WRITTEN QUESTION E-3663/98

by José García-Margallo y Marfil (PPE) to the Commission

(7 December 1998)

Subject: The millennium bug

It has been established that the "millennium bug", a problem also known as the "year 2000 effect", may affect all types of programmable electronic systems (PESs), ranging from mainframe computers to microchips.

These systems are employed for all nature of industrial purposes at the various stages of the production process, in the transport sector, in the public services and so forth. Furthermore, the said systems are date-dependent and their reaction on the first day of the new millennium will be critical. For those reasons, it would advisable to pinpoint the risks involved.

What plans has the Commission devised with regard to the course and timetable of action to be followed in order to ensure that the EU administration is primed to deal with the problem, if and when it arises?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(26 January 1999)

The Commission adopted a communication on the year 2000 computer problem(1) on 25 February 1998, and a communication on the state of preparations within the Union on 2 December 1998(2). Chapter 6 of this document describes the progress made at Community level and with internal projects in adapting computer systems to the changeover to the new millennium.

Within the Commission itself, the impact on its internal systems is being handled by the Informatics Directorate as regards the central aspects of the problem, and by the different Directorates-General when it comes to the information systems under their control. The Directorate-General for Personnel and Administration has set up a Year 2000 Monitoring Group. The main thrust of the actions undertaken by such groups lies in their efforts to raise awareness of the problem amongst decision-makers, draw up a detailed inventory, monitor the implementation of the adaptation work required, inform the Directorate-General of the progress made and, where necessary, recommend appropriate measures to ensure that the administrative departments continue to run smoothly. The monitoring groups are working in tandem with the Informatics Directorate on preparations for a general test which is due to be carried out at Easter 1999.

(1) COM(98) 102.

(2) SEC(98) 2100 final.