission have in place for the provision of public information on these matters? Answer given by Mr Van Miert on behalf of the Commission (12 March 1998) On 21 November 1997 and 2 December 1997, the Commission sent letters of formal notice to seven Member States regarding twenty cases of non-transposition or incorrect transposition of the Community telecommuni- cations directives. This initiative has had significant results in that, in the meantime, fourteen out of these cases appear to have been dealt with satisfactorily by the Member States concerned. As for the situation on 1 January 1998, the Commission adopted on 18 February 1998 a report on the state of implementation of the Community telecommunications directives which will soon be transmitted to the Parliament. The Commissionís assessment is that, except in a small number of cases, transposition has been completed. Where there are delays, drafts awaiting adoption will in general ensure transposition. As regards the application of the rules put in place in the Member States, the Commissionís initial conclusion is that, despite a number of complaints, there is widespread evidence both that the necessary steps are being taken to ensure market entry, and that regulators are taking action to ensure compliance with the regulatory framework. However, if delays or incomplete transposition persist in certain Member States, the Commission will have to open new infringement proceedings. The Commission intends to issue further communications on the state of implementation, in which the focus will shift away from transposition towards effective application and fuller reporting of the opening of national markets, on the basis of a wider range of indicators and more extensive data from the national regulatory authorities. These reports will continue to be made available on the Internet for the broader public. (98/C 310/33) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0154/98 by John Iversen (PSE) to the Commission (2 February 1998) Subject: Tobacco production in Andorra How much does the EU pay out in aid for unprofitable and unhealthy tobacco production in Andorra?