91997E2837

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2837/97 by Eolo Parodi (UPE) and Giancarlo Ligabue (UPE) to the Commission (1 September 1997)

Subject: Monitoring procedure for state aids

On 25 February 1997, draft law No 3270 on the restructuring of road transport and the development of intermodal systems was submitted to the Italian parliament. In accordance with Article 93(3) of the Treaty, the Italian Government forwarded the draft law to Directorate-General VII to enable it to assess whether the text of the law complied with European rules in force, in particular Regulation 1107/70 ((OJ L 130, 15.6.1970, p. 1.)), last amended by Regulation 543/97 ((OJ L 84, 26.3.1997, p. 6.)), on the granting of aids for transport by rail, road and inland waterway.

By letter of 23 May 1997, the Director-General of DG VII, Mr Coleman, writing on behalf of the Commission, informed Italy's Permanent Representative to the European Communities that, following an initial consideration of the draft law, further information was required.

According to the Commission, this information was needed in order to clarify the content of some of the law's provisions and to obtain further details on the government's thinking from the point of view of Community interest. Given that the full liberalization of quota restrictions is due to be introduced in little more than one year from now and that the Italian road transport sector therefore needs a legal framework that will allow restructuring to be completed before that date, will the Commission say:

1. What progress has been made with the monitoring procedure and when will it adopt a final position on the question?

2. What additional information has been supplied by the Italian authorities at this stage in the procedure and is this information sufficient to indicate that the provisions laid down in the draft law comply with existing Community rules and the provisions of the Treaty?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission (19 September 1997)

The draft law mentioned by the Honourable Member was notified to the Commission on 24 April 1997. In view of the diversity of the measures proposed and the very general terms of the draft law, the Commission requested additional information in order to be able to consider the compatibility of this aid scheme with Community law. At the request of the Italian authorities, a meeting with the Commission took place on 11 July 1997. This meeting contributed to clarifying not only the aims pursued by the Italian authorities but also various other aspects of the measure. The Italian authorities declared that an amended version of the draft law clarifying certain aspects would be sent to the Commission in the near future.

The Commission is aware of the importance of this dossier in relation to the liberalization of road transport. Naturally, as soon as the Commission receives the answer to its request for additional information and, as agreed, the revised draft law, it will give its opinion at the earliest opportunity.