WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1080/98 by Jean-Antoine GIANSILY to the Commission. Prolongation of existing block exemption regulations
22. 12. 98 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 402/71 (98/C 402/086) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1079/98 by Jean-Antoine Giansily (UPE) to the Commission (7 April 1998) Subject: The Commissionís Green Paper on Vertical Restraints in EC Competition Policy On 18 July 1997, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the Commissionís Green Paper on Vertical Restraints in EC Competition Policy (A-0242/97 (1)). In the wake of the conference organized by DG IV on 6 and 7 October to consult interested parties, MEPs have the impression that the Commission has no clear sense of direction and, on the contrary, is continuing to envisage a variety of complex and confused alternatives, without taking any account of the objections raised to the options contained in the Green Paper on the basis of market share. Does the Commission consider that it is reasonable to pursue this unpromising approach, which gave rise to almost unanimous opposition from industry and distributors, and serious reservations on the part of Parliament, the Economic and Social Council, the Committee of the Regions and various national governments? (1) OJ C 286, 22. 9. 1997, p. 347. (98/C 402/087) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1080/98 by Jean-Antoine Giansily (UPE) to the Commission (7 April 1998) Subject: Prolongation of existing block exemption regulations The conference organized by DG IV on 6 and 7 October 1997 to consult interested parties on the Green Paper on Vertical Restraints in EC Competition Policy (COM(96) 0721) does not seem to have arrived at any very clear conclusions. In the light of that meeting, does the Commission agree that it would be sensible to simply prolong the existing block exemption regulations for a further fifteen years or so? At a time of budgetary restraint forced on Member States and citizens by the Treaty of Maastricht, would not such an approach enable the Commission to make savings in operational expenditure while avoiding the need for firms to go through complex bureaucratic notification procedures? (98/C 402/088) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1081/98 by Jean-Antoine Giansily (UPE) to the Commission (7 April 1998) Subject: Green Paper on Vertical Restraints in EC Competition Policy and the restriction or abolition of the block exemption system Does the Commission intend to publish a White Paper setting out the approach decided on after the conference held on 6 and 7 October 1997 by DG IV to consult interested parties about the Green Paper on Vertical Restraints in EC Competition Policy? What timetable does it envisage? How does it intend, in particular, to respond to the almost unanimous objections raised to its proposal to abolish or restrict the block exemptions granted to certain vertical agreements on the basis of the market share of the enterprises concerned?