WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2267/98 by Rainer WIELAND to the Commission. Cost of the parliamentary system
22. 2. 1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 50/141 Joint answer to Written Questions E-2251/98, E-2252/98, E-2253/98, E-2254/98, E-2255/98, E-2256/98, E-2257/98, E-2258/98, E-2259/98, E-2260/98, E-2261/98, E-2262/98, E-2263/98, E-2264/98 and E-2265/98 given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (1 September 1998) In view of the length of its answer, the Commission is sending it direct to the Honourable Member and to Parliamentís Secretariat. (1999/C 50/212) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2267/98 by Rainer Wieland (PPE) to the Commission (22 July 1998) Subject: Cost of the parliamentary system Sector IV of the German Bundestagís research service produced a document on 24 February 1998 under reference number WF IV › 4/98 which calculated áthe cost of the parliamentary systems of the USA and the Federal Republic of Germanyí. Is the Commission able to make a similar comparison of the cost of the parliamentary system of the European Union itself, on the one hand with, and on the other hand without, inclusion of the language services, on the basis of the figures available from 1993 onwards for the relevant financial years? If so, what is the outcome of this comparison? Answer given by Mr Santer on behalf of the Commission (24 July 1998) The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its answer to his Written Question E-1660/98 (1). That answer is still valid. (1) OJ C 386, 11. 12. 1998, p. 154. (1999/C 50/213) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2274/98 by Richard Corbett (PSE) to the Commission (22 July 1998) Subject: Hypermarkets and the decline of city centres Is the Commission aware of the increasing number of local shops in inner city areas (such as those in Liverpool) which are closing because of the growth of supermarkets and out-of-town shopping centres? Is it aware that old people and people who have no cars find it difficult to travel to these hypermarkets to make their essential purchases? Does the Commission consider that such social costs should be taken into account when deciding whether to allow such hypermarkets? What steps is the Commission taking to find out the facts concerning this problem and to propose means by which the difficulties can be alleviated?