Vol. 535 No. 3
30 Mrs. Barnes asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if, with regard to the euro changeover, she will consider a freeze or curtailment of prices during the early part of 2002; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12160/01]
As the background to my response, may I direct the Deputy to a communication from the Commission, dated 3 April 2001, ref: com (2001) 190 final, which is addressed to the Council, the European Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions and the European Central Bank, and to which is attached a report on the preparations in the eurozone for the introduction of euro notes and coins. This document can be accessed at www.europa.eu.int/ comm/economyfinance/document/euro/com2001 190en.htm.
In this communication, the Commission states that the national officials responsible for coordinating the changeover to the euro, the Euro Changeover Board of Ireland, in the case of this country, were consulted when the report was being drawn up. Part 3 of the report, pp 41-42, addresses the risk of price increases across the eurozone during the changeover and concludes that, on the whole, the risk is very low. The report suggests several lines of preventive action which could be pursued in order to reassure consumers, "without calling into question the principle of the freedom to set prices, which is one of the essential foundations of the Single Market".
The Deputy will be pleased to learn that it so happens we in Ireland have already taken on board key suggestions contained in the report as regards dual pricing, a special logo and price surveys: The voluntary commitments in that connection are to be found in the action plan, 2000-01, to protect consumers as far as possible against unwarranted price rises during the changeover to the euro, which I launched last December and which is being implemented by the Director of Consumer Affairs. Needless to say, the secretariat of the Euro Changeover Board of Ireland was consulted when the action plan was being prepared. In Ireland the special logo will be available from the Director of Consumer Affairs. Display of the logo means that the businesses concerned are publicly committed to carrying out the changeover fairly, without seeking any advantage from the conversion. Consumers should be able to feel confident that they will not be overcharged for goods or services where they see the logo on display. The Deputy may be interested to know that consumers can contact the Director of Consumer Affairs with queries or complaints they may have on the euro at odcaeuroinfo@entemp.ie.
Going beyond national level, the idea of a voluntary commitment to overall price stability appears in the joint statement adopted on 2 April 2001 by representatives of the retail trades, SMEs and consumers in the eurozone: "Retailers undertake not to use the changeover to the euro to apply hidden price rises. They undertake to do their utmost to ensure the overall stability of their prices when converting them into euros and to publicise these commitments using appropriate communication tools. In order to reflect this commitment and to get the message across to consumers, they will use the European slogan "new currency, stable prices" as much as possible in all appropriate contexts".
The full text of the joint statement is included at annex 3 to the report attached to the Commission Communication.
