Brussels clears PC scheme

The European Commission has decided that the PC @ 99 Cents A Day scheme, an incentive by the government to increase the number of computers in households, did not discriminate against other businesses.

Brian Simpson, a British Socialist MEP, argued in the European Parliament last May that the scheme did not respect EU laws and was discriminatory.

He said that while the scheme stated that the government would refund each household that purchased computing equipment from a recognised hardware reseller through a subsidy of 16 per cent, this did not apply to those who decided to purchase a computer from other EU member states. He cited an example of a Maltese resident who was told that he would not be entitled to a refund if the equipment was bought from the UK.

According to the British MEP, the Maltese authorities had told the resident in question that the scheme was only open to applicants purchasing PCs from Malta.

Following an investigation by the Commission on Mr Simpson's allegations, Brussels said that as this was only a one-off' time-barred offer it was not discriminatory against other businesses in the EU.

European Commission vice president Günter Verheugen said the measure consisted of providing financial assistance to households buying computer equipment from a Maltese retailer between February 18 and July 6. "As this scheme is no longer in force and was just a one-off offer, the Commission does not intend to investigate the case further," he said.

According to the government, over 6,000 households bought computers at the discounted rate offered through this scheme.