WRITTEN QUESTION E-0509/00 by Christopher Huhne (ELDR) to the Commission. Assessment of inflation differentials.
C 330 E/178 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 21. 11. 2000 However, difference results from taxes and transfers. production, while disposable income should be estimated for the householdsí place of residence. it is true that income from production is not the same as citizensí disposable income: the the place of In addition, regional GDP is estimated at level. The Commission does not yet have information on householdsí disposable income at regional However, as part of the 1995 revision of the European System of Accounts (ESA), methodological principles for the drawing up of regional household accounts have been established. This work, carried out with the assistance of the national statistical institutes, will produce the first data in this area from 2001. The data will be published regularly and will provide users with an additional indicator to measure regional differences. (2000/C 330 E/204) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0509/00 by Christopher Huhne (ELDR) to the Commission (28 February 2000) Subject: Assessment of inflation differentials In the answer to Written Question E-2228/99 (1) given by Mr Solbes Mira on 20 December 1999, the Commission says that it will assess inflation differentials in view of the overall economic situation in order to avoid any harmful divergence in inflation. Given that it also states that áit would be fraught with difficulty to provide a quantitative assessment of the scope for sustained inflation differentials across the euro areaí, how does it propose to áassessí such inflation differentials? Would the Commissionís proposed assessment be more credible if it were based on a study of this issue ex ante rather than ex post? Will the Commission publish such a study albeit with any necessary emphasis on the uncertainties involved in the assumption? (1) OJ C 219 E, 1. 8. 2000, p. 127. Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission (27 March 2000) The Commission and the Council constantly monitor economic developments in the euro area and in each of the Member States. This monitoring takes place inter alia in official documents, such as the annual review of the Community economy, and in surveillance discussions in the economic and financial committee, the economic policy committee, the Euro-11 group and the Ecofin Council. Monitoring of inflation differences and cyclical divergence across the euro area is a crucial aspect of economic surveillance. The Commission recognises that sustained inflation differentials may occur in the Economic and monetary union (EMU). Recent empirical studies based on the Balassa-Samuelson framework are useful in stressing this fact and they form an important background element in the assessment of actual inflation develop- ments. Nevertheless, a review of the assumptions underlying these numerical simulations suggests that it is fraught with difficulty to quantify ex ante the scope for sustained inflation differentials across the euro area. This cannot be done with any great confidence. The Commission does not apply a static framework for assessing inflation differences across EMU and it will not do so in future. Rather, a variety of factors which may justify differences in economic performances have to be considered. The Commission currently assesses cyclical divergence and inflation differences on the basis of a wide range of indicators, including output gaps, economic growth, wages, unit labour costs, inflation, price movements for traded and on-traded goods, and movements in real exchange rates relative to long-run purchasing power parity (PPP)-levels. 21. 11. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 330 E/179 In order to improve the understanding of inflation differentials in EMU, the Commission expects to launch an external study analysing the sources of sustained inflation differentials in a modified Balassa-Samuelson framework. The results of this study, which are expected at the end of 2000, will be made public. More important than providing a set of ex ante estimates of the scope for inflation differentials in EMU, the study is intended to help in improving and refining the framework used by the Commission to assess cyclical divergence and inflation differences across EMU. (2000/C 330 E/205) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0519/00 by Elizabeth Lynne (ELDR) to the Commission (28 February 2000) Subject: Transparency In the Briefing of the European Parliament Press Service for the part session 12-16 February 1996, it is stated that, regarding the matter of the Wild Birds Directiveí, áthe Commission is also proposing that in future such decisions would be taken in secret by a special committee, away from the glare of publicity and not subject to Parliamentary scrutinyí. Can the Commission provide details of the context of this statement? Has the Commission specified a lack of Parliamentary scrutiny on other occasions? If so, in what circumstances is this deemed appropriate? Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission (4 April 2000) The statement of the Parliament Press Service was made in the context of the first reading at the Parliament ü session of 15 February 1996 ü of the Commissionís proposal (1) to modify Article 7(4) of Council Directive 79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979 on the conservation of wild birds (2). The Commission does not share the sentiment of the statement quoted by the Honourable Member. On the contrary, from the seven amendments voted by the Parliament (3), the Commission immediately agreed with amendment No 4 concerning the transmission of the composite report of the application of the Directive to the Member States and the Parliament. Furthermore, the Parliament is informed by the Commission of committee proceedings on a regular basis, as set out in Council Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999 laying down the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission (4). (1) OJ C 100, 9. 4. 1994. (2) OJ L 103, 25. 4. 1979. (3) Bulletin, 1996/1/2, p. 1. 3. 152. (4) OJ L 184, 17. 7. 1999. (2000/C 330 E/206) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0522/00 by Monica Frassoni (Verts/ALE) to the Commission (28 February 2000) Subject: Procedure followed by Poste Italiane SpA for the award of contracts for mail delivery services Does the Commission intend to take steps to check the regularity of the procedures for the award of contracts followed by Poste Italiane SpA, the Italian postal services provider, with particular reference to the priority mail service?