WRITTEN QUESTION E-2353/99 by Raffaele Costa (PPE-DE) to the Commission. State aid granted to RAI by Italy.
C 203 E/166 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 18. 7. 2000 (2000/C 203 E/213) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2353/99 by Raffaele Costa (PPE-DE) to the Commission (13 December 1999) Subject: State aid granted to RAI by Italy In its answer to Written Question E-1701/99 (1) given by Commissioner Monti, the Commission stated that it had áthe duty to assess whether the funds granted by the state to RAI, both as licence fee and as other support measures, are proportionate to the net costs incurred by the undertaking to fulfil the public service obligations imposed by the stateí. What is the Commissionís view of the proportion between the net costs (which seem to be extremely high) and the licence fee and the other specific measures the state has granted and continues to grant to RAI? (1) See page 28. Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission (5 January 2000) As already anticipated in its reply to Written Question E-1701/99 (1) of the Honourable Member, the Commission has in place a formal investigation procedure regarding the licence fee and other additional aid measures granted to Radio Televisione Italiana (RAI) by the state and Istituto per la Ricostruzione Industriale (IRI). At the present stage of the procedure, the Commission has not yet concluded its analysis on the nature of existing aid of the licence fee. As far as the other measures granted by the state and IRI are concerned, the Italian government has not yet submitted its observations. An overall assessment of the proportionality of the aid granted to RAI with the costs incurred by the undertaking to fulfil the public service obligations imposed by the state will be possible only at the conclusion of the procedure currently in place. (1) See page 28. (2000/C 203 E/214) WRITTEN QUESTION P-2354/99 by Jonas Sjöstedt (GUE/NGL) to the Commission (1 December 1999) Subject: Killing of cattle in the name of the EU On 7 October 1999, five cows and one bull were destroyed on a farm in Bohuslän, Sweden, at the behest of the National Board of Agriculture. The farmer had flouted EU rules and not marked his animals. He wanted full financial compensation for the loss of his animals but, on 9 November 1999, the district administrative court ruled that the decision to shoot the animals was based on the rules that apply in Sweden following its accession to the European Union, so that the farmer is not entitled to compensation. Calls have been made in Sweden for ámore flexibleí Swedish national rules to be drawn up on how to the European directive. The Agriculture Minister has said that she will check with her implement counterparts in other Member States to ascertain whether the rules can be modified. What are the Commissionís views on this? Is it correct practice to kill animals that are not marked in accordance with European rules? Or has the National Board of Agriculture gone too far in its interpreta- tion of the European directive?