WRITTEN QUESTION E-0869/01

by Jorge Hernández Mollar (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(22 March 2001)

Subject: Potato import quota

The agreement between the EU and the Kingdom of Morocco sets at 120 000 tonnes the quota of potatoes exported to the EU that is subject to zero duty (i.e. tariff exemption).

Intrastat data cannot be accessed in real time, and thus it is impossible to tell whether the quota has been exceeded and the corresponding duty therefore applied.

In view of the aforementioned facts, what procedures does the Commission have in place to ensure the real-time monitoring of imports of potatoes and other products which arrive from third countries on given dates and enjoy tariff exemption under preferential agreements?

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(7 June 2001)

As indicated by the Honourable Member, the Association Agreement between the Community and the Kingdom of Morocco provides in its Protocol 1 for import into the Community of new potatoes originating from Morocco from 1 December to 30 April with exemption of customs duties. This tariff concession applies within the limit of a tariff quota of 120 000 tonnes.

Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 747/2001 of 9 April 2001(1) providing for the management of Community tariff quotas and of reference quantities for products eligible for preferences by virtue of agreements with certain Mediterranean countries and repealing Council Regulations (EC) No 1981/94(2) and (EC) No 934/95(3) provides that this tariff quota is to be managed by the Commission following the chronological order of dates of acceptance of customs declarations. This system of management of tariff quotas is defined within Articles 308a to 308c of Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2454/93 laying down provisions for the implementation of the Community Customs Code.

According to these provisions, Member States communicate to the Commission all valid requests to benefit from a tariff quota, taking into account the data from each to the customs presented declaration for release for free circulation. To the extent that the balance of the relevant tariff quota so permits, the Commission grants an allocation of the requested quantity. Priority is established in accordance with the chronological order of dates of acceptance of declarations for release for free circulation. If the quantities requested for drawing from a tariff quota are greater than the balance available, the allocation is made on a pro rata basis with respect to the requested quantities. So, the Commission ensures that the initial volume of the tariff quota is not exceeded.

With a view to greater transparency, the Commission's database for management of tariff quotas is, as a part of the Tariff Data Dissemination System, available on the Europa server of the Commission at the following address: http://europa.eu.int/comm/taxation_customs/dds/es/home.htm.

It displays the balances of each tariff quota applicable in the present year and in the past two years. This information is daily updated as a result of the tariff quota allocations which take place every working day.

(1) OJ L 109, 19.4.2001.

(2) Council Regulation No 1981/94 of 25 July 1994 opening and providing for the administration of Community tariff quotas for certain products originating in Algeria, Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Malta, Morocco, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, Tunisia and Turkey, and providing detailed rules for extending and adapting these tariff quotas (OJ L 199, 2.8.1994).

(3) Council Regulation (EC) No 934/95 of 10 April 1995 establishing a Community statistical surveillance in the framework of reference quantities for a certain number of products originating in Cyprus, Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Tunisia, Syria, Malta, Morocco and the West Bank and the Gaza Strip (OJ L 96, 28.4.1995).