(7) Some Member States have issued or are preparing legislation to regulate directly or indirectly interchange fees and covering a number of issues, including caps on interchange fees at various levels, merchant fees, the 'Honour All Cards' rule and steering measures.

(7) Some Members States have issued or are preparing legislation to regulate directly or indirectly interchange fees and covering a number of issues, including caps on interchange fees at various levels, merchant fees, the 'Honour All Cards' rule and steering measures.

22. Stresses that it is inappropriate for public funds allocated to SSGI to be used otherwise than to fulfil the objectives of the service, and that no part of such funding, apart from reasonable staff and overhead costs incurred in service delivery, should be used for any other purpose; takes the view that the legitimate objective of profit maximisation which underlies private commercial provision of commercial services conflicts unacceptably with the principles and objectives of SSGI; is of the opinion that where Member State authorities choose to use indirect delivery of SSGI, the general interest must be protected, and that they sh ...[+++]ould, while ensuring quality, innovation, efficiency and cost effectiveness, support social economy enterprises, where any surplus is reinvested in the service and in innovation, and encourage them to operate as providers;

In response to increasing health costs the Member States are trying to raise the proportion to be borne by patients, either directly by introducing charges and supplements or indirectly by restricting the services covered.

On motion of Sarmite Bulte, it was agreed, T hat the Committee authorize the Chairman, from time to time, as the need arises, to take, in conjunction with the Clerk of the Committee, the appropriate measures to provide lunches for the Committee and its Sub-Committees, for working purposes, and that the cost of these lunches be charged to the budget of the Committee.

I think my question or my point to you would be don't you think we should get off this merry-go-round and stop talking about a simple calculation of a notional account and whether or not I can get any money out of it and start talking about a reasonable determination of the value of the funds put in the EI account, what benefit they generate, and whether or not an amendment to the legislation defining the true cost or the true charges to the notional account should be made, so that in fact all costs directly or indirectly associated with protecting employees and providing employment opportunities in the future would be reflected in that ...[+++]legislation?