Brussels, 10/01/2000 (Agence Europe) - Mrs Randzio-Plath announced on Monday that the German Social Democrats would oppose the reform of European competition policy foreseen by the European Commission's White Paper. They will vote against the report by German Christian Democrat Karl von Wogau, which is on the agenda of the European Parliament's plenary session next week in Strasbourg and generally supports the proposed reform. The German Social Democrats are critical in particular of the plan to transfer to Member States some of the European Commission's present powers relating to control of cartels. According to Mrs Randzio-Plath, this reform would increase the risk of the formation of cartels and be harmful to fair competition.
On Tuesday, the EP Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs will discuss the issue with European Commissioner for competition Mario Monti. Mr Monti has declared that he considers the consultations in progress on the White Paper (prepared under the responsibility of his predecessor Karel van Miert) as a very serious matter and will take them fully into account in the subsequent phases of the procedure. This seems to imply that the guidelines set out in the White Paper could be partially revised in the light of reactions (Parliament, Member States and economic and social partners).