WRITTEN QUESTION E-1077/00 by Raffaele Costa (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Terms and conditions to which several Italian credit institutions subject their current account-holders.
26. 1. 2001 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 26 E/153 In a number of applicant countries, however, notably Bulgaria, Lithuania and Slovakia, such a restrictive policy does not take any account of political reality. For these governments, the complete closure of their nuclear power plants raises extremely difficult economic and social issues. In light of these difficulties, the best way to reconcile social and economic concerns with improved nuclear safety might be to replace old Soviet-design reactors with modern western-designed reactors, incorporating the latest safety technology. Will the Commission therefore consider widening the criteria for Euratom loans to take account of political reality in the applicant countries and allow the financing of new western-designed reactors? Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission (8 May 2000) Council Decision 94/179/Euratom of 21 March 1994 amending Decision 77/270/Euratom, to authorise the Commission to contract Euratom borrowings in order to contribute to the financing required for improving the degree of safety and efficiency of nuclear power stations in certain non-member countries (1) authorises the Commission, within the ceiling set by the Council (currently EUR 4 000m), to contract borrowings in the form of loans for the financing of projects designed solely to improve the safety and efficiency of nuclear power stations in non-member eligible countries, including the applicant countries which produce nuclear electricity. This Decision also allows the financing of new investment projects, but only where these are located in the Community. The Decision is based primarily on Article 203 of the Euratom Treaty, which provides that the Council shall act unanimously on a proposal from the Commission after consulting the European Parliament. The political circumstances would appear not to be conducive to establishing unanimous agreement on extending the eligibility of Euratom loans to new reactors to be built in applicant countries. The Commission will nonetheless analyse the conditions to be met before submitting a proposal along the lines proposed by the Honourable Member. As far as priorities are concerned, the Commission takes the view that the first problem regarding investment in applicant countries concerns the decommissioning of obsolete (non-modernisable) nuclear installations, as negotiated by the Commission, and nuclear safety upgrading of installations having to remain temporarily in operation. On 18 April 2000, for example, the Commission decided to issue a Euratom loan for the modernisation of units 5 and 6 of the Kozloduy nuclear power station in Bulgaria. However, Euratom loans as such will not be sufficient to modernise installations that have to remain in operation. Applications will need to be made for funding available under the PHARE Programme and to the organisation of donorsí conferences (as in the case of the decommissioning of the Ignalina facility in Lithuania). (1) OJ L 84, 29. 3. 1994. (2001/C 26 E/190) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1077/00 by Raffaele Costa (PPE-DE) to the Commission (7 April 2000) Subject: Terms and conditions to which several Italian credit institutions subject their current account- holders Italian banks normally pay an annual interest rate of between 0,05 % and 1 % to their current account- holders, whilst demanding figures of around, or even above, 10-12 % when granting loans (credit lines). C 26 E/154 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 26. 1. 2001 Is this compatible with Community legislation? Will the Commission take action to prevent the absurd and short-sighted attitude of most Italian credit institutions, which unjustly appropriate substantial amounts from private individuals, businesses and public and private bodies? Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission (16 May 2000) Community legislation does not contain provisions aimed at regulating the interest that credit institutions apply to their customers concerning their bank accounts or loans. The level of such interest should be left to market forces. The treaties do not provide any basis to propose legislative measures on the matters raised by the Honourable Member and do not give the Commission any powers of direct intervention in this area. Therefore, the Commission, the national central banks and the European central bank cannot regulate directly the level of prices that credit institutions charge for their services, nor the remuneration capital. These aspects are to be established by each credit institution on the basis of its commercial strategy and according to the principles of a free market. Consequently, the Commission does not foresee any initiatives aimed at regulating the practices of the Community credit institutions toward their customers. (2001/C 26 E/191) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1091/00 by Inger Schörling (Verts/ALE) to the Commission Subject: Freedom of movement for EU officials (7 April 2000) Swedish television recently reported on the case of a woman who had worked for three years at one of the EU institutions before deciding to return home to Sweden. When she returned, she found that she was not covered by the social insurance systems at all and was treated as if she had just arrived as an immigrant. After using up her savings from her time as an EU official, she was forced to live on welfare benefits until she found a job. There may be many reasons why well-paid officials return to their countries of origin, and it goes without saying that everyone must be free to make that choice. However, it does seem wrong that EU officials should feel compelled to stay put because they have been removed from their national systems without having any other system to rely on for security. What steps does the Commission intend to take to make it easier for EU officials, too, to move freely? Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission (31 May 2000) Under Community law there is no unified European social security system. Each Member State is responsible for its own social security system and decides which benefits shall be provided, the conditions for eligibility and the value of the benefits. In general, national social security schemes do not allocate unemployment benefits to people who resign from professional occupation. Officials and other servants of the Communities are protected by a social security scheme instituted by the Council under Article 15 of the Protocol on privileges and immunities of the Communities. The provisions governing the benefits of this scheme are contained in the staff regulations