91998E3661

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3661/98

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.

Has the Commission carried out a general analysis of the nature of the problems which may arise and of the potential errors or breakdowns in date-dependent systems?

Answer given by Mr Bangemann on behalf of the Commission

(15 January 1999)

The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its communications(1)(2) on the Year 2000 computing problem and on how the Community is tacking the Year 2000 computing problem respectively.

(1) COM(98) 102.

(2) SEC(98) 2100.