WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3993/98 by Ernesto CACCAVALE to the Commission. Contribution payable by holders of telecommunications licences in Italy
21. 5. 1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 142/157 Answer given by Mr Bangemann on behalf of the Commission (25 January 1999) The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its answer to written question 1495/98 by Mr Kindermann (1). (1) OJ C 31, 5. 2. 1999, p. 42. (1999/C 142/214) WRITTEN QUESTION P-3993/98 by Ernesto Caccavale (UPE) to the Commission (21 December 1998) Subject: Contribution payable by holders of telecommunications licences in Italy The Community market in telecommunications networks and services has been fully competitive since 1 January 1998. Directive 97/13/EC (1) states, inter alia, that ‘any fees imposed on undertakings as part of authorization procedures seek only to cover the administrative costs incurred in the issue, management, control and enforcement of the applicable individual licences’. As a result of the recent adoption of the 1999 budget, Italy has obliged holders of licences for the installation and supply of telecommunication networks and services to pay an annual contribution calculated on the basis of a percentage, varying according to the operator concerned, of the turnover of all telecommunication services and facilities. This fee will decrease but will continue to be payable even after 2002. Since the size of the contribution payable by Italian firms is larger than in any other Member State and is out of all proportion to the administrative costs of issuing licences, can the Commission say: − why Italy has not come into line with European legislation; − whether the charging of this fee does not conflict with the principles of free competition, non- discrimination, proportionality and objectivity; − whether the Italian market and telecommunication firms operating in Italy are not being penalized, compared with other European markets, in particular with reference to the development of innovative services and the Information Society; − what steps it intends to take to ensure compliance with Community rules; − why it has not seen fit to follow up its stated position of 11 November 1998 vis-à-vis the Italian Government? (1) OJ L 117, 7. 5. 1997, p. 15. Answer given by Mr Bangemann on behalf of the Commission (20 January 1999) The Commission is conducting a detailed investigation of the problem raised by the Honourable Member and will inform him of the outcome as soon as possible