92000E0184

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0184/00

by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(31 January 2000)

Subject: Failure of Greece to comply with Community legislation

According to the 1998 annual report on the harmonisation of the national legislation of the Member States with Community legislation, Greece appears to have failed to comply with Community legislation in 241 cases. Will the Commission say, in respect of the situation in 1999, in how many instances Greece failed to comply with Community legislation, what these cases were and what progress Greece has made as regards the 241 cases of non-compliance in 1998?

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(9 March 2000)

The Commission's annual report on the application of Community law lists all the proceedings initiated by it against Member States under Article 226 (formerly 169) of the EC Treaty, either in reponse to a complaint or on its own initiative, for failure to comply with Community law. As at 31 December 1998, there were 241 infringement proceedings under way against Greece. As at 31 December 1999, the number had risen to 259.

For further information on the nature of the infringements detected in the case of Greece in 1999, the Honourable Member is referred to the 17th annual report, which is currently being drawn up and will be sent to Parliament during the coming weeks.