WRITTEN QUESTION E-2121/99 by Olivier Dupuis (TDI) to the Commission. Air ticket sales.
1. 8. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 219 E/95 (2000/C 219 E/122) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2120/99 by Heidi Hautala (Verts/ALE) to the Council (23 November 1999) Subject: Representation of women on committees It is difficult for Members of the European Parliament and the public to obtain information about the advisory, management and regulatory committees which assist the Commission with the implementation of European Union legislation under the commitology procedure. These committees, of which there are probably more than 450, mainly comprise representatives appointed by the Member States. In its reply to my written question E-1466/99 (1), the Commission has stated that the Member States appoint the committee members, leaving the Commission no power to intervene. Can the Council proportion of the members of all committees formed by the national authorities are women? indicate the composition of the committees and their breakdown by sex? What (1) OJ C 27 E, 29. 1. 2000, p. 81. Reply (31 January 2000) The committees referred to by the Honourable Member are those provided for by Council Decision 1999/ 468/EC of 28 June 1999 laying down the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission (1). That Decision replaced Council Decision 87/373/EEC of 13 July 1987 (2). As indicated in the two Decisions referred to, these committees are made up áof the representatives of the Member Statesí and chaired by a representative of the Commission, which also provides the secretariat. The Council is not represented in the committees concerned. It therefore cannot provide the Honourable Member with the information requested. Moreover, the Member States frequently send different people to attend these committees so that it is not possible to give a reliable indication of the respective numbers of men and women making up the committees. (1) OJ L 184, 17. 7. 1999, p. 23. (2) OJ L 197, 18. 7. 1987, p. 33. (2000/C 219 E/123) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2121/99 by Olivier Dupuis (TDI) to the Commission (22 November 1999) Subject: Air ticket sales Rail, road (bus and coach) and sea travellers in the European Union can buy single or return tickets from public or private companies. However, for air transport, most companies ü with a few notable exceptions ü offer single tickets only to business or first-class travellers, which means that economy-class travellers have to buy the return part of the ticket, even though they know that they will not be able to use it. Does not the Commission think that this constitutes an abuse of power by the airlines, as it obliges air travellers to purchase a service that they will not be able to benefit from? What action has the Commission taken or what action will it take to end this practice? C 219 E/96 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 1. 8. 2000 Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission (17 December 1999) The fact that airlines often charge less for their cheapest return tickets than they do for a standard fare single ticket is not contrary to Community rules on pricing as set out in Council Regulation (EEC) No 2409/92 of 23 July 1992 on fares and rates for air services (1). Under that Regulation, airlines have the freedom to set both the level and structure of their fares, thereby allowing them to react swiftly to the market. This has lead to more vigorous competition and, in particular, to lower leisure fares on many routes. Most airlines offer their lowest fares in the form of return tickets only, because it would be simply uneconomic to split them and sell them for half the price as single tickets. Often, these leisure tickets represent good value, even if only one half is used. The benefit of Regulation (EEC) No 2409/92, however, is that it permits airlines to react constantly in order to compete with rivals. A number of the new low-cost carriers are now offering very low single fares and transparent pricing structures based on the cost of each leg of the flight. This shows that airlines are capable of reacting to their customers and it is important to preserve their flexibility to do so. Taking account of the benefits of giving airlines the flexibility to set fares and rates in reaction to the market, the Commission has no plans to introduce any additional restrictions or requirements on airlines to address the issue of single tickets. (1) OJ L 240, 24. 8. 1992. (2000/C 219 E/124) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2125/99 by Nelly Maes (Verts/ALE) and Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Council Subject: Financial aid to the European oil industry (29 November 1999) There is considerable movement in the oil sector: large companies are merging, OPEC meetings can lead to a rise in the price of crude oil and there are regular press reports of new oil fields. The crisis atmosphere of 1973 seems definitely to be a thing of the past. In the last two decades the Commissionís energy policy has been increasingly concentrated on three aspects: (a) adequate energy supplies; (b) environmental friendliness, and (c) consolidating a competitive position. Following the 1973 oil crisis did the Council draw up financial support measures for the European 1. oil industry? 2. If not, has the Council given the sector support in any other form? What initiatives were involved? If the Council did draw up support measures, what financial aid has been given to the European oil 3. industry since 1973 (broken down by programmes and companies)? 4. What are the Councilís reasons for such financial aid to the European oil industry? Does the Council believe that financial aid to the oil 5. prevent CO2 emissions? industry is compatible with measures to