WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3096/98 by Umberto BOSSI to the Council. The monopoly enjoyed in Italy by CONI - football clubs and free competition
29. 4. 1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 118/179 (1999/C 118/229) WRITTEN QUESTION E-3095/98 by AndrØ Sainjon (ARE) to the Commission (16 October 1998) Subject: Aid granted by the IMF to South Korea and its repercussions for shipyards In his letter of 3 March 1998, Sir Leon Brittan stated that the Commission would exercise vigilance and verify that the aid granted by the International Monetary Fund to South Korea was not used to save bankrupt shipyards. Could the Commission inform me of its progress with this verification and its initial findings? Answer given by Sir Leon Brittan on behalf of the Commission (5 November 1998) The Commission is keeping a close watch on developments in the financial crisis in South Korea and its impact on the European shipbuilding industry. At the meeting between Asia and Europe (ASEM II) in April 1998, the shipbuilding issue was raised with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade. He acknowledged that overcapacity in the sector was the result of inappropriate allocation of funding and that his Governmentís policy was to apply market principles more stringently and hence not to support bankrupt firms in the sector. Consequently no aid from the IMF should be used for shipyards in difficulties. The IMFís plan, which South Korea accepted, is intended only to stabilise the financial and banking system and in no way to fund industrial sectors. Although the Commission does not sit on the IMF, it is carefully monitoring the situation. It has repeatedly raised a series of questions with the South Korean authorities on the utilisation of IMF funding. These questions have been discussed at bilateral talks, such as the May 1998 high-level consultations between the Commission and the South Korean authorities. A number of assurances have been given. None the less, the Commission has asked for further clarifications on the restructuring of the sector, the support given by Korea Eximbank for exporting vessels and for clarifications about allegations of local subsidies to shipyard sub-contractors. The Commission continues to monitor developments closely. To date, however, it has received no information indicating that South Korea has failed to comply with its international obligations in this field. (1999/C 118/230) WRITTEN QUESTION E-3096/98 by Umberto Bossi (NI) to the Council (19 October 1998) Subject: The monopoly enjoyed in Italy by CONI › football clubs and free competition The monopoly enjoyed in Italy by CONI [Italian National Olympic Committee] in professional and amateur competitive sporting activities, organised under law No 426 of 16 February 1942, is no longer tenable, not least in view of the substantial hand-outs the Italian state gives to CONI each year. The regulatory authority responsible for competition and markets, which has frequently been the subject of questions in the Italian Parliament calling for it to act, has never taken any action to assert the principle that the legislator should foster competition and break up monopolies. In particular, the action taken by the regulatory authority in respect of clubs in divisions A and B of the Italian Football League to tackle the perennial contractual issue of pay-per-view television rights has been ineffective, since it is directed at a body that belongs to the Italian Football Federation (Article 6(II) of the Statute) which effectively enjoys a monopoly in the game of soccer (Articles 1 and 2 of the Statute). The action taken by the regulatory authority fails to assert the principle of free competition, thereby benefitting a small number of groups operating in the sports industry