Italy

17.4.2009

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3183/09
by Christopher Heaton-Harris (PPE‑DE)
to the Commission

The Italian gaming market has undergone many changes in recent years — many of them progressive changes resulting in an increasing number of tenders for concessions for public games.

One such concession, for scratch cards, is currently held by a single operator. This concession is due to expire on 31 May 2010, meaning a tender process should begin shortly.

Does the Commission agree that it is desirable that private companies can participate in such processes, and that in order to encourage this, tenders such as this need to be launched without delay (a tender for the National Lottery in the UK, for example, took 36 months to complete from start to finish).

In April 2008, the Commission expressed concern about Italy's compliance with a Court of Justice ruling concerning the award of concessions for betting services without tender. Would the Commission have similar concerns about the current procedure relating to the concession for scratch cards?

Would the Commission regard a renewal of the current concession, or even a postponement of the end of the current concession period, as an infringement of Articles 43 and 49 of the Treaty?

OJ C 189, 13/07/2010